Recaps

Ye Yaodong and his brothers-in-law caught dozens of valuable Chinese soldier fish after releasing a Chinese sturgeon, then struggled to sell the catch at the township market. The chapter ended with Ye Yaodong hearing that the Ocean Bureau had arrived to catch a kind of fish and wondering if they had come for the sturgeon.

• Ye Yaodong and Lin Xianghui and Lin Xiangrong netted dozens of Chinese soldier fish, while Ye Yaodong tied them to keep them fresh.
• Lin Xianghui and Lin Xiangrong planned to split up and sell the fish at markets and restaurants the next morning, but Lin Xiangrong disappeared before dawn.
• Ye Yaodong went to the township market with ten fish and sold only three over several hours.
• Ye Yaodong followed a crowd after hearing talk that the Ocean Bureau had arrived to catch a kind of fish, and wondered if they were after the Chinese sturgeon.

Ye Yaodong helped Director Chen and the Ocean and Fisheries Bureau officials recapture the Chinese sturgeon that Lin Xiangrong had reported finding. After the officials confirmed they would return it to the Yangtze River, Ye Yaodong offered to show them the Chinese soldier fish he had caught, and they headed to his father-in-law’s house.

• Ye Yaodong spotted Lin Xiangrong riding with township officials and hurried after the group to the river.
• Director Chen’s staff detected a large fish underwater, but a staff member failed to cast the net, so Ye Yaodong took over.
• Ye Yaodong cast the net successfully, and he and the officials hauled up the Chinese sturgeon and placed it in a bucket.
• Director Chen said the Chinese sturgeon would be returned to the Yangtze River and promised commendations for future reports; Ye Yaodong asked about rewards and offered the rest of his catch.
• Director Chen agreed to take the Chinese soldier fish, and Ye Yaodong led the officials and Lin Xiangrong toward his father-in-law’s house to show them the fish.

Ye Yaodong helped the Lin family sell their remaining Chinese soldier fish to Director Chen, who agreed to buy the whole lot for a hundred yuan. After arranging delivery, Ye Yaodong reflected on the family’s decision to report the Zhonghua Sturgeon, then rested while his in-laws praised his newfound reliability.

• Ye Yaodong stalled Director Chen with tea and fishing stories while waiting for Father Lin and the others to return.
• Director Chen inspected the live Chinese soldier fish and agreed to buy the remaining catch for twenty cents per jin.
• Lin Xianghui and Lin Xiangrong weighed the sixty-two remaining fish, totaling 495 jin, and Director Chen rounded the payment up to a hundred yuan.
• Lin Xiangrong explained that the family had wanted to report the Zhonghua Sturgeon rather than release it without notifying anyone, and Ye Yaodong reconsidered his own haste.
• The Lin family arranged a tractor to deliver the fish to the county town, and Ye Yaodong gave Father Lin the money from the three fish he had sold.
• Ye Yaodong went to nap, while Father Lin and Mother Lin praised him for becoming more hardworking and dependable.

During a family dinner, Lin Xiuqing realized she might be pregnant and later told Ye Yaodong, leaving them worried about the risks of having another child under strict birth rules. They agreed to think it over and discuss it again after returning home the next day.

• Ye Yaodong reluctantly accepted part of the money from the fish sales after his brothers-in-law insisted on sharing it with him.
• Lin Xiuqing felt nauseous at dinner, realized her period might be late, and worried that she could be pregnant.
• Lin Xiuqing scolded Ye Chenghu and Ye Chengyang after they fought, then helped the drunk Ye Yaodong get ready for bed.
• Ye Yaodong woke to Lin Xiuqing dry-heaving, and she told him she thought she was pregnant.
• Ye Yaodong worried about the consequences of another child, and he and Lin Xiuqing agreed to think it over before discussing it again at home.

Ye Yaodong and Lin Xiuqing left Lin Xiuqing’s parents’ home after an awkward night when their family mistook the creaking bed for something else. Mother Lin and Father Lin loaded them up with local food and vegetables, and the family set off home together on a handcart.

• Ye Chenghu and his cousin teased Ye Yaodong and Lin Xiuqing because the creaking bed had kept them awake all night.
• Mother Lin packed oil, honey, pickled bamboo shoots, taro, pumpkins, persimmons, vegetables, and other food for the couple to take home.
• Father Lin returned with a sack of persimmons, cowpeas, and vegetables, then loaded the supplies onto the handcart.
• Ye Yaodong lifted his younger son onto the cart, and Mother Lin added taro leaves for shade and tea for the road.
• Ye Yaodong, Lin Xiuqing, their children, and Father Lin left for home as the children rode happily on the handcart.

