MMB Chapter 1690 A Glorious Era
Chapter 1690 A Glorious Era
Chapter 1690 A Glorious Era
Ye's father always took good care of the new clothes he wore for the New Year. Every day when he took them off, he would fold them neatly or hang them up.
I'm worried it will get wrinkled, and it won't look good when I wear it to the city. I'll have to drive back in my car on my third day of junior high.
Before leaving home on the second day of the Lunar New Year, he would pat his clothes a few times to smooth out any wrinkles and make them look neat. Even though his mother had already polished his leather shoes until they were shiny, he would still wipe them a couple more times with a cloth.
The whole family was already at the door, ready to leave, but Father Ye was still leaning against the wall with one hand, wiping his leather shoes with a cloth, afraid that there might be a speck of dust.
Ye Yaodong was speechless and impatient. "What are you doing? This road is so awful, do you want me to carry you?"
"When you go out to visit someone, make sure everything is clean."
"Hurry up, let's take the tractor. If you keep messing around, you'll end up covered in dirt too."
Mr. Ye looked up and realized why the whole family was wearing their everyday old clothes...
He glanced at himself. "Should I change? Did you bring another set of clothes?"
“I brought them. I’ll change them when I get to the factory in the city. Of course, I should wear new clothes when I go out to visit people. For now, I’ll wear my everyday clothes so I don’t get covered in dirt on the way. Anyway, I’ll be traveling by car or boat the whole way, so no one will notice.”
Although they aren't new clothes for the Lunar New Year, they were all made this year and are presentable enough to wear out.
"Then I'll change into something quickly. You get in the car first and start the tractor. I'll be right there," Ye's father said as he rushed into the house. "It's all your mother's fault. She made me get dressed properly this morning."
Mother Ye said innocently, "Wasn't this what Dongzi told me to do yesterday?"
Ye Yaodong took his family to drive the tractor first, letting his father dawdle.
Linji and Shangdu have already arrived and are waiting there.
He went with them too, since they were all going to pick up their cars at the same time, and he had to lead the way.
With Ye Yaodong's help, he wouldn't have to go through all that trouble. They could go together and have the car hoisted onto the boat and transported back together, saving him a lot of trouble.
The Vanguard ship had more than enough room to park three cars side by side on its deck.
Ye Yaodong also brought ten workers with him, since such a large ship needs workers to cooperate whether it is leaving the port or docking.
He also took Ye Chengjiang and Ye Chenghe with him. Both of them had passed their truck driving tests and had been driving for a while. They could drive big trucks, so driving small cars was a piece of cake. They could do both anyway, and they were much better than their father.
If it weren't for wanting to give his father a bit of glory, and also to let his father get more experience, there would have been no need to bring his father along at all.
Although the fish sauce factory is located near the market, where there are many people and vehicles, there are still some undeveloped open spaces in the surrounding area, which are also suitable for his father to practice.
Besides, you've already gotten your driver's license, so you'll need to be around lots of people eventually. If you drive around a few times in a small, low-speed area nearby, you'll be able to get started when you go to Zhoushan. There's not much to drive on in their village, and the roads are all broken.
After the family got on the tractor, and the tractor drove out of the small workshop, Ye's father grabbed a bag of clothes and jogged over to get on the tractor.
He complained breathlessly, "It's all your mother's fault, you didn't even tell me beforehand."
"Dad, sit down quickly, or you'll fall off when the car starts moving."
Lin Xiuqing held the silk scarf and wrapped her hair up neatly.
Everyone else also took a piece of cloth to cover their heads, so that they wouldn't be covered in dust when they got off the bus.
Ye Yaodong sat in the front and found a driver. He called out to make sure everyone was seated before setting off.
After we take them to the dock, the guy can drive the tractor back to the workshop.
After they arrived at the town's dock, they had to take a ferry to the harbor.
Ye Yaodong returned relatively late before the Lunar New Year; he drove the Pioneer.
The 71.8-meter-long super-large boat, with its blue and white exterior, looks like a behemoth from afar, especially when contrasted with the surrounding fishing boats.
The fishing boats moored around were all large vessels, thirty or forty meters long. With the Lunar New Year approaching, many fishing boats had returned to port and were moored in the harbor.
Without comparison, there is no impact.
