Chapter 39: Building Sandcastles

After her afternoon nap, Xia Qinqin woke up and was surprised to find that her father was still asleep.

Meng Yufei placed a finger to her lips and whispered, “Shh, Dad is still sleeping. Let’s be quiet.”

Xia Qinqin mimicked her, pressing a finger to her lips and nodding softly. “Mm-hmm, okay, I’ll be quiet.”

The mother and daughter tiptoed out of the room. Meng Yufei helped Xia Qinqin get dressed, combed her hair, and then held her hand as they headed out for work.

—

On the sandy shore by the coast, Han Jianhong sat silently on a rock, staring out at the vast, endless sea.

“Hey, what are you doing here?”

A voice came from behind. Han Jianhong turned around warily and saw a young man standing there, looking at her.

She recognized the familiar, smiling face—it was Ma Weidong, the eldest son of Regiment Commander Ma. He was also the son of Aunt Zhang, the woman who made shoes for her family. Realizing this, the wariness in Han Jianhong’s eyes eased.

Ma Weidong walked over and asked, “You’re Uncle Han’s eldest daughter, Han Jianhong, right? Why are you out here alone?”

Han Jianhong replied, “I came to watch the sea.”

Ma Weidong turned to look at the ocean and said in confusion, “What’s there to see? We live on this island, we see the sea every day. Aren’t you tired of it?”

Han Jianhong didn’t respond. She simply turned her head back and continued gazing at the water in silence.

Ma Weidong waited for a while, but when she still didn’t speak, he turned to look at her. He saw her staring at the sea, her profile carrying an inexplicable sense of determination and calm.

Sensing his gaze, Han Jianhong turned to look at him, puzzled.

Ma Weidong chuckled. “You don’t talk much—I wasn’t expecting that. You’re nothing like my second sister. She’s about your age, and once she starts talking, she never stops.”

Han Jianhong smiled faintly but said nothing, then turned back to watching the sea.

Ma Weidong scratched his head. “If you like the ocean so much, why don’t you go swimming? How about we go together? Let’s see who can swim farther.”

Han Jianhong shook her head. “I don’t know how to swim.”

“Huh? You don’t know how to swim?”

Han Jianhong replied, “I grew up in the mountains. I’ve never seen such a vast and wide expanse of water before.”

Ma Weidong said, “Then let me teach you! Kids on this island should all know how to swim.”

Seeing that Han Jianhong didn’t respond, Ma Weidong added, “Let’s do it today. In a few days, I’ll be leaving for the military, and I won’t have time to teach you then.”

Han Jianhong looked at him and asked, “Where are you going to serve?”

In her past life, she had never met Ma Weidong and naturally had no idea where he had been stationed.

Ma Weidong spoke with pride, “I’m going to be an air force pilot.”

“Air force?” Han Jianhong was puzzled. “Why not join the navy?”

Ma Weidong replied, “I’m sick of looking at the sea every day. It just stretches endlessly, and it’s so boring. I want to see the sky—it’s much vaster than the ocean and way more interesting. You know, in all of Qiongzhou City, only three people passed the Air Force physical test. I—well, I was born to be a pilot.”

At seventeen, he was full of ambition and brimming with confidence about the future.

Han Jianhong jumped down from the rock and said, “Didn’t you say you’d teach me how to swim? Let’s start now.”

Ma Weidong nodded, “Alright, let’s go!”

As they walked toward the shore, he curiously asked, “Why did you suddenly change your mind? I thought you didn’t want to learn just now.”

Han Jianhong looked at him seriously and said, “The ocean is not boring at all!”

Ma Weidong shrugged. “It really is boring. Just look—nothing but water everywhere. And if you take a boat into the deep sea, you won’t see anything around you. A normal person would probably die of boredom after a few days out there.”

Han Jianhong glared at him unhappily but didn’t know how to argue back. She pressed her lips together and stood still.

Ma Weidong chuckled, “Alright, alright, I won’t call it boring anymore. Let’s start with the basics. First, I’ll teach you how to hold your breath. Watch…” Saying that, he dove straight into the water.

