Chapter 188 Personality Changes
When Uncle Ye came back, Fang had already cooked three dishes, and Ye Mingzhu was standing by to help serve the dishes.
"Third Uncle is back?" Ye Mingzhu said with a smile, "Hurry up and wash your hands and get ready for dinner. Third Aunt cooked a lot of dishes today."
Uncle Ye unconsciously avoided Ye Mingzhu's gaze: "Mingzhu is back? Did Yun'an come back with her?"
Ye Mingzhu couldn't see Uncle Ye's expression clearly, but she felt that his tone was a little strange.
"Okay, let Mingzhu try the salted fish I made today." Fang took the fish out of the pot and turned around to see Uncle Ye still standing at the kitchen door.
"Boss, go clean up quickly, the meal will be ready soon."
Uncle Ye then stood up and left.
Fang asked Ye Mingzhu to take the dishes and chopsticks out to prepare dinner, and she would just cook the last dish.
Ye Mingzhu also knew that she was just a bystander, so she took the dishes and chopsticks next to her and walked out of the kitchen with a smile.
Jiang Hongyu and Uncle Ye were sitting at the dinner table talking about something. When they saw her coming, Jiang Hongyu took the bowl and chopsticks from her hand and put them on the table.
"Mingzhu, how many days do you plan to stay this time?" Uncle Ye had a faint smile on his face.
"I'm not sure yet. I came back for something." Ye Mingzhu said, carefully observing Uncle Ye's expression. The smile on Uncle Ye's face froze.
"Oh, what is it?"
Ye Mingzhu guessed that Uncle Ye San already knew that the government was going to send people to collect pearls.
"The government is looking for people to collect pearls. We got the news and came back to tell the village in advance."
Uncle Ye's expression turned grim, and his words were somewhat harsh: "Mingzhu, the government has come to collect pearls. How can we collect pearls in the future?"
Ye Mingzhu patiently explained, "Uncle San, when the government collects pearls, they will definitely collect pearls of good quality. They may not want some pearls of lower quality. We can buy those pearls at a low price."
"Besides, the government can't possibly gather all the pearl divers together. There must be others selling pearls."
She had thought about these things on the way here. Since Uncle Ye asked, she told him all her thoughts.
"Uncle San, there are so many villages and towns nearby. You can't collect all the pearls. The government is recruiting people to collect pearls. I guess there will be some impact, but it won't be that big."
Uncle Ye's expression improved, but he still frowned: "You should have discussed these things with me earlier?"
Jiang Hongyu interrupted, "Uncle San, this is a government decision. We have no say in it. As soon as we got the news, we came back to inform you."
Ye Mingzhu is grateful for the care that Uncle Ye and his wife have given them in the past period of time, but she will not spoil them blindly.
"Uncle San, all we can do is tell you in advance so you can collect more pearls in the next two days before the news gets out."
Uncle Ye looked at the two men, both of whom looked unhappy. He wanted to lose his temper, but he suppressed his anger and said, "I will go and collect more pearls. I'm just worried that the money I earn from collecting pearls will be less in the future, and life will be difficult for our family."
Ye Mingzhu thought about Ye Wu's words and finally said: "When we came, Third Aunt was pickling fish. I heard that Third Aunt's pickled fish is very good and can now be sold in Beijing."
"That's women's work." Uncle Ye waved his hand. "Collecting pearls is the real business."
Ye Mingzhu didn't want to talk to Uncle Ye anymore. He had only enjoyed a few days of good life, but he didn't remember the hardships he had suffered before. He looked down on pickled fish and didn't know whether he would spend the money for pickling the fish.
Just then, Fang came in with the last dish, placed it on the table, and said with a smile, "Why don't you all sit down? No need to wait for me."
Ye Mingzhu pulled Fang to sit on the stool and said, "What are you talking about, Third Aunt? You've been busy for so long, how can we eat without waiting for you?"
Fang didn't sit down. Instead, she took the bowls and served rice to everyone. She also placed the pickled fish in front of Ye Mingzhu: "Mingzhu, try this pickled fish. How does it taste?"
Ye Mingzhu picked up a piece of fish and tasted it. It had a salty and fresh taste. She nodded and said, "Third Aunt's pickled fish is getting better and better."
Fang smiled with satisfaction and invited Jiang Hongyu to eat.
Uncle Ye picked up a shrimp and chewed it slowly, muttering, "What's so good about pickled fish? I'm tired of eating it every day."
Jiang Hongyu felt that Uncle Ye had really changed. He was no longer the man who loved the younger generation when he first met him.
Ye Mingzhu just lowered her head to eat the food and didn't want to talk to Uncle Ye San so as not to affect her appetite.
Fang noticed that the atmosphere at the table was different and could only ask everyone to eat more.
After finishing the meal, Uncle Ye stood up and said, "I have to go collect pearls this afternoon. Mingzhu, you two should stay and talk to your Aunt."
Fang frowned: "Mingzhu has finally come back, you shouldn't go today."
Uncle Ye curled his lips and said, "I don't know if I can accept it in the future. I should go to more places while I can."
Fang couldn't persuade him any more, so she filled the water bag with warm water and asked Uncle Ye to take it and come back early.
Uncle Ye waved his hand and left. Jiang Hongyu and Ye Mingzhu watched him leave without saying a word.
Fang looked back and saw the expressions on their faces. She felt a pang in her heart. "Mingzhu, your Third Uncle has such a bad temper. He can't stand not collecting pearls for a day. He always says that I don't know how long I can sell pickled fish. Collecting pearls is the real business."
Ye Mingzhu shook her head with a wry smile on her face: "I know, Third Uncle is blaming me."
It would be a lie to say she wasn't sad. She was grateful to Uncle Ye for helping her when she first arrived, so she introduced him to someone else, allowing him to make a living collecting pearls so he wouldn't have to go to the sea every day. She also gave Fang the opportunity to sell salted fish.
Uncle Ye's family is now one of the best in the village. Both of their children are sent to school, but Ye Mingzhu only came to convey news from the government, and Uncle Ye gave her a cold shoulder.
Jiang Hongyu saw that Ye Mingzhu was sad, and his face darkened: "Mingzhu, the matter is almost done, and the message has been delivered. Let's go."
How could Fang dare to let them go? If they left, she was afraid that the fragile relationship between the two families would be affected. She cursed Uncle Ye in her heart for not seeing the situation clearly, and took Ye Mingzhu's hand to ask about the situation.
When she found out the reason, she cursed out loud, saying that Uncle Ye had had enough of his good life.
"Mingzhu, don't be angry with your Third Uncle. He has a stubborn temper. When he comes back, I'll tell him off. You have no say in the government pearl-hunting matter."
"Mingzhu, you can't become estranged from your Third Uncle and Auntie because of this. Your Third Uncle treats you like one of his own, and that's why he doesn't control his temper. Even if you were his own niece, he wouldn't be like this."
"We are the closest of relatives. Third Aunt is apologizing to you on behalf of your Third Uncle. You have finally come back to the village, you can't just leave like this. Come to Third Aunt's house for dinner tonight. Third Aunt will make you some big buns. You and Yun'an will both like them."
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