Chapter Summaries

Ye Yaodong and Lin Xiuqing celebrated New Year's Eve with their family and welcomed the new year with the village. After offering incense at Mazu Temple, Ye Yaodong returned home, where he and Lin Xiuqing discussed visiting her parents and turned to private celebrations of their own.

• Ye Yaodong invited his parents and grandmother to celebrate the reunion dinner at his new home, and his grandmother happily joined the lively household.
• Ye Yaodong wandered around the village, played cards with A-Zheng and Fatty, and bought firecrackers for the children with his winnings.
• Ye Yaodong and Lin Xiuqing hosted a reunion dinner, gave lucky money to the children, and Ye Yaodong promised to give the neighboring children extra spending money later.
• Ye Yaodong played cards until midnight, offered incense at Mazu Temple, and set off firecrackers after returning home.
• Ye Yaodong and Lin Xiuqing discussed visiting her parents during the Lantern Festival before he initiated intimacy with her.

On Lunar New Year's morning, Ye Yaodong spotted enormous tentacles moving in the sea and waited for the tide to recede so he could investigate. He recruited his brothers to help, but they still could not tell whether the creature was a giant octopus or squid.

• Ye Yaodong gave the children twenty cents each, then watched them set off firecrackers by the shore.
• Ye Yaodong noticed several huge tentacles waving in the distant sea and stayed to watch as the tide receded.
• Lin Xiuqing brought Ye Yaodong breakfast and helped him bundle up before he returned to the shore.
• Ye Yaodong went to fetch Ye Yaopeng and Ye Yaohua, telling them about the creature and asking them to join him.
• The three brothers watched the tentacles and debated whether the creature was a giant octopus or a giant squid.

Ye Yaodong and his family waited for the tide to recede so they could identify and approach a huge sea creature, which turned out to be a stranded Giant Squid. As Ye Yaopeng, Ye Yaodong, and Ye Yaohua inspected it up close, the squid suddenly lashed out and knocked Ye Yaopeng forward.

• Ye Yaodong explained that the enormous creature might be a Giant Squid, and the brothers waited for the tide to go out.
• Lin Xiuqing brought the men hot tea, while the family took turns keeping watch and bundled up against the cold wind.
• As the tide receded, Ye Yaodong and his family followed the water toward the creature and identified its exposed body as a Giant Squid.
• Ye Yaodong warned the women to stay back, then waded toward the squid with Ye Eldest Brother and Ye Second Older Brother.
• Ye Yaopeng circled the squid with his brothers, but one tentacle struck his back and made him stumble into the water.

Ye Yaodong and his brothers waited until the giant squid was dead, then dragged it onto the beach with help from their wives. They decided to fetch a tractor and take the valuable catch to Hongsheng, leaving Ye Eldest Sister-in-Law to get one.

• The giant squid lashed out at Ye Yaopeng, so Ye Yaodong and Ye Yaohua retreated and waited for it to stop moving.
• Ye Yaodong and his brothers tested the squid with kicks and confirmed it was dead.
• The three brothers and Ye Eldest Sister-in-Law and Ye Second Sister-in-Law dragged the squid onto the beach, while Lin Xiuqing stayed back.
• Ye Yaodong suggested using a tractor to transport the squid to Hongsheng for sale, and the family agreed.
• Ye Eldest Sister-in-Law volunteered to fetch a tractor.

Ye Yaodong and his family gathered on the beach around a giant squid and prepared to take it to town to sell while it was fresh. The family learned that two households planned to build homes beside theirs after the New Year.

• Lin Xiuqing stayed on the windy beach with Ye Yaodong and his family as the children arrived and crowded around the squid.
• Father Ye and Mother Ye scolded the children for climbing on the squid and learned that the brothers had found it stranded in the shallows.
• Ye Yaodong stopped Mother Ye from fetching a handcart and explained that Eldest Sister-in-Law had arranged a tractor to take the squid to town.
• Uncle Zhou brought the tractor and told Ye Yaodong that Lan Zhengping and Zhou Yongsheng planned to build homes beside the family after the New Year.
• Ye Yaodong and his family loaded the oversized squid onto the tractor, tied it in place, and headed home while the others took the children away from the beach.

Ye Yaodong brought a giant squid to Hongsheng Hotel, where Hong Wenle and the hotel staff weighed and examined the rare catch. As Hong Wenle crouched down to measure it, the squid sprayed spermatophores onto him.

