Chapter Summaries

Ye Yaodong gathered seafood on the rocks while Captain Chen insisted on taking home several Round Axis Crabs despite warnings that they were filthy. After returning to the wreck to fish, Ye Yaodong snagged his line on the seabed, and a soldier dived down to investigate.

• Ye Yaodong told Captain Chen that the Round Axis Crab was inedible, but Captain Chen decided to catch it and inspect it himself.
• Ye Yaodong caught an Octopus, a Mud Crab, and other seafood while gathering on the rocks, then let two soldiers use his Hand Scoop Net.
• Father Ye arrived by boat, reported a poor catch, and took over gathering shellfish while Ye Yaodong returned to the wreck.
• Ye Yaodong discovered that his fishing line was snagged on the bottom, and one soldier followed it underwater to find the obstruction.

Ye Yaodong fished while A-San and Xiao Gaozi dived near the shipwreck to collect scallops. He caught a large amberjack, mistook it at first for another akahata fish, and ended the day looking forward to a scallop dinner.

• A-San surfaced after retrieving his snagged hook and showed Ye Yaodong two large scallops he had found on the seabed.
• Xiao Gaozi dived for scallops while Ye Yaodong fished, and he spotted a large fish on Ye Yaodong’s line.
• Ye Yaodong played the fish until it tired, hauled it aboard, and identified it as an amberjack rather than an akahata fish.
• Ye Yaodong bled the amberjack and stored it with his earlier catch, then checked his fish and sorted his tangled line with the soldiers’ help.
• Near dusk, A-San and Xiao Gaozi borrowed a mesh bag and returned to the water to gather more scallops.

Ye Yaodong returned from guarding the sea site with shellfish and made sure the villagers saw him as a generous contributor despite his lost fishing time. At home, Mother Ye celebrated her new Women's Federation position while the family unloaded and sorted the shellfish.

• A-San and Xiao Gaozi gathered scallops for Ye Yaodong, while Father Ye and the others filled sacks with shellfish.
• Ye Yaodong returned early, sold a few fish, and let the villagers believe he was sacrificing income to help rebuild Mazu Temple.
• Ye Yaodong reached home pleased that he had gained private benefits and public praise, while Father Ye recognized how crafty he had been.
• Mother Ye told the neighbors about her Women's Federation work and literacy lessons, crediting Ye Yaodong for helping her get the position.
• Ye Yaodong and the others unloaded the shellfish, and Mother Ye changed out of her Dacron clothes before helping the family sort them.

Ye Yaodong and the villagers sorted the soldiers’ catch while gossiping about matchmaking, village jobs, city life, and Wang Chuyun. The soldiers joined in the chatter, and the chapter ended with them teasing Ye Yaodong about knowing the local red-light district.

• Ye Yaodong invited the neighboring families to take some of the catch and urged the soldiers to shower and change out of their wet clothes.
• The women asked whether the soldiers were married and discussed whether Lan Da's and Lan Er's wives might be suitable matches for them.
• Lin Xiuqing explained why she was not taking a Women's Federation job yet, easing Ye Eldest Sister-in-Law's and Ye Second Sister-in-Law's worries about her eventually replacing Mother Ye.
• The women discussed commercial grain household registrations and village gossip, while Ye Yaodong listened and reflected on his cousin Ye Yaohong's past.
• After the soldiers returned, they joined the gossip about Wang Chuyun, and Mother Ye said she would not report what they had heard.
• A San revealed that Wang Chuyun was interested in Captain Chen, and Xiao Gaozi teased Ye Yaodong after he mentioned the cost of the red-light district in town.

Ye Yaodong and the others prepared handlines and tested his idea of fishing with a row of hooks while watching the work site at sea. After the lines began catching fish in bursts, Ye Yaodong and Father Ye struggled to reel them in as several fish bit at once.

• Ye Yaodong showed Captain Chen the filthy gills of a Round Axis Crab, convincing him to discard it and release the others.
• Mother Ye and the others washed the shellfish, and Lin Xiuqing told Ye Yaodong that Secretary Chen would hold her Village Committee job for a few months if she needed to wait before starting.
• Ye Yaodong and Father Ye made fifteen handlines, then brought them aboard the next day along with the others.
• Ye Yaodong secured a row of baited handlines to the boat and tried fishing with them while the others used single lines.
• Captain Chen and the others caught fish, then two of Ye Yaodong's handlines jerked at once, prompting him to ask Father Ye for help.
• As Ye Yaodong and Father Ye reeled in the first two lines, four more began jerking, with two pulled taut as fish tried to flee.

