Chapter Summaries

Ye Yaodong and Lin Xiuqing overheard officials explain how a raid on a deserted island uncovered pirate treasure and a smuggling operation. The treasure was sealed at the station for further searching, while Ye Yaodong suspected the gold nuggets he had found came from the same cache.

• Ye Yaodong brought the officials to his house, where Lin Xiuqing was trimming the Old Lady’s hair before the banquet.
• The Border Defense Station Deputy Chief said an anonymous letter had led officials to raid the island and arrest smugglers.
• The deputy chief explained that an arrested man revealed the island held pirate treasure, which the smugglers had only just found.
• The officials said the treasure had been sealed at the station while they searched the hill for anything else.
• Ye Yaodong wondered whether the two gold nuggets he had found were part of the pirate treasure.

Ye Yaodong discussed buying a confiscated fishing boat with local officials and was promised one at the lowest price, leaving Lin Xiuqing concerned about the expense and Ye Yaodong thinking about who would operate their boats. The group headed to a banquet, where Ye Chenghu proudly noticed his father seated among the important guests.

• Secretary Chen and Station Chief Tang discussed searching the island and warned the village chief to keep fishermen away from the search area.
• Ye Yaodong asked about buying a confiscated fishing boat, and Station Chief Tang agreed to save him one at the lowest price after Director Chen requested it.
• Lin Xiuqing went to check the account book, worried about the cost of adding another boat, while Ye Yaodong considered how to staff their boats.
• Ye Yaodong learned Station Chief Tang had brought along his injured military dog and thought about arranging for it to mate with one of his female dogs.
• The village chief led the group toward the banquet as Ye Eldest Sister-in-Law chased her sons home, and Ye Chenghu later admired Ye Yaodong sitting among the important guests.

At Tianhou Palace’s banquet, Rat’s wife tried to take seats that Ye Chenghu and Ye Chengyang had paid for, sparking an argument with Mother Ye and Lin Xiuqing. Ye Yaodong arrived and ended the dispute, while Rat was left ashamed and conscious of the distance that had grown between them.

• Rat’s wife tried to move Ye Chengyang and claim seats at Ye family’s table, saying the children did not need places of their own.
• Mother Ye and Lin Xiuqing insisted the family had paid for ten seats, showed their invitation, and told Rat’s wife to return to her assigned table.
• Rat’s wife accused the Ye family of being stingy, and Rat came over to pull her away as nearby diners watched.
• Ye Yaodong asked Rat whether he could not afford the meal and offered to pay for him, while Rat explained that his wife had misunderstood.
• Rat told his wife to stop embarrassing herself, but she insulted his earnings and returned to her seat, leaving Rat ashamed and feeling distant from Ye Yaodong.

Ye Yaodong attended the beam-raising banquet with his family, where villagers and officials ate while he listened to talk about cracking down on smuggling. After the feast, Secretary Chen gave the family a share of the offerings, and they packed up and headed home.

• Ye Yaodong returned to his seat after checking that Lin Xiuqing and the children had places at their table.
• The banquet began, and Ye Yaodong ate with village cadres while listening to officials discuss smuggling and coastal enforcement.
• Lin Xiuqing, Mother Ye, and the rest of the family looked after the children as the boys ran around and returned to eat during the meal.
• After the banquet, Secretary Chen brought Ye Yaodong's family loquats and a duck from the beam-raising offerings, and promised them brown sugar cake later.
• Ye Yaodong's family gathered their food and belongings, then called the two boys away from playing by reminding them to tell Brother A-Hai what they had eaten.

Ye Yaodong and Lin Xiuqing discussed how to handle the boats after Director Chen arranged for Ye Yaodong to buy another one at a low price. Ye Yaodong planned to bring the boats back and proposed a three-way partnership with his Eldest Brother and Second Brother for one of them.

• Ye Yaodong returned home to find everyone had gone to the beach to collect octopuses, while Mother Ye shared the duck and loquats among the families.
• Lin Xiuqing asked Ye Yaodong about the boat Director Chen had promised to reserve, and Ye Yaodong explained how the arrangement had come about.
• Ye Yaodong and his parents discussed bringing back the boat he had already marked and buying a second one from the Border Defense Station, while deciding how to explain the boats to others.
• Mother Ye suggested renting a spare boat to Ye Yaodong's Eldest Brother and Second Brother, and Ye Yaodong agreed to consider it.
• Ye Yaodong told Lin Xiuqing he planned to skipper one boat himself and have Father Ye skipper another, hiring two men to help.
• Ye Yaodong proposed that his Eldest Brother and Second Brother provide a boat and labor for a third boat, with the income from both boats split equally among the three brothers.

