Recaps

Ye Yaodong discussed his squid-season plans with his parents and proposed pooling two boats with his eldest and second brothers, while his family celebrated the influence they could gain from his boat purchases. The family planned to bring a boat back for repairs and await news about the third boat.

• Ye Yaodong decided to experiment with drying squid near the end of the fishing season, after selling his early catch fresh.
• Ye Yaodong proposed repairing his boat, hiring two helpers, and fishing around last year's island while using branches to attract squid.
• Ye Yaodong suggested pooling the proceeds, fuel costs, and wages from his boat and his eldest and second brothers' boat, with each brother receiving one-third.
• Father Ye agreed to discuss the partnership with his older sons after dinner, while Mother Ye revealed she had already told villagers Ye Yaodong bought a boat.
• Mother Ye proposed using the officials' involvement in reserving a third boat to make the family seem well-connected, and Ye Yaodong and Lin Xiuqing praised her plan.

Ye Yaodong arranged for Ye Yaopeng and Ye Yaohua to share a boat for cuttlefish season, while Father Ye ended their rent payments and offered Ye Yaodong a lower wage arrangement. The family agreed that the brothers would benefit from the boats, and Ye Yaodong promised his parents a secure retirement.

• Ye Yaodong told Ye Yaopeng and Ye Yaohua that he would share another boat with them, and both brothers agreed to fish together during cuttlefish season.
• Father Ye told Ye Yaopeng and Ye Yaohua that they would no longer pay rent for their boat after the current month, and the three brothers would split their earnings equally.
• Father Ye told Ye Yaodong privately that he would reduce his wages, then proposed accepting only sixty yuan a month.
• Ye Yaodong offered to support his parents in their old age and settled on paying Father Ye a guaranteed eighty yuan monthly, or one thousand yuan a year, without a share of the earnings.

Ye Yaodong and his parents settled how they would handle the boat and his father's paid work, while keeping the arrangement quiet from his brothers' families. After his parents left, Lin Xiuqing checked the incubating eggs and found some had not developed, while Ye Chenghu worried that his sickly green chick might not survive until the others hatched.

• Ye Yaodong agreed to pay Father Ye wages for working for him and asked Mother Ye to keep their arrangement and the boat's origins private.
• Father Ye and Mother Ye said they would leave the boat rent-free for Ye Yaodong's older brothers, then prepared to go home.
• Lin Xiuqing asked Mother Ye to buy five goslings at the market, and Mother Ye agreed.
• The Old Lady and Lin Xiuqing said Ye Yaodong's family had not lost out because Father Ye was helping him for wages rather than taking a share.
• Ye Chenghu urged Lin Xiuqing to candle the eggs, and she removed the unfertilized eggs from beneath the hen.
• Ye Chenghu worried that his listless Little Green chick would not survive until the chicks and ducklings hatched.

After Mazu’s birthday celebrations, Ye Yaodong and Father Ye returned to the submerged reefs to check their shrimp pots and test whether squid season had begun. They hauled up a heavy catch, much of it spoiled, and planned to reuse the pots and recover one snagged on the reefs when the weather warmed.

• Ye Yaodong and Father Ye approached the reefs at night and found the shrimp-pot buoys still in place.
• Ye Yaodong and Father Ye tapped seawater in a dipper but saw no points of light, so they concluded squid season had not started.
• Ye Yaodong hauled up the shrimp pots and found large catches of mostly dead fish and shrimp, along with a few fresh small green lobsters and sea cucumbers.
• Ye Yaodong and Father Ye decided to sort the catch, use spoiled seafood for poultry or bait, and bring out the fishing pots the next day.
• Ye Yaodong said he wanted to dive for a shrimp pot snagged on the reefs, but Father Ye told him to wait until the weather warmed.

Ye Yaodong and Father Ye fished near Oarfish Island while keeping their distance from the Border Defense Station boats, then Ye Yaodong dived to retrieve snagged shrimp pots. Underwater, he encountered a huge school of yellowtail scad attacking a large sea bass.

• Ye Yaodong and Father Ye hauled their shrimp pots and trawled successfully, finding no squid in their catch.
• Three boats headed toward Oarfish Island, so the pair moved farther out and continued fishing until the boats left at dusk.
• Ye Yaodong found that one string of shrimp pots was snagged and persuaded Father Ye to let him dive for it.
• Ye Yaodong entered the water, spotted a large sea bass, and saw a dense school of yellowtail scad surround it.

