Chapter Summaries

Ye Yaodong joined Hong Wenle and his friends as they tried sea fishing, showing the inexperienced anglers how to bait hooks and handle their catches. After the group caught several fish, Ye Yaodong spotted a school of large yellow croaker beneath the water.

• Ye Yaodong watched Hong Wenle's friends prepare their rods and corrected their shrimp baiting before demonstrating a cast.
• Ye Yaodong caught a large silver pomfret, and the young men let him keep it.
• The anglers caught black seabream, a greater amberjack, and a school of yellow drum, while Ye Yaodong explained how to bleed the fish to preserve their meat.
• Ye Yaodong noticed a broad patch of golden light moving beneath the sea and recognized it as a school of large yellow croaker.

Ye Yaodong and the others watched the young men fish among a glowing school of large yellow croaker, unable to catch any themselves because they had no nets or rods. After Hong Wenle landed a bonito, Ye Yaodong bled and prepared it for sashimi as the group continued catching fish.

• Ye Yaodong and the others asked for fishing nets when they spotted a glowing school of large yellow croaker, but the yacht had none.
• Sun Zhiming caught a large yellow croaker, prompting the other young men to bait their hooks and fish for the school.
• Three of the six young men caught large yellow croaker before the school swam away.
• Hong Wenle landed a large bonito after a long fight and asked Ye Yaodong to bleed it.
• Ye Yaodong bled the bonito, cleaned the earlier Dussumier's thryssa, and prepared both fish while the young men caught more fish.

Ye Yaodong returned from a successful night fishing trip with money, food, and two pearls, then shared the news with Lin Xiuqing. The couple ate noodles together after discovering there might be more pearls in the oysters waiting in the backyard.

• Ye Yaodong and the young men fished until ten, caught several fish, and agreed to return to shore.
• At Hairun Small Wharf, Hong Wenle had Wang Maoquan pay the group extra, and Ye Yaodong sold his Silver Pomfret and received ice money for it.
• Ye Yaodong walked home with his friends and found Lin Xiuqing awake and waiting for him.
• Ye Yaodong gave Lin Xiuqing the food and maltose he had bought for the children, along with his earnings and two pearls he had found in oysters.
• Lin Xiuqing remembered the sack of oysters in the backyard, and Ye Yaodong suggested they open it together the next day.
• Ye Yaodong and Lin Xiuqing made noodles and ate quietly together after the children had fallen asleep.

Ye Yaodong shucked the oysters he had brought home while his family and relatives discussed the pearls found in Ye Huimei’s catch. The chapter ended with Ye Yaodong discovering a pearl in his own sack of oysters.

• Ye Yaodong’s sons woke him demanding the fried dough cakes and malt candy he had promised them, and Lin Xiuqing made them wait until after breakfast.
• With the tide too low to take his boat out, Ye Yaodong began shucking the untouched sack of oysters and set aside ten for Lin Xiuqing to steam.
• Mother Ye arrived and told Ye Yaodong and the others that Ye Huimei’s sack had yielded three pearls, in addition to one she had found herself.
• Lin Xiuqing explained to Ye Eldest Sister-in-Law and Ye Second Sister-in-Law how Ye Huimei had earned over three hundred yuan selling her catch and found pearls in oysters.
• As Ye Yaodong continued shucking, he suddenly exclaimed, prompting the women to ask whether he had found a pearl.

Ye Yaodong and his family opened a large batch of oysters, finding thirteen pearls, and he decided to keep his rather than sell them. He agreed to join A-Zheng for longline fishing that afternoon, curious to learn the method.

• Ye Yaodong found a saltwater pearl in an oyster, and Mother Ye and his sisters-in-law asked to join him on a future trip to gather seafood.
• Lin Xiuqing found a second pearl while eating an oyster, and the couple resumed opening the rest of the oysters after breakfast.
• Ye Eldest Sister-in-Law, Ye Second Sister-in-Law, Ye Second Older Brother, Xiao Xiao, and A-Zheng joined the oyster-opening team, which found thirteen pearls in total.
• Xiao Xiao and A-Zheng considered selling their pearls, while Ye Yaodong chose to keep his and suggested they first ask a shop what the pearls were worth.
• A-Zheng said he planned to try longline fishing with hooks from his father-in-law, and Ye Yaodong agreed to go with him that afternoon.

Ye Yaodong joined Xiao Xiao and A-Zheng at sea, where they tested a longline and caught several fish while discussing the dangers of smuggling. As A-Zheng hauled in the line, he pulled up a Maori wrasse, leaving all three fishermen delighted and surprised.

