Back to the small fishing village in 1982

Chapter 1132 Winner in Life
"It's not a matter of whether it's okay or not. I just know a few more people, and all my fellow villagers have gone abroad." Ye Yaohai said casually as if nothing had happened.

Seeing his pretentious expression, Ye Yaodong didn't ask any more questions.

Snakeheads are not easy to deal with.

The term snakehead is relative to the term “human snake”, which refers specifically to people who sneak abroad.

They dare not take normal channels, dare not walk on the road, dare not meet people, and only dare to move along rugged mountain paths, or in the dark night, or curl up in the cargo hold of a ship, so they are called human snakes.

The smugglers are the guides of these people, usually those who bring the smuggled people out of the country and make money from it. These people usually do not directly buy and sell people, but only collect smuggling fees.

However, some big snakeheads also engage in human trafficking. They will use the excuse of going abroad, applying for passports, and applying for foreign identities to defraud people, but will not smuggle people to their destinations. Some will even steal money and kill people on the way.

This is much more powerful than a smuggler.

Smugglers only target goods, but human traffickers target people.

I just don't know what role he plays in their team.

No wonder the people receiving goods at the dock were so secretive and fearful of him, allowing him to wander around and cause damage without any mercy.

And he came to this dock to wait and receive the goods, probably as a role-playing job. His main job was probably to arrange smuggling here, and he used the gains from his side job as a cover?

Ye Yaodong didn't understand it either, but smuggling definitely didn't mean leaving directly from this pier.

He sighed in his heart: Oh, he turned out to be a human snakehead, a smuggler. He had been guessing what he did before and thought he was a smuggler like in Linji.

It turns out they are at a higher level. Others are bringing goods in, but they are smuggling people out.

It's really amazing. I've known for a long time that this province is notorious for rampant smuggling, and even many industrial chains have been formed locally. And today he really met a human snakehead.

This indirectly results in ordinary Fujianese often receiving special attention when applying for foreign visas, and the rejection rate is relatively high.

After being denied a visa, those who are unwilling to accept the result often have no choice but to go on, thus falling into a vicious cycle.

But it’s not the people who make fun of the jokes. The Fujianese people’s choice to sneak across the border more or less reveals a kind of helplessness and sadness.

Due to its unfavorable geographical location, Fujian has always been mostly poor, mountainous and water-scarce, with limited natural resources.

As the saying goes, "eight mountains, one river, and one piece of land", there are few opportunities for development in the local area, so Fujianese are forced to go overseas to make a living. You should know that smuggling is a very dangerous thing, not as easy as traveling as many people say.

Thinking of this, his heart suddenly skipped a beat. If A Guang went with them, could he be sold out and never come back?

"Fuck..."

"Ok?"

Ye Yaodong was about to curse, but when he saw him looking at him in confusion, he immediately stopped.

You're thinking wrong. Even a big snakehead wouldn't be so blatant in trafficking people. They would only do it secretly. This happened in broad daylight, in front of everyone. If Guang followed his people, they would definitely bring the person back safely. There's no need to think too much about it.

Moreover, this Ye Yaohai doesn’t look like the big snake head.

"Oh, it's okay, it's okay. I'm just lamenting that there are no overseas Chinese relatives in my family. If they return home in glory, wouldn't I be able to rise to the top?"

As he spoke, he slapped his thigh in regret, "Hey, why did my grandfather flee to that remote seaside country? It would be great if I could go abroad with them. Wouldn't I be an overseas Chinese then?"

He pretended to be regretful, which made everyone laugh.

"If your grandfather had also gone abroad to work, you would probably not be here."

"That's not certain. I might be even more handsome than I am now, or even a famous second-generation, charming the big horses from all over the world, leaving behind countless stars and sparks, and dominate foreign countries in the future."

There is a country in Europe where foreigners claim to be descendants of the dragon. They celebrate Chinese festivals with extra grandness, and there is even more festive atmosphere than at home.

That is the race left behind by our ancestors who came to Europe hundreds of years ago!
Ye Yaohai looked at him like a fool and only half understood what he said, "You should just go fishing. Maybe you can travel to many countries by fishing."

"You have no sense of humor."

"Come on, come on, the wine is here. There's no snack to go with it. Just some peanuts and sunflower seeds to go with it."

"Brother, what did those overseas Chinese invest in when they came back? To build their hometown?"