Ye Yaodong and Father Ye found a huge school of yellowtail scad and hauled in several netfuls as a tiger shark attacked the fish. As another boat approached, Ye Yaodong cast his net over the battle, but the shark’s violent resistance made the catch difficult to haul in.

• Ye Yaodong spotted a massive school of yellowtail scad underwater and surfaced to alert Father Ye.
• Father Ye had already begun casting, and he and Ye Yaodong hauled in a netful weighing over three hundred jin.
• A tiger shark charged into the school, prompting the yellowtail scad to swarm and attack it.
• Ye Yaodong and Father Ye hauled in more netfuls while discussing how to catch the battling fish before the school scattered.
• When another boat approached, Ye Yaodong cast his net over the center of the fight, but the struggling tiger shark resisted the haul.

Ye Yaodong and Father Ye hauled in a huge catch of yellowtail scad while a second shark stirred the school below. Station Chief Tang allowed them to fish nearby but said the boat paperwork would take three to five days, and Father Ye spotted another great blue shark as they prepared to cast again.

• Ye Yaodong and Father Ye brought a net holding roughly five or six hundred jin of yellowtail scad aboard as the Border Defense Station's fishing boat approached.
• Ye Yaodong explained to Station Chief Tang that they had stayed away from the island and asked permission to fish nearby, and Tang agreed as long as they did not interfere with official work.
• Ye Yaodong asked when he could collect the boat they had discussed, and Station Chief Tang said the station would call in about three to five days after settling the procedure.
• After the official boat left, Father Ye told Ye Yaodong that another great blue shark had arrived and was fighting beneath the surface, stirring the yellowtail scad.
• Ye Yaodong began emptying the net and prepared to cast again after Father Ye estimated the shark weighed eighty or ninety jin.

Ye Yaodong and Father Ye caught yellowtail scad attacking a great blue shark, but their final net tore and let the shark and many fish fall back into the sea. Ye Yaodong dived to retrieve the shark and shrimp pots, then prepared to surface with the shark secured by rope.

• Ye Yaodong cast a net around the fighting yellowtail scad, and Father Ye helped haul in the catch.
• Father Ye cast the final net, but it split as they lifted it, dropping the great blue shark and many yellowtail scad back into the sea.
• Ye Yaodong tied a rope around his waist and dived to search for the shark and his shrimp pots.
• Ye Yaodong found the great blue shark on the seabed and secured it with the rope.
• Ye Yaodong freed a string of shrimp pots from a submerged reef and prepared to surface.

Ye Yaodong found and caught six soft cuttlefish while retrieving a trapped shrimp pot, then helped Father Ye haul a great blue shark aboard. After docking, he discussed the catch and his boat purchase with A-Cai, while keeping his second boat secret.

• Ye Yaodong spotted soft cuttlefish in a rock crevice and caught six before surfacing.
• Ye Yaodong and Father Ye hauled the great blue shark aboard, and Father Ye urged him not to risk staying underwater so long.
• Ye Yaodong and Father Ye retrieved the remaining shrimp pots and returned to the dock with baskets of shrimp and a large catch of yellowtail scad.
• Ye Yaodong decided to take the shrimp and yellowtail scad home to sort and dry instead of selling them to A-Cai.
• A-Cai asked about Ye Yaodong's shop and newly purchased boat, and Ye Yaodong kept quiet about the additional boat he planned to bring back.

Ye Yaodong returned home with a large catch, helped his family sort it, and discussed plans for his boats and the coming squid season. He revealed that the Border Defense Station would soon sell confiscated smuggling boats and that Director Chen had already asked for one for him, leaving A-Zheng and Xiao Xiao astonished.

• Ye Yaodong brought home a huge catch, and his mother suggested drying spoiled shrimp to sell until he and Old Lady stopped her.
• Ye Yaodong and Father Ye planned to bring back his boat, prepare firewood, and dive for soft cuttlefish while keeping their work private.
• A-Zheng and Xiao Xiao asked whether they could fish with Ye Yaodong around last year's island, and he assured them three boats could fish there.
• Ye Yaodong told A-Zheng and Xiao Xiao that the Border Defense Station would soon sell confiscated boats and that Director Chen had requested another boat for him, shocking them.

Ye Yaodong told his family and friends that he had been promised another boat by the Border Defense Station, then rode to the pier at night to bring his current boat home. He left the pier heading toward White Sand Village, reflecting on how quickly his fleet had grown.

