After soothing the Old Lady, Ye Yaodong chatted with his father a little longer. Before long, his eldest and second brothers came over too.
The four sat together discussing the boats. They all planned to hire a few men after setting off firecrackers the day after tomorrow, then each could take a boat out and get to work the following day.
"As for hiring people, you two can ask whoever you like. Dongzi is thinking of asking A-Sheng and your eldest aunt's oldest boy. Make your own arrangements for the two boats you'll be operating."
"All right, Dad. We'll go home and discuss which cousins to ask. We don't know who's home lately, either. We'll ask tomorrow and settle it in the next couple of days."
"Handle it yourselves. Everyone's wages should be the same, anyway. Don't pay some more and others less, or someone might end up unhappy."
"Of course. They're all family, so we'll definitely pay them the same."
"So, Dongzi, will you let us use your second boat?"
Ye Yaodong nodded. "Sure."
He wasn't afraid of trouble anyway. Xiao Xiao, A-Zheng, and the others would be nearby, and the third boat they had just brought back would serve as a deterrent too. Once the squid fishing season was over, they could service both boats together.
"But..."
Ye Yaohua hurriedly cut in. "We'll help you maintain the boats afterward. We can all take two or three days off and help clean your boats and paint them."
He thought that was what Dongzi was about to bring up, so he hurried to say it. After all, Dongzi had gotten his second boat all fixed up, only to let them use it.
Ye Yaodong paused at his words. "That wasn't what I meant. I mean, sell the squid you bring