Chapter 102: with translation of chapter title

The military wives gathering seafood for the first time had no sense of time; they were immersed in the joy of zero-cost shopping and couldn't extricate themselves.

But the older wives felt the water level rising, called out to everyone that it's about time, we should go, the tide is coming!

Shen Man silently nodded to herself; indeed the tide had risen, the seawater that had been at ankle level was now almost reaching the top of her rain boots!

She glanced at the time on her wristwatch; it was half past eleven.

"Huh? Manman, the bracelet on your wrist looks really nice; where did you buy it?"

The one who exclaimed was the military wife from whom Shen Man had initially borrowed tweezers to catch crabs, Ye Qingxue.

She meant no harm; she just saw something nice and couldn't help but exclaim.

"My husband strung it."

Shen Man embarrassedly pulled down her sleeve, not intending to show off; her pearl bracelet really is very pretty.

"Tsk tsk, Regiment Commander Jiang really dotes on you."

Ye Qinghong teased, her eyes full of envy.

Hand-strung by her husband, the lethality is off the charts!

"Sister Qinghong, I'm hungry; let's hurry back to the family quarters."

Shen Man's tone carried an unconscious coquettish cuteness, as well as pleading.

"Please, please, don't say that; lots of people are watching."

"Hahaha, it's not early anymore; we should head back."

Ye Qinghong's eyes were full of teasing, but she still spoke up to help, rescuing the pleading sister.

"Yes yes yes, it's not early; my husband also needs to go home; let's hurry home."

Zhao Cuicui also chimed in, then took Ye Qingxue's hand and walked toward the rocky shore.

"Sister Qinghong, let me help you."

Shen Man, very perceptive, helped support Ye Qinghong who was stuck in the mud, helping her lift the plastic bucket; the idea was abundant, reality was meager; completely, she couldn't lift it!

"Is it heavy? I picked up a lot of sea snails and clams; when we get to the family quarters later, I'll share some with you."

"Look at you, your bucket is almost all wakame, hardly any decent seafood…"

Ye Qinghong truly treated Shen Man as one of her own; for good things, she naturally wanted to share some with her.

"Mm-hmm, thank you, Sister Qinghong~"

Shen Man smiled embarrassedly; she couldn't very well say she had a cheat, always collecting small fish and shrimp.

There was no way; for Tangyuan's future snacks, she took on this responsibility.

"Don't panic, Shen Xiaozi; I caught a lot of crabs; when we get to the family quarters, I'll also give you a few."

Ye Qingxue walked ahead, her face with a few freckles, in the gentle sunlight, adding a touch of cuteness.

"Okay, thank you."

Shen Man walked to the shore, shook off the sand on her feet; this group of military wives, they're all quite nice.

"Tangyuan."

"Tangyuan, come back quickly, we're going home."

"Meow meow meow."

Tangyuan had a palm-sized sea fish in its mouth, four short little legs, desperately running toward its owner.

"Where did you get such a big fish?"

For Shen Man, a palm-sized sea fish—she had been busy all morning and hadn't caught a single one; where did Tangyuan get this?

"Meow."

"Caught it with its tail!"

Tangyuan proudly lifted its face, placed the fish at its owner's feet, and shook its wet tail.

It used the method of fishing with its tail in the space, and indeed it caught a fish.

The fish in the sea, and the fish in the lotus pond in the space, all seem not very smart.

"Really great."

Shen Man's mouth twitched; she thought Section Commander Duan's luck was indeed a bit foul.

Tangyuan can catch fish with its tail, but Section Commander Duan is just an air force......

"Manman, your cat seems to have grown a little."

Seeing this, Ye Qinghong couldn't help but gesture with her palm.

Last time I saw this cat in the guesthouse, it seemed about the size of her palm; now it feels like it's grown half a palm longer?

"Eh, it's not that my husband often cooks special meals for it, feeding it dried fish nonstop, which has made it fat……."

Shen Man gave an awkward laugh, saying as she picked up Tangyuan, shook off the sand on her body, then put it in her bag.

As for that palm-sized fish, naturally she put it into her own plastic bucket.

Fortunately she had picked up a lot of wakame, which wasn't that heavy, so she could still lift it.

"No wonder, this little guy is really spirited."

Ye Qinghong nodded, and didn't dwell on it further.

Speaking, she shook off the sand at her feet, casually lifted the plastic bucket, and also took Shen Man's plastic bucket along.

"Sister Qinghong, I can do it."

Shen Man said embarrassedly, feeling that she had been meticulously cared for by the other.

This feeling was just like when she was at her hometown, where Aunt Ge and the other neighbors treated her with meticulous kindness.

"It's just a casual thing; at home I'm the eldest, with several younger brothers and sisters; since I was little I've led them in chores—carrying big loads of manure, earning work points in the fields, cutting pig grass……."

Ye Qinghong led the way while chattering, talking about her past.

In Shen Man's eyes, when Sister Qinghong talked about these things, she was very proud, did not complain about her parents, had no negative energy, which was a bit different from the older sister in her stereotype.

In her impression, the older sister is someone who works hard without complaint, does everything herself, burns herself out, devotes everything she has, commonly called a blood package.

But Sister Qinghong is quite different; she works together with her younger brother and sister, and does not make them enjoy her efforts; that way, it's quite good.

"Actually you are the same age as my second younger sister; I am four years older than you, and looking at you feels like seeing my second younger sister."

Ye Qinghong hung two plastic buckets on the crossbars, sat on the seat cushion herself, and while speaking, gestured for Shen Man to sit in the back seat.

"No wonder Sister Qinghong is so nice to me."

Shen Man sighed, then sat in the back seat, one hand protecting the Tangyuan in her bag, the other hand gripping the gap of the seat.

"It's because you attract people's affection, making them can't help but want to be good to you."

Ye Qinghong smiled, and after speaking, gestured that the other had sat firmly, then she stepped on the footrest.

"In a few days, the older sisters‑in‑law said the fruit grown by fishermen's families on Sea Island will be ripe; then the fellow villagers will set up stalls at the unit's gate, and we will bring some food coupons and other receipts to exchange with the fellow villagers."

"I see, then the relationship is good, very convenient."

Shen Man nodded and took note.

Sea Island is abundant in produce, with many fruits, a paradise for fruit lovers.

Few women can resist the temptation of fruit; if any can, perhaps the temptation is insufficient?

"When the fellow villagers set up stalls then, I'll go to your house to remind you.

Don't thank me; it's a simple favor, and if you keep thanking, it'll seem like you're being distant."

"Hmm hmm."

The two's friendship was elevated at this moment.

Ye Qinghong is Shen Man's second connection on Sea Island.

The first, of course, is Wangjie.

Wait until she dries the seaweed; then pack some, and also pack a few other things.

Aunt Ge said that on the first visit to someone's home, one must gauge the social etiquette properly.

When others say "no, no", it doesn't necessarily mean they truly don't want it.

Polite words must be discerned; you can't truly refuse to give a gift.

There's a saying: a light gift carries deep affection.

Especially when the other party is friendly toward you.

Showing up empty‑handed is uncouth.

Of course, you can completely ignore these rules with someone you dislike, but if you wish to continue interacting with someone, you must be careful.