Back to the small fishing village in 1982

Chapter 1306 Painting Cake
A virtuous wife brings few disasters to her husband.

Ye Yaodong was very content. Ah Qing was already very trouble-free and capable.

No one is perfect. Everyone has flaws, big or small. She is a rural woman who has never seen the world, and is born and raised in the countryside. She is already doing very well.

He felt he had found a treasure by not marrying a shrew, not to mention that she could manage the household and the money.

"You're treating me like a child?" Lin Xiuqing chuckled. "Go to bed early. You'll be busy tomorrow."

"It's okay if I don't run outside. I can just walk around the village. Running outside is tiring."

"That can't be helped. Since I've become your godparent, I'll definitely visit you the first thing you do when you come back. I'll also visit you whenever I go to the city."

"Well, go to sleep. I've been out all the time these past two days and didn't ask Zheng and the others when the boat would be back. They said it was ready to sail when they were still on it. The day before yesterday, I had a dinner with everyone but didn't bother to talk. I kept greeting my father-in-law and then went to greet Hong Wenle."

"I heard that they have been looking for several days, but no one knows when they will come back, so they haven't decided yet. If you have time tomorrow, go and ask in advance. Everyone will be back and should have made their selection. It's just in time for them to come back and celebrate the New Year with a lively atmosphere."

Ye Yaodong sighed, "There are so many things..."

"What's the connection? I was so busy during the New Year. I have another question for you. When will we stop drying fish and take a break for the New Year? The weather is really good now. It's not raining, it's cold, and the wind makes it easy to dry fish. The fish will look much prettier now than in the summer. I want to let people dry them for a little longer."

"Then work until the 28th day of the lunar calendar and then take a break."

"Ah! Twenty-eight? This is too late. Who would still work at this time?"

"What's wrong with the 28th? Isn't the New Year's Eve dinner only on the 30th? Besides, there are several people in the family, so why should those old ladies do the work?"

"I was thinking of working until around the 20th day of the lunar year, and then giving the women who butcher fish a day off so they can buy New Year's goods and clean up their homes."

"They are probably happy to continue working until they are 28 and earn money. What's more, we pay them by the work. If they don't want to work or don't have time to work, there are many people in the village who are willing to do it."

"That's fine. I'll talk to them tomorrow. If someone is not available, I'll call someone else in advance."

"Oh yeah, have you hired someone to take care of your fruit mountain? Are there any fruits left, any oranges?"

"It seems that they were all taken away by the cannery. My second brother went back to supervise the collection and brought me half a bag. I couldn't finish it, so I shared it with neighbors and relatives."

"Then when you are free, ask your relatives there to get some sugar cane. Then give a bundle of sugar cane to everyone who works until the 28th day of the lunar calendar as a New Year gift."

Sugarcane has a good meaning. The sections it grows in mean higher and higher.

"That's fine, after all, I've made people do it until they're twenty-eight."

"For those who rest early, forget it. Since they haven't made it to the Chinese New Year yet, there's no need to give out New Year's goods. Only those who make it to the Chinese New Year will receive some benefits."

"Okay, I'll call and ask my uncle tomorrow."

……

The couple waited until they had talked enough before going to bed. They talked enough for most of the past six months tonight, so much so that they both woke up late the next day.

Ye Xiaoxi woke up, but the couple were still sleeping, and they were sleeping in each other's arms. The quilt was covered well, but the child slept at their feet, and no one knew where the quilt was kicked away.

After waking up, she sat up and rubbed her eyes, then looked at her parents who were still sleeping. Out of the corner of her eye, she unexpectedly caught a glimpse of a pile of colorful hairpins placed next to Ye Yaodong's pillow.

Her eyes lit up and she immediately climbed out of bed and stood beside the bed to get her hairpin.

Looking at her father's handsome sleeping face, she felt it matched well with her hairpin, and she muttered to herself and put the hairpin on her father again.

"How did you take it down..."

"How beautiful... colorful..."

"Dad, I dressed you up beautifully, please thank me... The dog doesn't even have one..."

None of her hairpins are duckbill clips, but the kind that click open. You have to press them open manually and then press them on your forehead.

Ye Yaodong felt someone pressing his head in his sleep. When he woke up, he felt another hand grabbing his hair.

"What are you doing?"

He touched his head and found several hairpins on it.

Ye Xiaoxi slapped his hand fiercely, "Don't take it down!"

"You'll catch a cold if you get out of bed without any clothes on."