After returning from his in-laws’ home, Ye Yaodong learned that the village would suspend fishing for a week and postpone his move. He hauled in his traps, discovered two strings had been raided, and ended the day with a profitable catch before asking A-Zheng and Xiao Xiao to help carry the traps home.

• Ye Yaodong brought home vegetables from his in-laws, and Mother Ye told him the village would observe a week of vegetarian meals and prayers, banning fishing and delaying the move until the twenty-sixth.
• Ye Yaodong hauled his four strings of pot trap nets and found that two had been raided, while the others yielded prawns, crabs, fish, and octopuses.
• Ye Yaodong told A-Zheng and Xiao Xiao about his catch and his trip to his in-laws’ home, including catching and releasing a Zhonghua Sturgeon and selling Chinese soldier fish to the Fisheries Bureau.
• Ye Yaodong sold his catch to A-Cai for twenty-five yuan and six mao, then asked A-Zheng and Xiao Xiao to help carry his traps and borrow a handcart.

Ye Yaodong returned home, dealt with the stolen catch from his traps, and learned that Lin Xiuqing was pregnant again. The chapter left him concerned about her pregnancy while she rested in their room.

• Ye Yaodong returned home and found A-Guang bringing the family a box of Bombay duck to clean and dry.
• Ye Yaodong waited at the shore for Father Ye’s boat, told him two strings of his traps had been stolen, and helped unload and sell the catch.
• A-Guang’s gift prompted Mother Ye and Father Ye to discuss whether he might be a suitable match for Ye Huimei.
• Ye Yaodong’s grandmother secretly gave him two guavas and urged him to take some miancha cakes as well.
• Lin Xiuqing told Ye Yaodong she had vomited from the fishy smell and that the family had realized she might be pregnant again.
• Ye Yaodong brought Lin Xiuqing water and encouraged her to rest, while she said she was not yet sure whether she was pregnant.

On Mid-Autumn Festival, Ye Yaodong went with Xiao Xiao to gather firewood but got distracted by wild bananas and collected several bunches with help from Xiao Xiao and A-Guang. The three headed to Back Hill to pick more, while Ye Yaodong also considered gathering reeds to make a broom.

• At dinner, Mother Ye told the family not to spread word that Lin Xiuqing might be pregnant.
• That night, Ye Yaodong shared hidden guavas with his children and Lin Xiuqing.
• On Mid-Autumn Festival morning, Mother Ye bought fish balls while Ye Yaodong went out for a walk.
• Xiao Xiao pulled Ye Yaodong along to gather firewood, but Ye Yaodong spotted wild bananas and cut down several bunches.
• Xiao Xiao brought a hooked bamboo pole, and A-Guang joined them before suggesting they pick bananas at Back Hill.
• As they walked toward Back Hill, Ye Yaodong learned villagers gathered reeds there to make brooms and planned to return for some.

Ye Yaodong picked wild bananas with Xiao Xiao and A-Guang, then celebrated Mid-Autumn Festival with his family as the children made offerings to the moon. The chapter ended with Ye Yaodong and Lin Xiuqing planning to move their belongings into their new house.

• Ye Yaodong, Xiao Xiao, and A-Guang picked bananas on Back Hill and divided them among themselves.
• Ye Yaodong brought his share home for Grandma and the family, then stopped the children from grabbing dinner before washing their hands.
• Ye Yaodong shared the prawns with his wife, children, and Grandma during the family meal.
• Mother Ye set out a mooncake for the children to offer to the moon, and the children divided and ate it after the incense burned out.
• Ye Yaodong and Lin Xiuqing agreed to move clothes, quilts, and bedsheets to the new house the next day.

Ye Yaodong and his family prepared their new home while observing a week of vegetarian meals for the Mazu blessing ceremony. After a busy day of clearing land and building a vegetable garden, they ate dinner together and prepared for the remaining days of the ceremony.

