You're my wife, don't doubt it!

According to her observation, this "summer camp" is actually a "university student summer camp". There are some middle school students, but very few, and most of them are familiar faces.

Am I still considered a middle school student?

I guess so. At least it's still summer vacation, and the No. 7 Girls' High School still has my student status.

Student status...

She saw Father Yang, with graying temples, holding a microphone and facing everyone at the front of the car, saying something. However, Shen Jie did not intend to take off her headphones.

Xiao Yao, Yu Luying, and Daiyu stopped chatting and joking around, and listened attentively to the old priest. Yu Bo sat in his seat, but his face was not visible from this angle. Zhang Jialong and Chen Lu sat to their right in front of the window, bending down to take out... Rosary beads from their bags.

Oh, are we going to chant scriptures?

Shen Jie also had a rosary, which Yu Luying had given her before, but it seemed that she had left it in the West Suburbs Garden—she forgot to take it with her when she escaped from the skyscraper.

What should I do? Should I pretend to sleep or continue reading and listening to music? Would that be inappropriate? Or should I blend into the crowd, like a monk chanting scriptures, just going through the motions?

Shen Jie subconsciously took off her headphones, looked around blankly, and wondered if she should go up and ask Yu Bo for one.

A hand slapped onto his right shoulder.

Shen Jie turned around in confusion and saw a girl with a round face, wearing a pair of round-framed glasses that covered half of her face, with her bangs hanging down very low, and her appearance was quite... ordinary?

On the girl's outstretched hand was a simple string of glass prayer beads.

"Thank you." Shen Jie thanked the other party and then reached out to take the prayer beads.

After reciting the Rosary with everyone, the round-faced girl sat down in the empty seat to Shen Jie's right.

"Thank you," Shen Jie politely thanked her again.

The girl returned the prayer beads to the other girl, who casually waved her hand and said, "You can keep them, I have several more."

"Okay... well, thanks then?" Shen Jie didn't stand on ceremony with her.

Strangely enough, girls dressed like this usually look rather sinister, but this one seems like a tomboy and is very outgoing.

"My name is Qiu Yiting, I'm from Maritime University, you can just call me Lu Jiaya," the girl introduced herself warmly.

"Is Lucia your given name?" Shen Jie asked curiously.

“Yes, Holy Name,” Lucia countered, “and you?”

“My name is S…Xu, Xu Qingwei,” Shen Jie said, “My given name, uh, Mary…”

"Look!" Qiu Yiting, who called herself "Lucia," excitedly interrupted Shen Jie: "It's the sea! We've arrived at the beach!"

Chapter 281 The Beach! Bikinis! Girls!

2023-07-31

"Look!" Qiu Yiting, who called herself "Lucia," excitedly interrupted Shen Jie: "It's the sea! We've arrived at the beach!"

Shen Jie turned her head to look out the window, pretending to be very interested and putting on an excited expression.

The scenery outside the car window had indeed been completely transformed. A light blue horizon appeared in the field of vision, and a gentle breeze rippled across the sea.

"It's actually not bad..." Shen Jie muttered to herself.

“What did you say?” Lucia asked.

“I said, this sea is quite beautiful,” Shen Jie told Lu Ziya.

As the bus drove on, the beach scenery became increasingly clear, the golden sand shimmering alluringly against the backdrop of the azure sea. On the beach, dappled shadows cast by some unknown tree added a touch of coolness to this sun-drenched land.

“Of course! We’re all really looking forward to this summer camp,” Lucia said happily. “Summer is all about going to the beach!”

“You and Dai Yu share the same view,” Shen Jie told Lu Jiya.

“Ribbonfish? Don’t those fish die as soon as they’re out of the water?” Lucia asked.

Sure enough, anyone would immediately call this name "Beltfish," Shen Jie thought.

“His name is Dai Yu, not Daiyu. He’s a friend of mine, and he sits over there in front,” Shen Jie told Lu Jiya, pointing out Daiyu to her.

The summer sun shone through the bus windows, and the warm light made the atmosphere inside the bus relaxed and pleasant. Some people started clapping and singing—it started with some girls, and gradually, some boys joined in as well.

“In countless dark nights, I draw you with stars, your grace is like the morning star, allowing me to see you in reality…” Lucia also joined their ranks.

The waves gently lapped against the coastline, as if playing with children—the children, laughing and frolicking, splashed water as they were chased by the waves, and their cheerful voices drifted into the carriage, complementing the lively songs inside and making one feel the full vitality of summer.

"In my song, I praise you with musical notes; your beauty is what I will sing praises for in this lifetime..."

Along the beach, you can see some relaxing parasols laid out on the soft sand, with a few scattered people enjoying the coolness and leisure under the umbrellas.

Several girls in swimsuits were strolling on the beach, their footprints gently washed away by the waves, as if time flowed quietly here.

