Song Wei didn’t expect that she’d hear more gossip about Su Li so soon—the same Su Li who liked her brother and tried to get close to her.
Over the next two days, whenever Song Wei went to the military district, she somehow kept “bumping into” Su Li. After a few of these so-called coincidences, it became clear that these encounters were deliberate.
Su Li was overly friendly and kept trying to pry about her brother’s preferences. Song Wei used various excuses to avoid her, but Su Li’s persistence and thick skin began to test her patience.
This time, Song Wei went to see Aunt Lian.
Aunt Lian, who was a local, came from a fishing family on the island. After learning that Song Wei wanted to go out to sea, Aunt Lian had promised to ask her family for help. Today was the agreed-upon day to go.
But just as Song Wei reached the family quarters, she heard the sounds of a heated argument.
Gossip incoming.
Song Wei immediately followed the voices and found Aunt Lian already at the scene.
“What’s going on, Aunt Lian?”
Aunt Lian pulled her closer so they could get a better view of the commotion.
Su Li was in the middle of an argument with an elderly couple. During the shouting, the older woman suddenly slapped Su Li.
“Arong is your younger brother. Now that you and your sister have made something of yourselves, what’s wrong with helping him out? If you won’t find him a job, do you expect him to go to the countryside and suffer?”
Clutching her face, Su Li burst into tears. “What am I supposed to do? I’m just a member of the cultural troupe—I don’t have connections! Why don’t you go to my older sister? Her husband is a deputy battalion commander. His connections are much better than mine. Why are you bothering me?”
Listening to this, one couldn’t help but feel a mix of pity and disdain for Su Li. While it was sad that she was being exploited by her family, her willingness to shift the burden onto her sister and brother-in-law was undeniably selfish.
After all, her position in the cultural troupe had been obtained through her brother-in-law’s connections.
“Enough with the excuses! If you don’t help your brother find a job today, we’ll go to the cultural troupe and make a scene. Let’s see how long you can keep that job!”
The family’s unreasonable threats left Su Li pale and trembling. She clearly didn’t want to lose her position.
As the spectacle wound down, with Su Li clearly at a disadvantage, Song Wei and Aunt Lian quietly slipped away.
Aunt Lian shook her head. “See? I wasn’t joking earlier. Whether you’re marrying a man or choosing a daughter-in-law, you’ve got to keep your eyes open. Otherwise, you’ll end up in a mess like this.”
Song Wei nodded emphatically in agreement.
“That Su Li is heartless. The first thing she does is suggest her parents go trouble her older sister. It’s like she thinks her brother-in-law hasn’t suffered enough already.”
“The older sister is soft and easily swayed. All it takes is a few words from her family, and she’ll disregard her husband’s feelings and career. No wonder Deputy Battalion Commander Deng rarely comes home anymore and spends all his time training outside.”
“The younger sister, though, is cunning. She wants all the benefits for herself without taking any of the responsibilities.”
Song Wei listened intently, responding just enough to show she was engaged. Her responses earned her even more approval from Aunt Lian.
“You’re a good listener, aren’t you?” Aunt Lian said, smiling warmly. “By the way, I spoke to my father and brother about taking you out to sea. They agreed, but we only have a wooden sailboat, so we can’t go too far. We can fish, though.”
Aunt Lian’s family’s wooden boat was relatively large and could carry four or five people.
Although Song Wei wanted to go alone, there were two men on the boat, and she was afraid that if she, a girl, went with them, it would have a bad influence and people would gossip.
In the end, Lin Zhen accompanied her.
Heidan also wanted to go, but Aunt Lian’s family was unwilling to risk taking a child. If something happened, they wouldn’t know how to explain it.
Thanks to Song Wei offering some money, Aunt Lian’s family reluctantly agreed to take two outsiders with them. In the meantime, Heidan and the two wolf pups were left in Song Jing’s care.
Lin Zhen, being sociable when he wanted to be, brought along some cigarettes to break the ice.
Aunt Lian’s father and older brother were honest fishermen. Compared to Song Wei and Lin Zhen, their sun-darkened skin bore the marks of a life spent under the blazing sun. Like farmers who tilled the earth, they had the weathered look of people who worked hard for their livelihood.
“Old Lian, who are these two? Are they going out to sea with you?”
Song Wei, with a camera hanging around her neck, explained, “We’re family members of soldiers stationed here. Aunt Lian introduced us. We’re from the north and haven’t seen the ocean before. Since I have a camera, I thought I’d take some pictures of the sea to record it.”
The mention of photography and the sight of the rare camera immediately sparked interest among the fishermen.
“Taking pictures, huh? Great! Maybe we’ll catch a big fish, and you can take a photo of it.”
Even Aunt Lian’s father and brother, initially reserved, straightened their clothes and beamed under the envious gazes of their peers.
Photography is a luxury in these days. Though there were studios in town, few could afford them, and fewer dared to go. Many of these fishermen had never set foot outside the island, let alone visited a photography studio.
Now that Song Wei has a camera with her, they might be photographed as well, and they are all a little excited. Even the women and children who had come to see off the fishing boats crowded around.
“I can take a few pictures for you,” Song Wei offered.
She had brought two rolls of film and didn’t mind being generous.
“Stand together, everyone. I’ll make sure you all fit in the frame.”
The fishermen and their families, suddenly energized, treated Song Wei and Lin Zhen with extra warmth.
Song Wei took her time to compose the shots, capturing as many smiling faces as possible. With a satisfying click, the fishermen’s simple, honest grins were immortalized.
After taking three group photos, they finally set sail.
Aunt Lian’s father and brother were initially a bit stiff around the city folk, but Lin Zhen and Song Wei’s approachable demeanor quickly put them at ease.
They all worked together to cast the nets. Once the nets were set, they moved to nearby waters to fish or explore a small island for potential treasures.
Thanks to Aunt Lian’s father’s guidance, Song Wei and Lin Zhen learned how to bait their hooks and then settled down to wait patiently.
Meanwhile, Aunt Lian’s father kept a close eye on the sea and sky, relying on his years of experience as a fisherman to ensure their safety.
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