sbdcsierra Chapter 1699 Preparation
Chapter 1699 Preparation
Chapter 1699 Preparation
The factory is running smoothly with no major issues. During the Chinese New Year period, all we need to do is manage production.
Ye Yaodong simply glanced at the production figures during the Lunar New Year period and sorted out the orders to be shipped after the fifteenth day of the first lunar month; that was basically all he needed to do.
Many orders placed before the Lunar New Year will be shipped out gradually after the Lantern Festival. We've been working overtime lately, and now we have plenty of inventory to ship.
There are also designated people responsible for warehousing and shipping, so he doesn't need to worry about it much.
After finishing his work at the factory, Ye Yaodong took his two families, his father, and two cousins arranged by the office to Shanghai early the next morning. He was counting on his father to drive, so he had to bring his father along.
With just one car, after arriving in Shanghai, they took another taxi to the villa to stay, and then gave the registration fee to Ye Chenghu, telling him to go to the school to register by himself, as he still had to arrange for other people to attend school.
At the same time, he also asked his father to take Lin Xiuqing directly to the driving school to register for a driver's license test. His father had already passed the test and knew how to do it.
Doing several things at the same time can be faster; otherwise, he's very busy and can't do everything himself.
Ye Chengyang and Ye Xiaoxi will undoubtedly still have to go to Pudong to study. Each of them will have to pay a 3000 yuan tuition fee to get in. Pei Yu will be the same. It doesn't matter where the twins go to kindergarten.
However, this makes it inconvenient for them to live in the villas here, and they can only live in a row of rental houses built in Pudong.
Ye Yaodong was thinking of tearing down the farmhouse he had bought before and rebuilding it. It would take at most a year, and then he would have another villa.
Originally, it was a farmhouse, a homestead, located by the roadside in the village. In recent years, many houses around it have been demolished and rebuilt, with many three-story buildings erected.
It's no big deal if he knocks it down and rebuilds it.
For the time being, they'll have to live in the rented house for the rest of the year, which will also make it easier for Lin Xiuqing to collect the rent.
Chen Baoguo and Wang Jiale, who were taking turns staying here, could each go back, and the other could choose to go to work at the office.
The few rental houses that A-Guang built are not far from here, only two or three small villages away, and it only takes ten or twenty minutes to ride a bicycle.
On his way back after finishing his business, Ye Yaodong had already thought about his next steps. Building a small villa was a simple matter for him now, and he could live there for decades to come.
Moreover, the Pudong area will develop better and better. In the future, he will have a villa in Puxi and a villa in Pudong.
When I told Lin Xiuqing about it when I got back, she agreed wholeheartedly. She whispered, "We have so much money we don't know what to do with it. It would be good to build a bigger house so we can live more comfortably. We also have two young children who will be studying here for many more years."
Children can be taught.
Ye Yaodong was pleased that Ye Yaodong had finally learned to enjoy life.
"Then let Chen Baoguo find renovation workers and make arrangements in the next couple of days. Let them run around and get busy with the renovation as usual. You just need to check on things occasionally and keep track of the renovation costs."
"Hmm, those two kids can register tomorrow?"
"Yes, school starts tomorrow, but it doesn't matter if they are transfer students. They can register tomorrow. It's not far from your son's school, only a 10-minute bike ride."
"That's good."
"Has Ye Chenghu finished registering and come back? Have you finished registering at the driving school too?"
"I've been back for a while now, and I've already registered."
"That's good. We'll take them to register tomorrow morning. Bring their schoolbags, and once they're registered, they can go straight to school. We'll be free then."
"Should we deposit the sack of money after they register?"
"Don't deposit it yet. We still need to go to the shipyard for inspection. All three ships need to be inspected. First, we need to check how much the final payment is due, count the quantities, and then deposit the remaining amount later."
Lin Xiuqing felt a chill run down her spine when she thought about how the whole sack was full of 10-yuan bills.
"It's all about unity..."
"Well... there's nothing we can do about it. Let's ask others to help count."
Ye Yaodong felt a little embarrassed thinking about having to take that sack of 100,000 yuan to the shipyard to settle the bill.
When I bought the car before, I brought out a sack of 10 yuan, and everyone was surprised.
Someone who can afford a car worth hundreds of thousands of yuan actually came to pay with a 10-yuan bill... Anyone who didn't know better would think they had to sell their pots and pans and go bankrupt to scrape together the money to buy the car.
