sbdcsierra Chapter 1604 Talking about Marriage
Chapter 1604 Talking about Marriage
Chapter 1604 Talking about Marriage
After Ye Yaodong and the others had washed up and returned to their room, he took out the bankbook and account book to show her.
Lin Xiuqing's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets. "This...this string of numbers...each ten, hundred, thousand, ten thousand...ten thousand...million..."
She counted in a low voice, afraid that someone would hear.
Ye Yaodong said in a low voice, "It's not just that. There's a portion of the payment that hasn't been collected yet. It's stuck there. We'll have to chase it up after the New Year. Anyway, no matter how much we chase it up or sell the goods, there will always be some payments stuck there."
"That's alright, as long as there are people who want the goods, it's fine to leave them on credit. We can always get some back by urging them, and there's a steady stream of money coming in."
"This year, we spent a quarter of our income on fishing boats and machinery. Some of the final payments are still outstanding, and we haven't received a small portion of the payment for the goods. Anyway, after offsetting the inflows and outflows, this is about half of our income."
"When the tax results are finalized next March, I estimate I'll have to pay a large sum of tax. It won't be like before when I didn't have to pay taxes."
Lin Xiuqing flipped through the bankbook, looking at the transaction history. "Is it safe to keep so much money in here? I don't dare to put any of the family's money in there. I only dare to save a little bit as a backup. You can't put all your eggs in one basket."
"It should be safe. Our finance department goes to the bank every day; there's not a single day we don't go to the bank. We're also a major client of the bank now."
"Going to the bank every day, that's alright..."
Lin Xiuqing's heart skipped a beat as she watched the numbers on the passbook repeat over and over.
She whispered, "Our family now has almost ten million in cash and savings..."
Ye Yaodong proudly crossed his legs, "Including real estate, it's probably worth 2000 million. It should at least double next year."
Lin Xiuqing's smile widened. "I'm not afraid of anything in this life. Don't overwork yourself. We have more money than we can spend."
"We can easily squander it all, so let's keep making money while it's still easy to make money. We've already built up the team..."
After the couple chatted for a while, Lin Xiuqing went out to check on how Ye's mother was finishing up the work.
After finishing her work, she urged the children to go back to sleep before returning to her own room.
Ye's mother now lives here, and Ye's father also stays here at night.
Several relatives from Lin Xiuqing's maternal family, whom she had invited to help, stayed at her hometown.
Now that everyone has returned, Lin Xiuqing also wanted to take a holiday for the New Year, so the next day she announced that the 24th day of the lunar calendar would be a holiday, and that they only needed to work one more day.
She had originally planned to go out and buy some New Year's gifts that morning, distribute them to everyone after get off work, settle her wages, and then have a proper rest during the New Year.
After hearing her explanation, Ye Yaodong quickly replied, "No need to go out to buy. The factory has prepared plenty of New Year's goods and gifts. I brought mine back from the ship. We're going to town to unload the goods later, and we'll bring them back then. The quantity will be more than enough, and we can distribute them right after we get off work this afternoon."
"Why did you order so many? You have dozens of workers at home."
"We definitely need to order more. The more we order, the easier it is to negotiate the price. Besides, this isn't just for employees; we also need to give gifts to our clients and other people we interact with after we return."
"Alright, if it's readily available, then I don't have to think about what to buy."
"Have someone calculate the salaries first. I also gave everyone a year-end bonus this year, which is an extra month's salary..."
Ye's mother's eyes widened. "What? An extra month's salary?"
Lin Xiuqing stared at him in surprise, "So many?"
Seeing her reaction, Ye's mother knew she hadn't misheard. "Have you lost your mind? You're giving me an extra month's salary? How much is that? Some people only make 200 yuan a month, and you're giving me this much?"
“In previous years, I would just give a red envelope of twenty or thirty yuan as a token of good luck. Are you crazy? This year you’re giving so much, it’s several times more…”
Ye's father spoke up for Ye Yaodong, saying, "Dongzi has made a lot of money this year, so we're giving him a little more. It's also a way of thanking everyone for their hard work."
