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

Wu Sui moved two flat, large stones to stand on, then used his hands to push himself up and nimbly climbed onto the roof.

Chen Xue craned her neck, her hands clasped together, her heart pounding in her chest, terrified that he would slip and fall.

Wu Sui took the tarpaulin that Chen Xue handed over and spread it out on the roof.

With a few nails in his mouth and a broken hammer in hand, he smashed them down with a "bang, bang, bang".

With the tarpaulin providing rain and wind protection, this dilapidated house is finally habitable for the time being.

After jumping down from the eaves, Wu Sui didn't stop either.

He grabbed the shovel from the corner of the wall and cleared all the weeds from the yard.

The pebbles on the ground were gathered at the base of the wall and stacked neatly.

The dilapidated stone house, which was originally in a state of disrepair, immediately exuded a warm atmosphere of daily life after he tidied it up.

Brushing the dust off his hands, Wu Sui turned and walked towards the makeshift stove he had built.

Chen Xue quickly went over and said, "I'll cook."

Wu Sui turned around and pressed her down onto the low wooden stool next to him: "You take care of Ya Ya and rest. I'll cook today."

Chen Xue stood there, stunned.

After so many years of marriage, this man has never cooked, let alone even picked up a fallen oil bottle.

What evil spirit have I encountered today?

Ignoring Chen Xue's ghost-like expression, Wu Sui quickly washed the pork belly and cut it into bite-sized pieces.

Heat the oil in a wok until it's hot.

As soon as the marbled pork pieces hit the pot, they sizzled and the fat burst out instantly.

Stir-fry for a few seconds, then pour in soy sauce for color.

After thinking for a moment, he took out two White Rabbit milk candies from his pocket, unwrapped them, and threw them into the pot.

I forgot to buy white sugar, so this is the only way to enhance the flavor.

As soon as the sugar melted, the rich aroma of meat mixed with sweetness wafted out through the crack in the door.

The broth in the pot had almost reduced, and the braised pork was glistening and translucent, trembling as it clung to the thick sauce.

In the small casserole next to it, the spare ribs were stewed until they were tender and falling off the bone.

Wu Sui served the dishes to the table, including three bowls of white rice.

Ya Ya held the chipped little porcelain bowl, her little nose twitching.

She stared at the glistening braised pork in the bowl, swallowing hard, but dared not touch her chopsticks.

This little girl has grown up so much, and she hardly ever eats meat all year round.

Wu Sui picked up the softest piece of meat, blew on it, and fed it to Ya Ya.

"Yaya, eat this braised pork that Daddy made."

Ya Ya took a small, careful bite.

The pork skin melts in your mouth, bursting with juice.

The little girl's eyes instantly lit up like little stars.

She forgot all about being scared and wolfed down the rice.

"Eat slowly, don't choke, there's still some left in the pot." Wu Sui smiled and patted her back.

Chen Xue held the bowl, watching her daughter wolf down her food, and tears streamed down her face.

She kept her head down, her chopsticks only moving between the white rice and the vegetable dish next to her, not even picking up a piece of meat.

Without saying a word, Wu Sui picked up his chopsticks and piled five or six large pieces of fatty meat into a small mountain, placing them into Chen Xue's bowl.

"Eat, stop crying."

Chen Xue sniffed, her voice trembling, "I'll just eat vegetables, I'll save the meat for Ya Ya tomorrow..."

"Eat it if I tell you to. From now on, we'll have meat every day, every meal!" Wu Sui's tone left no room for argument.

Chen Xue didn't dare to respond. She picked up a piece of meat, put it in her mouth, and swallowed it down with tears mixed with her rice.

This meal was the most satisfying and delicious Chen Xue had eaten since marrying into the Wu family.

In the past, when the family had some money, Wu Sui would try every means to steal it, which made her and Ya Ya feel ashamed to face their families.

My sister-in-law is right to scold me; she's just too soft-hearted and doesn't dare to make a scene.

But now... I hope men have really changed for the better.

After finishing his meal, Wu Sui stood up and closed the door tightly.

Then he turned around and went back into the house, pulling the tattered curtains on the windows shut.

It was broad daylight, but the room became dark.

Chen Xue had just finished clearing the dishes when she saw Wu Sui's unusual behavior, and her heart skipped a beat.

That familiar sense of fear resurfaced.

She instinctively shielded Ya Ya behind her, her face as white as paper.

"Ah Sui...why did you lock the door?"

Wu Sui didn't say anything, walked up to Chen Xue, and pulled her to sit down on the edge of the bed.

Chen Xue was so frightened that her whole body stiffened, and she didn't dare to breathe.

Wu Sui reached into his pocket and pulled out a black plastic bag.

He untied the knot on the bag and flipped his wrist.

