Chapter 101: I wonder what her and Jiang Ye's child will be like in the future?

It was very lively with many people; under the older women's leadership, a beautiful scenery line formed, and after an hour they arrived at a reef area suitable for gathering seafood.

Experienced military wives wore rubber boots; those without experience wore ordinary old shoes.

Before coming, the older women told them not to wear good clothes, but to wear stain-resistant clothes that they wouldn't mind getting dirty.

Most people followed the advice, but a small minority were stubborn.

However, when they stepped onto the beach and saw the vast, boundless sea, they all broke into happy smiles.

Shen Man let Ye Qinghong go gather seafood first, so as not to delay her, and she went first to find that old man to give him the wedding candy.

A few minutes later, she arrived at the old man's small house.

The door was tightly shut, and all around was quiet.

Had the old man gone out?

"Pretty sister, what are you doing?"

Suddenly, a voice sounded from behind.

Shen Man turned around and saw Xiao Hai, who was holding a little girl's hand; it looked like the sister he had mentioned before.

"Xiao Hai, is this your sister?"

"Yes, this is my sister Yue Ya. Pretty sister, are you looking for Old Master Wu?"

Xiao Hai nodded, tilted his head to size up the pretty sister, his expression hesitant, as if thinking whether to speak...

"What's wrong?"

Seeing this, Shen Man felt a bad premonition rise in her heart.

"Three days ago this afternoon, Old Master Wu passed away peacefully. Yesterday the brigade leader, accompanied by the uncles, collected his body and finished the funeral..."

Xiao Hai felt down, his eyes red, and he told the pretty sister the situation.

Old Master Wu was a very kind elder; he often couldn't return home in time for meals because he went gathering seafood.

It was Old Master Wu who called him home to drink fish slice porridge, or a bowl of hot fish soup.

All the children in the village liked Old Master Wu.

Old Master Wu had no children or descendants, was lonely and helpless; the brigade leader decided to collect his body and bury him in the ancestral grave of the Wu family village....

"Is that so."

Shen Man felt her heart grow heavier upon hearing this news.

The wedding candy in her pocket never got delivered to the old man in time.

Even her rain boots felt heavier at that moment.

"Pretty sister, don't be sad; Old Master Wu often said while alive that if one day he departed, his relatives would come to fetch him, and he would leave happily."

"May the living also feel happy for him and not be sad."

Xiao Hai's voice was clear and crisp, yet extremely resolute, full of conviction.

So he doesn't cry or feel sad; Old Master Wu left happily.

"Mm, that makes sense."

Shen Man's originally low spirits and sore nose suddenly weren't so bad.

"Thank you, Xiao Hai; sister came to visit Old Master Wu to give him wedding candy. Now, sister would like to treat you all to wedding candy, okay?"

"Okay, thank you, sister!"

Xiao Hai nodded heavily, indicating that his sister should also learn to thank him.

"Thank you, sister."

Yue Ya's gaze was timid yet very bright.

Her eyes were like grapes, big and round.

Her cheeks were chubby; one could tell she was well cared for by her family, utterly adorable.

Shen Man resisted the urge to pinch her cheeks, reached into her bag, and pulled out two handfuls of wedding candy.

"Here, this is the wedding candy from me and my brother. Next time you see him, you're not allowed to call him uncle."

She worried that men might get upset about age—age is a sore point not just for women but for men too.

"Mm-hmm, I know, sister."

Xiao Hai lifted his shirt cuff, cupping the two handfuls of wedding candy, hehehe, lots of candy.

For the sake of the candy and pretty sister's face, next time he sees that uncle he'll reluctantly call him brother.

"Thank you, sister."

Seeing so much candy, Yue Ya was overjoyed.

"Mm, I'm going to go gather seafood with the other military wives' friends; you guys do your own thing."

Shen Man couldn't resist and gently pinched the little girl's cheek—indeed, it was so soft!

I wonder what her and Jiang Ye's child will be like in the future?

Like him?

Or like her?

"Sister, goodbye."

Children are the most sensitive to adults' joys and angers.

Yue Ya felt that this pretty sister was nice; looking at her gentle gaze, she liked this sister.

Shen Man finally glanced at the closed house, then turned and left.

Perhaps, just as Old Master Wu said, his relatives have come to fetch him; he hopes the living can also feel happy for him and not be sad....

Mm, she is not sad.

"Meow."

Master, I request to roll in the sand dunes; can you not despise me?

"Go, go, be careful, don't stay too far from me; if danger arises, being close lets me rescue you."

Shen Man's originally low mood was interrupted by Tangyuan's strike, and she instantly forgot her sadness.

Meow.

Got it!

Feline animals are naturally fond of the feel of sand and gravel.

Although Tangyuan's true form is a white tiger, deep down it loves sand and gravel.

Tell me, whose cat, upon seeing such a stretch of sand and gravel, could not get excited?

Shen Man watched Tangyuan's measured demeanor and let her be.

Here, after the tide recedes, the beach has some sea snails, small fish, seaweed and other marine remnants.

The older sisters‑in‑law, together with the newly arrived military wives, occupied a reef area, coexisting peacefully with the native inhabitants of Sea Island.

From time to time, chatter and laughter could be heard.

Manman, hurry over, there are sea snails and hijiki here, come pick them up.

Ye Qinghong kept worrying about Shen Man, fearing the girl might be shy about picking things up, and shouted loudly for her to come.

Hey, I'm coming.

Would Shen Man be shy?

Ahem, it's all an illusion.

Her skin is thick.

The other military wives were busy gathering items, free of charge, pick quickly!

Those who encountered crabs, who dared not grab them with bare hands, were frantic.

After Shen Man walked over and saw the situation, she handed the pliers from her bucket to the military wife, "You use them first; I'll go pick hijiki."

Give a rose to someone, and the hand retains fragrance.

She doesn't deliberately curry favor with anyone, nor associate with anyone.

But when someone needs help, she doesn't mind lending a hand and forming a good bond.

Alright, thank you.

Obviously, the military wife was surprised; she hadn't expected the previously unacquainted Shen Man to voluntarily lend her the pliers.

Who says Shen Man is hard to get along with?

Who says Shen Man, leveraging being the Regiment Commander's wife, looks down on the wives of ordinary officers?

Rumors are just rumors!

Shen Man is clearly easygoing, her voice soft and sweet, like an egg cake!

Boo hoo, even getting close brings a faint floral scent!

Everyone's wearing straw hats, and they look as handsome as movie stars!

No wonder the troupe commander of the performing arts group wants to recruit her; with such a fine figure and looks, imagine if she started dancing and singing—how popular she'd be....

Manman, this hijiki is a good thing; once dried it stores for a long time, can be served cold or made into soup, whether you dry it at home to eat gradually or send it back home, it's valuable.

Ye Qinghong's family bears a heavy burden; she has been frugal since childhood and knows how to manage a household.

Seeing so many free‑to‑pick marine goods after the tide receded was like a mouse falling into a rice jar—blissful to death.

Can't finish picking, absolutely can't finish!

Shen Man nodded, softly replying here and there.

She bent over, tossed some hijiki into the bucket, and upon seeing small fish, used the bucket as cover to gather them into the empty space, stockpiling dried fish for Tangyuan as food reserves...