Chapter 10: Women Arguing in the Streets

After checking their undersides, Ye Yaodong grinned broadly.

“Two males. Together they weigh over a jin. Today’s harvest is pretty good. Perfect for stewing them and nourishing the children at home.”

He looked around and casually found a length of hemp rope washed up onto the rocks by the sea.

He swiftly tied up the two mud crabs and hung them from the basket, then happily continued prying oysters and digging sea melon seeds from the rock wall.

He had to complete the task his mother assigned him as much as possible. Otherwise, he’d have to listen to her nagging again. Tomorrow, when the tide receded even farther, it would be a good time to come gather seafood again.

The farther out the rocks were toward the tide, the larger the sea melon seeds growing on them became. Ye Yaodong pried a few off, glanced at the tide, then simply rolled his pant legs all the way up to his thighs and planned to go a little farther out. There should be even more there.

Most people who came gathering seafood today were focused on the sand clams, so there weren’t many people searching along the rock walls instead.

The harvest there was small, and since people dug here every time the tide greatly receded on the first and fifteenth of the lunar month, the shellfish only had about half a month to grow before being harvested again. There weren’t many larger ones. It wasn’t as worthwhile as digging sand clams.

Ye Yaodong walked farther out along the rocks until the water reached above his knees before finally stopping. Then, with rare patience, he slowly pried oysters from the rock wall.

The oysters here were indeed bigger. The spicy snails attached to the rocks and the clusters of sea melon seeds were also somewhat larger.

Only the mussels remained densely packed together, but they were only the size of pinky fingernails and couldn’t really be harvested.

Everyone else had their heads lowered, working hard. No one noticed how far out he had gone, which let him enjoy a little peace while digging.

As the tide slowly receded fully, he gradually moved farther outward as well. It had been decades since he last gathered seafood, and his interest had been completely stirred up again.

This feeling of harvesting things was somewhat addictive.

The only problem was that the sun was too strong. He had forgotten to wear a straw hat before coming out.

At this time, because he hadn’t done much labor, his complexion was still fair and clean, unlike the tanned skin of most seaside people.

But after standing under the blazing sun for so long, his face turned red and sweat poured off him like rain. Only the lower half of his body soaking in seawater gave him some relief from the heat.

After the tide completely receded around ten-thirty and slowly began rising again after some time, he could clearly feel the seawater climbing upward little by little with each incoming wave, from his knees upward.

Only when the water reached his thighs did he slowly move back inward. At the same time, he checked his ladle.

It was already one-third full. Not bad. Enough for two bowls of oyster omelets. The spicy snails and sea melon seeds also filled half the basket.

After squatting for so long, Lin Xiuqing also felt tired. Seeing that her basin was already half full, she stood up to rub her waist and pound her back. At the same time, she glanced at her second son.

The little brat sat alone playing in the sand, thrilled beyond belief. His face and hair were covered in sand, and drool had soaked a large patch on his chest as he grabbed fistfuls of sand to play with.

Still, he was obedient. As long as he had something to play with, he neither cried nor fussed nor searched for his mother.

She looked around again but couldn’t find her husband anywhere. Her brows furrowed.

Sure enough, she shouldn’t have had expectations for this man!

When Mother Ye saw her stand up, she also felt somewhat tired and straightened her own back to rest for a moment. But after looking toward the rocks and still not seeing Ye Yaodong, she became annoyed.

“Where did that brat run off to now? He agreed so nicely to dig oysters for me, and in the blink of an eye he’s gone.”

“Mother, how can you believe anything Yaodong says? After all these years, when has he ever seriously worked? Every time he just slacks off, does a little fake effort to fool people, then runs off.”

Second Sister-in-law Ye curled her lips disdainfully.

Mother Ye looked furious at his failure.

“When we get back, I’ll have his father break his damn legs. He’s always so unreliable!”

“With Grandma around, don’t even think about it.”

Mother Ye choked on her anger. A perfectly good son had somehow been raised into such a lazy good-for-nothing. Once they were gone, he really would starve to death.

Eldest Sister-in-law Ye also said, “Mother, you really can’t let Yaodong continue idling around like this forever. Who can support him for a lifetime? Xiuqing? He’s a grown man with healthy hands and feet, yet he does nothing and relies on his wife. Isn’t he ashamed?”

Second Sister-in-law continued, “Exactly. How hard is it for Xiuqing, a woman, to support the whole family? Only someone with a good temper like her could endure it. What other woman could stand having a husband like this?”

Some nearby women digging sand clams also joined in.

“Dongzi really is too outrageous. He’s been married for so many years already. He’s not a child anymore…”

“He really should be talked to properly. He can’t keep going on like this…”

Ye Yaodong had just returned to the beach with a full harvest when he heard a group of women gossiping about him. His face immediately darkened with anger!

These gossipy old hens—always sticking their noses into everything!

His wife hadn’t even said anything, yet they were the ones talking the most!

“What are you all saying? Did I go anywhere? Wasn’t I here the whole time?”

Everyone turned to look at him in surprise. They had thought he’d run off after staying only a short while. They hadn’t expected him to still be there. The women gossiping about him instantly looked awkward.

They hadn’t expected to get caught red-handed talking behind someone’s back!

But there were also a few who felt they had said nothing wrong and instead spoke righteously.

“Dongzi, we’re saying this for your own good. A man should support his family. If you keep idling around like this, are you planning to have your parents support your wife and children for the rest of their lives?”

Ye Yaodong coldly looked at the woman speaking.

“Auntie Zhu Hua, aren’t you worrying a little too much? Which eye of yours saw me idling around? Aren’t I working right now? Are you talking with your eyes closed? No wonder your family’s poor. You must’ve spent all your money treating your eyesight!”

In any case, he was already used to being a bastard, so he simply snapped right back.

“What nonsense are you talking about? Your eyes are the ones with problems! Your family is poor! Your family can’t even afford to build houses and split the family. A bunch of poor ghosts, and you still dare talk about my family being poor…”

Auntie Zhu Hua immediately exploded. She stood up, one hand on her waist and the other pointing a spatula at him while shouting.

Now it was Mother Ye’s turn to get angry.

“What are you pointing at? Since when is it your place to scold my son? So what if my family’s poor? Did we eat your rice? If your family’s not poor, then why are you out here gathering seafood?”

“The sea belongs to your family or something? You won’t let others gather from it?”

“It’s not my family’s sea, but it belongs to our village! You’re from the neighboring village, yet you still have the nerve to talk! My son is properly and diligently gathering seafood here. Since when is it your place to criticize him?”

After saying that one sentence earlier, Ye Yaodong stopped talking and simply stood there watching. This kind of argument was more suitable for his mother. As a grown man, yelling at a woman would look bad.

In any case, half the village was related to one another somehow, and when it came to arguing, his mother had never lost in terms of momentum.

With so many people around, the argument only lasted a few exchanges before peacemakers stepped in, telling each side to say less. It hadn’t been such a major matter to begin with. It was only some idle gossip.

Once people began smoothing things over, the two women glared at each other and stopped.

Auntie Zhu Hua felt there was no point staying any longer. The tide was already about to rise anyway, so she simply carried her bucket and went home.

The atmosphere gradually calmed down again.

(End of Chapter)