"Yes, some have been away for decades. In recent years, the country has opened its doors and welcomed overseas Chinese to come back to build their hometowns. Many people want to come back and take a look, and also contribute to their hometowns. As far as I know, they have built ancestral halls, roads and bridges, factories, hospitals and schools. It all depends on the support policies of local governments."

"very nice."

"Don't say you don't have any relatives. There are some of your relatives among them. My father said that your grandfather sold everything in the family to support his eldest brother to go abroad first, and then the younger brother stayed at home to wait for a few years. Who knew that there would be a famine, and they all went out to make a living. The descendants of your grandfather's brothers also came back this time. When he opened the family to worship the ancestors, he invited your family to come."

Ye Yaodong was confused and felt nothing. How much affection could there be between relatives whom he had never met?

After all, they are just strangers with blood relationship.

As the saying goes, a distant relative is not as good as a close neighbor.

He just nodded casually, then changed the subject, "Is there any bagged ice water for sale in the city?"

Ye Yaohai was confused by his unconventional thinking, "What bag of ice water?"

Ye Yaodong heard someone selling popsicles in the distance, so he shouted to buy some popsicles, and the other party quickly rode over on his bike.

He asked if there were any bagged ice water, and the other party immediately responded with some, asked him what flavor he wanted, and opened the wooden box on the back seat to give it to him.

I bought 10 at a time, with different flavors and some with the same flavor, and they filled the table with all kinds of colors.

"Everyone should get one, to cool off on a hot day."

Ye Yaohai picked up an orange one at random. "Hasn't this thing been available two months ago? There are all kinds of flavors, and some are sweet, and some are sweet and sour. They are very popular among children."

"What I want is this kind of sealing machine for bagged water, so I have to ask you to help me find out about it. You may not be able to imagine it just by my description. If I show you this bagged water, you will understand."

"That's true. You just mentioned a machine for sealing liquid. I didn't think of it even after you described it for so long. Show me this and I'll know what you want. I don't know when those people will leave. I'll ask them later to see if anyone has seen it abroad and knows about it."

"Then please. Aren't they investing in building this and that? Why are they leaving so soon? They just came back."

"I'm not sure, because some of them want to bring their relatives and neighbors to go abroad with them. Overseas Chinese attach great importance to their hometown people, relatives and friends, and neighbors. When people see them come back with glory, they also want them to take them abroad. Many overseas Chinese are happy to support their hometown people and give them a hand."

"Oh, then if you can't get a visa, you still have to worship Mazu. See you at the pier tonight?"

Ye Yaohai pursed his lips tightly, then smiled. "Almost the same. If you can't go through the normal channels, then go through the illegal channels. I heard that the environment abroad is better than in China. It is indeed better to work abroad than in China. It is not easy to find a job in China."

"After the country opened its doors in recent years, the status of overseas Chinese has been continuously improved. There should be more people going abroad, right?"

"almost."

"Pity."

"What's a pity?"

"It's a pity that we are lagging behind for several decades, but we will catch up with other countries in the future. The times are changing, and sooner or later our country will shock the world."

Ye Yaohai smiled and said nothing.

Ye Yaodong continued, "Can you tell me about the ancestral worship in the ancestral temple? And what other relatives are there from my grandfather's generation? What's my hometown like? What's the situation?"

"Okay, I'll be idle anyway."

Now that he had someone to entrust the task to, Ye Yaodong no longer had to run around looking for that kind of machine. He could sit at the dock waiting for A Guang with peace of mind, while chatting with Ye Yaohai about the situation in his hometown.

Although this person may not be a good person, at least it seems that he has no ill will towards them. Moreover, the people in Fujian Province attach the most importance to clans, so they are basically family members.

Ye Yaodong spent the entire afternoon sitting on the dock and even had his dinner with them.

Throughout the whole day, I really saw them sitting there enjoying the cool air and swatting mosquitoes, very idle, while other families were busy receiving, lifting and transporting goods.

He looked curious and asked, "Where are you shipping all these goods?"

"Some are sent to some factories, such as fish canneries and food factories. Some larger sharks are taken away by special people to be broken down into different parts and then made into related products. Other fishmongers share the profits. Large quantities are also sent to aquatic product wholesale markets. Some people will also take a truckload of them to towns and villages to sell them for a day. There are all kinds of them. Anyway, they are fresh and there is no shortage of buyers. People want to buy everything they see now."

He understood that after so many years of lack of clothing and food, it was now a natural hunger marketing and there was nothing that could not be sold.

