sbdcsierra Chapter 1607 1991 years
Chapter 1607 1991 years
Chapter 1607 1991 years
They all stood at the door talking, and the neighbors all looked over when they saw Uncle Ye coming over.
Since he's the father of the person in question, of course he's curious.
Ye's father kept urging him to walk faster, and when they arrived, he was still panting heavily.
"What's wrong? Why did you call me over in such a hurry? It's from so far away. What could be so urgent? You can't call anyone else. I'm busy right now. Ah Hong has a big gash on his head, I..."
Without saying a word, the old lady took her cane and struck her hard, again and again.
Caught off guard, Uncle Ye took two solid blows before he remembered to use his arm to block them.
"Ouch... what are you doing? Have you taken the wrong medicine? Hitting someone during the New Year..."
"You're cursing me for taking the wrong medicine during the New Year! I'll beat you to death, you old hag! You don't know how to respect your elders or how to raise your children. You've ruined a perfectly good child. What's the use of having you?"
The old woman chased after him, hitting him with her cane as she spoke.
Worried that his uncle might escape, Ye Yaodong rushed forward to help catch him, grabbing his cotton-padded coat to prevent him from running away.
Ye's father was dumbfounded.
He was wondering why he suddenly had to call his older brother over.
"Hey, what are you doing? Let go of my Dongzi..."
If someone catches him, the old lady no longer needs to chase after him and hit him. She can hit his legs solidly, using as much force as she can.
Actually, she was old and couldn't exert much strength. Although she looked powerful, the blows didn't hurt Uncle Ye much. He was just embarrassed, being beaten in front of so many villagers at his age.
"Don't let it out!" the old woman shouted as she hit the ground.
"You don't even know how you raised your son. Ah Hong has gone astray, and it's entirely your responsibility as his father. You can't even raise your son properly, what kind of father are you? You've ruined the child's future. You should have never had him in the first place."
"What a tragedy! He used to be such a good kid, but he's gone astray in middle age. People say that people become more mature with age, but it's the complete opposite in his case."
"How can you be such a father? How can you raise your child like this? It's because of fathers like you who only care about money and not about the future that their children will go down such a dark path..."
Uncle Ye couldn't run away; he was restrained and couldn't dodge. He could only stand there passively and take the beating.
Hearing the old lady scold him word by word, his face burned with embarrassment.
"What nonsense are you talking about? How would I know what he's doing outside? What's wrong with you during the New Year? That's enough."
"Let me go! You have no manners! I thought you wanted to see me for something, but it turns out you just tricked me into coming here..."
The old lady angrily started hitting him on the back; she had only hit his feet before, but now she was hitting his body too.
"I'll beat you to death, you old bastard who can't tell right from wrong. I asked them to call you here. Do you think I can't get you to come? You unfilial son, I gave birth to you and raised you. If I beat you to death, you'll have to take it."
Uncle Ye felt ashamed as he watched the crowd gather around him. It was too embarrassing. It was one thing to be beaten by his mother at home, but to be beaten like this in public was utterly humiliating.
"That's enough, why are you going on and on? It's not like I did anything wrong..."
"Isn't it your fault that you didn't raise your son well? Ah Hong is like this today because of you, and now you've hurt yourself and others."
"It's his own fault, what does it have to do with me?"
“If you don’t teach him to make money honestly, he’ll go astray and end up like a monster, despised by the whole village.”
"That's not my fault. I was just being honest, but who knew he wouldn't behave himself."
"Where are you being honest? Where are you being honest? You're like a ghost, you're as honest as a ghost."
Uncle Ye was so humiliated by being beaten and scolded like this that he lost all face. His pride was ripped off and trampled on. He was so angry that he stopped dodging and snatched the old lady's cane, then threw it far away.
The old lady's cane was snatched from her hand, and she stumbled forward, almost falling to the ground. Fortunately, Ye Yaodong reacted quickly and let go of Ye Dabo to help her up.
"Oh dear, I can't live like this anymore! My son beat his old mother, and he almost made me kneel down before him..."
Uncle Ye's face turned pale and then red. With so many people watching, he couldn't reason with anyone, so he tried to run away.
