Just then, Chu Mingyao's cheerful laughter came from a row of changing rooms facing the beach: "Don't be shy."
Chu Mingyao ran out of the door in her swimsuit, smiling as she turned back to greet her, "Come out, come out!"
The door slammed shut, and Meng Ruliu's voice came from inside: "Oh dear, it's too... too revealing, I dare not go out."
Su Wan arrived at the locker room door, and Chu Mingyao laughed, "Your sworn sister is usually more formidable than a man. But just because she's wearing a swimsuit, she doesn't even dare to come out the door."
Su Wan smiled and said, "Is my sworn sister shy? No wonder, there are so many people on the beach."
She glanced back at the bustling beach, then knocked on the door and said, "Sister Yi, it's me, come out!"
"No," Meng Ruliu replied quickly.
Wearing swimwear is a must when playing on the beach. Not only is it uncomfortable to wear clothes that get wet, but it's also difficult to clean sand that gets inside.
Su Wan had to use a lot of persuasion to convince everyone to wear swimsuits. After all, people in ancient times had never seen swimsuits before.
Wei Jingzhuo was the easiest to handle. As soon as she mentioned it, Wei Jingzhuo took the lead and changed into his swimming trunks. With him setting an example, Su Yuze was no longer shy. In his words, his brother-in-law was the emperor, and as Confucius said, "What the superiors do, the inferiors follow." If the emperor wore a swimsuit, all the people in the country should follow suit.
In the Western Rong region, women naturally dressed more revealingly than women in the Great Jin Dynasty. Exposing arms and legs was commonplace, and wearing swimsuits simply meant revealing more skin. Chu Mingyao and Danma changed without hesitation.
With the third sister taking the lead in Nan Chu, Chu Yun also boldly changed her clothes. Not to mention Chu Yi, who has always liked wearing all sorts of unconventional outfits.
Meng Ruliu was the only one who absolutely refused to change into her swimsuit. Today, she was persuaded by Chu Mingyao, but even after changing, she refused to go out.
Meng Ruliu said from inside, "I think I should... I should change back into my old clothes."
Chu Mingyao said, "But Eighth Sister, Yuze and the others are already wearing them."
"They're all still young, just kids."
"Your Majesty wore it too."
"Your Majesty is a man... Anyway, it's too embarrassing, I have to change back."
As Meng Ruliu spoke, the rustling sounds of people changing clothes came from the dressing room.
Su Wan laughed and said, "Sister-in-law, it'll be a hassle if you get wet in your clothes at the beach. Why don't you wear a swimsuit? If you don't like bikinis, I'll get you a one-piece, just showing your arms and legs, okay?"
"Are there any who don't even show their legs?"
“That would have to be a wetsuit; there aren’t any in the apartment.” Su Wan took a one-piece swimsuit from the apartment and slipped it through the crack in the door.
Chu Mingyao laughed and said, "Little sister, I'll deal with Miss Meng. You go to the beach and see how the food is being prepared. Those two big men might not be up to the task."
Su Wan agreed wholeheartedly and walked towards the beach.
Chu Yi and Danma volunteered to prepare a large feast for everyone.
These two men, one the ruler of Southern Chu and the other the crown prince of Western Rong, were used to being waited on hand and foot. Even with a cook's help, it might not be enough.
Two barbecue grills were set up on the beach, and wisps of smoke rose from the campfire beneath them.
Two chefs from Xirong were helping Danma roast a whole lamb. Nearby, several other chefs were frying flatbreads in a pan to wrap the lamb. A little further on, several Xirong girls were squatting by a basin of water washing vegetables, which would be used to make various side dishes, stir-fried or cold, to cut through the greasiness.
Danma was brushing oil onto the sheep, the charcoal fire roasting the golden-brown meat, and drops of oil sizzling as they dripped into the embers.
"Hey, you're here!" Danma said generously, pointing to the whole roasted lamb with a brush. "If you're talking about delicious food, it has to be the roasted meat from our Xirong region."
Su Wan nodded repeatedly: "Your Highness is absolutely right. My favorite food is roasted lamb skewers."
Back in Xirong, she ate all sorts of beef and mutton, which caused her waistline to increase dramatically. Now, seeing this, she's starting to drool again.
"Don't listen to him," Chu Yi said from the side. "We've come all this way to the island, how can we not eat seafood?"
He sat in front of a large basin, brushing the mud off the crabs.
These crabs were caught by him this morning when he went out to sea by boat; each one was about the size of his palm.
“I loved eating this when I was a kid, but the crabs in the Gui River aren’t this big.” Chu Yi finished washing one and tossed it into the basket next to him. A cook lifted the lid of the large pot on the stove, catching the crabs crawling around and putting them into the steaming pot before putting the lid back on.
"Hehe, Miss Meng has definitely never eaten such a big crab before." Chu Yi picked up another crab brush. "I caught over a hundred, specially made for her..."
Su Wan pretended to be angry and said, "Oh, you want to pursue my sworn sister? Aren't you going to serve me well first?"
"No, no," Chu Yi quickly replied with a smile, "Of course you got a share too."
He was lost in thought when the big crab swung its pincers and pinched the back of his hand, twisting it slightly.
"Hey, this crab is really strong." Chu Yi frowned and raised his hand, shaking it vigorously. "Get down, get down."
Su Wan said, "You two have to cook well. Whether we enjoy the meal or not depends on your cooking skills."
She turned to look at the tall coconut trees further in the center of the island.
Lu Zhao climbed to the top of the coconut tree like a monkey, tapping the coconuts with a stick. Lu Lin directed several people below to catch them, and several piles of ripe coconuts had already accumulated on the ground.
“Brother, don’t stand down there,” Lu Zhao shouted down, “This thing is heavier than a rock; if it hits you on the head, it’ll leave a huge hole.”
Lu Lin stepped back and said, "Xiao Zhao, throw down a few more! This coconut juice is so delicious, I can drink three by myself."
"Don't worry, bro, there are so many coconut trees."
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