Ye Yaodong and Father Ye hauled in a remarkable haul as fish struck nearly every line at once, though several escaped amid the rush. After Ye Yaodong helped land and process a shark caught by Captain Chen’s crew, Father Ye joined him in baiting the lines and setting them out again.

• Ye Yaodong and Father Ye hurried to pull in fish as bites came on several lines, landing Baogong Fish, a Foolish Fish, and Tinggong Fish while one line snapped.
• More lines began shaking until all eleven had bites, and Ye Yaodong landed an Akahata fish after a long struggle.
• Ye Yaodong and Father Ye lost several fish while they struggled to manage the lines, then hauled in another Baogong Fish.
• Lin Aotian and Captain Chen landed a shark, and Ye Yaodong discussed its poor meat and valuable fins with them.
• Ye Yaodong bled the Akahata fish, cut off the shark’s fins, and helped Father Ye bait and reset the lines.

Ye Yaodong and Father Ye kept busy hauling in fish with their rows of lines while the soldiers lingered over their own catches. A-San hooked a leaping tarpon, but Ye Yaodong told him the fish was nearly worthless as the group continued fishing.

• Ye Yaodong cut a badly tangled fishing line, then helped Father Ye haul in the others and tie the damaged line back together.
• Ye Yaodong called the soldiers to eat noodles, but they insisted on catching a few more fish, so he ate beside them with Father Ye.
• A-San hooked a strong fish, and Ye Yaodong teased him about his chances of catching a grouper before A-San’s line sent his bowl of noodles flying.
• Ye Yaodong scooped a school of sea catfish into a net after they gathered to eat the spilled noodles, and the soldiers agreed A-San would clean them.
• A-San’s hooked fish leapt high out of the water, and Ye Yaodong identified it as a tarpon and told A-San it was worth very little.

A-San caught a large tarpon, which bit Captain Chen while they removed the hook, but Ye Yaodong killed it before the injury became serious. The soldiers shared their catch with the Ye family, and Ye Yaodong joked that he would keep taking them fishing.

• A-San reeled in a large tarpon after Ye Yaodong explained that catching it was enjoyable despite its low value.
• The exhausted tarpon lunged at Captain Chen and bit his wrist, so Ye Yaodong slit its belly and killed it; Captain Chen suffered only scratches.
• The group ate noodles, then spent the afternoon fishing until they headed back near sunset.
• Captain Chen remembered Ye Yaodong's fishing pots, and Ye Yaodong said he would haul them and his longline hooks the following day.
• Captain Chen poured the soldiers' catch into the Ye family's baskets, insisting they help repay the family's hospitality.
• Ye Yaodong joked that he would keep taking the soldiers fishing, and Captain Chen teased him for dressing up his plan in official-sounding language.

Ye Yaodong recognized Lin Aotian’s catch as a valuable black drummer fish just as the salvage team arrived to take over the underwater search. After returning to shore, Ye Yaodong sold the fish for eight yuan and planned to enclose more land around his home while the construction continued.

• Lin Aotian caught a black drummer fish, and Ye Yaodong explained that it was worth several yuan per jin and more than ten times as much as a Baogong fish.
• The salvage team arrived in three village boats, and Captain Chen and the soldiers briefed them on conditions at the site.
• Ye Yaodong and Father Ye left after handing over their watch, discussing plans to build an outer wall around the vegetable patch.
• Ye Yaodong sold the morning’s catch for twenty-five yuan and fifty fen, including the black drummer fish, which A-Cai bought for eight yuan.
• Ye Yaodong returned home, ate watermelon, and watched the workers while Father Ye insisted on helping with the construction.

Ye Yaodong refused Secretary Chen’s request to lend his boat for the Salvage Team’s work, and A-Zheng suggested that the village rent a larger boat from another production team. After agreeing to go out at sea with Xiao Xiao and A-Zheng that night, Ye Yaodong began wondering whether he could buy a twenty- or thirty-meter boat.

• Ye Yaodong rejected Secretary Chen’s request to requisition his boat, saying he needed to fish and support his family.
• Secretary Chen asked Ye Yaopeng and Ye Yaohua for their boats, but they also declined.
• A-Zheng suggested that Secretary Chen look for large unsold boats owned by other production teams, and Secretary Chen left to investigate.
• Xiao Xiao and A-Zheng invited Ye Yaodong to go out at sea with them that night, and he agreed.
• Ye Yaodong wondered how much it would cost to buy a twenty- or thirty-meter boat.