• Ye Yaodong offered incense at the Mazu Temple, then helped his family move belongings to their new homes.
• Ye Yaodong cleared unused land beside his house for a vegetable garden, and Father Ye helped him build a bamboo fence.
• Ye Yaodong returned to the temple with the family men to offer evening incense and corrected a young fellow on how to hold his hands.
• The children complained about another vegetarian dinner, so Mother Ye promised to make sweet potato rice the next day.
• Father Ye scraped soot from the family wok while Mother Ye collected it, then reminded the brothers to buy iron woks for their new homes.

Ye Yaodong accompanied Father Ye to the fields with his two sons, helping harvest potatoes and plant seeds. After the boys got filthy playing in the dirt, they returned home to be scolded, and Ye Yaodong wondered whether the possible baby would be a daughter and whether he could keep Lin Xiuqing safe through the coming year.

• Ye Yaodong agreed to join Father Ye in the fields, and Ye Chenghu and Ye Chengyang insisted on going with them.
• Ye Yaodong dug potatoes and planted radish seeds while Father Ye directed him to sow mustard greens in the old lady's plot.
• Ye Yaodong dismantled a bean trellis while his sons gathered potatoes, then found them throwing dirt at each other and carried them home.
• Lin Xiuqing punished Ye Chenghu for getting his brother dirty, and the old lady later comforted him with ripe persimmons.
• Ye Yaodong brought persimmons to Lin Xiuqing and privately wondered whether their possible baby would be a daughter.

The village completed its elaborate Mazu procession, while Ye Huimei served as an attendant and drew A-Guang’s attention. After the ceremony, Ye Yaodong took his family home, still wary of A-Guang’s interest in his sister.

• The villagers carried Mazu through the village and out to the beach, where the music ensembles performed and prayed for the fishermen’s safety and prosperity.
• The chapter recounted the legend of Lin Mo, whose charitable work and rescues at sea led people to revere her as Mazu.
• The villagers returned Mazu’s statue to the temple, ending the procession.
• Ye Chengyang wet his trousers during the walk home, and Lin Xiuqing changed him while the other children teased him.
• Ye Yaodong noticed A-Guang lingering after the procession and left with his family, privately concerned about his interest in Ye Huimei.

Ye Yaodong set his Pot Trap Nets and tried fishing with a homemade rod, catching a bucketful of fish for his family. After checking the traps for live bait, he found an unexpected sea bass and prepared to continue fishing.

• Ye Yaodong made a hook from a thick sewing needle and brought dried blue mussels as bait when he went to set his traps.
• Ye Yaodong set his Pot Trap Nets offshore, then caught black sea bream, red scorpionfish, a leatherjacket fish, and a yellow grouper with his rod.
• Ye Yaodong hauled up his traps to collect live fish and shrimp for bait and found a sea bass weighing about two jin in the last one.

Ye Yaodong spotted two Bryde's whales driving fish shoals near the seabirds and watched as nearby boats gathered to cast nets. He caught a large croaker with live shrimp bait, while Xiao Xiao and A-Zheng hauled in a large yellow croaker and other fish.

• Ye Yaodong found two Bryde's whales feeding beneath circling seabirds and kept his distance as small boats approached.
• Xiao Xiao and A-Zheng arrived with Korean nets, then rowed over to see the whales after Ye Yaodong told them what he had found.
• Ye Yaodong used live shrimp as bait and caught a black grouper weighing over a jin.
• Xiao Xiao and A-Zheng hauled in a net full of fish, including a wild large yellow croaker weighing over three jin.
• Ye Yaodong hooked and hauled aboard a much larger croaker, which he estimated weighed around twenty-seven or twenty-eight jin.

Ye Yaodong caught several sizeable fish with live shrimp while Xiao Xiao and A-Zheng cast nets and took turns using his rod. After A-Zheng’s net landed a large school of red snapper and his fishing turn produced only a foolish fish, the three headed home to sell their catches.

• Xiao Xiao and A-Zheng caught little with their nets as Ye Yaodong continued fishing with live shrimp, landing a sea bass, a black grouper, and other fish.
• Ye Yaodong let Xiao Xiao and A-Zheng take turns using his fishing rod.
• A small school of red snapper passed beneath the boats, and A-Zheng cast a net that caught dozens of fish.
• A-Zheng caught a foolish fish with the rod, while Xiao Xiao hauled up a net with only a few small fish.
• The three decided to return home and sell their catches, vowing not to let A-Cai underpay them.

