Chapter 25.1: Return to the Island

Chen Xiaohui was completely puzzled — how could Ye Fan be so sure that the man surnamed Ren was scamming her?

Ye Fan hadn’t even seen the man.

As they walked along the main road, Chen Xiaohui couldn’t help but ask, “How do you know he’s a scammer?”

Ye Fan replied, “What kind of decent person sells things on New Year’s Eve? Isn’t that considered unlucky? Think about it — if he really needed money urgently, why didn’t he set the meeting for last weekend?”

Chen Xiaohui said, “I told him I was busy those days.”

Ye Fan glanced back and jerked his chin toward the direction of the supply and marketing cooperative. “It’s a two-mile walk. Even if you got off work at noon, getting back half an hour late wouldn’t have been a big deal.”

Chen Xiaohui was left speechless.

Ye Fan sighed. “Don’t lose your head the moment you hear about antiques.”

Chen Xiaohui retorted, “Then how do you even know what Ming and Qing dynasty furniture looks like?”

Ye Fan said, “I’ve been cramming with books these past few days. Before coming here, I carefully examined the pieces you bought — they’re all in the Ming style, but that doesn’t mean they’re from the Ming dynasty. Early Shunzhi and Kangxi period furniture looks almost identical to Ming dynasty furniture.”

Chen Xiaohui was surprised. “You… that day when you went straight back to your room, you were reading?”

Ye Fan gave her a sidelong glance — what else would I be doing?

Chen Xiaohui’s face flushed. “And the expert professors you mentioned?”

Ye Fan replied, “I made that up. If someone else had said it, they wouldn’t have believed it. But my last name is Ye, and I haven’t been kicked out of the Ye family yet — finding a few professors is hardly a challenge.”

Chen Xiaohui felt a bit unconvinced. “I came back too, didn’t I?”

Ye Fan said, “You went to the countryside right after graduating high school. You’ve never had contact with people in the antiques circle, so he wasn’t afraid you’d see through him. Plus, you came across as way too eager. If you’d left him hanging for three months, the result would still be the same — he wouldn’t sell. Furniture like that — maybe not every household under the shadow of the imperial city has it, but three out of ten probably do. It’s a buyer’s market right now — if you don’t buy from him, you can buy from someone else.”

Chen Xiaohui thought about how the revolution would end in two years, and reform and opening-up were less than four years away. With the market economy on the horizon, she couldn’t help but feel anxious — like every day that passed was a missed opportunity to make money.

Ye Fan, worried that Chen Xiaohui hadn’t given up, said, “You were lucky not to lose money with the things you bought for the house. But if you don’t build up your knowledge and keep relying on luck to find those pieces, sooner or later, you’ll lose everything when your luck runs out.”

After a pause, he added, “If you think keeping money only means Zhao Ruping and Chen Kuanren will find a way to take it from you, then go to the second-hand goods store. It’s more expensive than scouring the city for bargains, but at least state-owned stores don’t sell fakes. You could also check the junkyard — they sell things by weight. Even if you buy a hundred pounds of scrap and find one valuable item, it’s still worth it.”

Chen Xiaohui hesitated. “But if I bring junk home, the neighbors will gossip with Mom again.”

Ye Fan thought to himself — so you do realize that.

“Then go to the store,” Ye Fan suggested. “Buy small items — something you can stuff into your bag. No one will notice, so there’ll be nothing for them to talk about.”

Chen Xiaohui nodded silently.

Seeing her reaction, Ye Fan didn’t say anything more. Once they got home, while Chen Xiaohui went to her room, Ye Fan quietly reminded her mother not to give Chen Xiaohui any money. He knew Chen Xiaohui cared about saving face — she’d never ask anyone to lend her money. As for her own wages, she could spend them however she liked. If she didn’t, there was always the risk that they’d end up in the hands of Chen Kuanren and Zhao Ruping anyway.

This year, the Geng family gathered as usual — Geng Zhiyé’s second brother and his family of four, Ye Fan and his mother and sister, along with Geng’s father and Yu Wentao with her daughter. However, the New Year’s Eve dinner was quite different from previous years. There were abalone, seaweed, and a bowl of seaweed egg drop soup. They also had fresh shrimp and sea fish.

