PCMWF Chapter 127

Pei Qiqi held that warm little hand tightly. The promotional video shoot went smoothly. The children were having so much fun that the filming was over before they knew it. The four little ones ran happily along the beach. Su Youli held his hat with one hand and his small shovel with the other. Brother A Ming said he would take them clamming. The little guy thought clamming meant chasing the sea, and he was sure he’d win first place. After all, he went for a run every morning.

Tang Dou, standing in front of the monitor, didn’t know where this little one got his confidence. He was always slacking off during morning runs. But when the little guy, carrying his small bucket, was led by Brother Qiqi to the shallow shore to meet the “Light-Giving Army,” he gradually understood: clamming wasn’t about chasing the sea, but about digging things up on the shore. This was the island children’s territory. A Ming bent down and, without even using any tools, started searching. Whenever he spotted a small crab peeking out of a hole, he would quickly reach out and catch it, as agile as an experienced fisherman.

A Ming gathered the four little ones and taught them how to clam. His bucket already held several small crabs and an octopus. Su Youli’s rain boots were a bit loose, making it hard to stand steady. So he crouched down and stared at the unlucky creatures in the bucket. He was too young, and he’d had a fever the night before. Shen Minyan only allowed him to use a shovel to play in the sand, but absolutely no touching the water.

Before they split up, Shen Minyan had asked Pei Qiqi to look after Youyou. So Pei Qiqi didn’t go clamming either. He took the little guy to dig for shells on the beach. The golden sunset spread across the beach, turning it into a vast expanse of gold. A group of children ran toward the sea, clamming among the rocks and shallow waters. The two little ones who didn’t go clamming also had a good haul: half a bucket of shells and conches, their gentle glow reflected in the sunset.

A Ming, Mi Le, and Niu Niu worked together to flip over a large rock. As it was slowly lifted, the small world beneath it was revealed. A few small shrimp, startled, frantically tried to escape. A Ming quickly called Mi Le and Niu Niu to scoop them up with their small nets. Laughter, cheers, and the sound of the waves blended together. The distant sea sparkled, shimmering with the children’s joy. That night’s dinner was, of course, the children’s catch. Nine small buckets were lined up. The most eye-catching were the crabs, their green-grey shells glinting, their claws surprisingly strong despite being small. Su Youli and Mi Le stood to the side, swallowing their saliva, making the adults laugh.

Mi Huan teased him: “Youyou, are crabs cute?”

The little guy’s big eyes didn’t blink. He nodded enthusiastically.

Cute. Very cute.

If they were fried in flour until crispy, they’d be incredibly delicious. Just thinking about it made the little guy drool.

“Brother Huan Huan, these are the small conches I found with Brother Qiqi.” The little guy pointed at his bucket.

Mi Huan gave him a thumbs up. “You two did great! You found so many.”

After praising each of the children standing proudly in a row, Mi Huan led them to take their catch to the kitchen. Maybe because they had caught the food themselves, the children ate with great satisfaction. The conches were boiled, and the meat was picked out with toothpicks, tender and chewy with the salty, fresh taste of the sea. The shrimp they caught also met their fate: two large platters of boiled shrimp and shrimp-scrambled eggs, perfect for the children.

After everyone had eaten their fill, the director gave his closing remarks. They would be leaving the island the next morning. The room fell quiet. A Ming and the island children looked at the four little ones with reluctance. They really liked Su Youli, Pei Xu, Mi Le, and Niu Niu. The island children had never left this place since birth. They were like the island’s spirits, pure and kind.

They had met equally pure and kind children, little guests from far away who hadn’t looked down on them for picking up trash but had joined them in protecting the ocean. A Ming’s eyes felt hot. He bit his lip hard to keep from crying out loud.

“Waaaaah!”

Five-year-old Mi Le couldn’t hold back his tears like A Ming could. The moment he heard they were leaving tomorrow, he burst into tears. Niu Niu, sitting beside him, was startled, then caught the tears and started crying too, her shoulders shaking. Some children still had food in their hands and mouths. The news was like a bolt of lightning, shattering their happiness.

“Waaaaah!”

“Boo-hoo—boo-hoo—”

The room was in chaos. The children’s laughter was replaced by a chorus of wails and sobs. Su Youli, sitting in the corner, was eating shrimp his father had peeled for him. He was just reaching for a clam for his father to open when the crying startled him. The clam fell onto the table with a clatter. The little guy’s hand was still in the air. He turned his head and saw his friends in tears.

“Dad?”

Why was everyone crying? Shen Minyan was speechless. So his son hadn’t listened to a single word of the director’s closing remarks. When the little guy found out, his own tears started to fall. He had really liked it here. His heart felt a little heavy. A moment later, he asked Shen Minyan to lift him down from his chair. He ran over and tugged at A Ming’s pants. A Ming, lost in his sadness, looked down and saw Youyou looking at him.

“…Youyou,” A Ming’s voice was still choked.

The little guy reached up and took A Ming’s hand, leading him over to his father.

“Dad, I didn’t bring my phone watch. Could you please write down Brother A Ming’s number?”

That way, he could still contact A Ming when he got back. The little guy’s clear voice carried through the room, and everyone heard it.

“Right! We can exchange numbers! We all have phone watches!”

Mi Le sniffled and shouted. And so, they began exchanging contact information. Those without phone watches left their parents’ numbers. Those with them immediately added the four little ones’ numbers. The children carefully recorded each other’s names, believing that this friendship would last for a long, long time. After dinner, the four families returned to their rooms to pack. The little guy was carried upstairs by his father, his little hand still clutching a cod sausage someone had given him.

While his father packed, the little guy sat to the side, staring at the cod sausage in his hand. Should he save it for Yuanzi or eat it himself? Twenty minutes later, Shen Minyan had finished packing and picked up the little guy, who was lying on the sofa with his bottom in the air.

“Youyou, we’re not going home tomorrow.”

“Then where are we going?”

Shen Minyan kissed his forehead and smiled. “We’re going to see your other two dads.”

The little guy’s eyes, like black grapes, went wide. The surprise came so suddenly!