“Hey…” Han Jianhong stared at the sea. The waves that had just been rippling calmed, and Ma Weidong’s figure became a faint shadow beneath the clear water.

She started counting in her head. By the time she reached nearly a hundred, he finally broke through the surface. Water dripped down from his short hair.

“Are you okay?” Han Jianhong asked awkwardly.

Ma Weidong shook his head, sending droplets flying. “That was nothing. If I wasn’t worried about you getting anxious, I could’ve held my breath even longer.”

Han Jianhong wanted to say, I wasn’t worried about you. But before she could, Ma Weidong continued, “Come on, take a deep breath, and let’s see how long you can hold it.”

And so, the two of them stood by the sea—one teaching, one learning.

As usual, they got off work an hour early on Saturday afternoon.

Xia Qinqin beamed with satisfaction at her latest masterpiece—a pineapple drawing.

On the paper, there was a huge pineapple. At the bottom of its body was a small door, and above it were two windows, making it look like a little house.

Hearing Auntie Xiao Zhang call out, “Time to go home!” Xia Qinqin quickly and carefully folded her drawing. Picking it up, she ran to Xiao Zhang, tilting her head up to ask, “Auntie Xiao Zhang, are you going to Auntie Wenqian’s house after work?”

Xiao Zhang smiled and nodded. “Yep, why? Do you want to come with me?”

Xia Qinqin shook her head. “I’m going to the beach with my mom and dad to play in the sand. Can you tell Auntie Wenqian that I’ll visit her next time? And Auntie Xiao Zhang, can you bring her something for me?”

Xiao Zhang squatted down and looked at the little girl standing in front of her with her hands behind her back, her face full of seriousness. Smiling, she asked, “Sure! What do you want me to bring her?”

Xia Qinqin took out her drawing from behind her and handed it to Xiao Zhang. She reminded her earnestly, “This is for Auntie Wenqian. It’s a gift from me.”

Xiao Zhang curiously opened the drawing and took a look. “Wow, Qinqin, what’s this? A pineapple-shaped house?”

Xia Qinqin explained, “This is a pineapple house. The people who live in it can eat sweet pineapples every day!”

Xiao Zhang laughed. “It looks great! I’ll make sure to bring it to her.”

“Thank you, Auntie Xiao Zhang.”

Xiao Zhang put the drawing in her bag and deliberately pretended to be jealous. “Qinqin, why didn’t you draw something for me? I’ve known you for longer, haven’t I?”

Xia Qinqin touched her little head, then smiled sweetly and asked, “Auntie Xiao Zhang, what’s your favorite fruit?”

Xiao Zhang said, “Hmm, I like mangoes.”

Xia Qinqin spread out her hands. “But I’ve never eaten a mango before.”

Xiao Zhang pinched her cheek and smiled. “Once mango season comes, I’ll bring you some to try. After you eat them, remember to draw me a picture, okay?”

Hearing there would be something delicious to eat, Xia Qinqin nodded enthusiastically. “Mm-hmm! Okay~”

Meng Yufei held Xia Qinqin’s hand as they walked downstairs and saw Xia Junshan waiting for them at the bottom.

The moment Xia Qinqin spotted her dad, her round eyes lit up. She happily ran over, spreading her arms wide and calling out, “Dad—”

“Watch your step!” Meng Yufei quickly reminded her.

Xia Junshan reacted swiftly, stepping forward and catching his daughter in his arms. Smiling, he said, “You have to walk slower, or you’ll trip and fall.”

Nestled in her father’s arms, Xia Qinqin nodded repeatedly. “Mm-hmm, got it. Dad, why are you here?”

Xia Junshan gently said, “I came to pick you and Mom up from work. Are you happy?”

“Happy~”

Meng Yufei walked over and asked, “Why didn’t you sleep a little longer?” He hadn’t slept all night and had only gone to bed at noon.

Xia Junshan smiled. “A few hours are enough. If I sleep too much, I won’t be able to sleep at night.”

Meng Yufei nodded. “That’s true. Just remember to go to bed early tonight.”

