Only after the sky had gone completely dark did Father Ye finally arrive with the group. When they spotted Ye Second Sister-in-Law among the people there, they all breathed a sigh of relief. At last, they would not have to cook anymore. Two days of cooking had been sheer torment for these grown men.
Ye Yaodong was happy to see his second sister-in-law too. He had never felt so warmly toward her before. Either of his sisters-in-law would do, as long as one of them came.
"Is dinner ready? Did you cook extra?" Father Ye asked at once.
"Yes, I cooked a whole big pot. It should be enough for a dozen or so people."
"Good..." Ye Yaodong counted the arrivals. Including his second sister-in-law, there were eight in all. Two were cousins from his maternal uncle's family, while the other two middle-aged men were probably people Uncle Pei had invited. Seven men and one woman altogether.
"A-Guang didn't come?"
"His wife is due in a little over a month, and there's nobody at home who can help, so he didn't dare leave. If anything happens then, we'll have to count on his mother-in-law for more help."
"Ah, right, right. Who knows how long we'll be able to catch these jellyfish? He's better off keeping an eye on things at home. Making money matters, but his wife and child matter more." Father Pei nodded with a smile.
"Yes, and there's another boat at home. Even though we've let someone else take it out, we still need someone to receive the catch. Staying home to look after things and receive the catch works out just right for him." Father Ye cut in. "All right, let's hurry up and eat. We can talk over dinner. You still have to process those jellyfish