Ye Yaodong asked A-Cai to make out a separate invoice for the catch they had brought up while diving, so it would be easier to settle the accounts and split the money later.
The next day was an auspicious date, and they needed to set off firecrackers for good luck, so Ye Yaodong did not go out to sea that night. He stayed home, while his father took Brother A-Sheng out on one boat to trawl first.
He had to wait until they finished setting off firecrackers and fireworks onshore in the morning, then go to the Border Defense Station in town to deliver gifts. Only in the afternoon could he take Eldest Maternal Cousin out on the boat. His plan was to head straight out to collect squid.
His eldest brother stayed home as well, while his second brother, like their father, took someone out to trawl ahead of them.
Once the firecrackers had been set off to mark the auspicious date, his eldest brother would head straight out on his boat without wasting a moment!
Lin Xiuqing was up early too, cutting the pastries they had ordered in advance into individual portions and wrapping them in that all-purpose material, newspaper. She packed them into bamboo baskets for Mother Ye to carry to the pier on a shoulder pole and hand out to the friends and relatives who came to watch.
She packed the portions for the Border Defense Station separately in a basket, ready for A-Dong to return from setting off the firecrackers and fireworks at the pier.
The crackling firecrackers at the pier and the booming fireworks overhead drew men, women, old and young out of the village. It was a rare chance to enjoy some excitement and get a portion of pastries, so the villagers eagerly