“Got it.” Xia Junshan adjusted Xia Qinqin in his arms and said, “Let’s go to the beach and build sandcastles!”

“Yay, let’s go~” Xia Qinqin wrapped her arms around her dad’s neck, giggling happily.

This time, the family of three didn’t bring any tools and had no plans to collect seafood.

When they arrived at the beach, the tide had just receded. People with fishing nets and shovels were bent over, patrolling the wet sand near the water, gathering the ocean’s gifts.

Xia Junshan found a quiet spot with fewer people and started building a sandcastle for his daughter.

The sand, still damp from the receding tide, was perfect for shaping. With skillful movements, Xia Junshan molded the sand into a small car about the length of an arm.

In the army, he had learned automobile repair and was familiar with every part of a car. This way, if the vehicle broke down during a mission, he could quickly fix the problem.

Xia Qinqin looked at the small car made of sand and exclaimed, “Wow! Dad really made a little car appear!”

Xia Junshan then built a tank next to it. Curious, Xia Qinqin pointed at it and asked, “Dad, what’s this?”

Xia Junshan replied, “This is a tank.”

“What’s a tank?”

“Hmm, it’s a really powerful car.”

“Oh! Dad, I also want a camera!”

“Okay, Dad will make one for you right now.”

Meng Yufei watched the father and daughter playing with sand, smiling warmly. She turned her head to glance at the people collecting seafood nearby. The beach had left behind quite a bit of sea treasures today, and the sounds of joyful discoveries mixed with the crashing waves.

Out in the water not far away, someone was swimming. Meng Yufei felt the figure looked somewhat familiar. When they had first arrived, that person had already been swimming there.

After a while, the swimmer came ashore and walked toward the outer edge of the beach, heading straight for a rock near where Meng Yufei and her family were. With a light movement, they leaped up and sat on the rock.

Meng Yufei recognized her—it was Han Jianhong.

“Junshan, I see Jianhong. You stay here and play with Qinqin, I’ll go have a chat with her.”

“Alright, go ahead.”

Han Jianhong was still dripping with seawater after coming out of the water. She sat on the rock, basking in the evening sunlight, letting the sea breeze blow against her face, gazing calmly at the ocean in the distance.

Beside her was a pair of dry shoes—new ones made for her by Mrs. Zhang. Before going into the water, she had taken them off and hidden them near the rocks.

“Jianhong, what a coincidence! You’re here collecting seafood too?”

Hearing the voice, Han Jianhong turned around and saw that it was Meng Yufei. She quickly stood up and jumped down from the rock, greeting her. “Auntie Meng, you’re here too.”

Meng Yufei said, “I brought Qinqin here to play with the sand. I just saw you swimming—why didn’t you pick up any seafood?”

Han Jianhong replied, “I came here just to swim.”

Meng Yufei said, “You swim really well! When did you learn? I’ve been thinking about when to start teaching Qinqin how to swim.”

Han Jianhong said, “I just learned today.”

“Huh? You just learned today?” Meng Yufei was surprised. “That’s amazing, Jianhong! I thought you’d been swimming for a long time.”

Han Jianhong said, “I grew up in the mountains as a child. Forget the sea—I hadn’t even seen a large lake before.”

Meng Yufei laughed. “Then you must really love the ocean.”

Han Jianhong nodded and said, “Yes. The first time I saw the ocean, I was amazed that such a place even existed in the world. Looking at it made me feel at ease, peaceful, and… free.”

She had heard the word “freedom” in class before, but she never really understood its meaning. It wasn’t until today, when she swam freely in the sea, that she truly experienced what freedom felt like.

Meng Yufei looked at Han Jianhong’s smiling expression at that moment. Her gaze was filled with warmth and longing, reminding Meng Yufei that she was just a fifteen-year-old girl—not a gloomy, withdrawn, and isolated child.

Han Jianhong turned to Meng Yufei and said, “Aunt Meng, last time you told me to think more about my future. These past few days, I’ve been wondering where my future lies. When I grow up in a few years, will I still stay at home? Should I find a job? Or… get married?”