With a livid face, Ye's father rushed forward and kicked him in the buttocks. Then, as Ye staggered, he rushed forward and kicked him in the back of the knee.
"Are you even human? What's wrong with your mother hitting you a few times? Can't I hit you back? You dare to fight back? You've gone too far!"
Uncle Ye's knee buckled from the kick and he immediately knelt on one knee. Father Ye gained the upper hand and began punching and kicking him.
He tried to fight back, but Ye Chenghai's grandsons immediately rushed forward and grabbed his uncle's arms, forcing him to obediently take the beating.
The younger children couldn't physically hit Uncle Ye, but they could hold him down so that his father could hit him.
Ye's father hit and cursed at the same time, "Your son is not well-educated and has harmed the villagers. You have no responsibility? Aren't you ashamed? What's wrong with me hitting and cursing you a few times? It was your fault in the first place."
"You dare to fight back? You've got some nerve! It's a good thing you're staying with me to take care of you in your old age. If you were staying with you, what would happen? You'd beat me to death!"
"The child has gone astray, it's all because he's been spoiled, and you deserve to suffer for it. You still dare to hide, you still dare to resist... Let's see if you can still hide, go ahead and hide, let's see where you can hide..."
Ye's father launched into a tirade, spittle flying from his lips.
No one came to break up the fight; they all just watched while holding their rice bowls.
This year's New Year's Eve dinner was such a spectacular show! One act after another, it was so enjoyable and perfect with rice...
Only after the fighting had almost stopped did someone speak up.
"That's good enough. It's the Lunar New Year, nothing is insurmountable. Let's enjoy the New Year first."
"Yes, it was wrong to push the old lady. She'll be fine after being taught a lesson, and she definitely won't do it again."
"It's normal for the two brothers to fight. Don't take it personally. Of course, you have to be filial to your mother. She's old and still your own mother. Just take a few hits."
"Yes, he's so old, it doesn't hurt when he hits people. Besides, he's wearing thick clothes in winter, so a few hits won't hurt. It's good to let the old man vent his anger and feel better."
"It's understandable that an old man is disappointed in his grandson for not being good enough and blames his son for not raising him properly. It's no big deal to listen to his complaints."
"That's enough, a few more hits are fine... It's the New Year, don't hurt him..."
"Yes, it's the Lunar New Year, let's leave it at that for now, and talk about it properly after the New Year."
The four-character proverb "It's the Lunar New Year" is practically a get-out-of-jail-free card.
Ye's father also stopped. It was indeed the New Year, and they couldn't go too far. In any case, he had already vented his anger by beating him.
He said to his grandsons, "Alright, let him go. Let him go back and reflect on his actions. The old man doesn't need his support. He's always causing trouble in his own family. What's wrong with letting him be taught a lesson? Can't he be taught a lesson?"
"If Ah Hong and his wife are making such a fuss, they might as well just get a divorce and live their own lives, instead of putting on such a dramatic show every day."
"He beats his wife, and then his sons beat him too. What good does that do him? Can his sons bear to see their mother being beaten so badly by their father? Don't they think about that?"
"If you really can't make it work, then don't stay together. It's better for everyone, so you won't have a bad year."
Uncle Ye covered his bruised face, glared at him, staggered out of the crowd, and slowly walked home, clutching his stomach with his other hand.
Ye Yaodong shouted, "Alright, the show's over, everyone can go home and eat. Don't bring your bowls out to eat, or you'll get a stomachache from the cold."
"Hehe, you heard the noise and didn't have time to eat, so you quickly came out to check, didn't you?"
"That beating was well done, and it avenged the villagers. If a son is not raised well, the father is responsible."
"It's just that we shouldn't hit people for no reason, but old ladies can, and brothers can too."
"Today's show was quite exciting. The first half is over, but the second half is still going to start."
Ye Yaodong patted his father on the shoulder and gave him a thumbs up, "Dad, you were awesome today."
Ye's father glanced at him, said nothing, and went inside.
