Ye Yaodong raised his wrist to check the time, and said with a smile: "I kept everyone waiting, am I not late?"
"I was just waiting for you. I thought you would come anyway, so I waited for a while. It just so happened that we could chat more and get acquainted with each other. It is difficult to get together normally."
Jin Laixi smiled and asked him to sit down next to him, then stood up and spoke to everyone.
Of course we are talking about the Chamber of Commerce. The biggest issue recently is the purchase of land.
During the meeting the previous week, Jin Laixi had already reported the progress to everyone.
There are some people who have not been here before, but most of them came last week. Even if there are some people who come here for the first time today, they have already heard about the big move of the Chamber of Commerce, and they all know that each person has to pay 100 yuan to support the Chamber of Commerce.
Contribute to the purchase of land.
The amount of money is neither too much nor too little. Many people have a wait-and-see attitude, and they don't pay immediately anyway.
The weather has been bad recently, so I rarely have free time today so I came over to join in the fun, see what other people think, and then make plans.
Jin Laixi also reported the progress to everyone today, and then also focused on buying land and building a chamber of commerce.
The government has approved it and the price of the land has been negotiated. What he is interested in is a small piece of vacant land near the Coast Guard Station, which is only about 500 square meters.
He was originally asked to pay 5,000 yuan, but after some hard work, he paid back the price, and said some nice things about supporting government construction and so on, so he settled on 3,500 yuan.
It just so happened that everyone contributed 100 yuan each, so we could barely get it through crowdfunding.
After Jin Laixi finished speaking, he also took out the land certificate payment slip issued by the government and circulated it to everyone to prove that what he said was true.
After everyone had circulated it, some people also reacted.
"Then what will the chamber of commerce do if this money has been used to buy land? We can't just move a stool and talk in the open space. More than 3,000 yuan is enough to buy a house..."
"It's definitely enough. I thought I would just buy a ready-made house."
"I thought it would cost several hundred yuan to buy a piece of land. The land allocated to build a house in our village only costs 500 yuan at most. There are still several thousand yuan, which is enough to build a building..."
"Yes, we all thought we would just buy a ready-made one, but that's only enough to buy the land. What will the Chamber of Commerce do? Will we still have to pay for it?"
"Do you want to pay more? 100 yuan is already a lot. The workers I have on hand only pay a few dozen yuan a month..."
"Yes, I have to pay more than 100 just to join the club..."
Everyone was talking at once, and it was as noisy as a wet market in an instant. They all had opposing opinions.
I was embarrassed to object at first, but it was also because someone took the lead in agreeing. Thinking about paying 100 yuan, I could reluctantly accept it. After all, many people did get to know some people, gain more connections, and benefit from joining the chamber of commerce.
Jin Laixi raised her hand to signal everyone to be quiet, and then said loudly: "Don't get excited, everyone. The money to buy the land comes from the money raised by everyone. This will not change, and we will not let everyone pay more."
"As for buying land directly, I didn't buy a house because I couldn't find a suitable house."
"As everyone knows, this is a port with a very large immigrant population. Not to mention that some families have more than a dozen people living in one house. Even if there are one or two extra rooms, they are all rented out to outsiders."
"Who would sell their house when they can get a stable rent every month? Everyone agrees, right?"
"So I can only buy land. I feel a sense of security when I look at the land at the Coast Guard Station. And since I have already bought it, I will definitely transfer it. Our chamber of commerce is developing, and the number of people will definitely increase by then.
.”
In fact, it was Ye Yaodong who asked him to buy as much money as possible, and it would also be the collective asset of the chamber of commerce in the future.
Their chamber of commerce also has many members, and the excess land can be used to build buildings and rented out to everyone. The chamber of commerce can also receive a rent, which can be used to develop the chamber of commerce in the future.
He felt that what Ye Yaodong said was very reasonable, so he thought about buying a bigger house. But if he bought a bigger house, he would not have the funds to build a house. Only a few days ago, he felt worried and went to Ye Yaodong to find a solution.
As a result, the trip was not in vain. I had the money to face the problem directly.
"As for the money to build the Chamber of Commerce that everyone is worried about, you don't need to pay for it. Haha, I was worried before and didn't dare to make a decision."