"OK then."
The children were excited to learn that they would be registering for school in Shanghai the next day, and they jumped around all night.
The next day they drove there, but there were a lot of people, so they took another taxi.
First, take Ye Chenghu to the school gate, then go register.
When Ye Chenghu dropped the person off at the school gate, he once again stole the show. His classmates immediately walked over to him, put their arms around his shoulders, and curiously glanced at the car a few more times.
"Young master, are you riding in the family car on the first day of school?"
"Finally, he's not keeping a low profile anymore and is riding a bicycle?"
"Get lost... My younger siblings are going to register for other schools, so they'll drop me off while they're at it. I'll still ride my bicycle tomorrow."
"It's too tough..."
With a smile, Ye's father rolled up the window, and then, under Ye Yaodong's guidance, went to the nearby primary and secondary schools to register the other three children and send them to school.
After getting the registration sorted out, Ye Yaodong then had his personal driver, Master Ye, take them to the shipyard.
The Pioneer II is a complete replica of the Pioneer I. The two ships are exactly the same, with only slight differences in length after completion. One is 71.8 meters long and the other is 71.1 meters long.
The Ocean No. 8 and No. 9 are replicas of the previous ones, with serial numbers already up to 9. The acceptance process is almost identical, so there shouldn't be any major problems. There are still two more ships that haven't been delivered yet.
After inspecting all three ships, we placed another order for Pioneer 3, and another afternoon passed.
Ye Yaodong and Lin Xiuqing were thinking of going back to count the money as soon as possible. They figured that Ye's father could handle picking up the children alone, and there was no need for so many adults to come along, as they wouldn't be able to fit everyone in one car.
Mr. Ye drove to three schools—primary, middle, and high school—to pick up his four children, who fit perfectly into one car.
He's just started driving, and it's a Mercedes-Benz, but he's enjoying it and went off happily.
Ye Huimei held back all afternoon, but on the way back she finally couldn't help but say, "Third Brother, how many ships do you have? That's amazing! You just delivered one ship and you're already placing another order. The shipyard could build just your ships and wouldn't need to take on any other jobs. You've really become a shipping magnate."
Ah Guang said, "Hasn't Dongzi been rumored to be a shipping magnate for a long time?"
Ye Yaodong shrugged, “I just answered this question to my father a while ago. There are only a few dozen ships. Shipyards don’t accept too many orders from me at once. I can only place additional orders when I’m delivering the goods.”
"That's awesome."
"I know I'm good, no need to brag anymore. Go home and help me count the money. I need to come back tomorrow to pay the balance and deposit."
"Okay, I love counting money, haha."
Ye Yaodong looked at Lin Xiuqing and said, "Let's go to the post office tomorrow and get a telephone line installed at the rental house. That way, it will be easier to contact each other by phone."
Lin Xiuqing nodded, "Okay, we should run a telephone line for convenience. We'll move the telephone line over next year when the courtyard is finished."
"Ah."
The four chatted all the way home. When they arrived, the children hadn't come home from school yet, so they went to their room to count the money.
Ah-Guang and Yeh-Hui-Mei looked expectantly at the sack the couple dragged out from under the bed, but when the money in the sack was poured onto the floor, they were both dumbfounded.
"Why are they all 10 yuan?"
"Is there another stack of 5-yuan notes here?"
"Not only that, there are also 5 pieces here..."
The couple looked at Ye Yaodong and his wife in surprise.
"Hehe, your sister-in-law saved these at home a few years ago, so they're all 5 or 10 yuan notes."
Ah Guang was speechless. "Can't we just exchange it at the bank?"
“There are over 1 million here, how do I exchange them? How many trips do I have to make to exchange them all for 100 yuan notes? I exchanged 100,000 to 200,000 yuan in installments before, but when I went to pick up the car after the New Year, I traded it, so I only have 10 yuan notes left, and a small portion of 5 yuan notes.”
Ye Huimei sighed, “No wonder they called us over to count the money together. It’s such a large amount, and they’re all in 5 or 10 yuan notes. Of course, it’s better to have more people to count it together.”
"Hurry up, let's count for a bit first, we still need to go out for dinner when the kids come back."
Ye Yaodong started counting first, and the others followed suit.
