I put all the meat in the refrigerator, then went to the backyard to feed the chickens and ducks. The two dogs weren't home; Yu Yang had taken them to the beach.
Chen Hong checked the time; it was only 3:30, a bit early to start making dinner.
She changed her shoes, went to the storage room to find a plastic bucket, grabbed a shovel, and went to the beach to look for her parents and children.
This year, the beach has seen a surge in tourists from other places, mostly families of three with children.
Children frolic happily on the beach, while parents, carrying brightly colored plastic buckets and shovels, follow their children on an adventure, searching for seafood all over the beach.
As you stroll along the beach, you can hear shouts of delighted excitement every now and then: "Quick, here! There's a big shipment here!"
Wow! This seashell is so pretty!
"Quick, quick, help me catch that crab! Don't let it get away!"
The fishing village beach on holiday turned into a sea of joy!
Chen Hong didn't find Yu Yang and the others nearby, so she knew they must have been led to the east by Xiao Hao's mother.
That area is far from the village, with a large expanse of reefs. Tourists generally find it too far to go, but now it's the main area for villagers to go beachcombing.
Chen Hong walked eastward along the beach without looking to the side. After walking for half an hour, she finally spotted her parents.
The children were all quite well-behaved and stayed far away from the sea. Yu Yang and a few other older children were gathered together, shouting and digging in the sand with shovels. It was unclear what kind of seafood they had discovered.
Dad sat on the beach, looking at Erni with a lifeless expression. A moisture-proof mat was laid out on the ground, with some snacks and toys on it.
Erni was happily playing on the moisture-proof mat, making startled noises and talking to herself.
When Chen Hong got closer, she was amused. She didn't know who had found her a small hermit crab, but she wasn't afraid at all. She was happily picking at it with her delicate fingers.
In the distance, Chen Hong's mother followed Xiao Hao's mother further and further away, occasionally bending down to pick something up.
Seeing his daughter arrive, Chen Hong's father was finally relieved and pushed the child into Chen Hong's arms.
"Xiao Hong, you watch the child, I'm going to see what your mother has picked up."
Oh dear, you don't know, she doesn't even recognize sea cucumbers, and she's lost several of them.
Your mom only recognizes shrimp and crab; she doesn't recognize anything else. If we're counting on her, we can forget about having any seafood tonight.
By the way, Xiaohao's mom said there are a lot of razor clams here. If you sprinkle salt on them, they will jump out. Did you bring any salt?
I'm going to dig some up; we'll stir-fry some chives for dinner tonight!
Chen Hong: "I brought them, I'll go dig them! You watch the kids. Dad, digging for razor clams is hard work, it requires skill, I'm afraid you won't be able to find any."
If you walk further east, there are plenty of seafood in the rocky area; sometimes you might even find sea cucumbers if you're lucky.
There are plenty of oysters on the rocks. If you can't get anything else, digging for some oysters will do.
The old man waved his hand, not even having time to reply, and picked up the tools Chen Hong had brought, jogging off to find his wife.
"Old Niu, go and rest for a while, leave this to me. Watch me show you my skills, and I'll have Xiao Hong stir-fry some razor clams for you tonight."
"I don't need you. Stay away from me. Hey, where did my crabs go?"
You old rascal, it's all your fault! I just found a big crab, but because of you, I don't know where it's hiding now.
"Quick, help me find it! It's such a big crab; it's such a shame to lose it."
"Oh? It really is a big crab, you're not mistaken? How big is it?" Chen Hong's father quickly bent down to help his wife search, looking everywhere—under the seaweed, in the crevices of the rocks—but couldn't find it.
Looking at the sea behind him, he couldn't help but wonder, "Old Niu, no, could it be that the crab ran back into the sea when you weren't looking?"
Without looking up, Chen Hong's mother said, "Impossible, absolutely impossible! I've been watching it closely the whole time, and I didn't see it run out of this little puddle."
The old lady got anxious and shouted to her husband, "Old Chen, there are bubbles coming out from under this rock. The crab must be hiding under the rock."
Come on, give it your all and help me flip this rock over. We have to catch this crab today.
Chen Hong's father put down the bucket, gripped the bottom of the stone with both hands, and first tried to lift it up to test its weight.
"Old Niu, how big is your crab? I won't take it if it's small. This rock must weigh seventy or eighty pounds, I'm afraid I'll twist my back."
"Oh dear, it's quite big, at least two ounces! Hurry up and move it. We finally found it, if you keep dawdling, it'll get away again."
"What? Two ounces?" Chen Hong's father picked up the plastic bucket, turned around, and left: "You really don't treat men like human beings!"
Even if it's a golden egg, I won't help you with it; I'll only hurt my back and suffer the pain.
It would be more cost-effective to let Xiaohong buy some at the dock!
"Hey, old man Xiong, if something you find for free doesn't cost money, why don't you buy it at the docks too?"
Chen Hong's father walked further and further away without looking back, ignoring her loud calls.
Chen Hong's mother tried to move the stone, but it wouldn't budge. "It's really heavy!" The old lady was not giving up. She used tongs to pry along the crack in the stone for a while, but still couldn't get it out.
The old lady rubbed her lower back, feeling tired. She hadn't caught any crabs, and looking around, she didn't see any seafood.
The old lady walked back reluctantly, stroking the pillows as if an unexpected surprise could appear at any moment.
Chen Hong watched her from afar and burst into laughter, "Mom, come back and rest for a while, I'll go look for it."
"Your eyesight is failing you; you won't notice anything until it's right in front of you. Let me go!"
Chen Hong's mother returned to the beach, plopped down, handed the bucket she was carrying to Chen Hong, and said defiantly:
"Who said that? My eyesight is excellent! Look, it's all clams, more than half a bucket full. That's a lot, enough for our whole family to eat for two meals!"
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