"I talked to our Comrade Ye Yaodong later. He is worthy of being the vice president of our chamber of commerce and the vice president of the Fisheries Association. He has a big personality."
"I told him about it, and he said that we can't make members and comrades pay any more money. This is unreasonable. Everyone already supports the development of the chamber of commerce, and we can't make it difficult for everyone anymore."
"He is very generous and sincerely wants to do something for our chamber of commerce. He wants our chamber of commerce to do better and better."
"He said that to cover the Chamber of Commerce's money, he would personally contribute another 2,000 to support the development of our Chamber of Commerce and take the lead for everyone. After all, he is the vice president and has to take responsibility in difficult times."
After Jin Laixi finished speaking, he looked at Ye Yaodong.
Ye Yaodong also understood at a glance that it was his turn to pay and speak.
He immediately took out the money he had prepared in advance and showed it to everyone.
"Comrade Jin Laixi mentioned it to me two days ago. I feel that many of the people here are here because of me. I can't let everyone down. I will make money when I need to, and I will put in my efforts when I need to."
"However, there is nothing I can do to help. Haha, Jin Laixi and several other comrades are so capable and can handle everything, so I can only contribute money."
"This is what I should do as the vice president, and I should also take the lead."
"The 2,100 yuan is already here. I have to pay for the 100 yuan of land money that we all raised together separately. It is a collective contribution and a collective asset."
"The money is all here. Let's take stock of the finances of our chamber of commerce and keep accounts. Everyone can also be witnesses."
"As for if there is not enough money for construction by then, Comrade Jin Laixi has also said that he and several sponsors will also bear a share, and the remaining money will be shared equally among them, and we will never let anyone else pay an extra cent.
.”
After Ye Yaodong said that, he handed the money to the financial officer for counting, and sat down again.
Everyone looked at him with admiration again. They all looked at him and whispered, and there were no other objections.
In the final analysis, it was a matter of money. Ye Yaodong paid for it, so those people naturally had nothing to say.
Jin Laixi took the lead in applauding after he sat down.
Others also applauded, and everyone was very satisfied with this way of handling it.
Jin Laixi smiled and said to everyone again: "Comrade Ye Yaodong is so generous, and our other sponsors cannot fall behind. Anyway, we will definitely not let you invest anymore."
"When the chamber of commerce is built, everyone will benefit collectively and have a greater sense of belonging. It will definitely develop better and better in the future..."
He also spoke beautifully and everyone was satisfied with what he said. Later, he also asked everyone if they had any objections.
Basically there is no objection.
When I first came here, some people were dissatisfied and unwilling to pay the money. But when they saw that Ye Yaodong had already paid 2,100, while Jin Laixi and several other sponsors had to share the subsequent construction costs equally, they didn't have any dissatisfaction.
, I feel relieved.
After the meeting, everyone who had brought money took the initiative to go to the finance department and hand over the money.
Those who didn’t bring money were told to wait until tomorrow to pay it, or to bring it to pay at the next meeting.
Anyway, with the 2100 given by Ye Yaodong and others who can pay more than half today, the money to buy the land is enough.
Everyone paid and chatted, the atmosphere was extremely lively and everyone was smiling.
After Ye Yaodong completed his role, he also chatted with Jin Laixi and others.
By the way, I told them that I planned to go back after New Year's Day if the weather was good. I might not have time to inform everyone by then, so I would like to tell them in advance now.
If I had time to inform you, I would definitely come over and tell you.
Jin Laixi was surprised, "You're going back so early? It's just after New Year's Day, isn't it too early? Why don't you wait until the end of the year? The New Year is celebrated at the end of January."
"Hey, the weather has been bad recently. We will only go out to sea for six or seven days this month tomorrow. There will still be rain and sleet. I don't know how long it will last. It looks like it will snow heavily."
"We are also worried that if the New Year is approaching and there is no good weather, we will not be able to stay here to celebrate the New Year. That is not possible. We would rather go back early and earn less."
"If you have money or not, you can go home for the New Year. Those of you in Wenzhou will be closer. If you have a tractor, you can drive back directly. It's not as far away as us."
"Outside of our province, the wind resistance is also strong now. It's no better than in summer. It's estimated that it would take a whole day and a whole night to sail."
