When they arrived at Secretary Xiao's house, they were told that he had gone to a meeting in town and had not yet returned.
Feng Ye had no choice but to put his things down and go to the village committee to make a phone call.
The father-in-law answered the phone. After learning about his daughter's due date and Feng Ye's plans, he immediately said that he and his mother-in-law would come over in a few days to help take care of her.
"That's good. With you and Mother here, I can rest assured."
Feng Ye felt much more at ease. After chatting with his father-in-law for a few more minutes, he hung up the phone.
He had to go fishing at sea and couldn't take care of Ye Qingling, while his parents had to manage the workshop, so they were really short-handed.
Ye Qingyu was just a young girl and didn't know how to take care of a pregnant woman, so she couldn't be of much help.
The fact that my father-in-law and mother-in-law came was undoubtedly a timely help.
As Feng Ye left the village committee, he breathed a sigh of relief, and his steps became much lighter.
He didn't go to Xiao Shu's house to wait; he planned to come back later or tomorrow.
Unexpectedly, just as they were approaching the dock, they ran into Secretary Xiao, who had just returned.
"Secretary Xiao, I couldn't find you at your house earlier, but we bumped into each other here. What a coincidence!"
"Haha, what a coincidence! I just came back from town, I've only been off the boat for two minutes. Is there something you need?"
"I want to express my special thanks to you for speaking well of my wife's pregnancy to the family planning officials."
Secretary Xiao also noticed the empty basket in his hand, knowing that the things had been delivered, and said with a smile, "It's nothing, no need to be so polite. You're so far along in your pregnancy, it won't matter whether I help you or not."
Even so, Feng Ye could imagine how unpleasant the faces of the family planning officials must have looked at the time.
It's a slap in the face that they only found out when her belly was so big.
Secretary Xiao must have been under a lot of pressure to speak up for him.
It's easy to add flowers to brocade, but difficult to provide charcoal in the snow.
He will always remember this favor.
He sincerely said again, "No matter what, I still have to thank you. I'll remember this kindness. After the baby is born, I'll send you red eggs so you can share in the joy."
"No need to thank me, it was just a favor. You guys hid it well; if you had been discovered a month or two earlier, there would have been nothing I could have done. However, you'll still have to pay the fine, and your wife will have to get a tubal ligation."
"Okay, I'll pay the fine no matter what. But can we postpone the tubal ligation? We can talk about it after I'm out of maternity leave?"
Feng Ye has no intention of having a third child. Getting a tubal ligation would be even better, as it would make things easier for her in the future.
Secretary Xiao pondered for a moment: "Okay, if they urge us later, I'll talk to them again and postpone it until after the postpartum period."
"Thank you for your help, Secretary Xiao."
Feng Ye nodded gratefully, feeling relieved.
The tubal ligation was inevitable, but being able to postpone it until after the postpartum period gave Ye Qingling some time to recuperate and suffer less.
"You should be prepared that the fine might be quite heavy."
How much do you estimate the fine will be?
"It's very likely the maximum penalty, which is 3,000 yuan. I also want to speak up for you and ask them to reduce the fine, but there's nothing I can do. You've been made an example of, and they even brought you up in detail at today's meeting. They investigated your family's situation thoroughly, so my words are useless."
Grass!
Feng Ye was speechless.
He was hoping that Secretary Xiao would help reduce the fine, but he didn't expect it to turn out like this.
In fact, the Family Planning Commission's approach to fining people for having more than one child is somewhat flexible, depending on the individual.
Families without money usually follow the minimum standard.
But for wealthy families, the fines are much heavier, often the maximum penalty.
I heard that just last month, a family in Lujia Village was fined 3,000 yuan because they owned a 30-meter boat and a television. They were fined more than others for no reason.
His family is in a better situation now, with two fishing boats, the Dongsheng and Donglai, and a workshop.
Although they were all partners, in the eyes of the family planning commission, these became reasons for him to be severely punished.
In addition, there is a television, and the house is newly built.
What's more, they've been made an example of, so it seems they can't avoid a 3,000 yuan fine.
This is no small amount; it's roughly equivalent to two years' wages for an average person.
He is rich, but being fined so much at once still hurts him deeply.
However, since things have come to this point, he can only accept reality.
"Alright, Secretary Xiao, since that's the case, I'll accept it. I'll pay the fine as soon as the notice comes through."
Secretary Xiao patted Feng Ye on the shoulder, "It's good that you can understand. There's nothing we can do about it. Who told you to be the unlucky one to be made an example of? Otherwise, with my old face, I could at least help you reduce the fine a little."
Feng Ye forced a wry smile and said, "Yes, it's just bad luck. But paying the fine is a way of putting an end to this."
"Don't forget about getting your tubal ligation done, so those guys don't come knocking on our door. It'll be troublesome, and it'll make us all look bad."
"I know."
After exchanging a few more pleasantries, the two parted ways and went home.
When Ye Qingling learned that she would likely have to pay a fine of 3,000 yuan, she was heartbroken: "That's too much! How many dried fish would I have to sell to earn that back!"
Feng Ye comforted him, "It's okay. I'm sure I'll catch a lot of fish this time. Once I sell them, I can easily cover up the 3,000 yuan fine, let alone a few more 3,000 yuan fines."
"Then you must be careful when you go out to sea. The children and I are waiting for you to come back."
"Don't worry, this isn't my first time at sea. I'm very experienced and I'll definitely come back safely."
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