conch
Chapter 9, Section 1
Jiang Li and her friends were attracted by the stall selling dried seafood next to them and fell behind.
"Why don't you buy one of the conch whistle that the old lady had just bought?" I remembered the look on Zhao Yin's face when he asked me if I wanted two, and I couldn't help but speak.
He didn't stop and glanced at me sideways: "You want it?"
"It's not necessary." I kicked the pebbles under my feet. "I just think it's interesting. It makes a sound when I blow it."
He said "hmm" and didn't say anything else.
I thought the matter was over, but when we reached the rocky beach at the end of the pier, he suddenly turned around and walked back.
"Where are you going?" I asked.
"Something happened." He dropped these three words and his figure quickly disappeared around the corner of the alley.
Xiao Chen followed with his camera in hand: "Teacher Wen, why did Brother Yin leave?"
"I don't know, maybe he went to buy some water."
I spoke nonsense, but my eyes couldn't help but glance in the direction he left.
There were several children picking up shells on the rocky beach. One of them, a little boy in a red vest, was holding a palm-sized conch and blowing it hard towards the sea. The whistle sounded intermittently, with a bit of childish pride.
"Teacher Wen, look at that shell. It's very similar to the one Brother Yin won you with yesterday."
Xiao Chen pointed to a pile of shells at the boy's feet.
I looked down and saw that they were quite similar.
The result of yesterday's Shell Competition was actually a bit confusing. The boat that Zhao Yinpin built had crooked corners, but somehow it won the favor of the aunt at the B&B, who said that his boat "has the power to ride the wind and waves."
I was still not convinced at the time, so I secretly posted on my second account, "The judges are selfish," and the accompanying picture was a close-up of his crooked boat.
"It's different from what children play with." I squatted down and picked up a small white shell with smooth edges.
There were footsteps behind me. Zhao Yin came back with two things in his hands, tied together with a straw rope.
"Here." He handed one over.
It was a conch whistle, slightly larger than the one the old lady had just sold. It was dark brown in color, with natural spiral patterns on the surface.
"Did you buy this?" I took it.
"Well, the previous one was too small and the sound was crisp, this one has a deep sound."
He stuffed the other one into his pocket. "Try?"
I put the conch to my mouth and blew it hard like the little boy did, but I didn't control the strength well and the sound was broken.
Xiao Chen was laughing so hard that he couldn't straighten his back. Zhao Yin also curled his lips with a hint of smile in his eyes: "Blow gently."
Feeling a little embarrassed, I cleared my throat and tried again.
This time the sound finally calmed down, and it echoed over the dock with a humming sound.
"It sounds pretty good." I said, hanging the conch whistle around my neck, with the rope just long enough to reach my chest.
Zhao Yin looked at the whistle on my neck without saying anything. He just took out his own from his pocket and hung it on too.
His is a little bigger than mine, and hanging outside the white T-shirt, it looks like a unique decoration.
(Could it be that he wants to...?)
"Brother Yin likes this too?" Xiao Chen asked curiously.
"For self-defense." He said calmly.
I couldn't help but laugh: "What can this prevent? Scare away the little crabs?"
He glanced at me. "At least you can know where I am."
As soon as these words were spoken, the air seemed to become quiet again.
Xiao Chen wisely turned his gaze away to take pictures of the fishing boats in the distance. I touched the conch on my neck and slapped myself in the face. "Stop thinking about it!"
Walking to the end of the old pier, you can see the small island in the distance, like a dark green jade embedded in the blue sea.
A small fishing boat was about to set off. The boatman, a dark-skinned older man, saw us and greeted us enthusiastically: "Do you want to go to the island? The wind is light now, so it's a good time to go!"
"How much?" Zhao Yin asked.
"One hundred people round trip, guaranteed safety!"
(Wow. I remember it was the same when I went to Guangzhou last year. The highway toll was 100 per person.)
The uncle said, patting his chest.
Jiang Li and the male guest also followed. Jiang Li said excitedly: "Let's go and have a look! I heard there are seagulls on the island, and you can even pick up bird eggs!"
"You can't just pick up bird eggs, right?" I hesitated. "What if it's a protected species?"