Everyone had nothing to say after hearing this. It is indeed farther outside the province, so make plans in advance.
Unlike them, we are only two cities apart. If the weather is not good, we can go back by driving a tractor. They come and go several times throughout the year and are used to it.
Ye Yaodong added: "I've been out for more than half a year, and I'm tired. It's no better outside than at home. I have to open one eye when I sleep, and my energy is tense."
"Tomorrow is the winter solstice. There are 31 days in this month, and New Year's Day is only 10 days away. If I leave, please keep an eye on me and call me if you need anything. Anyway, I also left a phone number for the Chamber of Commerce.
.”
Jin Laixi asked: "Then when will you come over next year? What day will it be?"
"When is the date? Let's see. I don't even know what date I will be back on."
In the first few days of the year, he only planned to come back in the second half of the year. In the first half of the year, he had to manage things at home, so he couldn't stay out all year round.
However, it will definitely not be made so clear now.
"Okay, the New Year is almost here in the blink of an eye. It's almost here. I heard that there are plans everywhere here. I don't know what the plans will be for the coming year..."
Ye Yaodong chatted with them for a while, until 5 o'clock, people left one after another, and he also got up.
It's getting dark early now, it's already dark at 5 o'clock, and I can't see many people walking along the road. They are all rushing home.
Suddenly large snowflakes fell one after another, and he reached out to catch a few pieces, which melted immediately when he touched his gloves.
He thought to himself that he hadn't taken the snow scene he wanted to take yet, and he didn't know if there would be heavy snow before leaving. Let him build a snowman and take two pictures.
I haven’t bought any color film yet. I’ve been going back and forth to the shipyard with Aguang these past few days. I haven’t done anything. I didn’t go back immediately after taking a look. I’ll take a look at it in the next few days.
When he got home, his hat and shoulders were already covered with snow. He collected all the snow on it and could barely squeeze it into a small ball.
Father Ye was sitting in front of the stove warming himself by the fire. When he came back, he asked, "Is it snowing again?"
"Yes, it just started falling on the way back. It seems the snow will be heavier at night."
"The sleet I said was probably a lie. It turned into snow at night. It was so cold that I was frozen to the bone. Fortunately, I bought a pair of cotton shoes two days ago."
"Have you all eaten?"
"We've all eaten, and you're the only one left. I've left some food for you to heat in the pot."
"You carry it for me. I'm going to put some hot water in it. I'll eat it and soak my feet later. After walking around for a while, my toes are so cold that I can't feel anything."
"With this weather, we really need to go back early. It's better for us to stay home. It's not that cold. It's several degrees below zero today..."
Father Ye thought casually, "I went to look outside the dock in the afternoon. There were fewer people there, but there were still many big ships going out to sea, and some fresh-water ships came back with quite a lot of cargo..."
Ye Yaodong didn't say a word, just listened to his father's words.
He sat at the table with a washbasin at his feet. He rolled up his trousers, took off his socks and put them in. Instantly he felt comfortable and no longer felt cold.
"Comfortable……"
"I have to soak my feet later, it seems I have frostbite."
The next day, when Ye Yaodong woke up naturally from his sleep, he heard the noise and realized that it was completely white outside. It had snowed all night, and a thick layer had accumulated on the ground. Everyone was watching the snow outside and making snowmen.
Although they are all adults, some are middle-aged and elderly, they are all local dogs. How can they have seen such heavy snow?
When he got dressed and went out, he saw several big snowmen at the door. They had cleaned up the snow in front of his house and used it to build snowmen.
"Damn! The promised sleet turned into heavy snow!"
Father Ye said cheerfully: "It's still raining. If it rains for another whole day, it will probably be thick again at night."
"I woke up late. You guys have cleared away the snow. I didn't see much. I could only see the snow on the roof and the grass and trees."
"Didn't you say that it's snowing heavily so you can take a photo for us? It's perfect now, the snowmen are all piled up."
"I haven't bought color film yet. There is only black and white. Let's take the black and white film first. After breakfast, I will go look for color film so that I can take a clearer picture."
"Let's take pictures first. Everyone was so excited to see the snow when they woke up in the morning. They were all waiting there."
