Chapter Summaries

Ye Yaodong and his friends confronted Rat and the Old Wang family over how to divide the dried catch’s earnings, pushing Rat to settle the account at the agreed pier price. Rat counted the 132 yuan A-Guang was owed, leaving the dispute settled but regretting how much money he had earned and was now handing over.

• Ye Yaodong, A-Zheng, and Xiao Xiao criticized Rat for letting his wife and in-laws control his business, while A-Guang asked how he wanted to settle the catch.
• Rat agreed to calculate the payment using the pier’s buying price, then told his wife and her family to stop interfering.
• Rat’s father-in-law and the Old Wang family berated Rat for backing down, but Rat told them to go home and handle his own business.
• Ye Yaodong ordered the Wang family to leave, and Rat asked him to lend money so A-Guang could be paid and the matter could end.
• Lin Xiuqing brought 132 yuan, and A-Guang had Rat count it before they considered the account settled.

After Rat’s dispute with his wife’s family ended, Ye Yaodong invited Xiao Xiao and A-Zheng to dinner, where he revealed that he planned to order a custom 24-meter fishing boat. His friends were astonished at how quickly he was making money and expanding, while his mother remained annoyed with his plans.

• Rat apologized, took his share of the money without checking the figures, and left while his wife complained that he had not asked to see the accounts.
• Ye Yaodong demanded that Rat’s wife settle an account for spitting phlegm, and Mother Ye swept the yard and drove the rest of the group out.
• Ye Yaodong invited Xiao Xiao and A-Zheng to stay for rice dumplings and drinks after the family’s meal was delayed by the commotion.
• Xiao Xiao and A-Zheng asked why Ye Yaodong had visited the shipyard, and he admitted he planned to order a custom 24-meter fishing boat.
• Ye Yaodong explained that a larger boat would let him carry more catch and sell it directly at port, while his friends marveled at his rapid progress and joked that even a motorcycle could not keep up.

Ye Yaodong drank with his friends, who asked to invest in his planned large fishing boat, but he warned that he had not decided how to handle partners and suggested they consider buying another boat together. The evening ended with Lin Xiuqing postponing the weighing and payment for Ye Yaodong’s brothers’ goods until the next morning.

• A-Guang and the others regretted missing the jellyfish fishing trip, and Ye Yaodong told them they could try going next year.
• A-Zheng and Xiao Xiao joked about their daughters becoming child brides, while Ye Chenghu and Ye Chengyang confused everyone by saying they did not want wives because sharing a bed would be crowded.
• Xiao Xiao, A-Zheng, and A-Guang asked whether they could invest in Ye Yaodong’s planned twenty-four-metre boat, but he said he had not ordered it and was concerned about managing shared accounts.
• Ye Yaodong suggested Xiao Xiao and A-Guang could save for a separate boat instead, while A-Zheng asked whether they could buy Ye Yaodong’s old boat if he upgraded.
• Lin Xiuqing told Ye Eldest Sister-in-Law and Ye Second Sister-in-Law that their goods could be weighed the next morning, reassuring them that their payments would not be delayed.

After drinking late into the night, Ye Yaodong woke for his delivery and completed another dried-fish sale before visiting shipyards to investigate buying a larger boat. He chose to add an expensive marine radio for safety, leaving him worried that the 13,000-yuan purchase would nearly wipe out the family’s savings.

• Lin Xiuqing ended the drinking, helped Ye Yaodong get ready for his delivery, and the Old Lady gave him porridge before he left.
• Ye Yaodong delivered the dried fish, gave Group Leader Zhao and Captain Chen homegrown fruit, and asked Group Leader Zhao for the city shipyard’s address.
• Ye Yaodong and Uncle Zhou visited the city shipyard, where Ye Yaodong found that boats with the same specifications cost 1,500 yuan more than at the county shipyard.
• Ye Yaodong asked Factory Director Wu about marine radios and decided to add one to his boat for another 2,000 yuan.
• Ye Yaodong calculated that the boat and radio would cost 13,000 yuan and worried that the purchase would nearly exhaust the family’s savings.

Ye Yaodong bargained with Factory Director Wu over the price of a new boat equipped with a marine radio, using flattery and persistence to seek a discount. He left disappointed when Wu held firm at 13,000 yuan, but Wu ran after him to call him back.

