Recaps

Ye Yaodong and his family discovered a newly exposed reef covered in abalone, sea snails, crabs, and small green lobsters, and began gathering the bounty. As Ye Yaodong and Father Ye continued harvesting, the family agreed to split the catch and keep a few lobsters to eat.

• Ye Yaodong and his family found that an earthquake had raised a vast stretch of seabed above the sea, exposing reefs packed with marine life.
• Ye Yaodong and Father Ye entered the water and used hooks to pry abalone and sea snails off the rocks while Mother Ye and Ye Huimei scooped up small green lobsters and crabs.
• When the quick-moving lobsters and crabs escaped into the sea, Ye Yaodong told Mother Ye and Ye Huimei to count their catch and then go dig for shellfish on a nearby island.
• Ye Yaodong and Father Ye filled their buckets with abalone and sea snails, and Ye Yaodong proposed splitting the day’s catch evenly with his father.
• Ye Huimei counted twenty-six small green lobsters, and Ye Yaodong persuaded his mother and father to keep a few for the family to eat.

Ye Yaodong persuaded his parents to save some abalones and green lobsters for the family to eat while they gathered seafood from the reefs. After breakfast, he and Father Ye realized the reef was sinking despite the outgoing tide, so they hurried to collect as much as they could.

• Ye Yaodong convinced Father Ye to keep green lobsters and abalones for the family, including the grandchildren.
• Father Ye took Mother Ye and Ye Huimei to the nearby island, then returned to help Ye Yaodong gather abalones and sea snails.
• Ye Yaodong and Father Ye paused to cook and eat rice noodles with abalones alongside Mother Ye and Ye Huimei.
• Ye Yaodong noticed the water rising around the reef despite the outgoing tide, and Father Ye agreed that the reef was sinking.
• Ye Yaodong and Father Ye rushed back to gathering seafood before the reef sank further.

Ye Yaodong and his family gathered abalone and shellfish from the sinking reef before the rising tide forced them to stop, then hauled in their fishing net. The family headed home with a good catch, while Ye Huimei excitedly experienced her first fishing trip and was teased about going to sea with her future husband.

• Father Ye fetched Mother Ye and Ye Huimei to help Ye Yaodong pry shellfish from the sinking reef, and the four filled two more sacks before the rising tide submerged it.
• The family gave up collecting shellfish, counted their catch, and planned to head home after retrieving another sack and hauling in their nets.
• Ye Yaodong showed Ye Huimei how to release a small coral reef fish safely, and she helped free fish and shellfish from the gill net.
• Ye Huimei delightedly found a large small green lobster and asked to haul in the longline, but Mother Ye embarrassed her by mentioning her future husband.

Ye Huimei eagerly helped Ye Yaodong haul in the longlines and proved lucky, bringing up several valuable fish. The family continued retrieving the final hooks after she landed a nearly thirty-pound cobia.

• Ye Yaodong hauled a juvenile grey blue shark aboard after battling it on the longline.
• Ye Huimei began hauling hooks herself and caught a large yellow croaker, followed by several other good fish, including a yellow-spotted grouper.
• Ye Huimei found a heavy fish on the final row, and Ye Yaodong helped her bring a nearly thirty-pound giant cobia aboard.
• Father Ye and Mother Ye praised Ye Huimei, who proudly resumed hauling the remaining line.

Ye Yaodong and his family returned early with a decent fish haul, Small Green Lobsters, and three and a half sacks of Abalone from a reef raised by a recent earthquake. A-Cai was astonished by their catch as the family prepared to sort and sell it.

• Ye Huimei and Mother Ye persuaded Ye Yaodong to take them shore gathering again next month so they could dry more supplies before the New Year.
• Ye Yaodong and Father Ye brought their catch to A-Cai’s buying station, where A-Cai was impressed by the Giant Cobia and surprised by the Small Green Lobsters.
• A-Cai discovered the family had brought three and a half sacks of Abalone and Large Sea Snails, and Mother Ye excitedly explained how they had found them.
• Ye Yaodong explained that an earthquake had briefly raised the submerged reef and urged A-Cai to sort and weigh the catch before the other boats arrived.