Lin Xiuqing said from the side, "I usually count them before I tie them up with rubber bands. I only take out a separate stack of the ones that I need. You can just pick and count them randomly."
Ye Huimei breathed a sigh of relief, "It's much easier if we just pick and choose. Otherwise, it would take forever to count these 1 million yuan, one five-yuan and ten-yuan bills at a time."
"Once you have 10, put them all in one pile. That way, it will be clearer when you pay tomorrow," Ye Yaodong instructed.
No one stopped; they just nodded to indicate that they understood.
They could quickly count the money by doing a quick spot check, and they had already distributed it before the children returned.
Ye Yaodong checked the amount due tomorrow, then packed the rest into another sack, intending to store it after the goods were delivered tomorrow.
After all that was done, he asked, "When will you get your ship?"
“I went to the shipyard yesterday to ask, and everything is ready. We can set a date and it will be back soon. I’ve already asked Mom to choose a date. Once we get back from Shanghai, we can open the port and wait to set sail. I’ve also asked Dad to arrange for workers to come up with us in advance.”
Ye Yaodong nodded. "You've got your ship. Theirs should be about the same."
"Yes, they all take about the same amount of time."
"It's perfect timing to go out to sea together. I'll be going for a few days."
"That's great! We're all waiting to follow your team and be under your leadership."
"I don't have time to make a call today. I'll call my mother tomorrow to ask what auspicious day it is. You've finished taking care of your child's school enrollment, so if you don't have anything else to do tomorrow, you can go back early to prepare for the ship's departure. I can't go that early; I have other things to take care of later, and some matters at the office."
"That's what I wanted to say too. Now that my wife and kids are settled, I'll go back and arrange the workers. The boatmen for the sea also need to be rescheduled. You can stay here a few more days while you're still busy and keep an eye on things."
Ah-Guang left by boat early the next morning. Ye Hui-Mei stayed in the villa for the time being, waiting for Lin Xiu-Qing to move to Pudong, and then she moved there as well.
After Ye Yaodong finished arranging the boat, he and A Qing went to work on the office, where they also needed to purchase some office supplies.
Ye's father naturally became their personal driver, running errands back and forth, and also served as a handyman and porter. The couple followed along without complaint, always happy and at ease.
This son is promising. His father is happy to follow him around and do odd jobs. He'll do anything for him.
Besides, drivers are skilled workers nowadays, enjoying a glamorous life.
The couple not only made phone calls to their rental apartment in Pudong, but also installed a phone line at the office. They also printed business cards for the office for Lin Xiuqing, making it easier for guests to visit in the future.
When he arranged for workers to come and set up the ship, he also asked the factory to provide samples. He brought over a few items to display, and only then did the office look proper.
Because he was in Shanghai on business and didn't know how many more days he would be gone or when he would be able to go back, he called his mother to ask her to choose an auspicious day. He also called the factory to arrange for fishing boats to go out to sea, following the original fleet that had been set up before the Lunar New Year, without making any changes.
He had already arranged the crew he needed to sail the ship, and he would have someone come over to help him sail the ship back when the time came.
Ten days passed quickly in Shanghai, and he was so busy that he barely had time to breathe. Finally, before the fishing boat sailed back, he got everything sorted out, and all that was left was to leave it to Lin Xiuqing.
Lin Xiuqing also started taking her bodyguards and employees to the office to clock in every day. There were no clients to receive at the moment. Every day, they just had to clean the premises and then stroll around the area to get familiar with the place.
She also spends half a day each day learning to drive, waiting for her driver's license so she can drive herself to and from get off work, which will save her some trouble.
She was just an ordinary rural woman, but now she was going to take a driving test and drive a car. She was a little excited and felt a happy, restless night.
"Ah Dong, I went to study the theory test today. Once I pass the theory test, I can take the driving test. When I get my driver's license, I can drive you around, haha."
"Then good luck, I'm waiting for you to take me everywhere."
"Haha, when are you going to find some time to take the exam too?"
"Yes, let me finish dealing with the fishing boat first. I'm going to sail back tomorrow, and I'll be going out to sea with them for a while. I don't know when I'll have time."
"Well, I'll learn how to drive it first, that'll be fine."
"Ah."
“Since you’re going back tomorrow, we’ll move to Pudong tomorrow. That way, the kids won’t have to travel such a long distance. I can’t drive now, so it’s not convenient for me to pick them up and drop them off.”
