Chapter 22: Going to the Beach

After taking a nap, Xia Junshan returned to the army base to work, and Meng Yufei took Xia Qinqin to the logistics office.

Meng Yufei had already reviewed most of the documents in the morning, so in the afternoon, she planned to start drawing the forms.

At this time, all forms were still hand-drawn, requiring the person drawing them to be especially careful. If one wasn’t, they would have to start over, which not only took time but also wasted precious paper.

Xia Qinqin was also busy drawing her own masterpiece on the desk next to hers.

The warm afternoon sea breeze blew through the window into the room, carrying with it a faint floral fragrance. Xia Qinqin occasionally looked up at her mother sitting nearby. The familiar, gentle side profile of her mother bent over her work was deeply engraved in Xia Qinqin’s childhood memories.

Zhang from the office next door finished her tasks and sneaked over to chat. Just then, Meng Yufei finished drawing the form. Zhang glanced at it and asked curiously, “Sister Meng, are you drawing a form?”

Meng Yufei handed her the finished form and said, “I thought it would be helpful to create a form like this, so that in the future, whether it’s invoices or coupons, we can quickly know how many need to be issued. It’ll be much clearer.”

Zhang took a look and nodded repeatedly, “Sister Meng, you’re amazing! This is much clearer! Now, issuing coupons will be a lot easier. Before, when we had to collect coupons every month, it would waste a lot of time checking the numbers with the financial department and the families.”

Meng Yufei smiled and said, “I learned this method from my previous unit.”

Zhang sighed, “No wonder they say big cities are efficient, they really have good methods.”

Xia Qinqin finished her drawing and held it up for Meng Yufei to see. “Mom, I’m done! Look!”

Meng Yufei and Zhang turned their heads to look. Zhang smiled and asked, “Qinqin, what did you draw?”

Xia Qinqin pointed to the drawing and explained, “This is our new house. Aunt Zhang, look, we have a big yard, and there are lots of flowers here. There’s a faucet, and behind it is our house. Inside, there’s a place to eat, and a sofa…”

Zhang listened to her explanation and took a closer look at the drawing. She nodded and said, “You know, this really does look like what you’re describing. Qinqin, you have a real talent for drawing!”

When Xia Qinqin heard the compliment, she puffed out her chest proudly. Then, remembering her grandfather’s words about being humble, she smiled and said in a calm tone, “It’s okay, my drawing still needs a lot of improvement.”

Zhang couldn’t help but reach over to pinch her cheek. “How are you so cute? How about coming over to play at my house for a few days? I have lots of delicious food at home.”

Xia Qinqin shook her head seriously and said, “No, children shouldn’t go to other people’s houses to play. But Aunt, you can come play at our house.”

“Alright, when I have time, I’ll visit your house,” Zhang replied with a smile, giving her cheek another pinch. She handed her a piece of coconut candy, saying, “You’re so good, so Aunt will reward you with candy.”

Xia Qinqin glanced at her mother, who nodded, and happily accepted the candy. “Thank you, Aunt!”

Meng Yufei glanced at her watch and noticed it was already 4:30. She asked, “Xiao Zhang, can we leave work earlier on Saturday afternoon?”

Zhang slapped her forehead and said, “Look at my memory! I came over to remind you about that! We can leave work at 4:30 today.”

As she said this, she looked at her watch and added, “Just in time, it’s almost time to clock out. Let’s tidy up and leave.”

Meng Yufei said, “We’re going to the beach later. Do you want to join us?”

Zhang waved her hand, saying, “I’m not going. Every time I go to the beach, I end up with sand in my shoes, and it’s such a hassle.”

Zhang had been on the island for several years and was no longer as excited about going to the beach.

Meng Yufei tidied up her desk and carefully folded Xia Qinqin’s drawing before placing it in her handbag. They locked the door and left the office for the day.

After returning home, Meng Yufei took out the straw hat she bought last time, then found two silk scarves, hanging them on the hat and tying them under her chin. The scarves would help shield her face from the sea breeze and sunlight.

When they arrived on the island, Meng Yufei had noticed that many of the locals did the same, although they used towels instead. She had tried the same with Xia Qinqin last time, and it worked pretty well.

Thinking that they were about to go gather sea treasures, Meng Yufei went to the kitchen and grabbed a wooden bucket. It was one of the things they bought together from the supply and marketing cooperative, and they hadn’t used it yet. Today, it was finally going to be put to use.

Xia Qinqin, wearing the straw hat, curiously followed behind Meng Yufei and asked, “Mom, when are we leaving?”