"It would be great if we had cold chain technology. We could send a truckload of fresh fish to all parts of the country. The demand for fish would be greater and the price would be higher."

“What is cold chain technology?”

"It means that in each link of production, storage, transportation, sales and before consumption, the specified low temperature environment is always maintained to ensure the freshness of the food. If we have this technology now, our seafood will no longer be sold only in the nearby area, but can be transported to inland areas across the country, and people in inland areas can also eat fresh seafood. Wouldn't this greatly increase the demand?"

Ye Yaohai looked at him curiously, "Is there such a technology?"

"I'm just saying, I just hope it will be there, it should be there in the future, right? Anyway, things are changing day by day, with each passing day."

"Brother, you are still quite good. Chatting with you makes me feel that my horizons have been broadened and my mind has been enriched."

"Growing a brain."

"Hahaha……"

"Why haven't Guang and the others come back yet? It's almost dark."

The goods nearby were being taken away one truck after another, and some people were fetching water to wash the ground, preparing to close the shop and go home.

"Not so fast. Wait. We won't go until noon. It will be dark by the time we get there and back. Besides, he will have to ask around."

"Then you all go home first, I'll wait here."

"Let the others go back first. I'll just sit here and chat. I have nothing to do anyway."

Ye Yaodong continued to chat with him. After half a day, the two packs of cigarettes in his pocket were almost finished.

The two men waited until it was completely dark. He kept looking at his watch. It was not until 8 o'clock that he heard the sound of a tractor coming closer and closer.

He stood up immediately, "You're back?"

Ye Yaohai put out the cigarette in his hand and stood up, "It should be."

Indeed, the tractor drove towards them from a distance and then stopped in front of them. A Guang immediately jumped out of the car.

"I thought you were going to be made into a human meat dumpling. You haven't come back yet."

"It's a bit far. When I went there, I stopped and asked for directions, which took some time. Fortunately, I found it. I'm sorry to trouble Brother Ye, who accompanied me for most of the day."

“I’m just sitting around doing nothing anyway, so why bother?” said the middle-aged man driving the tractor.

Ah Guang took out two packs of Cheng Feng from his pocket and stuffed them into his pocket, and also stuffed two packs into Ye Yaohai, "It's a bit late today, I'll treat everyone to lunch tomorrow, thank you, otherwise I might not be able to find a place before dark."

They didn't refuse and took the cigarettes with a smile and put them in their pockets.

"You're welcome. Two packs of cigarettes at noon and two packs of cigarettes at night. I'm making a profit."

Ye Yaodong said, "Now that we have done our job, let's go find a guesthouse first. It's getting late, and there's no one on the road. You should go back and rest early. I'll come find you guys at noon tomorrow, and then we'll go to the state-owned restaurant for dinner."

"Let's talk about it tomorrow. You guys go ahead." Ye Yaohai said.

Ye Yaodong nodded and thanked them politely, asked about the location of the guesthouse, refused their offer to see him off, and then walked towards the city with A Guang.

What a joke, these people are here to smuggle people. If A Guang followed them in broad daylight in front of everyone, there would be no need to worry too much. But let’s just forget it now in the middle of the night.

Although it would be effortless to deal with both of them if we really wanted to, we could just hit them with a stick and take them both away, but we still had to be on guard.

It was pitch black all around, with few street lights, but luckily they both brought flashlights, so the two of them had company as they walked on the road.

"Why don't you let them send it?" A Guang asked puzzledly as he walked.

"Do you know what they do?"

"Aren't they collecting the goods at the dock?"

"That's just an identity they used to cover up their tracks. They are actually human traffickers."

A Guang looked at him in confusion, "What is a snake head?"

"You do not know?"

It’s normal to think about it. Ordinary people have never been exposed to these things, and the Internet is not well developed. How would ordinary people know what a snakehead is?

Ye Yaodong then explained to him what a snakehead does.

Ah Guang's eyes widened and he stopped walking. "Fuck, is this true?"

He shuddered after saying that. "Why the hell did I follow him? You didn't even stop me? Fortunately, I came back safely. Aren't you afraid that I wouldn't be able to come back?"

Ye Yaodong chuckled and said, "I didn't know at first, but I suddenly guessed it when we were chatting in the afternoon. But they don't look like big snakeheads. They should be decent snakeheads who wouldn't engage in human trafficking."

