Chapter Summaries

Ye Yaodong decided to buy a shop in the new Aquatic Products Market, convinced that the site would become valuable as the city developed. He secured one for 3,000 yuan and headed home, worried about explaining the purchase to A Qing.

• Ye Yaodong asked his companions to lend him money after they refused to buy shops themselves, and they each lent him sixty yuan.
• Ye Yaodong persuaded his companions that the market site would prosper, then visited it with them and recognized its location from memories of his previous life.
• After learning that two shops had already been reserved, Ye Yaodong signed a contract and bought a shop for 3,000 yuan.
• Ye Yaodong tucked away his receipt and contract as another buyer reserved a shop, while his companions wondered whether he had made a mistake.
• Ye Yaodong and the others boarded the waiting tractor to return home, and he worried about how A Qing would react to his spending.

Ye Yaodong returned from the city after selling his catch for a much better price than the village pier offered, while his companions imagined what it might take to live in the city. Back home, he was welcomed by his family and tried to tell Lin Xiuqing something before the Old Lady interrupted him with questions and concern.

• The passengers admired the city on the ride home and wondered whether they could earn enough to buy property and become city residents.
• Ye Yaodong explained that his shop could not qualify him for city household registration or grain rations, and the group paid two yuan each for the round trip.
• Ye Yaodong arrived home with more than six yuan left after taking on 350 yuan in debt, then gave his children canned food and Miancha Cake.
• Lin Xiuqing learned that Ye Yaodong had sold his catch for 150 yuan and eighty-eight fen, far more than the prices the villagers received at the pier.
• Ye Yaopeng and Ye Yaohua regretted not going to the city after hearing Ye Yaodong had sold his catch at higher prices.
• Lin Xiuqing fussed over Ye Yaodong and prepared noodles, but the Old Lady arrived and urged him to eat and sleep while asking about his trip.

Ye Yaodong secretly told Lin Xiuqing he had bought a shop for three thousand yuan, prompting her to angrily demand an explanation. He defended the investment and admitted borrowing money for the deposit, then tried to placate her by forcing intimacy while she continued to resist and scold him.

• Ye Yaodong hid the shop contract and deposit receipt in his shorts and handed them to Lin Xiuqing in their room.
• Lin Xiuqing learned that Ye Yaodong had bought a three-thousand-yuan shop and demanded to know where the money came from.
• Ye Yaodong explained his plans for renting out the shop and argued that its value would rise, while Lin Xiuqing criticized the purchase.
• Ye Yaodong admitted borrowing sixty yuan from each of several people to cover the deposit.
• Ye Yaodong pinned Lin Xiuqing down and initiated sex despite her anger and protests.

Ye Yaodong persuaded Lin Xiuqing to accept his unconsulted purchase of a city shop, and she gave him money to repay his debts while insisting he discuss major decisions with her in the future. After repaying everyone, Ye Yaodong gathered the children and joked with them about Big Black’s future puppies.

• Ye Yaodong teased Lin Xiuqing after their intimacy and defended his purchase of the shop, while she scolded him for spending three thousand yuan without consulting her.
• Lin Xiuqing accepted that the shop might become a valuable asset, took the receipt and contract for safekeeping, and counted out three hundred and sixty yuan for Ye Yaodong to repay his lenders.
• Lin Xiuqing told Ye Yaodong to discuss future decisions with her before acting, then went to prepare food for the family.
• Ye Yaodong repaid his debts and gathered the children, who joked about classmates getting caught sneaking canned food.
• Ye Yaodong warned Ye Chenghai not to steal from his house, then promised the children they could each have a puppy when Big Black had a litter.

Ye Yaodong hauled in his fishing pots and found a valuable catch, while Lin Xiuqing joined him to sort it. They decided to keep the tiny Sugar Shrimp for a spicy meal, and Ye Yaodong continued pulling in the remaining nets.

• Ye Yaodong went to the Beach to haul in his fishing pots after learning his father was away gathering pig fodder.
• Ye Yaodong pulled in the first net and found scallops, crabs, shrimp, and a large Chunzi Fish.
• Lin Xiuqing came to help sort the catch while Ye Yaodong hauled in another net.
• Lin Xiuqing threw the Sugar Shrimp back into the sea, but Ye Yaodong asked her to save them for cooking.
• Lin Xiuqing misunderstood Ye Yaodong's teasing promise to show her what he could do, and he clarified that he meant cooking spicy crayfish.