Ye Yaodong and Lin Xiuqing discussed partnering with his brothers to fish with two boats, while Ye Yaodong also considered how to sell and preserve the coming squid catch. After waking from his nap, he planned to discuss the boat arrangement with Father Ye and head out to sea that night to check for squid.

• Lin Xiuqing worked through the costs and shares of a two-boat partnership, and Ye Yaodong agreed to discuss the plan with Father Ye before approaching his brothers.
• Ye Yaodong kissed Lin Xiuqing to quiet her calculations, and they spent the afternoon resting with their baby.
• The children returned from playing on the beach, ate their banquet leftovers, and Ye Chenghai and Ye Chenghe wrestled until Mother Ye chased them off.
• Ye Yaodong woke to the smell of duck stew and heard Father Ye and Mother Ye bickering over carrying bowls next door.
• Ye Yaodong planned to go out to sea that night to check whether squid season was near, and considered selling fish sauce, salted squid eggs, and dried squid.

Ye Yaodong discussed his squid-season plans with his parents and proposed pooling two boats with his eldest and second brothers, while his family celebrated the influence they could gain from his boat purchases. The family planned to bring a boat back for repairs and await news about the third boat.

• Ye Yaodong decided to experiment with drying squid near the end of the fishing season, after selling his early catch fresh.
• Ye Yaodong proposed repairing his boat, hiring two helpers, and fishing around last year's island while using branches to attract squid.
• Ye Yaodong suggested pooling the proceeds, fuel costs, and wages from his boat and his eldest and second brothers' boat, with each brother receiving one-third.
• Father Ye agreed to discuss the partnership with his older sons after dinner, while Mother Ye revealed she had already told villagers Ye Yaodong bought a boat.
• Mother Ye proposed using the officials' involvement in reserving a third boat to make the family seem well-connected, and Ye Yaodong and Lin Xiuqing praised her plan.

Ye Yaodong arranged for Ye Yaopeng and Ye Yaohua to share a boat for cuttlefish season, while Father Ye ended their rent payments and offered Ye Yaodong a lower wage arrangement. The family agreed that the brothers would benefit from the boats, and Ye Yaodong promised his parents a secure retirement.

• Ye Yaodong told Ye Yaopeng and Ye Yaohua that he would share another boat with them, and both brothers agreed to fish together during cuttlefish season.
• Father Ye told Ye Yaopeng and Ye Yaohua that they would no longer pay rent for their boat after the current month, and the three brothers would split their earnings equally.
• Father Ye told Ye Yaodong privately that he would reduce his wages, then proposed accepting only sixty yuan a month.
• Ye Yaodong offered to support his parents in their old age and settled on paying Father Ye a guaranteed eighty yuan monthly, or one thousand yuan a year, without a share of the earnings.

Ye Yaodong and his parents settled how they would handle the boat and his father's paid work, while keeping the arrangement quiet from his brothers' families. After his parents left, Lin Xiuqing checked the incubating eggs and found some had not developed, while Ye Chenghu worried that his sickly green chick might not survive until the others hatched.

• Ye Yaodong agreed to pay Father Ye wages for working for him and asked Mother Ye to keep their arrangement and the boat's origins private.
• Father Ye and Mother Ye said they would leave the boat rent-free for Ye Yaodong's older brothers, then prepared to go home.
• Lin Xiuqing asked Mother Ye to buy five goslings at the market, and Mother Ye agreed.
• The Old Lady and Lin Xiuqing said Ye Yaodong's family had not lost out because Father Ye was helping him for wages rather than taking a share.
• Ye Chenghu urged Lin Xiuqing to candle the eggs, and she removed the unfertilized eggs from beneath the hen.
• Ye Chenghu worried that his listless Little Green chick would not survive until the chicks and ducklings hatched.

After Mazu’s birthday celebrations, Ye Yaodong and Father Ye returned to the submerged reefs to check their shrimp pots and test whether squid season had begun. They hauled up a heavy catch, much of it spoiled, and planned to reuse the pots and recover one snagged on the reefs when the weather warmed.