Ye's mother, beaming, moved closer to him. "You did well today, you were tough enough. That's how it should be. He's owed you a beating for a long time. They say you can't owe someone until the New Year, so this is perfect. You deserve a reward today. Go inside, and I'll give you a big chicken leg."
Ye's father straightened up instantly.
The old lady walked along the side, leaning on her cane, without saying a word, sighing inwardly.
Ye Xiaoxi ran ahead, walking backwards, and said excitedly, "Grandpa won! I'll reward you with a big chicken leg too. You can have mine!"
"You can have my chicken wings too."
"I'll give you my chicken liver and chicken hearts too."
A smile appeared on Ye's father's face. "How did it all become yours? Huh? Can you even handle it all?"
"So I'll give you some to eat," Ye Xiaoxi said happily, raising her fist as a reward for your amazing feat!
Lin Xiuqing said with a smile, "Then I'll go heat up the chicken soup, and the three of you can each get a bowl to drink."
"I do not want."
"I am full."
"I'm full too."
The three of them ran straight outside without going back inside.
"Eating this will make you grow taller..."
Lin Xiuqing tried to call them back but couldn't stop them. Then she looked at Ye Yaodong with a reproach, "Look at you, you gave them the New Year's money too early. Now they won't listen to you and have just disappeared."
“If you don’t want to eat, then don’t eat. You can eat when you’re tired from playing, or you can reheat the food before bed and eat a little more. They’re already full. If you force them to eat, they won’t be able to eat.”
Seeing the old lady's still worried expression, Mr. Ye said irritably, "Why are you still making that face? I've already beaten her up for you and stood up for her."
The old lady gently tapped him with her cane. "You two brothers are fighting, why should I be happy? What's there for me to be happy about?"
Ye's father thought about it and felt it made sense.
"Alright, I've already taught them a lesson, hit them, and talked to them. Let's just leave them be. If they can make a living, great. If not, their kids aren't heartless; they're all grown up and ready to get married. No matter how wrong their father is, I won't let them go hungry in the future."
"You think every child is so filial?"
"What can we do? Raising children to provide for old age has always been the way it is. As long as he doesn't do anything reckless, how can the children not take care of him?"
The old lady sighed softly and waved her hand, "I won't say anymore. It's the New Year, don't let it spoil the mood."
Lin Xiuqing changed the subject, "We've been going back and forth for a long time, and the food has gotten cold. I'll heat up some of the dishes that need to be heated up. You can have some crab and shrimp, which aren't afraid of getting cold, to go with your drinks."
Ye Yaodong sat down with his parents to have a few more drinks; drinking some hot rice wine in the dead of winter could warm them up.
Ye's father also changed the subject to building a house, saying, "Find some time after the New Year to invite someone over to draw up some blueprints, so that it will be easier to call a craftsman to build the old house."
"I know, I remember. I've been busy these past few days and haven't been home much. I'll ask around in a couple of days."
"Well, drawing this up won't be a quick process, so we'll definitely need to discuss and communicate how to do it. As long as it's finalized before Chenghe's wedding, that's fine. Then we can hand it over to the master, and you can go about your business."
"You're not planning to come with me, are you? You'll stay home and keep watch for now?"
"I'm not sure yet. I'm thinking about it, but I'm worried you might be too busy and need my help."
"Then I can only delay you until the second month of the lunar calendar. You'll have to come up and help then, because I'm planning to go to the deep sea."
Mr. Ye nodded, “That’s fine. I’ll stay home for about half a month longer. If you have any goods to deliver, just tell someone to bring the boat back. I’ll pick them up at home and arrange payment.”
"Ah."
"How many boats does Dongzi have now? You buy boats every year. I didn't even know how many boats you had. How many do you plan to take to the deep sea?" Ye's mother asked.
"We have seven ocean-going vessels, one newly acquired Dongyu vessel, and seven Dongsheng vessels. We also have three different sizes of cargo ships. The shipyard has two more ocean-going vessels, one Dongyu vessel, and one large cargo ship. When we go to the deep sea, I will take the ocean-going vessels and the Dongyu vessel with me. We will only need to send one cargo ship out every two days to pick up the cargo."
Mother Ye asked again, "I heard from your father that you sold all the boats?"