"Yes, after we move to Pudong, we can leave the school pick-up and drop-off to the bodyguards."
He had the bodyguards arranged through a referral. They said the bodyguards were female retired soldiers from the local army. They weren't particularly skilled, but they could handle two clueless thugs.
The next morning, he told his three children that he was leaving by boat and would come to see them again in a while. The three of them were reluctant to part.
"Dad, when are you coming over next time?"
"Dad, don't wait until summer vacation to come over."
"Dad, I'll miss you, and you should miss me too."
"Alright, I'll come over as soon as I have time. Your dad is already running back and forth all the time anyway. Hurry up and have your grandpa drive you to school, or you'll be late."
Ye Chenghu asked, "Then will my grandfather go back with you too?"
He figured that if his grandfather went back with his father, he would have to ride a bicycle to school and start a hard life, without the glory of riding in a car to middle school every day.
“He’ll stay a day or two. He’s going to stay and help your mother move things to Pudong. He’ll leave after the move is finished.”
"Ok."
"Go to school quickly, everyone."
They walked towards the door, turning back every few steps.
After finishing breakfast, Ye Yaodong and the others took the workers to the shipyard, and Lin Xiuqing followed them temporarily.
After his boat started moving and left the shore, she went back to pack her luggage, planning to move house when her father returned.
With the Pioneer II ship in hand, he no longer needs to be so anxious about receiving cargo. However, if he wants to relax a bit, he still needs another ship. For now, he'll have to make do. But compared to before when he was rushing back and forth every day, he's much better off.
He arranged for all three boats to be driven back together. After they were docked at the pier, he did not rush to send the other two boats out to sea to fish immediately.
Instead, they went back to the factory first to check with the cargo ship to find out the current situation of the other ships at sea before making any arrangements.
As soon as he arrived at the factory, Ah Guang, Ah Zheng, and Xiao Xiao came over.
"Damn, I've finally waited for you to come back! Spring is finally here!" Ah Zheng said with a grin.
"What spring? It's only just begun and it's already stirring?" Ye Yaodong teased him.
"How could that be? I was just using a metaphor."
Xiao Xiao said, "You're finally back. I thought you'd be back in a couple of days, but it's been a whole week."
"I'm too busy. There are so many small things to do up there. I can only come back after I've finished everything."
"When are we going to set sail? Our boats are all ready, just waiting for you to lead the way."
"Once the cargo ship returns, I'll get a feel for the situation and make some arrangements. I'll let you know when it sets off, which should be in the next day or two."
"No problem, we've got everything ready, just waiting for your notification."
Having spent hundreds of thousands, they are now just like Brother Ye and Brother Ye back then, eager to make a big splash.
That's why I rushed over to ask him as soon as I found out he was back.
The near-shore fish-collecting vessels make round trips almost every day, while the deep-sea Pioneer and another 40-meter fish-collecting vessel take about three or four days to return in rotation.
There is a ship that goes out and takes seven or eight days to make a round trip. There are two ships that take three or four days to return.
He only needs to wait two more days for the seafood harvesting boat to return. Then he will take three boats, along with his friend's three boats, and they will all go together with the seafood harvesting boat.
This is the safest approach.
Ye Yaodong then suggested, "Before we go out to sea, let's get together tonight at Fatty's place. We've been here for over ten days and haven't had a get-together yet. If we go out to sea in a couple of days, we might not be able to come ashore for several months."
"Sure, no problem, we're free anyway."
"Yes, my wife and kids aren't here, so it's much more relaxing. I can go out and get together with them."
Ye Yaodong asked curiously, "Have you arranged your ships in the near sea?"
"It's all arranged. I'll leave it to my father."
"The old man can still work now. When he can't anymore, I'll sell the boat and focus on making big ships."
"Dongzi, I think I heard a rumor a while ago that fishing boats from other places might not be allowed to fish in this fishing ground in a while. I wonder if it's true?" Xiaoxiao asked with some concern.
Ye Yaodong frowned. "So fast?"
Do you know anything about it?
"I know a little bit about it. In the past two years, because fishing boats have been fighting frequently, in order to facilitate management, aren't they required to mark which province the fishing boat is on the hull? They also have to register the name and number of the boat, otherwise they are not allowed to dock? Maybe now the annual catch has decreased, and with fishing boats from other places often clashing with local fishing boats, perhaps it won't be long before fishing boats from other provinces are not allowed to fish in this fishing ground."
