I'm in Wuha, and the whole internet is shipping me and Song Yuqi as a couple.

After finishing the last clam, the five of them leaned back in their chairs and let out a collective sigh of relief.

Chen He patted his stomach and let out a satisfied burp.

"This seafood hot pot is the most satisfying meal I've ever had in my life."

He touched his round belly, his face full of relief at surviving the ordeal.

"From catching to cooking, we were completely self-sufficient and didn't spend a single penny unnecessarily."

Deng Chao held half a crab leg, reluctantly sucking up the last bit of meat juice.

"Wu Zheng must be furious right now, slamming his fist on the table. He didn't sell a single one of his 1,888-yuan chef service packages."

"And there's also bottled water that costs fifty yuan a bottle," Chen He added, counting on his fingers. "He didn't even earn enough for the water."

The two got more and more excited as they talked, as if they could already see Wu Zheng losing money.

Lu Han put down her chopsticks, stood up, and glanced at the long table.

His smile froze.

"Everyone, you had a great time eating."

He raised his hand and pointed to the table.

"Take a look around here first."

As everyone followed his hand, their smiles vanished one by one.

Crab shells were piled up on the corner of the table, clam shells were scattered everywhere, and octopus tentacles hung on the edge of an empty plate.

The bottom of the iron pot was covered with a layer of black residue, and the bowls and chopsticks were stacked together, their oily sheen glaringly bright.

Chen He sat up straight, his earlier satisfaction instantly turning into vigilance.

"Who...will wash this?"

Deng Chao placed the crab legs on the plate and looked into the distance.

"I ate too much just now, and my arms are weak."

Lu Han glanced at him.

Deng Chao picked up his water glass and added confidently, "Really, you're not suited for work when you're full."

Song Yuqi stood up, but after taking only two steps, she suddenly stopped.

"Wait, the water's off in the kitchen."

All five of them simultaneously remembered the faucet that Wu Zheng had tightened.

Trouble is brewing.

The loudspeaker in the courtyard immediately blared out, and Wu Zheng's voice came through, sounding incredibly irritating and smug.

"Thank you all for your hard work. It looks like lunch will be very plentiful."

"However, the production team kindly reminds you that the hygiene assessment of the villa's kitchen will be conducted promptly at 3 PM."

"If the kitchen hygiene does not meet the standards, 1,000 yuan will be automatically deducted from the budget."

Chen He suddenly stood up.

"A thousand dollars? Wu Zheng, are you crazy?"

"Of course, the production team also took into account everyone's actual difficulties."

The laughter on the radio was even more pronounced.

"We are offering a special attentive cleaning service. Dish soap solution is 50 yuan per bottle. If you find that too much trouble, our professional cleaning service is 500 yuan, covering everything from start to finish."

Deng Chao turned his head and stared at the camera, his fists clenched so tightly they cracked.

"Wu Zheng, you've been plotting against us all along."

A laugh came over the radio, then the broadcast abruptly cut off.

Only the sound of the sea breeze remained in the courtyard.

Chen He was the first to give in and turned to Song Yuqi.

"Yuqi, how about we get a laundry service?"

"It's better to solve the problem with 500 yuan than to have 1,000 yuan deducted from my account."

Deng Chao nodded repeatedly.

"Yes, we don't need to turn down money. If the hygiene assessment is particularly strict, the losses will be even greater."

Song Yuqi clutched the fund bag tightly, shaking her head rapidly.

"no."

She looked at the dirty bowls and chopsticks on the table, feeling sorry for them, but she couldn't touch the money in her hand.

"Wu Zheng is just waiting for us to pay up. If we buy his laundry service today, he can launch table wiping and floor sweeping services tomorrow. It's all a trap."

Chen He looked at Jiang Che with a bitter expression.

"Brother Che, you should try to persuade her, it's only five hundred yuan."

Deng Chao also gave Jiang Che a wink.

My boyfriend has to say something.

Jiang Che leaned back in his chair and followed Chen He's gaze to Song Yuqi.

"You want me to persuade you?"

Chen He nodded quickly.

Jiang Che turned his head away again.

"If the housekeeper says not to spend money, then we won't spend money."

Chen He immediately deflated.

"You're such a fiercely protective husband!"

