Chapter Summaries

Ye Yaodong processed more than 9,000 jin of jellyfish and arranged to take them to a buyer near the Zhejiang-Fujian border. He brought the haul home, where his family salted the heads and skins and boiled the blood and brains while he prepared to sell them.

• Ye Yaodong explained how to handle the jellyfish parts and learned that the catch weighed 9,206 jin.
• A-Cai found a buyer through his contacts and gave Ye Yaodong a number to call about delivering the jellyfish himself.
• Ye Yaodong and the villagers transported the jellyfish parts to his courtyard, where Lin Xiuqing paid them and returned their baskets.
• Father Ye objected to Ye Yaodong’s purchase, but Ye Yaodong said it had cost only a little over a hundred yuan and asked him to buy nylon sheeting.
• Ye Yaodong divided the family’s work between salting the heads and skins and boiling the blood and brains, promising the children treats if he made money.

Ye Yaodong agreed to travel with Chen Jiannian to sell his jellyfish and considered staying in the Zhejiang-Fujian Area to fish during its peak season. His brothers disagreed about joining him, so he offered to scout the area first and call home if the opportunity looked promising.

• Chen Jiannian offered to connect Ye Yaodong with buyers in the Zhejiang-Fujian Area for a five-percent commission, and they agreed to leave the morning after tomorrow.
• Ye Yaodong told Lin Xiuqing he might stay to fish after delivering the jellyfish and asked Father Ye to help hire two more people.
• Ye Yaodong invited Ye Yaopeng and Ye Yaohua to join him, but Ye Yaopeng worried about the long trip while Ye Yaohua wanted to take the chance.
• Ye Yaodong proposed that Ye Yaohua wait at home until he checked the fishing and market conditions, then come with Ye Yaopeng if things went well.

Ye Yaodong prepared a large load of jellyfish products and set off with Father Ye, relatives, and Chen Jiannian for the Zhejiang-Fujian border to sell them and investigate the jellyfish season. His brothers stayed behind to wait and see whether the trip would be profitable, while the boat headed across the dark sea under Father Ye’s command.

• Ye Yaodong persuaded his family to salt and store the jellyfish while they considered whether his brothers would join the trip.
• Mother Ye criticized Ye Yaodong’s plans, but the Old Lady and Father Ye defended him as the family finished the work and carried the jellyfish to the Old House.
• Ye Yaodong paid his brothers and sisters-in-law for their labor, then reassured Lin Xiuqing and prepared dried jellyfish blood, jellyfish brains, clothes, and diesel for the journey.
• Ye Yaopeng and Ye Yaohua agreed to wait for news, while Father Ye recruited several cousins to accompany Ye Yaodong.
• Ye Yaodong and his companions loaded the boat before dawn, picked up Chen Jiannian, and departed for the Zhejiang-Fujian border.
• Ye Yaodong steered at first, but Father Ye took over once they reached waters beyond their city.

Ye Yaodong and his relatives traveled by boat toward Fujian-Zhejiang, hoping to sell their cargo and fish for jellyfish if the season had begun. After passing up schools of small fish and sharing stories at sea, Ye Yaodong unexpectedly scooped a red seabream, which the group welcomed as a lucky sign.

• Ye Yaodong chatted with his cousins about staying near Fujian-Zhejiang for a month if they arrived during jellyfish season.
• Ye Yaodong and his relatives spotted silverfish followed by small yellow croakers, but the crowded, fast-moving boat left them no chance to catch any.
• Father Ye estimated they might not reach shore until noon, while Ye Yaodong brought out Hand Scoop Nets in case they saw more fish.
• Ye Yaodong's relatives told stories about dangerous and eerie encounters at sea, and Ye Yaodong urged them to switch to lucky topics.
• Ye Yaodong repeatedly dragged a Hand Net through the water, catching a few shrimp before unexpectedly scooping up a red seabream.
• Chen Jiannian and the others celebrated the red seabream as a sign of extra good luck for their trip.

Ye Yaodong and the others found abundant colorful jellyfish near the Fujian-Zhejiang border and devised a way to tow their net despite the boat being crowded. They continued toward Yangping County, passing fishing boats that were already harvesting jellyfish.

• Ye Yaodong caught a small red seabream, which the others regarded as a lucky omen.
• Ye Yaodong and his cousin discovered schools of colorful jellyfish, and the cousin released a jellyfish too large to lift.
• Father Ye suggested towing the net behind the boat because there was no room aboard for more catches.
• Ye Yaodong and the crew deployed the net and continued toward shore, where they saw other boats harvesting jellyfish.