• Ye Yaodong told A-Zheng, Xiao Xiao, and Father Ye about the boat reserved for him, and agreed to inform his brothers if the Border Defense Station contacted him.
• Ye Yaodong asked them to keep the news quiet, then told Lin Xiuqing he would bring his boat home that night.
• Ye Yaodong rode alone through the dark to the pier, found his red, white, and black fishing boat, and crossed other boats to board it.
• Ye Yaodong started the diesel engine and steered the boat away from the pier toward White Sand Village.
• Ye Yaodong reflected that he had unexpectedly acquired several boats before his twenty-four-meter boat arrived.

Ye Yaodong brought the fishing boat ashore and discussed its repairs with Lin Xiuqing before heading back out to sea with his father. While diving near the reef at sunset, he found two groupers fighting among a gathering of small fish.

• Ye Yaodong brought the boat as far up the beach as the high tide allowed and told Mother Ye to use the two sharks for fins, dumplings, and shared food.
• Lin Xiuqing and Ye Yaodong agreed to take the day after tomorrow off so he and his father could scrape and repaint the boat themselves.
• Ye Yaodong and his father fished through the night and day, keeping their distance from the three boats from the Border Defense Production Team.
• After the other boats left, Ye Yaodong searched the reef for the shrimp pots, caught two small green lobsters, and spotted a pair of groupers fighting among the seaweed.

Ye Yaodong caught a live money grouper and a leopard coral grouper after finding them locked together in a fight. After he and Father Ye secured the fish, Father Ye volunteered to dive while Ye Yaodong rested, and Ye Yaodong considered whether his father could manage it.

• Ye Yaodong watched two groupers fight and recognized them as a money grouper and a leopard coral grouper.
• When the larger grouper’s mouth became stuck around the smaller one’s, Ye Yaodong scooped both into his hand net and separated them inside his mesh bag.
• Ye Yaodong and Father Ye punctured the fish’s swim bladders and placed them in separate seawater buckets, where both revived.
• Ye Yaodong told Father Ye how he caught the groupers and said he would rest before diving again to search for the submerged reef gap.
• Father Ye offered to dive in Ye Yaodong’s place, and Ye Yaodong questioned whether he could handle staying underwater.

Ye Yaodong watched Father Ye try diving, but his father’s leg cramped underwater and he gave up on going down again. Ye Yaodong returned to the seabed, where he found a large patch of pen shells and more abalone, and planned to bring a net on a future trip.

• Ye Yaodong warned Father Ye about diving risks, but Father Ye entered the water wearing the gear and descended.
• Father Ye’s left leg cramped at about seven or eight meters, so he stayed still until the pain eased and then surfaced.
• Ye Yaodong scolded his father, who agreed to stop diving and rest aboard the boat.
• After checking that Father Ye was well, Ye Yaodong put on his gear and returned underwater.
• Ye Yaodong found a large patch of pen shells, collected a few, and decided to bring a small net to gather more later.
• Ye Yaodong searched around the reef, found two more large abalone, and continued looking for ones he had missed before.

Ye Yaodong searched the reefs for squid but returned with seafood and two valuable groupers, then brought his catch home to sell and share. At home, he found Ye Xiaoxi waiting for her mother and protesting when her brother kept her from going outside.

• Ye Yaodong searched underwater for squid, gathered abalone, pen shells, and a sea cucumber, and returned without finding the squid.
• Ye Yaodong and Father Ye headed back, telling villagers that Ye Yaodong had caught two groupers on a line, and sold their catch for nearly a hundred yuan.
• Ye Yaodong reached home and learned that Ye Xiaoxi had pulled up chives while waiting for her mother, who had gone to answer a phone call for him.
• Ye Xiaoxi called Ye Chenghu bad when he shut the door to stop her from going outside, amusing Ye Yaodong and the family.

Lin Xiuqing told Ye Yaodong that Boss Zhou wanted to try selling dried squid, and the family discussed preparing some when squid season began. The next day Ye Yaodong and Father Ye worked on the new boat while Ye Xiaoxi wandered around trying to feed yardlong beans to her family and the dogs.

• Lin Xiuqing returned from the Village Committee and said Boss Zhou had asked them to dry squid for his shop, so Ye Yaodong agreed to prepare more when the season began.
• Lin Xiuqing told Ye Yaodong that their dried fish was nearly sold out and that Mother Ye had spent much of the day showing off the second boat to villagers.
• Mother Ye arrived and agreed to alter an old fishing net for Ye Yaodong to carry pen shells, which he planned to steam with minced garlic.
• The next day Ye Yaodong and Father Ye cleaned the boat and gathered firewood while Lin Xiuqing wove a hand cast net.
• Ye Xiaoxi picked yardlong beans and tried to feed them to Lin Xiuqing and Ye Yaodong, who redirected her toward the dogs.
• Ye Xiaoxi tried to feed the beans to Xiaohua, pulled out a handful of the dog's fur, and then turned toward the other dogs as they moved away.