Ye Yaodong and Father Ye brought a huge haul of abalone and sea snails back to the pier, then Ye Yaodong rested and helped dry toadfish at home. After hearing village gossip about his catch, he saw a truck arrive at the Village Center to recruit people to sort dried shrimp.

• Ye Yaodong and Father Ye weighed their catch at the pier, where A-Cai recorded the weights and promised to find buyers for the abalone and sea snails.
• Ye Yaodong took small green lobsters home to eat, while he and his family left the pier as the crowd gathered to admire their haul.
• Lin Xiuqing prepared food and ginger water for Ye Yaodong, then nearly fainted while cleaning fish, so Ye Yaodong took over and sent her to cook dinner.
• Ye Yaodong rested at home and cleaned and salted toadfish for drying while Lin Xiuqing and Mother Ye helped with the fish.
• Ye Yaodong heard exaggerated rumors about his abalone haul during a village stroll, then watched a truck driver recruit villagers to sort dried shrimp for one mao per jin.

Ye Yaodong joined Lin Xiuqing and the villagers in sorting dried shrimp, bought some for his children, and suggested a way to prevent workers from stealing. After earning sixty cents, he planned to go out at high tide to search for his missing fishing pots.

• Mother Ye, Lin Xiuqing, and the children went with Ye Yaodong to the grain-drying ground to sort shrimp.
• The truck driver caught a woman stealing shrimp and sent her away, then warned the workers not to sneak bites.
• Ye Yaodong bought shrimp for Ye Chenghu and Ye Chengyang and learned from the driver that the shrimp had come from Shenjiamen.
• The driver dismissed A-Wei's wife after catching her stealing, and Ye Yaodong suggested weighing out fixed portions and deducting any shortages from workers' pay.
• Ye Yaodong and Lin Xiuqing sorted shrimp for two or three hours and earned sixty cents.
• After lunch, Lin Xiuqing returned to sorting while Ye Yaodong planned to search for his missing fishing pots once the tide rose.

Ye Yaodong searched for his missing fishing pots and hauled in several strings, finding many moray eels but losing most of the catch to spoilage. He found more pots and uncovered a giant mud crab, while some of his catch appeared to have been stolen.

• Ye Yaodong spoke with Father Pei at the pier before heading out to look for his missing fishing pots.
• A-Zheng and Xiao Xiao told Ye Yaodong where they had seen two of his buoys, and Ye Yaodong hauled in the pots and found three live moray eels.
• Ye Yaodong hauled in another string containing six moray eels, separated them into buckets, and crushed one that attacked his boot.
• Ye Yaodong found more pots, but one string held only a meager catch, leading him to suspect someone had stolen from it.
• Ye Yaodong found another string of pots and hauled up an enormous mud crab.

Ye Yaodong recovered four strings of fishing pots and sold a profitable haul of moray eels, crabs, and other catch, while brushing off rumors that he was close to becoming a ten-thousand-yuan household. At home, his grandmother gave him the coral branches she had saved, and they talked about his recovery and preparations for the winter solstice.

• Ye Yaodong gave up searching for his two missing strings of fishing pots, returned the four he had found to the water, and brought his catch ashore with Xiao Xiao and A-Zheng's help.
• Ye Yaodong showed off his mud crab king and rejected the suggestion that he was nearly a ten-thousand-yuan household, joking that he was still ten thousand yuan short.
• Ye Yaodong sold twenty-eight moray eels for thirty yuan and ninety-six fen, the mud crab king for four yuan, and the rest of his fresh catch for fifteen yuan and change.
• Ye Yaodong's grandmother gave him the coral branches she had saved after his father told her Ye Yaodong wanted them.
• Ye Yaodong told his grandmother that his father could drink the sea snake wine for his leg pain, and they discussed making extra rice dumplings for the winter solstice.

