Chapter Summaries

Ye Yaodong returned home to find his family gathered around their new phonograph and spent time coaxing his baby daughter while Lin Xiuqing warned him not to waste money. The household settled down for the night, with Ye Yaodong going to sleep before another night at sea.

• Ye Chengjiang tried to share food with Ye Yaodong, who scolded him to eat all the leftovers.
• Mother Ye and the children argued over how long they could listen to the phonograph, while the family discussed their fishing work and plans for the baby's month celebration.
• Ye Yaodong visited Lin Xiuqing and their daughter after bathing, then happily picked up the baby when she woke.
• Lin Xiuqing took the baby back and told Ye Yaodong not to buy another phonograph or waste their savings.
• Ye Yaodong gave up trying to explain his view of money and went to bed.

After the rain cleared, Ye Yaodong planned to move his fishing pots to the Submerged Reef and avoid trouble with the people he had crossed. His brothers-in-law arrived with vegetables, winter melons, and ducklings, and he invited them to join him at sea to collect squid.

• Ye Yaodong slept through the night rain and decided to move his fishing pots to another fishing spot after the weather cleared.
• Ye Yaodong collected his catch, kept white shrimp for his family, and sold the rest.
• Lin Xianghui and Lin Xiangrong arrived with vegetables, two winter melons, and five ducklings sent by their parents.
• Ye Yaodong offered his brothers-in-law a chance to collect squid with him instead of leaving it for seabirds.
• Lin Xianghui and Lin Xiangrong eagerly agreed to go out on the boat with Ye Yaodong that night.

Ye Yaodong hosted his two brothers-in-law, Lin Xianghui and Lin Xiangrong, before preparing them for a trip to sea. He then fielded village gossip about his recent earnings and left the villagers debating fines and sons.

• Ye Yaodong turned on his radio for Lin Xianghui and Lin Xiangrong, then showed them his baby daughter, whom they praised for her looks and thick hair.
• Ye Yaodong took his brothers-in-law and Father Ye toward the Old House, stopping at a pharmacy to buy seasickness patches for them.
• Villagers praised Ye Yaodong's recent catches and earnings as Father Ye listened proudly to their comments.
• Ye Yaodong claimed he still had debts, another child to feed, and a thousand-yuan fine, prompting villagers to debate fines and the importance of having a son.
• Ye Yaodong slipped away after shifting the villagers' gossip onto another topic.

Ye Yaodong took his brothers-in-law to the island to gather seafood, then explored its woods while the tide rose. He returned with a bucket of eggs and found wild strawberries, while the family prepared to set Fishing Pots and catch squid.

• Ye Yaodong quieted the children at home and sent his sons to bed before setting out with Father Ye and his two brothers-in-law.
• The two brothers-in-law became seasick on the boat but recovered enough to gather squid and other catches after landing on the island.
• Ye Yaodong explored the island’s woods, found nests full of eggs, and collected them in his bucket.
• Ye Yaodong discovered a patch of wild strawberries and startled a cock pheasant, collecting its fallen feathers.
• Ye Yaodong returned to Father Ye, who teased him for bringing back only eggs, and they planned to eat breakfast before setting Fishing Pots and going into the water.

Ye Yaodong and Father Ye set fishing pots at the submerged reef before Ye Yaodong dived to harvest pen shells from a nearby seabed. The chapter ended with Father Ye hauling up a mesh bag containing an estimated forty or fifty jin of pen shells.

• Ye Yaodong and Lin Xianghui discussed making traps to catch pheasants and other game after returning to the village, while Father Ye objected to the extra work.
• Ye Yaodong left his brothers-in-law on the island to gather squid and other shore food, warning them to stay safe and use a red flag if they needed help.
• Ye Yaodong and Father Ye spotted an ocean sunfish but left it alone and continued to the submerged reef to set fishing pots.
• Ye Yaodong put on his diving gear, found a cluster of pen shells on the seabed, and filled a large mesh bag with them.
• Ye Yaodong surfaced and explained that the pen shells were near the reef in shallower water, then asked Father Ye to haul up the bag while he rested.

Ye Yaodong and Father Ye hauled a large catch of pen shells from the seabed, rested with a meal, and worked until evening. They left with their two brothers-in-law, carrying a piece of ocean sunfish skin that they planned to turn into a ball for the children.