Ye Yaodong picked her up again and put her in bed. Lin Xiuqing was also awakened by his movement.

"what time is it."

"Don't worry about her. She doesn't need to sleep. Get up before dawn..."

After muttering to himself, he pulled the quilt over his wife and held her in his arms. He ignored his daughter and let her play as long as she didn't get down to the ground.

However, he couldn't sleep since she kept touching his head, so he could only close his eyes and let her do whatever she wanted.

After she finished her styling, Ye Yaodong could no longer feel any movement above his head and fell asleep again.

When I woke up again, the sunlight was already shining through the cracks in the window.

"Dad, you're awake!"

Ye Yaodong opened his eyes and was almost frightened. There was a row of dog heads squatting beside the bed, all looking at him, neatly arranged from the head to the foot of the bed, with a human head in the middle.

He lifted his breath, then relaxed, patted his chest, and said, "What are you doing? It's so early in the morning, it's so scary, why did you bring so many dogs into the room?"

"Do you think the dogs are pretty?" Ye Xiaoxi smiled, showing two rows of teeth, and then touched a dog's head with each hand.

Ye Yaodong already understood what Lin Xiuqing meant by people being fed up with dogs. The boy was only four years old, and it was already too early.

There was a row of dogs beside the bed, and each dog had a hairpin on its head, regardless of whether it was male or female. It was thanks to her that these dogs listened to her so much.

"Go, go, go, go out and play by yourself. Take the dogs out with you."

Ye Xiaoxi took a round mirror with a red plastic frame and held it in front of him. "Look, it looks good, doesn't it?"

Ye Yaodong took the mirror and tapped her forehead, then put the mirror on the table and tried to take off the hairpin on her head.

"No, you said you wanted to pick it up yesterday, you can't take it."

She climbed onto the bed using all her strength and grabbed his hand.

"Okay, okay, okay, okay, whatever you say is what's going on, let's go out and play."

"No, I have to follow you, otherwise you will run away. You are a big liar."

Ye Yaodong tapped her forehead. There was nothing he could do to her, so he could only get up.

With her interruption so early in the morning, he no longer felt cold and quickly put on his clothes.

"what time is it?"

"Five o'clock!"

Ye Yaodong glanced at the dazzling sunlight through the window and said, "Five o'clock? What's the time difference between you and me?"

He looked at the watch on the table. It was half past eight.

"Have you eaten yet?"

"I am full."

"Gone, out."

The old lady was sitting at the door basking in the sun. When she heard some noise in the house, she went in to take a look.

"Ouch? What are you doing?"

Ye Yaodong looked down at Ye Xiaoxi's head full of hairpins, then touched the same one on his own head. The dogs around him also had colorful hairpins on them, which was a bit funny.

"He pinned my hair up while I was sleeping, and he wouldn't let me take it off."

"nice!"

"How can I go out like this?"

“Everyone says I’m pretty.”

"Then go out and show it to everyone!"

She hesitated, "Then you are not allowed to take it off. I will be back soon."

Ye Yaodong went to wash up first and ignored her.

But before he finished washing up, A Zheng and Xiao Xiao came over and laughed at him when they saw his appearance.

"Tsk, tsk, is this the standard configuration in your house? From people to dogs?"

"You know what? They are really easy to identify. You can tell at a glance that they are a family! From people to dogs, none of them are outsiders!"

"Dog Dong is not wrong at all!"

"Your dog is treated quite well..."

Ye Yaodong glared at them, washed up first, and only freed his hands after he was done did he take off all the hairpins on his head and put them on the table.

He shouldn't have bought so many. He should have just bought a few randomly. Otherwise, all the trouble would have come to him.

It was just that he had kept the hairpin in place for several hours, and when he took it off, his hair was still messy and frizzy. Every move he made was independent and thoughtful, and he was laughed at by the two again.

He didn't care and just let it sit there. He wasn't going out to be seen by others anyway.

"You didn't come. I was thinking of looking for you later. I've been busy these past few days since I got back, so I didn't ask about your ship."

"We came here to tell you that we were going to sail the day after tomorrow, which is a good day on the twelfth day of the twelfth lunar month. We heard that you went to the city the day before yesterday, so we didn't come. It was only this morning when we saw the boat on the sea that we knew you were back."

"What time the day after tomorrow?"

"9 o'clock in the morning."

"Then we can come back for lunch at noon. Shouldn't you thank me? Without my wise decision, you would still be hesitating there, and there would only be one boat now."

