Tang Qiyue's commotion had been loud enough to attract Zhan Zeyi's attention.
Xu Qiuju, no longer daring to wait for an answer, slipped away with a smug look.
"What's wrong?"
Zhan Zeyi reached out and patted Tang Qiyue's back. His expression was concerned, but there was a fierce undertone in it.
Tang Qiyue couldn't possibly tell him what had happened. She shook her head. "I just choked on my own saliva. You go back to work!"
She couldn't bear to look at Zhan Zeyi after Xu Qiuju's words.
Seeing the group of men still working in the yard, Zhan Zeyi realized it wasn't appropriate for Tang Qiyue to stay inside.
"Then go chat with Hu Peng's wife and the others. Come back when you're done!"
Tang Qiyue checked the time. There was still some time before low tide, so she said she wanted to find the fisherwoman.
"I'll have someone take you there—they live on the other side of the island!"
Zhan Zeyi called over a child, one of the island's native inhabitants, around seven or eight years old.
"Xiao Yang, take her to find the fisherwoman!"
Xiao Yang immediately nodded. He was familiar with Zhan Zeyi, and upon hearing the task, he didn't hesitate.
Tang Qiyue was going to the fisherwoman to learn beachcombing, and Xu Qiuju had wanted to come along. But with three mischievous children at home, it wasn't appropriate. Xu Qiuju could only instruct Tang Qiyue to meet them at the beach.
Xiao Yang led Tang Qiyue along the path connecting the two sides of the island.
Curious about the lives of the indigenous people, Tang Qiyue asked him questions. Xiao Yang, talkative and innocent, shared everything without suspicion—perhaps because he grew up knowing everyone on the island.
"Xiao Yang, what do you usually play with?"
Tang Qiyue habitually took out candy from her pocket and offered it to him—a trick she had mastered; children rarely resist candy.
But this time, it failed. Xiao Yang didn't recognize the treat.
"What's this?"
He looked curiously at the pretty paper in Tang Qiyue's hand.
She thought he had never seen candy before, so she unwrapped it and handed it to him. "Eat! It's candy!"
Xiao Yang still looked blank, unfamiliar with the word "candy."
Tang Qiyue realized the child likely had never tasted sweets. The island must have been quite isolated, with no one trading treats for children.
"It's like honey!"
Xiao Yang shook his head. There was no honey on the island.
Tang Qiyue simply held the candy to his lips. "Try it and see if you like it."
Caught off guard, Xiao Yang put it in his mouth. His eyes widened. "Sweet!" he exclaimed, amazed.
Tang Qiyue finally smiled. She had thought the child didn't like sweets; in fact, he simply didn't know candy was sugar.
The sweetness was so new to him that he didn't bite it—he pressed his tongue to it, letting it slowly melt on his mouth before swallowing.
Excessive appreciation for sweetness, indeed.
"We have so many things to do! We can collect seashells, dig for razor clams, even dig for sea worms to go fishing!"
Tang Qiyue imagined how fun it would be.
Xiao Yang blushed. "My dad doesn't allow me to go into the sea, but I secretly go in—and I've learned to swim!"
A child raised by the sea who couldn't swim would be laughed at.
Tang Qiyue noticed Xiao Yang only wore patched pants, a sign of modest living conditions. Observing the other native children—barefoot, thin, and pale—she realized her earlier image of idyllic island life had been too romanticized.
Many huts were thatched rather than stone, and the sea breeze often blew the thatch around. The children gathered around, curious since they hadn't seen Tang Qiyue before.
Xiao Yang knew the other villagers could be rowdy, so he warned them not to scare the guest.
Tang Qiyue handed him a bag of candy. "Share this with your friends, then take me to the fisherwoman."
Though reluctant, Xiao Yang distributed the candy according to local tradition and beckoned Tang Qiyue to follow.
The fishing village was long and narrow, built against the rocks, not clustered together. The fisherwoman's house was at the far end, requiring a walk through the village.
Most men were out at sea; women and children stayed behind, mending nets or processing the day's catch. The village reeked of fish and shrimp—a smell familiar to them but unsettling to Tang Qiyue. She kept her composure.
When the villagers saw Tang Qiyue, they stopped to stare. Xiao Yang explained she was from the other side of the island, looking for the fisherwoman.
"Oh dear, the fisherwoman might not have time to entertain her today!" an older woman cautioned Xiao Yang.
She spoke in dialect, which Tang Qiyue didn't understand, so Xiao Yang translated.
Suddenly, cries and shouting erupted. The older woman pulled Tang Qiyue aside.
"She might not have time. Her husband is back!" Xiao Yang's face went pale.
Tang Qiyue was surprised. If she remembered correctly, the fisherwoman was younger than her. How could she already be married?
Before Tang Qiyue could ask, another round of shouting and crying erupted.
"What's happening?" Tang Qiyue wanted to investigate but was stopped by Xiao Yang and the old woman.
"Don't go over there! Fisherwoman's husband is a vicious fighter. He's probably drunk and beating her!"
Xiao Yang's face was full of fear, and the older woman sighed, clearly accustomed to the situation.
"Aren't you going to break it up?" Tang Qiyue asked.