"I'm just joking. It's nice to enjoy the scenery." said the male guest.
Zhao Yin looked at me and asked, "Do you want to go?"
I looked at the island in the distance, then at the conch whistle around his neck, and nodded: "Yes."
Chapter 9, Section 2
The small fishing boat is not very big and can only seat five or six people.
(Isn’t this uncle making enough money?)
When we got on, the boatman had already started the motor, and the rumbling sound was particularly clear in the quiet dock.
"Hold on to the handrail, the boat is leaving!" the uncle shouted, and the boat shook and slowly sailed away from the dock.
The wind was stronger than on shore, making my hair fly around. I instinctively tried to tuck it behind my ears, but as I raised my hand, I felt something on my head.
It’s a hat, Zhao Yin’s.
I don't know at what point he took off his sun hat and put it on my head.
"The wind is so strong, don't mess up your hair."
I touched the hat on my head. The brim was a little wide, just enough to cover my eyes and block the glaring sunlight.
"So what are you going to do?"
"I'm not afraid of the sun." He said, and stood to the side, just blocking some of the wind blowing towards me.
I remembered that he had ripped off his sun sleeve to bandage my wound last time, and I felt a little guilty. I wanted to take off my hat and give it back to him: "You wear it, I'm fine."
"I'm wearing it." He held my hand. "I won't rescue you if you fall into the sea."
I was amused by him and had to wear it obediently.
The hat is so big that it covers most of the face. From the outside, you can probably only see the chin.
Xiao Chen pointed the camera at us, and I guessed she must be taking pictures of some famous "rare silver" scene again.
The boat sailed for about twenty minutes before arriving at the island.
There were indeed many seagulls on the island. They were not afraid of us strangers. They just flapped their wings and flew away, hovering in the air, making "oooo" sounds.
"So many seagulls!" Jiang Li excitedly took out her phone to take pictures. "Come and take a picture for me. I want the seagulls in the picture too!"
The male guest took her mobile phone, found an angle, and took several pictures.
Zhao Yin and I walked along the path on the island. There were low bushes on both sides of the road, and some unknown small wild flowers were blooming, yellow and white, dotted like stars.
"It seems like no one has been here before," I said. The road under my feet was a bit difficult to walk on, as it was all gravel.
"It's probably a deserted island, with only fishermen coming here occasionally to rest." Zhao Yin walked in front of me, looking back from time to time. "Watch your step."
I nodded and followed him, looking at his footprints on the gravel. Suddenly, I felt that the scene was a little familiar.
It seemed like I had seen it in a movie where the hero took the heroine on an adventure on a deserted island, and everything was incredibly slow.
After walking for about ten minutes, we saw a beach in front of us. It was cleaner than the one where we lived. The sand was white and soft to step on.
"It's nice here." Zhao Yin stopped and turned to look at me.
I took off my hat and handed it to him: "Here it is."
He didn't answer, but just said, "You should wear it. The ultraviolet rays on the island are strong."
"Then what are you going to do?" I insisted, pushing the hat into his hand. "I have thick skin, so a tan is fine."
He looked at me, then suddenly reached out and touched my cheek with his fingertips: "Not rough."
My face instantly became hot, like a beach bathed in the sun.
"I'll go over there and take a look." I almost ran away and turned to run to the other side of the beach.
After running a few steps, I heard his laughter behind me. It was very low, but it reached my ears clearly.
I turned around and saw him standing there, holding the hat in his hand. The sunlight shone on him and his shadow fell on the beach like a trap.
Chapter 9, Section 3
At the end of the beach there is a huge reef, like a giant whale lying on its back.
I climbed onto the reef and sat down. The sea breeze blowing in my face made me feel very comfortable.
Zhao Yin came over at some point and sat down next to me, holding two conch whistles in his hands.
"Just now on the boat, when you blew the whistle, the seagulls seemed to respond." He said suddenly.
I was stunned for a moment, then I remembered that when I was sailing just now, I was bored and blew the conch a few times. At that time, there were indeed a few seagulls flying with the boat for a while.
"Maybe I'm curious," I said.
He took up his own conch, put it to his lips and blew it.