Ye Yaodong and the others reached Changfengjing Village in Yangping County with their boat loaded with jellyfish, only to find the beach crowded with people processing an abundant catch. They struggled to haul their own catch ashore and learned from a neighboring fisherman that local boats could sell jellyfish whole, leaving them hopeful but still needing to arrange a buyer.

• Ye Yaodong and Father Ye followed fishing boats to Changfengjing Village and learned it was in Muhua Town, Yangping County.
• The crew saw the crowded beach and realized that hauling their huge net of jellyfish ashore would be difficult.
• Ye Yaodong and the others began scooping jellyfish out of the net and dragging them to shore one at a time while Chen Jiannian went to find a telephone.
• Ye Yaodong approached a neighboring fisherman and his son with cigarettes and asked about local jellyfish fishing and prices.
• The young man told Ye Yaodong that boats could sell jellyfish whole and that their village had about sixty fishing boats, while the season was expected to last another month or two.

Ye Yaodong and his crew brought their jellyfish catch ashore in a border village, processed it, and sold it to a factory tractor. After earning about 600 yuan from the two batches, they planned to stay in the village and continue fishing.

• Ye Yaodong learned the local jellyfish prices and decided with Father Ye to cut up their catch while they waited for Chen Jiannian to arrange a buyer.
• Chen Jiannian returned with word that the factory tractor would collect their goods, and he helped the crew process the jellyfish as they waited.
• The tractor arrived, and its workers weighed and bought the first batch of processed jellyfish before the crew unloaded the rest from their boat.
• The factory workers weighed the second batch and calculated a payment of 520 yuan after deducting salt weight, bringing the two batches to about 600 yuan altogether.
• Chen Jiannian went with the factory workers to visit his friend, while Ye Yaodong and Father Ye prepared to rent a house and stay in the village.

Ye Yaodong sold the jellyfish for 520 yuan, arranged lodging for his group, and called home after reaching the village. His family’s anxiety gave way to relief and excitement, and the chapter ended with Ye Yaodong asking whether his brothers had returned from fishing.

• Ye Yaodong celebrated the 520-yuan sale and explained that buying and processing the jellyfish had been a gamble.
• Ye Yaodong and his companions kept their fish and shrimp, rented the former educated youth quarters, and prepared to rest before going out to sea again.
• Lin Xiuqing and the Old Lady worried all day because Ye Yaodong had not called, while Ye Yaopeng and Ye Yaohua also grew anxious during their fishing trip.
• A messenger told Lin Xiuqing that Ye Yaodong was calling, and the Old Lady and Ye Yaohua hurried with her to the village committee office.
• Lin Xiuqing learned that the goods had sold for 520 yuan, and the Old Lady took the receiver to check that Ye Yaodong was safe and had eaten.
• Ye Yaodong asked whether Ye Yaopeng and Ye Yaohua had returned, and the Old Lady confirmed that they were beside her.

After Ye Yaodong told his family about the profitable jellyfish season, Ye Yaopeng and Ye Yaohua decided to follow him, while the men arranged lodging, supplies, and a guard at the Educated Youth Site. Ye Yaodong and the others set out before dawn and soon spotted jellyfish along their route.

• Ye Yaodong told Ye Yaohua about the jellyfish catch, the sales, and the supplies they would need if his brothers came.
• Ye Yaohua persuaded Ye Yaopeng that the jellyfish and Jellyfish Blood could make the trip worthwhile, and Ye Yaopeng agreed to visit their brother-in-law about recruiting help.
• Ye Yaodong and Father Ye arranged for someone to guard their drying catch and cook, and Father Ye reported seeing a suspicious flashlight near the boat overnight.
• Ye Yaodong and the crew left the pier before dawn, overtook several small boats, and spotted many jellyfish in the water.

Ye Yaodong and his companions caught jellyfish at sea, then went to help Lü Hongwei’s battered boat after its engine was stolen and its crew was stung. They began preparing to tow the injured fishermen back to shore, and Lü Hongwei explained that men from Dayuan Village had ambushed them.

