Catch the sea: start with a sand shovel and take over the entire beach

"Ah Qin, which island are we going to?"

Zhao Qin wanted to say Yanwo Island, but he swallowed the words back and pointed south, saying, "Go that way. I used to collect a lot of oysters on an island. Let's go check it out again this time."

He remembered clearly that he found the bird's nest while scraping oysters on the shore of that island, and he saw the swiftlets just as he was walking away.

The oysters on that island are not only thick but also large. They didn't wipe them out back then, so getting a few dozen to grill this time shouldn't be a problem.

The reason I didn't tell the two that the island produced bird's nests wasn't because I didn't trust them, but simply because I didn't want to waste my breath explaining.

Oysters this season, whether farmed or wild, are generally quite lean. But if there's not enough meat, quantity makes up for it. He hadn't had garlic-roasted oysters in a long time, and today he really wanted one.

Otherwise, I wouldn't have asked Aunt Wu to prepare the minced garlic so early in the morning.

The boat trip took about an hour, and we arrived at the spot just as the tide was low, which saved us a lot of trouble. There were far fewer oysters on the exposed rocks compared to my first visit.

But if you're looking to skimp on enough to eat, it's still easy.

They steered the boat to the largest rock, Zhao Qin with a sand shovel and Chen Xun with a scooping net. The oysters they scooped up fell directly into the net.

In just a few minutes, Zhao Qin finished work. "That's enough to eat. Let's go to the amusement park first."

"What are you going over there for?" Liu Zhonglun asked curiously.

He was familiar with the amusement park; he had taken his wife and children there before. He preferred quiet, and the place was too lively, so he didn't really like it.

"Brother Liu, we can't finish eating all the fish we caught. Almost all of them are too dead to survive, so we can't keep them until we get back to port tomorrow. Why don't we send some to the amusement park?"

Another hour's sea journey later, Old Qin, upon hearing that Zhao Qin was coming, rushed over from his office. "Qin, why didn't you call before you came? Come on up, have dinner here tonight before you go back."

"You caught a lot of fish, so I'll give you some." Chen Xun used a landing net to scoop all the fish he had caught into the basket.

Zhao Qin kept only one grouper and three small yellowfin tuna, and had the rest taken to the island. "I have other things to do, you can keep these fish for yourselves."

As they left the amusement island, a breeze picked up on the sea, but it wasn't too strong, making the journey relatively safe. After nearly two more hours, the three of them finally set sail for the hot spring island.

Two large pools, without excessive decoration, retain a touch of nature. Under the eaves beside the pools, there are several lounge chairs.

At first glance, Liu Zhonglun fell in love with the place. "Aqin, you bought this island?"

“I would like to, but you know the policies in China. It’s too difficult to buy it. I’m renting it, but I’m renting it for 50 years.”

Liu Zhonglun laughed and said, "What's the difference between this and buying it?"

"The difference is huge, okay? I only have the right to use it for now, not ownership." Zhao Qin still harbored deep resentment at not being able to buy the island, but that's just how things are in this country, and there was nothing he could do about it.

After taking off their clothes and lying down in the hot spring pool, everyone, including Chen Xun, couldn't help but let out a comfortable groan.

For ten minutes, no one said a word. It wasn't until Zhao Qin sat up a little higher and lit a cigarette that Liu Zhonglun opened his eyes and asked in confusion, "Why don't you quit smoking? Don't tell me you don't have the willpower."

Zhao Qin smiled and said, "Brother Liu, I don't really like gambling. I'm a normal man, I like beautiful women, but I have a family, and I can't mess around in this area."

Men are basically of two types: those who abandon everyone after sex, and those who take on a mountain of responsibilities after a one-night stand. I don't want to be either of those types, so for me, sex is just that—sex.

Then there's alcohol. I can drink a little and distinguish between good and bad, but to call it a hobby is a bit of a stretch.