• Ye Yaodong learned that the boat with a marine radio would cost 13,000 yuan, more than the earlier estimate, and challenged Factory Director Wu over the changed price.
• Ye Yaodong praised Wu and the local shipyard while trying to settle the order for 12,800 yuan, but Wu caught on and insisted the lowest price was 13,000 yuan.
• Ye Yaodong left the office disappointed, planning to return and bargain again while also looking for a chance to learn technical skills at the shipyard.
• After Ye Yaodong reached the tractor outside the shipyard gates, Factory Director Wu ran out and called him back.

Ye Yaodong bargained with Factory Director Wu and secured a fishing net, a five-year warranty, and a full fuel tank for the boat. After returning home, he told Lin Xiuqing he also wanted to install a marine radio station, leaving her stunned by its 2,000-yuan price.

• Factory Director Wu called Ye Yaodong back and agreed to include a fishing net, a five-year warranty, and a full fuel tank in the boat deal.
• Ye Yaodong rode home with Uncle Zhou and heard that a villager had been robbed and beaten on the road.
• Ye Yaodong told Lin Xiuqing that the City shipyard charged 1,500 yuan more than the County Seat shipyard, so he had negotiated with Factory Director Wu instead.
• Lin Xiuqing learned that the boat deposit would be 5,000 yuan rather than 3,000 yuan, and Ye Yaodong explained that he wanted to add a marine radio station for safety.
• Lin Xiuqing and the Old Lady agreed the boat needed a marine radio station, but Lin Xiuqing was shocked when Ye Yaodong said it cost 2,000 yuan.

Ye Yaodong and Lin Xiuqing counted their household savings as they prepared to buy a fishing boat, and Lin Xiuqing questioned whether he should take on the risk alone. Ye Yaodong insisted on keeping the boat venture within their family, leaving them with about 15,800 yuan and a major purchase ahead.

• Lin Xiuqing agreed that Ye Yaodong should buy the radio equipment after he explained the price and warranty negotiations.
• Lin Xiuqing told Ye Yaodong she had paid his older brothers for their dried fish after their father weighed it.
• Ye Yaodong and Lin Xiuqing counted their cash while keeping Ye Xiaoxi away from the coins, and found they had around 15,800 yuan excluding small change.
• Lin Xiuqing suggested partnering with A-Guang to share the cost of the boat, but Ye Yaodong rejected the idea to avoid disputes with his other relatives.
• Lin Xiuqing warned Ye Yaodong to plan carefully and manage their money steadily, while he remained confident the boat would earn them money.

Ye Yaodong rode with his friends to the shipyard, where he signed the boat contract and paid the money. Afterward, he encouraged his friends to learn to read so they could handle contracts and travel more confidently.

• Ye Yaodong and Lin Xiuqing set aside five thousand yuan for the boat payment and agreed to buy their dried fish once it was ready.
• Ye Yaodong obtained a village certification letter and gathered A-Guang, Xiao Xiao, Li Xiaozheng, and A-Zheng to ride with him to the shipyard.
• The group reached the shipyard safely, and Ye Yaodong showed his friends around before signing the contract and handing over the money.
• When Xiao Xiao and A-Zheng admitted they struggled to read the contract, Ye Yaodong urged them to attend literacy classes, and Factory Director Wu agreed that reading was useful.

After signing the boat contract, Ye Yaodong discussed his plans to expand his fishing business and reassured his friends that he did not need to borrow from them. As the group prepared to head home, A-Zheng’s sudden jump onto Xiao Xiao’s bicycle caused a comic accident that left both men clutching their crotches.

• Ye Yaodong signed the contract and had Factory Director Wu count the money before they left together.
• A-Zheng considered attending Literacy Class, and Ye Yaodong encouraged his friends to work toward buying bigger boats and fishing farther offshore.
• When the others learned Ye Yaodong was borrowing money from his parents for the thirteen-thousand-yuan boat, Xiao Xiao and A-Zheng offered to lend him money.
• As the friends set off on their bicycles, A-Zheng jumped onto Xiao Xiao’s bicycle, making it topple and striking Xiao Xiao in the crotch.
• Xiao Xiao grabbed A-Zheng’s crotch in retaliation, and the two men ended up squatting on the ground, both in pain.

Ye Yaodong returned safely from town after signing the dried-fish contract, and he and Lin Xiuqing organized the neighbors’ stock for collection. As winter dangers increased, he stayed home until New Year’s Day, when he traveled to the city to pay for the shop but chose not to deliver the fish early.