Ye Xiaoxi kept getting into mischief at home while Ye Yaodong and Father Ye prepared firewood and waited for news about a boat from the Border Defense Station. After three more days at sea, Ye Yaodong learned that he could complete the paperwork and bring the boat back the next morning.

• Ye Xiaoxi chased the dogs, smeared chicken poop in Lin Xiuqing's hair, and kept finding new ways to make mischief.
• Ye Yaodong washed Ye Xiaoxi's hands and tried to keep her occupied, while Lin Xiuqing cleaned her up and put her down for a nap.
• Ye Yaodong and Father Ye finished bundling firewood, prompting Ye Yaodong's older brothers to discuss preparing their own supplies and ask about buying a Border Defense Station boat.
• Three days later, Lin Xiuqing told Ye Yaodong that the Border Defense Station had called and wanted him to complete the paperwork and bring the boat back the next morning.

Ye Yaodong learned that the Border Defense Station would let him buy a seized smuggling boat for 1,500 yuan, and he prepared to go with his family and friends to collect it. His mother secretly held back her excitement so she could surprise the village when his three boats appeared at the pier, and the group set out hoping to buy more boats.

• Lin Xiuqing told Ye Yaodong that the Border Defense Station had called and asked him to bring 1,500 yuan to pick up the boat the next morning.
• Ye Yaodong and Father Ye planned to take the day off and invited Ye Yaodong's brothers, A-Zheng, and Xiao Xiao to look for boats to buy.
• Mother Ye kept her news quiet overnight, hoping to let the sight of Ye Yaodong's three boats at the pier surprise the villagers.
• Father Ye told Ye Yaodong that Mother Ye had nearly given herself away by laughing when he asked why she had stayed home weaving nets.
• A-Zheng, Xiao Xiao, and Ye Yaohua arrived to wait while Ye Yaodong finished breakfast, and they prepared to head to the Border Defense Station with their money.

Ye Yaodong and his family went to the Border Defense Station to collect a boat and ask about seized smuggled goods. They learned the other boats had already been claimed, but the young officer suggested they ask again about the goods when more officials arrived.

• Ye Yaodong and five others rode three bicycles to town, hid their money carefully in the crowded market, and waited outside the Border Defense Station until it opened.
• Father Ye and Ye Yaodong entered the station while the others waited outside, and Ye Yaodong gave the young officer a pack of cigarettes.
• The young officer told Ye Yaodong that he only needed to sign and pay to collect the boat, and that the other boats had already been dealt with.
• Ye Yaodong asked whether seized smuggled goods were still available, and the officer told him to ask again when the others arrived.
• The young officer asked Ye Yaodong whether he was close to the Deputy Station Chief.

Ye Yaodong collected the starting crank for his newly acquired boat and persuaded Station Chief Tang to let his companions browse the confiscated smuggled goods. After they bought various household items, the group loaded them aboard and celebrated their good fortune, with Ye Yaodong treating them to lunch before their next fishing trip.

• Ye Yaodong paid 1,500 yuan and received the starting crank for his boat, then spoke with Station Chief Tang about buying confiscated goods.
• Ye Yaodong's companions learned that all the boats had been allocated, and Ye Yaodong invited them to the warehouse to shop for confiscated goods.
• Ye Yaohua bought a sewing machine, Ye Yaopeng bought a bicycle, A-Zheng and Xiao Xiao bought radios and sewing machines, and Ye Yaodong bought a camera, film, and umbrellas.
• The group loaded their purchases onto Ye Yaodong's boat and discussed how the village would react when he brought home another boat.
• Ye Yaodong promised to treat everyone to seafood and drinks at lunch before they rested for the evening fishing trip.

Ye Yaodong brought a third fishing boat back from the Border Defense Station, startling villagers who mistook the approaching boats for a threat from Luzhou Island. The boat docked safely, and the villagers learned it belonged to Ye Yaodong as his growing fleet became the talk of the pier.