Meng Yufei replied, “We’ll leave once your dad gets back.”

Xia Qinqin said, “Okay, then I’ll go wait for dad at the door.” She ran out of the door.

Meng Yufei called out, “Don’t go outside the yard, okay?”

Xia Qinqin replied, “Got it.”

She crouched by the yard gate, eagerly watching the road for her dad to return.

As soon as Xia Junshan’s workday ended, he hurried home, walking quickly, causing people to quietly discuss him.

“Why is Commander Xia in such a hurry today? Is something going on at home?”

“Commander Xia’s been acting differently lately. As soon as he finishes work, he rushes home. He used to practically live at the office.”

“You guys don’t know? Commander Xia’s family has arrived.”

“Ah, no wonder! That old Xia, tsk tsk.”

“Hehe, I’ve heard Commander Xia has a nickname—‘Under the Thumb of His Wife!‘”

“No way! That’s Commander Xia!”

—

Unaware of the discussion his comrades were having about his nickname, Xia Junshan jogged back home. From a distance, he saw a little head crouching at the yard gate. When she saw him, she excitedly shouted, “Dad, you’re back!”

Xia Junshan’s heart melted when he heard her. He quickly replied loudly, “Hey, dad’s home!”

He hurried over, picked up his daughter, and saw the hat on her head. He smiled and asked, “Did mom make this hat for you?”

“Mm-hmm, mom said we need to wear this hat when we go to the beach.” She touched the hat on her head and asked, “Dad, does it look good on me?”

“It looks great! Our Qinqin is the prettiest little girl.”

Xia Qinqin smiled happily, her eyes squinting with joy.

Hearing the noise in the yard, Meng Yufei walked out with the wooden bucket and asked, “Junshan, do we have a shovel? I couldn’t find one.”

Xia Junshan shook his head and said, “We don’t have one, but I have something else.”

He set Xia Qinqin down from his arms and walked to the corner of the yard. He picked up a hoe that was lying on the ground and smiled, “This will work much faster than a little shovel.”

Meng Yufei looked at him standing there, holding the hoe with one hand, and smiled as she nodded. “Well, I’ll leave the physical work to you today. Qinqin and I will just follow behind and gather the sea treasures.”

Xia Junshan picked up the hoe, walked over, and grabbed the wooden bucket, saying, “Alright, today, the three of us will fill this bucket and then head back.”

They closed the yard gate and walked toward the beach as a family of three.

Xia Junshan held the hoe in one hand and the wooden bucket in the other, walking on the left. Meng Yufei walked beside him on the right, and in the middle, Xia Qinqin happily skipped along.

Once they left the family compound, they encountered many locals heading toward the beach as well. Most of them carried fishing nets and bamboo baskets, along with pincers, hooks, and shovels, clearly well-equipped.

With their hoe and wooden bucket, it was clear they were outsiders.

When they reached the beach, the sun had begun to sink slowly, casting a golden glow over the sky, which reflected off the sparkling sea. The golden waves seemed to jump on the water’s surface, while white seagulls soared through the sky, appearing to dance with the waves—majestic and beautiful.

Meng Yufei couldn’t help but sigh, “This scene, it’s exactly like the saying, ‘^[1]“The setting sun and the solitary bird fly together, the autumn waters and the sky are the same color” is a poetic expression from the ancient Chinese literary work “The Preface to … Continue readingThe setting sun and the solitary bird fly together, the autumn waters and the sky are the same color.’ Wang Bo’s description of the river, I never thought it could fit here to describe the sea. It’s truly a privilege to witness such a magnificent sight where the sea and sky blend together.”

Xia Junshan smiled and said, “I remember when I came to see the sea with the division commander and Commissar Yu, Deputy Commissar Yu recited this line. I even wrote it down at the time, thinking that when I had the chance to bring you all here, I could show off.”

Meng Yufei smiled gently and said, “Then let’s pretend I never said that. Go ahead and show off.”

Xia Junshan chuckled, “Well, we already have one cultured person in our family. From now on, you can represent our family’s cultural level, and I’ll handle the other areas.” He spoke while gazing at her with a deep, amused look in his eyes.

Meng Yufei playfully hit him and pointed behind him, saying, “Look at your daughter, she’s almost running into the sea!”

It turned out that while they were talking, Xia Qinqin, drawn by the waves, had already started running on the sand.

Xia Junshan quickly dropped the hoe and wooden bucket, took a few quick steps, and caught up with his excited daughter, lifting her up.