The three men immediately became worried upon hearing this, as they were a fishing boat from out of town.
"What should we do? We're from out of town too, are we going to be banned from fishing here?"
"That's it, then everyone will have to go home and search for it again?"
"Where did you hear that? How come we didn't know?"
Ye Yaodong was also somewhat hesitant. He wasn't sure which year the policy would be implemented, but he knew that fishing across provinces was ultimately not allowed in nearshore waters, and if caught by the fishery administration, the boat would be impounded and a fine imposed.
The deep sea has no impact, and coming ashore is just for selling goods or replenishing supplies.
If it's really not allowed in coastal waters, then his Dongsheng will have to be moved back home.
We'll arrange two cargo ships to connect with the processing plants, and then the goods will be sent to processing plants in the town or city. Anyway, we need to arrange a ship to deliver the goods there anyway.
Meanwhile, his father can retire and go home to live out his retirement. At that time, the fish harvesting boat will be handed over to his father to manage.
Traveling back and forth within their town would be convenient for his father in his old age, and he could also help watch over the boat.
This didn't have that much of an impact on him; it was just a change in arrangements.
“I’m not sure when it will be implemented, but I know it will definitely be arranged this way. After all, the fishing grounds here are not inexhaustible, and there are more and more boats now. Moreover, local boats and boats from other places often have conflicts over territory, and accidents happen one after another.”
"What about the dozens of boats in our village? They're all near the coast."
Ah Guang was worried. His family also owned seven or eight boats near the coast. If that happened, all his boats would have to turn back home.
"It takes time for policies to be released. Let's start with fishing. It probably won't be implemented so quickly."
It's only 1992 now?
The fishing ban policy will not be implemented until 1995.
He estimated that it would be implemented together at that time, taking advantage of the fishing ban period when fishing is not allowed, and also driving away fishing boats from other places, so that fishing boats from various provinces could go back to their respective homes.
It's difficult to forcibly drive them away now, but it's different during the fishing ban. Fishing is prohibited, so the fishing boats can't just stay here.
If fishing boats are truly taking a break, they can only return to their hometowns. In their hometowns, they can still fish secretly, which would make the policy of banning cross-provincial fishing more logical and easier to implement.
"It won't be that fast, but it will be implemented, and then it'll be finished too," Xiao Xiao said.
“It’s not all over. Fishing boats from other places aren’t allowed to fish here, so we can go back to our hometown to fish. We can earn a little more at most. Wouldn’t it be more convenient to go back to our hometown? Let your old man go home to retire and keep an eye on the boat.”
Ye Yaodong shared his thoughts with them, and they immediately felt a little more at ease.
"Just wait and see. Let's earn money for a couple more years first. Things will work themselves out. We'll wait for the policy to come out. There's no point in worrying now. It's not like the policy will be canceled just because you're worried."
Xiao Xiao: "Sigh, I thought it was just someone spreading rumors."
Ah Guang: "I was thinking that if the boat can't fish here, should we just sell it? Like you said, we can just put it at home and use the trawl net. My dad can do it. If he doesn't want to do it anymore, we can sell it. Anyway, we won't lose anything. We've earned enough over the years."
"That's the right way to think. Let's organize a dinner at Fatty's place tonight and have a good get-together. If nothing unexpected happens, you guys will be at sea for about half a year!"
The three men's eyes bulged out, and they exclaimed in unison, "Six months!"
Ye Yaodong looked at the three of them with a wicked grin, "That's right, it's six months. Be prepared to spend six months at sea."
This group should get together; otherwise, they might not be able to get ashore or drink for half a year, and could only drift miserably at sea.
Even those going to the guillotine get a full meal. Sending them to sea for half a year is almost the same as going to the guillotine. They should at least have some fun these few days.
Ye Huimei made the right choice going to Shanghai. Anyway, she wouldn't see anyone here for half a year, so it's the same wherever she is.
Ah Zheng couldn't help but say, "Your ship wasn't there for a month or two? It only stayed for a relatively long time before the New Year, but it was still back in three months..."
"That's because it's summer, and there are typhoons, so we have to come back from time to time. Unless there are special circumstances, you'll have to stay at sea to fish almost all the time. If you're willing to make a few thousand dollars a day in profit, then you can sail back and rest for a few days."