• Ye Yaodong and his companions shut off their engine and used hand nets to catch and process jellyfish as their boat drifted.
• Ye Yaodong spotted two boats nearby and steered clear, but later noticed one boat’s crew waving a red flag for help.
• Ye Yaodong recognized Lü Hongwei from the previous day and saw that his father and brothers were injured and suffering from jellyfish stings.
• Lü Hongwei asked Ye Yaodong to tow their boat back because their diesel engine had been stolen, and Ye Yaodong agreed.
• Lü Hongwei said men from neighboring Dayuan Village had ambushed them while they tried to net a swarm of jellyfish, beaten them, and sunk their fishing net.

Ye Yaodong and his cousins stayed in the village to catch jellyfish while worrying about local disputes and the dangers of being outsiders. After catching a giant jellyfish and releasing the sea turtle that had been eating it, they headed back toward shore and wondered why the local boats had disappeared.

• Ye Yaodong discussed the risks of staying in the village with his cousins, and they agreed to remain for a few days, deposit their earnings in town, and move away if trouble arose.
• Ye Yaodong and his cousins brought the poisoned fishermen ashore, learned that they came from rival villages, and arranged for the injured men to visit the health clinic.
• The men sold their morning catch for a little over seventy yuan, then headed farther offshore to fish where they would not compete with local boats.
• Ye Yaodong released a small jellyfish and later spotted a sea turtle eating the tentacles of an enormous jellyfish; he let the turtle go and hauled the giant catch aboard with his cousins.
• As the men returned toward shore for their afternoon pickup, they noticed that almost no small boats were fishing and wondered whether the villagers had gone to fight.

Ye Yaodong and his cousins returned to the village, settled their jellyfish sales, and received gifts from the Lü family for rescuing their relatives. He watched the village men return bruised from their fight with a neighboring village, carrying back their recovered engine and jellyfish.

• Ye Yaodong learned that his eldest and second brothers were arriving at the town pier, while Father Ye warned him to stay out of the village fight.
• Ye Yaodong sold the jellyfish blood and brains, questioned the unexpectedly low blood yield, and calculated the group's earnings.
• The Lü family thanked Ye Yaodong for rescuing Lü Hongwei and the others, gave him rice, eggs, and vegetables, and said their men had gone to the neighboring village.
• Ye Yaodong prepared dinner with his cousins, bought mosquito coils, and saw the villagers return from the fight bruised but carrying a recovered engine and jellyfish.

Ye Yaodong and his family joined the jellyfish fishing season in unfamiliar waters, where he spotted a huge gathering of sea turtles. His relatives prepared to catch them for profit, but Ye Yaodong hesitated and left the group waiting for his decision.

• Father Ye and the newcomers arrived, shared a meal, and arranged places to sleep before helping process the jellyfish catch.
• The next morning, Ye Yaodong’s brothers and cousins joined the fishing boats, and Lü Hongwei explained that his village had recently fought with a neighboring one.
• Ye Yaodong led the unfamiliar boats offshore to scoop jellyfish and explained that shrimp clinging to the jellyfish helped them sense danger.
• Ye Yaodong spotted a vast patch on the water and sped toward it with his father and crew.
• The crew discovered that the patch was a gathering of sea turtles, and Ye Yaodong’s cousins rushed to fetch a net while he hesitated to catch them.

Ye Yaodong refused to harvest a large school of sea turtles, arguing that they should be released, and watched them feed on jellyfish. After spotting a huge leatherback turtle and a dense mass of jellyfish around an island, he realized they had found a jellyfish nest and ordered the crew to lower the net.

• Ye Yaodong persuaded Father Ye to leave the school of sea turtles alone, despite the protests of his three maternal cousins.
• Ye Yaodong and Father Ye watched several sea turtles tear apart and eat a giant jellyfish, then steered the boat away from them.
• Ye Yaodong spotted a huge sea turtle in the water and identified it as likely a leatherback turtle, but insisted they release it too.
• Ye Yaodong noticed a colorful patch of water near the island and asked Father Ye to steer closer.
• Ye Yaodong, Father Ye, and the cousins found the island surrounded by countless jellyfish, and Ye Yaodong ordered the crew to drop the net.

Ye Yaodong and Father Ye found an underwater ocean trench beneath a vast gathering of jellyfish and spent the morning harvesting them. When Ye Yaopeng and Ye Yaohua finally arrived, Father Ye scolded them and told them about the trench.

