BTSFVI Chapter Sixty Three

Read/BTSFVI/Chapter 63

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        Chapter 63 Over a Meter and Over a Hundred Jin, Extra Payment

He didn't expect to catch such a big fish after the typhoon. This typhoon turned out to be a blessing in disguise!

Ye Yaodong excitedly rolled up his sleeves, ready for action. This fish may not be a rare and valuable treasure, but its massive size is impressive. It appears to weigh over a hundred jin. With just this one fish, today's trip is already worthwhile.

"Ah Qing, help me hold the sack open. I'll push it in!"

"Be careful. I just saw the fish's gills still breathing, and its tail was moving. Don't get bitten."

"It's fine."

Ye Yaohua also took the initiative to roll up his sleeves to help. With the fish being this big, it wasn't easy for one person to push it alone.

"To think that such a big fish would be washed up onto our beach. I wonder how big the waves have been out at sea these past few days."

"Second Sister-in-law, why don't you look around some more? Who knows, you might discover another one?" Lin Xiuqing spoke to her with a tilted head.

"That can't be..."

Although she said that, she wasted no time in taking action, scouring around in search. Unfortunately, it left her disappointed, as she only managed to find two small yellow croakers.

As they were moving the yellowtail, people from nearby also started walking over towards them, noticing the big fish.

"Wow, what kind of fish is this? It's over a meter long..."

"Such a big fish, and it got stranded?"

"Wow, what fish is this? So huge! Ahua, you're really lucky..."

"This isn't something I found. It was found by Yaodong and the others."

In truth, he also felt a bit regretful. If only they had come a little earlier, such a big fish wouldn't have gone unnoticed right next to the reef. Only a blind person would have missed it.

The rest of the Ye family, upon seeing the gathering of people, also came over. Father Ye and Mother Ye had joyful expressions on their faces as they eagerly joined in to help. They muttered under their breath, "Such a big fish getting stranded, it's incredible..."

With many people around, the chatter was incessant, and everyone was talking at once.

"Ah Dong, you've been lucky lately, huh? I heard from Ah Cai that you sold him a sea bass the day before yesterday."

"Yeah, it seems like you've had some really good luck lately. Such a big fish and Ah Hua didn't even spot it, but you did."

"Tsk, tsk, tsk. Looks like your Ye family is about to strike it rich again."

"Your family has been quite fortunate recently, huh? Good feng shui, I suppose?"

Busy but not lending a hand, yet they have plenty to say!

After completely putting the fish into the sack, Ye Yaodong finally said to everyone, "You all should quickly go and search as well. Who knows, there might be some big fish stuck in the crevices of other reefs?”

"Yes, yes, yes~"

Everyone dispersed in a rush, too busy to engage in idle chatter, and hurriedly started searching. Some even went as far as rushing into the water.

Lin Xiuqing excitedly watched the fish inside the sack, its mouth subtly moving. "Shouldn't we stop searching and drag the fish back first?"

Ye Yaodong smiled at her. "Satisfied?"

She vigorously nodded her head!

More than just satisfied; she was overjoyed to the point of reaching cloud nine!

Sure enough, that Meile bead was their lucky charm!

Mother Ye also eagerly asked, "How did this fish end up stranded on the beach? It's so big! What kind of fish is this?"

Father Ye took over the conversation. "If I'm not mistaken, this should be an adult yellowtail."

Even his father confirmed that it was a yellowtail, so there was no doubt about it.

"Wouldn't this fish be worth at least 20 cents per jin? With such a big size, it could be sold for several tens of yuan. Not bad, not bad. Yaodong’s been quite lucky with his fortune lately!"

Eldest Sister-in-law Ye also felt a tinge of envy. "Father, with Yaodong's recent good fortune, why not let him join you on the fishing trips? Who knows, he might also have a big catch."

Ye Yaodong rolled his eyes. Each and every one of them couldn't stand seeing him leisurely earning money...