Ah Zheng smiled and said, "At worst, I can treat you to a meal at noon the day after tomorrow. I'll tell my family to come to my house for dinner when the boat returns."

Xiao Xiao also said: "It's a good thing I listened to you and ordered two, otherwise there wouldn't be enough to share now."

"It should be that there is too much money and I can't spend it."

Xiao Xiao said angrily: "You think we are you, making too much money and having no place to spend it, it's so uncomfortable."

"No, I have so many places to spend money, and it's almost not enough. I've borrowed 20 yuan from the bank. Would you like to borrow some?"

Ah Zheng said: "Don't give me that. You are the only one who earns the most in the whole village. All of us combined probably only make as much as you."

"No, everyone made a lot of money this year. And I spent a lot, too. You only saw my profits, not my spending. Not to mention the boat that cost hundreds of thousands, I ordered five more later, and I've shipped out the two hundred thousand. Do you think I have any money left?"

"That's true..."

"If you don't have money, why don't you go sailing the day after tomorrow and we'll pay for it?"

Ye Yaodong gave them a thumbs up and said, "Bosses, you are very wealthy."

"I can tell from listening to you that you are not short of money. I am sorry for being nosy."

"Not really. The money can still be taken out."

Ah Zheng asked curiously: "Dongzi, do you think we can also get an interest-free loan here?"

Ye Yaodong raised his eyebrows. "Why? You can't get a loan from above, so you want to get a loan here at home?"

"I'm thinking that since you can do this so boldly, it means that borrowing 20 yuan is not a big deal. You can definitely make it back. You can't go wrong by learning from you."

"For me, it's no big deal to borrow 20 yuan, because I'm sure I can earn it back. I have so many businesses and ships, even if I don't rely on loans to build ships, I can earn it back slowly. You have to think about whether you can bear the psychological pressure. After all, 20 yuan is not 20 yuan, nor is it 2000 or 2 yuan."

"I understand this. Isn't this just a gamble?"

Xiao Xiao also said: "The main reason is that I was able to make a lot of money at the fishery in Zhou City last year. If I can meet the delivery date, I will definitely have no problem making back my investment. By then, the boat I built with the loan will be free."

"You're right to think so, because I think so too, but you have to discuss this with your family."

"The key is to first know whether we have it or not. Only then can we discuss it. If not, then there is no point in discussing it."

"You asked the right question. Hong Wenle came over for dinner the other day and we chatted. He was also thinking about whether he could get a loan of 20 yuan from the bank. I'll ask him in a few days. If he can get it, you can try it again. This will save you the trouble of running back and forth. Let him explore the way for you."

Ah Zheng's eyes lit up. "That's great. It's definitely more convenient for them to find out than for us. You can ask them when the time comes. If we can get a loan, we'll also go and get some. It's free money, so why refuse it?"

"And, you know, everyone in the village knows that you borrowed 20 yuan from the bank, but no one is badmouthing you or saying anything bad. They even praise you, saying that you are capable of getting 20 yuan from the bank to buy a boat. You are amazing. They all admire your courage. This is beyond my imagination."

"Haha, is that so? I thought everyone would despise me..."

Xiao Xiao said, "If it were someone else, they would probably be drowned in spitting. They actually owed the country so much money, and their family would definitely be sealed off. But of course your words are different. They would only say that you are capable."

"Maybe it was because we treated everyone to a meal the day before yesterday, and everyone was soft-hearted, so everyone was more lenient with their words."

Ah Zheng spoke frankly, "It's mainly because you have money. The villagers can see it. For other people, taking out a loan is a big deal, but for you, it's not a big deal. You have a lot of boats and your workshop is there. The whole village is counting on you to make money and they all trust you."

"Don't flatter me. To be honest, this loan is interest-free and it's not a loss. Let alone doing anything else. If you take out the loan and then deposit it in a bank to earn the interest, and then pay it back when it's due, it's enough to make a profit."

"Yes, that's settled. If you find out that you can get a loan, let us know. It would be best if you can find out what the procedures are. If it's hard to find out, we can go to the bank and ask ourselves."

"Row."

Xiao Xiao said, "Then you eat first. We'll go back first. I told Guang two days ago that we'll go sailing the day after tomorrow. When the time comes, we'll go together in advance."

"it is good."

The old lady waited until everyone left before she murmured quietly, "Why don't you learn from them? You want to learn from them to get a loan. Now you don't have to worry about food or drink. Isn't that good enough?"

"You do not understand."

