Chapter 59 : She is Beautiful and Kind

Song Shiwei and Zhou Cheng turned their heads and saw that Xiao Cui was holding something that kept oozing black liquid, and she was covered in the inky substance all over her face and body.  

Zhou Cheng couldn’t help but burst out laughing. Even Zhou Lin, who had been sitting on a reef watching something, couldn’t hold back and started laughing as well.  

Song Shiwei walked forward with a smile, took out a handkerchief, and wiped Xiao Cui’s face.  

Xiao Cui also smiled sheepishly.  

“I forgot that this thing is really sneaky! If you’re not careful, it’ll spray ink all over you!”  

After finishing his laughter, Zhou Cheng walked over, looked at the creature in Xiao Cui’s hand, and asked curiously, “What is this? It’s so fascinating! It can even spray ink!”  

Song Shiwei quickly explained, “This is a squid. It’s delicious no matter how you cook it, whether it’s stir-fried, grilled, or barbecued. Especially with some sauce, cumin, and chili powder it tastes amazing…”  

As soon as she said that, all three kids started drooling over the thought of eating squid.  

Song Shiwei suddenly realized, how did her explanation turn into a discussion about food? Occupational habit, occupational habit.  

Since she had worked in the food industry in her previous life, she knew almost everything about different types of food.  

But explaining food is also a form of science education, so she decided to continue talking to the kids about it.  

While speaking, she used tongs to search under the rocks and in tide pools.  

“But squid is actually quite a nutritious food. It helps boost energy, nourish the body, and improve skin health. It also regulates blood pressure, protects nerve fibers, activates cells, and is great for preventing vascular sclerosis and gallstone formation.”  

“It can also relieve fatigue, improve vision, and support liver function. Squid is rich in calcium, phosphorus, and iron, which are beneficial for bone development and blood formation, making it useful for treating iron-deficiency anemia.”  

“It has tender, soft meat and a delicious taste. It can also be processed into dried squid, which is considered a top-class seafood product in the international market…”  

She almost slipped up and revealed too much. After all, at this time, there was no such thing as an “international seafood market,” and even basic fisheries hadn’t been developed yet in China.  

Luckily, the children were completely engrossed in what she was saying.  

Zhou Cheng even managed to catch two more squid from under the rocks.  

Song Shiwei noticed that there seemed to be an abundance of squid today. In just a short while, she had caught over a dozen.  

Thinking back to the dried squid she had mentioned earlier, she felt tempted to make some.  

Dried squid is easy to store, and the kids could eat it whenever they wanted.  

It seemed like she had found another project to work on.  

Just as she was thinking about this, she suddenly heard Zhou Cheng calling out to her.  

“What’s this?”  

Song Shiwei ran over to take a look, and her eyes immediately widened. She saw that beneath the rock, there were countless claw-like things growing densely together, it looked a bit eerie!  

“This is actually a goose barnacle?”  

This was something that only the rich could afford! It even had the nickname “food from hell!”  

However, it had many different names in different places. Some people called it “Guanyin’s Hand” or “Dog Claw Snail.”  

Zhou Cheng couldn’t help but ask, “Can you eat this?”  

Hearing the commotion, Xiao Cui also walked over.  

“I’m not too sure about this, but it doesn’t look like it has much meat, and it’s so ugly. I don’t think people would want to eat it, right?”  

Hearing Xiao Cui’s comment, Song Shiwei couldn’t help but laugh.  

“This thing is called a goose barnacle. It lives in the crevices of reefs where ocean currents constantly flow, which means it requires very high-quality water to survive. It’s also packed with protein, iodine, calcium, and various trace elements. It promotes blood circulation, boosts metabolism, and even helps with longevity. It’s a highly prized seafood delicacy.”  

Zhou Cheng became intrigued and asked, “Is this goose barnacle delicious?”  

Recalling the taste from his past life, Song Shiwei nodded.  

“Although it doesn’t have much meat, it’s very tender and has a slightly sweet flavor! The more you eat, the more addictive it becomes!”  

After hearing that, what else was there to say?  

Dig!  

Zhou Cheng and Xiao Cui immediately started digging impatiently. Afraid that they would waste this valuable seafood, Song Shiwei quickly demonstrated the proper way to collect them.  

After harvesting the gooseneck barnacles, they discovered even more good finds on the beach.  

Under a reef, Song Shiwei also found several plump oysters!  

This trip was truly worthwhile!  

They had gathered plenty of high-quality seafood.  

Just then, Song Shiwei noticed a small column of water shooting up in front of her.  

Looking down, she realized it was a cat’s eye snail.  

This type of snail was quite interesting, it held a lot of water inside. Song Shiwei picked one up and squeezed it tightly.  

“Clatter, clatter…”  

Like a sponge releasing water, liquid poured from her hands.  

Zhou Cheng found it fascinating and started looking around for more, picking up a few just for fun.  

While playing, he spotted a particularly beautiful snail with small heart-shaped patterns on its shell. Out of curiosity, he reached out to grab it but luckily, Song Shiwei quickly grabbed his arm just in time.  

“This is a cone snail! It’s extremely venomous! Don’t touch it! It’s said that a single cone snail’s venom can kill ten people! It’s one of the most poisonous sea snails in the world!”  

Upon hearing this, Zhou Cheng’s face instantly turned pale.  

He stared at the beautiful yet deadly snail and felt a lingering fear.  

Luckily, he hadn’t touched it yet!  

How could something so beautiful be so dangerous?  

It seemed the old saying was true, things that look good are often poisonous!  

As if something crossed his mind, he turned to look at Song Shiwei beside him.  

Well… except for her!  

She was both beautiful and kind-hearted!  

Then he glanced at Xiao Cui. Sister Cui was also a good person!  

They waited until the tide began rising before hurrying back onto the beach.  

Today’s harvest was excellent. The two buckets they had brought were completely full. Xiao Cui only carried one bucket, but hers was also filled to the brim.  

The group sat on the beach, enjoying the sea breeze. Meanwhile, Song Shiwei began teaching Xiao Cui how to read. She taught her a few simple words today, such as sun, moon, man, sky, field, fire…  

Xiao Cui studied diligently. After practicing writing the characters in the sand and doing well, she smiled and bid farewell to Song Shiwei.  

By this time, the sun had already set. With a basket on her back, Song Shiwei led the way while Zhou Cheng and Zhou Lin each carried a bucket. The three of them happily made their way to the staff quarters.  

This might have been Zhou Cheng’s first time fishing, and he had picked up so many things he felt quite accomplished. As they walked, he excitedly shared the knowledge that Song Shiwei had taught him with Zhou Lin.  

Zhou Lin listened with great interest.  

At this time, many families in the housing estate had already started preparing dinner.  

On their way home, they happened to pass by Zhou Xiaoyan’s house.  

Zhou Xiaoyan was sitting by the door, sewing shoe soles. She had finished cooking early and was waiting for Sun Weibing to return so they could eat together.  

When she saw Song Shiwei leading the two children while carrying two large buckets, she couldn’t help but be curious.  

As they got closer, she noticed that the buckets were packed full of seafood!  

Her eyes widened in shock!  

Wow, so much seafood? Did Song Shiwei and the others go to the beach??