"Alright, I'm fine with it! Let's go out to sea!"

Father Ye thought for a moment and nodded. "Let's give it a try tomorrow. You won't get seasick, will you?"

"Well, that's hard to say. I haven't been to far-off places, and I haven't spent a whole day drifting at sea."

"Then let's give it a try first."

Mother Ye, with a rosy complexion, said, "Let your father help you carry the fish to the pier first while it's still fresh. Ask Ah Cai how much he'll pay for it."

Lin Xiuqing chimed in, "I'll go along too. I also have two blue crabs and a large sea bass to sell."

"Hurry up and go!"

Over one meter long and weighing over a hundred jin, the fish was no different from the weight of an adult woman. Moreover, it hadn't completely died yet and would occasionally move. It would be difficult to carry without the sack.

Inside the sack, there were also clams that had been dumped in, filling more than half a bucket. Combined, they weighed more than 100 jin and were quite heavy.

"Fortunately, this old man is clever enough to always carry a sack with me..."

Father Ye stared at him coldly. "Who do you think you are?"

"Uh... my son's old man!"

"Is your son here?"

"Dad, why take it so seriously? It's just a habitual phrase I casually use. You'll get used to it, right?"

"You're talking to me, calling yourself ‘old man', and then you say I should get used to it? Are you looking for a beating?"

He tightly pursed his lips and stopped talking.

Lin Xiuqing quietly revealed a joyful smile on the side.

Ah Cai sat at the entrance of the acquisition point, munching on melon seeds. When he saw the father and son approaching with a sack, he also found it intriguing. "What are you carrying?" 

"Guess?" 

"You're not carrying a person, are you?" 

"Are you a human trafficker?" Ye Yaodong was speechless.

Ah Cai stood up and circled around them, noticing a movement in the sack. He exclaimed, "If it's not a person, could it be a fish? It's so big!"

They tossed it into his acquisition point, and Father Ye clapped his hands, saying, "It's a Yellowtail. Take a look and see if I'm right!"

"Such a large Yellowtail?" He opened the sack and took a look. "Indeed, it's so big and quite rare. Let me grab a ruler and measure its length."

He took out a measuring tape from a drawer of a broken wooden table nearby and measured it. "1.2 meters, really big... Let's carry it up to the scale together and see; it's probably over 100 jin.”

"My goodness, it is! 115 jin and 8 taels."

"How much are you planning to pay?" The father and son stared at Ah Cai with eager eyes.

"Twenty-two cents? Ah... twenty-three cents... twenty-five cents... twenty-five, just twenty-five... I can't offer more!" Under the coercive gaze of the father and son, Ah Cai, feeling pressured and somewhat guilty, had no choice but to frequently change his offer.

"Brother Cai, this is not fair of you. We always bring our catch from the fishing boat to you, and you keep lowering the price. Come on... let's have a cigarette first and have a good chat..." Ye Yaodong hooked his shoulder and took out a cigarette from his pocket for him to smoke, lighting it up for him as well.

In his heart, he couldn't help but complain. He had very little pocket money, and he couldn't even bring himself to smoke. It had been days, and he hadn't even finished this pack yet.

Ah Cai, short and round, looked even smaller under his elbow. Together, they looked like a fat and thin pair.

"Brother, it's not that I'm lowering the price. It's just that this fish is only worth this much. I've already offered the highest price I can."

"Brother Cai, are you taking advantage of me, a country bumpkin who doesn't know about goods? This Yellowtail is also called Amberjack, right? If it were just 10 or 20 jin, then the price you offered would indeed be high. But the key is that this one is over a meter long weighing over a hundred jin. It's definitely not worth this price."

(end of this chapter)

***

1. 老子 (Lǎozǐ) can be used as a form of self-reference or self-identification, especially by males. In this sense, it is a form of self-address that can express arrogance, boldness, or assertiveness. It is often used to convey a sense of toughness, confidence, or dominance, particularly in a playful or slightly brash manner. 