Ye Yaodong and his family hauled in two rows of fishing pots, sorting a large catch of scallops and other seafood while villagers admired his haul. As they finished the remaining nets, Ye Yaohua discovered two fragrant sweetfish, which the family set aside to sell at the pier.

• Lin Xiuqing called the children over to help sort the catch, and Ye Yaodong warned them to work instead of playing on the beach.
• Ye Yaodong hauled in two rows of fishing pots, bringing up a large haul of scallops, fish, shrimp, crabs, and two sea cucumbers.
• Villagers praised Ye Yaodong's catch and asked about the prices he had received in the city, so he explained that only some seafood had sold for over thirty cents per jin.
• Father Ye and Ye Yaohua arrived and helped haul the remaining pots, while Father Ye gave the children money to buy popsicles.
• Ye Yaohua found two sweetfish in one of his nets, and the family admired their fresh fragrance before putting them in a bucket to sell at the pier.

Ye Yaodong finished hauling in and selling his fishing-pot catch with help from his family, while discussing the city and sharing news about its new Aquatic Products Wholesale Market. He left A-Cai considering whether to buy one of the market’s shops.

• Ye Yaodong and his family hauled in the remaining fishing pots and took the catch home to sort before heading to the pier.
• Ye Yaodong’s family discussed sharing the proceeds with Father Ye and Mother Ye, and Father Ye praised Ye Yaodong’s growing ability.
• Ye Yaodong told A-Cai and the other buyers that the city was building an Aquatic Products Wholesale Market and selling shops for three thousand yuan each.
• A-Cai said the city market was too far away for their usual business, and Ye Yaodong asked whether that meant he was not interested in buying a shop.

Ye Yaohua decided to consider buying a shop, and Ye Yaodong offered to lend him money if needed. After the children reminded Ye Yaodong of his promise to take them to the beach, he took them out to gather small sea creatures as the tide receded.

• Ye Yaohua said he would discuss buying a shop with his wife, and Ye Yaodong offered to help cover any shortfall.
• Ye Yaohua explained that he had enough for the deposit and planned to save more before paying the balance.
• Lin Xiuqing teased Ye Yaodong about his advice that Ye Yaohua should stand up to his wife.
• The children crowded around Ye Yaodong and reminded him that he had promised to take them to the beach.
• Ye Yaodong took the children and their baskets to the beach as the tide went out, while the Old Lady told him to keep an eye on them.

Ye Yaodong’s eldest brother, Ye Yaopeng, wrestled with whether to buy a shop after learning that his second brother planned to do so, while the family gathered seafood as the tide receded. The chapter ended with Ye Chenghe catching a large Red-tailed Bird and Ye Yaodong pulling him from the water as his parents watched.

• Ye Chenghai and his siblings hid their seafood in Ye Yaodong’s bucket so their parents would not take their earnings.
• Ye Yaopeng worried about the cost of buying a shop, and Ye Eldest Sister-in-Law objected to the idea of spending their savings.
• Ye Yaodong told Ye Yaopeng that his second brother planned to buy a shop and had asked to borrow money if he fell short.
• Father Ye learned that Ye Yaopeng was considering buying a shop and went home to question his second son.
• Ye Chenghe threw himself into the shallows to catch a large fish, and Ye Yaodong pulled him up and identified it as a Red-tailed Bird.

After Ye Yaodong rescued Ye Chenghe from the water, the adults sent the children home, where Ye Eldest Sister-in-Law began beating them. The brothers then discussed buying shops, and the Old Lady persuaded Father Ye to consider giving all three sons equal financial help, leaving the decision for him and his wife to discuss.

• Ye Yaodong carried the exhausted red-tailed fish home after rescuing Ye Chenghe, and Ye Eldest Sister-in-Law scolded and beat her son for going into the water.
• Ye Yaodong sent the children home, where Ye Eldest Sister-in-Law also summoned Ye Chenghai and Ye Jingjing and continued punishing the children.
• Ye Yaohua told Father Ye that he and his wife planned to buy a shop and could borrow from Ye Yaodong if they were short of money.
• Ye Yaopeng admitted that he was considering buying a shop too but hesitated over the cost, while Father Ye said he would discuss financial help with his wife.
• The Old Lady urged Father Ye to help all three sons equally, and Ye Yaohua and Ye Yaopeng accepted that he and his wife could decide how much to give.