Ye Yaodong returned from fishing with a profitable catch and shared the sales slip with Lin Xiuqing. They decided to have their unexpected baby and began thinking about how to keep the pregnancy safe.

• Ye Yaodong, Xiao Xiao, and A-Zheng sold their catch to A-Cai after returning to the dock, and Ye Yaodong negotiated over the price of his Large Croaker.
• Ye Yaodong brought home fish for dinner and gave Lin Xiuqing the sales slip showing he had earned more than fifty yuan.
• Ye Yaodong asked Lin Xiuqing whether her period had come, and she said she was probably pregnant.
• Ye Yaodong and Lin Xiuqing agreed to have the baby and discussed keeping her safe as the pregnancy progressed.

Ye Yaodong and Lin Xiuqing bought supplies for their new home, then joined his brothers and parents for the move-in rituals and a shared banquet. The next morning, Ye Yaodong woke in the new house and prepared to go haul in his nets while Lin Xiuqing cooked pumpkin porridge.

• Lin Xiuqing led Ye Yaodong through town to buy household goods while he carried the baskets and a large iron wok on his back.
• Fatty met Ye Yaodong on the way home and helped carry the baskets to the new house after teasing him about the wok.
• Ye Yaodong and his family prepared seafood for the banquet and carried out the local moving customs, including bringing rice and water into the new home and hanging red lanterns.
• Ye Yaodong, his two brothers, and Father Ye hosted a joint banquet, drank with the guests, and later rested while their wives cleaned up.
• Ye Yaodong woke the next morning in the new house, found Lin Xiuqing cooking pumpkin porridge, and planned to leave early to haul in the nets.

Ye Yaodong hauled his traps, learned that theft from fishing nets had become widespread, and scouted a small island for a future landing. He headed back to fish after identifying Scorpion Reef as a promising place to reach the island at low tide.

• Ye Yaodong left Lin Xiuqing at home and went out to haul his five strings of traps.
• Ye Yaodong found one string raided but brought home a decent catch of crabs and other seafood.
• Chen Yongfeng told Ye Yaodong that thieves had emptied three strings of his traps and that other villagers had suffered similar thefts.
• Ye Yaodong considered how difficult it was to catch the thieves, then decided to scout a nearby island.
• Ye Yaodong found Scorpion Reef, spotted a brief stretch of sand and abundant shellfish, and chose it as his landing spot for the first.

Ye Yaodong fished from his boat with shrimp and fish meat for bait, catching several worthwhile fish and octopuses. After landing a valuable Tiger Grouper, he offered Lin Laoliu a turn with his rod.

• Ye Yaodong switched to smaller shrimp after his large bait failed to get a bite, then caught a large Red Octopus and an unprofitable Foolish Fish.
• Ye Yaodong caught a large Stonefish and met Lin Laoliu, a fisherman from West Mountain Village who stopped to watch.
• Ye Yaodong continued fishing with small shrimp and caught Stonefish, Yellow Mountain Croakers, Red Octopuses, and another Foolish Fish.
• At Lin Laoliu's suggestion, Ye Yaodong baited his hook with fish meat and caught a Tiger Grouper weighing about two jin.
• Ye Yaodong saved the flopping grouper from falling back into the sea, then offered Lin Laoliu a turn with his fishing rod.

Ye Yaodong earned a strong return from fishing and traps on his first day living separately, then shared his catch and a meal with Lin Xiuqing and their children. He and Ye Yaohua finished milling the family’s paddy and brought the rice home to divide among the households.

• Lin Laoliu borrowed Ye Yaodong’s rod, caught a large eel, and gave it to Ye Yaodong before rowing home.
• Ye Yaodong caught more fish, sold his valuable haul at the buying station, and saved a few small catches to take home.
• Ye Yaodong returned home for lunch, where Lin Xiuqing and the children ate with him for their first meal as a separate household.
• Lin Xiuqing told Ye Yaodong that their mother had brought food and asked the brothers to mill four sacks of paddy and keep the bran.
• Ye Yaodong and Ye Yaohua took the paddy to East Bridge Village, milled all four sacks, and pushed the rice home to divide it.

After settling the banquet expenses and attending A-Zheng’s pre-wedding feast, Ye Yaodong noticed suspicious nighttime activity near the house connected to Lin Jishang’s relative and suspected Xu Laifu of stealing from fishing nets. At home, a talk about saving for the baby on the way left him feeling an urgent need to earn more money.