The night he returned with his fishing boat, it was dark and no one saw him. In addition, he had already docked in a safe harbor, and since it was the Lunar New Year, no one would go to the safe harbor to set sail.
The sight of them leaving the harbor to refuel and resupply at the dock astonished everyone nearby.
No one knew that such a huge fishing boat had appeared in the town at some point.
The gas station staff were shocked from afar, but as soon as the car pulled up, they immediately came over and spoke to the locals in a friendly manner.
"Boss, are you refueling? Is your ship newly built? That's amazing! We've never seen a ship this big in town before. Are you just coming back or just passing through our port?"
Ye Yaodong responded in the local dialect, "I'm from Baisha Village. If you need to go out, please fill up my gas tank quickly."
"Ah! You're the shipping magnate from Baisha Village? I'm coming right now..."
The staff member was taken aback and quickly went to handle the matter for him, but while refueling, he didn't forget to go over and flatter him and ask questions.
"Boss, I heard you own dozens of boats, are you the shipping magnate of our town? This boat must be worth millions, right? That's incredible..."
"Boss, how many ships do you actually have? Could you tell me?"
"There have been quite a few large ships in town these past few years, but I've never seen one as big as yours. It's amazing, and it looks so new..."
"I heard the boss is very young, but I didn't expect you to be so young. You're really amazing."
"Really twenty or thirty big ships? I thought it was just a rumor. That's amazing! He really is a shipping magnate. I thought someone was just bragging. The news is spreading so widely..."
Ye Yaodong responded appropriately, and the workers started chattering on and on around him.
Only after he finished refueling and paid did the boatman watch him reluctantly sail away.
Then he turned around and continued excitedly chattering with his colleague on duty...
Ye Yaodong feigned composure and remained expressionless, but inwardly he was secretly pleased with himself.
Who doesn't want to achieve success, be admired and respected?
He certainly enjoyed this feeling, especially considering the contrast with his previous life.
The feeling of going from the bottom to the top is intoxicating.
So he understood that his father loved face, glory, and being in the limelight, especially in the village, where everyone wanted to stand on high and be looked up to.
His three children, who were always with him, also looked proud and felt honored.
When the boat was being set sail, they squeezed into the cockpit and looked at him with admiration.
"Dad, you're amazing! You're my idol!" Ye Chenghu said with a look of admiration.
Ye Chengyang nodded in agreement, "Dad has always been our idol, from childhood to adulthood. He's our star."
Ye Xiaoxi's eyes sparkled as she said, "Dad, I always write about my father in my essays, and I'm going to write about my shipping magnate father in my winter vacation diary!"
Ye Yaodong smiled and patted her head, "Keep a low profile."
She raised her head proudly, "No need to be modest, all the teachers in the school know that my father's name is Ye Yaodong, and the whole school knows that I have two older brothers!"
"Have you bullied anyone?"
"How could that be! I'm the one who protects others and upholds justice!"
She clenched her little fist. "There are always a lot of bad kids in the older grades at school who collect protection money. Every time they block other students at the school gate, I chase them away."
Ye Chengyang said, "Two wolfhounds follow us to school every day. Who wouldn't be afraid of her? Isn't she famous at school?"
"Wolfhounds are too dangerous. You need to keep a close eye on both dogs and make sure they don't bite anyone. You're not allowed to bring wolfhounds to school anymore."
"It wasn't my idea to take them; they wanted to come with us. We couldn't get rid of them no matter what we did. With the other dogs, I could just yell at them and send them home, but these dogs wouldn't leave. They just wanted to come along."
"Then you need to take even better care of them."
"They're very well-behaved; they won't bite anyone if no one provokes them."
"Next time, have your mother keep an eye on them and don't let them follow."
"Yeah, anyway, the whole school knows I have two bodyguards!"
“Dad, she also wrote about my two bodyguards in her essay!” Ye Chengyang said.
Ye Yaodong joked, "Wow, that's pretty good treatment. You're getting the same treatment as me. You could write that in an essay."
Ye Xiaoxi proudly said with her head held high, "With Dad not home, naturally they are the ones protecting us."
Ye Chenghu watched Ye Yaodong maneuvering the fishing boat with envy. He was so cool, and Ye Yaodong exuded a domineering aura of strategic command.
"Dad, could you teach me how to sail a boat?"