He raised the cigarette in his hand, "In the end, all that's left is cigarettes and tea. Anyone who tries to persuade me to quit, I feel like they're my enemy."

"Hahaha..." Liu Zhonglun burst into laughter, "So what's your attitude towards money?"

"It's just a tool. Having more means you can get more done, but you can't do without it. Anyway, I'm definitely not going to be a miser."

Liu Zhonglun glanced at Chen Xun, then got up and sat by the pool. "I don't believe that no woman has put any effort into you all this time?"

"Really not." Zhao Qin scratched his head. "Oh right, Brother Liu, now that you mention it, I was wondering why not a single woman showed up to challenge my weakness."

"I do not believe."

“It’s not that there were no possibilities, it’s that you eliminated all possibilities from the very beginning,” Chen Xun added from the side.

"Is that right?"

Chen Xun nodded, and Zhao Qin thought for a moment, "Sigh, never mind, let's not talk about me. Brother Liu, haven't you ever been corrupted?"

"Don't drag me into this; I work in a corrupt government office."

Zhao Qin smiled. He knew the other person's position had nothing to do with a simple meal; if it was their state of mind, that was a possibility.

However, he didn't go into details, as asking someone within the system about this was indeed somewhat inappropriate.

Although hot springs are wonderful, one shouldn't soak for too long at once. After the three of them got out of the water and rinsed off briefly, Liu Zhonglun started fiddling with the sound system next to him.

The island is equipped with a 100-kilowatt diesel generator, which provides sufficient electricity for its needs.

Chen Xun brought some ice from the boat, some to chill the oysters, and the rest to put in a bucket along with a few bottles of beer.

A melodious tune began to play. Liu Zhonglun, holding a beer and with a large towel wrapped around his waist, swayed slowly to the music without any regard for his image.

Zhao Qin glanced at it with a smile, then continued shucking oysters and cleaning fish.

By the time he finished, Chen Xun had already set up the grill and lit the charcoal fire.

The fish was marinated for a while, and the oysters were grilled first.

Liu Zhonglun took a sip of beer and walked closer, looking at the sunset that was almost half-hidden on the horizon in the distance, and sighed, "Aqin, this is life."

"Next time, bring your sister-in-law and my niece. I'll arrange a boat for you and your family to come and have a day trip."

"Reliable." Liu Zhonglun readily agreed, glancing at the oysters he was grilling and then at the beer in his hand. "Aqin, if we keep this up, will we be able to throw the javelin tomorrow?"

"When we start eating later, let's have some white dishes. The fish and shellfish are fresh, so the chances of them being javelin-thrown are slim. But do you have high uric acid?"

"Aside from being older, it's just past the break-in period, about 80% new."

Seeing that what he said was interesting, Chen Xun couldn't help but laugh.

"It smells so good!" As the minced garlic was added and heated, its unique aroma wafted through the air.

Zhao Qin picked up two grilled oysters and placed them on the tray next to him, letting Liu Zhonglun eat first. "Brother Liu, eat carefully, there might be some oyster pearls among them."

"real or fake?"

"I used to find a few pearls in the oysters I dug up on that island, but who knows if they still exist now?"

Once the oysters were almost done grilling, they were set aside to warm in a cool, dark place. Zhao Qin then began grilling the fish.

He used two grilling methods. The three small yellowfin tuna were grilled using the usual method, but the grouper had thick flesh, and if it was grilled directly on the stove, the outer skin might burn while the meat inside was still uncooked.

So he used a foil plate, lined with onions, placed the fish inside, poured on the sauce, sealed it with foil, and then put it on the stove.

"Brother Xun, take out the liquor you brought. Have a drink today too."

Before Chen Xun could refuse, Zhao Qin laughed and said, "If we are in danger on this island so close to our sea, it would mean that I, Zhao Qin, have already incurred the wrath of both gods and men."

Chen Xun grinned, "I'll listen to you. I haven't had a drink in almost three years, and I've almost forgotten what it tastes like."