• Ye Yaodong hauled up a basketful of pen shells and told Father Ye that the seabed patch might yield a thousand jin.
• Father Ye offered to take turns diving, but Ye Yaodong refused and continued harvesting the pen shells himself.
• After several dives left him exhausted, Ye Yaodong ate cooked pen shells with Father Ye before they resumed work.
• Ye Yaodong and Father Ye made two more hauls near sunset and left when Xiao Xiao and A-Zheng arrived with Lin Xianghui and Lin Xiangrong.
• Lin Xianghui and Lin Xiangrong showed them a piece of ocean sunfish skin, and Ye Yaodong said they could wind it into a ball for the children.
• Xiao Xiao asked where the pen shells came from, and Ye Yaodong said he had hauled them from the seabed.

Ye Yaodong sold the pen shells he had gathered underwater and learned that squid prices had fallen again. After finding that neighbors had crowded into his home to listen to his radio, he discovered the Fake Ambergris he had hidden by the back door was missing.

• Ye Yaodong gave Xiao Xiao and the others pen shells to try, then sold his catch for thirty yuan despite lower-than-expected prices.
• Ye Yaodong asked A-Cai about squid prices and heard they had dropped another two fen.
• Ye Yaodong found neighbors leaving his home after listening to his radio and saw rubbish scattered around the doorway.
• Ye Yaodong told Mother Ye to ask neighbors to contribute to the electricity bill if they returned, while Father Ye warned that the crowd could disturb the baby or steal something.
• Ye Yaodong searched the baskets by the back door and realized someone had stolen the Fake Ambergris.

Ye Yaodong discovered that the fake ambergris he had made was missing, then heard that Xu Laifu had supposedly found ambergris on the Beach. He watched the Xu family turn away curious villagers before they had even examined the fake, leaving the family convinced they had found a fortune.

• Ye Yaodong checked the real ambergris hanging in his room and told Lin Xiuqing that his fake piece had been stolen.
• Ye Yaodong heard Sister-in-law Lan and Second Sister-in-law Lan say that Xu Laifu had found what people believed was ambergris.
• Ye Yaodong went to the Xu family's home and found villagers demanding to see the supposed treasure.
• The Xu family refused to show it and insulted the villagers, who left grumbling about their behavior and doubting whether the ambergris was real.
• Ye Yaodong watched the villagers' reaction and privately looked forward to the Xu family discovering the piece was fake.

Ye Yaodong laughed at the rumors about the Xu family’s stolen ambergris, then discovered that dried longans and bird eggs had gone missing from his home. The next day he returned from fishing to find the village stirred up by another spectacle.

• Ye Yaodong told Mother Ye how villagers had embellished the story of the Xu family finding ambergris, and Lin Xiuqing worried the gossip might cause trouble for them.
• Mother Ye discovered dried longans and bird eggs were missing and searched the house, while Ye Yaodong warned her not to let so many people in.
• Ye Yaodong went out with a slingshot to hunt pheasants but found none, so he brought home wild strawberries for the children instead.
• Ye Yaodong and his father hauled in the Fishing Pots, and their day at sea brought a substantial catch.
• When Ye Yaodong returned to the Beach that evening, the village was in an uproar over another spectacle.

Li Lao'er went to the Xu family seeking the stone he had paid Xu Laifu to steal, believing it might be ambergris. Xu Laifu revealed that he had stolen it from Ye Yaodong's home, and the listening villagers rushed to inform Ye Yaodong.

• Li Lao'er heard that the supposed ambergris found by the Xu family was fake and went to question Xu Laifu.
• Li Lao'er confronted the Xu family and found the grayish-white piece of wood he had asked Xu Laifu to steal.
• Xu Laifu admitted that he had stolen the piece from Ye Yaodong's house for a promised yuan.
• The villagers overheard Xu Laifu's confession and sent Xiao Liu to tell Ye Yaodong that his treasure had been stolen.
• Li Lao'er realized the villagers knew where the piece came from and no longer dared demand a share.

Ye Yaodong learned that Xu Laifu had stolen the fake ambergris from his home, while the Xu family and villagers believed it was real. He explained the mix-up to his companions and hurried to the Xu house after letting his mother confront them first.