***

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BTSFVI Chapter Sixty Two

Read/BTSFVI/Chapter 62

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        Chapter 62 Yellowtail

Under the scorching midday sun, it felt as if the typhoon from two nights ago was nothing but a dream. As Ye Yaodong walked from his house to the beach, he was already drenched in sweat.

Thinking about it, the typhoon day was actually quite cool. It would have been even better if there were no leaks in the house.

The glaring sunlight forced him to squint his eyes. "Oh~ there are quite a few people on the beach."

"After the typhoon, the tide has receded, and everyone knows it's time to try their luck. Plus, the news spread throughout the village that you caught a big sea bass during the typhoon. Isn't it natural that there are many people here today?" Father Ye said with furrowed brows.

"Should we go down too?"

"Since we're already here, let's go down and take a look."

On the beach, there were mostly groups of women and children carrying buckets, as well as idle young people. When they encountered someone they knew, everyone greeted each other.

"Have you eaten?" 

"You guys are here too?"

"What did you pick up?"

Hmm... these are the usual conversations...

Without stopping, Ye Yaodong pulled Lin Xiuqing away from the crowd and headed straight for the rocky area, the same area where they had found a large catch two days ago. Let others pick up the small fish, shrimp, and clams on the beach.

"Mom, Dad, don't run, wait for us..."

Ye Yaodong: This idiot!

Without even turning his head, he continued forward. Why would he wait for them?

The tide was just beginning to recede, not yet reaching below the rocks. After running halfway, they could only follow the tide and walk slowly.

Ye Yaodong saw a large sea bass rolling with the waves ahead. He quickly let go of Lin Xiuqing's hand, took off his rain boots, grabbed a bucket, and rushed straight into the sea.

Lin Xiuqing didn't see it and wondered why he suddenly rushed into the sea. She quickly shouted, "What are you doing? The waves will come back in a moment."

"You wait there; don't move." 

Ye Yaodong stopped when the water reached waist-deep and looked for the large sea bass he had spotted earlier. The waves kept rolling there, almost causing him to be swept away.

Just as a wave curled up, it revealed the sea bass again. It was about one meter to his right. Ye Yaodong quickly moved forward and aimed at it, using the bucket to scoop it up. Unfortunately, the fish was too big, and there was too much water. Just as he scooped it up, it jumped out again.

Holding the bucket, he immediately chased after it. Just as the seawater surged downward, the fish swam right into it on its own…

Yaodong held the water-filled bucket high above his shoulder and quickly made his way back to the shore. Wave after wave crashed towards him, drenching his entire body from head to toe. He felt quite comfortable and refreshed.

Lin Xiuqing approached him and exclaimed, "Why did you go chasing after it in the sea? It's so dangerous..."

"It's fine; I can swim, no need to worry. Besides, I didn't go too far. The water only reached my chest; I wouldn't get submerged," he reassured her. Then he handed her the bucket to have a look and said, "Look, it's a big sea bass, weighing around four to five jin. It's worth a few yuan."

"Um, just be careful."

"Oh! There's a big snail~"

The ebb and flow of the tide happened to bring a snail to their feet. Lin Xiuqing joyfully picked it up and said, "I didn't expect to have a snail delivered to us without even searching. It has meat inside, it's not empty. Is this a trumpet snail?”

"Um!"

"Do you want to break it open and take a look?"

Ye Yaodong laughed heartily. "So you think there's another treasure inside, huh?”

Lin Xiuqing gave him a reproachful glare, "It's so big!"

"This snail doesn't have one, so let's sell it for money!"

"If there isn't, then there isn't." She wasn't disappointed either. It was already a stroke of luck to have the Meile bead. It was a good find to pick up a large seashell for free.

The couple walked along with the tide, but they didn't find much other seafood. However, they managed to gather a bucketful of clams.