"Alas, I'm old. Only you young people like to mess around. Life is so good now. We don't have to worry about food and drink, and we can watch TV every day. What a good life."

"There are better days waiting for you. When I have money in a few years, I will buy you a car and take you around. I will take you to the city to play. By then, you will be the most fashionable old lady in the village."

The old lady smiled and said, "Haha, don't spend money recklessly, or your wife will scold you later."

"No, I will only let her have the glory."

"Don't tire yourself out..."

Ye Yaodong listened to her chattering, finished his meal quickly, washed the dishes for her to avoid her nagging, and pushed his bicycle out quickly.

He was planning to go to the village committee first, but as soon as he pushed his bike out, a bunch of people greeted him.

The neighbors around had nothing to do, so they all sat at the doorstep, eating melon seeds and basking in the sun.

But he felt that everyone's eyes were always focused on his head. After walking a short distance, he touched his hair in confusion, and then he realized what Ye Xiaoxi had done in the morning.

He had just been laughed at by A Zheng and Xiao Xiao. After taking off his hairpin, he forgot to look in the mirror. It must have looked very funny. No wonder everyone greeted him with a smile and their eyes were all on the top of his head.

He rode his bike back home.

Since he didn't want to wash his hair, he took some mousse, smoothed his hair, and combed it into a handsome slicked-back style that was shiny and sleek.

The old lady looked left and right, and seemed satisfied and happy no matter how she looked.

"You look good, you look good, that's how it should be... There's no kid prettier than you in the whole village."

"The New Year is coming soon, so we have to be so fashionable..."

"Ask your father to give you the gold later. He's too old to wear it well..."

"Change your slippers and put on leather shoes..."

Ye Yaodong was about to go out. He looked down at the cotton shoes on his feet, hesitated for a moment, and then went out.

Cotton shoes are still more comfortable. Why should you be so particular about it in your own village?

Leather shoes are hard and cold, not as comfortable as cotton shoes.

Afraid that the wind would mess up his hair while riding a bicycle and that it would be cold, he chose to walk this time. It was also comfortable to walk while basking in the sun.

He blew a breath into his hands, folded them and put them into his sleeves, then walked leisurely towards the village in his cotton shoes.

It was only a distance of two or three hundred meters, but he walked for more than an hour before reaching the village committee.

The villagers who were sitting at the doorstep basking in the sun were so enthusiastic that when they saw him, they would either talk to him or give him a handful of melon seeds or peanuts and chat with him about their plans to make money in the coming year.

They were too enthusiastic. Every few steps a large group of people would come over to talk to him, making him a little overwhelmed.

It was almost noon when we arrived at the village committee, and we had to go home to eat after just a few words, and then go to the village committee again in the afternoon.

All day long he was either on his way to the village committee or on his way home.

Everyone knew that he had finished his work outside and would stay at home from now on.

Then starting from the second day, relatives kept coming to visit, all of them trying to establish connections.

No matter whether they are familiar or unfamiliar, far or near, they all like to come to the place of these three brothers. They don't do anything but sit at their doorstep to chat, get close to them, and build closer relationships.

Even the neighbors liked to bring stools and sit in front of his elder and second brothers' houses next door. After all, his place was surrounded by a yard and no one could come in. There was a large open space next door, which was perfect for chatting, and it was also close to his side.

While Ye Yaodong was eating, he couldn't help but complain to his mother, "I didn't realize that you are the local boss of our village. Your relatives are quite powerful. You are definitely a wealthy family."

"You've lived here for decades, so you must have many relatives. If your father hadn't married me, he, a foreigner, would have been bullied a long time ago."

"It's true that my father is marrying above his station."

His grandmother was not from this village, but from another nearby village. Her close brothers and sisters had all died long ago, and he was not very familiar with the next generation, and they had little contact with them.

After all, people were poor in that era and it was inconvenient to go out. We had to go to work every day, and we had to bring our own food when visiting relatives. We also rarely moved around.

However, according to Aqing, the number of their relatives increased when he was not at home. It was only in the past one or two years that she discovered that their family had so many relatives.

Father Ye said angrily: "You are old, but you still think you are so popular."

"When I married you, everyone kept asking me why I fell in love with you..."

"Red beans go well with green beans, and a tortoise goes well with a turtle."

"You old man, you are a coward!"

Lin Xiuqing quickly changed the subject and asked Ye Yaodong, "What did you do at the village committee today?"

