Back to the small fishing village in 1982

Chapter 1529 Drawing a pie

“This cake is so delicious…”

"Just like on TV..."

"It's so delicious. I've never eaten anything so delicious before. It's even better than egg cake."

"It's also better than white sugar cake, the cream on top is so delicious..."

“I like the cream on top too…”

A bunch of children were talking excitedly, holding the cake and eating it with their mouths full of cream.

I just felt that this was the most delicious thing I had ever eaten in my life, and I was extremely satisfied.

"I told you the cake was delicious. Really? I wasn't lying to you."

"Then I didn't see you buy any for us."

"It's not easy to bring. How can I bring it back?"

"You guys have made a lot of money up there, and you can enjoy the good food and drinks with Uncle San every day."

"You can do it too..."

"After we graduate, can we also go to work in Uncle San's new factory?"

Ye Yaodong took the opportunity to say, "Then you have to be good at something, or you can work in the fish canning factory here at home."

"What does it mean to have strengths?" Ye Xiuxiu asked curiously. After finishing her exams in mid-June, she will graduate from junior high school.

"It would be best if you three girls could pass the high school entrance exam. If you really can't pass, you can take the accounting exam while working. The salary will be high, and it won't interfere with your daytime work."

Ye Yaodong originally planned to persuade Lin Dongxue to follow him to Zhou City when Aqing returned to her parents' home on the second day of the Chinese New Year.

Unexpectedly, it was a vain effort. This year, Lin Ersao also took Lin Dongxue back to her parents' home. After all, she is a college student, and it is an honor to take her to her parents' home.

People did come today, but he was too busy to chat with his niece. He could only wait until the banquet was over and the guests had left, and then invite them to sit down and have tea and chat.

Ye Xiuxiu looked embarrassed, "High school...try to see it..."

Ye Jingjing: "Forget it. I want to go directly to the factory to earn money. I will go to the factory to earn money after graduating from high school anyway. It's such a waste to be three years late. How much money will I lose that day?"

Ye Tingting also said: "Yes, isn't the purpose of passing the college entrance examination to be assigned to a company? Uncle San can directly arrange for us to work in the canning factory, so why bother to take the exam? We have to study for another 7 years, and we will earn thousands less!"

Mrs. Ye agreed, "Yes, what's the point of studying so much? You still have to go to work. Besides, when you finish your studies, you will be in your 20s and you will have to get married right away. Then should you give the money you earn to your parents' family or your husband's family?"

Mrs. Ye also agreed, "Yes, it's not necessary. Otherwise, we have to support her until she's in her twenties and keep supporting her. When she becomes successful, she'll be given to outsiders. What good will we do then? It's all in vain. When the time comes, she'll be given to her husband's family. It's better to start earning money early."

Lin Xiuqing smiled and said, "If she can read, she must read it. I can't not let her read it after she passes the exam. If she reads more books, she will have a bright future."

"That person with great potential is not ours. She has to marry off and be trained by others. Our family won't get any benefit from it." Mrs. Ye said.

"Your idea is backward. What's the problem? After she gets married, she is no longer your daughter? She can't be filial to you? If the child is successful, the whole family will be proud, right? Besides, the family does not need the money the children can earn, so there is no need to let them drop out of school early to work."

Ye Yaodong said this very seriously, but his two sisters-in-law didn't take it seriously.

“That’s only if they can pass the exam.”

After all, rural women who are uneducated and have never been out of the world have very shallow knowledge, and people do get married early these days.

It is indeed not worth it to spend a lot of money and effort to raise a daughter, but when she graduates, she is already in her 20s and is facing the prospect of getting married. The family will not get any return, which is indeed a pity.

Going out to work early can bring income to the family.

Lin Xiuqing smiled and said, "My niece from my mother's side was admitted to a junior college three years ago and will graduate this year. I heard that she has already been assigned a job and will be able to go for internship after the Chinese New Year."

Mrs. Ye was curious, "How old are you this year? That means you must be twenty-one or twenty-two?"

"She will be 22 this year, but my brother and sister-in-law have done well in the past few years and have plenty of money. They don't need her money. We also told her that all the money she earns from work will be kept for her and they won't take a penny from her."

"Tsk tsk tsk, it looks like your brother has made a lot of money in the past few years."

Mrs. Ye said, "She is already 22 years old after finishing her studies. Shouldn't she find a husband as soon as possible? Otherwise, it will be hard to find one when she is too old. I tell you, what's the point of this girl reading so many books? She has to marry someone else right after finishing her studies."

