Having planned to wear it during the Mid-Autumn Festival, her face brightened with a smile. She asked him to hold one end of the fabric while she unfolded it to inspect, discovering it was a bit long.
“How many meters did you buy?”
“Two meters. Didn’t you tell me to buy two meters?”
“You’re so tall and only need two meters. How could I need two meters?”
“It’s fine, you can make a pair of pants too, it’ll be a perfect set.”
“It’s not enough for long pants, at most it could make capri pants.” Lin Xiuqing muttered for a while before putting it away. Since it was already bought, she’d have to figure out how to use it.
After putting things away, she turned around and started thinking about the gooseneck barnacles again, “Can you still dig up those gooseneck barnacles? They’re so valuable!”
Ye Yaodong lay on the bed, swinging his foot, “Don’t know if other islands have them. It’s not good to go without a high tide. These things grow on rocks in the intertidal zone that are constantly hit by waves. If we go normally, the tide won’t be low enough, and it’s easy to get washed into the sea by waves. It’s quite dangerous.”
“Then forget it. We’ll see on the first and fifteenth of the lunar month. If we happen to find some, we’ll dig a bit. If not, let it be. Being able to earn this much is already very good. It’s fortunate someone recognized them.”
“Mm-hmm.”“Why would foreigners come to our small place?”
“Isn’t it normal? Probably friends the young master of Hongsheng made while studying abroad, specifically coming here to play. Never mind what they’re doing, come take care of me.” He gave a suggestive smirk.
Lin Xiuqing instantly understood his meaning. Feeling a bit embarrassed, she glanced at the two children playing and said softly, “Aren’t you tired? Working so hard during the day…”
“Tired of what? It’s a different matter. I ate five sea turtle eggs yesterday and two more today. It’s a good chance to see the effect. Hurry up and put those two to sleep!”
As it turned out, the sea turtle eggs were quite effective.
The next day, he woke up feeling refreshed and remembered there were still 5 or 6 left last night. He hurriedly went to check by the stove but found only soup left.
“Are the sea turtle eggs gone?”
“You woke up late. I ate the last two,” Ye Yaopeng chuckled.
“So you know they’re effective now, huh? Couldn’t even leave one for me.”
The other four were probably taken and eaten by his father when he went out to sea at night. Originally, it was his turn to go to sea yesterday, but since he had to go to town, his father called his older brother. At night, it was Ah Hua’s turn again, so he got to skip a turn.
“Hehe~” Ye Yaopeng awkwardly didn’t know how to respond.
Mother Ye urged, “Hurry up and eat breakfast. After eating, get to work. It’s just a few eggs. Those sea turtle eggs are very fishy, what’s so good about them?”
“Got it.”
He planned to get a few from Ah Guang’s place in the evening. For a single man, too much supplementation wouldn’t be good!
Unexpectedly, before he could go to find Ah Guang at home, Ah Guang eagerly came over to work again.
“Did you take the wrong medicine? Coming to work so early in the morning? Haven’t you seen the sun or worked before? So diligent for unpaid work?”
“I come with good intentions to help you work, and this is how you talk to me.”
“Alright, are you preparing to work hard and strive for success? Then work well, and later I’ll tell my mother to pay you wages.”
“Psh~” Ah Guang said disdainfully, “Do I need those few coins from you?”
“Aren’t you saving up to get married? Little by little, it adds up!”
“You might as well take me out to sea more often, it’s quicker that way.”
“I don’t even have time to go myself. There’s a pile of work waiting at home, and it’s not safe to go to the lonely island regularly. Aren’t you guys planning to buy a boat? Tonight, let’s go to Ah Cai’s place to see if we can get the money. The sooner we get it, the sooner we can buy the boat.”
“That’s true. Let’s go together tonight to ask for the money. It’s been a day, and we’re not his regular suppliers anyway.”
Ah Guang’s hard work for two days wasn’t without effect. Mother Ye’s impression of him changed directly. In the evening when work was done, she even warmly invited him home for dinner with a smile.
Ye Yaodong didn’t give him a chance to refuse, pulling him by the shoulder towards home without saying a word.
Actually, Ah Guang hadn’t planned to refuse. He happily followed them to freeload a meal. After dinner, he even helped dry the vegetables and cockles until Ye Yaodong called him to go get the money.
He continued to work as free labor for several days, even coming as usual when Ye Yaodong went out to sea with his father. He occasionally brought watermelons, making Mother Ye feel a bit ashamed and voluntarily offer to pay him wages.
Ah Guang repeatedly refused. He hadn’t come to work for wages in the first place, but Mother Ye insisted on giving him money. He didn’t want to argue with Mother Ye, so he reluctantly accepted it for now, planning to leave it on the table when he left later.
Mother Ye was finally satisfied and said, “That’s right. Otherwise, I wouldn’t dare let you come work. We didn’t have much contact before and didn’t know, but these past few days, seeing you, you seem quite good, a fine young man.”
He awkwardly scratched the back of his head and gave a foolish smile.
“Looking at your age, you’re not getting any younger. Tell your aunt to quickly find you a match. Without a woman at home, it doesn’t look right. Bring a wife home, and things will be in order. Your two sisters are also growing up. In a couple of years, there’ll be someone to arrange things for them.”
“Hehe, Auntie, if you have a suitable match, you can introduce her to me.” As he spoke, his eyes wandered a bit.
“Ah~ I’m busy with building the house all day, where would I find time to be a matchmaker? If you’re not in a hurry, wait until the house is built, and I’ll keep an eye out for you.”
“Hehe, alright, I’m not in a hurry. I’m still a year younger than Dongzi.”
Ye Yaodong rolled his eyes from the side, “Why compare with me? I already have two sons, and you don’t even have a wife’s shadow.”
“That’s right, you should quickly ask your aunt to look around for you. If suitable, you could have the wedding this year!”
“Ah, alright, alright…”
He was thinking the same thing in his heart, it’s just… ah… not good to say it openly. He had to take it step by step, otherwise, not only would he get beaten, but it would all be for nothing.
He changed the subject, “Dongzi, how many fish traps have you made?”
“Not many. I have to build the house during the day, so I can only work on them a bit after dinner. Even at a fast pace, I’ve only made 5 so far.”
“Why not hire someone to make them! The sooner they’re made, the sooner you can put them in the sea, and the sooner you’ll see returns.”
“There’s no rush. There’s so much work at home, we’ll make them slowly.”
Once he had made ten, he’d put a row in the sea. With just five or six thrown in the sea, if there wasn’t much catch, he’d still have to specially row the boat to collect them, which was too time-consuming.
Ten was still very few, but at least it could make a row, barely enough to put out.
“These few traps are just sitting idle at home. Why not put them in the river pond at night and see if you can catch some loaches for stewing? It can also serve as a trial run.”
Hearing this, Ye Yaodong’s eyes lit up. That could work!