Before coming, Ye Fan had asked Geng Zhiyé to buy half a bucket of seafood, placing ice at the bottom and top of the bucket. Although it was the dead of winter, the temperatures in Jiangnan hadn’t dropped below freezing, so the ice on top had partially melted. Luckily, as the car passed through Shen City, the weather grew colder, and by the time they reached the capital — now a frozen, snow-covered landscape — the ice stopped melting. When Ye Fan finally received the goods, they were still fresh.

Su Duofu, always quick-witted, suggested that if they could get a lower price on the buckets, they could transport them by the truckload.

Ye Fan asked, “What if we can’t sell them all? The north has river shrimp, crabs, grass carp, crucian carp, and carp — they might not be used to eating sea fish. Unless we can lower costs, the supply and marketing cooperative does have a large freezer, so we could sell them slowly.”

Wooden and cardboard boxes couldn’t hold ice, so they’d have to custom-order foam boxes and buy ice from a rink. Not only would this drive up costs, but they also couldn’t set the prices too high. The capital had a large population, but most were ordinary workers — while they might be willing to buy a bag of seaweed, they wouldn’t necessarily splurge on a pound of large shrimp.

Thinking it over, Su Duofu realized it wasn’t feasible — at least not yet. Maybe when wages rose in the future, they could give it a try.

That evening, just like every year, the Geng family gathered on New Year’s Eve to make dumplings.

On the morning of the first day of the new year, Dabao and Erbao received their red envelopes and immediately pestered Ye Fan to take them to their maternal grandmother’s house.

Ye Fan rode his sturdy “28” bicycle, with one child sitting in front and the other in the back. Just as they arrived, they happened to run into their father returning home.

The moment Ye Fan’s father got off his bike, he scooped Erbao — who was sitting at the front — into his arms. Erbao stretched out his small hand and said sweetly, “Happy New Year, Grandpa!”

Ye Fan’s father had just come back from his post in the army, his mind still preoccupied with work. He paused for a moment, then pulled a thick wad of cash from his pocket.

Erbao gasped, “So much money!”

Ye Fan quickly snatched the money away, handing ten yuan to Erbao and another ten to Dabao, before shoving the rest back into her father’s pocket. “Even if you have money, you can’t just give it all away.”

Hearing the commotion, Chen Xiaohui stepped out of the house and caught the scene just in time. She couldn’t help but think — no matter the lifetime, the Ye family always favored Ye Fan.

In her past life, at this time of year, her own children were about the same age as Dabao and Erbao, yet her father had never been this generous.

However, Chen Xiaohui forgot that Dabao and Erbao had been raised under the watchful care of Ye Fan’s parents. Her own children, on the other hand, only visited their grandparents’ house during holidays. They weren’t particularly warm or enthusiastic, and unlike Erbao, they never greeted their grandparents with a cheerful New Year blessing the moment they saw them.

After all, who would want to offer warmth only to be met with a cold shoulder?

Ye Fan turned around and noticed Chen Xiaohui standing there, staring blankly into space, lost in her thoughts. With a helpless shake of her head, Ye Fan called out, “Xiaohui?”

Chen Xiaohui jolted back to reality. “Huh?”

Ye Fan sighed. “Can you move aside? I need to push the bike in.”

Chen Xiaohui stepped aside, and Dabao reached out his arms. “Auntie, help me down.”

Without thinking, Chen Xiaohui lifted him off the bike. Dabao politely said, “Thank you,” then dashed into the house, calling out, “Grandma, Grandma, Happy New Year!”

Tao Chunlan smiled. “Did Grandpa give you a red envelope?”

Dabao nodded. “Grandpa’s gift is from Grandpa.”

Feigning sternness, Tao Chunlan teased, “Did you bow to me yet?”

Without hesitation, Dabao dropped to his knees and kowtowed.

Chen Xiaohui was stunned. “D-Dabao, you—how—”

Ye Fan blinked in confusion. “What’s wrong?”

Chen Xiaohui struggled to find the words. “He just knelt down like that?”

Ye Fan, thinking something had gone wrong, glanced at Dabao’s head. “It’s New Year’s Day — if not today, then after lunch or tomorrow? When else would he bow?”

Chen Xiaohui shook her head. “I mean, he did it so decisively—without any hesitation.”

Ye Fan didn’t get it. “Dabao was bowing to Mom, not some stranger. Why would he hesitate?”

Chen Xiaohui saw the confusion on Ye Fan’s face. “I don’t really know how to explain it.”