• Ye Yaodong and his companions watched nearby fishermen row frantically toward shore, then teased them by steering alongside their boats and revealing themselves.
• Ye Yaodong explained that the Luzhou Island boat had been legitimately reserved for him and said they would repaint and service it after the fishing season; Father Ye agreed to operate it.
• Ye Yaodong and Father Ye decided to wait until the chosen day, the day after tomorrow, to set off firecrackers and take the boats out fishing.
• People at the pier saw the Luzhou Island markings and questioned Ye Yaodong, who stressed that he had not stolen the boat.
• A-Zheng and the others explained that the Border Defense Station had reserved the boat for Ye Yaodong, and the villagers reacted with astonishment at his third boat and his family's growing fleet.

Ye Yaodong and his family returned to the village with three boats and several discounted appliances, drawing a crowd of curious and envious villagers. The goods were delivered to the family homes, where Ye Eldest Sister-in-Law scolded Ye Yaopeng for buying a bicycle instead of a sewing machine.

• Father Ye basked in the villagers’ praise as the boats arrived and explained that the appliances had been bought by different people in the group.
• Ye Yaodong asked A-Cai to save him several bowls of seafood, then left the crowd with Xiao Xiao, A-Zheng, and Father Ye while they joked about their new wealth.
• Ye Yaodong told Lin Xiuqing and the other women that the boats had returned, while Ye Yaohua explained that he and Ye Yaopeng had been unable to buy boats in town.
• Father Ye directed Ye Yaopeng and Ye Yaohua to deliver the appliances by handcart, and the group unloaded the goods at the family homes.
• Ye Eldest Sister-in-Law discovered that Ye Yaopeng had bought a bicycle and scolded him for not choosing a sewing machine instead.

Ye Yaodong brought home a camera and umbrellas, discussed gifts for the Border Defense Station and future work for relatives, and reassured the Old Lady about family worries. The chapter ended with him accidentally knocking Ye Xiaoxi over when he opened the bedroom door, leaving her crying and scolding him.

• Lin Xiuqing examined the two umbrellas Ye Yaodong had bought, while Ye Eldest Sister-in-Law argued with her husband about his bicycle instead of a sewing machine.
• Ye Yaodong told the Old Lady and Father Ye that he planned to bring cakes and other gifts to the Border Defense Station to thank the people who had helped with his boats.
• Ye Yaodong said he would invite friends over for a meal and promised to take family photos once he learned to use the camera.
• Ye Yaodong agreed to consider hiring relatives to work on his boats, and the Old Lady worried about his second cousin finding work after his release.
• Ye Yaodong rushed to answer Ye Xiaoxi's cries, knocked her over by opening the door too quickly, and upset her.

Mother Ye returned home delighted by the village’s praise but warned Ye Yaodong to say he had paid for his boats so relatives would not expect loans. As villagers flocked to inspect his three trawlers, his Eldest Aunt came seeking help, and the Old Lady offered her second son boat work while warning her not to ask for anything else.

• Mother Ye told Ye Yaodong that his Eldest Aunt had already asked to borrow money and advised him to claim he had spent everything on two boats.
• Ye Yaodong told his drinking companions that he had paid fifteen hundred for the boat, and the table celebrated his luck and connections.
• Villagers gathered at the pier to verify that Ye Yaodong had three trawlers, including the boat marked with the Luzhou Island Black Mark.
• Lin Xiuqing let Ye Yaodong's Eldest Aunt into the house but kept busy with the dishes, then directed her to speak with Mother Ye.
• The Old Lady told Ye Yaodong's Eldest Aunt that Dongzi could give her second son work on the boat and warned her not to ask for anything else.

Eldest Uncle Ye’s wife tried to persuade the family to use Ye Yaodong’s connections to reduce A-Hong’s prison sentence, while the Old Lady and Lin Xiuqing suspected she was paving the way to borrow money. After Ye Yaodong said he could not help, dinner turned to family gossip and a story about a young man believed to be possessed after eating dog meat.

• Eldest Uncle Ye’s wife asked the Old Lady to have Ye Yaodong use his connections to shorten A-Hong’s sentence, and the Old Lady agreed to ask him when he woke up.
• Lin Xiuqing and the Old Lady suspected Eldest Uncle Ye’s wife would ask to borrow money if Ye Yaodong could not help A-Hong.
• Ye Yaodong said he had met the official only a few times and could not ask him to release A-Hong, so Mother Ye planned to explain that to the woman.
• At dinner, Ye Yaodong argued that A-Hong’s imprisonment might give villagers time to forget the money he owed, but Father Ye rebuked him.
• Mother Ye told the family that a young man in East Bridge Village was acting strangely and that people blamed dog meat and suspected possession; Ye Yaodong said the man should see a doctor.