Ye Yaodong returned home with coral, cooked dinner with Lin Xiuqing, and discussed preparations for the winter solstice and his younger sister’s wedding. After dinner, he collected 1,080 yuan from A-Cai for the abalone, sea snails, and extra catch, then prepared to divide the money with those who had helped earn it.

• Ye Yaodong gave the fish and shrimp at the Old House to his mother for her chickens and brought home the coral the old lady had given him.
• Ye Yaodong teased his sons while preparing fish, and Lin Xiuqing cooked a hot-and-sour silver pomfret soup for dinner.
• Ye Yaodong and Lin Xiuqing agreed to harvest radishes and sweet potatoes, plant greens, and finish preparing his younger sister’s dowry.
• Lin Xiuqing asked whether Ye Yaodong could collect the abalone money, and he said he had arranged to meet A-Cai after dinner.
• A-Cai told Ye Yaodong that the abalone, sea snails, and extra catch had sold for 1,080 yuan, which Ye Yaodong collected before leaving to split the money.

Ye Yaodong divided the 1,080 yuan from the abalone and sea-snail catch with his parents and rewarded Ye Huimei for helping. Later, he walked home with A-Guang and learned that villagers were upset after his older cousin's family stopped letting them watch television; Ye Yaodong said he would not share a television he bought.

• Ye Yaodong brought 1,080 yuan from A-Cai's house to the Old House, where Mother Ye counted it with Father Ye.
• Ye Yaodong offered his parents most of the money, but Father Ye insisted they split it evenly; Ye Yaodong also gave Ye Huimei forty yuan, and Father Ye persuaded Mother Ye to give her another note.
• A-Guang arrived with fish from his maternal uncle, and Ye Yaodong left with him, hearing that A-Guang's boat was repaired and ready to sail again.
• Ye Yaodong and A-Guang heard villagers complain that Ye Yaodong's older cousin's family had stopped letting them watch television.
• Ye Yaodong watched his Eldest Cousin's Wife sweep up the villagers' litter, then told A-Guang he would not carry a television outside for the village if he bought one.

Ye Yaodong helped his family harvest sweet potatoes and make sweet potato starch, while joking with his wife and relatives. The chapter ended with him slipping away from the women’s questions about his sudden success and rumored wealth.

• Ye Yaodong woke to find that Ye Chengyang had peed on his chest, then got up and took the children to help harvest sweet potatoes and radishes.
• Lin Xiuqing helped Ye Yaodong in the field, where they discussed drying sweet potato slices and whether to make starch.
• Ye Chenghai asked Ye Yaodong to save him a roasted sweet potato, but fled when his mother appeared with a switch.
• Ye Yaodong and Lin Xiuqing dug sweet potatoes while their sons pulled radishes, then Ye Yaodong went to the Old House to help his parents make starch.
• Father Ye ground the sweet potatoes, and Mother Ye filtered the slurry so it could settle before being washed and dried into starch.
• The women praised Ye Yaodong’s change and asked about his rumored wealth, and he joked with them before leaving.

Ye Yaodong helped Lin Xiuqing process their radish and sweet potato harvest, then learned Secretary Chen wanted to report him as a Ten-Thousand-Yuan Household. Ye Yaodong denied having enough money, and Secretary Chen left to stop the report.

• Ye Yaodong shredded radishes while his sons coated sweet potatoes with mud mixed from their own urine, so he took over preparing them for roasting.
• Ye Yaodong and Lin Xiuqing spent two more days harvesting radishes and sweet potatoes, replanting the field, and finishing most of the household work.
• Ye Yaodong checked on his father's rheumatism at the Old House and was intercepted by Secretary Chen, who asked to speak at his home.
• Secretary Chen told Ye Yaodong the county wanted to honor Ten-Thousand-Yuan Households and asked whether he qualified, offering to lend him money to reach the amount.
• Ye Yaodong insisted he was far short of ten thousand yuan and joked that he was impotent, prompting Secretary Chen to leave and try to stop the report.

