The Boat Was Finally His

"Donglai, I'm really sorry for the trouble today. You came to tow a boat, and not only did you run into something like that, we even had to ask you to help drive them away."

Xu Lianyun was clearly upset by the unexpected incident. Besides gratitude, her words carried a trace of helplessness.

Wei Donglai hurried to reassure her. "Aunt Xu, don't dwell on it. I know you didn't want anything like that to happen either. Didn't things turn out pretty well? They've been chased off, and we can still tow the boat."

Hearing Wei Donglai say that, Xu Lianyun's troubled expression eased considerably, and she praised him over and over for being a good boy.

Then she turned back and began blaming Zhou Huaimin.

"It's all your fault."

Zhou Huaimin looked thoroughly wronged. "How did this end up being my fault?"

"She's your younger sister. Who else should I blame?"

"I don't want a sister like that either! Didn't you see how happy I was when she said she was cutting ties just now?"

"As long as you remember you've cut ties. One of these days, you'd better ask the village chief to serve as a witness and write up an agreement to cut ties in front of him. We shouldn't have anything to do with that family ever again."

"Do we have to make it so formal?"

"What else? Are you still holding out hope for that sister of yours?"

Seeing the conversation take a bad turn, Wei Guoqing hurried to make peace.

"Sister-in-law, it's enough that Brother Zhou is willing. If you really go to the village chief to make it official, won't the villagers laugh at you?"

Hearing that, Xu Lianyun thought he had a point. If her family asked the village chief to witness the severing of ties, people might say behind Zhou Huaimin's back that he had no regard for family. They couldn't be the ones to make the first move.

With that in mind, she stopped pressing Zhou Huaimin.

Seeing this, Zhou Huaimin couldn't help breathing a sigh of relief. He shot Wei Guoqing a grateful look.

Although what Zhou Caihong had done over the years had indeed disappointed him again and again, and he had indeed considered cutting ties with her,

he still didn't want to go that far. He could only have less to do with her family from now on.

Without Zhou Caihong's family interfering, towing the boat went smoothly.

Because of what had happened that day, Xu Lianyun initially offered to charge Wei Donglai and the others several dozen yuan less.

But Wei Donglai firmly refused and ultimately pressed the full two hundred yuan into Xu Lianyun's hand.

After padding the bottom of the tractor with wood and hay, they worked together to move the boat onto it.

Because the boat was rather long, they had made a point of bringing a handcart when they set out that morning.

They now tied it to the other end of the wooden boat with ropes, solving the problem of transporting a boat that was too long.

Seeing the three of them preparing to leave, Xu Lianyun hurried to ask them to stay.

"Guoqing, Donglai, won't you stay for lunch?"

Wei Donglai shook his head. "Aunt Xu, not today. I still have a lot to prepare when I get back. I'll come eat your cooking next time I have the chance."

Since Wei Donglai had said that, Xu Lianyun didn't insist.

As she waved them off, father and son climbed onto the tractor and began hauling the wooden boat home.

With the tractor this time, they were much faster than the last time, when the two of them had taken the number eleven bus.

After returning to the village, Wei Donglai asked Li Guowang to drive the tractor straight to the pier.

Then he found two workers there to help lower the boat into the sea. If the weather was good tomorrow, he would be just about ready to go out to sea.

After coming ashore, Wei Donglai first paid Li Guowang for his work towing the boat, then invited him over.

"Uncle Guowang, come eat at my place tonight."

"There's no need to be so polite. I can just eat at home tonight."

Hearing that, Wei Donglai immediately grabbed hold of Li Guowang.

"No, that won't do. You can't get out of dinner tonight. I'll buy a couple of bottles of liquor this afternoon, and my dad can have a few drinks with you tonight."

At the mention of liquor, Li Guowang's heart was instantly stirred. Wei Guoqing also spoke up. "Brother Guowang, sorry for all the trouble we put you to towing the boat today. You have to come for this meal."

With that, Li Guowang could only go along and agree.

Mm, I'm definitely not doing it for the liquor.

After grabbing a quick lunch, Wei Donglai went to town that afternoon.

They were going to celebrate at home that night, so naturally he had to get a couple of substantial dishes.

As for the fishing gear and other things for the new boat, he could tell the shopkeeper at the pier to set them aside on his way back, then simply pick them up the next morning.

That would save him the trouble of carrying them back and forth.

After returning, he also went to Li Changfeng's house. Since they were celebrating that night, he naturally had to invite his good brother.

When he arrived at Li Changfeng's house, Li Changfeng was cleaning fish in the courtyard.

Perhaps the sun felt too comfortable, because Li Changfeng's head kept nodding up and down as he cleaned the fish. He was clearly getting sleepy.

As a result, he didn't notice Wei Donglai's arrival.

Wei Donglai gave a secret grin, then quietly crept up behind him and suddenly let out a shout, startling Li Changfeng so badly that he nearly sent the fish in his hand flying.

After seeing who it was, Li Changfeng complained, "A Lai, are you asking for it? Scaring me in broad daylight."

Wei Donglai chuckled. "I saw you were about to fall asleep, so I thought I'd wake you up a little."

Li Changfeng was speechless. "You call that waking me up? You nearly scared me into a heart attack. You came at just the right time. Help me clean the fish; I've been at it all day."

Wei Donglai looked at the pile of fish in the basin in front of Li Changfeng, surprise on his face. "Why are there so many?"

"Aren't we going to Guangzhou in a few days? My sister said she hasn't had dried fish from home in ages, and, well, you know."

Seeing Li Changfeng's utterly hopeless expression, Wei Donglai couldn't help finding it funny.

Sure enough, a mother's love was as heavy as a mountain.

"All right, I'll help you. Once we're done, come to my place for dinner tonight."

"What's the occasion? Something good happen?"

"I had your second uncle go to River Source Village to help me tow a boat today. Hey, you can help keep him company over drinks tonight."

Li Changfeng was somewhat shocked.

"Tow a boat? You've already bought one and brought it back?"

"Yeah, I just hauled it back."

Li Changfeng sprang up from his stool. "Damn, how could you be so fast? And you bought a boat without even telling me? Do you even think of me as a brother?"

Wei Donglai spread his hands. "Didn't I just tell you?"

Li Changfeng stared into Wei Donglai's eyes for several seconds, a somewhat aggrieved look on his face.

"I suspect you came here today to show off to me."

"Sometimes being too clever isn't a good thing."

Those words were like a knife stabbing into Li Changfeng's heart.

"Are we still good brothers or not?"

"Come on, you're going to Guangzhou to make something of yourself in a few days. Is there any need to envy me for one little wooden boat?"

"That's true. Forget it, let's stop cleaning fish and go look at your new boat."

"Let's finish this first. The boat's right there; it's not going to run away. We can look at it anytime."

"All right, let's finish cleaning the fish first."

While the two of them were hard at work cleaning fish, Li Changfeng's mother, Zhang Xiuzhen, came out of the house. As soon as Wei Donglai saw her, he politely greeted her.

"Aunt Zhang."

"Oh, it's A Lai. Why are you here helping A Feng clean fish?"

Wei Donglai briefly explained why he had come, and Zhang Xiuzhen waved a hand.

"Then you two go on. Leave it to me."

"It's all right, Aunt Zhang. There isn't much left. We'll be done in no time."