Ye Yaodong helped his relatives reconsider buying city shops and arranged to buy villagers’ scattered catches at the pier’s usual prices. He left the villagers with their catch sold and prepared to take the combined haul to the city market with his brothers.

• Ye Yaopeng and his wife agreed to visit the shop before deciding whether to buy, and Father Ye promised to discuss helping them with money.
• Ye Yaodong offered to buy the villagers’ small catches at the pier’s usual prices because the regular buyers were away, and he asked them to bring everything to his home.
• Lin Xiuqing prepared change while Father Ye and Ye Yaodong’s brothers helped weigh, sort, and pay for the villagers’ seafood.
• Ye Yaodong gathered several baskets of mixed catches and planned to take them to the city wholesale market before dawn with his brothers.

Ye Yaodong prepared seafood for a trip to the city, then discussed buying boats and market shops with A-Guang and their friends. After proposing a partnership arrangement for running another boat, he considered buying a second shop and planned to head to the pier after bathing.

• Ye Yaodong packed his seafood with ice and arranged a tractor so he could take his goods to the city.
• Ye Yaodong visited A-Guang with A-Zheng, Xiao Xiao, and Fatty, checked on Ye Huimei, and explained the plan to buy shops in the city.
• A-Guang told them that he and Father Pei were considering buying a boat from an injured neighbor and hiring a crew.
• Ye Yaodong suggested that Father Pei and A-Guang provide the boat while a partner supplied the crew and shared the catch, and they considered the arrangement.
• Ye Yaodong weighed buying another market shop, then left A-Guang's home intending to bathe, pick up the crabs at the pier, and set off.

Ye Yaodong persuaded Lin Xiuqing to agree to buying a second shop before leaving for the city with his brothers to sell seafood. At the wholesale market, he checked prices and waited for the Transaction Point to open so he could ask about buying a shop.

• Ye Yaodong hugged Lin Xiuqing after his bath, then convinced her that buying a second shop would give their two sons one shop each.
• Lin Xiuqing agreed to the purchase, and Ye Yaodong fell asleep while she prepared eggs for his trip.
• Ye Yaodong left for the city by tractor with Ye Yaopeng and Ye Yaohua, carrying seafood and money for the market.
• Ye Yaodong chatted with an old razor-clam seller outside the wholesale market while his brothers explored.
• Ye Yaopeng discovered that red-tailed bird fish sold for fifteen fen more per jin at the market than Ye Yaodong had paid.

Ye Yaodong sold his catch at the wholesale market and bought a second shop after learning that the remaining shops were nearly sold out and prices would rise. His brothers were shocked by his decisiveness but took his purchase as reassurance that buying their own shops had been the right choice.

• Ye Yaodong sold most of his assorted catch to small vendors, then bought mangoes and chestnuts while Ye Yaopeng and Ye Yaohua explored the market and ate their own eggs for breakfast.
• Ye Yaodong learned that only a few New Market shops remained and that a later batch would be smaller and more expensive, so he joined his brothers in the queue to buy one.
• Ye Yaopeng and Ye Yaohua were astonished when Ye Yaodong paid for a second shop, having already bought one two days earlier.
• Ye Yaodong explained that the shops could appreciate in value and that he wanted one for each of his two sons.
• Ye Yaopeng and Ye Yaohua felt reassured about their purchases and resolved to keep following Ye Yaodong's lead.

After secretly buying another shop, Ye Yaodong returned home with his brothers and reunited with his waiting family. The chapter ended with the children enjoying chestnuts, a movie, and fresh summer haircuts.

• Ye Yaodong told his brothers to keep his shop purchase secret, and the three traveled home after the rain stopped.
• Lin Xiuqing and the children welcomed the brothers, and Ye Yaodong joked with the children while unloading mangoes and chestnuts.
• Ye Yaohua offered to take his children to the movies, and Ye Yaopeng’s children joined after their mother saw how disappointed they were.
• Lin Xiuqing told Ye Yaodong that their father had given each family 300 yuan, and Ye Yaodong ate lunch before going to sleep.
• Lin Xiuqing shared fruit with relatives and boiled chestnuts while the children waited for Ye Yaodong to wake.
• Ye Yaodong took the children to a movie and then to get shaved heads, and the Old Lady teased Ye Chenghai about his bald head.