"That's not the case. Can the options for people who have received education be the same as those for people who have not? If you haven't received much education, you can only look for a job in the nearby villages, and the options you find will be similar."

"And Dongxue is a college student now, so the range of choices is immediately wide. She can also find someone who is also a college student, or it will be easier to find someone higher up, and eat at the Shangguan family's dinner together."

"After she was assigned, she was told that her salary as an accountant would be 100 yuan a month, and it would increase after graduation. And she only had to sit in the office. How comfortable would that be?"

"If we want such a high salary, we have to go out to sea and take risks. It's so hard, exposed to the wind and sun. After she finishes her studies, she can earn such a high salary by sitting in an office, and she can also find a partner like her. I don't know how much easier life will be for this couple in the future."

"If you are uneducated and can get a job in a factory after graduating from junior high school, you are considered lucky. You can earn 50 or 60 yuan a month, which is indeed not a small amount. At least it is stable. But there is no comparison, right?"

Mrs. Ye and Mrs. Ye were shocked by the 120 yuan salary she mentioned. Their salary for going to sea was only or yuan, and this was still a high salary set by their village.

Lin Xiuqing continued, "Besides, the country advocates that men and women are treated equally. Now many factories prefer to recruit female workers. If the daughter and son-in-law are successful, they will be equally filial."

"Raising a son still requires money to marry him off and buy him household items. In the end, there isn't much difference."

The two sisters-in-law are now completely focused on their salaries of more than 100 yuan.

Mrs. Ye asked, "It's reasonable for college students to have such high salaries. What about what Ah Dong just said, that even if you graduate from junior high school, you can take the accounting exam. Will your salary be that high then?"

"It's pretty much the same. An accounting certificate will do. Of course, it would be best if you could go to night school, so you can get a high school diploma."

"That's fine, I can study while working, and if I do pass the exam, my salary will be even higher in the future."

Mrs. Ye also agreed, "Yes, that's fine. You can earn money while studying for a certificate, and your salary will be higher in the future."

After the two men finished talking, they told their daughters to go to work in the factory after graduating from junior high school and to study for their certifications at night.

Father Ye interrupted their lecture, "I didn't care about it before, why are you talking about this now? Let's eat first, the dishes are not here yet, why are you talking about this when?"

"Come on, come on, eat first, eat first."

"Today's cake is so good. We have never eaten it before. It turns out there is something so delicious."

Lin Xiuqing smiled and said, "There just aren't enough to go around, but there's nothing we can do. We can't make it in time, so we can only make sure all the kids get a taste."

"It's enough for children to eat it. Adults don't need a bite of food."

"I'm afraid that after they eat this, they'll ask for more every day. That would be the end of me. Where can I buy it for them? How can they afford such expensive food?"

"If they want to eat, let them grow up and earn money to buy it themselves."

"At home, they keep asking for instant noodles and soda every day. Now, I have to add cake to the mix."

……

The lively birthday banquet gradually came to an end with everyone satisfied.

When all the dishes are served, it’s almost time to eat.

They had a lot of food and it was full, so everyone was full and had their mouths drooling. It was rare that there was still some food left on the table at the back.

However, the remaining food was divided up by the people at the table and taken home.

There were quite a few dishes left over at Ye Yaodong's table, since there were only three of their own children at the table and the old lady couldn't eat much.

Ye's mother and Lin Xiuqing took the remaining dishes back first, poured them into their own plates, and then returned the empty plates and dealt with the remaining mess.

Basically, all the leftover dishes on the table were divided up by people at different tables, leaving only empty plates, which was very easy to clean up.

The women in each family were busy helping to clean up, while the men were seeing guests off at the door, each doing their own job.

Everyone had a satisfied smile on their face; some were patting their bellies as they walked, or picking their teeth with their bellies sticking out.

The children were still running and jumping happily as usual, but there was one more word in their mouths, which was cake. Everyone was saying how delicious it was and how much they wanted to eat.

Ye Yaodong asked his father-in-law and his family to stay first, and let them go to his house to have tea and rest. He drove the tractor back right after they finished eating. Wouldn’t he vomit out what he just ate due to the bumpy ride?

For others who needed to take the bus, like his godfather and Hong Wenle, he simply asked them to go home and rest first, or those who didn't mind sitting here and rest could also do so.

He waited until all the guests had left before going home to greet them.

Lin Xiuqing followed him into the house. After all, they had hired helpers to help with the cleanup, and the cleaning could be left to the helpers.

In the room, Ye Yaodong was also chatting with them, all talking about today's birthday.

When I went to Aqing's parents' home a few days ago, they had already talked about what had happened in the past few years, so now I'm just chatting about it.