• Ye Yaodong hauled in his pot traps and met Xiao Xiao and A-Zheng as they prepared to test their longline.
• A-Zheng set the longline, and Ye Yaodong caught a conger eel and a sea bass while the men waited.
• Xiao Xiao and A-Zheng discussed smuggling, and Ye Yaodong warned them to avoid it and stick to fishing.
• A-Zheng began hauling in the longline and caught a white croaker, several poisonous marine catfish, and finally a Maori wrasse.

Ye Yaodong joined A-Zheng and Xiao Xiao as they hauled in a rich longline catch, including a valuable Blue-Green Wrasse and a baby Zhonghua Little Dolphin that they released. After selling the catch, Ye Yaodong decided to have longlines made, then found his eldest uncle and cousins meeting with his brothers and wondered what they wanted.

• Ye Yaodong identified A-Zheng's large fish as a Blue-Green Wrasse rather than a Maori Wrasse, and the men hauled it aboard.
• A-Zheng and Xiao Xiao continued pulling in the longline, catching several large fish and a baby Zhonghua Little Dolphin, which Ye Yaodong told them to release.
• A large Zhonghua White Dolphin appeared with the little dolphin before both swam away, and the men headed home with their catch.
• Ye Yaodong sold the Blue-Green Wrasse for eighty-six yuan and decided to hire someone to make longlines.
• Ye Yaodong found Eldest Uncle Ye, Ye Yaohong, another cousin, and his brothers gathered at his eldest brother's house.
• Ye Yaodong asked Ye Yaohong for money and reminded Eldest Uncle Ye of his earlier request for a loan, then wondered what the visitors wanted from his family.

Ye Yaodong rejected Ye Yaohong’s offer of guaranteed monthly dividends, suspecting the investment scheme was dishonest. After learning Ye Yaohong had recently become wealthy and brought a television to the village, Ye Yaodong wondered if he was involved in smuggling, then discussed keeping their savings quiet and hiring someone to make longlines with Lin Xiuqing.

• Ye Yaohong urged Ye Yaodong, Ye Yaopeng, and Ye Yaohua to invest money in his fabric business, promising fixed monthly dividends.
• Ye Yaodong asked to inspect the business and questioned how it could guarantee returns, but Ye Yaohong and Eldest Uncle Ye pressured the cousins to invest.
• Ye Yaopeng and Ye Yaohua declined after Ye Yaodong pointed out that they would have no control over their money, and Ye Yaohong left angrily.
• Ye Yaopeng and Ye Yaohua told Ye Yaodong that Ye Yaohong had recently bought several appliances, including the village’s first television.
• Ye Yaodong told Lin Xiuqing about the investment pitch and suggested Ye Yaohong may have become wealthy through smuggling.
• Ye Yaodong discussed hiring someone to make longlines, and Lin Xiuqing supported his decision.

Ye Yaodong spent a rare day at home helping Lin Xiuqing prepare shellfish, while his relatives debated investing in their wealthy cousin’s promised returns. The chapter ended with Ye Second Sister-in-Law deciding to ask about investing despite Ye Yaodong’s warning that the scheme seemed unreliable.

• Ye Yaodong struggled to put his sons to sleep, then woke in the night and shared an intimate moment with Lin Xiuqing while being careful of her pregnancy.
• Ye Yaodong stayed home the next day and helped Lin Xiuqing cook and prepare several sacks of shellfish.
• Ye Yaodong promised his children and nieces and nephews maltose if they helped remove the shellfish meat, and they eagerly got to work.
• Ye Yaohua and his sisters-in-law discussed their eldest cousin’s new wealth and considered investing five hundred yuan for monthly returns.
• Ye Yaodong warned the couple not to trust the offer, and Lin Xiuqing advised Ye Second Sister-in-Law to start small, but Ye Second Sister-in-Law decided to go ask about investing.

Ye Yaodong and Lin Xiuqing discussed selling their pearls after learning how valuable A-Zheng’s pearls were, while preparing more Longline Hooks and drying shellfish meat. They decided to have ten pearls appraised in town but keep the rare Melo pearl hidden and save three ordinary pearls for Lin Xiuqing.

• A-Zheng told Ye Yaodong and the others that he and Xiao Xiao had sold pearls for 280 and 300 yuan, prompting Lin Xiuqing to consider selling their own.
• Ye Yaodong and A-Zheng planned to set their Longline Hooks together the next afternoon, and Ye Yaodong persuaded A-Zheng to help with the shellfish work.
• Ye Yaodong and the children picked meat from several baskets of shellfish and spread it on bamboo trays to dry.
• Ye Second Sister-in-Law reported that she had handed money to Eldest Cousin’s wife for Second Cousin to take along, with interest starting that day.
• Lin Xiuqing and Ye Yaodong examined their pearls and agreed to take ten to the jewelry store while keeping the Melo pearl secret.
• Ye Yaodong chose the largest and two smallest pearls to keep for Lin Xiuqing, and she reluctantly agreed to sell the other ten.

