After sending two of them off to buy ice cream, Wei Donglai was pressed into service in the kitchen by his mother.
When the dishes were brought to the table, Li Yue'e wasn't the only one to exclaim over how extravagant the meal was. Wei Guoqing and his two older sons did too.
Red-braised pork, roast duck, pike conger soup, and mudskippers-those dishes alone were harder than screws.
Wei Fangchun pointed at the table laden with good food. "Donglai, have you struck it rich lately?"
"I've made a little money, I suppose."
Wei Donglai didn't hide anything. He told them how he had learned to catch pike conger from Li Guowang and what he had earned recently.
When they heard that he had made over a hundred yuan just from catching pike conger lately, everyone at the table dropped their jaws.
"Donglai, what kind of luck is that?"
"I don't know either. I just feel like I'm especially lucky when it comes to seafood."
"That's what you call a little? That's almost ridiculously good luck."
Everyone silently agreed. His luck really was a little ridiculous.
Wei Donglai glanced at their expressions, then his face suddenly turned solemn.
"I think so too, so I want Dad to help me order a small wooden boat."
Wei Guoqing was startled. "What do you want a small wooden boat for? You want to go out to sea?"
As soon as the words left his mouth, Li Yue'e objected. "No. There'll be news about that meatpacking plant job in the next couple of days. What are you going out to sea for?"
"Mom, could you wait before saying no?"
Li Yue'e refused outright. "Don't even think about it. You won't take a perfectly good job at the meatpacking plant? Can you even stand the hardship of going out to sea?"
Wei Donglai had known his mother would object, so he explained what he had in mind.
"Mom, here's what I'm thinking. If I have the same kind of luck out at sea, never mind how much I could make in a day, I'd at least do a lot better than at the meatpacking plant, right?"
"As for hardship, I haven't been slacking off lately, have I? I go shore scavenging and collect ground cages every day, and I crawl through the mangroves under the sun. Which of those is easy? As long as there's money to be made, I'm not afraid of hard work."
Li Yue'e still shook her head. "It's still no good. Who can say anything for sure about luck? What if you don't have that luck out at sea? By then, you won't be able to get a job at the meatpacking plant even if you want one. I think you'd be better off finding a stable job."
Wei Donglai gave a wry smile. "Mom, honestly, I really don't like the job at the meatpacking plant. Do you really think someone with my temperament is suited to such dull, tedious work?"
"Besides, the country is promoting reform and opening up now. No job is especially stable, particularly at factories that aren't doing well. You never know when a job might disappear.
"You know A Feng's brother-in-law, right? The one who's a team leader at the soda factory in Guangzhou."
"He quit his factory job and plunged into business for himself. A Feng's sister called a few days ago and asked him to go to Guangzhou to help."
"Think about it. Why would he give up his job at the soda factory? Wasn't it because the factory wasn't doing well, and he thought the job might not last, so he chose to go into business?"
Li Yue'e was a little skeptical. "You didn't make that nonsense up to fool me just so you wouldn't have to go to the meatpacking plant, did you?"
"Mom, how could I lie to you? If you don't believe me, you can ask A Feng's family tomorrow and see whether I'm lying."
Li Yue'e still didn't think it was a good idea. "So going out to sea will give you a future? It's not like you haven't seen your dad and your brothers. They're tanned black every day, and how much can they earn?"
"Isn't that because Dad and my brothers don't have my luck? Never mind anything further back, just look at these past few days. Since I moved into the old house, I haven't asked you for money, have I? I even buy some meat and other things for the family from time to time. You say I spend a lot, but I still have nearly 200 yuan on me."
Beside him, Wei Guoqing's face had long since darkened at those words, and his hand couldn't help reaching for his waist.
What Wei Donglai said wasn't wrong, so why did it give him the urge to pull off his belt and whip him?
Wei Donglai hadn't noticed Wei Guoqing's expression beside him. He continued trying to persuade Li Yue'e.
"Mom, besides, I'm grown up now. If I really just rely on that fixed wage at the meatpacking plant, would I have to count on you and Dad to help me when I get married and build a house?"
"I'm still young, and I have this luck. Why shouldn't I go all out and try it myself?"
Hearing that, Li Yue'e felt that Wei Donglai seemed to have grown up quite a bit.
What worried her most was that Wei Donglai was acting on impulse and wouldn't stick with it for long. If that happened, it wouldn't be so easy for him to find another steady job.
But what Wei Donglai had said today seemed to show her some changes.
She had always thought he was all smiles and never serious. This was the first time she had heard him speak so seriously about these things, and she could hardly believe it.
Judging by the look of him, he really didn't seem to have any intention of going to the meatpacking plant. For a moment, Li Yue'e didn't know whether to agree or not.
She didn't want to dampen Wei Donglai's drive to get ahead, but deep down she still felt that a job at the meatpacking plant would be easier and more stable than going out to sea.
Seeing Li Yue'e fall silent, Wei Guoqing finally spoke.
"Donglai, have you thought this through?"
"Dad, don't worry. This definitely isn't a decision I made on impulse."
Wei Guoqing nodded. "You've never been out to sea before, so I think I need to remind you: going out to sea really isn't easy. Hardship is secondary. Have you considered the risks?"
"Dad, I know what you mean. I'm not a three-year-old anymore. Since I've chosen this path, I won't regret it."
"All right. Since you've made your choice, I'll respect your wishes. If you don't want the meatpacking plant job, you don't have to take it."
Wei Donglai was delighted. "Dad, does that mean you agree?"
"I do, but if you want to go out to sea, you still need your mother's permission. If she doesn't nod her head, I absolutely won't let you go."
Wei Donglai looked at Li Yue'e.
He had already noticed her resolve wavering; she just needed one more push.
"Mom, as long as you agree to let me go out to sea, I promise I'll work hard from now on. And I promise you, within a year, I'll definitely bring you a daughter-in-law."
At those words, the valve that had already loosened inside Li Yue'e seemed to be turned open in an instant.
"Do you mean it?"
"I absolutely promise!"
"All right. Since your dad has agreed, I won't stop you either. But you must be careful. And remember what you just said: if you don't bring me a daughter-in-law within a year, just wait and see how I deal with you."
Seeing the matter perfectly resolved, Wei Donglai was overjoyed.
"Dad, will you take me to look at boats tomorrow?"
Wei Guoqing nodded. "Come with me to Carpenter Zhou's tomorrow and have a look. It'd be best if he has a boat ready-made. If not, we'll talk about it then."
"All right, we'll go have a look tomorrow."
Seeing that they had settled the matter, Wei Fangchun pointed at the table.
"Can we eat now? I've been hungry for ages."
"Wait a moment."
Wei Donglai turned to Li Yue'e. "Mom, with such a good spread, can we have a little drink tonight?"
For once, Li Yue'e didn't refuse. "Just don't drink too much."