"A few days ago I told you to tell Dongxue to work at my place. Have you asked her? What did she say?" He asked while looking at Lin Dongxue.

"The salary I offer is definitely higher than the one you were assigned to study at. If your unit offers you 100, I'll offer you 200. What do you think? And then increase it by 10% every year. If the market is generally raising wages, we'll also follow suit and increase it a bit."

Lin Xiuqing heard it when she entered the room, and then smiled and said, "Don't be embarrassed, let's just chat, don't feel pressured, it's okay if you don't want to, if you think the salary is too low, we can talk about it."

Lin Dongxue asked curiously, "Why do you want me to go there with such a high salary? Can't you just hire someone from outside? It should be easy, right?"

"I don't trust others to handle the finances, and I'm not in the factory every day. Don't worry that my factory won't last long and you'll be unemployed. I have plenty of work for you, and even if I don't have work, I can still find you a new job."

Lin Xiangyang stated, "I respect the child's opinion and let her make her own choice. We as parents will not interfere."

Lin Dongxue thought for a moment and said, "If you need me here, uncle, I'll go with you. The bicycle I ride and the watch I wear were all bought by you. What's more, you offered me 200 yuan, haha, twice as much."

Ye Yaodong was delighted and smiled widely, "Work hard, your uncle will make a lot of money, and it won't be a problem for him to buy you a motorcycle."

"Really? Haha, I'm in luck then."

"The premise is that you have to work hard."

"Of course. Considering the high salary, I have to settle the bill for you. But you have to make arrangements for me too."

"Don't worry, I won't let you lose your job as long as you have something to eat."

"Haha, Ming and Wen's salary is only 150, I made a lot of money."

"You are a college student, so it's different. Before they start working for me, I will send them to learn how to drive. They can get paid while learning. I will also give them a raise this year."

Mrs. Lin frowned and asked worriedly, "When are we going to leave? Are all the people in the factory men? Isn't this inconvenient?"

"Don't worry. The other worker concentration area is full of men, but the processing plant has both male and female workers, and there are more female workers. I will pay attention to the coordination and arrangement of the personnel, and try to make the gender ratio as even as possible."

Lin Xiuqing added, "After the 15th, we'll set off on the 16th, so we still have 10 days to have some fun. When the winter snow comes, we'll be able to see Ayuan more often."

"That damn kid Ayuan, what's so big about his idea? He could have been discharged this year, but he still wants to apply to stay in the army. It really makes me mad. Your brother is really something. He agreed without even discussing it with me." Mrs. Lin kept complaining.

Lin Xianghui said, "It's normal for a child to have his own ideas when he grows up. We have to respect his choices. Do you really want to control him for the rest of his life? As for marriage, there's no rush. Dongxue, a girl, is not in a hurry, so why should he be in a hurry?"

"Dongxue is a college student, she's different..."

"Oh, don't say it. I have been thinking about it since the beginning of the year. I think about it from here to home, and from home to here again."

Ye Yaodong interrupted them with a smile to prevent the couple from arguing again, "Then it's settled. Dongxue go back and pack your luggage in advance and come over on the 15th or 16th. Anyway, we'll leave early on the 16th."

Lin Dongxue nodded. "I'll come over on the 15th, and I can watch the Lantern Festival in town. I don't have to get up early the next day, so I don't have to rush."

"It will be all right."

The others who are younger are still there and regrettably have not graduated yet, otherwise they could have gone out and seen the world.

All in all, the younger generation of the Lin family followed Ye Yaodong to Zhou City, except for those who are still studying. However, two more of them will graduate this year, and I heard that they will stay at home to help, or we can get a tractor for them to drive.

Ye Yaodong had a targeted arrangement when he asked for people. Since they didn't even ask to send them to him, he naturally wouldn't accept them.

After the deal was settled, Lin Dongxue inquired about the situation above and the situation at the factory. They left only after they had a clear understanding.

The couple did not rest either. After seeing the people off, they went to the workshop to check on the cleanup situation.

Basically, they have been cleaned and put into the basket, waiting for the tractor to take them away.

There were so many tables, chairs, benches, bowls and chopsticks that they couldn't be moved away in one trip. Two tractors had to make two or three trips to move them.

The ground has been washed clean, but the red cloth and the word "longevity" have not been taken down yet. They have to be left on for a few days to celebrate, and cannot be removed right after the dinner.

"Where are my father and mother? Why can't I see them?"

If his father were there, he would have driven the tractor back directly without waiting for him to arrange the tables, chairs, benches and dishes.

Sister Ye said, "My parents went to settle accounts with my uncles."