Ye Yaodong decided to postpone buying a larger fishing boat and kept enjoying his current life. When A-Guang brought over a pregnant stray dog, Ye Yaodong chose to keep her to guard his home, and the children eagerly welcomed their new pet.

• Ye Yaodong asked Xiao Xiao and A-Zheng about the price of a larger boat, then decided his current boat was enough and he would reconsider in a few years.
• Ye Yaodong, Xiao Xiao, and A-Zheng shared mung bean soup and chatted about money, sunsets, and raising ducks.
• A-Guang brought a barking dog to the shore, and the men discovered she was pregnant and debated whether to kill her or let her go.
• Ye Yaodong offered to keep the dog to guard his house and told Lin Xiuqing to feed her and gather broken glass for the future wall.
• Ye Yaodong warned the children not to tease the dog until she got used to them, then sent them home to finish their homework.

Ye Yaodong took Xiao Xiao and A-Zheng diving for abalone after his brothers quit, then returned to shore when a storm approached. After the storm, villagers confronted the museum team and threatened to block them from salvaging until the promised temple-repair funding was approved.

• Ye Yaopeng was injured when a swell drove him against the reef, so he abandoned diving, and Ye Yaohua decided not to try it either.
• Ye Yaodong took turns diving with Xiao Xiao and A-Zheng, limited them to three dives each, and discussed the possibility of learning abalone farming on Dongshan Island.
• Ye Yaodong, his father, Xiao Xiao, and A-Zheng continued alternating diving and trawling for three days before thunder, lightning, and strong winds forced them back to shore.
• After the storm damaged Mazu Temple, village elders and other villagers went to the educated youth site to demand that the museum team secure repair funding before continuing to salvage artifacts.
• The villagers rejected the museum team's assurances, threatened to block the road to the pier, and set out to stop the salvage team from going to sea.

The villagers blocked access to the pier until the museum and county approved rewards and a fundraising plan to rebuild the Mazu Temple. After the Village Chief explained the awards, Secretary Chen called Ye Yaodong back to collect his own reward, leaving the villagers eager to see what he would receive.

• The villagers barricaded the road to the pier and turned away the museum staff and Salvage Team, insisting they wait for the rewards to be approved.
• Three days later, the Village Committee announced that the museum had awarded the Mazu Temple five hundred yuan and the county had awarded it three hundred yuan, along with a fundraising drive and an honorary banner.
• The Village Chief explained that donors could receive small Mazu statues to take aboard their boats, and the villagers agreed the plan could help pay to rebuild the temple.
• Ye Yaodong watched the meeting with his friends and left, assuming he could ask later about his bronze wine cup and his role in finding the seabed site.
• Secretary Chen called Ye Yaodong back to collect his reward, prompting the villagers to remember his contribution and speculate about its value.

Ye Yaodong received county goods and a fifty-yuan Museum reward for his role in salvaging the Bronze Ding and discovering the waters, then donated the money toward the Mazu Temple. The villagers agreed he deserved first place on the Merit Stele, and they pressed Secretary Chen to ensure Ye Yaodong also received his separate work allowance.

• Ye Yaodong accepted county rewards and a commendation, then learned the Museum had given him fifty yuan for the Bronze Wine Cup.
• Ye Yaodong offered the fifty yuan to the Mazu Temple, and the villagers booed when they heard how little he had received.
• A Museum representative explained that the authorities had credited Ye Yaodong's other contributions toward the temple, leaving the villagers convinced he had lost out.
• Ye Yaodong said he was willing to sacrifice his rewards for the village, and Secretary Chen promised his name would go first on the Merit Stele.
• A-Guang reminded Secretary Chen that Ye Yaodong was still owed an allowance for ten days of cooperation, and the villagers demanded that it be paid separately from his rewards.

Ye Yaodong accepted the officials’ decision to credit Mazu with the salvage merit, trusting that his first place on the merit stele and promised subsidies would compensate him. After returning home with his friends, a playful race and push-up bet ended with Ye Chengyang peeing on his back, and Lin Xiuqing asked about the items Ye Yaodong had brought home.

• The village chief and Secretary Chen promised Ye Yaodong and his father their separately calculated subsidies, and Ye Yaodong agreed to go home and wait.
• On the way home, Ye Yaodong explained to his friends why he accepted Mazu receiving the salvage credit and valued his first place on the merit stele.
• The group overheard A-Wei discussing repayment inside a shabby house, but they continued home without approaching him.
• Ye Yaodong’s friends raced him home and made him do push-ups after he lost, while his sons climbed onto his back.
• After Ye Yaodong told Ye Chengyang to let it flow, the boy urinated on his back, prompting laughter before Lin Xiuqing asked about Ye Yaodong’s rewards.