“The more I think about it, the more troubled I feel. I can’t find a clear direction. So I started wondering—what can I actually do in the future? What am I good at? What do I like? After thinking for a long time, I realized that what I love the most is this ocean.”

As she spoke, she turned to look at the sea and smiled. “I love watching the ocean the most. For the first time, I realized that I actually do have something I like. And today, I think I might have found something I’m good at too.”

Meng Yufei asked, “Swimming?”

Han Jianhong nodded. “I didn’t start school until I was ten years old. From the moment I stepped into school, I became the target of everyone’s ridicule. I was clearly older than the other kids, yet I couldn’t keep up with them in my studies… I’ve heard the word ‘stupid’ from so many people’s mouths, and I even believed I really was stupid. But today, after learning how to swim, I realized that maybe… I’m not that stupid after all.”

Meng Yufei held her hand and said, “Everyone has their own strengths. You managed to learn how to swim in just one day, and you’re already so good at it. You have a natural talent for swimming.”

“A talent for swimming?”

Han Jianhong murmured. In both her past and present lives, this was the first time she had ever been told she had a talent for something.

Meng Yufei affirmed, “Yes! You have to believe in yourself—you really do have a talent for swimming.”

Han Jianhong said, “But I still don’t know what I should do in the future.”

Meng Yufei replied, “Then just keep searching. Look at you—you’ve only spent a few days thinking about it, and you’ve already found something you love and something you’re good at. I believe that before long, you’ll find your own path in life.”

Han Jianhong nodded with a smile. “Mm.”

When she was first reborn, she was filled with resentment, only thinking about taking revenge on those who had bullied her in her past life. But she didn’t even know how to take revenge, and after getting revenge, what would she do next?

But now, her mindset was gradually changing. Life was still long, and right now, she was still weak. She would wait until she grew stronger—until she became powerful—before seeking revenge on those who had wronged her!

In both this life and the last, she would now live for herself, follow her heart, and walk her own path.

When Meng Yufei returned to Xia Junshan and Xia Qinqin, the father and daughter had already built a small area of sand sculptures—a car, a tank, a camera, a radio, a sofa, a desk…

Meng Yufei chuckled and said, “You two have built so many things already.”

Xia Qinqin tugged at her mother’s hand and pointed at the sand sculpture Xia Junshan was working on. “Mom, guess what Dad is making?”

Meng Yufei looked at it and said, “Hmm… is it a pot?”

Xia Qinqin clapped her hands excitedly. “Wow! Mom is so smart! You guessed it right away!”

Meng Yufei laughed. “Are you two building a whole house?”

Xia Junshan turned around and said, “That’s right. Our home just needs a courtyard now.”

Meng Yufei squatted down and said, “Then I’ll build the courtyard.”

Xia Qinqin crouched beside her. “I’ll help Mom too.”

“Okay, let’s do it together.”

As the sun set, the golden light on the beach gradually faded. In a quiet corner of the shore, the family of three built various sand structures.

They recreated their home’s courtyard, placing toy cars and tanks inside. They even built a house and filled it with different pieces of furniture.

Xia Qinqin ran joyfully around the sand-made courtyard walls. But in a moment of carelessness, she stepped right onto it. Lifting her tiny foot, she called out, “Dad, Mom! I accidentally knocked over the courtyard!”

Xia Junshan walked over, picked her up, and set her aside with a smile. “Dad will fix the courtyard.”

Meng Yufei crouched in front of the sand gate and wrote down the names of their family of three. Xia Qinqin leaned in and read aloud, “Meng Yufei, Xia Qinqin, Xia Junshan. Mom, you wrote our names!”

Since last year, Meng Yufei’s mother, who had been retired and had nothing much to do, had been teaching Xia Qinqin how to read. Now, she could recognize their family members’ names accurately.

Meng Yufei smiled at her daughter. “That’s right. Look.” She drew small stick figures under each name—two bigger ones holding hands with a smaller one in the middle.

“Wow!” Xia Qinqin pointed at the little figure in the center. “Is that me?”

“Yes! You’re holding hands with Mom and Dad. This will be our way of remembering the first time our family built sand sculptures together.”

