The Sea Queen of 1985

Chapter 321: Chapter 321: The Impact Is Too Great

Ye Chen and Ye Ling went home to finish their winter break homework, especially their language arts assignments, which included essays and journal entries.

Before, neither of them knew what to write, but now they wrote quickly, and their work had real substance.

One essay prompt was ”My ______.” Ye Ling wrote about ”My Big Brother.” He described the battles his big brother had fought in and how he had taken them to pay respects at the Mali Po Martyr’s Cemetery on the Yunnan border during winter break...

The essay was not only well-worded and full of emotion, but when the teacher graded the winter break homework, she singled it out to be read aloud as a model example.

Ye Chen’s work was also good. His winter break homework included a journal.

There was no length requirement, but it had to record their real lives.

Ye Chen’s journal was certainly real. He even wrote about his big brother lecturing him on the train for being too loud.

He was clever enough not to mention his big brother hitting him, but he did write about being made to stand in the corner.

His journal entries described his feelings about visiting the martyr’s cemetery, as well as his experiences going out to sea to watch dolphins and go fishing...

When Wang Liwen started checking her two sons’ winter break homework, she found the content to be rich and colorful.

Her expression was complicated. She could talk until she was blue in the face about things, and the boys wouldn’t listen.

But now, if their big brother so much as farted, they treated it like a clap of thunder.

Wang Liwen’s chest ached with frustration!

When Ye Zheng came home, he saw Wang Liwen holding their two sons’ winter break homework—specifically the language arts portion—with a complicated look on her face.

The essay and journal sections, which they used to leave blank, were now completely filled out.

”You used to shout yourself hoarse and they wouldn’t write a word. Now they’re writing so well and with such substance. You should be happy. Why the complicated expression?”

Wang Liwen tidied up her sons’ homework, forcing a smile. ”Old Ye, do you think I raised these two for nothing? They spent one winter break with their big brother, and now they can’t stop thinking about him. Their Big Brother and Sister-in-law are closer to them than their own mother.”

Although she said it in a joking tone, it was what she was truly thinking.

Hearing this, Ye Zheng gave a wry smile. ”No wonder Ye Feng was reluctant to have Ye Ling and Ye Chen visit. He provides them with good food and drink, takes them on trips, and even disciplines his two little brothers. Forget being grateful, you’re actually complaining that they’re closer to their Big Brother and Sister-in-law than to you.”

”Think about it. How could anyone be closer to them than their own mother? Those two boys came from your own belly. But when you talk, it’s no use; the kids don’t listen. And when I talk, it goes in one ear and out the other.”

”But if we don’t discipline them when they’re mischievous, they’ll grow up to be spoiled profligates. Not only will they fail to achieve anything, but they’ll cause you trouble all day long. Even if you had all the honor and merit in the world, it wouldn’t be enough for them to squander.”

”In the future, when your colleagues’ children are successful and yours are good-for-nothings, will you be able to hold your head high? You need to think this through. The Wang family in our compound is a living example.”

After hearing Ye Zheng’s words, the resentment in Wang Liwen’s heart vanished completely.

And in this compound, it wasn’t just the Wang family.

There was the Li Family, and the Yun Family... during the recent crackdown, some of their children were even sentenced to death, and many more were sent to prison.

They were all just mischievous kids at home, and the adults didn’t think much of it. Who would have thought they would be so audacious outside!

Murder, arson, rape—they committed every crime imaginable.

When the children committed crimes, the elders also bore responsibility. Some were forced into early retirement, others were reassigned. In any case, none of them got off easy.

At this thought, Wang Liwen said sheepishly, ”I never said Ye Feng was bad at disciplining them. I just feel like those two little rascals are causing trouble for Ye Feng and Xiao Rui.”

Ye Zheng knew exactly what Wang Liwen was thinking, but some things had to be broken down and explained to her clearly.

”Xiao Feng, Xiao Ling, and Xiao Chen don’t share a mother, but they all share the surname Ye. They are all my children. By spending more time with their big brother, they build a good relationship. I don’t believe for a second that Ye Feng would ever harm them, not now and not in the future.”

”Likewise, when Xiao Ling and Xiao Chen grow up, whether they go into politics, the military, or business, having a big brother like him will be a huge help.”

”In a family like ours, you can’t get far going it alone. What relationship is closer than that of brothers? Back then, your second uncle went to great lengths for you. Your two cousins also put in a lot of effort.”

”Think about it, if you weren’t family, would they have helped you like that? So you can’t get hung up on certain things. You think separating Ye Ling and Ye Chen from Ye Feng is for their own good, but you’re actually cutting them off from another path in life.”

It was rare for Ye Zheng to appeal to Wang Liwen with such emotion and reason, but he hoped he could persuade her.

’Family matters really can’t be allowed to become a complete mess.’

Wang Liwen recalled how after her father’s incident, only her second uncle’s family had treated her well and helped her figure out what to do.

’If they weren’t relatives, who would have stood up for her like that?’

”Old Ye, you’re right. I was being too narrow-minded. I won’t stop Ye Ling and Ye Chen from spending time with Ye Feng anymore. They’re brothers, after all. You can break their bones, but they’re still connected.”

Hearing this, Ye Zheng breathed a sigh of relief. ”That’s the right way to think about it. From now on, let them go visit during their summer and winter breaks. If they spend more time together when they’re young, they’ll have a strong bond when they grow up.”

Wang Liwen nodded. ”Okay. I’m not a fool. I know what’s good for me.”

Ye Zheng smiled. ”Your feelings are only natural, but this is a matter for the younger generation. Let them figure out their own relationships. By the way, I heard from Xiao Zheng that Ye Ling and Ye Chen want to go to Shencheng for their next break. You can use that to keep those two little rascals in line.”

”If they don’t study hard or misbehave, don’t let them go anywhere. At the very least, they’ll do their homework and focus on their studies just for the chance to go to Shencheng. It’ll save you a lot of trouble.”

Wang Liwen was skeptical. ”Should I give it a try?”

”I guarantee it’ll work,” Ye Zheng said with a confident smile.

And in fact, Ye Zheng’s prediction was spot on.

Whenever Ye Ling and Ye Chen disobeyed, made trouble, or slacked off on their studies, Wang Liwen used this method on her two sons, and it never failed.

Wang Liwen was both happy and heartbroken.

’It’s like I raised these two sons for nothing,’ she thought. But then she saw how much their midterm exam scores had improved, and for the first time ever, she received praise from their teacher at the parent-teacher conference.

The teacher said that Ye Ling and Ye Chen had made great progress and encouraged her to continue supporting them. At that, Wang Liwen completely let go of her petty hang-ups.

’As long as my children are successful, who cares who they like to spend time with? In the end, my sons are the ones who benefit.’

Having come to this realization, Wang Liwen even started to frequently mail things from Beijing to Han Xiaorui and Ye Feng.

Of course, that is a story for later.

Meanwhile, Han Xiaorui was bringing a crew of sailors, along with some technical experts invited by Yang Zhigang, to inspect and accept a fishing boat.

Last year, someone had ordered the boat, but due to a family matter, they ran into financial trouble and had to sell it when it was seventy percent complete.

When Han Xiaorui heard the news, she bought it without a moment’s hesitation.

Now the boat was finished. If it passed inspection, it could be put into service immediately.

Han Xiaorui’s heart leaped with joy. Full of excitement and high spirits, she led the group to the shipyard to welcome her new surprise.