• Ye Yaodong and A-Guang left A-Zheng and Xiao Xiao to recover, then helped them get home after A-Zheng’s crotch injury eased.
• Ye Yaodong told Lin Xiuqing that the contract was signed, and she organized the neighbors’ dried fish for collection while his brothers kept their stock at home.
• Ye Yaodong collected the neighbors’ dried fish and stored the sacks throughout his house, while assuring his brothers’ households he would buy their future batches too.
• Mother Ye warned the family that robbers had tried to stop a tractor, causing it to crash into a ditch and crush one man’s leg.
• Ye Yaodong stayed indoors through the cold weather, then rode to the city with his brothers and A-Cai on New Year’s Day to pay for the shop.
• Ye Yaodong decided to wait until the agreed date to deliver the dried fish so he would not seem overeager or reveal the military camp’s location.

Ye Yaodong bought a thousand jin of Bombay duck to dry and went to the New Market to draw a shop location. He secured a shop near entrance one and revealed that he had secretly bought a second shop as he went up to draw again.

• Ye Yaodong decided to buy a thousand jin of Bombay duck as a reserve for drying and loading, in case bad weather kept the fishing boats from going out.
• Ye Yaodong and the others returned to the New Market, where the market manager explained that buyers would draw lots for their shop locations.
• Ye Yaodong drew entrance one, shop twelve, one of the four shops near the entrance considered the best location.
• Other buyers drew two more shops at entrance one, while A-Cai and A-Gui drew shops at entrances two and three.
• Ye Yaodong went up to draw a second time, and A-Cai and A-Gui realized he had bought two shops without telling them.

Ye Yaodong and the others drew and registered their shops in the new Aquatic Products Market, then discussed renting them out. Back home, Ye Yaodong and Lin Xiuqing considered asking her father to mind a shop, while Lin planned the New Year gifts for her parents.

• Ye Yaodong drew shop 6 by the Second Entrance, while Ye Yaohua, Ye Yaopeng, A-Cai, and A-Gui drew shops near other entrances.
• Ye Yaodong and the others toured the market, found their shops, and registered them before heading home.
• The group discussed putting up rental notices, and Ye Yaodong agreed to post them in the City when he went there to deliver goods.
• Ye Yaodong proposed asking Lin Xiuqing's father to mind a shop, and Lin agreed to discuss it with him when they brought New Year gifts.
• Lin Xiuqing planned to take dried Bombay Duck, Malt Milk, meat, and snacks to her parents' home.

Ye Yaodong weighed his plans for the city shops while helping his family prepare fish, and the village grew busy as the New Year approached. After Ye Chenghu and Ye Chengyang fought at home, Ye Yaodong promised to take Ye Chengyang to visit his grandmother the next day, but not his brother.

• Ye Yaodong gave away some of the Bombay duck he had bought, then told his mother and eldest maternal aunt that he was still deciding what to do with his shop and did not confirm how many he had bought.
• As the twelfth lunar month began, peddlers filled the village roads and Lin Xiuqing went to East Bridge Village market to shop and prepare New Year gifts.
• Ye Chenghu nagged Lin Xiuqing to take him to the market or to his maternal grandmother's home, then argued with Ye Chengyang over which of them had been picked up from a cesspit.
• Ye Chenghu kicked Ye Chengyang and ran off, and Ye Chengyang cried until Ye Yaodong promised to take him to their grandmother's home the next day without his brother.

Ye Yaodong prepared to take advantage of the calm weather and go trawling that night, postponing the delivery of New Year gifts. After checking his boat, he gathered sea lettuce from the shore and brought it home, where the family planned to eat it with their meal.

• Ye Yaodong and Lin Xiuqing agreed to delay delivering New Year gifts while he tried fishing that night.
• Neighbors asked whether Ye Yaodong would still buy their dried fish, and he assured them he would.
• Ye Yaodong checked his boat at the pier, then gathered sea lettuce from the rocks during low tide.
• Ye Yaodong brought the sea lettuce home, and Lin Xiuqing suggested cooking it with eggs.
• Ye Xiaoxi pulled herself up in her standing cage and babbled while Ye Yaodong and the family watched her fondly.

Ye Yaodong fed and took Ye Xiaoxi out for a stroll, then agreed to make iron hoops for Ye Chenghu and Ye Chengyang after lunch. The boys went to wash their hands, while Lin Xiuqing complained that they neglected their holiday homework.