"The most beautiful blessing in this life is to know the Lord Iesu; the most beautiful blessing in this life, ahhh~ is to trust in the Lord Iesu~~~"

In the distance, a white sailboat danced gracefully on the sea, like a free seagull soaring under the azure sky.

"Walking through high mountains and deep valleys, He will accompany me; I know this is the most beautiful blessing."

The entire Boracay was brimming with life and energy, a truly refreshing sight. Inside the bus, passengers were captivated by the continuous stream of cheerful songs, their faces beaming with...exuberant smiles? In short, everyone seemed to be immersed in this summer beach scene, fully enjoying this precious summer vacation.

Even Shen Jie was infected by the atmosphere and inexplicably felt happy and cheerful, like a ray of sunshine shining into a gloomy corner.

"It's really nice to come to the beach," Shen Jie thought.

"We've arrived at the beach!" Qiu Yiting, whose given name was Lucia, shouted excitedly. Her words made the atmosphere in the carriage even more pleasant, and everyone was looking forward to the upcoming beach vacation time—no, I mean, the seaside summer camp life.

"Father Yu, give us one! Father Yu, give us one!" It's unclear who started it, but the shouts quickly spread, and even Shen Jie joined in.

Yu Bo was finally helped out and stood at the front of the train. He made a stop gesture to the crowd, and the noisy carriage immediately quieted down.

He picked up a hat, put it on, and struck a few stylish poses, immediately eliciting screams from the young girls.

Then, Yu Bo picked up the microphone, said "hello" twice, and amidst laughter, began to sing: "In countless dark nights..."

I draw you with stars, your grace is like the morning star, allowing me to truly see you..."

After singing only a few lines, Yu Bo's beautiful, magnetic baritone voice was drowned out by applause and screams.

"They really are full of energy," Shen Jie thought.

No wonder he's in charge of youth work in the diocese.

"You sang quite well," Shen Jie said, turning to Lu Jiya and offering an objective assessment.

“Of course it’s great! Look who that is,” Lucia said proudly. “That’s our Brother Bo.”

"Is Brother Bo famous all over Shanghai?" Shen Jie asked curiously. "I thought he was only famous in the North Hong District..."

“Of course he’s famous,” Lucia exclaimed. “He’s a legend in the entire parish.”

“I wasn’t really surprised by this…” Shen Jie said.

Lucia didn't dwell on the topic, but instead changed the subject, saying, "From the moment you got on the bus, I noticed you were holding Augustine's 'Confessions.' Do you like Augustine very much?"

“Saint Augustine? You mean Augustine?” Shen Jie was taken aback.

“Yes,” Lucia said.

“It’s alright,” Shen Jie said after thinking for a moment. “I’ve been reading his book these past two days, and it’s actually quite interesting.”

In fact, Shen Jie was almost at the end and had planned to finish it in one go on her trip to Dongqi.

“Saint Augustine is my favorite saint,” Lucia told Shen Jie. “One of them.”

“I guessed it,” Shen Jie smiled slightly, “Is that why you started talking to me?”

“Half and half,” Lucia said, “and also, I’ve never seen you before.”

"In the past?" Shen Jie asked Lu Jiya, "Was there a summer camp every year?"

The two of them started chatting, mainly about "Confessions" and Augustine.

"Um, Xu... Xu..."

"Xu Qingwei," Shen Jie introduced herself again.

“Yes, yes, I remember, Xu Qingwei, Maria,” Lucia continued.

“Not Mary,” Shen Jie corrected, “It’s Saint Mary I.”

“Wow, that’s cool,” Lucia stared at her for a while. “You must be a new member.”

"Actually, not quite," Shen Jie said frankly. "Maybe next Easter I will... But how did you know?"

“First, you don’t know that Brother Bo is a legendary figure in Shanghai. Second, you asked me if there is a summer camp every year. Third, and most importantly, the decisive basis: those who give themselves cool holy names are all new believers,” Lucia said. “Our parents don’t have that kind of imagination.”

“Like this…” Shen Jie said.

“You’ll find out later,” Lucia said confidently. “In the Shanghai parish, basically half the men are called Paul and half Peter, and half the women are called Mary and the other half Teresa—it’s a four-way division.”

Shen Jie was inexplicably amused again, so she clutched her stomach, bent over, buried her face in the back of the seat in front of her, and started to sob.

“You’re already quite unique, with my name being Lucia… Hey, are you alright?” Lucia turned Shen Jie’s shoulder.

"No...it's nothing, it just...it's funny, that's all," Shen Jie explained to Lu Jiya while trying to control herself.

“It’s pretty funny,” Lucia said, shrugging.

"So, do you believe it from your family or on your own?" Shen Jie regained her composure and asked, "Oh right, definitely from my parents, because you just said that our parents don't have that kind of imagination."

“Yes,” Lucia nodded, “our whole family is.”