"Splash!"

A pile of red and green bills was spilled onto the worn-out bed board.

Stacks of brand-new hundred-yuan bills, interspersed with fifty-yuan and ten-yuan notes, were practically blinding in the dim stone house.

Chen Xue was stunned for a second.

Immediately afterwards, she sprang up as if she were on a spring, and was so frightened that she stumbled backward, her back slamming heavily against the earthen wall.

"Wu Sui...you...where have you been?!" Chen Xue's voice trembled uncontrollably, choked with sobs.

"Did you rob a bank? Or an underground casino?"

"We can't take this money, you'll get arrested and shot at..."

Chen Xue was so anxious that tears streamed down her face, and she rushed over to try and shove the money into the bag.

This was the year 2000, and more than 10,000 yuan was an astronomical figure that poor families like theirs could not even dream of!

How did Wu Sui, a good-for-nothing who can't even afford to eat, manage to get so much money in one night?

Chen Xue couldn't think of any other possibility besides stealing or robbing.

Wu Sui grabbed Chen Xue's flailing hands and gently pressed them onto the bed.

"Xiaoxue, calm down and listen to me." Wu Sui's voice was very calm.

"This money is clean and honest; not a single penny has been involved in any shady dealings."

Chen Xue shook her head vehemently: "I don't believe it. You went out in the middle of the night last night and came back with so much money. How can I believe you?"

Wu Sui sighed.

He pulled up his sleeve, revealing his forearm.

There was a long, bloody gash on my forearm, from the serrated edge of a butter crab I had last night.

Chen Xue was stunned when she saw the wound.

"I went to the mangrove forest at the west end of the village last night," Wu Sui said, pointing to his wound.

Chen Xue's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets: "Are you crazy? Do you think you can just walk into that forest like that? Have you forgotten that Wang Dadan died in there two years ago?"

"I'm not crazy." Wu Sui pushed the money towards Chen Xue.

"The tide went out well last night, and I found a yellow croaker deep in the woods."

"Butter crab?" Chen Xue also grew up by the sea, so she naturally knew about this kind of top-quality seafood.

Wu Sui patiently explained.

"I was lucky; I stumbled upon a whole nest, caught sixteen, and sold them to Hongyunlou."

"It's 16900 yuan in total. Some of it was spent on rice, flour, and house repairs. The rest is all here."

Wu Sui explained the whole story clearly in one breath.

To convince her, he even showed her the order form that Manager Liu had given him.

Chen Xue stared blankly at Wu Sui.

She reached out her trembling hand and gently touched the pile of banknotes on the bed board, then looked at the wound on Wu Sui's arm.

"Really...did you catch and sell these crabs?" Chen Xue's voice was still trembling.

Wu Sui nodded, his eyes filled with unwavering determination.

"It's true, I told you, that bastard Wu Sui is dead."

"From now on, I'll earn money to support you and your child!"

Chen Xue looked at the man in front of her.

There was no irritability, no smell of alcohol, and his face was full of seriousness.

She could no longer control herself.

Her legs went weak, and she slid down the edge of the bed to the floor.

She covered her mouth with both hands to stop herself from crying out loud, but tears still streamed down her face like a burst dam.

So many years have passed.

From the day she married Wu Sui, she never had a single day of peace.

He was beaten and scolded, paid off his gambling debts, and caused his daughter to suffer as well.

She thought she would just rot in the mud for the rest of her life.

But today, this man not only repaired her roof and cooked meat for her, but also handed her over ten thousand yuan.

"Alright, stop crying, Ya Ya is watching."

Wu Sui squatted down and gently patted Chen Xue's back.

Chen Xue grabbed Wu Sui's arm, buried her head in his knees, and cried her heart out.

I cried out all the grievances, fears, and despair I had accumulated over the years.

Wu Sui didn't say anything, letting her hug him and vent her anger.

Chen Xue cried until she was exhausted and stopped sobbing.

Wu Suicai put the money back into the plastic bag and forced it into her hand.

"Keep this money safe. From now on, you'll be the family's treasurer."

Chen Xue gripped the plastic bag and nodded vigorously.

After settling his wife and daughter in, he made sure they were settled.

Wu Sui was exhausted after a day and a night of tossing and turning, and fell asleep quickly after lying down on the bed.

Time flew by and it was already past midnight.

The broken clock on the wall pointed to 12:30.

Wu Sui opened his eyes, groped his way to sit up in the darkness, and glanced at Chen Xue and Ya Ya who were fast asleep beside him.

Judging by the timing, it's currently the time of low tide.

Wu Sui quietly put on his clothes, picked up the broken sand shovel and bucket from the corner of the wall, and tiptoed to push open the courtyard gate.