"Oh, no wonder I didn't see anyone."

"There are so many dishes today. I'm sure I'll have to pay for the favors. And you have so many cakes..."

"The cake doesn't count as public property, I can just buy it myself, it's just to create an atmosphere, to create a festive atmosphere, and to try something new."

"Then I have to talk to my parents. Otherwise, when the bill comes, their mouths will be wide open."

"It has been told in advance, they know it."

"Haha, that cake must cost dozens of dollars each, isn't it? A dozen of them must cost hundreds of dollars, which is enough to buy several tables of banquets."

Ye Yaodong responded and said nothing more. The place had been almost cleaned up and there was nothing left for him to do. He planned to go back and take a nap. He had drunk a lot of wine at noon.

He got up before dawn this morning to prepare for the event and has been working on it until now. He is so tired.

The old lady was still wearing gold and silver jewelry, sitting at the door, chatting with people and basking in the sun with a smile on her face.

Watching him go in and out, he quickly asked, "Dongzi, are you hungry? There are some leftovers. Do you want me to heat them up for you to eat?"

"Didn't I just finish eating? How can I eat more? I'm going to go back and lie down for a while and take a nap."

"Okay, then go to sleep first and eat when you wake up."

"Ah."

"Ah Qing is exhausted too, you all go take a nap first, and let me take care of the children. I'll watch them at the door."

Ye Yaodong turned his head and saw Lin Xiuqing was right behind him, approaching him quickly.

"I just need to sit down and rest for a while. There are still some odds and ends to be sorted out here, including kitchen knives, chopping boards, washbasins, etc. borrowed from neighbors."

At this time, Ye Xiaoxi ran over, looking nervous and as if she was about to cry.

"Mom, mom, my sister said that she and her aunt are leaving with her father soon, and they won't be able to see me anymore. Is that true?"

"I do not know."

"But my sister said, you can't lie to me, I want to go too, I want to be with her, you can't leave me behind."

Ye Yaodong took a few quick steps and hurried into the house. If he didn't leave now, it would be too late and he would have to cry to him.

There was no way he could coax her.

"That's not true. She just made it up. Check in a couple of days to see if she's still there. If she is, she definitely hasn't left."

Ye Xiaoxi's eyes were already filled with tears. "Really? She's not leaving?"

"Well, it doesn't matter if she leaves. You still have so many friends anyway. If she leaves, you will have no friends to play with."

Tears welled up in her eyes again and she wanted to cry again, "It's different. My sister is my sister, they are them, and I want my sister."

The women around laughed and said, "Then ask your mother to give you another sister."

Lin Xiuqing comforted her, "But if she really wants to follow her father, there's nothing you can do."

"Then I want to follow Dad too! Where's my dad? Where's Dad? Wasn't he here just now? Where is Dad?"

The old lady pulled her aside and said, "Your father has gone to sleep, don't disturb him. When he wakes up, A-tai will help you talk to him."

"Really? Will Dad take me and my sister with him?"

Lin Xiuqing threatened her, "If you go with your sister, you will have no friends to play with."

"Then there is a younger sister..."

"We'll eat your little rabbits, too."

She cried and said, "I can take it away. Isn't it okay if I take it away?"

"I'm just kidding. Your sister will still be here when you wake up tomorrow."

"You can't lie to me."

"Well, go play. When you wake up tomorrow morning, go find your sister and see if she's still there."

She nodded, "Then I will sleep with my sister every day."

After saying this, she ran away again.

Lin Xiuqing was suddenly overwhelmed.

Now she doesn't know how to coax him when the time comes.

As soon as she entered the house, she went to talk to Ye Yaodong.

Ye Yaodong also felt overwhelmed instantly, "How about a lie?"

"She has already lied to me. I don't know how long she can lie to me. She even said she wanted to sleep with Xiaoyu."

"Just coax him first, and we'll talk about it later. By the way, tell Huimei not to tell the child so early."

"You'll find out eventually. When you leave, you'll definitely cry and scream for your parents."

"Then we'll talk about it when the time comes, or just let her cry for a while. How can we let her do whatever she wants? I didn't see her cry when I left."

Lin Xiuqing rolled her eyes. "It's not the first time you've left. You haven't been at home for a long time in recent years. She's used to it. She's eager for you to leave so she can give you another gift when you come back."

"Then let her cry and ignore her."

"I was wondering if I should bring you up with me? Since she's already in the first grade, why not let Huimei pick her up in the morning and evening? The two sisters can have some company on weekdays."