• Ye Yaodong and his brothers decided to take the giant squid directly to Hongsheng Hotel rather than attract attention by selling it in the streets.
• At the hotel, Ye Yaodong showed the squid to Wang Maoquan, who summoned staff and Hong Wenle to inspect it.
• The staff weighed the squid at 405 jin after deducting the wooden board's weight.
• Hong Wenle arrived, admired the squid, and prepared to measure it and have photographs taken.
• As Hong Wenle crouched by the squid's head, it sprayed spermatophores onto him.

Ye Yaodong and his brothers sold their enormous Giant Squid to Hong Wenle for a fixed price of 1,200 yuan. After sharing the money and thanking the people who helped them, they fled by tractor when a group of men chased after Ye Yaodong.

• The Giant Squid sprayed spermatophores onto Hong Wenle’s clothes, and Wang Maoquan measured its body at 3.2 meters long.
• Hong Wenle bought the 405-jin Giant Squid from Ye Yaodong for 1,200 yuan.
• Ye Yaodong counted the money, tipped Wang Maoquan, and promised to split the proceeds with his brothers.
• Ye Yaodong bought New Year gifts and gave Uncle Zhou two packs of cigarettes for helping with the trip.
• A group of men ran toward Ye Yaodong, who hurried onto the tractor and ordered Uncle Zhou to drive away.

Ye Yaodong and his brothers sold their giant squid for a large sum, split the money, and brought home gifts for Secretary Chen. The children’s New Year celebration turned into trouble when Ye Chenghai led them in exploding cow dung with firecrackers, though the holiday spared them a beating.

• Ye Yaodong and his brothers escaped a gang that chased them through town after they sold their catch.
• Ye Yaodong divided the sale money equally with Ye Yaopeng and Ye Yaohua, while Lin Xiuqing put his share away.
• Ye Yaodong planned to visit Secretary Chen after the holiday and eat the New Year leftovers at home.
• Ye Chenghai told the children to throw their firecrackers into cow dung, splattering them and provoking their mothers.
• Ye Eldest Brother caught Ye Chenghai and made him stand in punishment, while Ye Yaodong joked that they would deal with him after the holiday.

Ye Yaodong visited his in-laws for the New Year, then brought gifts to Secretary Chen and learned that more people planned to build homes near his new house. On his way back, he ran into Aunt Ye and her husband, who praised his success and said the old lady had been boasting about him.

• Ye Huimei returned to the Old House for the New Year, where the children crowded around her for gifts and red envelopes.
• Ye Yaodong brought gifts to Secretary Chen, who told him the village would approve more house plots near his new home after the New Year.
• Ye Yaodong asked whether the Village Committee still held the Ten-Thousand-Yuan Household business against him, and Secretary Chen said the matter was settled.
• Ye Yaodong ran into Aunt Ye and her husband, who congratulated him on buying a big boat and told him the old lady had praised him.

As Lin Xiuqing’s pregnancy became harder to conceal, Ye Yaodong stayed home to guard her while construction began beside their house. When the weather cleared, he took the boys to beachcomb at low tide, collecting sea urchins and whelks as they searched for more.

• Ye Yaodong calmed Ye Chenghu and Ye Chengyang when rain kept them from visiting their maternal grandparents or seeing the Lantern Festival lanterns.
• As villagers began building beside their house, Ye Yaodong stayed home to watch over Lin Xiuqing, though she urged him to return to sea work.
• Lin Xiuqing told Ye Yaodong that the baby’s clothes were ready and that the birth was about two months away.
• Ye Yaopeng took Ye Chenghai to the town Pier to haul cargo, while Ye Yaodong promised to take his sons to the beach.
• Ye Yaodong took the boys beachcombing, found a sea urchin and two hairy whelks, and promised to make sea-urchin steamed eggs.
• Ye Chenghu and Ye Chengyang spotted a large crab and called Ye Yaodong over.

Ye Yaodong took Ye Chenghu and Ye Chengyang shore foraging at low tide, collecting crabs, shellfish, sea urchins, and other seafood. After Ye Chenghu uncovered a fist-sized sand clam, he eagerly dug up several more.

