Chapter Summaries

Ye Yaodong watched the Zhou brothers struggle to sell their huge, unidentified sea monster after several seafood buyers rejected it. He suggested contacting the Fisheries Bureau, leaving the brothers with a possible next step for the unusual catch.

• Ye Yaodong told A-Guang that fame was unnecessary because his name would soon be carved on the Mazu Temple merit stele.
• Ye Yaodong and A-Guang arrived at the pier, where villagers waited with the Zhou brothers and their sea monster.
• A mustached seafood buyer examined the creature but refused to buy it, saying it was ugly, unfamiliar, and difficult to sell.
• Two more seafood buyers also rejected the sea monster, disappointing the Zhou brothers and A-Cai.
• Ye Yaodong advised the Zhou brothers to contact the Fisheries Bureau and ask what to do about the strange creature.

After a strange sea creature could not be sold, Ye Yaodong suggested that the Zhou brothers contact the Fisheries Bureau and donate it. The creature was stored overnight in A-Cai’s shed, leaving the village waiting to learn whether officials would take it and identify it.

• Ye Yaodong advised the Zhou brothers to ask the Village Committee or Newspaper Office for the Fisheries Bureau’s number and offer the sea creature as a donation.
• A-Cai let the Zhou brothers store the creature in his shed overnight, and Ye Yaodong and A-Guang helped move it inside.
• Ye Yaodong told A Qing and Old Lady about the plan, while Lin Xiuqing decided to make him a work jacket from the boys’ old clothes.
• Ye Yaodong went out to sea that night and wondered whether the Fisheries Bureau would collect the creature and whether the Newspaper Office would report on it.

Ye Yaodong and Father Ye finished fishing and returned to shore, where county officials and a newspaper reporter had gathered to inspect the strange sea monster. The crowd focused on the officials and their sidecar motorcycles, while Ye Yaodong wondered whether Director Chen would take the creature.

• Father Ye scolded Ye Yaodong for talking about buying a refrigerator, television, and washing machine, and Ye Yaodong imagined saving up for a camera.
• Ye Yaodong and Father Ye set their remaining gill nets, hauled in the catch, and made one more trawling run before heading back early.
• Ye Yaodong and Father Ye found a crowd gathered outside A-Cai's buying station and went ashore to see what was happening.
• Ye Yaodong spotted Deputy Director Chen, a newspaper reporter photographing the sea monster, and two three-wheeled sidecar motorcycles.
• A villager told Ye Yaodong that the county officials had arrived together on the motorcycles, and Ye Yaodong asked whether Director Chen had agreed to take the sea monster.

Ye Yaodong reunited with Director Chen when Fisheries Bureau officials visited the village to inspect a reported sea monster. He invited the officials and village cadres to dinner at his home, and they agreed to wait there while the tractor returned.

• Ye Yaodong joked with villagers before Director Chen recognized him from their earlier meeting over the Chinese sturgeon.
• Ye Yaodong welcomed Director Chen and the other officials, then discussed the village's Mazu Temple and how donations had funded its construction.
• Ye Yaodong unloaded his catch with Father Ye and invited Director Chen, the Fisheries Bureau officials, and village cadres to dinner.
• Father Ye took selected seafood home, where Lin Xiuqing, the Old Lady, and Father Ye prepared extra food for the guests.
• Ye Yaodong waited at the pier with the officials and Newspaper Office correspondent, then suggested they go to his home as the wind strengthened and the tractor was delayed.

Ye Yaodong brought Director Chen and the other officials to his home, where his family served them a meal while they waited for the Tractor. After a lively dinner, the officials left for the Pier, and Ye Yaodong secured a promise to receive a photo from Comrade Jiang.

• The Zhou brothers watched as the officials accepted Ye Yaodong’s invitation and followed him home, while the villagers followed along.
• Ye Yaodong told Director Chen about the Oarfish and Giant Squid he had caught, and Director Chen gave him a phone number for reporting unusual sea creatures.
• Lin Xiuqing, Father Ye, and the Old Lady welcomed the officials with a meal, while Lin Xiuqing secretly fed the children in the bedroom.
• Ye Yaodong and the officials shared a cheerful dinner, and Father Ye showed an inland guest how to eat a crab.
• The Zhou brothers reported that the Tractor had arrived, so Director Chen and his companions left for the Pier; Comrade Jiang promised to mail Ye Yaodong a photo.

