"Brother-in-law, did you sleep well last night?"
Ai Xiaohui was squatting by the gutter outside the yard, brushing his teeth and smiling as he asked.
Hearing the question, Jiang Hai paused mid-yawn and smiled. Did he sleep well? Well... that might not be the best way to describe it.
"Although we're in the countryside, the air here is really fresh, and it's quiet at night. I actually slept pretty well—much better than I did back in high school when I lived in the city," Ai Xiaohui continued casually, not noticing Jiang Hai's slightly awkward expression.
Truth be told, Jiang Hai hadn't slept well at all. He had gone to bed around ten o'clock, holding Ai Xiaoxi in his arms.
Soft and warm—yes. But right next door were her parents, and Ai Xiaoxi's bed was wooden and a bit worn. It creaked at the slightest movement, so Jiang Hai didn't dare shift even an inch.
Still, he was a young man with plenty of energy, holding a beautiful girl all night and doing absolutely nothing. Sleep didn't come easy.
He eventually dozed off without realizing it. But because they were in the eastern part of China, where the country's single time zone—Beijing time—causes the sun to rise much earlier, dawn came too soon.
In peak summer, the sun rose in Bingcheng around 3 a.m., and it was similar here. By three, it was already bright out.
Then the roosters crowed.
The roosters woke the dogs.
The dogs barked and stirred the cows.
And by five, the villagers were up and about—leading cows, heading to the fields.
The entire village was wide awake.
Jiang Hai figured he'd only slept for about three hours, and it wasn't even deep sleep.
At that moment, he really appreciated the foresight he had back at his manor—placing all the chickens, cows, and dogs far from the main house. He'd designed it so he could sleep peacefully without being woken by animals.
This? This was torture.
He stood outside for a while to cool down in the breeze and then returned to his room to get some hot water for brushing his teeth.
Originally, Ai Xiaoxi's family didn't have much in terms of amenities. But since Ai Xiaoxi received money from Jiang Hai, their living conditions had significantly improved.
While the TV and refrigerator hadn't been replaced yet, the traditional earthen stove had been upgraded to a gas one. A water heater and a bathroom heater had also been installed, so now they could bathe comfortably year-round. Washing up in the morning or soaking their feet at night was no longer an issue.
Jiang Hai didn't follow Ai Xiaohui's example of brushing outside but instead stayed inside the bathroom. Once he'd cleaned up, he stepped out into the living room, looking fresh and recharged on the outside, even if he was still a little worn out inside.
Ai Xiaoxi's mother greeted him warmly and asked if he'd slept well and why he hadn't stayed in bed longer. Then she went into the kitchen to prepare breakfast.
Her family didn't farm much; their few plots of land had already been contracted out. They didn't depend on agriculture for income.
Noticing Jiang Hai's groggy expression, Ai Xiaoxi's mother gently told him to rest a bit longer. She headed to the kitchen, mentioning that she'd make noodles for breakfast. Ai Xiaoxi had quietly reminded her the night before to go easy on the seasoning, or Jiang Hai wouldn't eat much.
"Brother-in-law, let's play video games!"
Seeing his mother busy in the kitchen, Ai Xiaohui came running in with a grin. He looked at the dazed Jiang Hai and excitedly suggested they play—he'd wanted to the night before but hadn't gotten the chance. Now was the time.
"Not sure if this old TV can even run games, but let's check it out."
Jiang Hai rubbed his face, stood up, and began fiddling with the console alongside Ai Xiaohui.
He had to admit, Ai Xiaohui was lucky.
The resolution on the old-school tube TV was awful, but thankfully, it still had the right ports. After some effort, they got the console hooked up and connected it to the Wi-Fi. Once they logged in, they started playing.
The game of choice: Halo.
It was a massively popular title across both console and PC platforms. The game followed humanity's war with the Covenant, an alien religious alliance. A large-scale first-person shooter, Halo had impressive depth.