In his arms, Xia Qinqin pointed to the sea and whined, “Dad, I want to play in the water, and there are birds!”

Xia Junshan carried her back, “Then you need to ask your mom if she agrees. I can’t make that decision.”

Xia Qinqin, being smart, knew her mom would probably not agree. She squirmed in Xia Junshan’s arms and struggled to get down. “No, I don’t want to! Let me down!”

Xia Junshan had no choice but to let her down. Sure enough, once her feet touched the ground, Xia Qinqin turned around and tried to run. Xia Junshan quickly grabbed her arm and gently coaxed, “Qinqin, let’s go back and join mom, okay?”

Xia Qinqin pouted, and Xia Junshan tried again, “Look, mom’s falling behind. Let’s go catch up with her, okay?”

Hearing this, Xia Qinqin reluctantly nodded, “Okay, let’s go get mom.”

Xia Junshan sighed in relief. It wasn’t easy to calm her down when she was in one of her moods.

The father and daughter returned to Meng Yufei’s side. Meng Yufei said to Xia Qinqin, “Qinqin, you can’t go off on your own, okay? Kids shouldn’t play in the water alone.”

Xia Qinqin pointed to a group of local children playing in the water and asked, “Why can those kids play?”

Meng Yufei replied, “Their parents allowed them to. If you want to go, you need to ask dad and mom first.”

Xia Qinqin turned to Xia Junshan, “Dad, will you let me go play?”

Xia Junshan shrugged, “Dad listens to mom. If mom agrees, then I agree.”

Xia Qinqin glanced at Meng Yufei’s face, then wisely didn’t ask her and lowered her head, disappointed. “Alright, I won’t go play in the water.”

Seeing his daughter like this, Xia Junshan felt sorry for her. He said, “How about this? I’ll carry you to play for a little while, but I’ll make sure I don’t let go. Is that okay?”

After hearing this, the father and daughter, both excited, looked at Meng Yufei expectantly.

Meng Yufei chuckled and said, “You’re making it sound like I’m some big villain. You can play for just ten minutes. The sea water will be cold tonight, so be careful not to catch a cold.”

Xia Qinqin jumped up happily and said, “Thank you, mom~” She ran over and grabbed her mother’s hand. “Mom, let’s go together.”

Xia Junshan picked up his daughter with one hand and held his wife’s hand with the other, walking toward the beach. “Let’s go, we’re going to play in the water together.”

Meng Yufei quickly said, “You haven’t taken the hoe and the bucket yet.”

Xia Junshan didn’t mind and said, “It’s fine, we’ll come back to get them later.”

The evening sea water still had a bit of warmth from the sunlight, and when it reached their calves, it wasn’t as cold as they had imagined, instead carrying a faint warmth.

The constantly stirring waves gently lapped against the shore, and Xia Junshan gently put Xia Qinqin down. The seawater rushed over her, and her joyful laughter immediately filled the air.

Xia Junshan and Meng Yufei stood beside Xia Qinqin, one on each side, smiling as they watched her splash in the water. Seeing how much she enjoyed playing in the water, Xia Junshan whispered, “Maybe I should teach her to swim next time I have the chance.”

Meng Yufei shook her head and said, “Forget it, she’s still so young. If you teach her to swim, do you think she won’t run straight into the sea every day? Let her get a little older first.”

Xia Junshan nodded and said, “You’re right. We’ll talk about it later.”

Xia Qinqin happily splashed the water and then pointed at the seagulls flying in the distance. “Dad, I want to play with the birds.”

Xia Junshan helplessly said, “Dad can’t catch them.”

Meng Yufei added, “They have to go home to find their mom. They can’t play with you.”

Xia Qinqin exclaimed, “Oh, they have to go home too?” She spread her arms wide and shouted to the distant seagulls, “Birds, go home quickly! We’ll play together next time!”

After shouting, she continued playing in the water. When the waves came, she reached out to grab them, but when she opened her hand, it was empty. She tried again when the next wave came.

This little game entertained her endlessly.

The sun quickly sank into the sea, leaving only half of it hidden behind the clouds. The sea grew cooler, and Meng Yufei and Xia Junshan, with a reluctant Xia Qinqin, left the water.

“Let’s go collect some seashells. Didn’t you want to make a wind chime?”

Xia Junshan shifted her attention, and sure enough, when he said this, Xia Qinqin immediately asked, “Dad, where are the seashells?”

Xia Junshan led her to a nearby stretch of beach, squatted down, and picked up a seashell. After brushing off the sand, he said, “Look, there are so many seashells here.”