After the officials took the sea monster, Ye Yaodong saw them off and learned that the Zhou brothers would have to wait weeks for their subsidy. He returned home and surprised his mother by thanking her for cleaning fish.

• Ye Yaodong and the villagers secured the sea monster to a tractor, and Director Chen thanked Ye Yaodong for his hospitality and offered him a phone number in case he needed help.
• Ye Yaodong’s dogs refused to leave the motorcycle sidecar until he threatened them with dog meat hotpot, then jumped down as the officials laughed.
• After the officials departed, the Zhou brothers asked the village officials when their subsidy would arrive and learned they might have to wait until after New Year.
• The Zhou brothers asked Ye Yaodong about his own subsidy, and he said he had received fifty yuan, a banner, and various goods.
• Ye Yaodong thanked Mother Ye for cleaning fish, startling her enough that she cut her hand, and she teased him about suddenly acting caring.

Ye Yaodong and Lin Xiuqing prepared to visit her parents with their sons, while their household banter and the boys’ squabbling delayed their departure. After breakfast, the family was ready to set out, with Ye Yaodong’s baby daughter staying home with the Old Lady.

• Ye Yaodong joked with Mother Ye about having no money, then helped Lin Xiuqing peel leftover seafood for congee and discussed their plans for the next day.
• Lin Xiuqing prepared gifts and warm clothes for a visit to her parents’ home, while Ye Chenghu and Ye Chengyang argued over who would go.
• The Old Lady reminded Lin Xiuqing to dress everyone warmly and keep Ye Yaodong’s baby daughter at home with her.
• Ye Yaodong lingered in bed admiring his daughter and joked about her future before getting up for breakfast.
• The brothers quarreled again, and Ye Yaodong and Lin Xiuqing warned that neither would go if they kept fighting.
• The family ate the Old Lady’s seafood congee, and the boys praised her cooking.

Ye Yaodong brought Lin Xiuqing and their sons to visit her parents, then revealed that he had bought two shops in the City. He asked Father Lin to run one as a dried-fish shop, leaving Father Lin worried about the expense and unsure whether to accept.

• Ye Yaodong and Lin Xiuqing rode their bicycle with their two sons to Maternal Grandmother's House, where Ye Chenghu ran off to find his cousins.
• Ye Yaodong told Lin Mother and Father Lin that he had bought two shops in the City for six thousand yuan, shocking them.
• Lin Xiuqing explained that the new market was deserted and the shops had not attracted renters.
• Ye Yaodong asked Father Lin to go to the City and sell dried fish from one of the shops, saying he trusted him more than an outsider.
• Father Lin objected that he knew nobody in the City and was distressed by the money Ye Yaodong had spent.

Ye Yaodong tried to persuade Father Lin to manage his city shop after New Year, but Father Lin remained unsure and asked for time to discuss it with the family. The visit ended with Ye Yaodong accepting the children’s New Year red envelopes and the family setting off home before dark.

• Ye Yaodong urged Father Lin to try managing the shop after New Year, offering to bring supplies and take him home if it did not work out.
• Father Lin agreed to consider a trial but said he needed to discuss the idea with Lin Mother and his two older sons-in-law.
• Ye Yaodong followed Father Lin to help with the radishes while Lin Mother questioned Lin Xiuqing about the shop.
• Ye Chenghu tried to stop Lin Mother from giving the children red envelopes, but Lin Mother insisted and Lin Xiuqing tried to return them.
• Ye Yaodong took the red envelopes after Lin Mother handed them to him, then the family said goodbye and rode home before sunset.

Ye Yaodong took Ye Chenghu to town to invite the photo studio owner to photograph his extended family for New Year. He persuaded the owner to come to the village after finishing the waiting customers, promising to help bring in more business.

• Ye Yaodong cycled to town with Ye Chenghu, who hoped to get pocket money and treats along the way.
• Ye Yaodong bought snacks and dried fruit for Ye Chenghu, then promised to ask his wife to give the boy two fen a day if he studied hard.
• Ye Yaodong reached the photo studio and asked its owner to come take a full family portrait at his home.
• The photo studio owner suggested coming in the afternoon, but Ye Yaodong urged him to come sooner and promised to spread the word in the village.

