Chapter 12: I Never Knew You Found Me So Unpleasant

Ye Yaodong looked at his older brothers, who were soaked through, and curiously asked, “Aren’t you supposed to be out on the boat? Why do you look like you swam back?”

Ye Yaopeng glanced down at his clinging clothes and felt a bit uncomfortable. He shook his hem and said, “The tide was shallow when we came out, so it was hard to get the boat out. We called a few friends to help us push it, which is why we got delayed until now.”

“Oh, what time are you heading out tonight?”

“Probably one or two o’clock. Are you coming? Dad said we only need two people to drag the net, so we can take turns with him. This way, we can also get some rest.”

Ye Yaohua, the second brother, sincerely added, “Third brother, you should come with us too. Learn how to operate the boat and how to read the compass so you don’t get lost at sea. We, coastal folks, can’t afford to not know how to find our way on the water.”

“You guys can manage just fine without me.”

How could he not know how to sail? He could read a compass and had captained large boats for years. There was no way he would get lost at sea.

Besides, having just fallen into deep water, he hadn’t quite recovered. It felt a bit overwhelming to be asked to head out again.

Ye Mother interjected, “Just this morning, you were talking about how you want to learn from your older brothers, being diligent and hardworking. Now you sound like you’re talking nonsense! You’re not going anywhere; you’re going to stay home and help out. Even if you don’t go to sea, you need to help make the nets, or I’ll break your legs!”

“Mom, you can’t expect me to become a big man overnight! You have to let me take it slow…”

“You’re always avoiding work, and you want to take it slow? How long do you think that will take? Until your son is grown enough to do your work and support you?”

“Hey, that’s not a bad idea!”

Ye Mother glared, raising her hand as if to slap him for being so useless.

Ye Yaodong, knowing his mother would get angry, was prepared and quickly made his escape. He decided to leave his hard-earned haul behind and not even check on his son.

He dashed a few steps away and called back to them, “I’m roasting out here; I’m heading back!”

After all, his wife and the others had also come ashore, so it was just a matter of timing.

By the time he got home, he was drenched in sweat, his face sunburned a deep red, and the old lady couldn’t help but feel sorry for him.

“Why didn’t you wear a hat while you were out? You got so sunburned! Where are your mother and the others?”

“They’re walking behind; they’ll be home soon.”

The old lady handed him some boiled corn from the basket. “It’s late; you must be starving. Have some corn to fill your stomach. The porridge is ready, and dinner will be served once your mother and the others return.”

“Okay!”

The corn from their own farm was sweet, soft, and delicious—never tiring to eat.

This morning, he only had a bowl of sweet potato porridge with pickled vegetables, and with all the sweat he’d lost, he was already starving. It was well past noon now.

“What about the kids? It’s mealtime; aren’t they back yet?”

“Someone from the front came back with a piece of corn and then ran off again to play. Who knows where they went? They’ll come back after shouting for a bit.”

“I’ll go call them!” After quickly finishing the corn, he tossed the cob into a corner, stood up, and walked outside.

However, as soon as he stepped out, he bumped right into his mother, who was carrying a basin of sand clams. The seawater in the basin splashed all over him!

“What are you doing? You’re such a big person, yet you’re still so careless; it serves you right!”

Ye Yaodong took a step back, feeling helpless. So this was how his mother saw him—she had been complaining about him all morning!

He had been planning to turn over a new leaf!

How frustrating!

Ye Yaodong sighed, “Lin Xiuqing stepped forward and said, ‘You should go change your clothes first. I’ll wash your things later. It’s a sunny afternoon; they’ll dry quickly. Otherwise, if you sweat more, you won’t have any clothes to change into tonight.’

‘Okay.’

Maybe it was because he had performed well on the beach earlier, or perhaps due to the two blue crabs he had caught, his wife seemed to be in a better mood and was able to speak to him gently.

After entering the house, Ye Yaodong rummaged through the cabinets, but didn’t find any clothes in the one where he thought they were stored. He assumed too much time had passed and he had misremembered, so he began searching everywhere.

While Lin Xiuqing was giving their child a bath outside, she planned to come in and grab some clothes for the child. But when she saw the chaotic scene inside, her anger flared, and her expression turned cold.

“Do you think I’m too idle and want to give me something to do, or are you looking for money?”

“Ah? What are you talking about? I’m just looking for clothes!”

So she thought he hadn’t gone out this morning because he was broke? Was he really that useless?

Maybe… in his younger days… but wasn’t he back now?

He felt exhausted!

“Do you really need to turn the place upside down just to find clothes? There are only two sets of clothes and two pairs of shorts. The clothes are hanging in the backyard to dry; what are you looking for here?”

“Only two sets?”

“How many sets do you want?”

“I don’t know there are only two sets! I’ll fold them for you now…”

Looking at the mess all over the bed, he felt a bit guilty. Fortunately, after living alone for so many years, he had learned to do everything. He quickly got to work folding all the clothes for the four of them for all seasons.

Seeing his actions, Lin Xiuqing’s anger subsided a bit. Perhaps he really didn’t know where the clothes were; she usually handled these everyday tasks and folded his clothes after bathing, leaving them on the bed for him.

Maybe she had wronged him this time; her tone softened, “I’ll go outside and gather your clothes.”

After changing clothes, Ye Yaodong sat at the head of the bed and didn’t rush to go out. He was reflecting on himself…

In just one morning, he had clearly felt the discontent of his family towards him. He realized how much of a failure he had been; it had been decades since he felt such clarity.

After Lin Xiuqing dressed their son, she came back in to put away the clothes and sheets he had folded. Seeing him still sitting there, she couldn’t help but frown, “Are you just going to sit there? Let’s go eat!”

“I’m waiting for you; how can I eat without you?”

Ye Yaodong was just joking, but he was surprised when he saw her face turn red and she looked away, embarrassed. “Stop saying nonsense!”

He was instantly intrigued; she could actually blush! Indeed, women love to hear sweet words!

“Let’s eat; if we wait too long, there won’t be any food left!”

Look at that, even her tone had softened…

His mood lifted instantly, and the frustration he felt from being wronged evaporated. He straightened his back and leisurely followed her out.

In the living room, a large round table was filled with children. His wife was standing next to their oldest son, Ye Chenghu, preparing to serve him food, and she had left a space for him. Their youngest son was sitting on her lap while she fed him.

In the younger generation of their family, there were five boys and three girls. His older brother had two sons and one daughter, his second brother had one son and two daughters, and he had two sons.

The four boys in front were named after bodies of water: Hai, Jiang, He, and Hu, from oldest to youngest. When his youngest son was born, he casually named him Yang.

Ye Yaodong sat in his designated seat and looked at the table full of seafood, feeling a sense of amazement. Indeed, living by the sea meant they were so poor they could only eat seafood.