• Mother Ye settled the banquet accounts, and each household contributed ten yuan before taking home dried goods and a sack of rice.
• Ye Yaodong attended A-Zheng’s pre-wedding banquet, where the group discussed A-Wei and Rat missing the celebrations.
• Walking home, Ye Yaodong saw Xu Laifu carrying buckets near a lit house and suspected he was preparing to steal from fishing nets.
• Ye Yaodong returned home and gave dried jujubes to his children and Lin Xiuqing, then talked with her about food and household spending.
• Lin Xiuqing reminded Ye Yaodong that the baby’s birth would cost a lot, renewing his determination to earn more money.

Ye Yaodong joined A-Zheng’s wedding procession, which was delayed by Xu Laifu and another man demanding cigarettes, before the wedding feast and bridal chamber games. Afterward, Ye Yaodong told his friends he suspected A-Wei’s younger brother-in-law of stealing fishing nets, and they went to check whether Xu Laifu was home before planning to catch the thief.

• Ye Yaodong arrived at A-Zheng’s house on his wedding day and joined the procession to fetch the bride.
• Xu Laifu and his friend blocked the procession and demanded Chengfeng cigarettes before letting it pass.
• The procession fetched the bride, returned to the village, and held the wedding feast and bridal chamber games.
• Ye Yaodong let the bride light his cigarette without teasing her, while A-Zheng and his friends completed the wedding games.
• Ye Yaodong told Xiao Xiao, A-Guang, and Fatty that he had seen A-Wei’s younger brother-in-law sneaking around the previous night, and they suspected him of stealing nets.
• The four friends set out to check whether Xu Laifu was home and decide whether to wait for the suspected thief that night.

Ye Yaodong, Xiao Xiao, A-Guang, and Fatty followed Xu Laifu to the dock and waited for him to return from stealing fish from villagers’ nets. They caught and beat him, then decided to take him to Secretary Chen so the village could learn who had been stealing.

• Fatty spotted Xu Laifu carrying a bucket, and the four followed him to the dock.
• Xu Laifu took Xiao Xiao and A-Zheng’s boat out to sea, while the four waited for him to return.
• Xu Laifu came ashore with two buckets of catch, and the four caught him red-handed and beat him.
• Ye Yaodong questioned Xu Laifu, who admitted he had been stealing from nets every few days that month and had given the money to his mother.
• Ye Yaodong and A-Guang dragged Xu Laifu toward Secretary Chen while Fatty and Xiao Xiao carried the stolen catch.

Ye Yaodong and his friends caught Xu Laifu stealing catches from nets and brought him to Secretary Chen, who planned to warn the villagers and discipline him. After leaving some seafood for Secretary Chen, they divided the remaining catch and discussed going fishing together the next day.

• Ye Yaodong and his friends dragged Xu Laifu to Secretary Chen and explained that they had caught him stealing from nets at sea.
• Secretary Chen took Xu Laifu home and said he would speak with his parents and tell the villagers about the theft.
• Ye Yaodong and his friends set aside seafood for Secretary Chen and his wife, Wang Xiumei.
• The four friends divided the remaining catch at Fatty's house, and Ye Yaodong worried that some of it might have come from his own traps.
• Ye Yaodong, Fatty, and Xiao Xiao discussed checking their traps and fishing together the next day, while A-Guang prepared to go back to work at sea.

Ye Yaodong returned home after helping catch Xu Laifu, then talked with Lin Xiuqing about their next outing and their unborn child. The next morning, he cooked breakfast for his family before heading out to check his traps.

• Ye Yaodong, Xiao Xiao, A-Guang, and Fatty agreed to gather seafood on an isolated island, with Fatty volunteering to bring supplies and cook.
• Ye Yaodong noticed figures heading toward the wharf but went inside, where he told Lin Xiuqing that Xu Laifu had been caught stealing from traps and handed over to Secretary Chen.
• Ye Yaodong washed up and discussed with Lin Xiuqing how they hoped their next baby would be a daughter, then moved to the other end of the bed because she disliked the smell of his hair.
• Ye Yaodong woke early, cooked rice porridge and eggs, steamed dried fish, and cleaned the previous night's catch while Lin Xiuqing slept.
• Lin Xiuqing and the children joined Ye Yaodong for breakfast, after which he took his bucket out to collect the catch from his traps.