• Ye Yaodong and Father Ye approached the reefs at night and found the shrimp-pot buoys still in place.
• Ye Yaodong and Father Ye tapped seawater in a dipper but saw no points of light, so they concluded squid season had not started.
• Ye Yaodong hauled up the shrimp pots and found large catches of mostly dead fish and shrimp, along with a few fresh small green lobsters and sea cucumbers.
• Ye Yaodong and Father Ye decided to sort the catch, use spoiled seafood for poultry or bait, and bring out the fishing pots the next day.
• Ye Yaodong said he wanted to dive for a shrimp pot snagged on the reefs, but Father Ye told him to wait until the weather warmed.

Ye Yaodong and Father Ye fished near Oarfish Island while keeping their distance from the Border Defense Station boats, then Ye Yaodong dived to retrieve snagged shrimp pots. Underwater, he encountered a huge school of yellowtail scad attacking a large sea bass.

• Ye Yaodong and Father Ye hauled their shrimp pots and trawled successfully, finding no squid in their catch.
• Three boats headed toward Oarfish Island, so the pair moved farther out and continued fishing until the boats left at dusk.
• Ye Yaodong found that one string of shrimp pots was snagged and persuaded Father Ye to let him dive for it.
• Ye Yaodong entered the water, spotted a large sea bass, and saw a dense school of yellowtail scad surround it.

Ye Yaodong and Father Ye found a huge school of yellowtail scad and hauled in several netfuls as a tiger shark attacked the fish. As another boat approached, Ye Yaodong cast his net over the battle, but the shark’s violent resistance made the catch difficult to haul in.

• Ye Yaodong spotted a massive school of yellowtail scad underwater and surfaced to alert Father Ye.
• Father Ye had already begun casting, and he and Ye Yaodong hauled in a netful weighing over three hundred jin.
• A tiger shark charged into the school, prompting the yellowtail scad to swarm and attack it.
• Ye Yaodong and Father Ye hauled in more netfuls while discussing how to catch the battling fish before the school scattered.
• When another boat approached, Ye Yaodong cast his net over the center of the fight, but the struggling tiger shark resisted the haul.

Ye Yaodong and Father Ye hauled in a huge catch of yellowtail scad while a second shark stirred the school below. Station Chief Tang allowed them to fish nearby but said the boat paperwork would take three to five days, and Father Ye spotted another great blue shark as they prepared to cast again.

• Ye Yaodong and Father Ye brought a net holding roughly five or six hundred jin of yellowtail scad aboard as the Border Defense Station's fishing boat approached.
• Ye Yaodong explained to Station Chief Tang that they had stayed away from the island and asked permission to fish nearby, and Tang agreed as long as they did not interfere with official work.
• Ye Yaodong asked when he could collect the boat they had discussed, and Station Chief Tang said the station would call in about three to five days after settling the procedure.
• After the official boat left, Father Ye told Ye Yaodong that another great blue shark had arrived and was fighting beneath the surface, stirring the yellowtail scad.
• Ye Yaodong began emptying the net and prepared to cast again after Father Ye estimated the shark weighed eighty or ninety jin.

Ye Yaodong and Father Ye caught yellowtail scad attacking a great blue shark, but their final net tore and let the shark and many fish fall back into the sea. Ye Yaodong dived to retrieve the shark and shrimp pots, then prepared to surface with the shark secured by rope.

• Ye Yaodong cast a net around the fighting yellowtail scad, and Father Ye helped haul in the catch.
• Father Ye cast the final net, but it split as they lifted it, dropping the great blue shark and many yellowtail scad back into the sea.
• Ye Yaodong tied a rope around his waist and dived to search for the shark and his shrimp pots.
• Ye Yaodong found the great blue shark on the seabed and secured it with the rope.
• Ye Yaodong freed a string of shrimp pots from a submerged reef and prepared to surface.

Ye Yaodong found and caught six soft cuttlefish while retrieving a trapped shrimp pot, then helped Father Ye haul a great blue shark aboard. After docking, he discussed the catch and his boat purchase with A-Cai, while keeping his second boat secret.

• Ye Yaodong spotted soft cuttlefish in a rock crevice and caught six before surfacing.
• Ye Yaodong and Father Ye hauled the great blue shark aboard, and Father Ye urged him not to risk staying underwater so long.
• Ye Yaodong and Father Ye retrieved the remaining shrimp pots and returned to the dock with baskets of shrimp and a large catch of yellowtail scad.
• Ye Yaodong decided to take the shrimp and yellowtail scad home to sort and dry instead of selling them to A-Cai.
• A-Cai asked about Ye Yaodong's shop and newly purchased boat, and Ye Yaodong kept quiet about the additional boat he planned to bring back.

