After Ye Fu left home, Ye Lao Da and Ye Lao Er also went to the dock to check on the boats.
As the new moon approached, the tide had been going out quite low recently.
If the boats ran aground tonight, they wouldn't be able to go to sea.
They needed to check on the boats and move them a little farther out.
They also planned to buy a barrel of diesel to keep on the boat, hoping to take advantage of a good fortune to set sail that night.
The big catch of yellow croaker they pulled in yesterday was still fresh in their minds; they were all eager to head out immediately.
But time was short, and they couldn’t stay out for long without wasting money on diesel.
Meanwhile, the women at home were sitting by the door, weaving fishing nets as usual.
However, today, they were especially motivated.
Once the new house was completed, they could split off and live in their own homes—who wouldn’t be happy about that? Lin Xiuqing also felt a surge of joy; her lips and teeth still bore marks from accidental bumps, let alone the relationships between sisters-in-law.
She too wished for her own little home, and her hands moved faster as she worked on the fishing nets.
Their fishing village was called Baisha Village, which was far from the county seat, requiring over an hour of travel along mountain roads.
The women had to take care of their homes and couldn’t go out to work.
The only way they could earn money was by weaving fishing nets.
Although the pay was low, the work was relatively easy, and they could do it at home.
Every woman by the seaside knew how to weave or mend nets, while most of the men in the village would take odd jobs or farm, with only a few venturing out to fish.
Lin Xiuqing had married into the family for several years and had learned to weave nets since her husband didn’t do much.
She needed to earn money on her own.
Everyone had their work cut out for them, leaving Ye Yaodong the laziest among them, even the old lady was helping them thread the fishing nets.
He shifted his feet, squatted beside his wife, picked up the net she was weaving, and curiously asked, “How many of these nets can you weave in a day?”
Lin Xiuqing shot him a puzzled glance. “Five or six, but the child cries, and there’s so much to do; I can’t make too many. Big sister and second sister-in-law can make more.”
“Then how much do you earn in a day?”
“A few dimes, maybe less than a yuan!”
Ye Yaodong grimaced at the net, pouting.
Labor really was cheap!
Just when he wanted to say something, his second son Ye Chengyang approached, shoving a drool-covered cucumber into his mouth, which shocked him so much that he sat down abruptly, quickly spitting it out.
“Ugh! You disgusting little brat! Just eat your own stuff and don’t shove it in my mouth.”
Ye Mother shot him a glance. “Your own son is being affectionate, and you’re complaining?”
“Mom, if you’re not bothered, I’ll take a piece of that cucumber smeared in drool and feed it to you! He’s your son too, don’t you complain!”
“Don’t be gross. How old are you, and how old is he? The baby’s drool is clean!”
“Everyday he touches this and grabs that, shoving everything into his mouth. How clean can it be?” Ye Yaodong slapped his hands on his thighs to sit up straight, noticing his son about to trample the fishing net and quickly moved him aside. “Don’t be naughty; mischief will get you a beating!”
“Don’t scare him. He’s just a little one, what does he know? It’s rare you’re not out running around today. Stay home and watch the kids, let your wife weave more…”
“Li Xiang— the tide is out! Stop weaving and let’s go look for seafood…”
Ye Mother, whose birth name was Chen Lixiang, had just spoken when her older sister called her to come.
She belonged to a family that married within the village.
In these times, families had many children.
Baisha Village had about four or five hundred households, and almost half the village were relatives.
“The new moon is the day after tomorrow. Is there anything worth digging up today?” Though she voiced concerns, she still plugged her netting needle into the net and stood up.
“We’ll know if there’s anything once we go and check. It won’t take long; I heard others have already gone. Hurry, I’m heading out to take a look.”
“Alright, alright.” After responding, Ye Mother turned to everyone in the yard. “Let’s pack up the nets and grab the pots, spatulas, and tools. Let’s go take a look.”
At this time, they mostly called it “digging for seafood,” while “rushing to the beach” was less common.
Since Ye Yaodong was idle anyway, he followed along.
Having been reborn, he hadn’t seen their small fishing village yet.
Lin Xiuqing held their son, looking at him curiously.
She felt he was acting strangely today. “Aren’t you going out?”
“Where would I go? Do you really want me to go out?”
She turned her head away, who enjoyed a husband who lounged around outside? “No, just asking.”
“I don’t want to go out today. I want to go with you to dig for seafood. It’s been a while since I strolled on the beach.”
It truly had been a long time since he took a leisurely walk on the beach.
In his past life, only during fishing bans did he occasionally take his grandson to the beach to play.
Lin Xiuqing sized him up, then looked up at the sun shining down from above.
It was rare for it to appear from the west!
Seeing her response, Ye Yaodong’s lips twitched.
What was wrong with going with them to look for seafood?
This time around, he planned to work hard.
Turning his head, he fell silent, curiously examining the rundown surroundings.
After forty years, he had nearly forgotten what a village in the 80s looked like, but now, memories flooded back.
The ground was rocky and uneven, making it easy to trip and fall, which could leave your palms and knees bloody.
On both sides of the road were overgrown weeds, along with a small drainage ditch.
Regularly spaced were squat stone houses, along with a couple of two-story brick houses.
The brick houses were relatively new, built over the past few years.
In earlier times, most houses were made of stone.
After 2020, stone houses became increasingly rare, and those that remained were covered with a layer of cement and paint.
“Ah…”
“Hey!”
Ye Yaodong was distracted, glancing around, and unintentionally stepped on his wife’s heel.
He watched as she stumbled forward, almost dropping the child.
He quickly reached out to catch her, pulling them both into his arms.
“Are you alright?”
“What are you doing? You can’t even watch where you’re walking! I’m fine, but what if the child fell?”
Lin Xiuqing’s heart raced as she patted their child’s back—luckily, the child was brave, not crying or fussing, which eased her tension a little.
“It’s my fault for not looking carefully. This rocky path is not easy to walk on. Hand the child to me; I’ll carry him.”
It really was like the sun had risen in the west; he even took the initiative to carry the child.
From the morning until now, he had been acting strangely.
Lin Xiuqing gave him a suspicious look.
“What’s gotten into you today?”
Ye Yaodong felt a sudden pang; indeed, those closest to you know you best.
He decided to take it slow.
He shoved his hands into his pockets, stopped carrying the child casually, and said, “Nothing much. Just had my parents open my eyes; let’s go.”
Lin Xiuqing: “…”
“What are you staring at? Hurry up, they’re getting further away.”
“Okay, okay…”
(End of Chapter)