After selling the last ten pearls for 1,200 yuan, Ye Yaodong discussed using the family’s savings to buy a secondhand iron boat so he could fish farther offshore. He won Lin Xiuqing’s support, then told his parents, who agreed to help search for a boat.

• Ye Yaodong sold the last ten pearls for 1,200 yuan, and he and Lin Xiuqing returned home safely with the money.
• Ye Yaodong learned that the family had saved over 3,600 yuan and proposed selling their wooden boat to buy a secondhand iron boat for Longline Fishing or trawling.
• Lin Xiuqing agreed to the boat purchase and advised Ye Yaodong to tell his parents and ask Father Ye to help find and inspect a boat.
• Ye Yaodong told Father Ye, Mother Ye, and Ye Huimei about his plan and explained that selling the Oysters Pearl had provided much of the money.
• Father Ye agreed to look for a suitable secondhand iron boat, and Ye Yaodong offered to return his wooden boat for his parents to sell or give to one of his brothers.

Ye Yaodong agreed that his parents could give his little wooden boat to one of his brothers, then discovered Pei Guang sneaking around Ye Huimei’s window and beat him. After Pei Guang confessed he sincerely loved Ye Huimei, Ye Yaodong left the choice to his sister.

• Ye Yaodong told Father Ye and Mother Ye they could take back his boat and let his brothers decide who would use it.
• Ye Huimei showed Ye Yaodong the pearls she had found and said she wanted to keep any money from selling them herself.
• Ye Yaodong caught Pei Guang outside Ye Huimei’s window and chased him down, punching and kicking him for sneaking over after dark.
• Pei Guang admitted he had fallen for Ye Huimei while helping Ye Yaodong build his houses and insisted he was serious about her.
• Ye Yaodong said nothing to stop Pei Guang from pursuing Ye Huimei, and Pei Guang ran excitedly toward her old house.

Ye Yaodong accepted a watch from Lin Jishang, realizing it was meant to buy his silence about nighttime smuggling, then went longline fishing with Xiao Xiao and A-Zheng. They witnessed a sea pig give birth, and the newborn surfaced as its mother swam away to break the umbilical cord.

• Ye Yaodong heard villagers praising Ye Yaohong at his eldest uncle's house while they waited to watch television, then left after listening to the national evening news report about intensifying coastal smuggling crackdowns.
• Ye Yaodong met Lin Jishang near the beach and warned him that nighttime unloading was noticeable because Ye Yaodong lived nearby.
• Lin Jishang brought Ye Yaodong a watch the next morning as an apology, and Ye Yaodong understood it was intended to buy his silence about the smuggling.
• Ye Yaodong collected three baskets of longlines and set them out at sea, while Xiao Xiao and A-Zheng finished their work sooner and began hauling their lines.
• Ye Yaodong, Xiao Xiao, and A-Zheng spotted a sea pig thrashing at the surface and realized it was giving birth.
• The sea pig's calf was born and surfaced to breathe as its mother swam away to break the umbilical cord.

Ye Yaodong hauled in his longline, catching a large devil ray and a big Spanish mackerel before filling his boat with fish. As he rested, an enormous flying devil ray hooked onto the boat’s anchor chain and dragged the little boat rapidly across the sea.

• Ye Yaodong hauled in his longline while A-Zheng and Xiao Xiao watched, bringing up a red sea bream, a sea wolf fish, and other catches.
• Ye Yaodong struggled to haul a large devil ray aboard, cut off its venomous tail, and realized it had taken small squid bait.
• Ye Yaodong caught a large Spanish mackerel on another small-squid baited hook, then finished hauling in the line and rested in his crowded boat.
• A giant devil ray leaped over Ye Yaodong’s boat, hooked its cephalic fins onto the anchor chain, and dragged the boat rapidly across the sea.

Ye Yaodong survived being dragged across the sea by a giant manta ray, then continued fishing until dark clouds drove him back to shore. While unloading a large catch that included the manta ray, he learned that his father had already asked Uncle Lin to help find him a secondhand iron-hulled boat.

• A-Zheng and Xiao Xiao watched as the manta ray towed Ye Yaodong’s boat, then rowed over after it vanished and joked with him about the frightening ride.
• Ye Yaodong gathered his spilled fish, told A-Zheng and Xiao Xiao that the manta ray might have attacked because he caught its baby, and returned to haul in his longline.
• Ye Yaodong’s next haul was poor, and when rain began offshore he headed back while A-Zheng and Xiao Xiao stayed to finish collecting their lines.
• Ye Yaodong reached a dry shore, loaded his catch into baskets with help from Uncle Lin, and revealed that he had caught the giant manta ray on a hook.
• Uncle Lin told Ye Yaodong that his father had asked him to watch for a secondhand iron-hulled boat, and praised Ye Yaodong’s recent success.

