Chapter 367 Two People Alone by the Sea
Ye Shenge didn't know when she went back. When she woke up the next morning, it was already past ten o'clock. She got out of bed and felt a chill. She put on her cotton coat and walked out with her hair down.
"You're awake. I've cooked shrimp congee and it's warming on the stove."
Zi Yisheng came out of the kitchen and saw the little girl standing in the sunlight. The sunlight penetrated her porcelain-like skin, making her seem a bit transparent.
Zi Yisheng pulled her into the kitchen, poured warm water into the washbasin, and squeezed the toothpaste before handing it to the still groggy girl.
"You wash up first. After breakfast, we'll go out and play."
He then took the hair tie off Ye Shenge's wrist and clumsily tied up her long hair with both hands.
Ye Shenge enjoyed Zi Yisheng's service until she finished washing her face and regained her spirit.
"How many days will we stay by the sea?"
"As many days as you want to stay. We have plenty of time anyway."
Zi Yisheng wanted to stay by the sea forever, as no one would disturb their world of two here.
After breakfast, Zi Yisheng borrowed two buckets and a carrying pole from the village head. Today's goal was to fill both buckets.
Ye Shenge carried a small bamboo basket filled with tools for catching seafood. They didn't go to the beach where the villagers often caught seafood, but to the beach where boats were docked, a place rarely visited by people.
It was Ye Shenge's first time visiting this area during the day. There were many rocks, and oysters were clinging to them.
"Oysters, all oysters."
In her previous life, Ye Shenge loved watching videos of people foraging on the beach. Today, she finally got to fulfill her wish.
"If you like them, go and dig them up. Be careful with your hands, wear gloves. I'll go check the tide pools nearby. I'll call you if I find anything."
Zi Yisheng put gloves on Ye Shenge before leaving. He understood that the little girl cared more about the process and not how much she caught; it was just for fun.
Ye Shenge squatted by the rocks enthusiastically. She thought it would be easy, but when she dug in with the shovel for the first time, it didn't budge. The oysters were stuck tightly to the rocks.
She tried every posture and angle, but the oysters remained unmoved. Just as Ye Shenge was feeling dejected, she swept her gaze along the bottom of the rock and saw a large claw, a big crab!
Ye Shenge tiptoed towards Zi Yisheng. She needed a tool, like a pair of tongs, otherwise, she was afraid of getting her hand pinched.
"I think there's something here. Let me dig a small channel here to let some water flow out."
Ye Shenge only dared to speak loudly when she reached this side, her voice sounding a bit excited.
"There's a very, very big crab under the rock."
"Hahaha, great. You've got a catch so soon. Let's eat the big crab first today. Do you need me to catch it?"
"No, I want to catch it myself."
Ye Shenge took the tools and confidently ran to the side of the rock. After careful observation, she found that the crab hadn't escaped. The large claw was long, so she didn't need to get her hands wet. The large claw directly clamped onto the crab's extended claw, and a tug-of-war began between the person and the crab.
The crab, embedded in the sand, was still quite strong. Ye Shenge was afraid of using too much force and breaking the claw, so she could only shake it back and forth, pulling. She felt the crab's body emerge a bit more, and with a surge of strength, she pulled the big fellow out.
This one weighed at least half a jin. Ye Shenge held the crab with the tongs, afraid to pick it up with her hand, and could only walk towards Zi Yisheng holding the tongs.
"Look, I caught it."
Zi Yisheng had already put on his rubber boots and waded into the water. He saw the girl running towards him with the tongs, looking so full of energy.
"Quick, throw it into the bucket. It looks quite big."
Ye Shenge squatted by the bucket, looking at the first creature she had caught in her life, feeling very satisfied.
Zi Yisheng had already herded all the seafood in the tide pool to one spot, with sand and mud used to block off other areas.
"You can catch here too. You just hold the tongs and pinch, and I'll use the bamboo basket to scoop."
Ye Shenge felt that Zi Yisheng was doing it on purpose. He only brought a pair of rubber boots, leaving her no chance to go into the water.
"I can't even dig up a single oyster over there, and you won't let me go into the water here. I feel like I'm just here to watch today."
Zi Yisheng suppressed a smile. He dared not respond to the little girl's complaints, otherwise, it would lead to "ceding territory and rights" concessions, and he might even have to go home to get her rubber boots.
Ye Shenge understood Zi Yisheng's temperament well. If he ignored her, it meant he wouldn't compromise.
