vstars Chapter 211 Coral
Chapter 211 Coral
After saying that, Village Chief Ge ran away, and Song Jiaojiao only saw his back.
……
Song Jiaojiao had originally planned to tell him not to rush, as she intended to stay at the county government for a few days, but now it seemed she couldn't leave.
The sky was cloudless after the typhoon, and the sea was as calm as a mirror.
Song Jiaojiao was walking alone on the beach, watching the villagers casting their nets on the fishing boats in the distance, as if the typhoon had not affected them at all.
It's been almost half a year since I left. I wonder how Muqing is doing at home. I bet the food stalls have opened up all over the place by now!
Song Jiaojiao was lost in thought as she took a walk, completely unaware of the little girl running towards her.
With a "bang," the two collided, and Song Jiaojiao stumbled from the impact.
Coming to her senses, Song Jiaojiao looked at the little girl who had fallen on the ground. Beside the girl was a small basket, and the seafood the girl had gathered from the beach was scattered on the sand. A splash of red caught Song Jiaojiao's eye.
"Are you alright?" Song Jiaojiao pulled the little girl up and asked with concern.
The girl didn't speak, her body trembling, tears welling in her eyes but she dared not let them fall. She knew that the lady in front of her was a noble person whom her parents had repeatedly warned her not to offend.
Seeing that the girl didn't speak, Song Jiaojiao thought she had hurt herself, so she asked gently, "Did you hurt yourself? Come on, tell Auntie where it hurts?"
The little girl shook her head and silently picked up seafood from the beach. Seeing this, Song Jiaojiao squatted down to help her.
"Little sister, are you selling these things?" Song Jiaojiao asked while helping her.
The little girl looked up at Song Jiaojiao. These things were ordinary items from the beach, and no one would be willing to spend money to buy them.
"You...you really want to buy these?" the little girl asked timidly. If Song Jiaojiao hadn't been so close, she wouldn't have been able to hear what she was saying.
"Yes, can you sell it to me?"
"But...but there's no basket to carry it all?" The little girl looked at her little basket with great reluctance. It was woven for her by her older brother before he left, and she hadn't seen him for a long time.
"Hmm... how about this! You come home with me, it's just in the little courtyard in front, you should know it, right?" Song Jiaojiao thought for a moment and said.
"Yes, I know."
Seeing the girl nod, Song Jiaojiao led her to the courtyard, where Village Chief Ge and the villagers were cleaning up.
When Shang Xiaoxiao saw Song Jiaojiao return, she quickly put down what she was holding and stepped forward, saying, "Madam, you're back."
"Xiaoxiao, bring me a basin to put the seafood in the little girl's basket."
"Okay, I'll go right away."
After Shang Xiaoxiao finished packing, Song Jiaojiao took a tael of silver and stuffed it into the little girl's hand, then led her to the courtyard gate, saying, "If you have any seafood later, you can send it over. Auntie likes to eat it."
Looking at the thin little girl in front of her, Song Jiaojiao saw the same thin and frail appearance as Mu Xue when she first arrived.
The little girl nodded, clasped her hands tightly, and hurried away.
"Madam, how should we prepare these things?" The basin contained shellfish, all common items found on the beach.
Song Jiaojiao took out the red coral, "Take these to the kitchen, and do them the way you normally would."
"By the way, how long until the courtyard is cleaned up?" Song Jiaojiao looked at the furniture piled up in the courtyard. It had all been soaked in water and was no longer suitable for living. Song Jiaojiao asked Zhang Li and Zhou Dadan to go to the county government to buy new furniture.
"With Zhou Dayong and the others' help, it's basically all done. We're just waiting for them to buy the furniture. It should be finished before dinner."
Shang Xiaoxiao said with a smile.
Song Jiaojiao nodded, looking at the red coral in her hand. This coral was dead. She wondered if coral, which is both a plant and an animal, could be planted in her space. She hadn't upgraded her space since it reached level eight last time, and she only needed two more levels to grow living things.
Song Jiaojiao had long coveted the river in the space and wanted to raise fish in it.
"Madam Song, both courtyards are ready and waiting for the furniture to arrive. Do you still need the furniture in the courtyards?" Village Chief Ge said to Song Jiaojiao.
"No, please ask the village chief to find someone to move it."
"Alright, alright." Village Chief Ge glanced at the red coral in Song Jiaojiao's hand. "Is Madam Song interested in this coral?"
"I just think it looks nice and I want to grow one."
"These corals can't survive out of seawater, but there's not much difference between dead and living corals. Putting them in a pot makes them look just like they're being raised," Village Chief Ge said with a smile.
"Indeed, it would be great if there were bigger ones," Song Jiaojiao said softly, looking at the little coral in her hand.
"It's not that there isn't any, but red coral usually grows on reefs, and it needs the tide to recede and can't be without seawater," Village Chief Ge said with a smile.
"Oh, it seems the village chief knows where it is. I wonder if he can take us there?" Song Jiaojiao still wanted to give it a try, just in case it worked!
“Well… it’s not that I’m unwilling. That place isn’t far. It’s just behind the mountain over there, below the cliff. The water there is clear and very suitable for coral growth. It’s just that it’s quite deep. Even at low tide, it’s seven or eight meters deep. I’m afraid most people would have difficulty diving down there.”
Song Jiaojiao also knew that freediving was not an easy thing, and that people who had not undergone long-term training could not really adapt to the water pressure underwater.
"How about this, village chief, could you please find me a few skilled divers and let me give it a try at a good time?"
“Alright, we should recommend the worthy regardless of kinship. My youngest son, Ge Yuanshan, is a skilled diver in the village. The weather has been quite good these past few days, and the day after tomorrow is low tide. Why don’t we set that day to give it a try, Madam Song?” Village Chief Ge said after thinking for a moment. After a typhoon, there are usually several days of good weather, with calm seas and clear waters, which would provide better visibility underwater.
"Alright, you're an old fisherman, so you naturally know more than I do. You can make the decision. Don't worry, you won't be treated unfairly."
"Okay, I'll go and inform those people right away." Village Chief Ge grinned happily and, ignoring the situation in the courtyard, hurried off to make the notifications.
Three days later, the sky was clear and cloudless, and the sea was calm. Everyone gathered in Song Jiaojiao's courtyard, waiting for the tide to recede so they could set off.
Grandma Tang looked at the sky and said to Song Jiaojiao, "Mrs. Song, it's almost time. We can set off now."
Song Jiaojiao brought Tang Yu along this time. Although Tang Yu doesn't know how to swim, everyone who lives by the sea is a good swimmer.
"Madam, we're almost there. We'll be there after we cross that bend."
The tide has receded most of its course, which can be seen from the watermarks on the other side of Ya'an.
Today is truly a beautiful day; the seawater is crystal clear, and the sunlight can penetrate well to reach the seabed.
Once the boat was moored and secured at the edge of the cliff, Village Chief Ge began arranging for people to go into the sea.
Leading the charge was Ge Yuanshan, the village chief's youngest son, who grabbed a rock and sank into the sea.
"So that's what these stones are for," Song Jiaojiao thought to herself. She had been wondering why they needed to move stones on the boat, but now she understood.