Ye Yaodong tried to avoid being named a Ten-Thousand-Yuan Household after the village committee submitted his name without his consent, but he kept fishing rather than waiting at home. As the winter solstice approached, Lin Xiuqing began making Grass-Wrapped Kueh, and Ye Yaodong helped prepare the ingredients and dough.

• Secretary Chen told Ye Yaodong the village committee had already submitted his name for Ten-Thousand-Yuan Household recognition and proposed lending him the money he lacked.
• Ye Yaodong refused to take the spot, objected to the village committee's decision, and continued going out to sea for four days.
• Ye Yaodong earned steady money from fishing and checking his Fishing Pots before rain and cold weather kept the family indoors.
• Lin Xiuqing decided to make Grass-Wrapped Kueh for the winter solstice, and Ye Yaodong bought squid and pork for the filling.
• Lin Xiuqing and Ye Yaodong prepared the savory filling and sweet potato dough, planning to make extra dumplings and some sweet ones.

Ye Yaodong tried to avoid a visit from county officials who had come to recognize the village’s Ten-Thousand-Yuan Household. He claimed the village had confused his name with his cousin Ye Yaohong’s, and the officials agreed to visit Ye Yaohong’s family instead.

• Ye Yaodong and Lin Xiuqing made grass-wrapped kueh, shared some with relatives, and kept the rest for their family.
• Secretary Chen told Ye Yaodong that county officials were coming to learn about his fishing success and recognize him as a Ten-Thousand-Yuan Household.
• When the officials arrived, Ye Yaodong introduced his Eldest Cousin's Wife and said the report had mistaken him for Ye Yaohong.
• Secretary Chen backed Ye Yaodong’s explanation, and Ye Yaodong's Eldest Cousin's Wife enthusiastically confirmed that Ye Yaohong’s family was the Ten-Thousand-Yuan Household.
• County Magistrate Wu accepted the explanation, and Ye Yaodong's Eldest Cousin's Wife led the officials toward her home.

After the village mistakenly named Ye Yaodong as a Ten-Thousand-Yuan Household, the officials and villagers went to recognize Ye Yaohong instead. Ye Yaodong watched the crowd gathering at his cousin’s house and suspected the investment scheme would soon collapse, while he returned to ordinary family chores and prepared to go fishing.

• Ye Yaodong explained to his family that the village had meant to name Eldest Cousin, Ye Yaohong, as a Ten-Thousand-Yuan Household, and his relatives looked forward to collecting interest from him.
• Lin Xiuqing and Ye Yaodong wrung out bedding, and she searched Ye Chenghu’s hair for lice while Ye Chengyang watched.
• Ye Yaodong warmed Lin Xiuqing’s hands with clam-shell balm, then went to the Old House after deciding he might head out to sea that night.
• Ye Yaodong stopped outside Ye Yaohong’s house and found a larger crowd than before, with villagers praising Ye Yaohong and hoping to invest in his business.
• Ye Yaodong heard villagers plan to wait for the next interest payment before investing and concluded that Ye Yaohong’s scheme would soon collapse, making the New Year difficult for the village.

Ye Yaodong learned that county officials were investigating his cousin’s Ten-Thousand-Yuan Household nomination, then took his family to gather seafood at Oarfish Island. As the tide receded, he spotted something ahead that shocked him, but the chapter ended before revealing what it was.

• Ye Yaodong watched the county officials leave his eldest cousin’s house after they failed to resolve questions about the Ten-Thousand-Yuan Household nomination.
• Ye Yaodong told his family the village committee had confused the names, then arranged to go out to sea with his father that night.
• Ye Yaodong brought Mother Ye and Ye Huimei to Oarfish Island, caught a large red octopus, and warned Ye Huimei to be careful on the rocks.
• Ye Yaodong stayed to gather seafood with his family instead of trawling, and they filled several sacks as the tide went out.
• Ye Yaodong looked across the receding shore, saw something startling, and felt the hair on his arms stand on end.