Deng Chao patted him on the shoulder and muttered in a low voice, "Don't count on him. He only has eyes for the CFO now."

Jiang Che got up and walked to the stove, picking up the greasy iron pot.

He freed one hand and reached it out to Song Yuqi.

"Let's go to the beach."

Song Yuqi was stunned: "What are you going to the beach for?"

"Wash the pot."

Chen He's eyes widened.

"Wash it with seawater? Will it get clean?"

Jiang Che ignored him and waited for Song Yuqi to hang the fund bag around her neck before taking her hand.

Song Yuqi looked at the bag in her hand, then at the iron pot he was carrying, and suddenly found the scene rather amusing.

"What about the bowls and chopsticks?"

"Take it with you."

Jiang Che raised his chin.

"Since it's free, let's do it ourselves."

Chen He resignedly picked up the remaining bowls and chopsticks.

"Okay, I can't let Che-ge and Yu-qi do the work by themselves anyway."

Deng Chao stood there for three seconds, then finally picked up two dirty plates.

"Keep up with them, we can't let them do all the work."

Lu Han tidied up the trash on the table and walked behind with the trash bag.

The five of them went to the beach together.

After the tide receded, the sandy ground was flat and dry, with a layer of dampness remaining near the waterline.

Jiang Che placed the iron pot on the sand, squatted down, and grabbed two handfuls of dry sand.

Chen He stretched his neck.

"You're putting sand in the pot? Are you making clay pot rice?"

Jiang Che did not answer. He pressed down on the sand with his right hand and vigorously spun it at the bottom of the pot.

The fine sand scraped against the pot wall, making a continuous friction sound.

The oil stains in the pot were carried away by the sand, condensing into grayish-black sand clumps.

When Deng Chao leaned closer to take a look, his voice rose eight octaves.

"It really can be wiped off?"

"Dry sand absorbs oil, and the particles can also carry away residue."

Jiang Che didn't stop. "Don't just stand there watching, go grab a couple more handfuls."

Deng Chao immediately squatted down to help.

After discarding the first layer of dirty sand, Jiang Che added a new layer and continued wiping the pot.

After the second cleaning, the bottom of the pot was already showing an iron-gray color, and most of the oil stains that had stuck to it had been removed.

Chen He held the bowl, staring intently.

"Even the cleaning lady Wu Zheng hired probably isn't as fast as you."

"Enough with the nonsense." Jiang Che picked up the iron pot. "Let's go to the water."

He scooped up half a pot of seawater, swirled it around a few times, and washed away the sand and debris.

After returning to shore, he took the purified water from Song Yuqi and poured it into the pot to rinse the pot again.

The iron pot was cleaned again, and its surface gleamed in the sunlight.

The whole process took less than five minutes.

Chen He brought his face close to the pot and smelled it, his expression gradually becoming complicated.

"It's no longer fishy? And the oil is gone?"

Deng Chao snatched the iron pot, examined it inside and out twice, and then touched the inside of the pot with his hand.

"It's so slippery, it cleans even better than my dish soap."

He looked up at Jiang Che, with only one question in his mind.

"How much did you actually learn at your maternal grandmother's house when you were little?"

Jiang Che took the tissue that Song Yuqi handed him and wiped the sand off his hands.

"Kids who grow up by the sea all know how to do it, it's nothing special."

Song Yuqi stood on tiptoe and wiped the sweat from his forehead.

"When did you learn that? I've never heard you mention it before?"

Jiang Che looked down at her and smiled slightly.

"You want to hear it?"

Song Yuqi nodded.

"think."

Jiang Che raised his hand to press down the brim of her hat, which was being blown up by the sea breeze, and said softly:

"Let's go back to the room, and I'll tell you slowly."

Chen He stood to the side holding the dirty bowl, his expression immediately turning strange.

"What are you going to say back in your room? Can we hear you?"

Jiang Che took Song Yuqi's hand and carried the iron pot back.

You don't need to listen.

Chen He stood there, stunned.

"On what grounds?"

Deng Chao walked past him and patted him on the back.

"Because you're single."

Chen He looked down at the bowl and chopsticks in his arms, and felt even more choked up.

"Can't people even have the right to know when the pots are being washed?"