"It's okay to take her up there, but can you guarantee that she won't cry and shout to come back to you after staying there for two days? You are her mother, and I, her father, have to wait as far as the Pacific Ocean."

Lin Xiuqing frowned, it seemed so, but there was nothing she could do about it.

These children can live without a father, but they cannot live without a mother.

Even if both of them are at home, they always call for mom and not dad when they come home from school every day.

The role of a father in this family is to make money, and he is invisible otherwise.

"Forget it then. I'll explain to Huimei first."

"Ah."

Ye Yaodong was very sleepy, so he turned over and fell asleep after he finished speaking.

When it was evening, everyone was still watching TV, and Ye Xiaoxi went downstairs alone, holding her pillow.

"Mom, I'm going to sleep with my sister. I won't come back to sleep anymore."

Lin Xiuqing: "???"

Ye Yaodong raised his eyebrows, "You're never coming back?"

"If I don't come back, I'll sleep with my sister."

"Why don't you just become your aunt's daughter? Then you don't have to come back, not even for meals."

"No."

Ye Xiaoxi's face changed, and she no longer had the joy she had just now as she hugged her pillow and hummed a song.

She was worried that her parents didn't want her anymore, so she said, "Then I'll ask my sister to sleep at our house."

As he spoke, he stuffed the pillow into Ye Yaodong's face and ran out humming.

"This damn girl, she turns hostile as soon as she says so."

"Who told you not to come back and become someone else's daughter?"

Ye Chenghu looked at him expectantly, "Dad, my aunt and her family are going up with my uncle, can we go up with you?"

"Why are you following me? I don't have time to take care of your food and drink."

"Isn't there a cafeteria? We can just go there and eat."

"Don't think that things will go as they come. You're already in the second half of the year, why are you still going to school with me? The textbooks are different, and your grades aren't that good to begin with. If you can't adapt, your grades will get worse."

Ye Chengyang said: "Dad, can I do that?"

"What? One by one, can't this house keep you?"

"hey-hey……"

Ye Chengyang didn't dare to say it.

Ye Chenghu said: "Because I can eat delicious food and drink spicy drinks with you, and I can also eat cake every day."

Lin Xiuqing slapped him on the shoulder and said, "What's wrong? Have you been wronged by staying at home with me? Have you been hungry?"

"No, no, I just thought that following Dad would lighten your burden, right?"

"You know you are a burden to me, so be more diligent and help me out after school, sweep the floor and cook."

Ye Chenghu didn't dare to say anything and stared at the TV.

Ye Yaodong said to him, "You are about to enter the second year of junior high school. It is not suitable for you to transfer to another school. You should stay at home and study. If you do well in the high school entrance examination, I will transfer you to Shanghai for high school."

"What!"

Ye Chenghu jumped up in shock, "Dad, what did you say? You want to transfer me to Shanghai? Really? Holy shit! Transfer me directly to Shanghai? That's awesome?"

"The prerequisite is that you have to be admitted to high school and have good scores in the middle school entrance examination. If your scores are not good, don't say anything, just go out to sea to fish. In the Magic City, you won't even be allowed to stand on land, and you will just float on the sea miserably."

Ye Chenghu was overjoyed and patted his chest, "Dad, don't worry, I will definitely help you get into a high school. I will study hard tonight. No, I will borrow the textbooks for the second semester of junior high school tomorrow, and then start studying hard."

"Is this true? Don't give up after a few days of hard work."

"Of course, I will definitely go to the Magic City to attend high school!"

Ye Chenghu was so excited, as if he was going there tomorrow.

Ye Chengyang's face was full of envy, "Dad, my brother went to Shanghai for high school, can I do the same in the future?"

"Of course, if you get better grades, he can go to Shanghai for high school, and I'll send you to Shanghai for junior high school as well. Then you two brothers can live together in Shanghai."

"Oh, really, that's great..."

Lin Xiuqing turned her head to look at the excited expressions of the two brothers and said in a light tone: "There is nothing in this family that is worth your attachment, right?"

"Haha, how could that be possible, mother? We are just happy to see the world."

Ye Yaodong said, "Let me make it clear first. Grades are the prerequisite. If you feel that your grades are not very good, ask your mother to talk to the class teacher. We will give you an hour of extra lessons after school every day, and we will pay the teacher for the extra lessons."

"Ah, I still have to make up for the lessons..."

"If you can't get into high school, you can't go to the Magic City. Come with me to the sea."

Ye Chenghu nodded quickly, "Make up for it when school starts."

"Ah."

I don’t know how long this positive momentum can last.

If I can keep it up until the high school entrance exam, then this pie in the sky will not be in vain.