The next morning, Ye Yaodong woke up when he heard some noise beside him.
His eyes felt heavy, so he opened one eye and closed the other.
He saw Lin Xiuqing dressing the two children.
"What time is it? Why are the two of you up so early?" he asked, his voice still thick with sleep.
"Six o'clock!" Lin Xiuqing replied, tying the shoelaces of their eldest son, Ye Chenghu.
Curious, Ye Chenghu crawled over after getting dressed and said, "Dad, why are you up so early today?"
"What's wrong with that? Early to bed and early to rise is good for your health!" Ye Yaodong replied.
"But you usually sleep until the sun is shining on your backside before getting up," the boy teased.
Ye Yaodong shot a glance at his eldest son, deciding to stay quiet.
It was still early, and there was nothing to do, so he might as well get some more rest.
"Hehe, grandma says Dad is a big lazy bug!" the younger son chimed in excitedly.
"Big lazy bug! Big lazy bug!"
Ye Yaodong opened his eyes and shot a glare at his two sons.
They really were quite annoying! He had even left them some money as compensation when he passed away!
"Stop making noise so early in the morning. Go outside and play!" he grumbled.
"Eww, eww, eww!" Ye Chenghu made a funny face at him before slipping off the bed and running outside.
His younger brother scrambled after him, shouting, "Brother! Brother!"
"What's the rush?" Lin Xiuqing said as she got the younger son dressed.
"Be careful not to fall when you run."
As she spoke, she carried last night's bowls and the wet bedclothes behind them.
"I dropped my shorts on the stool in the corner, and my shirt is out back," Ye Chenghu said.
"I know," his mother replied.
Once the door was shut, the room fell silent again, but Ye Yaodong found no desire to sleep.
He supported his head with his hands and closed his eyes to rest.
He was worried that getting up too early might alarm everyone.
However, he had barely been lying there before he overheard his second sister-in-law chatting loudly in the main room, as if afraid he wouldn’t hear.
"Mother, the house is going to start construction in a few days. Ahua and eldest brother will take turns going out to sea with Dad, leaving just one at home. Since Yaodong isn’t going out to sea, he ought to help a bit too. After all, he’s just lounging around. If he doesn’t pitch in, they’ll have to pay for another worker!"
"When he wakes up, I’ll talk to him!" his sister-in-law replied.
"All three brothers have their own rooms. If he doesn’t go to sea, he still ought to lend a hand. Now that we’ve divided up the family, he has to take on some responsibility too," Ye Dazhao added in agreement.
"We don’t expect him to do too much, but he should at least help a little…"
Ye Yaodong frowned.
His eldest sister-in-law was alright; she was relatively kind.
But this second sister-in-law had a knack for nitpicking, talking too much, and being petty.
Thankfully, his wife was not like that.
In fact, Lin Xiuqing seemed quite pitiful with a husband like him.
His mother liked her a bit more too; every time they visited her parental home, she would secretly slip some money to Lin Xiuqing to buy fish to take back home.
His eldest and second sister-in-law didn’t have such treatment because both their husbands were hardworking men.
He thought about it; aside from accompanying his wife back to her parental home on the second day of the New Year, he hadn’t gone back with her in the last six months.
Although he hadn’t accomplished much, his father-in-law had treated him well at first, maybe because he felt sorry for his daughter?
But later on, that kindness faded, and he had started to overlook him.
Perhaps, behind his back, he was being cursed daily…
He planned to accompany Lin Xiuqing back for the Mid-Autumn Festival.
Lying in bed, he thought for a long while.
The sunlight streaming through the window felt quite bright.
Peeing the time, he figured it was about time to get up, so he climbed out of bed.
As soon as he opened the door, his grandmother looked surprised.
"Why are you up so early, Dongzi? Don’t you want to sleep in a bit longer?"
"It’s not early. Dad and eldest brother set out to sea at one. Ahua got up at six to pull weeds at the foundation, and even the kids are already up and out playing. Who else is still comfortably sleeping at this hour?"
As if responding to her mother-in-law’s comment, Ye Ersao, his second sister-in-law, lifted her head to squint at the glaring sun, speaking bluntly.
Ye Yaodong pretended not to hear, having heard plenty from before; he was used to it!
"I just woke up, have you had breakfast?" he asked.
"Yes, yes! You hurry up and brush your teeth and wash your face at the back door."
"Okay."
After brushing his teeth, he felt a sudden urge to pee.
Just as he was about to step out, he noticed a makeshift toilet in a corner of the yard made of bricks and straw, with its door just a mere scrap of wood.
Suddenly, he remembered that inside was a big toilet—oh dear, a toilet filled with all sorts of things…
And at that moment, he also heard the buzzing of a big-headed green fly zipping through the air...
Ye Yaodong’s leg, which he had just stepped forward with, stiffened in hesitation, and instead, he walked toward the vegetable patch.
It was better to urinate there and fertilize the plants.
Yesterday morning, he had used the seaside while collecting shells, and yesterday afternoon, he had peed in the grass at Ah Guang's house.
He had really not thought about using the toilet at home.
Uh… he shouldn’t think about it, as he still had breakfast to eat!
Feeling a renewed motivation to live well, it wasn't just about needing to buy a bed; he also needed to work hard to build a proper toilet.
After finishing up, he shook himself and went straight back inside.
On the table, there was already porridge and two pieces of dried fish waiting for him.
The porridge was still made from sweet potato shreds, but surprisingly, instead of pickled vegetables, there were dried fish.
His appetite instantly skyrocketed.
"Grandma, is this dried fish from yesterday?" he asked.
The old lady grinned, revealing her toothless gums.
"Yes, it was too small to be worth much. Your father brought back dozens of pounds the day before, killed them, and dried them all day yesterday. This morning, I specially steamed a bowl for you. I saved you two pieces, hurry up and eat!"
This was dried fish from the waterway, with just the head removed, barely longer than his middle finger.
It was small and not ideal for braising but perfect for drying.
It was the best dish for people living by the sea.
"Mm, it smells great!"
"If you like it, I’ll steam more for lunch. Your father will definitely bring back more in the evening, and we can continue drying tomorrow."
"Should we go pick corn today? I can head to the fields and get some for you later."
The old lady hurriedly waved her hands.
"No, no, if you’re busy, then don’t bother. I’ll take a few children with me to pick a basket full."
"I’m free; I have nothing much to do today. The tide will arrive about half an hour to an hour later than yesterday, so we don’t need to rush to the seaside. After breakfast, I’ll go help you."
"So, you’re not going out to play today?"
"It’s too hot; I don’t feel like going out. I’ve arranged to go shelling with a few friends after the tide recedes."
"Okay, okay, then you go pick for me!"
Ye Yaodong scooped some porridge into a small bowl.
When the old lady reached for his bowl to collect it, he quickly grabbed the cloth from her hand and swept the fish bones into the bowl before taking it out to the back door.
The old lady smiled brightly.
"Just leave it there for a while; let your wife wash it later."
"Okay, let’s go."
He noticed his younger son sitting alone at the door playing with a seashell.
He quickly picked him up.
"Do you want to go play?"
"Yes, yes!" Ye Chengyang replied excitedly, hugging his neck.
He was the youngest at home, and his brothers and sisters had already run off to play before he finished eating, leaving him alone with his mother.
(End of Chapter)