Ye Yaodong brought a photographer to the village and arranged portraits for his family and neighbors. The chapter ended with the extended family posing for a group photo that included their dogs.

• Ye Yaodong announced that the photographer would take pictures at his home, and the villagers began booking turns.
• Ye Yaodong encouraged his relatives to change into nice clothes and have family portraits taken, while the photographer gained several jobs from the neighbors.
• Ye Yaodong's family took portraits, including one of Old Lady and a picture of Lin Xiuqing at her sewing machine.
• Father Ye and Mother Ye arrived, and Mother Ye posed at the sewing machine before everyone gathered for a large family portrait.
• Ye Chenghu insisted that the dogs be included, so they joined the family portrait and the photographer took an extra candid photo of him directing them.

Ye Yaodong’s family finished taking portraits, including a picture of his parents together and one of Ye Yaodong by himself. As the photographer moved on to Ye Yaodong’s elder brother’s family, villagers began gathering to ask about getting their own pictures taken.

• The children crowded around the photographer to ask about seeing their pictures, and he explained that the developed photos would be ready in three or four days.
• Ye Chenghai realized that the family had forgotten to invite Huimei and A-Guang, but Mother Ye decided they could take pictures with them another time.
• Mother Ye asked for a portrait with Father Ye beside the bicycle, and they posed together after she struggled to get onto it.
• Old Lady, the nieces, and the boys urged Ye Yaodong to take a solo portrait, and he agreed to pose in front of his house.
• Ye Yaodong’s family finished its portraits, Father Ye declined a solo picture, and Ye Eldest Sister-in-Law invited the photographer to take pictures of her family.
• Villagers gathered to watch and asked about the price as the photographer began taking pictures next door.

Ye Yaodong’s family had their picture taken, then discussed their dried-fish business and plans for their city shop over lunch. Afterward, Ye Yaodong joined the village crowd, where Rat awkwardly tried to socialize and A-Guang explained how he and his father were running a boat to supply Ye Yaodong.

• The photographer drew a crowd of villagers, and Ye Yaodong encouraged him to visit other villages to find more customers.
• Lin Xiuqing made Ye Chenghu change out of his new clothes, and the family persuaded him to stop sulking and eat lunch.
• Ye Yaodong and his parents discussed selling surplus dried fish, keeping one city shop for their own goods, and asking his father-in-law to manage it.
• Ye Yaodong joined the villagers watching the photographer and greeted friends, while Rat tried to make conversation before moving away awkwardly.
• A-Guang told Ye Yaodong that he and his father were taking their boat out and had hired another worker so they could keep supplying his business.

Ye Yaodong and three companions caught two human traffickers who had abducted A-Cai's youngest son. The villagers nearly beat the men to death, but Ye Yaodong and the village officials urged them to hand the traffickers over to the Border Defense Station.

• Ye Yaodong, A-Guang, Xiao Xiao, and A-Zheng spotted two men carrying off A-Cai's youngest son and chased them.
• The traffickers dropped the child and ran, but Ye Yaodong struck one with a stick while A-Guang caught the other, and the four men beat them.
• A-Zheng fetched help, and A-Cai and his wife arrived to reclaim their son as villagers gathered and joined in the beating.
• The village officials tried to stop the crowd from killing the traffickers, while A-Cai urged the villagers to sacrifice them to Mazu.
• Ye Yaodong argued that the villagers should hand the traffickers to the Border Defense Station, and the villagers hesitated when he warned that killing them would bring bad luck.

Ye Yaodong and the villagers stopped two suspected child traffickers from abducting A-Cai’s youngest son, then injured them and sent them to the Border Defense Station so they could be questioned about accomplices. The incident left the village on alert, and Ye Yaodong strengthened his household’s security as the villagers watched for strangers.