• Ye Yaodong and Father Ye stopped their boat among the jellyfish and hauled them aboard with hand nets and hooked bamboo poles.
• After a sea turtle bit a jellyfish Ye Yaodong had hooked, he struck it away and noticed a V-shaped trench beneath the water.
• Ye Yaodong and Father Ye realized the trench could explain the huge concentration of jellyfish, then kept harvesting instead of exploring it.
• The crew filled their deck with jellyfish while Ye Yaopeng and Ye Yaohua slowly made their way over.
• Father Ye berated Ye Yaopeng and Ye Yaohua for arriving late, then revealed the ocean trench and astonished everyone aboard both boats.

Ye Yaodong and the others harvested jellyfish and headed back to shore, where a village fight disrupted their work. Chen Jiannian arrived with the first payment from their jellyfish sales, and Ye Yaodong accepted the money and sales slip.

• Ye Yaodong and the other fishermen hauled in jellyfish while discussing how sea turtles were eating them.
• Ye Yaodong called for the boats to head back, and the men set nets to tow more jellyfish toward shore.
• As the boats approached land, a fight broke out on the beach, so the men stayed by their boats and continued processing their catch.
• Chen Jiannian arrived after being caught in the fighting and handed Ye Yaodong the first day's sales proceeds and sales slip.
• Ye Yaodong's relatives and Father Pei gathered around as Chen Jiannian explained the payment amount and urged them to check the accounts.

Ye Yaodong collected payment for his jellyfish and helped process a larger catch, while the villagers’ fighting kept attention away from the outsiders’ profitable work. After releasing and cleaning barnacles from a sea turtle, he set out with the others to catch another load.

• Ye Yaodong counted the payment for his jellyfish, tipped Chen Jiannian, and heard the others praise his profitable trip.
• The boats’ crews unloaded a larger catch of jellyfish, and Ye Yaodong cut them up while the buyers weighed the goods.
• Ye Yaodong released three sea turtles, then scraped barnacles from one before letting it return to the sea.
• Ye Yaodong explained why he released the turtle, and Ye Yaohua followed suit by releasing the turtles from his own catch.
• Ye Yaodong arranged for Father Ye and the others to keep processing jellyfish while he, Ye Yaosheng, his brothers, and Uncle Pei went back out to sea.

Ye Yaodong and his companions hauled in a large jellyfish catch, avoided a suspected robbery, and worked through a village fight to process and store their haul. Lü Mingmei began bringing Ye Yaodong vegetables and eggs, prompting his family to suspect she liked him, and Ye Yaodong planned to tell her he was married.

• Ye Yaodong joined the other boats in retreating together when a large boat pursued him, and the pursuers turned away.
• Ye Yaodong and his companions returned with a heavy jellyfish catch while the villagers were fighting, then carried their processed jellyfish to the Educated Youth Site and borrowed Lü Hongwei's handcart.
• Ye Yaodong stayed behind to tend the fire and process food while the others went back to sea, and Lü Mingmei brought him vegetables and introduced herself.
• Lü Mingmei continued bringing vegetables and later eggs, and Ye Second Sister-in-Law suggested she had taken a liking to Ye Yaodong.
• Father Ye told Ye Yaodong to make clear that he was married, and Ye Yaodong agreed before joking that his good looks caused trouble.

Ye Yaodong and his family decided to leave the village after their unusually large jellyfish catches drew growing attention. They planned to find a new place to stay the next day and agreed to deposit their growing cash reserves in town.

• After the village's fighting ended, villagers began questioning Ye Yaodong's group about their daily jellyfish catches and watching them unload and sell their haul.
• Ye Yaodong warned Father Ye and the others that they needed to leave soon, and they agreed to search for another village the next day and move after dark.
• The group worried that villagers might follow them to the ocean trench, so they decided to leave for fishing earlier than usual and avoid the spot if anyone tailed them.
• Ye Yaodong told Father Ye and Ye Yaopeng to keep their money safe and offered to help them deposit it in town the following day.

Ye Yaodong was punched by a jealous villager who mistook his interactions with Lü Mingmei for romantic interest, and the two fought until Ye revealed that he was married. He returned injured to his family and told them they needed to move that night.

• Ye Yaodong spotted Lü Mingmei talking with a young man beside a haystack as he headed to the outhouse.
• The young man attacked Ye Yaodong, accusing him of harassing Lü Mingmei, and Ye fought back while trading insults.
• Lü Mingmei tried to break up the fight and explained that she had brought Ye vegetables only to thank him.
• Ye Yaodong told the man that he had a wife and children, then threw a stone at him as he walked away.
• Father Ye told Ye Yaodong he should have said he was married earlier, and Ye ordered the family to pack so they could move that night.