"Hmph, if you don't let me go into the water tomorrow, I'm going home. I'm not having much fun anyway."
Well, there's always someone better.
"Okay, tomorrow we'll find another good spot, and I'll make sure you have fun."
Ye Shenge randomly pinched along the shore, and indeed, she caught a large octopus. It could also be said that the octopus caught the tongs and came to her.
Zi Yisheng's side was also going smoothly. A single scoop of the basket yielded quite a harvest. Most of them were fish, and they were all fish Ye Shenge couldn't name.
Soon, one bucket was full. Ye Shenge was already sitting contentedly by the side, watching the sea, observing the fishing boats working hard on the waves in twos and threes.
"How much seafood can they catch in a day with one boat?"
Zi Yisheng looked up. These were small fishing boats that relied on nets to catch fish. How much they caught depended on the weather and luck.
"Not much. A single net might not catch any seafood. At most, a hundred catties a day, and if they're unlucky, maybe only ten catties."
"Then after drying, they won't sell for much, will they?"
Zi Yisheng smiled. The little girl was quite concerned.
"They record work points. A boat captain can record six to eight points a day, and those catching fish are full points. There are also those who clean the seafood at home and those who dry it. Anyway, the village's income is distributed among everyone according to work points. Most of them use money to buy grain; self-sufficiency is not enough."
The coastal villages were far from being comparable to Bai Rong Village; they were still far behind. Being able to eat half full every day was considered good conditions. However, they didn't lack fish to eat, which could compensate for some of it.
Ye Shenge knew that these were temporary. Unless this world she had transmigrated into remained like this forever, it would develop sooner or later. If it followed the same progression as her previous life, the coastal areas would be the first to get rich.
"Is the house we're staying in ours?"
Zi Yisheng nodded. Although their household registration was not in this production team, as long as they were willing to spend money, they were willing to let them build houses, as there was plenty of land by the sea.
"That's good. Maybe it'll be valuable in the future."
Zi Yisheng didn't care, secretly thinking the little girl was greedy.
"Do you want to build a few more houses? When it gets warmer, we can bring everyone here for a vacation by the sea."
"Can we?"
Ye Shenge's eyes lit up. She didn't know the future land policies. But, if, and she emphasized if, the land really belonged to individuals, then it would be profitable. Building a courtyard now only cost a few hundred yuan, and the future price, tsk tsk tsk!
Seeing the little girl's sparkling eyes, Zi Yisheng knew that the houses had to be built, and more of them.
"Okay, I'll talk to the village head later and see how many houses they are willing to let us build."
Ye Shenge wasn't worried about the houses being built in vain. Even if there were no land reforms in the future, they wouldn't lose out by using them as holiday homes.
"Mmm, Brother Zi, aren't you curious about my decision? Are you just indulging me?"
Zi Yisheng shook his head helplessly. This girl was not like a normal girl; there was nothing she wouldn't dare to say.
"Do you think I pamper you?"
"Of course, it's probably unconditional pampering. Otherwise, you have doubts in your heart but don't ask, and just agree."
Zi Yisheng walked out of the tide pool and sat beside the little girl, sighing.
"There's nothing I can do. My girl is too special. I'm afraid if I ask, you'll run away. If that happens, I'd rather know nothing. As long as you belong to me."
Ye Shenge felt a sense of guilt for her concealment, but she didn't want to use her space or her identity as a transmigrator to test everyone's desires. She would rather conceal it for a lifetime.
However, perhaps after she married Zi Yisheng and had children, she would no longer hide the matter of her space. After all, living together every day and having to guard against each other like thieves was more troublesome than not being together or not getting married at all.
"One day I will give you an answer, as long as you never change your mind. No, as long as you don't betray me."
Zi Yisheng had never considered betrayal. There were no conflicts of interest between them, and they weren't partners. Even if they were, he would be the one to choose to give up and compromise!
Zi Yisheng tapped Ye Shenge's forehead and reprimanded her unhappily.
"Stop thinking nonsense every day. I can give my life to you, so what betrayal is there? You annoy me every day. If you anger me to death, where will you find such a good partner as me!"
This was the first time Zi Yisheng was so narcissistic. In terms of being good to the little girl, he really had the right to speak.
Ye Shenge chuckled. It was necessary to admit defeat appropriately, otherwise, she was afraid she wouldn't get to eat seafood for lunch.
Zi Yisheng pulled the little girl to a dry spot on the beach and found a place sheltered from the wind to prepare for grilling seafood.