Ye Fan’s father, reminding the driver to go slow since it was New Year’s Day and the streets were full of people visiting family or out for a stroll, walked in carrying Erbao. “Xiaohui, do you feel embarrassed about bowing to your elders?”

Having lived two lifetimes without ever bowing to anyone, Chen Xiaohui couldn’t help but nod.

Ye Fan’s father chuckled. “That’s because you’re not close with your elders. You didn’t often visit your relatives when you were younger, did you?”

Chen Xiaohui thought carefully. In her memory—this life or the last—she hadn’t really visited relatives much.

Seeing her hesitation, Ye Fan’s father nodded knowingly. “Seems so. If you don’t visit often, even a biological grandfather can feel less familiar than a neighbor. And if a kid feels distant, they might not want to bow, so the elders skip the red envelopes. It’s a small matter, but over time, the child may grow even less willing to visit.”

Dabao reached out his hand. “Grandma, Erbao needs one too. Grandpa said it’s fine whether we bow or not.”

Tao Chunlan took out another ten yuan. “That’s my monthly salary, you know,” she said, tapping Dabao on the forehead.

Dabao covered his forehead and replied, “No, it’s not. My mom said you make more than she does.” He handed the ten yuan to Erbao. “This is from Grandma.”

Erbao stuffed the money into his pocket and, in his soft, childish voice, said, “Thank you, Grandma.”

Tao Chunlan laughed. “Come down now, Grandpa’s tired.”

Erbao climbed down and immediately pulled the money out of his pocket, offering it to his mom.

Chen Xiaohui was surprised—Erbao was so well-behaved!

Ye Fan took the money. “You want me to use it?”

Erbao nodded. “Mom, buy some candy.”

Ye Fan’s father teased her. “But this is from Grandma and Grandpa—it’s yours.”

Erbao nodded seriously, still insisting it was for her mom.

Ye Fan slipped the money into her pocket. Erbao, not entirely convinced, patted the pocket hard to make sure the money was safely hidden. The pocket flattened, showing no sign of the money inside. Satisfied, Erbao gave a small nod. “All set.”

Ye Fan picked her up. “You little clever fox. Why don’t you give the money Grandpa and Grandma gave you to me?”

Erbao replied, “Erbao wants to buy candy.”

Chen Xiaohui couldn’t help but speak up. “Erbao, your mom has money.”

Erbao thought for a moment. “But Mom didn’t get any lucky money.”

Dabao nodded. “That’s right. Mom, is it enough?”

Ye Fan asked, “Want me to keep it safe for you?”

Dabao shook his head firmly. “I can keep it myself.”

Yu Wentao had sewn a small pocket with a button inside Dabao’s padded coat. Dabao tucked the money inside. “Mom, do you have a pocket inside your clothes? Ask Grandma to sew one for you.”

Ye Fan replied, “I can sew it myself.”

Ye Fan’s father called everyone into the house.

It wasn’t until Ye Fan stepped into the main room that she realized something was off. “Where’s Big Brother?”

Tao Chunlan grew irritated the moment the topic came up. “Your sister-in-law’s brother and his wife are fighting again. They don’t argue on regular days, but the moment it’s New Year’s, they start quarreling. I don’t know what’s wrong with them. I told them not to come over, but then your brother’s mother-in-law keeps calling — one call after another, like the phone bill doesn’t cost a cent.”

Chen Xiaohui nodded. “They called first thing in the morning before even having breakfast, saying they wanted a divorce.” In her past life, Chen Xiaohui was at her in-laws’ during this time of year. Since she didn’t often return to her parents’ home, she wasn’t sure if they really got divorced or not. She didn’t dare comment and asked Ye Fan if she wanted to call and check.

Ye Fan asked her mom, “Did they say what it was about?”

Tao Chunlan scoffed. “They argue every year — what else could it be about? They’ve got too much time on their hands. You and Zhiye both have jobs and kids to take care of. That’s why you don’t have time to fight.”

Chen Xiaohui was surprised. Was Geng Zhiyé really that even-tempered?

Ye Fan, sitting across from Chen Xiaohui, immediately noticed her expression. She was speechless. Had it never crossed Chen Xiaohui’s mind that Geng Zhiyé’s so-called first love might just be named Ye Fan? Or that maybe, back then, when he didn’t want to find a girlfriend, he just made up a random story?