Ye Yaodong returned home with a large catch, helped his family sort it, and discussed plans for his boats and the coming squid season. He revealed that the Border Defense Station would soon sell confiscated smuggling boats and that Director Chen had already asked for one for him, leaving A-Zheng and Xiao Xiao astonished.

• Ye Yaodong brought home a huge catch, and his mother suggested drying spoiled shrimp to sell until he and Old Lady stopped her.
• Ye Yaodong and Father Ye planned to bring back his boat, prepare firewood, and dive for soft cuttlefish while keeping their work private.
• A-Zheng and Xiao Xiao asked whether they could fish with Ye Yaodong around last year's island, and he assured them three boats could fish there.
• Ye Yaodong told A-Zheng and Xiao Xiao that the Border Defense Station would soon sell confiscated boats and that Director Chen had requested another boat for him, shocking them.

Ye Yaodong told his family and friends that he had been promised another boat by the Border Defense Station, then rode to the pier at night to bring his current boat home. He left the pier heading toward White Sand Village, reflecting on how quickly his fleet had grown.

• Ye Yaodong told A-Zheng, Xiao Xiao, and Father Ye about the boat reserved for him, and agreed to inform his brothers if the Border Defense Station contacted him.
• Ye Yaodong asked them to keep the news quiet, then told Lin Xiuqing he would bring his boat home that night.
• Ye Yaodong rode alone through the dark to the pier, found his red, white, and black fishing boat, and crossed other boats to board it.
• Ye Yaodong started the diesel engine and steered the boat away from the pier toward White Sand Village.
• Ye Yaodong reflected that he had unexpectedly acquired several boats before his twenty-four-meter boat arrived.

Ye Yaodong brought the fishing boat ashore and discussed its repairs with Lin Xiuqing before heading back out to sea with his father. While diving near the reef at sunset, he found two groupers fighting among a gathering of small fish.

• Ye Yaodong brought the boat as far up the beach as the high tide allowed and told Mother Ye to use the two sharks for fins, dumplings, and shared food.
• Lin Xiuqing and Ye Yaodong agreed to take the day after tomorrow off so he and his father could scrape and repaint the boat themselves.
• Ye Yaodong and his father fished through the night and day, keeping their distance from the three boats from the Border Defense Production Team.
• After the other boats left, Ye Yaodong searched the reef for the shrimp pots, caught two small green lobsters, and spotted a pair of groupers fighting among the seaweed.

Ye Yaodong caught a live money grouper and a leopard coral grouper after finding them locked together in a fight. After he and Father Ye secured the fish, Father Ye volunteered to dive while Ye Yaodong rested, and Ye Yaodong considered whether his father could manage it.

• Ye Yaodong watched two groupers fight and recognized them as a money grouper and a leopard coral grouper.
• When the larger grouper’s mouth became stuck around the smaller one’s, Ye Yaodong scooped both into his hand net and separated them inside his mesh bag.
• Ye Yaodong and Father Ye punctured the fish’s swim bladders and placed them in separate seawater buckets, where both revived.
• Ye Yaodong told Father Ye how he caught the groupers and said he would rest before diving again to search for the submerged reef gap.
• Father Ye offered to dive in Ye Yaodong’s place, and Ye Yaodong questioned whether he could handle staying underwater.

Ye Yaodong watched Father Ye try diving, but his father’s leg cramped underwater and he gave up on going down again. Ye Yaodong returned to the seabed, where he found a large patch of pen shells and more abalone, and planned to bring a net on a future trip.

• Ye Yaodong warned Father Ye about diving risks, but Father Ye entered the water wearing the gear and descended.
• Father Ye’s left leg cramped at about seven or eight meters, so he stayed still until the pain eased and then surfaced.
• Ye Yaodong scolded his father, who agreed to stop diving and rest aboard the boat.
• After checking that Father Ye was well, Ye Yaodong put on his gear and returned underwater.
• Ye Yaodong found a large patch of pen shells, collected a few, and decided to bring a small net to gather more later.
• Ye Yaodong searched around the reef, found two more large abalone, and continued looking for ones he had missed before.