29: Chapter 29 Beachcombing

The old man became much more enthusiastic after receiving the money and assured Zhang Wei, “I’ll clean that house today. The construction workers took everything when they left, so you’ll need to furnish the beds, tables, and chairs yourselves. The gas is already there, and for electricity, I’ll find someone to run a wire from the guardhouse. Water is a bit troublesome; the factory was cut off after it went out of business. Fortunately, there’s a well in the nearby village where I usually fetch water.”

Zhang Wei thought for a moment, then pointed at Liu Haorui beside him. “Old man, how about this? I’m not familiar with the area, so could you help me with the procurement? The beds, tables, and chairs don’t need to be fancy; some sturdy second-hand ones will do. This is Liu Haorui; he’ll be responsible for a lot of the contracting work here. You can discuss the remaining issues with him and he’ll reimburse you for any expenses incurred.”

Liu Haorui and the old man exchanged phone numbers. After learning about the living conditions at the factory, Zhang Wei and the other two bid farewell to the old man and set off for Jinshan District.

As they left, the dog even chased them out of the factory gate for over 200 meters, its love for starch sausages having completely turned it into a devoted follower. It was practically shouting, “Yanzi, how can I live without you?”

In the car, Liu Haorui asked Zhang Wei, “What kind of big catch are we digging for later? Do we need to get some digging tools or something?”

“You’ll know when we get there. Let’s find a hardware store nearby first,” Zhang Wei replied while driving. “At this time of year, standing in the seawater would be unbearable, and our shoes aren’t waterproof. We definitely need to buy a few pairs of rain boots.”

As he spoke, Zhang Wei drove to a hardware store near their destination.

In rural areas, villagers usually handle small repairs themselves, so there’s basically a hardware store every few kilometers.

The shop wasn't large, but it was crammed with various tools and building materials, leaving only a narrow aisle. In the center of the aisle, a woman sat on a small stool.

“Shop owner, we’ll take two shovels, three pairs of work gloves, and three pairs of long rain boots,” Zhang Wei told the woman. He then glanced at An Xiaoxi. “And get this young lady a trowel, the kind masons use.”

The woman looked at the three of them with some doubt. “Are these three working at a construction site? They don’t look like it.” Although the two young men’s clothes were ordinary, the car parked outside was quite luxurious. And the little girl with them was so thin and small, she’d probably struggle to carry a shovel.

But doubt aside, business was business.

“Wait a moment, I’ll get them for you. I happen to have all these common items,” the woman replied to Zhang Wei, getting up to find the goods.

“That’ll be 178 yuan in total. Little brothers, what are you buying these for?” After finding all the items, the middle-aged woman quoted a price, still unable to resist her curiosity, and asked.

Zhang Wei gestured for Liu Haorui to move the shovels and other items into the car’s trunk, then told the woman, “Isn’t it obvious? Taking friends to forage by the sea.”

The woman was surprised. “Are you sure? I see others foraging by the sea with small plastic buckets and little shovels. This is the first time I’ve heard of someone using a shovel to dig. If it doesn’t work out later, I can’t offer refunds, you know.”

Zhang Wei waved his hand. “Don’t worry, we’re after something big.” With that, he strode away under the woman’s complex gaze.

Zhang Wei drove the car to the seaside area indicated by the intelligence.

The sea in the City Name area is generally calm; the terrain dictates that the winds and waves are not strong. The seawall is actually a road built along the coast.

After getting out of the car, the three changed into long rain boots. An Xiaoxi stomped her feet. “These shoes are so heavy, they’re a bit like the ones fishmongers often wear at the market.”

Zhang Wei laughed, “They’re not ‘like,’ they are the exact same thing.”

When he was a child studying in the town, his classmates all wore these black, long rubber boots on rainy days. Besides being a bit stuffy and causing a ‘toxic gas attack’ when removed at home, they were first-rate in waterproofing and anti-slip properties, very practical.

“It’s so open here,” Liu Haorui said, having changed his shoes and walked to the roadside to look down.

Unlike a regular road, the side facing the sea had a circle of half-human-high concrete low walls. The road surface had been raised, creating a five-meter drop between the inside and outside. The sea here in the City Name is very calm, and this height is enough to withstand the invasion of sea waves.

Zhang Wei and his companions were quite lucky; it was low tide. The seawater had receded several hundred meters from the shore. Looking out from the low wall, all that remained was a mudflat formed by sand and mud.

They could see several aunties barefoot, carrying baskets, bending over, looking for small seafood like clams.

“Let’s go down too.” Zhang Wei, having changed his shoes and put on work gloves, took a shovel with Liu Haorui, and they descended the steps. An Xiaoxi also followed, holding a small trowel in a proper manner.

“Squish!” Just as he stepped onto the muddy beach, Zhang Wei’s foot sank into the mud. His entire instep disappeared.

“Good thing we bought long rubber boots; regular rain boots would have definitely led to kneeling,” Zhang Wei said to the other two, feeling a bit fortunate.

Thus, the three walked towards the outer perimeter, taking deep and shallow steps.

“Oh no!” After only a few steps, Liu Haorui cried out in surprise.

It turned out he hadn’t been paying attention while walking. When he lifted his foot with force, his foot came out, but his shoe remained stuck in the mud. He instantly lost his balance and fell face-first, landing completely in the mud.

Zhang Wei walked over and strenuously pulled him up, unable to stop laughing.

At this moment, Liu Haorui looked normal from behind, but his front was covered in mud. His entire body, viewed from the side, seemed to be cut in half, with a clear demarcation line.

“Is this the legendary Yin-Yang person?”

Liu Haorui wiped the mud from his face. He simply gave up on his other shoe too, stepping directly into the mud barefoot, which made walking much easier.

“Let’s dig around here. We’ll split up and each find a spot to try. Shout if you find anything.”

The three walked about fifty meters, and Zhang Wei, seeing that the location was roughly right, sent Liu Haorui and An Xiaoxi off to play on their own. After all, if they immediately dug up the target, anyone would be suspicious; it would be too fake.

An Xiaoxi and Liu Haorui had never been to the seaside before, and they were very excited. Each picked up their tools and found a spot to start digging. Zhang Wei, meanwhile, pretended to wander around, finally beginning to dig at the precise location provided by the intelligence.

In an instant, mud flew. The aunties in the distance initially saw the three young people walk down to the mudflat, thinking they were just playing at foraging. But soon after, they saw them digging with shovels. The aunties were stunned.

They had never seen anyone forage like this. Clams and other small shellfish usually hide at most thirty to forty centimeters under the sand and mud, easily dug up with a small trowel. A shovel full would crush the shells of small seafood into bits.

One auntie couldn't bear to watch any longer and walked over to kindly remind him, “Little brother (a local dialect term for young men), digging like this is useless; you’ll run out of strength quickly.”

By this time, Zhang Wei had already dug a half-meter deep pit. The auntie looked at it, speechless, and said, “Besides, these small seafood don’t hide that deep. Dig a few times in one spot, and if there’s nothing, try another place. You’re not foraging; you’re tilling the soil.”

Zhang Wei continued working, panting, and casually replied, “Auntie, you don’t know, this is how we forage by the sea in my hometown. I’m an expert.”

The auntie asked, slightly surprised, “How come I’ve never heard of this method? By the way, little brother, where is your hometown?”

“Anhui Province.”

The auntie’s eyes widened at the mention of Anhui Province. “Anhui Province has a sea?”