Ye Yaodong had a profitable first day of longline fishing and heard that a secondhand iron-hulled boat might become available. After rumors exaggerated his wealth, his cousin Wang Meiying asked to borrow money, but he and Lin Xiuqing refused and urged her to stop enabling her husband’s gambling.

• Ye Yaodong sold his catch for over sixty yuan, and Uncle Lin offered to ask around about a secondhand boat.
• Ye Yaodong returned home in the rain, told Lin Xiuqing about the devil ray, and discussed making more longline hooks.
• Mother Ye brought sea centipedes to share and told Lin Xiuqing that Uncle Lin had heard a fisherman might sell his old iron-hulled boat.
• Wang Meiying asked Ye Yaodong and Lin Xiuqing for a loan, citing rumors that they had sold pearls for thousands of yuan.
• Ye Yaodong refused to lend money and advised Wang Meiying to make her gambling husband find work instead of trying to recover his losses.
• Lin Xiuqing explained how village rumors had spread, and the couple agreed to keep their finances private before calling their sons in to wash and eat.

Ye Yaodong hauled in the longline he had left in the sea overnight and found a valuable grouper, a tangled section of line, and several large red Conger Eels. He was still pulling in a plentiful catch when he reached the join between his two baskets of fishing line.

• Ye Yaodong set out early, checked one fishing pot for bait, and rowed to retrieve his longline.
• Ye Yaodong caught an eight-jin Blue Melon Grouper and showed it to A-Zheng and Xiao Xiao when they arrived.
• Ye Yaodong found a section of line tangled into a clump and skipped it so he could keep hauling in his catch.
• Ye Yaodong caught several large red Conger Eels, including one that had swallowed the hook and needed to be cut free.
• Ye Yaodong hauled in a steady catch, mostly 𩾃 Fish, and reached the join between his baskets, where he found another large red Conger Eel alive.

Ye Yaodong expanded his longline and rested until a vast gathering of Blue-Banded Sea Snakes surfaced nearby, drawing seabirds and fishing boats. He and the other fishermen moved away to watch as the snake formation stretched across the sea.

• Ye Yaodong added two hundred baited hooks to his longline, bringing the total in the water to five hundred, then rested aboard his boat.
• Xiao Xiao and A-Zheng mistook Ye Yaodong's motionless boat for trouble, woke him, and noticed his new watch.
• Ye Yaodong, Xiao Xiao, and A-Zheng spotted what they first thought was a school of Conger Eels, then realized the creatures were Blue-Banded Sea Snakes.
• Seabirds swooped down to catch the snakes as a huge formation surfaced, frightening nearby fishermen into moving their boats away.
• Ye Yaodong explained that the snakes had gathered to breed, while more boats arrived to watch the spectacle.

Ye Yaodong watched a huge gathering of blue-banded sea snakes disperse, then retrieved his longlines and found dozens of snakes caught among the fish. He filled two buckets with them and rowed over to see how A-Zheng and Xiao Xiao had fared.

• Ye Yaodong joked with Xiao Xiao and A-Zheng about catching sea snakes, and Xiao Xiao startled him with a fake warning before the men returned to work after the snakes dispersed.
• Ye Yaodong found a hooked blue-banded sea snake, cut off its head from a safe distance, and abandoned the line after the severed head continued twitching.
• Ye Yaodong caught a few yellow drum and an eight-jin devil ray, then found more sea snakes on his hooks and cut their heads off rather than risk handling them alive.
• Ye Yaodong retrieved many sea snakes from the later hooks baited with sea centipedes, filling two buckets as other fishermen heading ashore marveled at his catch.
• Ye Yaodong rowed to A-Zheng and Xiao Xiao, who were astonished by his full buckets, and A-Zheng joked about his luck.

Ye Yaodong hauled in his longlines with a good catch and brought home buckets of blue-banded sea snakes, which he had killed because he could not safely store them alive. After selling most of the snakes and sharing out the rest, he returned home pleased with the day’s earnings, only to find an unfamiliar man inside.

• Ye Yaodong gave A-Zheng and Xiao Xiao several headless blue-banded sea snakes before retrieving all five baskets of longline hooks.
• Mother Ye learned that Ye Yaodong had killed the snakes and regretted that he could not sell them alive for five yuan apiece.
• Mother Ye and Ye Yaodong agreed to keep some snakes for family and friends and sell the rest to villagers for one yuan each.
• Villagers quickly bought nearly all the snakes at the pier, while Ye Yaodong protected the remaining dozen or so for his family.
• Ye Yaodong earned just over a hundred yuan from his fish, carried the remaining snakes home, and found an unfamiliar man in his house.