Zi Yisheng had someone make a wire mesh tray in advance. It could be placed over the fire later for grilling seafood, which was very convenient.
Zi Yisheng then took a shovel and pried open a few more oysters. If he didn't let the little girl eat them today, it would be difficult to soothe her dissatisfaction.
Ye Shenge looked at the seasonings in the bamboo basket. There was only salt and ground Sichuan pepper, not even chili. Not to mention garlic paste, which is essential for seafood. However, she could enjoy the original flavor.
The first thing on the grill was the large crab Ye Shenge caught. Afraid that the crab would escape from the grill, Ye Shenge kept pressing it with the large tongs until the crab turned red all over before letting go.
It was Ye Shenge's first time eating grilled crab. Seeing that the shell was already slightly browned, Zi Yisheng quickly moved the crab onto a large leaf.
"Don't touch it yet, be careful not to burn yourself. I'll break it open for you. You eat the claws first, and the crab meat later."
Ye Shenge nodded obediently. She gestured with her hands but didn't know where to start, feeling that everywhere she touched was hot.
Zi Yisheng had no choice but to quickly flip the seafood on the grill to prevent it from burning. After flipping, he hurried to serve the little girl crab meat, fearing that he would drool.
In no time, the crab leg meat was peeled. Ye Shenge took a bite, and it was fresh, juicy, and even without any seasoning, it had a faint salty taste of the sea.
"It's delicious. You try it too."
Ye Shenge offered the other crab leg to Zi Yisheng's mouth. Zi Yisheng smiled and ate it in one bite, nodding in satisfaction.
"You can slowly gnaw on the rest. We'll be able to eat grilled octopus soon."
Zi Yisheng sliced the grilled octopus into pieces, sprinkled it with fine salt and Sichuan pepper, stirred it with chopsticks, and it was done.
Ye Shenge was very satisfied with the meal, truly satisfied. Although it wasn't as exciting as stir-fried seafood, it had a different flavor.
"Quick, eat the oysters while they're hot. They're oozing oil."
Ye Shenge ate one oyster after another, and one piece of octopus after another. The feeling of happiness was truly wonderful living by the sea.
Ye Shenge ate quickly and got full quickly. The rest was all eaten by Zi Yisheng.
For this seafood, Zi Yisheng could only fill his stomach, but it was definitely not enough to satisfy him.
"This afternoon, we'll walk along this beach. We'll catch whatever we find. Tonight, we'll go back and ask the village head's wife to cook seafood congee for you."
The two of them carried their buckets and baskets, walking and stopping. They picked up pretty shells and large conch shells.
There was no need to do anything meaningful. Just strolling on the beach was a precious kind of beauty.
The two of them lived peacefully by the sea for four days until Ye Mu'en drove up, his face full of indignation.
Zi Yisheng sighed inwardly, knowing that his wife's family would not be easy to dismiss.
"Big Brother, why are you here?"
"Hmph, if I didn't come, would you not know to go home?"
Ye Mu'en pinched his sister's slightly plump little face. She was a heartless girl. Their mother was almost tearing the house apart at home, and she was still playing and didn't know to go home.
"I've only been here for four days. If I go back so soon, I'll have nothing to do again."
"Don't you miss Mom and Dad? They miss you so much at home!"
Ye Shenge also sighed inwardly. She was like a baby who hadn't been weaned. Her parents were unwilling to let go, so she had to go home and be a baby.
Ye Shenge looked at Zi Yisheng, who looked wronged, and then at her older brother, who looked resolute. She felt a sense of rebellion.
But Ye Shenge quickly compromised. She couldn't bear the consequences of resisting; her parents would lecture her relentlessly.
Zi Yisheng was intentionally teasing the little girl and certainly wouldn't make things difficult for her.
"Let's go. We'll come back another day, especially when it's warmer. Then we can take you swimming."
Ye Shenge officially returned to Bai Rong Village. During the day, she spent most of her time studying with her two masters, and the rest of the time she spent reading in the space.
Qi Luquan had also taken the detoxification pill, which only lacked one ingredient. After a week of taking it, he would exude some black impurities from his body every day.
To Elder Fan and the others, this was detoxification. Although it hadn't completely resolved the poison, it was clearly effective. By taking his pulse, his body had also become much healthier, but they didn't know how long he could hold on.
Qi Xuan's leg had also almost healed. As long as he didn't jump around, he could walk normally.
Every day, Qi Xuan would accompany his grandfather for walks in the village and get to know many people.