• Ye Yaodong heard at the dock that Xu Laifu had admitted stealing ambergris from him on his great-uncle's orders, and that Mother Ye had gone to the Xu house.
• Ye Yaodong, Father Ye, his brothers-in-law, A-Zheng, Xiao Xiao, and Xiao Liu headed toward the Xu house while neighbors backed their claim against the Xu family.
• Ye Yaodong told his companions that the stolen item was only a painted piece of wood that he and Father Ye had once used to trick Li Lao'er.
• Ye Yaodong decided to keep the fake-ambergris story straight and avoid claiming the stolen item was real, so the Xu family could not turn suspicion back on him.
• Ye Yaodong and his companions picked up their pace to see how Mother Ye's confrontation with the Xu family was going.

Ye Yaodong and his family joined Mother Ye in confronting the Xu family over stolen ambergris, only to discover that the supposed treasure was merely a piece of wood. The fight shifted into a dispute over compensation, while Ye Yaodong questioned Xu Laifu about whether he had stolen anything else.

• Mother Ye and her relatives searched the Xu family home and fought with the family as villagers watched.
• Ye Yaodong and Xiao Xiao restrained the Xu family's old lady and stopped the Li Lao'er Family from slipping away.
• Ye Yaodong told Mother Ye that the item he had picked up was wood, not ambergris, and the family stopped fighting in surprise.
• Xu Laifu admitted he had stolen only the piece of wood and said his great-uncle had told him to take it.
• Villagers attacked the Li Lao'er Family after learning they were outsiders who had encouraged the theft.
• The Xu family demanded compensation, but Ye Yaodong rejected their claim and kicked Xu Laifu while asking what else he had stolen.

Mother Ye and Ye Yaodong confronted the Xu family over stolen longans and seabird eggs, recovered eggs as compensation, and saw the villagers drive Li Lao'er and his family out of the village. The family left the dispute behind and headed to the pier to finish weighing the day's catch.

• Mother Ye found seabird eggs in the Xu family's cupboard, and the Xu family continued to deny stealing them.
• Ye Yaopeng and Ye Yaohua arrived and learned that the supposed ambergris was only a piece of wood, while Mother Ye demanded compensation for the missing eggs and longans.
• Ye Yaodong pried open a locked cupboard, and Mother Ye took a basket of chicken eggs as compensation with the villagers' approval.
• Secretary Chen and the women's director ended the argument and blamed the Xu family for causing trouble.
• The villagers drove Li Lao'er and his family out of the village for starting the dispute.
• Ye Yaodong and his brothers went to the pier to weigh their catch while Father Ye and Mother Ye headed home.

Exhausted after a hard day at sea, Ye Yaodong returned home and discussed his catch and the trouble over the stolen ambergris with Lin Xiuqing. The Old Lady secretly brought him a specially stewed old hen to nourish him, and Mother Ye caught them as she delivered it.

• Ye Yaodong came home exhausted, ate with Lin Xiangrong, and told Lin Xiuqing that his catch had earned nearly two hundred from squid and over forty from pen shells.
• Lin Xiuqing told Ye Yaodong that Xiao Liu had warned Mother Ye that a boy from the Xu family had stolen their ambergris, but the ambergris was still at home.
• The Old Lady secretly brought Ye Yaodong a stewed old hen and urged him to eat it to regain his strength.
• Ye Yaodong ate the chicken and soup, while the Old Lady said she had bought the hen and wanted to keep the meal from his sisters-in-law.
• Mother Ye walked in with steamed eggs, discovered the Old Lady's chicken, and complained that Ye Yaodong was receiving special treatment.

After the squid catch dwindled and rain cut their fishing short, Ye Yaodong and the others returned to shore, where he collected part of his earnings from A-Cai. He counted the season as a success and planned to rest for the baby's one-month celebration before heading back to work.

• Ye Yaodong and Father Ye ended their fishing trip early because of heavy rain, while Ye Yaodong's brothers-in-law showed off a haul of crabs, shellfish, and a large sea bass.
• At the buying station, Ye Yaodong and the villagers pressed A-Cai to pay out some of the money owed for their squid catches, and Ye Yaodong collected five hundred yuan.
• Ye Yaodong estimated that he had earned around two thousand yuan during the squid season, even after paying a fine and buying a net hauler.
• Lin Xianghui said he and Lin Xiangrong would return home after the baby's one-month celebration to help their aging parents and pick waxberries.
• Lin Xiuqing urged Ye Yaodong to buy ointment for his sun-damaged skin, and he joked that he needed whitening cream before people mistook him for Xiaojiu's grandfather.