Ye Fan: “He’s rarely home. Even if I wanted to argue with him, I can’t find him. Just like today — he’s definitely at the army base.”

Dabao couldn’t help but add, “He wasn’t home for Mid-Autumn Festival either.”

Ye Fan poured her dad a glass of water. “Dad, what did you have for breakfast?”

Ye Father: “Cabbage and pork dumplings. It’s almost lunchtime, isn’t it?”

Dabao and Erbao had stayed up late the night before and didn’t eat breakfast until nine. Ye Fan felt it was getting late and checked the time — past eleven. “Dad, Mom, you two sit down. I’ll cook.”

Chen Xiaohui offered to wash the vegetables. Without waiting for Ye Fan’s parents to respond, she followed Ye Fan into the kitchen.

Ye Father, puzzled, lowered his voice and asked his wife, “These two seem to be getting along better than before, don’t they?”

Tao Chunlan: “Maybe it’s because I told Xiaohui that Fanfan spent her free time clearing out all the junk she bought.”

Ye Father’s expression changed instantly. “She’s been buying again?”

Tao Chunlan shook her head. “I don’t know how Fanfan convinced her, but she said she’s done buying furniture.”

Ye Father’s heart sank. “Then what is she buying now?”

Tao Chunlan recalled Ye Fan’s words. “I told her to do whatever she wants. Even if she spends her whole paycheck, there’s not much left over.”

Noticing the two kids listening intently with wide eyes, Tao Chunlan warned, “Dabao, you’re not allowed to tell your aunt that your grandpa and I said she likes to buy things.”

Dabao shook his head. Erbao, copying his brother, also shook his head.

However, Chen Xiaohui wasn’t following Ye Fan because of the furniture cleanup. “About your sister-in-law’s brother and his wife—are we just letting it go?”

Ye Fan didn’t quite get it. “Letting it go?”

Chen Xiaohui: “Just talking about it and leaving it at that?”

Ye Fan handed her a bunch of celery. “Even parents can’t control a couple’s arguments — how can distant relatives step in? As long as I know why my brother and sister-in-law went back, that’s enough.”

She noticed the shrimp in the cupboard. “Didn’t you eat these yesterday?”

Chen Xiaohui glanced at the cupboard. “We ate half. Boiled with ginger and scallions. Sister-in-law said it was delicious. Mom told her to take the rest when she went back to her mother’s house this morning, but she refused — said she wanted to make them for Dabao and Erbao.”

When Geng Zhiyé brought back seafood with Su Duofu and Su Yuncheng, Ye Fan split it — half for her in-laws and half for her own family.

Yu Wentao and Geng Father often complained that Tao Chunlan was always trying to snatch Dabao and Erbao away, while Tao Chunlan felt that Geng Father was competing with her for the children. Yet neither side ever said anything about Ye Fan — whatever Ye Fan had, she always split it evenly between both families. If one side didn’t get something, neither did the other.

Ye Fan put the shrimp back. “Dabao’s second uncle and aunt have been at home these past few days — my mother-in-law already cooked all the fresh fish and shrimp. They’ve had their fill. Let’s put these in the fridge—wait, forgot about Dad. He hasn’t eaten yet. Let’s cook them.” She took the shrimp out again.

Chen Xiaohui: “What about the ribbonfish?”

“Let’s braise it. Get me some star anise, Sichuan peppercorns, and dried chili.”

Chen Xiaohui gathered the ingredients. “So, according to you, wasn’t it pointless for your brother and sister-in-law to go?”

Ye Fan lit the stove. “It was pointless from the start. Otherwise, Mom wouldn’t get so annoyed every time she talks about my sister-in-law’s family.”

Chen Xiaohui: “What if they really get divorced?”

Ye Fan didn’t even hesitate. “Then they get divorced. It’s not like anyone’s going to die from it.”

Chen Xiaohui’s hand froze as she peeled the scallions. She had told Ye Fan that Geng Zhiyé had someone in his heart, but Ye Fan clearly didn’t take it seriously. Was it because she wasn’t afraid of divorce? Maybe she even thought that if she divorced Geng Zhiyé, she might find someone better.

Chen Xiaohui suddenly felt like she had figured it out.

But why wasn’t Ye Fan afraid of divorce?