Ah Guang couldn't help but swear, "Holy crap! Half a year?"
Ah Zheng looked miserable. "Does that mean I have to be a monk for half a year?"
"I wouldn't become a monk, I just abstain from lust, not from meat."
"What's the difference?"
"Let's enjoy ourselves for a few days before heading out to sea."
Ah Guang said, "Then I'll go to Shanghai tomorrow and come back before I leave. Is that enough time?"
Ye Yaodong glared at him fiercely, "Then don't go, just stay with your wife and kids."
"You've been gone for half a year, that's terrifying! There's no transition period at all. At least you had a transition period last year, and you could come back to rest every now and then when there was a typhoon."
"Making money is the most important thing."
"Alright, let's make it clear then. We'll go to Fatty's for dinner at 5:30 tonight. Let's have some fun for a few days before we head out to sea."
"Ah."
He had important business to attend to and had just returned from his voyage. The factory staff were waiting to report to him on everything, so he didn't want to chat with them and told the three of them to make themselves at home.
The three of them discussed the two pieces of information they had just received as they walked.
One issue is that fishing boats from other areas may not be allowed to fish at the local fish farms in two years. Another issue is that they will be adrift at sea for six months.
Both pieces of news were major shocks to them, catching them completely off guard and giving them a long time to process.
Ye Yaodong had just finished working for a while when the landline rang again. The security guard called to say that Lin Ji was coming over.
"Have him come to my office."
"Okay, boss."
It's better to arrive at the right time than to arrive early; I just got back and the person came to drive up.
As soon as Lin Ji arrived, he said, "I thought you were out at sea or not around, and I was worried that I would have made a wasted trip and wouldn't be able to drive."
"Your timing is perfect. I just got back from Shanghai. I stayed there for 10 days and only arrived at the factory at noon today. But you won't be disappointed. I gave your car keys to the finance department and also told the security guard that you can go directly to the finance department when you arrive."
"Going to Shanghai on business?"
"Going to set sail, and also arranging for the children to go to school."
"All three children are studying in Shanghai?"
"Yes, the educational resources there are better, and I also set up an office there, which my wife manages, so we can take care of the kids nearby."
Lin Ji gave him a thumbs up, "It feels like you're always one step ahead of everyone else, even arranging a future for your wife and children."
"It's not that exaggerated. We're just taking it one step at a time and doing whatever is convenient."
He doesn't have such deep foresight; he really just takes things one step at a time and only starts thinking more after he's made money.
Everything is for convenience.
Within the limits of available resources, we should try to make as many arrangements as possible, and make them as good as possible.
"No, you've thought it through very well. It's true that Shanghai has better educational resources, which is better for children. The teaching quality in our rural areas can't keep up. Not to mention going to university, not many can even get into high school."
"Yes, the environment influences people. I just hope they can broaden their horizons. Come on, let me take you to get the car keys. You just got here?"
"It arrived the day before yesterday. I just finished arranging the goods yesterday, and I only had time to come over today to see if I can drive the truck back."
"I arrived just in time. I might not be here in a couple of days; I'll be at sea."
"Going out to sea in a couple of days? Shall we have dinner together tonight?"
“I’ve already made plans with some friends, how about we go together tonight? They’ll be at sea for the next six months, so they’re planning to have some fun. They’re all from our village, so they all know you and we’re familiar with each other.”
"sure, no problem."
"That night at 5:30, you know the fat guy's restaurant."
"I know, we always book meals with him for our clients, we're very familiar with him."
"Damn it, that fatso has made a fortune off us. He's already made enough money off us."
"Hehehe..."
Ye Yaodong handed him the car keys, and he didn't linger. Everyone was busy, so he said goodbye and left.
Having just returned from Shanghai, he called home again after getting back to his office, otherwise he might have to go out to sea in a few days.
Take advantage of your free time now and call home more often.
The old lady was overjoyed when she received his call.
"Dongzi, you finally listened. You should call home more often."
The phone was answered so quickly, after only two rings, that you could tell the person was sitting at the table.
"Were you still on the phone?"
"No, I was just winding yarn for your mother. It was raining outside, so we didn't go out and it was quick to finish."
"It's raining at home? That means the weather will warm up soon."
"Yes, but the weather has just warmed up, so you can't take off your cotton-padded coats. You have to keep them warm."
"I know, it's still cold at night."