Chapter 30: Playing Babysitter for Once

As the men walked back, the women on the beach were still digging away, and the children were still playing around happily.

None of them seemed hungry.

Every child was covered in sand and sweat, yet still grinning from ear to ear.

The Ye family kids had even dug a giant pit and buried the youngest, Ye Chengyang, inside it, leaving only his shoulders exposed.

If Ye Yaodong had arrived any later, only the boy’s head would probably have been sticking out.

He frowned.

“You little brats really know how to play. This is dangerous, you know that? What if someone trips and falls on top of your little brother, or steps on him? Hurry up and dig him out!”

“Okay, okay, Third Uncle! We’ll get Yangyang out right now!”

“Ah, it’s normal. Didn’t we all play like this when we were kids? It’s fun!”

A’Zheng squatted down smiling and looked at Ye Chengyang.

“Is it fun?”

“Fun!”

“You little idiot.”

Ye Yaodong rolled his eyes, then shouted toward his wife.

“A’Qing, come look at how dumb your son is.”

Lin Xiuqing turned around and only then noticed her youngest had been buried.

Frowning, she endured her aching waist and numb legs while hurrying over.

“What nonsense are you kids playing at? How can you bury Yangyang? What if his chest gets compressed and he can’t breathe? Hurry and dig him out. You kids are way too mischievous.”

Looking at the children’s flushed red faces and mud-monkey appearances, Ye Yaodong shook his head.

“Come home with me first. You’ve played long enough already. Look how sunburned you all are. You’re filthy. Hurry back and wash up.”

“Huh? We have to go home already? Are Mom and the others leaving too?”

“You lot go back with me first and take baths. Don’t stay here getting in the way. You’ve played enough.”

Seeing him voluntarily offering to take the children home, Lin Xiuqing was secretly overjoyed.

With so many children around her, the noise alone was enough to drive anyone crazy.

“Be good. All of you go back and wash up and eat first. We’ll head home soon too.”

“Alright then.”

Once the oldest, Ye Chenghai, agreed, the rest had no objections either.

It was already past one o’clock.

Honestly, they were all starving.

Ye Yaodong handed the octopus to Xiaoxiao, then passed the bucket to A’Zheng.

“Keep this at your place. I’ll just head straight to A’Guang’s house this evening.”

“Just dump it into my bucket. Take yours back so you don’t forget it later.”

“That works too.”

The others left first.

Only after the youngest was dug out did Ye Yaodong pick the little fool up.

“Come on. Time to go home.”

Lin Xiuqing watched his bucket get emptied completely, but didn’t say anything.

At least the valuable catches—the tiger grouper and snow clams—had already been handed over.

Today’s earnings were already pretty good.

As for the remaining seafood, if he wanted to give it away, so be it.

“Third Uncle, why did you suddenly decide to come shore-hunting today? Mom and the others all said the sun must’ve risen from the west.”

Ye Chenghai walked beside Ye Yaodong like a little adult while asking the question.

Ye Yaodong glanced down sideways at him and casually answered,

“No snacks to go with alcohol, and I’ve got no money in my pocket. Had to come dig up some free seafood for drinking.”

“Knew it! There’s no way Third Uncle suddenly changed for real.”

Ye Chenghai wore a smug “I knew it” expression that made him look extremely punchable.

Ye Yaodong flicked him on the forehead.

“And what exactly do you know, little brat? Finished your summer homework yet?”

“Ahhh, vacation just started a few days ago. What’s the rush? There are still months left. I hate it when people ask about homework and grades.”

With that, the boy twisted his head away and hurried several steps forward so he wouldn’t have to walk beside his third uncle anymore.

Ye Yaodong rolled his eyes.

Not a single good student existed in their family.

The college entrance exams had reopened several years ago, yet White Sand Village still hadn’t produced a single university student.

Among the people born in the 50s and 60s in their village, being able to recognize a few characters already counted as impressive.

“Walk properly. Stop chasing and shoving each other around. Fall once on this dirt road and your knees will split open immediately. And you lot—what’re you grabbing in the grass? Hurry home…”

He shouted and scolded all the way like a man herding ducks before finally driving the entire pack of troublemakers home.

His throat was nearly dry from yelling.

Looking after children really wasn’t easy.

Especially not a whole group of them.

He was practically hoarse already.

The moment they entered the house, he grabbed the water kettle and gulped down water furiously.

But the little pests immediately surrounded him, tugging at his clothes and arms.

“Third Uncle, are you done drinking yet?”

“Third Uncle, hurry up!”

“Third Uncle, don’t drink it all! Leave some for us, we’re thirsty too!”

“Dad, I want some too…”

Cough cough cough—

“Here! Take it! Take it all!”

Being tugged around like that, he nearly choked.

These little monsters!

The old lady watched them from the side with a grin.

“Once you’re done drinking, take them to the back courtyard for baths. I already boiled two buckets of hot water, and there’s still a big pot left in the stove. Dongzi, later carry the hot water to the back and mix it with two buckets of well water for them.”

“Got it. Sit down and rest already. Stop walking around working.”

Ye Yaodong helped the old lady over to sit beside the table.

“Ah, I only boiled some water, didn’t really do much. Your mother said before going to the dock that she’d cook sweet potato noodles for lunch, so I didn’t even cook rice.”

“Oh. Then just sit there. I’ll take them to wash up.”

He himself wasn’t too dirty.

Just sweaty.

A quick rinse later would be enough.

But the children were filthy.

Covered head to toe in sand.

Even their hair was full of it.

And he had to help wash them.

The three nieces carried water back to their room to wash themselves.

Meanwhile, the five boys stripped naked and stood in the backyard.

The older ones could wash themselves.

The youngest two were his own sons, meaning he had to handle them personally.

“Stop, stop! Dad, you got soap in my eyes! Do you even know how to wash hair?”

“You should be grateful I’m washing it at all. Hurry over here!”

“Mom puts a stool under the washbasin and lets me lie across her lap to wash my hair. Ugh, move aside, I’ll do it myself. Go wash Yangyang instead.”

Ye Chenghu dodged away in disgust and decided to rinse himself off instead.

“Fine then. Wash yourself. I’m playing nanny for you and you still don’t appreciate it. I don’t even want to serve you anyway.”

Looking at his tiny youngest son waiting nearby, Ye Yaodong suddenly realized he had no clue how to wash him either.

“Forget it. Let your mother wash your hair later. Sit in the basin first, I’ll wash your body.”

“Hehehe~ hahaha~ so itchy~ so itchy, Daddy~”

The childish baby voice made Ye Yaodong’s mouth unconsciously curl upward.

He’d never really noticed before, but his youngest son had actually been pretty cute as a child.

“Your neck’s done. Time for the armpits now. Hurry!”

“Nooo~ it’s itchy~”

“You little brat, you splashed water all over me!”

Ye Chengyang slapped the water in the basin and immediately seemed to discover a brand-new game.

Both hands started smacking the surface repeatedly, splashing Ye Yaodong full in the face.

Beside them, the eldest nephew finished washing himself and dumped the entire remaining basin of water onto the second nephew.

Naturally, the flying water splashed all over Ye Yaodong’s head too.

Wiping his face helplessly, he turned around and sighed.

“Ye Chenghai… you did that on purpose, didn’t you?”

“Huh? Hahaha~ no way! Who told Third Uncle to squat there?”

(End of Chapter)