Ye Yaodong and Father Ye found a decomposing man’s corpse drifting toward the deserted island and decided to bury him rather than leave him at sea. After the family offered incense and prayers at the grave, they left the island, believing the dead man had been given a place to rest.

• Ye Huimei and Ye Yaodong spotted a corpse drifting toward the island, and Father Ye joined them as Mother Ye and Ye Huimei recoiled in fear.
• Ye Yaodong and Father Ye recalled the superstition that ignoring a corpse at sea brought misfortune, so they decided to haul him ashore and bury him.
• Ye Yaodong and Father Ye dragged the corpse up the island, dug a pit, and buried him despite their fear and disgust.
• Ye Yaodong asked Father Ye to bring incense and offerings, then prayed for the dead man to find peace in his next life.
• Father Ye returned with Mother Ye and Ye Huimei, and the family bowed, lit incense, and left the grave.

After the family buried the remains they had found, they tried to calm their fears and continued foraging while the low tide kept them ashore. Ye Yaodong discovered a huge gathering of horseshoe crabs around the fishing boat, leaving the family to collect them and wonder whether their recent good fortune came from sea luck.

• Father Ye burned talisman papers over the family, and Mother Ye suggested arranging rites after they returned.
• The family decided to keep foraging until the tide rose, and Ye Yaodong went to the boat to fetch food.
• Ye Yaodong spotted many horseshoe crabs surrounding the fishing boat and called the others over to help gather them.
• Ye Yaodong explained that horseshoe crabs were also called couple fish, and the family filled bamboo baskets with them.
• Mother Ye and Father Ye wondered whether the catch was a reward for burying the remains, while Ye Yaodong credited the family's strong sea luck.

Ye Yaodong and his family collected a boatload of Couple Fish and returned with a profitable catch, then prepared for Ye Huimei’s engagement the next day. That night, Ye Yaodong dreamed that a drowned corpse had his own old face, but he put the fright aside and went back to sleep beside Lin Xiuqing.

• Ye Yaodong, Father Ye, Mother Ye, and Ye Huimei gathered the Couple Fish and shellfish before the rising tide, then hauled in their longline and gill net, which yielded tiger prawns.
• Ye Yaodong kept some Couple Fish and tiger prawns for the family and sold the rest of the Couple Fish, earning over a hundred yuan from them and nearly two hundred yuan from the day's catch in total.
• Ye Yaodong cleaned the Couple Fish for Lin Xiuqing to cook and kept quiet about finding a floating corpse at sea.
• Ye Yaodong woke from a nightmare in which the corpse's face became his own old face, then comforted Ye Chengyang and reassured Lin Xiuqing that he was fine.
• Ye Yaodong and Lin Xiuqing discussed preparing New Year gifts and supplies, joked together in bed, and Lin Xiuqing told him to sleep on the little bed after he teased her.

Ye Huimei became engaged to A-Guang, and Ye Yaodong slept off the banquet before discussing New Year visits with Lin Xiuqing. After returning from her family’s home, they heard that their sisters-in-law were considering investing more money with Eldest Cousin and warned them to wait; Ye Yaodong suspected Eldest Cousin’s Wife would be blamed for the women’s enthusiasm.

• Ye Huimei got engaged to A-Guang, who arrived with wedding sweets and took her to the banquet with her three brothers.
• Ye Yaodong slept until nightfall after drinking at the banquet, then called Ye Chenghu and Ye Chengyang inside to eat.
• Lin Xiuqing arranged for the couple to deliver New Year gifts to her family on the sixth, and they made the visit together.
• Ye Eldest Sister-in-Law and Ye Second Sister-in-Law told Ye Yaodong and Lin Xiuqing that Eldest Cousin had returned and paid them interest, and they considered investing more money.
• Ye Yaodong and Lin Xiuqing urged the women to wait before investing more, and Ye Yaodong predicted Eldest Cousin’s Wife would be beaten over it.

