Chapter 42: Uneven Division? Hidden Thoughts

Everyone waited patiently, watching as Lin Xiuqing put down the abacus and said, “It’s 7,628 catties, 1,601 yuan and 88 cents—no mistake.”

“I told you there wouldn’t be any mistake! We’re all from the same village; I wouldn’t stoop to cheating you on weight. Business is built on trust.”

Ye Yaodong smiled. “I never said you’d cheat us, Brother Cai. I was just worried that with such a large number, it’d be easy to make a mistake if we only calculated it once.”

“No worries; nobody’s immune from making mistakes. Now that everything checks out, I’ll write you a receipt.”

“Wait, we can’t get the money right away?” A-Guang looked surprised.

“Where would I get that much cash on hand? This isn’t like the high-priced yellow croaker that needs pre-orders. This fish sells easily, so I’ll give you a receipt now. Come by in a day or two with the receipt, and I’ll pay you. It’s only a thousand and change—are you worried I’d run off? I process a lot of orders every month!”

“Alright, then, write us a receipt.”

Everyone knew that fish buyers rarely paid cash on the spot; they had to wait for the buyer to settle accounts after turning over the fish. No one really minded the wait, but A-Guang had gotten a bit too excited.

“Dongzi, keep the receipt with you and let your wife hold onto it. Just tell us when the money’s ready.”

“Alright!”

After the lively scene, the villagers were reluctant to leave and kept crowding around the buying station, chattering about the heaps of horse mackerel.

Xiao Xiao, A-Zheng, and A-Guang walked home with Ye Yaodong, animatedly bragging to his family about how skillful, clever, and lucky they’d been that day.

Their laughter and banter filled the way home.

Once they arrived at Ye’s house, each of them then went back to their own homes.

Mother Ye, smiling ear to ear, asked, “Dongzi, are you going out again tomorrow?”

“I’ll ask A-Guang if we can rent the boat for another day. Today we were planning to comb the shore on the deserted island, and running into the horse mackerel was just luck.”

Lin Xiuqing looked a bit regretful. “The house construction starts tomorrow, so we’ll need to stay and help. Otherwise, I’d go with you to gather more seafood.”

“It’s fine. I’ll go on my own. You all handle whatever you need to.”

Seeing him so hardworking and thoughtful, Mother Ye was quite pleased. “It’s just as well, you wouldn’t be of much help here anyway. Gathering seafood to feed the workers is a good idea. With so many of them, the daily meals are no small matter. Your eldest brother will be here to help, so that’ll be enough.”

“Who knows if they’ll even want to rent the boat again tomorrow?”

“If they don’t, then you can haul clay from the mountain or dredge stones from the river in Dongqiao Village. An extra set of hands will be useful for the house!”

Ye Yaodong rolled his eyes. If he told his mother he flipped a cart this morning while hauling clay, she’d probably glare at him again. In his previous life, he hadn’t done much work—pretty much a good-for-nothing.

“We’ll see tomorrow.”

He headed straight to the backyard for a shower. His clothes from the morning weren’t dry yet, but he didn’t care; after washing, he just threw on shorts and strolled back inside, sprawling out for a nap. By evening, his clothes would be dry, and he’d go over to A-Guang’s for some drinks, saving some rice at home…

Lin Xiuqing followed him into the room, lowering her voice. “Did you notice that Second Sister-in-law hesitated a few times earlier?”

“Why should I pay attention to her?”

“I think she wanted to ask about the money from the fish sale.”

Ye Yaodong looked at her, puzzled. “I earned this money myself; what’s it got to do with her? In our family, each household keeps what they earn.”

“She probably thinks that since Eldest Brother and Second Brother earn money by going out to sea with Father, they’re expected to contribute to the house-building fund. But you aren’t on that rotation and instead rent a boat to make your own money, so she might feel a bit resentful.”

“Women are just full of little schemes and worries—such a bother!”

“The boat belongs to Dad. What’s wrong with pitching in a little as his sons? Sure, I might be a bit lazy usually, but haven’t I been helping out these past few days, saving some money on food for the family? I’m putting in my share of work, so why shouldn’t I keep the money I earn?”

“Shh—keep your voice down!” Lin Xiuqing glanced at the door, worried they might be overheard.

“What’s there to be afraid of?”

He felt entirely justified. It was his own hard-earned money, after all. If they indulged his second sister-in-law, she’d start wanting a share of everything he earned, but that wasn’t going to happen.

Lin Xiuqing fell silent, worried he’d actually go out and make a scene.

They decided to ignore her complaints as long as she kept them to herself.

Ye Yaodong reassured her, “Don’t worry about her. Once the house is done in a few months, the family will split up, and everyone can mind their own.”

She murmured a soft “Mm.”

When his father’s fishing boat returned, Ye Yaodong’s clothes were still damp, so he stayed home instead of going to the docks to help. He felt no guilt lounging at home.

When Father Ye got back, he greeted his son with a rare smile. “Not bad, netting over 7,000 catties of horse mackerel.”

“It’s not much. Divided among the four of us, it’s only about 400 yuan each.”

“That’s still pretty good. If you’d gone alone, it’d have been even better.”

Ye Yaodong thought to himself: If I’d gone alone, you’d be short a son, and friends would be hosting my funeral banquet.

That afternoon, Second Sister-in-law finally spoke up.

“Dad, Big Brother and Ah Hua take turns going out with you, and all the money they earn goes to building the house. Shouldn’t Yaodong’s fish money go toward the house too?”

“Hm?” Father Ye frowned, but before he could respond, Ye Yaodong repeated everything he’d told Lin Xiuqing earlier.

“But it’s different,” she insisted. “They put in labor too, and their earnings go to the house instead of them. Meanwhile, Yaodong doesn’t go out with you but still keeps his earnings. That means our money goes partly to his house too. Dad, it doesn’t seem fair; we’re the ones losing out.”

Father Ye’s face darkened. “Who said that? How can you see it that way? Should I just keep my boat and refuse to help any of you with the house? I’ve spent years fixing up this boat piece by piece, and I’ve never asked you all for a penny.”

“Your husband and Ah Hua going out with me is a way of helping the family, just as Ah Dong going to the shore does his part. Besides, any extra money from the sea goods he gathers helps save on food costs too. He’s contributing, even if it’s not the same kind of work.”

It was clear that Father Ye agreed with his youngest son that what he earned should be his to keep. And when it came to his three sons, he worried most about his third, whose finances were the slimmest. While it frustrated him that his youngest wasn’t living up to his potential, he felt a natural inclination to protect him.

Seeing her dissatisfaction, he added, “If Ah Dong doesn’t head out to the shore tomorrow, I’ll break his legs and carry him to help with the construction. Let’s see if carrying stones and clay isn’t more exhausting than going to sea.”

They were barely earning anything, and she was already causing a stir over divisions of labor. What would she do if they ever made a real fortune?

His second daughter-in-law was just too calculating.

Over the years, each household kept its own earnings, with all their food and drink provided by the family. Now that the youngest had finally made some money, she couldn’t wait to claim a share.

Father Ye saw through it all—he knew his family members’ personalities inside and out. He had long been considering a family split so everyone could live on their own.

Every child has their own fate to live out—let them make of it what they will!