Excited, Xia Qinqin called out, “Dad, Dad! Come here quickly!”

Xia Junshan patted the courtyard wall before walking over. Xia Qinqin grabbed his hand and then held Meng Yufei’s, grinning. “Look! We’re just like the little people in the drawing!”

Xia Junshan looked down and saw the names and stick figures Meng Yufei had drawn in the sand. He smiled and said, “Mm, your handwriting is beautiful, and the drawing is very lifelike.”

Xia Qinqin said seriously, “Mom and I are both artists!”

Xia Junshan nodded with a laugh. “Yes, you’re both great artists.”

Meng Yufei shot a glare at Xia Junshan over Xia Qinqin’s head, but Xia Junshan only responded with a playful, flattering smile.

Glancing up at the sky, Meng Yufei said, “It’s getting dark. Let’s go home.”

Xia Junshan nodded. “Alright, let’s head back.”

Xia Qinqin pointed at their sand creations and said, “Let’s take them home with us!”

Meng Yufei shook her head. “We can’t.”

“Huh? Why not? We spent so long building them…” Xia Qinqin pouted and refused to get up.

Xia Junshan walked over and said, “They’re too big. We don’t have enough space at home.”

Xia Qinqin asked, “Then can I come back tomorrow to see them?”

Meng Yufei said, “Tomorrow, the tide will come in and carry them away into the sea.”

Xia Qinqin exclaimed in surprise, “The sea wants to play with them too?”

Xia Junshan chuckled. “That’s right. Next time, Dad will build them for you again, just like today.”

Reluctantly, Xia Qinqin glanced at the sand sculptures one last time before waving at them. “I’m going home now. You guys go play with the sea. Goodbye!”

The family of three returned home from the beach, their clothes and shoes covered in sand. As soon as they got back, Xia Junshan went to heat water for their baths.

Meng Yufei took Xia Qinqin to wash her hands in the courtyard. Noticing that sand had even gotten into her daughter’s hair, she didn’t bring her inside right away. Instead, she had her stay in the courtyard while she went inside to get pajamas and bath essentials.

After washing her hair and taking a bath, Meng Yufei sat on the sofa, using a dry towel to gently dry Xia Qinqin’s hair. Her movements were soft and patient, carefully wiping her daughter’s delicate strands.

The large towel covered Xia Qinqin’s little face, and as Meng Yufei moved, her face peeked out now and then. Each time her face emerged, she grinned and said, “Mom, I see you! Ah, Mom, now I can’t see you again!”

Meng Yufei played along, turning it into a little game of hide-and-seek.

After finishing his bath, Xia Junshan returned to the room and stood watching the mother and daughter play. He reminded her, “Feifei, don’t forget to dry your own hair later. I’m going to the cafeteria to get our meals.”

Meng Yufei nodded. “Alright, go ahead.” Then, she noticed that aside from the food container, Xia Junshan was also carrying a new army-green satchel.

“Why are you carrying that bag?”

Xia Junshan replied, “Didn’t we say we’d turn it into a backpack for Qinqin? In the family compound, the best at sewing is Commander Song’s mother-in-law from the 4th Regiment. I’m going to ask her for help.”

Meng Yufei hesitated. “Wouldn’t that be too much trouble for her?”

Xia Junshan reassured her, “It’s fine. It’s no trouble at all. Song and I are close.”

After Xia Junshan left, Meng Yufei felt a bit puzzled. He was a regiment commander from the 1st Regiment—how did he become so familiar with a battalion commander from the 4th Regiment? But before she could dwell on it, her daughter’s cheerful voice pulled her attention away, and she let the thought slip from her mind.

Carrying the satchel, Xia Junshan walked toward Commander Song’s home. Along the way, a few acquaintances asked him about it, and he casually raised the bag to explain.

His visit to Commander Song’s home was partly to get Xia Qinqin’s bag modified, but more importantly, he needed to discuss the joint training exercise between the First and 4th Regiments from the previous night.

Lately, the training schedules of several regiments had been leaked. Since they hadn’t found any spies in the residential areas, suspicion had now shifted to internal personnel. At times like this, extra caution was necessary.