"What boat? Now is not the time for you to learn how to drive a boat. You'll learn later, and then neither you nor Yangyang will be able to escape."
Ye Xiaoxi protested, "What about me? Do I have to learn too?"
“You can’t. Girls can’t go on the boat. You can only stay on the shore and drive.”
Ye Xiaoxi was initially unhappy, saying she couldn't learn to drive a boat, but she immediately became happy when she heard she could learn to drive a car.
"Okay, brothers, you guys drive the boat, I'll drive the car!"
"We want to go get the car too!"
Ye Xiaoxi ignored them and asked, "Dad, when are you going to teach me how to drive?"
"Then you have to wait until I learn it first. Only after I learn it can I teach you. And then you have to wait until you're 18, otherwise your feet won't be able to reach the brake and accelerator pedals," Ye Yaodong replied casually.
"Yeah."
……
Throughout the journey, the three siblings stayed in the cockpit, chattering away around him.
Ye Yaodong has been away from home for a long time, and they have spent too little time with him. Now, whenever they have the chance, the three of them want to stick to him.
In his past life, his two sons were not close to him and harbored resentment towards him for not engaging in productive work and placing the burden of supporting the family on their mother, which led to her early death.
Now everything has changed. He has a daughter, and his three children respect, love, and admire him.
Looking at them, Ye Yaodong felt his heart was filled with joy. Success in his career was important, but the warmth of his family could relax his tired mind and make him feel equally fulfilled.
Throughout the journey, the corners of his mouth were turned up in a smile.
Once we reached the shore, the three of them couldn't wait to go out and jump and hop around on the deck, eager to get their car.
"Mom, are we going to drive now?"
"No, let's go to the fish sauce factory first, then change our clothes, wash our faces and go to wish your godfather a Happy New Year. After that, we'll go back to the factory and wait for your dad. Your grandfather and the others will drive the car back."
"Okay, so we can see the car tonight?"
"Correct."
After Ye Yaodong parked the boat, he asked for directions to Linji and said that he would go to him after he finished paying his New Year's visits and taking care of his business, and then go to complete the procedures for picking up the car.
Lin Ji had no objections, but he himself needed to make arrangements in advance and contact them first.
Once they reached the shore, they parted ways.
Ye Yaodong found a tractor and sent a load of people to the fish sauce factory.
The factory was closed for the Chinese New Year, with only two people left to stay behind.
His father-in-law and his brothers-in-law's whole family had gone back to their hometown for the Spring Festival before the new year, so they weren't in the city at the time and he didn't need to visit them.
Ye Chenghu looked at the locked gate in the distance and said, "Dad, after we pick up the new car, should we drive to Grandpa and Grandma's house to pay our respects for the New Year?"
"Of course I want it."
“Great! Perfect opportunity to show our new car to my cousins.”
Ye Xiaoxi happily exclaimed, "Let them sit down, and let Grandpa and Grandma sit down too! Let's take them for a drive!"
Lin Xiuqing smiled and said, "Let's pick up the car first and then talk about this. Go change your clothes. Adong, go call your godfather too. We've arrived in the city and will be visiting him for the New Year later. Let him know in advance."
"it is good."
They had arranged to come and pay their respects before the Lunar New Year, and they had even called the night before to say so.
They did not return to the county town for the Spring Festival this year because Director Chen had scheduled duty shifts for the holiday, so they spent the Spring Festival in the city.
It's lunchtime now, so he called ahead to let them know so they could prepare.
He had already prepared the New Year's gifts and brought them over; he could drive the tractor over there in a little while.
The roads in the city are much better now than they were a few years ago. Many roads have been repaired, so there's no need to worry about dust flying everywhere.
If you want to get rich, build roads first. In recent years, the country has been going crazy with infrastructure construction, and many cities have changed dramatically.
When he disembarked, he felt that the city had changed a lot and was more prosperous. During the Chinese New Year, the streets were decorated with lanterns and colorful decorations, and people were visiting relatives everywhere.
The seafood wholesale market near their home has become increasingly bustling in recent years, with most of the stalls occupied, and many shops and markets have sprung up around it.
Instead of going to pay New Year's visits with them, Ye's father strolled around the area first. His three sons all had shops in the area and collected rent every year, so he came to take a look on their behalf.
The others also allowed them to move around freely.
