"Ahhh~ There are so many shells, more than yesterday..."
As soon as a group of children ran onto the beach, they began to shout and yell excitedly.
"My mother said this is called scallop..."
"Do I need you to teach me?"
"Anyway, they are all shells... There are so many... Hahaha..."
"Hurry up and pick them up before the tide goes out. No one is here yet. There were a lot of people here yesterday afternoon..."
"Yes, yes, yes, hurry up and pick it up, otherwise the people next door will see us and come over again..."
"There's a crab, there's a crab, it's running away, hurry up and catch it..."
It was summer vacation, and a group of children were idle at home and running around everywhere. Boys and girls were equally wild. The girls did not behave themselves and stayed at home, but followed the boys to run around in the mountains and the sea.
They are like wild children, hanging out with friends every day and getting tanned. Even in the hottest weather, they don't mind the heat. They come back every day with sweat all over their heads and their faces so red that they can boil eggs.
"Be careful, don't run ahead, or the waves will come and sweep you away..."
Lin Xiuqing looked at the boys who were screaming with excitement, wishing they could soak themselves in the water, and quickly reminded them.
But before he could finish his words, a wave came up and hit the group of children head-on. They laughed out loud as they were hit by the waves. Those who were soaked all over scooped up a handful of sea water and splashed it on their faces.
Ye Chengyang was knocked to the ground by the impact of the waves, and then he sat up again with a confused look on his face.
Lin Xiuqing was worried that he would be washed away by the waves, so she picked him up and put him next to Ye Yaodong, "You are just a little kid, don't run around, stay next to your father, otherwise if you are washed away by the waves, your father won't even know."
"Oh, mother, for you..."
Ye Chengyang raised his hand high, and saw that he was holding a small white seal in his hand, and the tentacles of the small white seal were tightly wrapped around his hand.
Lin Xiuqing was surprised. "When was he caught? Why didn't he make a sound?"
"If you fall, you'll be caught." Ye Chengyang is only four years old and still speaks in a baby voice.
Ye Yaodong rubbed his head happily and said, "You are lucky. I will stew it for you tonight."
"Dad, there are blue crabs, very big ones...ah~ They are running, running, running, following the waves..." Ye Chenghu was also screaming there at this time.
Upon hearing this, Ye Yaodong quickly stood up and ran over. He also saw the blue crab with a dark green shell, waving its big claws and crawling sideways into the sea arrogantly with the tide.
He saw it all, how could I let it get away
"You are not allowed to run forward. The waves are big. I will do it."
He waded through the water and chased after it quickly. The tide surged in and directly filled his rain boots. The turbid sea water affected his vision and almost let the blue crab escape. Fortunately, he was sharp-eyed and stepped on the blue crab under his feet, preventing it from moving.
When he bent down to grab it, another wave rolled over his head, soaking him all over and making him feel cold all over.
“Ah~ So cool!”
He wiped the sea water off his face, shook his hair, and walked back with a bright smile on his face, holding a huge blue crab with its claws bared in his hand.
Ye Chenghu was shouting with joy, "Ah, Dad, you are so awesome, it's such a big blue crab, haha~"
Lin Xiuqing also looked up with a smile on her face. The sunlight shining on Ye Yaodong's smiling face seemed to have coated him with a layer of golden light, making him look like a sunny big boy. His energetic aura made her heart pound again.
The passion that had been gradually worn away by the dull daily life was revived by his brilliant smile. Her heart also began to ripple. She felt like she was back to the time when they first met and he was just as attractive to her.
Because Ye Yaodong had done a good job of sun protection during this period, his tanned face began to turn whiter. Seeing Lin Xiuqing looking at him with some obsession, his smile deepened.
He also touched his eldest son's head and said, "This one you found is yours. Ask your mother to stew it for you tonight. After eating these two big feet, you will be able to run better tomorrow."
"Yeah!"
Ye Yaodong looked at the others, "The same goes for you. Whoever catches it will own it."
"Uncle San, can I sell it for money?" Ye Chenghai picked up a blue crab that he had caught at some point.
"sure."
"Then help me sell it and give me the money secretly, otherwise my mother will confiscate it if she finds out."
"Good boy, you know how to hide your private money."
"hey-hey."
"No problem, put it in the bucket."
It was so smart that it actually kept holding it in its hand. I guess it was afraid that he would confiscate it, so it didn't put it in the bucket. It was also not afraid of being bitten by the big pincers.
At this time, Mrs. Ye Da and Mrs. Ye Er had finished cooking and ran out with buckets in their hands.
Ye Chenghai was so scared that he turned his back to that direction and quickly put the blue crab into Ye Yaodong's bucket, "Uncle San, don't tell my mother."
Then he turned around and threatened his brothers and sisters, "You are not allowed to complain. When you catch something good later, you can put it in Uncle San's bucket. Don't put it in your mother's. If you put it in your mother's, it will be gone."
"Yes, yes."
They all nodded, understanding each other tacitly. Giving it to their mother was like throwing meat buns at a dog, which would never come back.
Ye Yaodong looked at him with amusement, and also glanced at the two sisters-in-law who were running over. He whispered, "Then this bucket is specially for you to put the good things in. If you catch them, put them in here secretly. Don't let your mother know. I will help you sell them and give them to you when the time comes."
"Uh-huh!"
Everyone nodded rapidly, their faces beaming. They were even more excited at the chance to hide some private money. They all secretly looked back and then continued to search. The clams and small scallops on the beach were no longer of their interest.
Several children from nearby neighbors saw that the tide had not yet receded, so they ran to the beach and also sneaked over out of curiosity. When the adults at home found out, they also came with basins and buckets.
