Chapter 37: Panic Drifting in the Middle of the Sea

Only after everyone stopped staring at him in surprise did Ye Yaodong head into the house, planning to rinse off and prepare his tools.

“A’Qing, cook me a bowl of noodles. I need to head out early in a bit.”

“Okay.”

Lin Xiuqing immediately put down what she was doing and went to cook for him.

He had already warned her last night that he was planning to visit the isolated island and do some shore-hunting, so naturally she supported him.

The other two sisters-in-law, however, didn’t know he was heading out to hunt seafood again. Hearing him say he wanted to leave early after eating, they couldn’t help rolling their eyes.

They had thought he’d improved and learned to help with work.

Who would’ve thought that after helping for a bit, he’d immediately start talking about going out again…

Originally, Ye Mother wanted to scold him a few times.

But seeing the husband and wife acting perfectly willing with one pushing and one indulging, and with the unfilial son already disappearing into the room where she couldn’t see him, she could only swallow the words back down and mutter a few complaints instead.

After finishing his noodles, Ye Yaodong grabbed a bucket filled with tools, stuffed a sack into his pocket as well, and hurried toward the dock.

Meanwhile, the women of the Ye family started washing rice and picking vegetables.

Today they needed to eat lunch earlier before heading out to dig shellfish.

Construction on the house would begin tomorrow, and from then on the household’s food consumption would increase massively every day.

They needed to dig up more clams now so they could reduce expenses later.

Everyone busied themselves with their own work, and nobody paid attention to Ye Yaodong.

None of them realized he had taken shore-hunting tools with him.

By the time Ye Yaodong arrived at the dock carrying his bucket, Xiao Xiao and A’Zheng were already there.

“How are you guys this fast?”

“A man can’t be called fast. We only just arrived ourselves.”

A’Zheng grinned.

“A’Guang went to get the boat.”

“Then wait here. I’m going to buy diesel.”

“We need diesel too? A’Guang didn’t say anything. I didn’t bring money.”

A’Zheng patted his pockets too.

“Me neither…”

Ye Yaodong smiled.

“It’s fine, I brought some. Leave the buckets here and help watch them while I go buy it.”

A’Guang was actually pretty loyal.

He hadn’t mentioned that he’d personally paid to rent the boat, otherwise they definitely would’ve all brought money.

Near the dock there was a small shack specializing in repairing boat engines, and they also sold diesel.

It wasn’t far away.

Ye Yaodong only bought one yuan’s worth of fuel.

Enough was enough, and whatever remained could count as compensation to the owner.

Just after buying the diesel, Xiao Xiao came running over.

“You done? A’Guang’s brought the boat over to shore. Once you’re ready, we’re boarding.”

“All set. Let’s go.”

He carried the small oil can and followed them aboard.

The moment his foot stepped onto the deck, he realized… it actually didn’t feel that bad.

The slight rocking didn’t bother him much.

His heart settled a little instantly.

Handing the diesel over to A’Guang, he said:

“Pour it in. It only takes about ten minutes to reach the island, so I only bought one small can. It’s enough for several trips back and forth.”

“Mm, enough. Let’s go!”

Soon the engine began making loud puttering sounds.

The boat slowly pulled away from shore.

Everyone else sat casually on little stools chatting and laughing.

Only Ye Yaodong grew paler the farther the boat moved toward open water.

Surrounded on all sides by nothing but ocean, with only a tiny fishing boat swaying in the middle of the sea…

He couldn’t help remembering the moment when his strength gave out and seawater flooded into his nose and mouth…

That suffocating sensation.

He had thought that as long as he didn’t think about it, he’d be fine.

But now, out in the middle of the sea, he couldn’t stop the memories even if he wanted to.

The day before yesterday, when he was prying oysters near the shore rocks, all his focus had been on the reef itself. Even though seawater covered his legs, he hadn’t panicked.

But now, drifting in open water, his heart was trembling uncontrollably.

Everyone else was chatting and joking.

Only A’Zheng noticed how unusually quiet he was and how terrible his complexion looked.

“Dongzi, what’s wrong with you? Holy shit, don’t tell me you get seasick?”

“No way? You actually get seasick?”

“We’ve only been out a few minutes and you’re already dizzy? That’s ridiculous!”

The other two were equally shocked.

A coastal man getting seasick—and right after setting out too.

If word got out, people would laugh their teeth off.

Ye Yaodong wiped the sweat from his forehead.

“I only rode my grandpa’s boat when I was little. It’s been so many years. Stop laughing at me already. How much longer until we reach shore?”

A’Guang looked at him with amusement.

No wonder he didn’t dare follow his father out to sea directly.

“We’re heading to that isolated island ahead first. Should be another ten minutes or so. Just endure it. Won’t take too long.”

Ye Yaodong nodded.

His heart was simply panicking too hard.

The boat sped across the ocean, leaving ripples spreading in circles behind it.

But he didn’t dare look toward the endless sea surface.

Nor did he dare close his eyes.

He could only force himself to stare at the distant mountain peaks.

Even that didn’t help.

His face remained deathly pale.

Ye Yaodong felt utterly depressed.

Out of all the ways to die, why did he have to drown?

How was someone who lived by the sea supposed to make a living after that?

Even as the boat neared the island, his symptoms didn’t improve at all.

Grinding his teeth, he hardened his heart…

“What are you doing? Why are you taking your clothes off?”

A’Guang looked at him in confusion.

“Going swimming?”

“You’re jumping in for a few laps?”

Xiao Xiao’s eyes lit up instantly.

“That’s actually not a bad idea. In this heat, being in the water sounds way more comfortable. I’m joining too. We can just swim to shore.”

A’Zheng excitedly added:

“I’m getting in too. Let’s race and see who reaches shore first.”

As he spoke, both of them started stripping off their clothes.

Only A’Guang sighed regretfully while steering the boat.

“Once we get to the island, I’m jumping in too.”

Watching them, Ye Yaodong finally felt a little reassured.

With them swimming beside him, there was no way he’d drown.

Fight poison with poison.

Whether he could overcome his fear of the ocean would depend entirely on this moment.

“Don’t swim too fast later. Remember to wait for me. If my legs cramp and I drown, I’ll come haunt you at night.”

A’Zheng rolled his eyes.

“A pretty boy really is useless.”

“Even if I’m a pretty boy, it’s still something you can’t become.”

After saying that, seeing how close they were to shore already, Ye Yaodong jumped into the sea first.

The moment he entered the water, that familiar suffocating sensation instantly swallowed him whole.

Suddenly, he forgot how to swim entirely.

His mind went blank.

His limbs flailed wildly as his body sank straight downward.

Xiao Xiao and A’Zheng, who were still on the boat preparing to jump, were both startled by his abnormal movements and sinking body.

“Doesn’t Dongzi know how to swim? What’s he doing?”

“Go pull him up first!”

The two of them splashed into the water like dumplings being tossed into soup and swam toward him immediately.

Seeing that his eyes were shut while he continued struggling but hadn’t yet inhaled water, they quickly hauled him back above the surface first.

The sudden rush of fresh air instantly let him breathe again.

That feeling of being rescued was indescribably relieving.

He opened his eyes.

Using their support to float, he slowly found his rhythm again and began paddling on his own.

The panic in his heart eased slightly as well.

“What the hell were you doing? Why’d you sink? Were you really trying to go meet Mazu?”

“Fuck… my leg cramped! The second I jumped in, my leg suddenly cramped!”

Everyone: “…”

What a coincidence???

Could he predict the future???

(End of Chapter)