• Ye Yaodong caught ghost-head crabs and gathered snails, clams, rabbitfish, blood clams, and sea urchins with the boys.
• A little white octopus crawled onto Ye Chengyang's face, and Ye Yaodong pulled it off and calmed him by promising to cook it.
• Ye Yaodong showed the boys how to dig up a sea anemone and collected several for soup.
• Ye Yaodong caught a mud crab and gathered larger crabs among the rocks while the boys dug sand clams.
• Ye Chenghu uncovered a sand clam bigger than his fist and excitedly dug up several more.

Ye Yaodong took his sons to gather seafood, then decided to resume fishing despite worrying about Lin Xiuqing’s pregnancy. On his first trip out to sea after New Year, he found the reef where they had discovered abalone had resurfaced and planned to inspect it after hauling in the net.

• Ye Yaodong gathered a bucket of crabs and clams with Ye Chenghu and Ye Chengyang, then shared some of the catch with his family and neighbors.
• Mother Ye urged Ye Yaodong to resume going out to sea, while Lin Xiuqing stayed home because she was pregnant.
• Ye Chenghai returned from a day of work with only one yuan and said he wanted to go back to school; Ye Yaodong teased him and offered him dinner.
• Ye Yaodong arranged to go fishing with Father Ye that night and woke from a troubling dream about Lin Xiuqing’s miscarriage in his previous life.
• Ye Yaodong and Father Ye performed their customary sea-going rituals, then began trawling after finding another boat at their usual fishing grounds.
• Ye Yaodong spotted the island where they had found the oarfish and noticed the nearby reef had emerged again; he told Father Ye they would inspect it after hauling in the net.

Ye Yaodong and Father Ye harvested abalones from a reef that had risen above the water but showed no further movement. After offering food at the nearby island, Ye Yaodong discovered and dug up two pieces of Nugget Gold, then hurried back to his father with them hidden in his pockets.

• Ye Yaodong steered toward the submerged reef and found it partly above water, with abalones and sea snails clinging to it.
• Ye Yaodong and Father Ye used a hooked bamboo pole and a hand net to pry abalones from the reef, but the reef did not move.
• Ye Yaodong and Father Ye docked at the island and cooked rice cakes with seafood and napa cabbage for breakfast.
• Ye Yaodong carried a bowl of food up the hill as an offering and asked for a safe, peaceful life.
• Ye Yaodong spotted a piece of Nugget Gold beneath a tree, dug nearby, and uncovered a second piece before Father Ye called him back.

Ye Yaodong secretly brought home two gold nuggets he had found on the hill, while he and Father Ye returned from fishing with a damaged net after crossing paths with Luzhou Islanders towing away Lan Zhengping’s boat. The chapter ended with Lin Xiuqing agreeing to keep the nuggets as family heirlooms.

• Ye Yaodong hid the two gold nuggets from Father Ye and joined him in checking the exposed reef before they resumed trawling.
• Ye Yaodong and Father Ye’s net tangled with the boats of Luzhou Islanders towing Lan Zhengping’s boat, and they spent over an hour hauling in and cutting apart the damaged net.
• Ye Yaodong warned Lan Zhengping’s wife that her husband and sons had been beaten and their boat towed away, prompting her to gather help.
• Ye Yaodong and Father Ye brought home a catch that included abalone from the reef, and Mother Ye offered to mend their torn net.
• Ye Yaodong showed Lin Xiuqing the two gold nuggets and explained that he might have found a gold deposit.
• Lin Xiuqing agreed to keep the nuggets safe and treat them as family heirlooms.

Ye Yaodong and Father Ye escaped a pirate boat by luring it onto a reef, then learned that its crew had been rescued after spending days stranded on an island. The chapter left Ye Yaodong’s role in the sinking secret while the villagers celebrated the pirates’ misfortune as retribution.

• Aunt Lan told Ye Yaodong that pirates had beaten Lan Zhengping and taken his boat.
• Ye Yaodong and Father Ye fled when a larger boat chased them at sea, and Ye Yaodong steered around a reef hidden by the rising tide.
• The pursuing boat struck the reef and began sinking, and Ye Yaodong recognized it as the boat that had taken Lan Zhengping’s boat.
• Ye Yaodong left the crew near an uninhabited island, returned home early, and kept quiet about the collision.
• Aunt Lan later reported that the crew had been rescued after two days stranded on the island, and villagers called their loss retribution.