Ye Yaodong fretted over his sun-darkened skin and joked with Lin Xiuqing while she cared for their one-month-old daughter, Ye Xiaoxi. The family prepared a modest gathering for the baby, and Ye Yaodong went to fetch the village barber so she could have her one-month haircut and bath.

• Ye Yaodong asked Lin Xiuqing for ways to lighten his skin and joked about looking too old to be his daughter's father.
• Ye Yaodong asked to wash his face with Lin Xiuqing's expressed milk, but she said she had used it to water the vegetables.
• Lin Xiuqing soothed Ye Xiaoxi back to sleep, and Ye Yaodong left the room after admiring the baby.
• Ye Yaodong rode into town early to buy food for two tables, while the families prepared to celebrate Ye Xiaoxi's one-month milestone without holding a banquet.
• Father Lin and Lin Mother arrived with clothes and shoes, gold and silver jewelry, waxberries, and waxberry wine for their granddaughter.
• After returning with groceries, Ye Yaodong tasted the sweet waxberries and rode off to fetch the village barber for Ye Xiaoxi's haircut.

Ye Yaodong celebrated Ye Xiaoxi’s one-month milestone with family and friends, then hosted a lively evening of drinks and dice after the guests left. Drunk and overjoyed, he returned to Lin Xiuqing, who tried to keep him from getting carried away.

• Ye Xiaoxi was awakened while her head was shaved, and Mother Ye rolled a red egg over it before bathing her.
• After lunch, the Lin family prepared to leave, and Ye Yaodong reluctantly said goodbye to them and the children.
• Ye Yaodong divided the leftover waxberries among the households, gave Ye Chenghu money to buy marbles, and invited friends over for drinks.
• Ye Yaodong hosted the group with leftover food and rice wine, and they played dice until they were too drunk to continue.
• Ye Yaodong staggered back to Lin Xiuqing, hugged and kissed her, and drunkenly praised her as she told him to keep his hands to himself.

After Ye Yaodong came home drunk, Lin Xiuqing questioned him about his behavior and possible secrets, but he denied having done anything wrong. The next morning, she remained suspicious while he tried to reassure her, then she sent him to make rice porridge.

• Ye Yaodong drunkenly kissed Lin Xiuqing, tried to grope her, and was stopped when she punched and scolded him.
• Lin Xiuqing cared for the baby, tidied up, and let the drunk Ye Yaodong fall asleep across the bed.
• Ye Yaodong woke the next morning with a hangover and tried to recall what he had done while drunk.
• Lin Xiuqing questioned Ye Yaodong about his stiff reaction and whether he had hidden anything from her, while he insisted he had no illicit intentions.
• Lin Xiuqing told Ye Yaodong to make rice porridge while she nursed Little Nine.

Ye Yaodong took Lin Xiuqing to the county hospital for her sterilization operation, then cared for her at home while she recovered. As squid season neared its end, he prepared to resume longline fishing and heard that nearby villagers were finding pearls in shellfish.

• Mother Ye came to watch the children while Ye Yaodong took Lin Xiuqing to the county hospital for her sterilization operation.
• Ye Yaodong brought Lin Xiuqing home, served her tea and food, and insisted she rest while he arranged for Mother Ye to cook for a few days.
• Ye Yaodong changed Ye Xiaoxi's dirty diaper and washed her after she cried, then let Lin Xiuqing finish dressing her.
• Ye Yaodong helped Ye Eldest Sister-in-Law and Ye Second Sister-in-Law sort shellfish and heard reports that villagers had found pearls inside them.
• Ye Yaodong prepared his longline hooks and bait as squid season ended, while Ye Yaopeng and Father Ye encouraged him to fish for larger catches.

Ye Yaodong and Father Ye set longline hooks and fished with a cast net, catching a valuable big oil-spotted grouper and several threadfin. They iced the catch and continued setting the lines before planning to collect their fishing pots later.

• Ye Yaodong wore the sunproof hat A Qing had made while he and Father Ye baited longline hooks aboard their boat.
• Ye Yaodong accidentally scattered a handful of shrimp into the sea instead of throwing his baited hook, then explained that he had chummed the water.
• Ye Yaodong cast his net near the bait and caught several threadfin and three mullet.
• Ye Yaodong spotted splashing fish and cast again, hauling in a big oil-spotted grouper that excited him and impressed Father Ye.
• Ye Yaodong and Father Ye put the catch in a basket with ice and covered it with an old quilt before returning to baiting the remaining hooks.