• Ye Yaodong persuaded the angry villagers to spare the two traffickers so the authorities could interrogate them, and the villagers broke their arms before sending them to the Border Defense Station.
• A-Cai thanked Ye Yaodong, A-Guang, and the others and invited them to dinner, while Secretary Chen urged villagers to watch for strangers.
• Ye Yaodong and Lin Xiuqing warned Ye Chenghu and Ye Chengyang to stay away from strangers and promised them New Year’s money if they behaved.
• Villagers began questioning and driving away suspicious visitors, including two men who spoke awkward Mandarin and did not know the local dialect.
• Ye Yaodong split the household dogs between the front and back doors and built another doghouse, and the dogs later barked at night near the back of the house.

As Ye Yaodong went to help with the pig slaughter, Lin Xiuqing spotted a ghostly light over the sea and called him back. They discovered it was moonlight reflecting off the water, but Ye Yaodong then heard fish splashing nearby.

• Ye Yaodong got up before dawn to help slaughter the family pig and planned to buy meat and offal for New Year.
• Lin Xiuqing saw a frightening white light over the sea while shutting the courtyard gate and called out in alarm.
• Ye Yaodong returned, saw the light too, and went with Lin Xiuqing toward the beach to investigate.
• The couple found that moonlight reflected off the water and made the light look like a ghost from far away.
• Ye Yaodong heard fish splashing in the water, though Lin Xiuqing could hear only the waves.

Ye Yaodong left Lin Xiuqing at home and went to the Old House, where his family slaughtered Ye Yaohua’s pig and divided up the meat and innards. He returned home with pork while his brothers discussed raising more pigs in the spring.

• Ye Yaodong suggested selling their leftover fish sauce at the shop they planned to open after the New Year, then escorted Lin Xiuqing home before heading to the Old House.
• Ye Yaodong arrived as his family prepared to slaughter Ye Yaohua’s 208-jin pig and watched the butcher kill and dress it.
• Ye Yaodong bought pork and agreed to keep a share of the pig’s blood, while his brothers and sisters-in-law claimed other meat and innards.
• Ye Yaodong spent the twenty yuan he had brought and carried a bucket of pork home with his brothers.
• Ye Yaopeng said he planned to raise two or three piglets in spring, but Ye Yaodong declined because he did not want Lin Xiuqing burdened with the work.

Ye Yaodong went to the beach at night to investigate a strange underwater glow and discovered a cigar shark attacking a baby great white shark. As the wounded shark and its attacker struggled toward shore, he prepared to catch them from the beach.

• Ye Yaodong left home with nets and a bucket to search the beach after hearing strange sounds by the water.
• He collected stranded small fish and shellfish before noticing a glow and splashes farther out at sea.
• Ye Yaodong identified the glowing fish as a cigar shark biting a baby great white shark.
• The injured baby great white shark and the cigar shark fought their way closer to shore, and Ye Yaodong readied his long-handled net while keeping out of the water.

Ye Yaodong caught a Great White Shark Pup and a Cigar Shark fighting in the shallows and brought them home. After the Old Lady warmed and cared for him, he planned to butcher the fish after daybreak and share them with his family.

• Ye Yaodong used a Hand Net to haul the Great White Shark Pup and Cigar Shark from the shallows onto the beach.
• Ye Yaodong found the Cigar Shark among the stones, put it in a bucket, and dragged the Great White Shark Pup home.
• The Old Lady scolded Ye Yaodong for going out in the dark, then prepared hot water so he could warm his soaked feet.
• Ye Yaodong told the Old Lady that he would butcher the sharks after daybreak and save the Great White Shark Pup’s fins for New Year’s Eve.
• Ye Yaodong told Lin Xiuqing about his catch, and they talked about preparing shark meat for the family before going back to sleep.

Ye Yaodong butchered the great white shark and prepared its fins and meat for the family’s New Year meals. That evening, the family celebrated Little New Year's Eve, and Lin Xiuqing and Ye Yaodong decided to check on the delayed family photos the next day.

• Ye Yaodong woke to Ye Xiaoxi drooling on his face, changed her, and joined the family for breakfast.
• Ye Yaodong cut the shark’s fins off to soak, removed its innards, and set aside the stomach to stir-fry for lunch.
• The children enjoyed pork cracklings and fried shark, then searched for firecrackers after the family made offerings to the Kitchen God.
• Ye Xiaoxi watched the children run toward the beach and cried as Ye Yaodong carried her inside.
• Lin Xiuqing mentioned that the family photos had not arrived after ten days, and Ye Yaodong said he would go collect them the next day.