Ye Yaodong shook the sack in his pocket as usual and said, "Pour them in!"

Lin Xiuqing couldn't help but laugh and say, "Why do you always carry a sack with you?"

"I anticipated this, so I brought the sack. Otherwise, how would you carry the harvest later?"

In fact, he had learned a lesson from the trip to the isolated island a few days ago. Regardless of whether it would be needed or not, as long as he went out, he always carried a sack in his pocket.

"There are so many people on the beach; two buckets should be enough for us."

"It's not enough. I have this bucket filled with sea bass, and you have that bucket filled with clams. If we come across other seafood, what will you use to carry them?"

"Yes, you're the expert when it comes to the seaside. You're right!"

The two of them followed the tide and kept picking up whatever they could find without discrimination. It wasn't until the tide was about to retreat to the area with the rocks that Ye Yaodong noticed his second brother and sister-in-law had also followed them.

"What have you all picked up? Why are you carrying a sack?" Second Sister-in-law Ye curiously stretched her neck to peek at their buckets and sack. "Oh, such a big bass!"

The clams in the bag weren't anything special; the beach was filled with them. They had collected almost a bucketful, and other people had also picked up quite a few.

Lin Xiuqing smiled and said, "Just now, when the tide hadn't receded so far, Yaodong saw a sea bass and rushed into the sea to catch it."

"Hehe, Yaodong has been quite diligent lately. Looks like the prodigal son has turned around.”

Yaodong ignored her and walked towards the rocky area on the side, minding his own business. There were also people coming in this direction not far away, so he needed to take a quick look around first.

Lin Xiuqing let out an awkward laugh and quickly caught up with him.

When they saw Ye Yaodong bend down and grab two blue crabs, their eyes lit up, and they hurried over.

"Ye Yaodong caught two more blue crabs in an instant. Ah Hua, let's quickly search as well," said Second Sister-in-law Ye in envy. She was amazed by the big sea bass and the large blue crabs he had caught. While they hadn't found anything valuable yet.

Ye Yaohua chuckled and started searching around as well. Before long, he also caught a blue crab. Although it wasn't as big as the two crabs caught by Ye Yaodong earlier, Second Sister-in-law Ye had a big smile on her face. It was a good catch, and that's what mattered.

"Ah Dong, Ah Dong, come quickly..." Lin Xiuqing suddenly shouted excitedly, "What kind of fish is this? It's so big, and it's still moving!"

Upon hearing her excitement and her remark about its size, Ye Yaodong hurried over, disregarding the stone crab he had just discovered.

"This? Isn’t this yellowtail?"

He looked a bit uncertain as well. After all, the ocean is vast, and he doesn't know every single fish species. Some fish also look quite similar to each other. He thought it resembled the yellowtail that he had seen before.

"I wouldn't know either. Who should I ask if you ask me?" 

Its body is blue-gray to olive in color on the back and silver-white to light brown on the belly, with a yellow stripe on the side. It should be the Yellowtail!

There are more of these fish in the straits around the bay, but this one is quite big.

"This should be the yellowtail! Ah Hua, come over and take a look!"

Ye Yaohua and the others also heard Lin Xiuqing's voice and became curious. He walked over and took a look, somewhat uncertain, and said, "This fish seems to be a yellowtail. I think I saw it before when I was unloading goods at the Yujing port."

"This... This fish must be over one meter long, right? It looks like it weighs over a hundred jin," said Second Sister-in-law Ye with envy and jealousy. How come all the good luck is happening to them?

“This fish can sell for a lot of money, right?"

Second Sister-in-law Ye asked what was in her heart.

"We'll have to catch it first before we can determine its price. I heard there are many of these fish in the waters near the bay, and they are also popular in Japan, where they use them for making sashimi!"

In Japan, this fish is renowned and is on par with salmon.

Author’s Note:

Thank you all for your votes and support!