"Keeping it will only bring in small amounts of money, so it's better to focus our energy on the big ship."
"You're so busy right now, such a big factory still needs you, why would you go to the deep sea?"
“If I don’t go, who will? Can I trust the workers to go on their own? They wouldn’t dare. It’s different if I, as the boss, go with them. I can give orders and feel more at ease.”
"Then aren't you worried that the place won't be able to work without you?"
"So this is asking my dad to go up and help, isn't it?"
Ye's father echoed, "Yes, Dongzi also said that I am some kind of legal representative, and those documents and materials cannot be done without my signature."
"Wow, that's impressive! Representing someone, that sounds incredibly powerful."
"Anyway, I don't understand it, so I'll just do whatever Dongzi tells me to do."
Ye's mother didn't want to hear Ye's father gloating, so her praiseful expression would only last a few minutes.
"Dongzi, why don't you just renovate your house too?"
Ye Yaodong glanced around the room. "The space is too small, and it's right next to my second brother's house, so we can't build a big one. We'll have someone come and see what we can do. We definitely need to add a bathroom, and we'll have a contractor come and add one for me when we get there."
"Yes, we definitely need to build a toilet. I see that Shanghai has those sit-down flush toilets now. Buying one will make it much more convenient to go to the toilet. It will be clean and hygienic, and I won't have to carry manure all the time."
"What kind of toilet is this? And you don't have to carry manure?" Ye's mother asked curiously.
"You don't understand, you'll know once you buy it."
"If you don't tell me, of course I won't understand."
"Even if I told you, you wouldn't understand. There should be some in the city. Go and see for yourself when you go to the city."
"Is there really such a magical toilet that you don't need to carry manure? Where does the poop go?"
"It rushed underground."
Before Ye's mother could ask any more questions, Ye Yaodong interrupted her with a frown, "We're eating. Don't keep asking such disgusting questions. If you want to know, wait until we've finished eating."
Mr. Ye chimed in, "He's such a grown man, yet he's still so clueless, asking such a question while eating."
Ye's mother took a breath, wanting to scold him, but then she thought that it was the right time to ask, since it was New Year's Eve dinner. So she just glared at him fiercely.
Even without the children making a ruckus, the family enjoyed a warm and cozy New Year's Eve dinner together.
Ye Yaodong and the others only remembered after they finished eating that his father was 60 years old this year.
Seeing his father wipe his mouth and walk out with his hookah, he quickly called out to him and asked what was wrong.
"Dad, you'll be 60 years old after the New Year this year?"
"You're only just realizing this? You've had a change of heart and want me to retire?"
"How could that be? You wish! I'm building the house for you and expecting you to help me for another two years?"
"Last year he kept coaxing me into celebrating my birthday during the Lunar New Year, but he won't be able to do any of that."
"Wasn't this supposed to be building you a villa? That's come true."
Ye's mother said irritably, "You're only 60 years old, what's the point of celebrating your birthday? It's not like you won't live to 80. You still have your old mother to live with, it's not your turn to celebrate your birthday."
"Isn't that what he said?"
“You remember what he said so well, and you can even bring it up again.”
He asked first.
Ye's father felt utterly wronged. It wasn't him who brought it up; it was Dongzi who brought it up, and this time it was Ye who asked first.
Ye Yaodong said, "It was me who said it."
"That's no good either. What's the point of celebrating it? You can celebrate his 80th birthday later."
"Then let's set up two or three tables in a couple of days and invite our friends as a token of our appreciation."
Seeing that Ye's mother no longer objected, Ye's father nodded, "This way it will save us some trouble. Otherwise, there will be a lot of things to do after the New Year. We'll have to start building the house again, Ahai is getting married, and Chenghe is getting married soon after. These are all big events, and you'll be very busy."
"Row."
After they left, Ye Yaodong instructed Lin Xiuqing, "Since it's not a birthday celebration, but just a simple two-table banquet, you still need to give her a big red envelope."
"Of course I know that, you don't need to tell me, but I doubt they'll want it."
"Let's wrap it up first."
"There are weddings both before and after the New Year, and we won't be able to keep up with all the wedding banquets."