Ye Yaodong received photographs and a newspaper clipping about his whale shark rescue, which delighted him and the Old Lady. He and Lin Xiuqing discussed their hopes for the family and the money she was saving, as the story ended with plans for them to go out to sea in the next chapter.

• Ye Yaodong told Lin Xiuqing about buying a shop and the money he had earned at the market.
• Ye Yaodong received two photographs and a newspaper clipping about rescuing a whale shark, and showed them to the Old Lady.
• The Old Lady recalled a huge fish that had washed ashore during a famine, while she and Ye Yaodong admired the newspaper coverage.
• Ye Yaodong and Lin Xiuqing discussed buying a camera and other household goods, and Lin Xiuqing explained she was weaving nets to save for expenses and their eldest son's schooling.
• Ye Yaodong reassured Lin Xiuqing that he would earn money for the family, and the chapter noted they would head out to sea next.

After the typhoons passed, Ye Yaodong returned to sea with his family and set out his fishing pots. He found a patch of blue jellyfish and discovered an edible jellyfish mixed among them, so he began searching for more.

• After a week of rough weather, Ye Yaodong and his brothers retrieved their boats from the Typhoon Shelter and returned to the village.
• Ye Yaodong checked his boat and engine, then loaded his fishing pots with help from Ye Yaopeng and Ye Yaohua.
• Ye Yaohua arranged for his wife to sort Ye Yaodong’s longline hooks, while A-Guang and Father Pei brought their newly purchased boats to the pier.
• Ye Yaodong set his fishing pots and steered toward several boats gathered around a patch of unusual blue balls floating at sea.
• Ye Yaodong scooped up some blue jellyfish and found a much larger edible jellyfish among them, then decided to search the area for more.

Ye Yaodong found edible jellyfish mixed among poisonous blue jellyfish and offered to buy the live ones from nearby fishing boats. The boats began searching the area for catches to sell to him, drawing in more fishermen.

• An older fisherman warned Ye Yaodong that the blue jellyfish were poisonous, but Ye Yaodong kept searching among them.
• Ye Yaodong caught a large edible jellyfish, and the nearby fishermen realized what he had been looking for.
• Ye Yaodong offered to buy live edible jellyfish for one fen per jin, convincing the fishermen with his trusted reputation.
• The fishing boats began searching the patch of sea for edible jellyfish, and more boats joined after hearing about the offer.

Ye Yaodong brought home two baskets of jellyfish and taught his family how to separate and process their parts. After learning that more boats might bring jellyfish ashore, he decided to buy their catch and process it at the Pier, though Lin Xiuqing and his brothers worried he might not find buyers.

• Ye Yaodong left the crowded fishing grounds and asked A-Cai to find buyers for his jellyfish.
• Ye Yaodong gathered Lin Xiuqing, his sisters-in-law, and his brothers to help cut up the jellyfish and taught them how to separate their parts.
• Ye Yaodong explained that the jellyfish blood and Jellyfish Brain needed boiling or blanching, while the other parts could be preserved for transport.
• Ye Yaodong remembered he lacked a large scale and prepared to take the tools and his family to the Pier to process more jellyfish.
• Lin Xiuqing, Ye Yaohua, and Ye Yaopeng questioned whether buying other boats' jellyfish was risky, but Ye Yaodong insisted the potential profit made it worth trying.

Ye Yaodong bought and processed the village’s jellyfish despite uncertainty about finding a buyer, hoping the catch would be large enough to attract one. After the boats returned, the total reached an estimated eight or nine thousand jin, and A-Cai began adding up the weight.

• Ye Yaodong told the first fisherman to bring his three baskets to A-Cai’s place, where A-Cai weighed 522 jin and wrote a slip for payment.
• A-Cai told Ye Yaodong that nearby processing plants would not handle the jellyfish unless there was a large quantity, so Ye asked him to find out whether buyers would collect eight to ten thousand jin.
• More fishermen brought ashore large loads of jellyfish, and Ye Yaodong’s family and the nearby buying-station workers sorted and butchered them.
• The fishermen watched the processing and whispered about whether Ye Yaodong would find a buyer, while he and his family kept working.
• After the boats stopped arriving, Ye Yaodong saw that they had processed about half the catch, and A-Cai began totaling the weight, estimated at eight or nine thousand jin.