During the Lunar New Year, the surroundings looked quieter than usual, but people were still coming and going. The market still had transactions during the New Year, and some stalls were still open diligently in order to make money, just far fewer than usual.
Ye Yaodong took his family to pay New Year's greetings to Director Chen's family. Director Chen's whole family was there, including his son, daughter, grandson, and granddaughter. Two tables were set up for lunch.
They've known each other for a few years now, and Ye Yaodong has had intermittent contact with them every year. He hasn't harmed their interests, and they treat each other like relatives, always being very polite.
After a lively meal, the adults sat together chatting, while the children played together.
Ye Chengyang and his two siblings brought some toys. They automatically divided the toys among themselves: the older ones played with the older ones, the younger ones played with the younger ones, the boys played with the boys, and the girls played with the girls.
During his conversation with them, Ye Yaodong mentioned that he had come to pick up his car that day. He surprised everyone in the room by saying that he had bought two cars.
But thinking about it, it makes perfect sense. Everyone knows he's doing very well and has been earning more and more money in recent years. He's always very generous when he visits, and they've all heard about it, which is why they're being so polite to him.
Who wouldn't want a few powerful relatives?
Everyone couldn't help but give him a thumbs up.
Director Chen congratulated him with a smile, "You've really become more and more capable these past few years, reaching new heights. Just before the New Year, you called to say you had just bought a fishing boat of over 1000 tons, and now you've already picked up two cars."
"If there's a need, then we have to make arrangements. It's inconvenient to pick up clients without a car, but we also have to give them face."
"That's right. If you're busy, go ahead and do your thing."
"It's okay, I'm not in a hurry. I can go and pick up the car tonight."
"It'll be dark by the time we go at night, which isn't a good idea. If you're going, go earlier. It's fine here."
Ye Yaodong glanced at his watch. They had eaten until 2 p.m., but it was still early.
"No rush, it's only 2 o'clock. It's okay to be a little late. I'll have a few more sips of tea and chat with everyone a bit more."
Director Chen certainly wouldn't kick people out; he just smiled and nodded, "Then arrange your time accordingly, and go early when the appointed time arrives, so as not to keep people waiting."
Jin Yuzhi also said with a smile, "It's fine for my wife and kids to stay here and play for now. They seem to be having a good time. They've already made friends in the compound. We can bring the new car over to pick them up later and have dinner with them."
Ye Yaodong thought that would work too.
“That works too. When it’s time, I’ll leave first and let them play here a little longer. Then I’ll bring the car to pick them up.”
"How much did you pay for your two cars? Cars aren't cheap. I heard a Santana costs nearly 200,000 yuan, and a Xiali costs 70,000 to 80,000 yuan. The main problem is that they're hard to get and hard to buy."
“I was introduced by a friend. He has connections and gave me a reasonable price.”
Once Ye Yaodong said that, everyone understood that the car wasn't bought through official channels.
Most cars on the street these days are bought through official channels. Since it's too difficult to get them through legitimate channels, people in the coastal areas naturally choose whatever is most convenient.
People were no longer surprised by it.
He stayed until about 3:30, told Aqing and the children to play there while he went to take care of the car pick-up paperwork and would come back to pick them up later.
It's not really appropriate to take them to pick up the car anyway; we'd have to leave them at the factory to wait, so there's no difference between leaving them here and that.
However, Lin Xiuqing felt a little uncomfortable. She wasn't familiar with everyone, but after Ye Yaodong left, she made an excuse to check on the children and went out for a stroll around the area.
I didn't go to help prepare dinner until it was almost dinnertime.
Ye Yaodong arrived at dusk with his father, Ye Chengjiang, and Ye Chenghe.
Since they needed to drive, they decided to come along.
As soon as the car stopped at the gate of the compound, the children playing nearby rushed over in surprise.
"car……"
"There are two cars..."
"Two cars are parked at the entrance of our compound..."
"This is a Santana, and this is a Mercedes."
"I know, that's a Mercedes, it's really expensive..."
A group of boys excitedly surrounded the car like crazy. Some couldn't resist reaching out to touch it, while others were more reserved and didn't dare to touch it, but all of them had burning eyes.
Ye Chenghu and his two siblings rushed over, "Father..."
The children in the compound were all shocked.
"Ah! This is your family's car!"