During the National Day holiday, it's been quite busy, and it feels a bit challenging to have two updates. But even if my eyes get tired of writing until midnight, I will try my best to maintain a stable schedule of two updates.

  　　

(end of this chapter)

***

1.

***

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BTSFVI Chapter Sixty One

Read/BTSFVI/Chapter 61

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        Chapter 61 After the Typhoon

After nightfall, the strong wind blew wildly, and the rain poured heavily. The contrast between daytime and nighttime was truly astounding. They had emptied several basins and bowls inside the house to collect the leaking water. The table near the window was hit by raindrops, leaving a large wet area. Lin Xiuqing intentionally placed a footcloth over it.

The two children weren't afraid of the strong wind and heavy rain outside. They were secretly playing with candles there…

Ye Chenghu carefully dipped his finger into the candle wax at the bottom of the wick, and when he took it out, his finger was covered in a layer of white candle wax.

He continued this process until all ten of his fingers were covered in candle wax, and then he proceeded to crush the wax on each finger before repeating the process again…

On the other hand, Ye Chengyang took out a toothpick from somewhere and began fiddling with the wick, stirring the candle wax…

The candles flickered and wavered under their playful antics. It wasn't until then that the couple noticed the mischievous duo. One of them received a slap on the buttocks, and they both jumped and frolicked on the bed for a while, letting out a few cries before finally settling down obediently to sleep.

Ye Yaodong leaned against the edge of the bed, closing his eyes to rest. He had nowhere to lie down and no way to sleep, and the noise outside was also very loud.

His eldest and second brother's rooms were also leaking and soaking the beds. Moreover, both of them have three children, and they were sent to his grandmother's and parents' rooms.

Everyone had to squeeze together and make do, enduring this night.

"Both of them are already asleep. You can lie down here for a while."

"It's alright; you go ahead and sleep. I can't sleep anyway. It's the same if I catch up on sleep during the day tomorrow. I'll go and empty the water."

Afraid of disturbing their sleep, he went to the main room after emptying the water. Seeing a few benches, he grabbed two and put them together to make do and lie down. He closed his eyes and took a short nap.

It wasn't until the latter half of the night that the wind and rain gradually subsided. Ye Yaodong's body was covered with a long-sleeved shirt as a makeshift blanket.

Lying on the bench, he couldn't sleep soundly. Whenever there was movement, he would wake up. He touched the clothes on his chest and softly said, "Why did you wake up?"

"Carry Yangyang to pee, didn't see you, so I came out to check."

"The typhoon should have passed, and it's almost daylight. You go back and get some more sleep."

"You go inside and sleep!"

"No need; you go inside and accompany the two children. Otherwise, if they wake up and don't see you, they'll cry."

Lin Xiuqing gave him a deep look and went inside.

This was the first time that, during a typhoon, he didn't sleep like a dead pig without care. Moreover, he accommodated the three of them, whereas, in previous years, she would just doze off by the bedside for the night.

As soon as it started to dawn, Ye Yaodong sat up. At this moment, Grandma also came in through the back door, holding an umbrella. She lived in a small house in the backyard.

"Did Yaodong sleep on the bench last night? Oh my, how did you sleep like this? Look at all the mosquito bites on your face and neck. Quickly use some saliva to rub them."

He casually scratched and said, "It's okay; the itchiness will go away soon. The ground is all wet, make sure to hold onto the wall for support and be careful when you go in and out."

"Ai ai, I know. Do you want to come lie down in my room? Ah Hai is still sleeping..."

"No need; I'll go outside to the beach and see how big the waves are."

It was still drizzling outside, so he grabbed the raincoat hanging behind the door and put it on before heading out.

At this moment, there were also many villagers wearing raincoats walking on the road. They had come out to see if the typhoon had passed. Everyone greeted each other and talked about how strong the wind and heavy the rain were last night.

"Why are you up so early, Yaodong?"