"Hey, there are so many clams and scallops on the beach today even though the tide hasn't receded yet..."
"A typhoon is coming, the waves are huge, and we are all swept in..."
"Hurry up and pick them up. Go home and eat. Come back after dinner. Don't just play in the water..."
After picking up clams for a while, Mrs. Ye found that her three children were wandering around and didn’t offer to help pick up clams. She immediately scolded them, “What are you doing? There are clams everywhere in this pile of rocks. Why are you wandering around? Pick them up quickly. If you don’t pick them up, go back and eat. You are all wet from playing around. If you catch a cold, I will break your legs.”
When Mrs. Ye heard Mrs. Ye's scolding, she turned around and saw Ye Chenghe holding a large conch and walking towards Ye Yaodong excitedly. She quickly stopped him and said, "Ye Chenghe, where are you going to take that conch?"
The excited expression on Ye Chenghe's face froze in an instant, and he looked sad. He had finally followed the waves and picked up a big conch, which was bigger than his fist.
He smiled with an expression that was uglier than crying, "Mom..."
"Give it to me, why are you still wandering around? I haven't seen you pick up anything for a long time, you're just playing around, Ye Chenghai...what are you laughing at?"
Ye Chenghai was gloating over the misfortune, but he didn't expect the fire to burn himself. He quickly controlled his expression and pretended to be innocent and said, "No... No."
Seeing two clams and two scallops at his feet, he quickly picked them up and ran over to throw them to his mother, but was hit twice hard by Mrs. Ye.
If someone comes to your door voluntarily, it would be a waste not to fight him.
"I haven't seen you pick up two in such a long time. What are you all doing? And Jingjing, you damned girl..."
Mrs. Ye followed suit and cursed: "I don't know what you are doing. You haven't picked up any fish in half a day. You are just playing in the water. When we get back later, you have to peel off my skin..."
After two roars from the Hedong Lion, everyone was instantly frightened and stopped playing and talking. They all lowered their heads to look for something, and were extremely honest.
Soon, everyone ran to their mother with hands full of clams and scallops to hand them in.
But they didn't behave themselves for long. After a while, they let themselves go again. They are very tough!
Ye Yaodong looked at their buckets and found that he had picked up quite a few good things. It was worth it to be scolded and beaten.
After a while, more and more people came to the beach. They all saw that there were people here from afar, and then one person told ten people, and ten people told a hundred people.
He looked at the two large basins full of clams and scallops, and the half bucket of seafood that had been swept up by the waves in the bucket, and said, "Take these back first, and have a meal while you're there. Come out after dinner. You've been busy for so long that you're starving."
"Okay, let's get an empty bucket and fill it with sea water, and pour all this into it."
"Um."
Lin Xiuqing shouted to her two sons again, "Enough, stop picking up trash and go home to eat. Come back after you finish eating."
Ye Chenghu was holding two large conch shells in his hands, and was reluctant to leave.
Ye Yaodong looked at it in confusion, "You picked up two snails? Bring them here, let's go home."
He glanced at Ye Yaodong, then stole a glance at Lin Xiuqing, and whispered, "Dad, can you sell what I picked up and give me the money?"
"Huh?" Ye Yaodong knocked his head in surprise, "Good boy! You eat my food, drink my drinks, wear my clothes, spend my money, live in my house, and you still want to hide your private money?"
"They can all ..."
"They are hiding it secretly, but you still want to do it openly? You wish. There are five packs of instant noodles at home. Do you still want to eat them? And malted milk, do you want to drink it? I heard that it tastes better when eaten dry than when mixed with water. You can hear the grains of malted milk rustling between your teeth, and your whole mouth is filled with the sweet taste of milk. It is very satisfying."
When Ye Chenghu heard his description, he couldn't help swallowing. The milky aroma of the tea he brewed last night was enough to make him linger on the memory. He didn't expect that it would be even more delicious when eaten dry
Lin Guangyuan licked his lower lip after hearing this, "Really?"
"Of course! Pick up more after lunch this afternoon. I'll buy you instant noodles and malted milk with the money I earn."
Hearing this, Ye Chenghu quickly threw the conch in his hand into the bucket. When Ye Yaodong turned around, he called him and took out two large conchs from his trouser pocket.
Ye Yaodong’s eyes widened!
Good boy! You are actually quite cunning
Ye Chenghu touched the back of his head and smiled awkwardly, "Hehe~ Dad~"
Lin Xiuqing was speechless. She poked his forehead with her index finger and said, "How dare you be so petty? Do you usually lack food and drink?"
"Hehe~ Hehe~" Ye Chenghu covered his forehead with his hands while grinning foolishly, and quickly ran home.
"You little brat, you're quite cunning." Ye Yaodong cursed, picked up his youngest son, picked up the bucket full of sea water and shells, and followed.
Lin Xiuqing walked aside and said unhappily: "It's all your fault? You said you were helping them hide their private money..."
Ye Yaodong lowered his head and looked at her with a smile, "By the way, did you think I was so handsome just now? You kept grinning at me, and your eyes were all distorted."
"Where is that?"
Lin Xiuqing's face was red, and it was not known whether it was due to the sun or because he was teasing her. She took the bucket and walked quickly, not walking next to him.
Ye Yaodong walked behind her, looking at her back, the corners of his mouth almost split to the back of his head.
Ye Chengyang held his father's face curiously, "Dad, what does it mean to be wired?"
"Children don't need to ask so many questions..."
The midday sun was shining brightly, but it was not as bright as the smiles on the couple’s faces…