"Boss, marinate those chicken wings with more sauce for flavor. Second, those forks need to be washed clean and dried..." Liang Minfeng was quite knowledgeable about barbecuing and was methodically assigning tasks to everyone.
"Wow, Hao Chen, your place is really nice. You can get to the beach in just a few minutes," Li Huilan said, looking at the house facing the sea with great envy.
"Yes, living here must be very romantic," Huang Meijuan agreed, also envious.
Zhang Guifang, who knew a little about Li Haochen's family background, was puzzled by his renting a courtyard for over a thousand yuan. "Haochen, why did you rent this place for no reason?"
"I want to live by the sea. Otherwise, where would I get the money for tuition?" Li Haochen frankly explained his reason for renting the place.
"Did you buy a boat?" The girls looked at Li Haochen with sparkling eyes.
Li Haochen scratched his head and said sheepishly, "I wish I had, but my wallet isn't strong enough. So, I have to pick up what I can. These sea snails are nature's gift to me."
"Sea snails?" Li Huilan picked up a handful of sea snails and looked at them. "Can you make your rent by picking up these small things?"
"Huilan, don't underestimate these sea snails. This bucket alone is worth three to four hundred yuan when sold," Chen He explained.
"That's hundreds of yuan already?"
The three girls were a little surprised. They looked at Li Haochen with longing, but Chen He's words were like a wake-up call.
"Don't think this money is easy to earn. If it were, we'd all be doing it. We almost lost our lives when we went with Haochen just now."
Liu Dehui vividly recounted the dangerous journey of picking snails with Li Haochen, which scared the girls, making their faces turn pale and them shake their heads repeatedly.
"That dangerous? Haochen, you need to be careful," Li Huilan said with concern.
"Here, here! Everyone come over quickly, we can start barbecuing."
Liang Minfeng skillfully placed the garlic sauce he had prepared onto the sizzling mussel meat with a small spoon, emitting a fragrant aroma that whetted the appetite.
"Fourth brother, your movements are so smooth. Did you learn it?"
"Wow, this is delicious! It's no worse than the barbecue restaurants outside."
"Yes, it's tender, fresh, and fragrant, leaving a lingering taste."
Liang Minfeng greatly enjoyed the process of serving everyone and recalled with emotion, "After I finished my college entrance exams, to scrape together my tuition fees, I worked as an apprentice at an open-air barbecue stall in the county town for several months...!"
Liang Minfeng's words caused everyone to fall silent, with Li Haochen being the most deeply touched, as they shared similar experiences.
Zhang Guifang looked at Liang Minfeng, as if something within her heart had been stirred.
"What are you all looking at me for? In life, there are always more than eight out of ten dissatisfactions. Just work hard. Eat up, it won't be good when it gets cold. I'll get some more chicken wings." Liang Minfeng was quite open-minded, and his cheerful outlook on life inspired respect.
"Minfeng, don't do more, come and have a drink!"
"Coming!" In a moment, Liang Minfeng brought over a plate of spicy chives.
"Let's toast...!" Chen He suggested.
"To what occasion?"
"Hmm... To life!" Li Haochen said with a slight smile.
"Okay, cheers!"
...
Liu Dehui carried a large box from a tricycle and walked over.
"Second brother, what are you carrying that box for?"
"Heh heh, ladies, would you do me the honor of joining me by the sea for a fireworks display?" Liu Dehui grinned and made a gentlemanly invitation gesture.
"Fireworks? Oh yeah, I love this the most!" Huang Meijuan's eyes lit up as soon as she heard about fireworks, and she stared intently at the box in Liu Dehui's hand.
"Then let's go!"
Liang Minfeng nudged Liu Dehui with his elbow and gave him a thumbs-up. "Second brother, you're always so thoughtful, heh heh!"
"Wow, the beach at night is really beautiful!"
"Yes, so beautiful!"
The three girls took off their shoes and, like joyful butterflies, shone with the vibrant beauty of youth in the night sky.
Such a perfect time and beautiful scenery made Chen He and the other two swallow frequently. "So beautiful!"
"Everyone move further away," Liu Dehui said, holding a box of fireworks and walking to the side.
"Sizzling... Whoosh~ Bang~!"
