When he returned home carrying the bucket, everyone was already at the table, ready to eat. Lin Xiuqing came over and was delighted to see a bucket full of rice eels.
"So you went fishing for rice eels? When I asked earlier, you said you didn't know. These will give everyone a nourishing meal tonight. Work starts again tomorrow."
Father Ye gave him a disdainful look. "You spend all day doing things like this, but when I ask you to do some proper work harvesting rice, you slack off."
His father rarely looked kindly on him unless he was making money. Ye Yaodong grinned, unbothered. "Aren't I improving our meals, too? Rice eels are very nourishing!"
In a few decades, you won't find any to catch even if you want to! You'll have to buy farmed ones.
The old lady chuckled. "Rice eels are good. We haven't had any for a while. Working and going out to sea are so tiring, I was thinking of killing a chicken in a few days to build you all up. These rice eels are just right for tonight. We'll save the chicken for the Mid-Autumn Festival. Dongzi, wash your hands and sit down to eat. I'll cook these."
"All right."
Ye Yaodong looked at his father. "You just brought the boat back from the Typhoon Shelter. Are the waves still big out there? Can we go tonight?"
"Yes. Your second brother had his turn a few days ago, so I'll take you out tonight to give it a try. We'll go in order."
"Okay!"
He had already prepared himself mentally anyway. Now he would see just how good his luck was.
After dinner, he first took the receipt and went with Lin Xiuqing to A-Cai's house to collect the money from that day's