"There's no need to give so much. They already get paid for such a long holiday. Giving them extra money now is just burning money. Why don't you call and discuss it with Aqing?"
Lin Xiuqing also frowned, feeling that she had given too much. Although she had earned a lot this year, if she gave her money like this now, she certainly couldn't give less in the future.
She looked at him and said, "Why give so much? You didn't even call me to discuss it beforehand. There are three or four hundred workers in the processing plant and on the ship. That's an extra sixty or seventy thousand yuan for nothing. You've given so much to your superiors, what am I supposed to do with my family?"
Ye Yaodong explained to them that it was something to show the leaders, and that it was all for better development in the future; it was just a small expense now.
"Don't worry about this little bit of money. You've earned a lot this year, and with more support in the future, you can easily earn it back."
Lin Xiuqing hesitated for a moment, "Then the family has to give the same amount?"
"Those who have worked for more than a year will receive an extra month's pay, while those who have not worked for a full year will receive less."
Mother Ye said unhappily, "The family is not like the higher-ups. Everyone is lucky to have a job. We should be grateful that the workshop wasn't shut down. Why give so much?"
Ye's father retorted, "We're all from the same village, all under the same boss. The workers at the top are already getting an extra month's bonus, so why are we being stingy with what we've given? There's no need for that. We've already covered the bulk of it, what's a little more?"
Ye Yaodong also said, "The women in our family who kill fish haven't seen much of a pay rise in the past few years, unlike those who go out to sea, whose wages have increased significantly. Let's keep it the same. The wages are different anyway, so it's just an extra month's pay."
Lin Xiuqing said, "Besides a few regular employees, most of the family's income is based on their work, especially for fish-killing. It's all about working one day at a time. Sometimes you can earn as much as seventy or eighty yuan a month, and sometimes you don't work much at all and only get a dozen or so yuan. It's not that consistent."
"Then give each person 50 yuan."
"Alright, I'll have someone calculate the wages, and I'll prepare the bonuses in advance."
The 50 yuan per person was within Lin Xiuqing's expectations, and she could accept it as a good deed, since her family relied entirely on the village for support.
When Ye's mother heard that it would be 50 yuan per person, she had no objection.
Compared to the workers on the ship who received 200 yuan more, the workers here receiving 50 yuan more is not a big deal.
"Aren't you going to the dock in town to unload the cargo? Hurry up and go, there are already many people waiting outside."
Ye Yaodong stood up and looked at his father, "Have you finished eating? Let's go."
Mr. Ye quickly put down his chopsticks and went out with him.
The technician they brought back from the Shanghai Machinery Factory came to Zhoushan with them and arrived in town together last night. Ye Yaodong didn't want to bring a stranger home and was afraid that the person would feel uncomfortable, so he arranged for him to stay at the town's guesthouse last night.
The father and son were going to town to unload goods. They planned to move the machine first and have the technician install it at the factory, while they continued unloading other goods.
The small workshop had a bunch of new machines, and people were assembling them. Everyone was very curious, but not everyone knew anything about it.
"With another machine, everyone can rest assured that the workshop won't disappear."
"I'm finally relieved. Going out to work is no better than being at home. There are jobs right here in my neighborhood. All my relatives are envious of me."
“I was really worried when Aunt Ye told me that the small workshops here were going to close down. My family is counting on my meager income.”
"Luckily, everyone asked Ah Qing about it the next day..."
"They're the best; they're still running the business for everyone's sake. Otherwise, they probably would have all moved to the city to enjoy a comfortable life long ago..."
Lin Xiuqing overheard Ye Yaodong mention it over the phone, and being shrewd, she didn't tell the women herself, but instead spoke to Ye's mother.
Anyway, Ye's mother spent her days chatting with those women, one playing the good cop and the other the bad cop.
Mother Ye hinted that the workshop might have to close, which made everyone nervous and scared all day.
The next day, when everyone pressed her for answers, she reassured them, and they were all moved to tears, cherishing their current job opportunity even more.
Now, seeing that not only was the workshop still open, but new machines had also been added, everyone was overjoyed, no longer worried about being out of work after the New Year.
