They only returned after seeing the after-sales service through, installing the machine and confirming that it worked properly.
With another sum of money in hand, everyone felt energized, and much of their exhaustion faded.
As soon as Ye Yaodong returned, he told Ye Chenghai to fetch A-Zheng and Xiao Xiao so they could divide the money.
He even gave him two cents for running the errand. Ye Chenghai was so delighted that he planted both hands on the ground and did a somersault.
Clink, clatter-all the coins in his pocket fell out.
"Huh? Where did you get all those coins?"
Ye Yaodong was surprised. There were so many one- and two-cent coins.
Ye Chenghai hurriedly picked them all up and stuffed them into his pocket before grinning. "I won all of these!"
"You've been gambling!" Ye Yaodong glared at him. "Instead of learning anything good, you pick up bad habits. Gambling, too! You really need to be strung up and beaten. I'm telling your mother."
Father Ye frowned too.
"Ah, no, no... I won them playing marbles. Other people traded coins for my marbles!"
Ye Yaodong and Father Ye both looked at him doubtfully.
"Really! Seven marbles for one cent! I won dozens during breaks at school these past two days. I won all their marbles, so they paid me for some. The shop only gives them five for a cent. I gave them two extra."
"Well, look at you, finding ways to make money!"
"Of course!" Ye Chenghai said smugly. "After I won all their marbles back, I sold them some more, then won them back again. That's how I made all these coins."
"Since you've got so much money, give me back those two cents."
Ye Chenghai clutched his pocket and eyed him warily. "That's my errand money.