"Oh, I was so scared. If I had known this earlier, I would never have gone with them. Fortunately, I am blessed with a long life. May Mazu bless me, otherwise your sister would have to be a widow."

"No, it's broad daylight and there are so many people watching."

"Go, go, go, hurry up and walk faster. Stop talking. Walk faster and get as far away as possible."

Ye Yaodong was being pulled by him and could only jog faster.

When they walked out onto the street, it was pitch black everywhere. No shop was open. Apart from the night watchman, they were probably the only people on the street.

It’s almost 9 o’clock, which is already late at night for people nowadays, and the nightlife hasn’t started yet.

They walked for more than an hour before they saw the guesthouse. Because the city had not yet developed, there were only a few main streets, and they could find the place by walking around.

They had been here before, but it was impossible for him to know the way to every location of the guesthouse. He only knew where the guesthouse was, so he also needed to look for it.

After the two of them asked for a room, they ordered a few packets of instant noodles for a midnight snack. After filling their stomachs, they chatted for a while before going to bed.

It should be said that they had already communicated on the road, so they didn't talk much after arriving at the guesthouse. Everyone was a little tired after the whole day, and they were still sleeping on the boat in the early morning, so how could they get a good rest.

Ye Yaodong also told A Guang that the purpose of his trip had been achieved and now he just had to wait for a reply.

The two of them had finished their work and agreed to treat them to a meal at noon tomorrow, and then buy tickets back to the city immediately.

After arriving in the city, they have to spend another night and then take a bus to the county town. From the county town to the village, they have to change another bus. It is so troublesome and traveling is extremely inconvenient.

The next morning, they slept until they woke up naturally at 8 o'clock. After checking out of the hotel, they thought about it and decided not to go to the pier immediately, but to walk around the city.

If we go to the dock and start chatting with them, we probably won't even have time to wander around the city.

But Ye Yaodong was still thinking about buying dolls for his children. He tricked her into planting dolls, but in the end, he failed. So he had to buy some dolls to compensate her.

Besides, school is about to start, so I'll see what the latest school supplies are and buy some to take back. Even though they are all poor students, it doesn't stop them from liking the new school supplies, and they can take them to school to show off.

It will definitely give you face if you tell others that you bought it from the provincial capital.

A Guang watched him frantically buying school supplies, thought about it, and bought a few as well.

"Why did you buy these?"

"For my younger brothers and sisters, why did you buy so much?"

"Don't you think about it? I have so many nephews and nieces, and Ayuan is still at my house. I'll buy some more and bring some back to him to share. Oh, by the way, I'll make a phone call later. We have to send Ayuan back to the city anyway, so why not let our tractor take him to the city tomorrow and take us back at the same time. This way, we don't have to spend a night in the city."

"So you bought so many calligraphy copies?"

"That's fine. Let them practice calligraphy when they have nothing to do. As the saying goes, handwriting reflects a person's character. Wouldn't it be impressive if a poor student wrote good handwriting?"

Ah Guang glanced at it with disdain and said, "I guess it could still be newer than the textbook even after a year."

"It's okay. I'll tell my sisters-in-law when I send them off and ask them to urge them to complete it every day."

"You really love them."

"Of course, even though he's not my son, I still want him to be successful. Unlike you, you buy some comic book illustrations that affect his studies."

"Cut~"

The two of them walked around for a while, and then tacitly went to pick out toys, both of them picking pink and tender dolls that girls would like.

When Ye Yaodong saw someone selling harmonicas, he felt guilty and grabbed several more, trying to buy one for each person. Although he couldn't afford other musical instruments, he could still buy a harmonica and play with it.

They visited the department store and the Friendship Store, but these were only for the purpose of broadening their horizons. They did not have any foreign exchange coupons, so they could only take a look around and left with regret.

"Let's go, we've almost finished shopping and it's almost time, let's go to the dock, treat them to a meal, and then we'll go straight back."

"Okay, what a pity. The Friendship Store just now has everything, all so high-end and fancy. I really want to buy some to try what those coffee and chocolates taste like. Before, when I didn't have much money, I didn't even dare to step in. Now that I've stepped in, I can only look. How embarrassing. Those sales clerks are so arrogant. They think we can't afford it, so they ignore us and roll their eyes. It's so infuriating. Seeing other people in suits and ties, they still look so fawning. It's disgusting."

Ye Yaodong also looked down at himself. He was wearing the tattered, gray work clothes and the Liberation shoes on his feet. He really looked like a country farmer, nothing like those people in the Friendship Store who were wearing suits and leather shoes.