Ye Yaodong lent A-Zheng and Xiao Xiao five hundred yuan to buy a larger boat, then hurried to the Old House after learning the Old Lady had fallen ill from the news that her grandsons had been sentenced. He comforted her and left her in better spirits as she rested under the village doctor's care.

• Ye Yaodong gave Aunt Lan mustard greens and invited A-Zheng and Xiao Xiao to stay for dinner.
• A-Zheng and Xiao Xiao asked Ye Yaodong for money to buy a boat, and he lent them five hundred yuan.
• Ye Yaopeng told Ye Yaodong that the Old Lady had become sick after Eldest Uncle Ye told her his sons had been sentenced.
• Ye Yaodong found the Old Lady on an IV and learned that she had chest tightness and weakness after hearing the news.
• Ye Yaodong comforted the Old Lady by talking about her great-grandchildren, and she grew more hopeful and agreed to rest.

Ye Yaodong went fishing with Father Ye while Xiao Xiao and A-Zheng tested their newly acquired boat. After their boats made promising catches, Ye Yaodong hauled up his pots near the submerged reef and found green lobsters and plump sea cucumbers; nine pots remained.

• Ye Huimei brought bird's nest to the Old House and revealed that she was pregnant, cheering the family as the Old Lady recovered enough to walk.
• Ye Yaodong and Father Ye sailed with Xiao Xiao and A-Zheng to fish near Oarfish Island, where the new boat's first trawl brought up sea bass and an oil-spotted grouper.
• Ye Yaodong and Father Ye set their own net and made several hauls of sea bass, shrimp, crabs, and flathead grey mullet.
• Ye Yaodong retrieved the first pot he had set by the submerged reef and found four small green lobsters and three plump sea cucumbers inside.

Ye Yaodong and Father Ye hauled up fishing pots filled with wild sea cucumbers, small green lobsters, prawns, and fish before one pot snagged on a reef. Ye Yaodong freed it underwater and continued gathering seafood, finding the seabed rich with marine life.

• Ye Yaodong and Father Ye sorted the catch from two fishing pots, including wild sea cucumbers, small green lobsters, and tiger prawns.
• When another fishing pot snagged, Ye Yaodong put on diving gear and entered the water despite Father Ye's worries.
• Ye Yaodong descended to the sunken boat and reef, caught a small green lobster and two tiger prawns, and freed the snagged pot.
• Ye Yaodong caught more small green lobsters and found two sea cucumbers hidden among algae and sand.
• Ye Yaodong chased down and caught a large small green lobster after it darted through the seaweed.

Ye Yaodong dove to collect seafood and found sea cucumbers and abalone near a stonefish, but surfaced when he grew tired. Father Ye scolded and beat him for staying underwater too long, then they agreed to haul in the longline hooks before Ye Yaodong returned to the seabed.

• Ye Yaodong gave up chasing lively small green lobsters and gathered sea cucumbers, including a living half one, while searching the seabed.
• Ye Yaodong spotted a stonefish near an abalone-covered reef, avoided it, and pried off some abalone before his strength failed.
• Ye Yaodong surfaced after about twenty minutes, and Father Ye scolded him for making him worry and beat him with a stick.
• Ye Yaodong hauled up his mesh bag, which held four small green lobsters, a dozen or so sea cucumbers, and many large abalone.
• Father Ye said he had hauled up two pots before they got stuck again, and Ye Yaodong explained that the seabed was a little over ten meters deep and had plenty of seafood.
• Father Ye proposed hauling in the longline hooks while Ye Yaodong rested, and Ye Yaodong agreed to dive again afterward.

Ye Yaodong dove beneath the Submerged Reef to find a stuck fishing pot and discovered it caught on the engine of a sunken boat. He caught a White-lined Red Bass he mistook for an East Star Grouper, collected a green lobster and abalone, then surfaced to Father Ye’s worried reprimand.

• Ye Yaodong returned to the Submerged Reef and dove underwater while Father Ye began hauling the fishing pots.
• Ye Yaodong found the missing pot caught on the sunken boat’s diesel engine and freed it, then decided to try salvaging the engine later.
• Ye Yaodong caught a fish he mistook for an East Star Grouper, but recognized it as a White-lined Red Bass after pulling it from the net.
• Ye Yaodong caught a small green lobster and pried abalone from the rocks before surfacing.
• Father Ye warned Ye Yaodong against diving so often, but Ye Yaodong said exploring the seabed was exciting.