Father and son hurriedly climbed straight onto the reef. This time, instead of prying their way down from the top, they worked upward from the bottom, so it would not become too difficult once it sank farther.
"Dad, get the abalone first! Leave the sea snails for now."
"I know."
After prying off only a few, Father Ye stopped again. "I'll fetch your mother and sister. With more hands, we can work faster, before it sinks too quickly for us to keep up. They'll just have to soak in the water for a while. We can go home early afterward, take a bath, and soak our feet."
"All right, then. Carry them somewhere higher when they get here, so they spend as little time in the water as possible."
There were priorities to consider. Earlier, he had thought the two of them, both grown men, could take their time, since there was no hurry. Who could have known it would actually sink? Now they could only have his mother and sister help, so they would not miss out.
Father Ye hurried back aboard to fetch Mother Ye and Ye Huimei.
As Ye Yaodong pried away, he picked out two spots with good footing. Once the women arrived, he and his father each carried one over.
"You can work right here. It's higher, and the footing is better. Be careful not to slip."
Mother Ye kept talking. "A little soaking won't hurt. So what if it's cold? I'll soak my feet when we get back and rest a few days. Getting these off quickly is what matters. Huimei should stay out of the water as much as possible. If I'd known, I would have come down with you this morning. It would've gone faster."
"Who knew this thing would sink? I