"Wow!! Your family has two cars!"
"My goodness, Ye Chenghu and Ye Chengyang, your family is so rich! You even have two cars."
"It's a Mercedes! This is so expensive! My uncle is a very wealthy businessman, but he said he couldn't afford it, so he bought a Xiali instead!"
"Ah, Ye Chenghu, your father is even more powerful than Ah Heng's uncle..."
"Ye Chenghu, may we take a look inside the car?"
"We'll just look, we won't touch... We can't afford to pay for the damage if we break it... We'll just look..."
……
The boys and girls in the compound looked at the three siblings like they were precious treasures.
Some people who had previously looked down on the three siblings for coming from the countryside had nothing to say and gathered around them.
The three siblings made quite a splash in the compound.
Director Chen and his family came out when they heard the commotion, and people from the surrounding compound also came out to see what was going on because of the children's shocked noise.
"Hey, who bought a car?"
"He's Old Chen's godson, the one we've all eaten a lot of dried fish and fish sauce from."
"Wow, you've bought two cars already?"
"That young man is getting more and more impressive; he's already bought a car. Truly, the younger generation surpasses the older one."
"Wow, this is a Mercedes! It must cost hundreds of thousands! This young man has made a lot of money again."
"This young man is amazing! Congratulations..."
"Congratulations! Old Chen is lucky. His son and daughter are filial, and his godson is also very capable."
The adults who came out to watch the excitement were also envious, showering them with compliments.
Since they were all eating his food, they were obliged to congratulate Ye Yaodong with smiles.
When Mr. Ye got out of the car, his steps were a little unsteady. He straightened his back, carrying two bottles of Moutai in his hands, and had a beaming smile on his face.
He was so proud and honored that a group of leaders from his workplace congratulated him with smiles.
Oh my god, I can brag to my wife when I get back!
If he weren't afraid of making a fool of himself, he would have boasted to everyone, but now he has to hold back and say a few polite words.
In recent years, he has been able to handle being called "President Ye" more respectably, and he is no longer like before, when he would just smile awkwardly and not know what to say when facing respectable people of high status.
Director Chen greeted Ye's father with a smile, "Brother, you've come to the city? Why didn't you come over at noon?"
"Hehe, I have to settle Dongzi in and the others, so I'm busy right away. I just finished and came to bother you."
"Not at all, not at all. We'd love to welcome you. You've really gotten to know me these past few years, you've even learned to drive, haha."
Mr. Ye couldn't help but laugh. "Dongzi said he wanted to buy a car before the New Year and asked me to learn to drive and get a driver's license. I learned for two months and passed the test. He immediately arranged it for me."
Mr. Ye was overjoyed and wanted to show off; he had reached the pinnacle of his life at this moment.
"Brother, you've raised a good son. Dongzi is truly filial."
“They are all filial, all your sons and daughters are filial, and you are the same. You are also enjoying a good life.”
"It's alright. Let's go inside and talk. We'll leave the car to those kids to watch over."
After saying that, Director Chen turned to his children and instructed them, "You guys keep a close eye on the car. Don't let it get scratched or damaged. If you don't watch it carefully, you'll get whipped during the New Year."
"understood."
The children, as if they had received a magic sword, stood in front of the car with their hands outstretched, preventing anyone from touching it.
I also felt a sense of pride and immense honor.
This damn sense of collective honor.
As Director Chen walked, he exclaimed, "I never expected one of them to be a Mercedes. I thought it would be a Xiali, a Santana, or even a Crown. A Mercedes! This one is worth several of those other cars. It's incredibly valuable. It's truly amazing."
Mr. Ye said proudly, "I specifically told him not to buy a Japanese car, so we bought a Santana instead. I didn't even know when Dongzi secretly ordered a Mercedes. What a spendthrift child."
Ye Yaodong just smiled and let his father scold him. Anyway, he was just saying one thing and meaning another; who knows how smug and happy he was in his heart.
Although Ye's father scolded him verbally, he was secretly overjoyed.
There's definitely a reason why cars are expensive; the vanity and satisfaction that expensive cars bring is truly different.
The way they show off is different too.
Unexpectedly, this caused quite a stir in the city.
He can't wait to go back to the village tomorrow, but the villagers probably don't recognize Mercedes-Benz, so he'll have to give them a proper lesson.