“Wow~ They’re just like the ones at Sister Lily’s house! So beautiful!” Xia Qinqin looked at the seashells on the beach and reached out her little hand to pick them up. While collecting, she said, “So many! There are seashells everywhere!”

Xia Junshan stood up and said to Meng Yufei, “You two keep collecting here. I’ll go get the hoe and the bucket. There are crabs under the rocks over there, and clams underneath. It’ll be faster if I use the hoe.”

“Alright, you go ahead. I’ll keep an eye on her,” Meng Yufei nodded.

Xia Qinqin quickly filled both hands with seashells. She placed them on the ground and then continued collecting, bringing the next handful over to add to the pile.

Meng Yufei squatted down to help her. The seashells here were in a variety of colors—white, pink, light blue… After wiping the sand off, they sparkled in the glow of the setting sun.

By the time Xia Junshan returned, the mother and daughter had already gathered a small pile of seashells.

“You’ve already collected so many seashells. Let’s go catch some crabs now.”

He put down the wooden bucket, lifted a stone, and a crab appeared. It frantically tried to escape, but Xia Junshan quickly pressed it down, grabbed it, and placed it into the bucket.

“Wow, you caught one so quickly!” Meng Yufei exclaimed in surprise.

Xia Junshan said, “There are plenty here.”

He then swung the hoe down, saw a small hole, and with another swing, revealed a long, protruding shape. Xia Junshan pulled it out and said, “This is a clam.”

Meng Yufei saw the long, squirming shape behind the shell, which looked like a worm, and shook her head repeatedly. “Let’s catch some crabs instead!”

Xia Junshan laughed as he threw the clam away. “Alright, let’s catch crabs. They’re easier to catch.”

Most of the crabs were hiding in the gaps between the stones. By flipping the stones, they could see them, some of which would scuttle into small holes below. Xia Junshan picked up the hoe and used it to dig up both sand and crabs together.

Meng Yufei, holding the bucket, followed behind, picking up the crabs. She laughed, “You’ve dug up their whole home with that.”

Xia Junshan chuckled, “I’m cutting off their escape route, so they have nowhere to run.”

Xia Qinqin had collected enough seashells and joined them to catch crabs. When she saw a crab waving its pincers, she reached out to grab it, but Meng Yufei quickly stopped her hand.

“Did you see those pincers? They can pinch your hand.”

Xia Junshan picked up a small crab, broke off its pincers, and handed it to her. “Now it won’t pinch you. Go ahead and play.”

Xia Qinqin looked at the little crab in her palm, gently touched it, and indeed, it didn’t pinch her. Curiously, she asked, “Dad, does it hurt when it doesn’t have pincers?”

Xia Junshan was momentarily speechless. “Uh, I don’t think it feels pain.”

Xia Qinqin seemed a bit unconvinced, and turned to ask Meng Yufei, “Mom, do you think it hurts?”

Meng Yufei replied, “Hmm… Mom doesn’t know either. But if you want to play with it, you have to take off its pincers. Dad did this to protect you, so you wouldn’t get pinched and hurt.”

Xia Qinqin said, “Then I won’t play with it.” She threw the little crab into the bucket.

She then looked up at Xia Junshan and said, “Dad, I won’t play with these little crabs anymore. Can you not take off their pincers anymore?”

Xia Junshan nodded. “Alright, dad will listen to Qinqin and won’t take off their pincers anymore.”

Xia Qinqin happily said, “Thank you, dad~”

As the sun set, the family of three was focused on collecting crabs on the golden beach. Before long, they had filled half a bucket.

Meng Yufei felt the wind in the air beginning to chill and said, “Junshan, the wind’s getting cold. Let’s head back, or we might catch a cold.”

Xia Junshan stopped lifting stones, nodded, and picked up the wooden bucket. “Alright, let’s go back. We’ve collected enough for today.”

Xia Qinqin wasn’t done playing and squatted on the ground, unwilling to get up. “Mom, let’s catch a little more. Our bucket isn’t full yet.”

Meng Yufei refused, “No, we need to go back.”

Xia Junshan comforted their daughter, “We’ll come again next time. I promise, I’ll make sure we fill up a whole big bucket for you.”

Xia Qinqin nodded. “Okay.”

She suddenly remembered that her seashells were still over to the side. She hurriedly ran over, pointed at the pile of seashells, and said, “Dad, can you help me take the seashells back?”

Xia Junshan went over with the bucket, scooped up the seashells, and placed them all into the bucket. “Alright, let’s go home.”