But the surprises didn't end there. In the afternoon, after cleaning up the workshop, everyone received not only their wages but also New Year's red envelopes. They were all smiles, showering each other with compliments.
After peeking at the red envelopes, many people were shocked. After a few words were exchanged, even more people peeked.
"Wow, why are you giving so much? Last year, 20 yuan was already a lot, this year it's more than double..."
"With so many of us, how much money do we need to pay out?"
"It's more than that. Those who work on the ship said they received an extra month's salary, 200 yuan."
"My goodness, that's incredibly generous..."
After a few words of discussion, someone went to talk to Ye's mother.
Mother Ye laughed loudly, "That's because Dongzi is generous. He didn't forget everyone after making money. He was originally going to close this place and move to the city. The extra machines were also supposed to be placed in the city, but thinking of the help the village gave him, Dongzi remembered the kindness of our village and decided to keep them in the village."
"Ah Dong is a good person... He hasn't forgotten the villagers even after he became successful..."
Instantly, a chorus of praise erupted.
The same thing can yield different results depending on how it's done.
If he simply brought the machine back and put it in the workshop, the praise might not be genuine; he might just say that the business is growing bigger and bigger and that he's making all the money.
Now, instead of closing the workshop for the sake of the villagers, he has added more machines. His tone has completely changed, now full of praise and compliments.
Mother Ye happily told them that Dongzi was going to build them a small villa, and that he would slaughter a pig the next morning, clean up the pigsty, and that he had already chosen a date.
The next round of compliments turned into praise for Ye Yaodong's filial piety...
Ye Yaodong was busy unloading goods all day. He didn't go home for lunch, but ate in town. In the evening, Hong Wenle took him away for dinner and drinks.
Ye's mother wanted to tell him the start date of work and the date he would go to the provincial capital, but she couldn't find him. She could only wait until the next day, after he woke up, to notify him.
Ye Yaodong picked up the calendar and started planning his schedule again.
I'm going to the provincial capital tomorrow, the 25th, and will stay for two days. I'll return on the 27th and go to Wenzhou, returning on the 29th, and on New Year's Eve, the 30th.
After thinking about it, he decided that he could only visit his godfather in the city today and then go to the provincial capital by himself tomorrow, instead of traveling with them.
Every year he has to work until New Year's Eve before he can finally sit down and catch his breath.
The night before, I had met with Hong Wenle and other bosses, and we had exchanged greetings.
So he has to give up what he needs to give up in Wenzhou and make time for himself, otherwise he'll be so busy at home that he won't have a single moment to spare.
"Then Ah Hai and the others' wedding date will have to be postponed until after the new year."
Ye Yaodong flipped through the calendar, looking forward to see if there were any auspicious days in the first month of the lunar calendar.
When visiting relatives in the first few days of the Lunar New Year, it's important to choose an auspicious day; if the day is considered unlucky, you definitely shouldn't go.
"It definitely has to be after the New Year. There's no time before the New Year. There are only a few days left, and it's too rushed to make it in time. We can arrange it during the first month of the lunar calendar, when there will be plenty of time."
Mother Ye had already made plans: "Tomorrow we'll go to the provincial capital to finalize Ahai's marriage. When we get back, we'll go to Chenghe's family to discuss it and set a date for the two of them. After the New Year, we'll prepare the necessary items."
"Now, all those shops are taking advantage of the good sales during the Chinese New Year to raise prices. It's good to have a wedding after the New Year and save some money."
Mr. Ye added, "The departure time has been set, and the work was supposed to start tomorrow anyway. I'll just have the craftsman come over and give it a couple of taps, so it's fine if he's not there."
"Then a red envelope for starting work must be given."
"I know, I've prepared a red envelope, I'll have Ah Qing give it to Master later."
Ye Yaodong looked at Lin Xiuqing, "Aren't you going?"
"Why are so many people going to the provincial capital? I'm leaving now. What about my three children? Anyway, I've already bought everything I need for the house. I'll just stay home and look after it. I went there last year too."