Instantly, a bright light shot out from the box into the sky, and with a loud bang, it turned into colorful, brilliant star points, adorning the entire night sky with enchanting beauty.
With each earth-shattering boom and each cluster of brilliant fireworks, layers of romantic atmosphere were woven into the quiet night.
"Although it's brief, it unleashes the most beautiful moment, deeply imprinted in the heart, unforgettable."
Which maiden doesn't yearn? With such beautiful scenery and romantic atmosphere, how could there be no stirrings of emotion?
At this moment, three pairs of budding couples, surrounded by seeds of love, each found their own path, strolling and whispering, perhaps confessing their feelings, or perhaps shy and bashful, or...!
Li Haochen sat alone on the beach and sent a few videos of fireworks to Murong Yanran.
"Wow, the scene by the sea, so beautiful!"
"Yes, so beautiful. Unfortunately, I'm all alone...!"
"I see several men there. How can you be all alone? Heh heh!"
"I..." Li Haochen sent an expression of cold sweat.
"I've never set off fireworks by the sea before. Envy, jealousy, hatred!" Murong Yanran sent several pitiful emojis.
"Next time, I'll bring you to experience it!"
"Okay, it's a dog's promise if you lie, heh heh!"
...
"Minfeng, have you ever resented your parents?" Zhang Guifang clasped her hands behind her back and looked down at the fine sand under her feet.
Liang Minfeng sighed lightly, pursed his lips, "During high school, there was a period when I complained quite a bit, complaining about why they were poor, why they didn't give me a carefree life... Now, I think they are very great. It's really not easy for them to raise me this much...!"
"Ow...!"
"Guifang, what's wrong?" Liang Minfeng, who had just been reminiscing, asked anxiously upon hearing Zhang Guifang cry out in pain.
"My foot... my foot hurts...!"
Liang Minfeng quickly turned on his phone's built-in flashlight. He saw Zhang Guifang lifting her right foot. A small shell was stuck in her heel, and a lot of blood was flowing out.
"Sit down for a moment, I'll handle it." Liang Minfeng helped Zhang Guifang sit on the beach, gently clearing the sand near the wound, and frowned.
"Afang, there's a fragment inside. It needs to be pulled out."
"I... I'm afraid of pain!"
Liang Minfeng sat on the beach with his back to Zhang Guifang, placed her right leg on his thigh, and said, "If you're in pain, bite my shoulder. My flesh is thick, it won't hurt."
Seeing Zhang Guifang still hesitating, Liang Minfeng feigned anger, "Why are you still dawdling? The bleeding is getting worse."
A few seconds later, Liang Minfeng felt a slight warmth on his shoulder. He then held the fragment at Zhang Guifang's sole.
"Ch...!"
"All done." Liang Minfeng pulled out the fragment and, after holding Zhang Guifang's sole tightly for a few minutes, breathed a sigh of relief when the bleeding stopped.
"Thank you!" Zhang Guifang's face turned slightly red.
Liang Minfeng helped Zhang Guifang up, then suddenly turned his back to her, put his hands under her thighs, and lifted her up. Zhang Guifang's entire body was now leaning on Liang Minfeng's back.
"You...!" Zhang Guifang was somewhat annoyed.
Liang Minfeng smiled and said, "Do you want to hop back on one foot?"
Zhang Guifang realized she had misunderstood Liang Minfeng and said awkwardly, "I'm sorry!"
Liang Minfeng smiled without speaking and quickly walked back towards the meeting point with Zhang Guifang on his back.
"Why haven't those two come back yet?"
"Could they be in danger?"
"Uh, isn't that Minfeng?"
"...? You guys are developing too fast!"
Seeing Liang Minfeng carrying Zhang Guifang on his back, Li Huilan and Huang Meijuan looked bewildered, while Chen He and Liu Dehui were filled with envy and jealousy.
Zhang Guifang, seeing everyone's misunderstanding, buried her face in Liang Minfeng's back, blushing all the way to her ears.
"You've misunderstood. Afang's foot was cut by a shell, and she can't walk, so I'm carrying her back," Liang Minfeng explained.
"It really is. Let's go back quickly to disinfect and apply some medicine," Li Haochen said anxiously, seeing the slight oozing of blood from her right heel.
"Then let's go back quickly."