"Um, I couldn't sleep, so I came out to take a look."

"Let's go to the beach together and see what everyone is heading there for..."

He nodded casually and didn't stop his footsteps. After all, the neighbor's uncle was just an acquaintance, not someone he knew well.

As he walked, he observed the extent of the village's damage. Several small trees had fallen along the way, and many houses had their rooftops covered in scattered roof tiles. Straw was flying around, and there were debris and puddles everywhere, creating a messy and disordered scene.

By the time he reached the shoreline, it had become slightly brighter. Many villagers had gathered there already.

From a distance, he could see the relentless waves crashing and receding. The turbid seawater had risen to heights beyond its usual reach. The surrounding villagers were discussing how the typhoon had passed, and they eagerly awaited the calmness of the sea surface so they could resume fishing.

Father Ye arrived at the shore not long after him. The sky was getting brighter, and more people gathered around. Ye Yaopeng and Ye Yaohua also came out. As villagers who relied on the sea for their livelihood, they were most concerned about when the waves would recede.

They all stood by the shore, reluctant to leave, until the sun rose from the sea surface. The village's broadcast started playing the morning news, announcing that the typhoon had made landfall in Zhejiang Province. Only then did everyone feel relieved and gradually go back to having breakfast.

While eating, Eldest Brother Ye asked, "Dad, yesterday everyone's houses had severe water leaks. Shouldn't we take advantage of today's free time to inspect the roof tiles and make some repairs?

"Um, that's a good idea. I reckon the tiles were probably dislodged or shifted by the typhoon last night, which caused the severe leaks. There are also a few tiles in the backyard. After we finish eating, I'll set up a ladder and climb up to take a look."

"Well, Dad, does that mean our houses can resume construction tomorrow?"

"The day after tomorrow, I think. Everywhere is still wet and muddy. The mountain is covered in mud, and the water level in the stream has risen. It's inconvenient to dig stones. Let's start work one day later."

"When can we go out to sea then?" the two brothers asked in turns.

"It's not possible tonight. The waves at the pier are still high, and the outer sea is definitely affected. Let's see how the tide is tomorrow before making a decision. There should be more catch after the typhoon passes."

Seeing the catch that Ye Yaodong had yesterday, and since they had free time today, Ye Yaohua was eager to go to the beach right away. "Since we have nothing else to do, let's wait for the tide to start receding and then go to the beach to have a look. Maybe we can find some goods.”

Mother Ye was also tempted and said, "When the time comes, let's all go together and see. We can pick some seafood and use them for our dishes."

"We want to go to the beach too!"

"Yeah, we want to go to the beach and play..."

"No, it's not just playing at the beach; you guys are clueless! Can't you speak properly? We also want to go sea digging!" Ye Chenghai looked at his younger siblings with frustration, hating iron for not turning into steel.

"Yes, yes, we'll go sea digging too!"

"Following people everywhere, Hurry up and eat. The tide hasn't receded yet, and the waves are very strong. None of you are allowed to go to the beach. If you get swept away by the waves, no one will be able to save you," said Mother Ye, looking sternly at her grandchildren. "Did you hear that?"

"We heard," they all replied in unison.

From childhood to adulthood, the most common thing they were told was not to go to the beach alone and not to swim in the sea without adults present. Each of them remembered it well.

But to everyone's disappointment, even though the typhoon had passed, the tide didn't immediately recede today. The water level only dropped slightly.

The hope of sea digging was dashed, but the children were not very disappointed. Even though they couldn't go to the beach, they could still have fun playing other games. It was actually the adults who were the most disappointed.

It remained sunny throughout the day until noon the next day, when the tide gradually began to recede. The members of the Ye family immediately became enthusiastic and mobilized to go to the beach.

(end of this chapter)

***

1. 恨铁不成钢 (hèn tiě bù chéng gāng) =regret that somebody does not live up to one's expectation.

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