"How wonderful! We can have a feast every day, and we don't even need to cook at home."
"Go and rest for a while. You haven't had a proper rest all day, and you still need to light incense tonight."
"Okay, I'll go take a nap first, and you can wake me up when it's midnight."
He really didn't have the extra energy to play cards. He didn't get back until the afternoon. Then he took a shower and washed his hair. He only got some sun for a short while and was thinking of taking a nap while his hair was dry, but he was called to eat less than half an hour later.
He hadn't even had a chance to sleep before he had to get up again, and he'd been busy running around for days, and now he couldn't take it anymore.
Once midnight struck, it was the first day of the Lunar New Year in 1991.
The fireworks outside had been going off for half an hour, so Ye Yaodong got up and set off fireworks, turning a blind eye to it, and then went to the Mazu Temple to offer incense as is customary.
He ran into some childhood friends and cousins who wanted to invite him to play cards, but he kept making excuses that he had things to do the next day and couldn't stay up all night, which allowed him to get away.
Now that I'm older, in my 30s, I can't stay up all night anymore, unlike young people who can stay up all night and still be full of energy.
The next day, he still had to be well-rested to visit relatives and friends for the New Year. Things are different now than before; with a larger network of relationships, he had to be considerate of everyone.
He was busy visiting relatives and friends everywhere during the New Year, and it wasn't until the fifth day of the Lunar New Year, after welcoming the God of Wealth, that he finally had time to set up two tables for his father on the sixth day.
It wasn't until the seventh day of the lunar new year that he managed to get someone to come and take a look at the house, measure the dimensions, and then create a design.
The ninth day was Ah Hai's wedding day. The matchmaking banquet started on the eighth day, and the engagement and wedding were held together.
We started eating it at noon on the eighth day of the lunar new year and ate it for two days in a row.
Their house had been decorated with lanterns and colorful decorations since after the Lunar New Year, and the two brothers were overjoyed at the sight.
Ye Yaodong couldn't help but sigh when he saw this. The two of them used to roll around on the ground and fight every few days when they were kids, and then get beaten up together. Now they're getting married together.
Time flies so fast.
He waved to the two of them.
"What's wrong, Third Uncle?"
"Is everything ready at home? The wedding banquet is tomorrow, and he'll be the groom the day after."
"Everything is ready, everything is in place, we just need the right opportunity." Ye Chenghai was in high spirits when he had a happy occasion, and he was all smiles all day.
"You've made a profit. Have you bought the house in the provincial capital yet?"
"We've already bought it. If we hadn't, we wouldn't have been able to get married so smoothly. I was so worried before the new year."
"It's good that you've registered at the housing management office. If you have the money and opportunity in the future, you can buy more houses. That's sure to be a good thing."
Ye Chenghai and his wife work in the factory and have no extra income, which means they have no chance to get rich. They can only save more money and buy a house slowly in the future.
"We can't possibly live in all those houses we buy."
"If you can't live in it all, you can rent it out. Don't worry, it's a sure thing. You can sell it after a few decades, just like saving money."
"Okay, we'll talk about it later. I plan to try making some parts for fishing boats myself after I get married."
Ye Yaodong asked curiously, "What kind of fishing boat parts?"
"Some power unit parts can be made with just a space, a simple machine, and a small investment."
“Sure, if you have an idea, just go for it. Your father-in-law manages such a large shipyard, so as long as you get it working, you won’t have to worry about finding buyers. The shipyard can guarantee your success.”
He nodded vigorously, "That's exactly what I think."
"Do you have the capital?"
"Yes, my wife isn't bringing the bride price with her. We'll discuss it with her later. It's our money anyway."
"Then we'll have to talk about it properly. If it's not enough, we can borrow from Uncle San."
Ye Chenghe patted his chest and said, "Isn't it me who's here? Why would Third Uncle need to borrow money?"
"Yes, you're quite the little tycoon now. You must have made a lot of money last year. Did you give your younger siblings their New Year's money?"
“Here you go. He ran to my bedside early the other morning and said ‘Wishing you prosperity, give me a red envelope.’”
"Ha ha……"