Ye Yaodong came out of A-Cai's house carrying a huge sum of money. Seeing that it was still light, he headed for the Old House. This money had to be divided up first.
They had just finished dinner at the Old House. His mother was washing dishes by the back door, and his father was chopping firewood. He called them both inside.
"What is it? Can't you let me finish the dishes first? All this secrecy and rushing about..." Mother Ye grumbled as she wiped her hands on her apron and followed him inside.
When Ye Yaodong took out a big handful of Great Unity notes with a smile, Mother Ye's eyes instantly widened, her face lighting up. "You got the money for the abalone?"
"Yep. Still don't want to come inside now?"
Mother Ye shot him a smiling glare. "How much?"
Father Ye's dark face also creased into a broad smile. "Did the abalone and sea snails bring in a thousand?"
"Yes. That batch, including the miscellaneous catch, sold for 1,079 yuan and 6 mao altogether. A-Cai rounded it up and gave me 1,080."
"He certainly knows how to do people a good turn."
"What else would he do? He's made plenty off it. Would he begrudge those few mao? I'd have rounded it up too."
"Have you counted it?" Mother Ye asked, smiling. "Don't get it wrong. There's so much."
"I counted it once earlier. Want to count it again?"
"Let me count..." Mother Ye moistened her thumb with saliva and started counting, then told Father Ye to count along too.
Ye Yaodong sat beside the table with one leg crossed over the other, bouncing his foot as he watched them with a smile.
Hearing the commotion, Ye Huimei came out of her room. The sight of her