The humming sound spread over the sea, and the seagulls in the distance really started to move. A few brave ones circled over us and circled above our heads.
"It really works." I was a little surprised.
"Animals are more sensitive to unfamiliar sounds," he said, blowing again.
This time there were more seagulls flying over, about a dozen or so, circling around the reef, their calls coming one after another.
"They won't attack us, will they?" I was a little worried and moved closer to him.
"Probably not. They're just curious." He glanced at me sideways. "Are they scared?"
"No." I said stubbornly, but I felt a little nervous inside.
He didn't say anything else, but just handed his conch towards me and said, "Would you like to try it again?"
I hesitated for a moment, picked up my conch, and blew it carefully.
The seagulls seemed even more excited, and a few even flew low over our heads.
"Okay, okay, stop blowing." I quickly stopped. "If you keep blowing, they'll think we're a food source."
Zhao Yin smiled and put the conch away: "If you are scared, just say you are scared. No need to make excuses."
"I'm not afraid." I said with my neck stiff, but I couldn't help but move closer to him, our shoulders almost touching.
The sea breeze had faded the scent of him a little, but I could still smell it. It wasn't a special fragrance, just a very clean scent, like a quilt that had been dried in the sun, which made me feel at ease...
We just sat on the rocks, watching the seagulls fly and the waves hit the rocks, splashing white waves.
No one spoke, but it didn't feel awkward at all.
About half an hour later, Jiang Li and the others came over and asked us to go back.
"Teacher Wenxi, Brother Yin, you are here, we have been looking for you for a long time!"
Xiao Chen ran over, camera in hand, "I just took a lot of pictures of seagulls, do you want to see them?"
"Go back and take a look." Zhao Yin stood up and extended his hand to me.
I hesitated and put my hand in his.
His palms were warm and his grip on mine was firm.
He gave me a gentle pull and I stood up from the reef.
When I was coming down, I slipped and almost fell. He pulled me to the side and I fell into his arms and smelled his scent more clearly.
"Be careful." He held my arm.
"Thank you." After I stood firm, I quickly stepped out of his arms.
Xiao Chen was pretending to take pictures of the scenery, but her camera was always facing us. I knew without looking that she must have captured some "famous scene" again.
On the way back on the boat, the wind seemed to be stronger.
I wore Zhao Yin's hat tighter and pulled the brim down low, not wanting others to see my blushing face.
Zhao Yin sat next to me, looking at the sea outside the window, not knowing what he was thinking.
I stole a glance at him and noticed that the conch whistle on his neck was swaying gently with the rocking of the boat, and like mine, it was shining in the sunlight.
Chapter 9, Section 4
It was almost evening when we returned to the fishing village.
The setting sun dyed the sky orange and gave the white-walled and black-tiled houses a layer of gold, making them seem as if they didn't exist.
"Would you like to go for a walk in the village? I heard that there is a family that makes delicious fish balls." The aunt at the B&B suggested.
"Sure, sure!" Jiang Li was the first to respond. "I love fish balls the most."
The male guest also nodded: "Go and try it, it's a rare opportunity to come here."
I looked at Zhao Yin, who happened to be looking at me as well: "Are you going?"
"Go." I nodded.
The road in the village is smoother than that at the pier. Most of the houses on both sides have flowers planted in front of their doors, including roses and hibiscus, which are in full bloom.
Occasionally, a villager would come out of his house and greet us with a smile, with curiosity in his eyes, but it didn’t make us feel offensive.
After walking for about ten minutes, the hostess stopped at the door of a house with a sign that read "Lao Wang's Fish Balls" and called out, "Brother Wang, are you home?"
The door opened quickly, and a middle-aged man in an apron poked his head out. Seeing us, he smiled and said, "It's Sister Li. Come in!"
We followed him into the yard, where there were several tables, a stone mill in the corner, and some fresh sea fish piled next to it.
"These are the fish we just landed today. They're perfect for making fish balls," said Brother Wang, pointing at the fish. "I guarantee you'll want more after you eat them."
"Then make a few more servings, since there are many of us," said the aunt at the B&B.
"No problem!" Brother Wang agreed readily and turned into the kitchen.
We sat down at the table in the yard. Xiao Chen took out his camera and kept taking pictures of the flowers and plants in the yard.