Ye Yaodong also happily went into the house to get his camera, and took a small carrot from the stove to use as the snowman's nose.
He also gave his hat, scarf and toad glasses to the snowman.
What do you think of Father Ye and the others? Why are they so surprised?
"Not to mention, you look really good-looking when you look like this. It's much prettier than the two empty piles just now."
"The boss has a good brain, and he also knows how to dress up the snowman."
“It does look much better.”
Ye Yaodong fiddled with the camera and adjusted it, "Are everyone here? If they are, stand still, stand around the snowman, and squat a few more in front..."
He was directing there, and some people nearby also came around curiously, and they were a little envious watching them take photos.
Some even asked Ye Yaodong if he could also take a photo for them.
Ye Yaodong thought that they had lived here for several months and were familiar with each other, so he nodded in agreement.
But I also told them in advance that after they took a few group photos, they would have extra film to help take a few more pictures, but they probably wouldn't be able to take many pictures because the film stock was limited.
Everyone nodded.
Ye Yaodong came together and didn't even eat, so he just started taking pictures for everyone. Fortunately, he didn't even have half of the remaining film.
He thought about buying color film, but he also thought that the film here was about to run out, so he had to buy connections in advance.
Fortunately, it only took an hour for him to finish shooting, and he was just in time to take the film to be developed after dinner and buy new ones on the way.
When he came back at noon, he had two more rolls of color film in his hand. He immediately called on people to take pictures. This time everyone was even more enthusiastic because it was a color film and could produce color photos.
The snowman I built in the morning has not melted yet, because it has been snowing, and the ground has stirred up snow again. Standing in the snow, it feels even more like a world of ice and snow.
After Ye Yaodong took the group photo, he also took an individual photo for each of them as a bonus.
At the same time, he also asked others to take a few more photos of him.
It happened to be lunch time, and all the nearby neighbors were eating at home. Except for going out to buy groceries and clearing snow in the morning, no one came out to move around at this time. They all stayed indoors and warmed up by the fire.
"I haven't seen what color photos look like. Can I develop them before I go back?" Father Ye asked curiously.
Ye Yaodong fiddled with the camera, "No problem. When I sent the film over in the morning, I agreed that it would be available in 7 days. I have finished shooting this roll. After I finish eating, I will take it to develop together."
"Dad, go and call the eldest and second brothers over, and I'll take two pictures of them and take them back."
"Okay, it's rare to see such heavy snow. It's still here this year. I have to take two photos as a souvenir."
Ye Yaodong took the camera, pushed aside the workers beside him, and took a picture of the house they rented. At least it was a souvenir that he could take out and look at when he got old.
Everything in sight was white, and the roof and ground were covered with snow. Over at their house, the thick layer of frost on the roof could only be seen in the early morning.
Now I can only wait until the environment becomes more stable in a few years before I can bring my wife and children over to play and watch the snow.
Ye Yaopeng and Ye Yaohua both trotted over, panting.
"Dongzi, dad said you bought color film."
"Yes, you guys come over quickly and take two pictures. Then they will be developed as a souvenir."
Ye Yaopeng said with a smile: "Wait a minute, let someone take a picture of us, father and son."
Father Ye was also running behind, panting, "Yes, the four of us need to take a photo."
"It just so happens that today is the winter solstice and it is also a big day. You stand still and I will take a picture for you. You can wash it out and take it back to your family to see before you go home."
"When shall we go back?"
Yesterday at noon, only Father Ye, Ye Yaodong, and A Guang were discussing in the room.
Their workers all knew last night that they would go back early when the weather was good after New Year's Day, but others didn't know yet.
Ye Yaodong wanted to celebrate the winter solstice today and tell others about it tomorrow. When his two brothers asked about it, he just said it casually.
The two of them also wanted to go home. They had never been away from home for so long in more than 30 years. They both nodded in agreement when they heard this.
"You will also talk to the workers when you go back later. If you don't go to sea in the near future, you should continue to buy the specialties you need to buy in advance. Maybe you can go back when you say you are going back."
"good."
In the evening, a new level was released in the starting point, and it was blown up everywhere. I ate it for a while, but it was too late to write about it.
Chapter completed!