"Nothing. I just talked about the cultivation of kelp and asked them to nominate me for advanced work. This is the important point. I have to talk to them more often from now on."

"Is it useful? You will be 30 years old in the new year. Can you still join the Communist Youth League?"

"No, today I was asked if I had to quit when I turned 28. They thought I was not even 28. Who made me look so young?"

Lin Xiuqing ignored his boasting and asked directly: "Then can we be selected as an advanced youth?"

"They said yes. It's almost the New Year and we have to report on our work at the end of the year. They said my name will be mentioned repeatedly. After the New Year, they will name me an advanced youth."

His trip to the village committee today was not in vain. He found out that they tend to evaluate advanced people after the New Year.

This type of selection activity is held in the first or second month of each year, or around the May Fourth Youth Day.

Because this period of time is both a summary of the work of the past year and a time to put forward new expectations for the new year.

Then I heard that in addition to the Advanced Youth Award, there was also a May Fourth Youth Award.

He thought that he should get closer to the organization, and he had to actively get closer to the organization. With policy support, it could be considered a protective umbrella. After all, he still had a lot of money on hand.

"That's pretty good."

"They also asked me to organize myself in advance, and add more honors to myself, so that they can directly apply them when the time comes, which will increase the chances of being selected."

"I thought they were just talking about it the other day, but it seems to be quite useful."

"Of course it is useful. In our village, the cadres have the final say. We must build good relationships if we need to."

Father Ye stepped back from the quarrel between Mother Ye and said, "Yes, we must establish good relations with the village cadres."

"Then remember to go to the Party School in the evening."

"Oh, yes, I have to go to the Party School tonight. I almost forgot."

Father Ye asked again: "Did they say when I can join the party?"

"I haven't taken many classes yet. It's still a long way to go. It will take at least a year. There's no need to rush. Anyway, I'm attending the Party School and I'm an active member of the Party."

"You still have to get closer to the organization, so that if you really do business with Hong Wenle, you will have a guarantee."

"I think so too. We can't miss the next class at the Party School. You should prepare the money tonight. I will go with them to drive the boat back tomorrow. Dad, remember to bring two fireworks to the dock tomorrow."

"I see. You don't sell all the fireworks you have. How long will it take to set them off at home? Fortunately, we all use electric lights instead of kerosene lamps. If there is a fire, I will be set off into the sky."

Ye's mother asked curiously, "What kind of business is Dongzi going to do? Is it that pretty boy from a few days ago?"

"We haven't even started yet, but we just chatted for a few minutes. Don't worry about it. Just do your job well. Maybe I can get you a March 8th Red Flag Bearer in the future."

"Really!" Ye's mother was pleasantly surprised, "Can I get a March 8th Red Flag Bearer?"

"If you work harder and learn more words, when your son becomes more successful, you might have a chance."

"Yes, I know a lot of words now. I am much better than your father. Your father is illiterate and is a drag on the organization."

"Don't drag me into everything, you are the best."

Mother Ye looked at Dongzi with a smile and said cautiously, "Then Dongzi, if I can become a March 8th Red Flag Bearer, can I also become the director of the Women's Affairs Office?"

Ye Yaodong coughed violently a few times while drinking the soup. He just wanted to prevent his mother from digging into him and asking him what kind of business he was going to do, so he made up a random statement to divert her attention.

Do you take it seriously?

"Hehe, there is hope. If you behave well, everything is possible. The future of our family depends on you! I will have to count on you to protect me in the future."

A soldier who doesn't want to be a general is not a good soldier!

His mother had a good idea!
stand by!

"Is it really possible?"

"People are dying of hearing this. You can become the director of the Women's Department when you can only read a few characters?"

Mother Ye pinched Father Ye fiercely, "If you don't speak, no one will think you are dumb. Dongzi said there is hope."

"He is trying to comfort you. You are not afraid of being laughed at."

"Shut up! Go back and find your gold tonight."

Lin Xiuqing couldn't help laughing when she saw this.

Even the three children were staring at the adults, as if they were performing a big show.

Lin Xiuqing said, "Mom, you should work harder. If you need newspapers to learn to read, I have plenty at home. You can take some back."

"Okay, I'll learn to read the Chinese characters when I get home after dinner. If I learn 10 characters a day, I will be able to learn 3650 characters in a year."

Ye Yaodong gave his mother a thumbs up and said, "You are ambitious! Our family will rely on you to achieve class advancement in the future."

"Don't try to please me. I still have to rely on you to make progress."

Father Ye added: "It's good that you know!"