Mother Ye also said, "It's alright if Aqing doesn't go. There are already quite a few people. Your father, your three brothers, your sister-in-law, Ahai, Chenghe, and Ajiang will all go too."
"Okay, there are already quite a lot of people."
He also planned to bring Lin Guangming and Lin Guangwen along, so they could go to the provincial capital and see the large Jiefang truck he had ordered last year, which was ready to be driven back.
Mr. Ye reminded him, "Take your Dongyu No. 1 boat tomorrow."
"No problem, drive it to support Ah Hai."
Mr. Ye nodded happily.
"Is it really the biggest ship in Hong Kong?" asked Mrs. Ye curiously.
"I don't know about the provincial capital, but in Zhoushan and my hometown, it's definitely the largest in the whole city right now. Even if it's not the largest in the provincial capital, it's definitely one of the top ones."
"Let's go and shock them!" Father Ye grinned. "Our son can afford to marry a girl from the provincial capital."
"Aren't you going to the city later?" Lin Xiuqing reminded them.
"I'll drive to the city first, and you guys can meet me there tomorrow, okay?"
"That's fine, we'll call you before we leave."
"it is good."
Ah Hai's marriage was actually quite simple. Since the girl was willing to date him, it must have been with her family's approval.
Although she herself is not worried about getting married and can be matched with any local young talents, the girl still has to like her.
Ah Hai was quite lucky; he happened to spend so much time with the girl that he caught her eye.
He had been working there for several years, and the factory knew his family background very well. The woman's brothers had also visited her family.
There are no other issues now, except for the two families sitting down to discuss the wedding arrangements, the bride price, and the wedding details.
We had already made arrangements by phone beforehand, so we drove to the shipyard, and then Ah Hai and the factory manager took us to their home to sit down and talk.
This is more convenient; otherwise, they would have to transfer to another vehicle after arriving at the port, which would waste time and effort and also affect their ability to show off.
Kai Dongyu No. 1 came here to show off, to intimidate them, and to let them see that Ahai's family is not just an ordinary rural peasant family or a small fishing family.
Ye Chenghai knew that his third uncle was going to come over today again with his new ship to show off and support him. He heard that it was the largest ship in Hong Kong, which he had never seen before, and he had been looking forward to it since early morning.
His girlfriend, Bai Xiaoqin, had been waiting for them to arrive, and the two of them would occasionally run out to the door to look around.
Upon hearing a long whistle outside, the two of them excitedly ran outside.
The shore was already crowded with workers who had come to watch the spectacle, while Ye's father was busy with the docking work.
Ye Chenghai excitedly squeezed to the front to help hang the cable, "Thank you for your hard work, you've finally arrived, we've been waiting all day."
Sister-in-law Ye said, "We set off from home to the city last night, and then came from the city. We finally made it here."
Ye Yaopeng: We'll talk about it later. Let's moor the boat first and then go ashore.
"You can lower the gangway now..."
Their family members disembarked from the ship one after another.
Someone has already asked, "Ah Hai, holy crap, is this your boat?"
"My third uncle's boat."
"Holy crap, is that the same third uncle who sent over a dozen boats over last year? He's got a new, bigger boat this year. Wow, that's impressive."
"Your family is amazing! Your third uncle is so powerful, and your dad is amazing too. Your dad and your second uncle can even sail their boat back home."
Ye Chenghai chuckled, "Please step aside, we have to go first, we'll chat with everyone later."
"Wow, that's impressive. No wonder he was able to marry Xiaoqin..."
Bai Xiaoqin followed beside him with slightly flushed cheeks, greeting his family members. She recognized only two of the women; she didn't recognize any of the men.
Sister-in-law Ye greeted her with a smile and introduced everyone to her, and she followed suit.
At this moment, Director Bai also came out to greet them, and they shook hands and introduced themselves.
He stared at the fishing boat in amazement. "This fishing boat must cost at least a million, right?"
Father Ye said proudly, "That's more than that, it'll be this much."
He deliberately exaggerated, holding up a two.
"Comrade Ye Yaodong is really something, isn't he? Is he in partnership with someone else?"
Mr. Ye shook his head, "No, this belongs to my third son alone."
