Back To the Small Fishing Village In 1982

Chapter 16

As they watched the two individuals flee in despair, the people inside the house remained furious, still cursing away!

People from the seaside are most superstitious about uttering such inauspicious words. As long as someone in their family goes out to sea, they won't even touch fish, be it for consumption or otherwise. Whether you call it superstition or not, they simply place great importance on these beliefs.

The risks of going out to sea are extremely high, with people going missing in the waters every year. Nobody wants their own family members to have an accident.

"Alright, let's move on and focus on what needs to be done. They won't have any intention towards the boat anymore. Before you set sail, make sure to thoroughly inspect the vessel. Only go out to sea if everything is in order. Safety should be the top priority. No matter how important money is, nothing is more valuable than life."

"I know, Mom. I always make sure to do the inspections. The first time we went out to sea, I even had a skilled master come and check everything before setting sail." Father Ye wouldn't joke about the safety of himself and his sons.

"As long as you're aware of it."

Father Ye nodded and then took his two sons out to buy bricks and sand. Once Mother Ye identified an auspicious day, they would hire someone to start building the houses.

Ye Yaodong was unceremoniously abandoned by Father Ye.

Who would dare to boss him around when he never does any proper work?

He stood on the side, raising his eyebrows as he watched his dad and two older brothers go out, silently enjoying the situation.

It was scorching hot in the middle of noon in June. If he wasn't called to go, he could take a nap and take the opportunity to reminisce about any significant events that occurred in the house during this time. After all, it had been 40 years since then, a long time ago.

Just waking up in the morning, still in a dazed state, he was disturbed by the commotion caused by his uncles' arrival at the door. Unable to recall things carefully, he went outside to see what was going on.

After tidying up both inside and outside the house, the three sisters-in-law started making fishing nets in the shady area near the entrance. As they worked, they simultaneously cursed Eldest Uncle Ye and Second Uncle Ye, calling them all sorts of names.

Feeling the stuffiness inside the house, Ye Yaodong lay down on the recliner at the doorway to catch some cool air and perhaps take a short nap. However, since he laid down until now, his ears have not had a moment of peace.

As the three sisters-in-law continued their tirade, they struck up a conversation with the neighbors, delving into the village gossip. They grew more and more animated as they talked, all the while not pausing their swift weaving with the shuttle net needles in their hands.

Ye Yaodong couldn't help but feel that these women could really talk. Just making a fishing net, and yet they managed to pull out all sorts of topics to chat about.

He couldn't lie down anymore. One woman was equivalent to 500 ducks, and a group of women chattering incessantly was unbearable. He couldn't even manage to take a short nap on the recliner.

Feeling agitated, he scratched his head and decided to go back inside the house. Since it was windy today, he thought it would be fine to open the windows.

As soon as he stepped inside the house, he saw his youngest son standing alone by a water bucket, playing with water and sand clams. He was leaning over the bucket, almost falling in, and his entire body was soaked.

"What the heck, you little rascal! I turn my eyes away for a moment, and you're causing trouble like this, sneaking over here to play with the water!"

He quickly lifted his son up and shouted towards the door, "Ah Qing, your son has been sneaking off to play with water again and now he's all wet!"

Upon hearing this, Lin Xiuqing furrowed her brow and quickly got up, entering the house. She looked at her son's face covered in water stains, and as she gazed into his innocent, dark eyes, her anger instantly dissipated. She approached him and lightly tapped his buttocks a couple of times.

"Why can't you be a bit more well-behaved? You've been playing with sand all morning, and now you just had to play with water too. You're going to run out of clothes to change into. How many times a day do you need to change?"

Ye Chengyang thought his mother was playing with him, so he laughed, revealing his two little front teeth, and hugged her by the neck.

With a helpless expression, Lin Xiuqing lifted him up. "You're all wet and sticking to me. Go to the room and change your clothes!"

Ye Yaodong also followed them into the house at a leisurely pace. He then lay down on the bed, propping himself up with his hands behind his head, and watched his wife change their child's clothes, idly dangling his feet.

After several decades, in his memories, she had always worn a tired and exhausted middle-aged look due to excessive work. He had long forgotten that she had once been so youthful and tender.

Feeling his gaze fixed upon her, Lin Xiuqing felt slightly uncomfortable. Her ears turned slightly red, and after changing their child's clothes, she turned her head and glared at him, saying, "What's with that look in broad daylight?"

Then, as if escaping, she quickly carried the child and left the room.

He suddenly felt a bit perplexed. What was wrong with stealing a few more glances at his own wife?

Wasn't it simply because he thought she looked quite attractive when she was young!

Does she really need to glare at him for that?

After lying down for a while, Ye Yaodong also came to his senses. Damn... Could it be that she thought he had some intentions towards her at that moment?

Was it necessary for her to flee like that?

He had originally intended to suggest that she leave the child in the room and he would watch over him for a while.

Alright then, he decided to have a peaceful moment alone and take a short nap.

With his feet propped up, he looked at the mosquito net hanging from the bunk bed and reminisced. It seemed that his family had been living a peaceful life all along. Apart from the construction of the house and the separation, there hadn't been any major extraordinary events in the following decades. The entire family had lived safely and peacefully.

No, wait! He suddenly remembered an important event that he had forgotten for many years!

In these couple of years, it seemed that his wife had become pregnant with their third child. However, due to the policy restrictions, they were not allowed to have another child. She had hidden herself at her parents' home. But tragedy struck when she slipped and fell while picking tea leaves on the mountain when she was seven or eight months pregnant. They couldn't reach the hospital in time, and she ended up giving birth prematurely. Unfortunately, the baby passed away within half an hour of being born.

He heard it was a daughter!

His wife was devastated and blamed herself, crying for several days.

As for why it was "heard," it was because he was not at his in-laws' house at the time. His wife was brought back the day after the loss of the child to undergo postpartum confinement, and that's when he found out about it.

Although he felt a sense of regret, the child had not been born yet, and he was often away from home, so he didn't have much emotional attachment to the unborn child. Over time, he had forgotten about it, and it was only now, as he seriously reflected, that he remembered this incident.

At the thought of this, he instantly sat up straight. Which year was it when his wife conceived their third child?

He vaguely remembered that her belly started to grow when they moved into their new house. Which year was that?

Was it in March when she went to pick tea leaves?

If he calculated based on being pregnant for seven to eight months, it would mean she got pregnant in July or August. Was it this year, next year, or the year after?

"Damn it, how could I forget which year it was for such an important matter?"

Ye Yaodong was filled with regret as he tried to recall, but he couldn't remember. He only remembered that her belly started to grow after they moved into the new house, and it became too noticeable to hide. To evade the policy, she went back to her parents' home after the Chinese New Year to give birth.

He pondered for a long time but couldn't recall it. He shook his head and said, "Forget it, whenever she gets pregnant again, we'll know. It's better if she doesn't get pregnant at all. Who knows if she can successfully give birth? It's better to avoid the suffering!"

After figuring it out, he lay back down. Besides this matter, the only significant event in his life was when his grandmother passed away in a few years.

He still remembered how saddened he was back then. His grandmother had slipped on a stone slab while watering the backyard vegetable garden. She stubbornly refused to go to the hospital, insisting that she was fine. However, she remained bedridden for a few days and eventually passed away.

If possible, he wished his grandmother could live a few more years. If it hadn't been for that accidental fall, his grandmother would have remained strong and healthy.

Not having been properly filial to her was also a regret he had carried for many years.

As he pondered, listening to the sound of cicadas outside, Ye Yaodong unknowingly drifted off to sleep.

***

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