Beachcombing: The beach is full of amazing seafood, but my wife won't let me get out of bed!

By the time we got back to the village, it was already dark.

Just as they reached the door of the stone house, Xiao Hu rushed out and grabbed Wu Sui's leg.

"Second Uncle, my mom wants you to come over for dinner."

Wu Sui smiled and shared some of the snacks she had bought for Ya Ya with Xiao Hu, telling him to go home first and that they would be there soon.

Little Tiger skipped and hopped, then pulled Ya Ya away.

Wang Feng had already brought all the food to the table.

A large pot of stewed cabbage with pork, scrambled eggs with tomatoes, and steamed sea cucumber.

Seeing Chen Xue walk in wearing brand-new clothes, Wang Feng clicked her tongue twice.

"Wow, this trip to town really cost a fortune? Xiaoxue's clothes feel so smooth, they must have cost several tens of dollars, right?"

Chen Xue blushed and tugged at her clothes a little embarrassedly.

"Sister-in-law, I also brought you one. Try it on and see if it fits."

As he spoke, he handed over the plastic bag he was holding.

Wang Feng didn't stand on ceremony. She vigorously wiped her hands on her apron, took the bag, and then started arguing with him.

"Oh dear, why waste this money? I'm always around the stove, surrounded by smoke and fire. Am I dressing up like this just to show off to the firewood?"

Even as she said that, she couldn't suppress her smile and held the clothes up to herself several times.

Wu Sui placed the two bottles of fine wine and two packs of cigarettes he was carrying on the octagonal table and pushed them in front of Wu Jianguo.

"Dad, this is for you. Try to smoke less dry tobacco, it's too harsh on your throat."

Wu Jianguo picked up the cigarette, glanced at it, and frowned.

"Hongtashan cigarettes? These aren't cheap. You've only just started making a little money and you're already spending it like water."

Although he was lecturing him, Wu Jianguo still put the cigarettes and alcohol into the cabinet in the inner room faster than anyone else.

The family finished their dinner in a lively and cheerful atmosphere.

Wang Feng started to chase people away.

"Alright, alright, go back and get some sleep now that you're full. We still have to get up in the middle of the night to go beachcombing."

While clearing away the dishes, Wang Feng grumbled, "Gangzi, you too, stop smoking here and go back to your room to sleep, or you won't have any energy tonight."

Wu Gang chuckled, quickly stubbed out his cigarette, and went into the inner room.

Wu Sui took his wife and daughter back to the stone house.

Just after midnight, my phone, which was under my pillow, started buzzing and vibrating.

Wu Sui had already turned off the ringer and took out her phone to turn it off.

He glanced at the sleeping Chen Xue and Ya Ya, then quietly got out of bed and dressed.

I've been working non-stop these past few days, and even an iron body can't take it anymore. My head feels heavy, and my steps are a bit weak.

He went into the yard, scooped up half a ladle of well water, and splashed it on his face, finally chasing away the drowsiness.

Pushing open the courtyard gate, Wu Gang was already waiting at the door.

Good guy.

Wu Sui almost burst out laughing when he saw his older brother's outfit.

He held a sand shovel in his left hand and an iron spade in his right, with two empty buckets on his shoulder, each containing a stack of snakeskin bags.

The most outrageous thing was that Wu Gang had two streaks of soot on his face, making him look like a refugee who had just crawled out of a coal mine.

"Why are you carrying all this stuff? Going to buy supplies? And what's wrong with your face?"

Wu Gang lowered his voice, his face mysterious.

"Second brother, this is called camouflage! I even smeared oil on the wheels of the cart, so it'll be completely silent when you push it."

"Where should we go scavenging tonight? The flood dike or the rocky beach?"

Wu Sui shook his head helplessly.

"Let's leave the village first and try our luck on the mudflats over by the mangroves."

The two walked along the dirt road in the village, trying to keep their steps as light as possible.

Wu Sui paused as he walked to the large banyan tree at the village entrance.

"What's wrong?" Wu Gang almost bumped into his back.

Wu Sui didn't turn around, but pointed to the haystacks by the roadside.