• Ye Yaodong fed Ye Xiaoxi and carried her outside to enjoy the sun.
• Ye Chenghu begged Ye Yaodong to make him an iron hoop, and Ye Yaodong inspected another child's hoop to see how it worked.
• Ye Chenghu's cousins crowded around to ask for hoops too, but Ye Chenghu shut them out of the courtyard.
• Ye Chenghu repeatedly asked whether his father would make the hoops after lunch, and Ye Yaodong finally confirmed that both boys would get one.
• Lin Xiuqing complained that Ye Chenghu played instead of doing his holiday homework, while Ye Yaodong told her to let him manage the deadline himself.

Ye Yaodong made hoop-rolling toys for his sons before returning to sea with Father Ye after ten days away. Their trawling went smoothly, but Father Ye noticed that another boat nearby had barely moved.

• Ye Yaodong fashioned two hoop-rolling toys from sheet iron and wire, and Ye Chengyang and Ye Chenghu ran off to play with them.
• That night, Ye Yaodong and Father Ye set out to fish, and Father Ye said villagers had been praising Ye Yaodong for buying two shop units in the city.
• Ye Yaodong and Father Ye reached their usual trawling grounds and found another boat already working nearby.
• After two trawling hauls brought aboard several baskets of toadfish and other fish, Father Ye pointed out that the other boat had barely moved for a long time.

Ye Yaodong and Father Ye investigated a motionless boat and discovered Uncle Lin catching a school of mullet alongside sea pigs. They joined the catch and hauled two sea pigs into their own trawl net.

• Ye Yaodong and Father Ye noticed a boat sitting motionless and steered closer to investigate while continuing to haul in their net.
• They recognized the boat as Uncle Lin's and saw him casting nets near a school of fish.
• Father Ye cast his Hand Cast Net among the remaining mullet while Uncle Lin explained that a group of sea pigs had been leading the school.
• Ye Yaodong and Father Ye hauled in their Trawl Net and found two twitching sea pigs inside.
• Ye Yaodong told Father Ye to empty the Hand Cast Net and cast again while he tried to catch up with the mullet.

Ye Yaodong and the others were fishing when a huge, unknown sea creature suddenly leapt between their boats and vanished beneath the waves. After escaping the area, they regrouped to sort their catch and cook breakfast, leaving the creature’s identity unknown.

• Ye Yaodong and Father Ye worked alongside Uncle Lin and his son to scoop up fish before resuming trawling.
• A huge gray-black creature leapt from the sea between the boats, drenched the men, and crashed back underwater, rocking both boats.
• Ye Yaodong and the others searched the water but saw no sign of the creature, and none of them could identify it.
• Ye Yaodong urged everyone to leave in case the creature returned, so the two boats traveled several hundred meters away together.
• After confirming everyone was safe, the group stopped to sort the catch and cook noodles for breakfast.

Ye Yaodong and his father returned to shore after setting gill nets and learned that the Zhou brothers had hauled in the enormous sea creature they had glimpsed earlier. The villagers gathered around it while A-Cai went to ask whether anyone would buy it, leaving the Zhou brothers hoping to profit from their difficult catch.

• Ye Yaodong and his father finished trawling, set gill nets, and reached the pier after dark.
• The Zhou brothers and other villagers dragged a roughly thousand-jin sea creature ashore, drawing a crowd.
• The Zhou brothers explained that the creature had become entangled in their net and that nearby boats had helped them haul it back.
• A-Gui refused to buy the creature, and A-Cai went to the Village Committee to ask potential buyers.
• Ye Yaodong told the villagers that he and his father had seen a similar creature leap from the sea earlier that day.

Ye Yaodong and the villagers waited to hear whether buyers would take the strange sea creature the Zhou brothers had hauled ashore, but no one committed before seeing it. After eating, Ye Yaodong rode back toward the pier with his father and met A-Guang on the way.

• Ye Yaodong considered whether the creature could be sold, while the Zhou brothers worried they might be stuck with it.
• A-Cai reported that several buyers and restaurants, including Hongsheng Hotel, would come to inspect the creature but would not promise to buy it sight unseen.
• The Zhou brothers arranged to take turns watching the creature as the villagers dispersed to eat and planned to return later.
• Ye Yaodong collected his sales slip, brought his cart and dogs home, and earned just over seventy yuan from the day's catch.
• Ye Yaodong rode back toward the pier with his dogs while Father Ye walked, and he encountered A-Guang, who asked about the sea monster.