Factory Director Bai exclaimed in surprise, "Huh? He did it all by himself...? Such a big ship without three to five people working together? That's incredible..."
"Dongzi has always been like this. He doesn't like to split the bill with others when buying a boat; at most, he'll split the bill with a friend."
Ye Yaodong also said, "It's only because the country has opened up now that we can make money and afford to buy things."
"They say a scholar should be looked at with new eyes after three days of separation, and you've become even more impressive in just one year."
After saying that, he smiled and looked at Ye Yaopeng, "Comrade Ye and his brother have also finished building their two boats. You three brothers are really amazing. Each of you has several boats. That's incredible. Your family is better off than a fishing company."
"No, it all started out just to make a living. It's only because the three of us brothers have a good relationship that we're where we are now."
"They say that brothers united can move mountains, and that's absolutely true. Come on, this isn't the place to talk, let's go home first."
Ye Yaopeng smiled and agreed, "Let's go to my home first to talk about personal matters, and then we can talk about business at the factory tomorrow."
"Yes, yes, that's right. Let's talk about personal matters first and business matters tomorrow. Let's take care of the important things first."
There are many of them, so it's convenient for them to travel by tractor.
Director Bai's home wasn't far either. The shipyard was remote and located by the sea, with few people around, so it was a quick drive, taking only about 20 minutes to get to the dormitory building.
It was during working hours, and there weren't many people in the residential compound. Just a few women and elderly people were looking at them curiously and greeting Director Bai.
Nowadays, most houses are allocated by work units based on contributions and seniority. Their house is also an apartment building, but it is 110 square meters, which is divided into 5 rooms, plus a living room and kitchen.
The space, which was already quite large, looked even smaller, and it felt even more cramped when they walked in.
But for the current housing market, this house is already top-notch.
The woman's family members were mostly at home waiting in the afternoon, and it was only a little past 2 p.m., so their arrival wasn't too late.
The two families introduced themselves, shook hands, and then sat down to get straight to the point.
Ye Yaopeng got straight to the point, saying that he had come to propose marriage today. The two children were not young anymore and had reached the appropriate age. He wanted to help the two children get together and asked if their family had any requirements.
“Our family has discussed it. Since Ahai has been working at the factory for several years, he will definitely continue to work there. Both of them work at the factory, so it’s very necessary for them to have their own house…”
Sister-in-law Ye smiled and replied, "We mentioned a couple of months ago that we also wanted to buy a house for the young couple in the provincial capital, to give them a home..."
The two families went back and forth discussing the marriage.
He sincerely wanted to marry a city girl, had enough money, met all the requirements, and was very humble.
The other person had also seen the other party's strength and felt that although they were from the countryside, their family's conditions were far superior to those of city dwellers. They could even agree to buy a house directly, so everything else was easy to discuss and not a problem.
Housing shortages are a major problem these days, as the cost of a house can be much higher than the bride price.
Ye Yaopeng and his wife had already boasted to the villagers that they were definitely going to marry this woman, and they were prepared to spend a fortune.
Besides buying a house for the young couple to live in, the bride price has also been agreed upon at 1800 yuan, and an additional set of gold jewelry will be provided. This is in accordance with the current local market rate, and it's not an exorbitant demand.
The woman's family also promised that the bride price would not be kept and would be taken back to their own home. They also promised to make a gold necklace for Ye Chenghai as a return gift, and other dowry items such as quilts would also be provided.
Buying gold has become especially popular in recent years, and both the bride and groom have to buy some for their weddings.
Although Ye Chenghai's requirements for his partner were much higher than Ye Chenghe's, he still brought them both back and gave them to the young couple.
They only spent an extra amount on the house, which was something they had already considered.
The two sides have now reached an amicable agreement, with no issues exceeding expectations and both sides being extremely satisfied.
Sister-in-law Ye is a stingy person, but she was happy to spend so much money to get married, because her daughter-in-law would bring her honor. Besides, the money spent wasn't gone; it was all in the couple's hands.
This was what she was most satisfied with, and the gold she spent also came as a return gift.