"Little Fifth Brother, there's enough room at home. My older brother and older sister can sleep at my uncle's."
"Just two houses will do. Come with us to the beach and set up camp before the tide goes out. It's too late to catch the sea."
"You even know this?"
"What a joke! If I don't have any preparation, I can run to your house."
As the tide was rising, Wang Laoyao and his group found a spot and began to set up their tents. The large military tent and a small tent created a seaside holiday atmosphere.
"Dad, how about this? This little tent is for you and my mom to live in. If you don't feel comfortable at night, you can go to Uncle Wang's house and stay there."
Father Zhang walked around the tent with his hands behind his back and waved, "This is new. We'll stay on the beach tonight."
On the other side of the tent, Zhang's mother bent over and entered, touching it lovingly. "My life has not been lived in vain. I can still have fun like this."
"Mom, with this, we don't even need to build a house. This is great!"
"Jiaojiao, do you think your second brother can find this place? He'll regret it to death if he misses this opportunity." Lin Juhua turned her head and looked outside. "This is the sea. It's really different from the river. Those waves just now were really scary."
Zhou Jiao couldn't help laughing and said, "There's a route drawn on the letter, my second brother will definitely find it. It's the weekend tomorrow, maybe Aunt Zuo and Aunt Cheng will come over too."
"That's great."
"Well, don't worry, everything's ready. If Uncle Zhao and the others come, they might arrive tonight," Zhou Jiao said confidently. Given Cheng Hongli's playful nature and Zhang Laoer's eloquence, it was likely that the group from the county town would take Zhao Dashan's truck.
Zhao Dashan would not miss this trip in order to seek benefits for his unit. After all, there was a fish farm here, and if it was managed properly, even the Mid-Autumn Festival benefits could be distributed.
"You will teach us how to catch fish later, but don't make a fool of yourself."
Zhou Jiao pointed at her mother-in-law and soothed her gently, "Mom is better than me! She has a very good eye. Just follow her closely."
Lin Juhua had forgotten this. In the past few years, Xiaowu and his wife had taken her parents-in-law to many beautiful places. Even now, many people in the county say that her parents-in-law are well-informed and know everything.
"Mom, are you used to the smell of fish? Will it make you uncomfortable?"
Mother Zhang smiled and shook her head, "Can anything stink worse than farm manure?"
Ever since arriving at the beach, Zhang's mother has been in a very good mood. This place is great. She doesn't have to spend money on hotels, and there aren't any shopping malls for her son to spend money on. As long as she spends less, everything is good!
Zhou Jiao smiled but said nothing. She hadn't yet experienced the bustle of the beach after low tide, or the atmosphere of a bonfire on the beach at night. She could guarantee that after this trip, her two sisters-in-law would never forget the sea.
In the evening, a military truck drove into the fishing village. Zhao Dashan and his wife, Zuo Lin and his wife, their little granddaughter, Zhang Meili and her husband, and Zhang Laoer got off the car and headed straight for the beach.
"Uncle Dashan, there's really no need to ask, they must be on the beach?"
Zhao Dashan glanced at Zhang Laoer and said firmly, "Of course. Look at all those kids on the street, aren't they all running over there? It must be low tide, and they're rushing to the beach."
An elderly man passed by curiously, sizing them up. After hearing what was happening, he asked, "Are you relatives of the Wang family? They're all by the sea, and we'll be able to find them if we go over there."
After thanking each other, the group saw a conspicuous tent not far away before they even got off the beach. They looked at each other, smiled happily, and quickened their pace.
"That kid really knows how to have fun! No wonder he asked us all to come over."
Everyone nodded in agreement. Isn't that right? Just as Zhao Dashan had said, Zhang Guoqing was always interested in whatever he wanted to do, and his mind was full of ideas.
But this trip was worth it. When I got close to the beach, the cool sea breeze made me feel refreshed, and the cheerful laughter everywhere made me feel even more comfortable, and all my worries disappeared.
Father Zhang leaned on a chair, looking at his grandchildren who were shouting and yelling in front of him with a smile on his face. When he saw Little Shitou running back and calling for his dad, he turned around and saw, oh my, his eldest son had guessed it right!
"Brother Zhang, you're having a good life."
"Brother Dashan, I finally got you and Brother Zuo. Come and sit down."
I am really excited about this meeting.
Father Zhang happily pulled the two of them to sit in front of the tent and told his two daughters to start the pot themselves, which also contained a basket of steamed buns made by Wang's younger brother and sister-in-law.
Zhang Laoer smacked his lips as he approached. No wonder his younger brother had said in his letter that he had no regrets coming. A table filled with wine and seafood, facing the sea. Even a god wouldn't trade it for this day!
Zhang Meili grabbed a few steamed buns and handed them to everyone. Seeing that they were not hungry, she put them back and found that her mother and siblings were not around.
"Dad, where's my mom?"
"They're all going to the beach over there. You'll see them when you get there." Father Zhang pointed eastward and poured some wine for Zhao Dashan and the other man. "Have a drink to soothe your fatigue."
Zuo Lin took the wine bowl and glanced at the tent behind him, "Are you planning to camp tonight?"
"The Wang family has also prepared a room. Let's sleep wherever is comfortable. There will be many ships coming back in the middle of the night. In my opinion, this place is no worse than the house."
Zhao Dashan smiled and nodded. It looked like his wife couldn't pull him back even if she tried.
Over there, Zhang Guoqing was protecting his mother and son, worried that they would be washed away by the waves if they accidentally waded into the sea. He also had to glance at his three sisters-in-law who were going to the sea from time to time.
He glanced at the three baskets filled with various seafood in front of the three men and shook his head. "How desperate!" He had no idea how worried the people in the fishing village were about their presence.
If I hadn't had the foresight to specifically approach the captain to express my intention to purchase dried seafood, I probably wouldn't have given Aunt Wang enough face and would have been driven away.
"Xiaowu, take a picture of us like this."
"Hey, Mom, stand still." Zhang Guoqing grinned, raised his camera and started shooting. The biggest reward this time was that his mother was as happy as a child.
Under the setting sun that illuminated half the sky, with the endless sea as the background, Zhang's mother held her grandson, and the two of them held conchs and starfish in their hands, their smiles so bright that they warmed people's hearts.
At this moment, Zhang Guoqing once again deeply felt his wife's nostalgia for the color camera.
"Facing the sea, spring flowers are blooming." Perhaps Zhang Guofu and others cannot appreciate this comfort yet, but it does not prevent them from being in a good mood.
Soon, couples gathered together to dig holes and catch seafood. Zhang's mother, Aunt Zuo, and Cheng Hongli, who stayed behind, smiled at each other and returned to the tent, leaving space for these young people.
As night fell, Zhang Guoqing invited the fishing village captain, secretary and accountant to come over for a drink.
The bonfire was lit, and the bright red light illuminated the happy smiles of them and the people in the fishing village, and also illuminated the warm and simple hearts of these three people.
During the two-day and one-night journey, Zhang Guoqing and his team established friendly relationships with the young and old women and children in the fishing village.
When the two carriages and a truck started to leave the fishing village in the evening of the next day, many workers came over and asked them to come and play when they had time, not to mention a group of tearful children.
These children deeply moved Zhou Jiao, who had endured so much hardship in her previous life. There were over 400 school-age children in the village, but only about ten attended school regularly. The rest worked daily at the fishery, shelling shrimp and sometimes going to the sea to supplement their income.
And it was these children who, today, gave their day's catch to strangers like them. The children's pure and sincere hearts made Zhou Jiao feel that she should do something for them.
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