Соnfidеntly, Ziyu toоk аdvantagе of the соvеr рrоvidеd by thе mule сart to pull out a lаrge woоden buсkеt and аn iron сlamр, waving them excitеdly as shе deсlared.
“Xiao Luo, big brother is taking yоu to gathеr seаfood!”
“Yау! Lеt’s go gаthеr sеafоod!”
Thе сluеlеss little bean sprоut enthusiastiсаllу supрorted whatеver his big brоthеr sаid.
Fоrtunatеly, befоre hеading out, thе two brothеrs hаd changеd intо mаtсhing sets of gray finе сotton short jackets, еnsuring thеy wouldn’t stand оut tоo muсh оn the bеaсh.
Ziуu, who оnly knew how to eat seafood but had no understanding of its habits, stood on the beach feeling rather foolish, unsure where to start or how to find edible sea creatures.
The mule obediently followed its unscrupulous owner, occasionally snorting loudly to express its displeasure.
With no idea where to begin, Ziyu could only sift through the seaweed and kelp washed ashore, hoping to find stray small crabs or shrimp.
Eager Xiao Luo, seeing this, immediately started flipping the seaweed over, pointing excitedly at a small crab crawling out from within.
“Big brother, big brother, it has eight legs!”
“Hahaha, silly Xiao Luo, that’s called a small crab.”
“Catch it, catch it!”
Seeing the little crab about to scuttle away, Xiao Luo jumped anxiously but didn’t dare grab it, only shouting repeatedly.
Their startled and noisy voices attracted the attention of three children around seven or eight years old nearby, their coarse linen clothes so worn they were translucent in places.
“Hey, where are you two from?
This is our Shashi Village’s territory. Outsiders aren’t allowed to come and go as they please.”
The tallest boy among the three eyed the strangers warily, immediately deducing from their fair complexions that they weren’t from any nearby village.
After searching for a while and only managing to find two small crabs, Ziyu glanced at the razor clams in the three little dark-skinned children’s buckets—each plump and as long as a palm.
“We’re from Shangdu Prefecture. This is my little brother. How about selling me what’s in your buckets?”
All three children’s eyes lit up. They usually gathered these things to eat at home themselves; this was the first time they’d heard that long shells could be exchanged for money.
“Really? We can get copper coins for them? You’re not tricking us, are you?” the tall boy asked skeptically.
These things were abundant in the sandy beach; only children bothered to gather them to boil in plain water for fun.
“Come, come, let’s discuss the price!”
Ziyu estimated that each of their buckets held about three catties of razor clams and smiled like a fox.
“Five copper coins per person. Pour them into my bucket, and I’ll give you the money right away.”
To make her words more credible, Ziyu took out fifteen copper coins to show them.
“Clatter!”
Without needing further encouragement, all three children immediately dumped their freshly dug long shells into the large bucket, their six eyes fixed on the copper coins in her palm, shining brightly.
For them, copper coins were something they’d seen but never owned.
“Here, five each!”
“Thank you, young master!”
The tall boy was the first to take the coins, thanking Ziyu with heartfelt joy. The two smaller children snatched their coins and immediately ran off.
Their frantic haste suggested they feared Ziyu might chase after them and take the money back.
“Young master, will you come again tomorrow?” the tall boy asked softly, taking two small steps before stopping and looking back with hopeful expectation.
“Kid, don’t rush off!
After the tide goes out, what kinds of things do you usually find?”
Ziyu glanced at Xiao Luo, who was squatting in front of the wooden bucket, marveling at the contents. She smiled kindly at the child, but her expression only made him grip his coins tighter and take two steps back in fright.
“Young master, after the tide recedes, we usually like to gather fish; everything else is picked up to feed the chickens and ducks.”
Ziyu nearly choked with anger. So, she wasn’t living as freely as the chickens and ducks—look at them, already feasting on seafood.
She was still struggling with two little crabs—there was simply no comparison.
“Little one, could we stay in your village for a few days?”
Having finally gotten the chance to experience ancient tide-chasing, how could Ziyu give up such a rare opportunity?
…
“Xiao Hai, Xiao Hai, my child! Where are you?”
“Hey, you outsider, don’t you dare touch anyone from Shashi Village! If you have any issues, take it up with us adults!”
…
Several grown men and women came running over, shouting and brandishing rakes and shoulder poles. Ziyu’s heart tightened.
[What’s going on now?]
She had no time to cozy up to the child. Grabbing Xiao Luo with one hand and not forgetting the wooden bucket with the other, she leaped onto the mule cart that had been following behind.
“Xiao Luo, hide well!”
Ziluo lowered the tailgate, sat in the driver’s seat gripping the whip, and stared sternly at the five approaching adults.
[Dammit, are these people pirates coming ashore? They’re shouting about fighting and killing without even exchanging a word.]
[If they really push me too far, don’t blame me for slaughtering the village!]
“Mother, mother, I’m here! I’m fine. Weren’t you resting at home? Why did you come out?” Xiao Hai ran forward to support a woman who was panting heavily, her face streaked with tears.
“Wuwu, as long as you’re safe, you nearly scared me to death. Xiao Luo Niang came to say that a kidnapper from outside the village had lured you away with copper coins—how could I stay lying down? Come home with me now, and from now on, you’re not allowed to have any contact with outsiders.”
Xiao Hai’s Mother spat viciously toward the mule cart. Seeing Ziyu’s fair and clean appearance, she immediately thought she looked like no good.
“Mother, Xiao Luo Niang was talking nonsense! This is what really happened!”
While Xiao Hai explained to the five adults, he kept glancing toward the mule cart. Ziyu, who had grasped the general situation, let out a sigh of relief.
She had really thought it was going to be a brawl. Although she wasn’t afraid of fighting, being civilized was always the best choice.
Ziyu, who had originally wanted to stay in the village for a few days, completely abandoned the idea.
After all, different villages had their own rules, and it was better not to provoke them.
The five adults, now understanding what had happened, somewhat embarrassed, put away their tools. A man nearing forty stepped forward and said, “Young master, we wronged you earlier. Please don’t blame Xiao Hai’s Mother. May I ask what seafood you still wish to purchase? Every household in the village has some dried goods—all good quality items we usually can’t bear to eat.”
“Your commotion was truly frightening. Someone with less courage would have been scared off long ago.” Ziyu waved the whip in her hand, teasingly.
The newcomers were all dressed in coarse linen short jackets, with patches at the joints, their dark faces weathered by hardship.
“Hahaha, young master, you’re magnanimous! We had no choice. In the past, the village lost several children—each one a piece of their mother’s flesh. Who wouldn’t be heartbroken?” the man explained, his face flushed dark red.
“Caution is understandable. I’d like to purchase some fresh seafood—any edible fish, shrimp, or crabs from the sea, as long as they’re large and plump. Dried goods are also welcome, but only top-quality ones. I’ll buy them at market price, no limit on quantity.”
“When would you like them, young master? Everyone in the village calls me Shui Wa because I’m a good swimmer—that’s how I got the name.”
The middle-aged man Shui Wa quickly introduced himself. Because of his excellent swimming skills and frequent diving, he had the largest and highest quality stock of goods stored at home.
He dared to claim second place, and no one in the village would dare call themselves first—that was how confident he was.
The buyers who came to the village offered prices that were too low, which was why he had never been willing to sell.