As a few men made their way back, the women on the beach continued to dig, and the children remained playfully immersed in their activities, their faces and bodies smeared with sand and sweat, yet full of laughter.
The kids from the Ye family had even dug a large pit, placing the youngest, Ye Chengyang, inside, burying him until only his shoulders were visible.
If Ye Yaodong had delayed a bit more, it was likely that only Chengyang's head would have been left above ground.
He frowned, "You little rascals are playing too dangerously! Don’t you realize? What if someone accidentally trips and falls right on top of your little brother, or steps on him? That would be terrible! Quickly, dig him out!"
"Okay, okay, Third Uncle! We’ll get Yangyang out right away!"
"Aiya, it's just a bit of fun! We all played like this when we were young; it was such a blast," Azheng chuckled as he squatted down to look at Ye Chengyang.
"Is it fun?"
"Fun!" Chengyang exclaimed.
"You're such a silly boy!" Azheng teased him, then called out to his wife, "Aqing, come see how silly your son is."
Lin Xiuqing turned around and when she saw her younger son was buried, she frowned and hurried over, trying to ignore the aches in her waist and legs.
"What kind of nonsense is this? How can you bury Chengyang? What if he can’t breathe? Quickly dig him out! You all are so naughty, can’t play without getting into trouble?"
Seeing the kids' flushed faces, dirty as little monkeys, Ye Yaodong shook his head.
"Let's go home first. You've all been playing for so long and look how sunburned you are! You're filthy; hurry up and come back to wash."
"Ah, do we have to go home now? Are my mother and the others going back too?"
"You all follow me back to wash up; don’t be a hindrance here. You've played enough."
Seeing him take the initiative to take the kids back, Lin Xiuqing was relieved.
The noise from so many children around her was exhausting.
"Be good, you all go back to wash up and eat. We’ll head back later."
"Alright then."
Ye Chenghai, the eldest of the children, nodded in agreement along with the others.
It was already past one o'clock, and they were all quite hungry.
Ye Yaodong asked Xiaoxiao to go catch some octopus, and then handed Azheng a bucket of water.
"Just leave it there; I’ll head directly to Agong's house in the evening."
"Pour it into my bucket, and take the bucket back with you so you don’t forget it."
"Sure!"
The few of them moved ahead.
Once Chengyang was dug out, Ye Yaodong picked him up, saying, "Let’s go home."
Lin Xiuqing watched as his bucket was emptied so quickly, but she didn’t mind; after all, he exchanged tiger-striped fish and snow frog for it, and today he made a decent income.
The rest of the seafood could be taken away.
"Third Uncle, why did you decide to come to the beach too? My mother says the sun is setting in the west!" Ye Chenghai asked, walking beside Ye Yaodong, sounding like a little adult.
Ye Yaodong glanced at him, replying casually, "I ran out of snacks and don’t have any money in my pocket. Is it not better to look for some free seafood?"
"I thought so! How could Third Uncle change his ways?" Chenghai had an enlightened look, which was slightly annoying.
He playfully flicked his nephew on the head.
"What do you know, you little brat? Have you finished your summer homework?"
"Oh come on, we just started summer vacation! Why are you in such a hurry? There are still months left. I really dislike when people ask about homework and grades."
As he spoke, he turned his head away and quickened his pace, distancing himself from his uncle.
Ye Yaodong rolled his eyes; none of the children in their family were good at their studies!
The college entrance examination had been open for several years now, yet there wasn’t a single college student from their village.
In Baisha Village, his generation from the 50s and 60s were considered fairly well off if they could recognize a few words.
"Walk properly and stop chasing each other around. If you trip on this dirt road, your knees will be bleeding in no time. And you there, what are you catching in the bushes? Hurry back…"
He scolded them as he herded the rowdy children back home, feeling utterly tired from the shouting.
Taking care of children was indeed not an easy task, especially with a bunch of them; it was exhausting enough to make his voice hoarse.
Once inside the house, he grabbed the water jug and drank heartily, only to be, once again, grabbed by the children.
"Third Uncle, are you done drinking?"
"Come on, hurry up!"
"Don’t drink so much, leave some for us. We’re thirsty too!"
"Dad, I want to drink too…"
"Cough, cough, cough! Here you go! Here you go!" The kids tugging at him caused him to choke; these troublesome kids!
The old lady watched the commotion with a smile, "Once you’re done drinking, go take a shower out back. We’ve boiled two barrels of water, and there’s a big pot still boiling. Dongzi, take the hot water out back, and fill two buckets of well water to mix together so they can wash."
"Got it. You should sit and rest a bit. Don’t keep bustling about."
Ye Yaodong helped the old lady to sit down at the side table.
"Oh, I only boiled some hot water, not busy with anything else. Your mother said that when she went to the dock, they were making sweet potato noodles for lunch, so I didn’t even cook rice."
"Oh, then you just sit here. I’ll take them to wash up out back."
He was in pretty good shape, not very dirty, just sweaty; he could wash up later with a quick rinse, but the kids were filthy, covered in sand from head to toe, needing his help.
His three nieces took water back to the house by themselves while the five boys stood naked in the backyard.
The older ones could wash themselves, but the two youngest were his sons, and they still needed his assistance.
"Stop, stop, stop! Dad, you got some in my eyes! Can you even wash properly?"
"Just rinse your hair, that’s good enough! Hurry up!"
"Mom always made me lie on her lap while she washed my hair with a basin! Ugh, you stay away. I’ll do it myself; you wash for Yangyang!" Ye Chenghu complained, moving aside to wash on his own.
"Wash yourself if you want, but I’m your dad today. You should appreciate it. I don't want to serve you, either."
Seeing his tiny son waiting beside him, he thought he might not wash him after all.
"Forget it, let your mother wash your hair when she gets back. You sit in the basin; I’ll wash your body a little."
"Hehe, haha! So ticklish! So ticklish! Dad!"
The sweet, innocent voice made Ye Yaodong smile.
He never noticed that his little son was quite adorable when he was younger.
"Okay, rinse your neck, and don’t forget under your arms! Hurry now!"
"No, it’s so ticklish!"
"You little rascal, you just splashed water on me!"
Ye Chengyang splashed water from the basin, thinking he had discovered a fun game, both hands slapping the water surface and soaking Ye Yaodong completely.
Meanwhile, the eldest nephew, after finishing washing himself, took the leftover water and splashed it right on his younger brother, drenching him head to toe again.
Ye Yaodong wiped his face and turned in annoyance, "Ye Chenghai, you did that on purpose, didn’t you?"
"Huh? Haha! No, who told you to squat there?"
This chapter ends.