In the pitch-black night, several red cigarette butts flickered behind the haystack, one bright and one dim.

Immediately afterwards, a rustling sound of footsteps came.

"Who's there?" Wu Gang gripped the shovel in his hand and took a step forward.

"Don't be nervous, it's someone we know," Wu Sui said, raising his voice.

There was a moment of silence behind the haystack, then several beams of flashlight beams lit up, shining directly into the brothers' faces, so bright they couldn't open their eyes.

Lai Er walked out with a cigarette in his mouth, followed by four or five villagers.

Chen Fugui also emerged from behind the banyan tree with his hands in his pockets.

"Hey, Sui, Gangzi, what are you two doing going to the beach in the middle of the night?"

Chen Fugui grinned, his face full of wrinkles, revealing a mouthful of yellow teeth.

Wu Gang got angry and started cursing at them.

"What are you guys doing squatting at the village entrance in the middle of the night instead of sleeping? Like door gods?"

Lai Er exhaled a smoke ring and swung his neck nonchalantly.

"It's not like you built this road. Can't we brothers go for a walk because we can't sleep?"

"Taking a bucket and a net with you while you're out for a stroll?" Wu Gang's chest heaved with anger, his grip on the shovel tightening.

Wu Sui grabbed his elder brother's shoulder, stopping Wu Gang from about to lash out.

These people are really determined to be clingy and persistent.

I've been making a lot of money these past few days, which has already made the villagers green with envy.

"Uncle Chen, Lai Er, are you planning to come with us?"

Wu Sui spoke calmly, showing no sign of anger.

Chen Fugui coughed twice and waved his hand dismissively.

"Ah Sui, what are you saying? The sea belongs to everyone, how can you call that following us? We just happened to be going the same way, just passing by..."

"Okay." Wu Sui nodded, answering crisply, "Big brother, go home and sleep."

Wu Gang stood there, stunned, thinking he had misheard.

"Huh? You're not going?"

"Go where? They're practically lining our stomachs, why are we wasting our time?" Wu Sui turned and walked back. "Going back to sleep!"

Lai Er and Chen Fugui were left looking at each other in bewilderment.

"Brother Lai, did that kid really go back? Should we follow him or not?" A layman next to him scratched his head.

"What are you talking about? If he doesn't even go into business, are we supposed to starve? Go back to sleep, we'll keep an eye on him tomorrow. I refuse to believe he won't make money!"

The next night, Wu Sui and Wu Gang went out and ran into the same group of people at the village entrance again.

This time it was even more outrageous, with more than a dozen people squatting there, buckets and all.

On the third day, this group of people stopped even squatting at the village entrance. Instead, a few of them wandered around Wu Sui's dilapidated stone house, smoking and chatting.

For three consecutive days, Wu Sui stayed indoors and did not go out.

Chen Xue was quite happy. These past few days, Wu Sui stayed home with her every day, stopped going out on adventures, helped repair the broken furniture, and played with Ya Ya.

But Wu Gang couldn't take it anymore.

On the morning of the third day, Wu Sui had just finished a bowl of porridge when Wu Gang ran into the yard with two big dark circles under his eyes.

"Second brother, how can you still eat?" Wu Gang was so anxious that he kept slapping his thigh, and several blisters appeared on the corners of his mouth.

"Those bastards are taking turns now. During the day, a few old women are at the village entrance sewing shoe soles and keeping watch, and at night, Lai Er and his gang are squatting at the crossroads. They're trying to wear us down!"

Wu Sui put down the bowl and wiped the table with a rag.

"Let them wait it out. We're not in a hurry anyway. A day or two is fine, but if it goes on any longer, what will their wives and kids eat?"

"That makes sense, but we also need to make money!"

Wu Gang paced anxiously in the yard, "I haven't done anything these past few days, and I feel so empty inside. I can't even sleep soundly."

Wu Sui was also anxious, but what good was being anxious?

We can't just not let people come along, can we?

After thinking for a moment, he asked, "Brother, do you still have the fishing rod at home?"

"Let's go fishing!"