Ye Yaodong and the villagers organized donations to build Mazu Temple, while officials set up a collection point and announced the fundraising and construction plans. The villagers prepared to return with contributions as the campaign began in earnest.

• Lin Xiuqing and the Old Lady accepted the banner and gifts honoring Ye Yaodong, while the workers listened to the radio and praised the Old Lady.
• Mother Ye explained that donations would be registered at a shelter outside Mazu Temple, and Ye Yaodong joked with his friends about keeping his place as the top donor.
• Ye Yaodong and his friends played cards before going out to sea that night as the weather improved.
• After returning the next evening, Ye Yaodong and his friends found officials collecting donations outside Mazu Temple, where Secretary Chen said donors who gave one hundred yuan could receive a small Mazu statue.
• The officials announced that construction would start in half a month, on the ninth day of the sixth lunar month, and urged villagers to donate before then.
• The returning fishermen agreed to go home and decide how much to contribute.

Ye Yaodong and the villagers donated toward rebuilding White Sand Village’s Mazu Temple, which began construction after support grew from nearby communities. His family moved the Old Lady into her new room, and the chapter ended with Ye Yaodong leaving amid his family’s lively banter.

• Ye Yaodong and Father Ye each donated fifty yuan under their own names, and other family members planned separate contributions.
• Villagers and boat owners from nearby communities donated, filling the merit ledger and raising several thousand yuan for the temple.
• Construction began on a large Mazu Temple beside the original one, which would remain as a temporary shrine and later be incorporated into the new complex.
• After the Old Lady’s new room and the yard wall were completed, Ye Yaodong and his brothers moved her belongings into the room.
• Ye Yaodong defended his decision to enclose the yard, then dodged Mother Ye’s raised whip and left while his parents traded scolding remarks.

Ye Yaodong arranged for Lin Guangyuan to work at the pier in hopes of persuading him to return to school, but Lin Guangyuan enjoyed the first day's treats and earnings. The next day, he discovered Ye Yaodong had put him to work for plain flatbread and water, leaving him feeling cheated.

• Father Lin brought watermelons to Ye Yaodong's home, where Lin Guangyuan and Lin Guangwen visited and met the family's newly adopted guard dog.
• Ye Yaodong learned Lin Guangyuan had quit his carpenter apprenticeship after a fight and urged Father Lin to send him back to school.
• Ye Yaodong let Lin Guangyuan stay but told him he had to earn money for his meals, then arranged for Fatty to take him to haul sandbags at the pier.
• Lin Guangyuan returned from his first day excited about the pier, its hotel food, and the one yuan and twenty cents he had earned, which Ye Yaodong promptly confiscated.
• The next day, Lin Guangyuan found that Fatty had given him only Guangbing and water, and realized Ye Yaodong had tricked him about how enjoyable work would be.

Lin Guangyuan agreed to return to school after Captain Chen promised him an old military uniform, while Ye Yaodong finished salvaging abalone and went out trawling. His net hauler suddenly struggled under an unexplained heavy load, then began rattling without moving, leaving Ye Yaodong and Father Ye alarmed.

• Lin Guangyuan complained about hauling sandbags and paying for meals, so Ye Yaodong urged him to study and suggested he consider joining the army.
• Lin Guangyuan learned Captain Chen would mail him an old uniform and agreed to return to school on September first.
• Ye Yaodong returned Lin Guangyuan's five yuan in wages, then told him to help gather firewood while he stayed a few more days.
• Ye Yaodong and Father Ye went trawling after nearly finishing their abalone salvage, and Ye Yaodong sensed unusual resistance beneath the sea.
• The net hauler strained under a heavy load, briefly returned to normal, then rattled without moving as Ye Yaodong and Father Ye wondered what was caught.

Ye Yaodong discovered that a whale shark was stealing fish from his net and told Father Ye they would have to wait for it to finish eating. After they hauled the empty net aboard, the whale shark suddenly surfaced beside the boat.

• Ye Yaodong descended to inspect the net and found a whale shark sucking fish through a hole in it.
• Ye Yaodong surfaced and explained to Father Ye that the whale shark was emptying their catch and preventing them from hauling the net.
• Father Ye worried about the whale shark and scolded Ye Yaodong for diving, while Ye Yaodong assured him it was gentle.
• Ye Yaodong and Father Ye hauled up the empty net and checked that it had not been swallowed.
• The whale shark suddenly surfaced beside the boat.