Back To the Small Fishing Village In 1982

After nightfall, the strong wind blew wildly, and the rain poured heavily. The contrast between daytime and nighttime was truly astounding. They had emptied several basins and bowls inside the house to collect the leaking water. The table near the window was hit by raindrops, leaving a large wet area. Lin Xiuqing intentionally placed a footcloth over it.

The two children weren't afraid of the strong wind and heavy rain outside. They were secretly playing with candles there…

Ye Chenghu carefully dipped his finger into the candle wax at the bottom of the wick, and when he took it out, his finger was covered in a layer of white candle wax.

He continued this process until all ten of his fingers were covered in candle wax, and then he proceeded to crush the wax on each finger before repeating the process again…

On the other hand, Ye Chengyang took out a toothpick from somewhere and began fiddling with the wick, stirring the candle wax…

The candles flickered and wavered under their playful antics. It wasn't until then that the couple noticed the mischievous duo. One of them received a slap on the buttocks, and they both jumped and frolicked on the bed for a while, letting out a few cries before finally settling down obediently to sleep.

Ye Yaodong leaned against the edge of the bed, closing his eyes to rest. He had nowhere to lie down and no way to sleep, and the noise outside was also very loud.

His eldest and second brother's rooms were also leaking and soaking the beds. Moreover, both of them have three children, and they were sent to his grandmother's and parents' rooms.

Everyone had to squeeze together and make do, enduring this night.

"Both of them are already asleep. You can lie down here for a while."

"It's alright; you go ahead and sleep. I can't sleep anyway. It's the same if I catch up on sleep during the day tomorrow. I'll go and empty the water."

Afraid of disturbing their sleep, he went to the main room after emptying the water. Seeing a few benches, he grabbed two and put them together to make do and lie down. He closed his eyes and took a short nap.

It wasn't until the latter half of the night that the wind and rain gradually subsided. Ye Yaodong's body was covered with a long-sleeved shirt as a makeshift blanket.

Lying on the bench, he couldn't sleep soundly. Whenever there was movement, he would wake up. He touched the clothes on his chest and softly said, "Why did you wake up?"

"Carry Yangyang to pee, didn't see you, so I came out to check."

"The typhoon should have passed, and it's almost daylight. You go back and get some more sleep."

"You go inside and sleep!"

"No need; you go inside and accompany the two children. Otherwise, if they wake up and don't see you, they'll cry."

Lin Xiuqing gave him a deep look and went inside.

This was the first time that, during a typhoon, he didn't sleep like a dead pig without care. Moreover, he accommodated the three of them, whereas, in previous years, she would just doze off by the bedside for the night.

As soon as it started to dawn, Ye Yaodong sat up. At this moment, Grandma also came in through the back door, holding an umbrella. She lived in a small house in the backyard.

"Did Yaodong sleep on the bench last night? Oh my, how did you sleep like this? Look at all the mosquito bites on your face and neck. Quickly use some saliva to rub them."

He casually scratched and said, "It's okay; the itchiness will go away soon. The ground is all wet, make sure to hold onto the wall for support and be careful when you go in and out."

"Ai ai, I know. Do you want to come lie down in my room? Ah Hai is still sleeping..."

"No need; I'll go outside to the beach and see how big the waves are."

It was still drizzling outside, so he grabbed the raincoat hanging behind the door and put it on before heading out.

At this moment, there were also many villagers wearing raincoats walking on the road. They had come out to see if the typhoon had passed. Everyone greeted each other and talked about how strong the wind and heavy the rain were last night.

"Why are you up so early, Yaodong?"

"Um, I couldn't sleep, so I came out to take a look."

"Let's go to the beach together and see what everyone is heading there for..."

He nodded casually and didn't stop his footsteps. After all, the neighbor's uncle was just an acquaintance, not someone he knew well.

As he walked, he observed the extent of the village's damage. Several small trees had fallen along the way, and many houses had their rooftops covered in scattered roof tiles. Straw was flying around, and there were debris and puddles everywhere, creating a messy and disordered scene.

By the time he reached the shoreline, it had become slightly brighter. Many villagers had gathered there already.

From a distance, he could see the relentless waves crashing and receding. The turbid seawater had risen to heights beyond its usual reach. The surrounding villagers were discussing how the typhoon had passed, and they eagerly awaited the calmness of the sea surface so they could resume fishing.

Father Ye arrived at the shore not long after him. The sky was getting brighter, and more people gathered around. Ye Yaopeng and Ye Yaohua also came out. As villagers who relied on the sea for their livelihood, they were most concerned about when the waves would recede.

They all stood by the shore, reluctant to leave, until the sun rose from the sea surface. The village's broadcast started playing the morning news, announcing that the typhoon had made landfall in Zhejiang Province. Only then did everyone feel relieved and gradually go back to having breakfast.

While eating, Eldest Brother Ye asked, "Dad, yesterday everyone's houses had severe water leaks. Shouldn't we take advantage of today's free time to inspect the roof tiles and make some repairs?

"Um, that's a good idea. I reckon the tiles were probably dislodged or shifted by the typhoon last night, which caused the severe leaks. There are also a few tiles in the backyard. After we finish eating, I'll set up a ladder and climb up to take a look."

"Well, Dad, does that mean our houses can resume construction tomorrow?"

"The day after tomorrow, I think. Everywhere is still wet and muddy. The mountain is covered in mud, and the water level in the stream has risen. It's inconvenient to dig stones. Let's start work one day later."

"When can we go out to sea then?" the two brothers asked in turns.

"It's not possible tonight. The waves at the pier are still high, and the outer sea is definitely affected. Let's see how the tide is tomorrow before making a decision. There should be more catch after the typhoon passes."

Seeing the catch that Ye Yaodong had yesterday, and since they had free time today, Ye Yaohua was eager to go to the beach right away. "Since we have nothing else to do, let's wait for the tide to start receding and then go to the beach to have a look. Maybe we can find some goods.”

Mother Ye was also tempted and said, "When the time comes, let's all go together and see. We can pick some seafood and use them for our dishes."

"We want to go to the beach too!"

"Yeah, we want to go to the beach and play..."

"No, it's not just playing at the beach; you guys are clueless! Can't you speak properly? We also want to go sea digging!" Ye Chenghai looked at his younger siblings with frustration,hating iron for not turning into steel.

"Yes, yes, we'll go sea digging too!"

"Following people everywhere, Hurry up and eat. The tide hasn't receded yet, and the waves are very strong. None of you are allowed to go to the beach. If you get swept away by the waves, no one will be able to save you," said Mother Ye, looking sternly at her grandchildren. "Did you hear that?"

"We heard," they all replied in unison.

From childhood to adulthood, the most common thing they were told was not to go to the beach alone and not to swim in the sea without adults present. Each of them remembered it well.

But to everyone's disappointment, even though the typhoon had passed, the tide didn't immediately recede today. The water level only dropped slightly.

The hope of sea digging was dashed, but the children were not very disappointed. Even though they couldn't go to the beach, they could still have fun playing other games. It was actually the adults who were the most disappointed.

It remained sunny throughout the day until noon the next day, when the tide gradually began to recede. The members of the Ye family immediately became enthusiastic and mobilized to go to the beach.

(end of this chapter)

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