Ye Yaodong warned his family that Ye Yaohong was likely running off with the villagers’ investments, and his brothers and parents agreed not to put in more money. After hearing that Ye Yaohong had beaten his wife over the Ten-Thousand-Yuan Household title, Ye Yaodong remained sure the scheme would soon collapse and ended the day helping his family roll rice balls.

• Ye Eldest Sister-in-Law and Ye Second Sister-in-Law returned from Ye Yaohong’s house after learning that villagers were investing money before he left, and Ye Yaodong urged his brothers not to invest more.
• Ye Yaodong warned Mother Ye and Father Ye that Ye Yaohong was likely collecting one last batch of money before fleeing, and they agreed not to get involved.
• Ye Yaodong ran into Ye Yaohong carrying a Combination Lock Case and taunted him about the Ten-Thousand-Yuan Household title before Ye Yaohong hurried away.
• Ye Second Sister-in-Law reported that Ye Yaohong had beaten his wife badly after she brought the title to the village committee, and Ye Yaodong said his suspicions were confirmed.
• Ye Yaodong joined Lin Xiuqing and the children in rolling rice balls, joking with them about rolling little balls and making big money.

Lin Xiuqing performed the winter-solstice Kitchen God offerings while Ye Yaodong read about corruption and pyramid schemes. After the village committee discovered Ye Yaohong's wife had been beaten, villagers who had invested in his scheme stormed his home demanding their money back.

• Lin Xiuqing arranged offerings to the Kitchen God and Kitchen Goddess, and Ye Chenghai burned a hole in his clothes while setting off firecrackers.
• Ye Yaodong read a newspaper report about a corruption case and decided not to risk joining illicit business himself.
• Ye Yaodong and Lin Xiuqing suspected Ye Yaohong might be running a pyramid scheme after noticing a newspaper warning about one.
• Village committee members entered Ye Yaohong's home and found Eldest Cousin's Wife and her eldest daughter visibly injured.
• News of the pyramid scheme spread, and angry investors gathered at Ye Yaohong's home to demand their money back.

Ye Yaodong heard that Ye Yaohong had been exposed as a suspected pyramid-scheme operator, and he went to see creditors confront the family at Ye Yaohong’s home. The crowd dispersed without resolving whether the money could be recovered, while Ye Yaodong learned that both sisters-in-law had invested a thousand yuan and anticipated more trouble when their husbands returned.

• Lin Xiuqing sent Ye Yaodong to buy vinegar, and he overheard villagers discussing Ye Yaohong’s sudden departure and suspected scam.
• Ye Yaodong went to Ye Yaohong’s home, where creditors demanded repayment and relatives tried to calm them by asking them to wait until the deadline passed.
• After the crowd left, Ye Yaodong learned that Ye Second Sister-in-Law had invested one thousand yuan and Ye Eldest Sister-in-Law had secretly increased her investment to the same amount.
• Father Ye scolded both women for handing over their savings without consulting their husbands, while Ye Yaodong left them to explain themselves when their husbands returned.
• Ye Yaodong told Lin Xiuqing what had happened, and she kept the children from going next door when scolding began.

Ye Yaodong’s family dealt with the fallout after his sisters-in-law nearly lost their money, then celebrated Ye Huimei’s wedding. During the festivities, Ye Yaodong warned Lin Jishang about a coastal crackdown and later learned that officials had found evidence against Ye Yaohong and were preparing to arrest him.

• Mother Ye and the Ye brothers harshly scolded Ye Eldest Sister-in-Law and Ye Second Sister-in-Law for nearly handing over the family’s money.
• Ye Yaodong carried Ye Huimei out for her wedding, gave her two hundred yuan as a nest egg, and celebrated with her at A-Guang’s home.
• Ye Yaodong warned Lin Jishang that a crackdown had begun and asked him to look for a net hauler without breaking the law.
• Secretary Chen told Ye Yaodong that officials had found evidence of Ye Yaohong’s smuggling and were preparing to arrest him.
• Ye Yaodong walked toward Ye Huimei’s return-visit banquet, thinking the arrest might happen within days.