Respect the clothes first and then the person. This is true and applies everywhere.

"Then when we go to the dock later, ask Lao Hai if he has any foreign exchange certificates and buy a few from him."

Ah Guang's eyes lit up. "Yes, they are the snakeheads, so they must have foreign exchange coupons. We can spend some money to get a few and buy some things. Since we are here and have seen everything, we can also let those people who look down on others open their eyes and take a look. We can also afford it."

"They all look down on you, and yet you still provide them with performance."

It seems so?

A Guang pursed his lips and said nothing more.

Ye Yaodong walked out of the door and went straight to a rickshaw. "Take a rickshaw?"

"It's a must. Who wants to walk in this hot weather? If you get a heat stroke, you'll be half dead."

"Very good, the revolutionary front has reached an agreement."

"I walked all day yesterday and was exposed to the sun. I feel exhausted."

Ye Yaodong felt the breeze brought by the rickshaw as it started running, which made him feel a little cooler and not so hot anymore. It was really good to have money. He didn't have to be stingy and could spend money whenever he wanted.

It would be even better if I could become a capitalist.

As he thought about it, he also said with emotion: "It's great to have money!"

"Yeah, it's nice to have money."

"You still have to work harder to earn more."

"You've earned a lot, it's my turn."

"You've made a lot of money."

"I can't compare to you. I'm just so-so. I still have to work hard. My father is old, and now I have a big family with more people, more than yours."

"That's right. Your stepmother might be able to give you two more brothers and sisters."

The expression on A Guang's face suddenly became indescribable.

Ye Yaodong understood immediately and was surprised, "What the hell? Really? I was just saying it casually. Are you really going to be a big brother again?"

"Ah..." A Guang had a complicated expression on his face and sighed, "I didn't know that besides being a father, I could also be a brother. My father is really awesome. I'm almost 30 years old, and he can still give me brothers and sisters and let me be a brother."

Ye Yaodong laughed out loud, "Oh my god, I am dying of laughter. My mouth is really blessed. What I said casually really came true. Hahahaha."

"Ugh……"

"Your father is really amazing. He is still strong at his old age. How long has it been? It has been less than a month since he came back from Zhejiang Province? Oh my god, was she conceived before he left?"

Ah Guang nodded, speechless.

"No wonder your father's face was so rosy and he looked so energetic. I thought he was happy because he had two grandchildren at once. I didn't expect that he would be a father again. After being a grandfather, he is now a father. Hahahaha, I admire your father. He is a role model for men in the village. Hahahaha, he is middle-aged and has a bulging wallet. After being a grandfather, he is now a father. Hahaha..."

Ye Yaodong laughed to death.

"You look happier than me, do you want to be a brother too?"

"Forget it. If that's the case, my mother probably won't dare to go out with her head held high. She might even eat my father."

A Guang shook his head and said nothing.

He hadn't originally planned to tell it because he felt embarrassed, and so did his stepmother, so they kept it a secret until the whole family found out about it in the past few days.

His father was the only one in the family who was extremely happy and wanted to tell the whole world about it, but his stepmother ordered him not to tell anyone, so the news did not spread in the village.

Otherwise, such explosive news would have been known to the whole village in less than half a day.

Ye Yaodong also thought that Pei's father had made a lot of money at his age, married a wife who was 10 years younger than him, and became a grandfather of twins. Now he was going to be a father too. He was really a winner in life. He had experienced everything when he got old, so his life was worth it.

He patted Guang on the shoulder and said, "Work hard. You have to work hard. In the future, you will not only have to support your son but also your younger brother. The whole family will rely on you. You are the eldest."

"Well, but my father said that whatever happens to them in the future will depend on me. He's old, and he might not be able to see the children grow up. Anyway, he will definitely leave everything to me. He works hard now, and I will take care of it myself in the future."

"That's the right thing to do. Your stepmother and her family are counting on you, but Lin Jianshe is old enough and it's okay for them to support each other. Anyway, he should know that he was brought here and he must work hard on his own."

Ye Yaodong thought about the current situation of A Guang's family, which was really complicated. If he had known that his father would marry again, he would have a stepmother, stepbrother, and biological siblings. He probably wouldn't have married Hui Mei to him.

It’s hard to say anything now.

But their family lives a good life, and their living conditions are far better than those of people in the surrounding area.

"Ah."

(End of this chapter)