Jiang Hai hadn't been able to play this genre in the past because of his 3D motion sickness. But over time—watching 3D TV and playing more games—he'd adjusted. Now, he was a lot better than Ai Xiaohui.
By the time Ai Xiaoxi came into the living room, the two were already fully immersed, shouting wildly at the screen.
"Keep it down! You woke me up..."
Ai Xiaoxi muttered groggily, rubbing her messy hair.
Maybe she'd always had a commanding presence—because as soon as she spoke, Ai Xiaohui instantly lowered his volume.
"By the way, weren't we supposed to go catch seafood today? Are we ready?"
She sat beside Jiang Hai, casually flipping through the game manual on the table as she spoke.
"Yeah, didn't you say we were going out today? What are we doing here playing games?" Jiang Hai turned to Ai Xiaohui in confusion.
"No rush, no rush. Brother-in-law! You're dying!" Ai Xiaohui laughed loudly, glued to the game.
Jiang Hai was pulled back into the game, though he was still puzzled.
"You have to time it right," Ai Xiaoxi explained, seeing his confusion. "The tides depend on the lunar calendar. From the 1st to the 30th of each lunar month, the low tide times change every day. Today is the fifteenth—the best time to go is around eleven. We'll head out at nine. The tide will be receding by then, and we can start collecting as it retreats and keep going until about one in the afternoon."
Having grown up by the sea, Ai Xiaoxi knew her stuff.
Jiang Hai nodded in understanding. Honestly, he hadn't known any of this.
Sure, he'd seen programs like Animal World, but the moon had always seemed like just a background character—a glowing ball reflecting sunlight.
But in nature, the moon was crucial. Tides were driven by it. Tides affected ocean currents. Currents influenced plankton growth. And plankton sat at the bottom of the oceanic food chain.
If they were destroyed, the food chain would collapse—and the Earth with it. So yeah, the moon mattered.
Thanks to Ai Xiaoxi's explanation, Jiang Hai gained a new respect for the lunar calendar. He'd been running a fishery for a year but had never paid attention to these details.
No matter—he'd just follow the lead of these two siblings, who clearly knew their way around the sea.
After a bit more gaming, Ai Xiaoxi's mother called them for breakfast. She'd made noodles.
Shandong folks love their noodles—steamed buns, dumplings, and handmade noodles from the province are well-known across China.
Although the most famous noodles come from Shaanxi, Shandong's offerings were nothing to scoff at.
Today's noodles came with a light stew—lean meat, black fungus, and golden needle mushrooms. Probably adjusted according to Ai Xiaoxi's earlier suggestion.
The flavor was subtle but delicious. Jiang Hai polished off two big bowls before setting down his chopsticks.
Seeing how much he enjoyed it, Ai Xiaoxi's mother took mental notes—she'd cook with this taste in mind for dinner too.
After breakfast, Jiang Hai and Ai Xiaohui played games for a while longer.
Around 8:30 a.m., Ai Xiaoxi gathered everyone. They each carried a small bucket and a few simple tools:
A long hook (like those used to stoke fires in old bungalows),
A small curved shovel,
A sharp awl similar to a screwdriver, and
A thin length of kite string.
Each tool had a purpose.
The hook was for extracting small crabs from rock crevices.
The curved shovel was for digging out clams buried in the sand.
The awl helped pry shellfish from reefs.
And the kite string? That was to tie up the crabs. Otherwise, they might crawl right out of the bucket.
Once they were ready, the trio headed to the beach east of the village.
Because the beach was rocky and full of reefs, going barefoot was out of the question. One misstep, and you could cut your foot open.
So they all wore shoes.
By the time they arrived, the tide had just begun to recede, and the sand hadn't fully emerged yet. Many villagers were already combing the shore, eager to make the most of the Mid-Autumn low tide.
Jiang Hai and the siblings found a quieter spot and got to work, starting with the reefs that had begun to peek out of the water.