Jiang Li and the male guest were talking excitedly about the seagulls they had just seen on the island.
Zhao Yin and I didn't talk much, we just looked at the yard.
"Have you ever seen a millstone before?" I asked him suddenly.
“I’ve seen it in my hometown,” he said. “My grandma used it to grind soy milk when I was little.”
"Me too," I said. "My grandma has one too, but it's long been out of use and just sits in the yard as a decoration."
"Yeah." He responded and said nothing more.
After a while, Brother Wang came out with a few bowls of fish balls. The white and tender fish balls were floating in the clear soup, sprinkled with chopped green onions, and the aroma was fragrant.
"Try it quickly, it's freshly made!" Brother Wang put the bowl in front of us.
I picked up the spoon, scooped a fish ball into my mouth, and took a light bite. The delicious soup flowed out. The fish meat was very tender and had no fishy smell at all.
"Delicious!" I couldn't help but praise.
"Really? I told you it was delicious." Brother Wang said proudly, "This is our family's ancestral craft."
Zhao Yin also tasted one and nodded: "Not bad."
He didn't talk much, but he ate very seriously and finished the bowl of fish balls very quickly.
After eating the fish balls, it was already completely dark.
The street lights in the village lit up, and the dim light cast a gentle halo on the path.
"Go back, you have to get up early tomorrow." said the aunt at the B&B.
We followed her back, our footsteps echoing on the quiet path.
When passing by the big banyan tree at the entrance of the village, Jiang Li suddenly stopped and said, "Let's pray again and pray for peace."
Everyone laughed and followed her in bowing to the banyan tree.
When I was worshiping, I secretly thought in my heart that I hope I can have the opportunity to come here with Zhao Yin in the future, blow the conch whistle again, and eat Lao Wang's fish balls again.
After the worship, we continued walking towards the guesthouse.
Zhao Yin was walking beside me, suddenly touched my arm and handed me something.
It's a candy, fruit-flavored, and the wrapping paper is transparent so you can see the pink candy inside.
"Brother Wang gave it to me just now, saying that it's something his children love to eat," he said.
I took it, peeled off the candy wrapper, and put the candy in my mouth. It tasted like peach.
"Thank you," I said.
He didn't say anything, just looked at the road ahead. No need to guess, he felt secretly happy again.
When they returned to the B&B, Xiao Chen suddenly exclaimed, "Oh no! My camera's memory card seems to be full. I haven't exported the photos I took on the island today!"
"Then let's guide it tomorrow. There's no rush anyway," I said.
"No, no, what if I lose it?" Xiao Chen was so anxious that he was spinning around in circles. "Teacher Wen, Brother Yin, does anyone have a USB drive? I'll download it first."
I shook my head: "I didn't bring it."
Zhao Yin took out a small black USB drive from his pocket and handed it to her: "Use this."
"Thank you, Brother Yin!" Xiao Chen was overjoyed and ran back to his room with the USB drive.
I looked at Zhao Yin, a little surprised: "You still carry a USB drive with you?"
"I'm used to it. Sometimes I have to store things," he said.
"Oh." I nodded, feeling that he seemed to be prepared for everything and could always take out the right things when needed.
Back in the room, I took off the conch whistle from my neck and placed it on the bedside table.
I picked up my phone, opened my second account, thought for a moment, and posted a microblog: [Today's conch shells can sing, and the seagulls can understand them.]
After sending it, I stared at the screen for a while, but there was nothing special.
I put down my phone and lay on the bed, but I couldn't fall asleep.
My mind was filled with the scenes of today on the island: Zhao Yin’s smile, the conch he handed me, his hand holding mine, and the smell of him.
I don’t know how long it was before my phone suddenly vibrated.
I quickly picked it up and saw it was a WeChat message from Zhao Yinfa: [Are you asleep?]
I replied: [Not yet.]
He quickly replied: [What would you like to eat tomorrow morning? I'll ask Auntie to prepare it.]
I thought about it and replied: [Soy milk and fried dough sticks. ]
[Okay.] He replied with one word.
I looked at the word "good" and felt sweet in my heart, as if...we had never been bound by our identities.
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