"There are so many, enough to make several wind chimes," Su Wantang said.
"Shall we do it now?" Wei Juan asked, a mixture of anticipation and uncertainty. "But we don't have the tools."
“I happen to have some in my pocket,” Su Wantang said, turning her back as if rummaging in her pocket. In fact, she took out a thin hemp rope and a steel needle for drilling holes, which she had prepared beforehand, from her spatial storage.
She handed the items to Wei Juan, saying, "Look, this will do."
Wei Juan accepted it with delight, without any doubt. "Sister, you're amazing! You even carry this with you at all times."
Su Wantang smiled but didn't explain.
The two sat side by side on the rocks and chose a piece of driftwood, which had been shaped by the sea, as a crossbeam.
Su Wantang taught Wei Juan how to carefully drill holes in the more vulnerable parts of the top of the seashell with a steel needle, and then thread it with hemp rope.
A gentle sea breeze stirred their hair. Apart from the sounds of the waves and seagulls, the only other sounds were their occasional whispers and the soft rustling of seashells being gently touched.
Wei Juan had never done this kind of craft before, and she was a bit clumsy at first, almost breaking the seashells several times. But she was very patient, and under Su Wantang's guidance, she quickly mastered the knack. She strung a moon-white moon shell and a pale purple conch together, and added a round white pebble, and a beautiful seashell pendant was completed.
She held it up to the sunlight, her face beaming with a sense of accomplishment.
More than an hour later, a beautiful seashell wind chime was created in the hands of the two. They strung seashells of different lengths together and hung them on the driftwood. Su Wantang lifted the rope at the top and gave it a gentle shake.
"Ding-a-ling... Crash..."
The seashells collided with each other, producing a crisp sound with a touch of natural huskiness, like the whisper of the sea, which was exceptionally pleasant to hear.
As Wei Juan listened to the sound of the wind chimes and looked at Su Wantang smiling beside her, her eyes suddenly welled up with tears. She sniffed and whispered, "Sister, thank you."
"You're too kind." Su Wantang handed her the wind chime. "Do you like it?"
"Yes!" Wei Juan nodded vigorously. She carefully took the wind chimes, holding them tightly in her hands as if they were not a string of seashells, but some rare treasure. She lowered her head, her voice muffled, "I'm not thanking you for this... I'm thanking you for... for coming to the beach with me today to relax."
If it weren't for Su Wantang, she would probably still be in the room overthinking and getting stuck in a rut.
Su Wantang reached out and gently ruffled her hair. "Silly girl, we're sisters, it's too formal to say such things. Besides, I also love collecting seashells. Look, didn't we even find such a beautiful wind chime?"
The sea breeze blew by, and the wind chimes rang out a series of clear sounds.
Wei Juan looked up, the tears in her eyes gone, replaced by a bright light. She grinned, revealing a wide smile, "Yes! We did this together!"
The uncertainty and anxiety in my heart seemed to have truly been healed by this vast sea. Whether or not I would see Commander Zheng didn't seem so important anymore; just as Su Wantang said, I would eventually see him. And the companionship and peace at this moment were the most genuine things.
The two stayed at the beach for a while before returning home to their family compound.
On the way back, a man in military uniform walked by in the distance. When he saw the two of them from afar, he slowed down and stared at Wei Juan for a long time.
Su Wantang noticed the man's unusual behavior and followed his gaze to Wei Juan. Her eyes lit up. "Wei Juan! Weren't you looking for Commander Zheng? This is him!"
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