She couldn’t wrap her head around it — just like how she couldn’t understand why Dabao had bowed to Tao Chunlan without the slightest hesitation.

Maybe that was the difference between her and Ye Fan.

After staying in this family for a while, perhaps she would eventually understand.

Chen Xiaohui asked if one scallion was enough.

Ye Fan nodded. “Did Mom not buy any groceries?”

Chen Xiaohui replied, “There’s a crucian carp hanging outside. It’s been salted.”

Ye Fan said, “Bring it over. I’ll rinse it with hot water and make fish soup. We’ll have stir-fried celery with meat, and braised cabbage with pork cracklings. Four dishes and a soup — that should be enough.”

“Let’s make a bit more,” Chen Xiaohui suggested.

Ye Fan and Chen Xiaohui were startled. They turned their heads to see Tao Chunlan coming over with a stern expression. Curious, Ye Fan smiled and asked, “Who made our old lady angry again?”

As soon as she spoke, they heard the sound of a car pulling into the yard.

Ye Fan was surprised. “Big brother and sister-in-law are back?”

Ye Jin glanced toward the kitchen. “Fan Fan’s here?”

Dabao and Erbao came out of the house. “Uncle, Aunt, Happy New Year!”

Li Mingyue laughed. “Happy New Year!” She took twenty yuan out of her pocket. “Ten from Uncle, ten from me. You two split it.”

Dabao gave his sister ten yuan and kept ten for himself.

Ye Jin parked the car and picked up his eldest nephew. “You’re getting smarter and smarter.”

Dabao wriggled to get down. “I’m a primary school student now. You’re not allowed to carry me.”

Ye Jin carried him straight into the kitchen. “Fan Fan, Dabao just turned five last month. Isn’t it too early for him to start school? Can he even remember pinyin?”

Ye Fan replied, “He’s been sharp since he was three.” Then she asked casually, “Big brother, did your brother-in-law get divorced?”

Ye Jin snorted coldly and said irritably, “Divorce my ass! I didn’t agree with it back then, but your sister-in-law insisted it wasn’t up to me since she wasn’t marrying me. And now—Li Mingyue, do you still think that way?”

Li Mingyue came over holding their niece. “My brother’s useless. Even if the whole family objected, he would’ve married her anyway.”

Chen Xiaohui frowned. Wasn’t Li Mingyue’s younger brother supposed to be quite capable?

Tao Chunlan turned around and caught Chen Xiaohui’s puzzled expression. She couldn’t help but find it both amusing and exasperating. “Your sister-in-law means her brother is afraid of his wife — it doesn’t mean he’s a failure.”

Chen Xiaohui suddenly understood. “But if he’s afraid, how does he still have the nerve to argue with her?”

Ye Fan was just as curious, giving her brother a look, silently urging him to explain.

Ye Jin sighed and finally said that his brother-in-law’s in-laws were just ordinary workers. His brother-in-law had two younger brothers — one about the same age as Ye Fan and the other not yet eighteen. When Ye Fan needed a job, his brother-in-law quietly gave the position to one of his own younger brothers instead.

Ye Jin could understand — after all, there was a difference between helping his sister’s sister-in-law and his wife’s biological brother. If it were him, he’d probably side with his own family too.

Chen Xiaohui suddenly understood why Li Mingyue had been so annoyed with her in her past life. Back then, she didn’t dare join the army or move to the countryside, so Tao Chunlan asked Ye Jin to think of a solution. Not long after, Ye Jin said there was a job opportunity through his brother-in-law.

In this life, since she didn’t take the job meant for Li Mingyue’s brother, the couple still argued every year — so in the past life, wouldn’t they have fought every single day?

Chen Xiaohui couldn’t help but sigh.

Ye Jin found it amusing. “Why are you sighing? The one who should be sighing is my brother-in-law.”

Ye Fan asked, “Brother, is it because your brother-in-law didn’t agree, thinking it would look bad?”

Ye Jin nodded. “Jobs are so scarce these days. It’s hard enough to arrange one, let alone more. I even suggested his brother-in-law try out for the Air Force — if he passed the medical exam, he could spend half his life in the military. But the old couple was worried, saying flying a plane was too dangerous.”

Li Mingyue was exasperated. “My sister-in-law said the same thing. She told my brother to ask you or your brother for help. But how could he possibly have the nerve to ask now, after secretly giving the job meant for you to his own brother-in-law?”