Song Jing now lived in a house with a courtyard provided by the military. His wife, also a member of the army’s cultural troupe, was very beautiful.
The couple shared a deep bond.
“You’re finally here! You should’ve told us in advance so Song Jing could pick you up.”
Song Wei replied, “There are quite a few of us, and we didn’t have much luggage. There was no need for my brother to come get us.”
The children politely greeted their aunt.
Wang Xiaowan’s eyes curved into happy crescents as she looked at the four children, her gaze especially tender toward the twin sisters.
“Yueyue and Xiaoxiao have grown so much! The last time I saw you, you were just tiny babies.”
“They’re so pretty, and they look exactly alike, even wearing matching clothes. How can I tell who’s Yueyue and who’s Xiaoxiao?”
Xiaoxiao, the more lively of the two, chimed in, “Auntie, I’m Xiaoxiao! See, I have a small mole on my right ear, and my sister has one on her left. You can tell us apart by that!”
“Wonderful, such clever girls. Come on in, everyone.”
The whole family bustlingly made their way inside.
Hearing a baby’s cry from the inner room, Wang Xiaowan hurried to bring the child out.
The baby was just two months old, with fair, delicate skin and no teeth yet.
With both Song Jing and Wang Xiaowan being good-looking, their child was naturally adorable.
“Your brother should be back soon. Little Tiger is still at school.”
Song Wei leaned in to look at the baby, who had already stopped crying now that her mother was holding her.
“So beautiful! She’s definitely going to be a little beauty when she grows up.”
Every mother loves hearing compliments about her child, and Wang Xiaowan’s smile never faded.
It wasn’t long before Song Jing returned.
Having not seen each other for so long, everyone was overjoyed to reunite.
Song Jing also complained that they hadn’t given advance notice. “If I’d known you were arriving today, I would’ve taken time off to pick you up.”
Song Wei replied, “We wanted to surprise you!”
After catching up with the adults, Song Jing clapped Xiao Nan on the shoulder.
“You’ve got the build of a soldier, young man.”
Xiao Nan beamed with pride. “Hehe, Uncle, my goal is to get into military academy!”
He truly loved the military life. With his natural strength and the foundation in martial arts taught by Lin Zhen and Song Wei since childhood, attending military academy had been his dream since he was young.
“That’s ambitious! I’ll be looking forward to your good news.”
“Xiao Bei has grown tall too. He’ll definitely be quite tall when he’s older.”
Though not as sturdy as Xiao Nan.
Xiao Bei greeted his uncle with a gentle smile.
The twins not only looked different but also had completely distinct hobbies and personalities.
That afternoon, when Song Jing’s son returned from school, he was so excited to see Yueyue and Xiaoxiao that he bounced around like a little monkey.
“Yueyue! Xiaoxiao! I’ve missed you so much! You’re finally here to see me!”
“Brother Tiger!” the sisters said in unison.
Song Xiaohu had first visited Ping’an Village with his parents when he was four years old. At the time, the twins were just three months old—fair, soft, sweet-smelling, and always smiling. The four-year-old Song Xiaohu had adored them instantly.
Ever since, whenever he wrote letters or made phone calls, he would include his own photos to exchange for pictures of the twins. Once the sisters were old enough to talk, Song Xiaohu would always insist on speaking to them during phone calls.
So, although Yueyue and Xiaoxiao didn’t have clear memories of him, they were far from unfamiliar with him.
In the military compound, Song Xiaohu was something of a little troublemaker.
The very next day, he took his two little cousins to show off to his friends.
Not only did he have a biological sister, but he also had two beautiful little cousins.
With their identical pretty faces and soft, sweet voices, Yueyue and Xiaoxiao quickly became popular with all the children in the military compound.
Xiao Nan and Xiao Bei weren’t interested in playing with the other kids—they were far more excited about tide pooling or going out to sea to fish.
After a few days of exploring the tidal zones, the two boys were completely swept up in the adventure.
Tide pooling is addictive—you never know what you’ll discover next.
Especially Xiao Nan, who was like an overexcited husky, romping wildly across the beach.
One moment he’d be scrambling over rocky outcrops, some of them quite dangerous, and the next he’d be shimmying up a coconut tree.
Song Wei: …………
Every day, he’s bursting with endless energy!
“Mom, Dad, let’s rent a boat tomorrow and go fishing out at sea! I already asked around—there’s a big boat here that takes people out deep-sea fishing. It’s a hundred per person. Let’s go, let’s go, let’s go tomorrow!”
So this kid had already done his research just to go fishing.
“Alright, we’ll go tomorrow.”
“Yes! Mom, you’re the best!”
Xiao Nan jumped for joy.
Song Wei and Lin Zhen went to check out the big boat he’d mentioned.
It was indeed quite large—a sturdy metal vessel built for ocean voyages.
They asked and were told they could bring Yueyue and Xiaoxiao along, but they’d have to keep a close eye on the children.
Little Tiger also begged to join, so the whole family, plus Little Tiger, packed up and boarded the boat the next day.
Besides them, there were other passengers on board, all paying the same hundred per person.
Children were charged a bit less, but it was still at least sixty.
Most of the people on the boat were fishing enthusiasts. They might not necessarily be short on money—they were just hobbyists looking to experience the thrill of fishing.
Professional fishing gear was sold on the boat, so Lin Zhen and Song Wei bought theirs right there.
As the boat sailed farther from the shore, they soon reached the open sea where no islands were visible. There was nothing but ocean in every direction, with only the occasional seabird circling overhead.
At this point, the boat, which had seemed quite large, appeared incredibly small against the vastness of the ocean.
Once the boat stabilized and came to a stop, the experienced anglers began preparing their gear with practiced ease.
It was Song Wei and her family’s first time, but they weren’t nervous—the crew was there to guide them.
The three children could only watch from the sidelines.
Since saltwater fish tend to be larger and heavier, children weren’t allowed to handle the rods themselves—there was too high a risk of being pulled overboard.
“Go, Brother! Go, Mom! Go, Dad!”
Though they couldn’t fish, the twin sisters became cheerleaders, offering plenty of emotional support.
Marine resources were still quite abundant at that time.
It didn’t take long for everyone to start getting bites one after another.
Xiao Nan’s eyes lit up: “I got one! It’s a big fish!”
A crew member nearby taught him how to play the fish.
Xiao Nan: “Why can’t we just reel it in straight away? Playing it is such a hassle.”
He was already eager to see what kind of fish he’d caught.
“Because if the fish is too heavy, you won’t be able to pull it up all at once. The fishing line and rod might not hold up.”
Just as he finished speaking, an angler not far away had his rod bent into an inverted U-shape, followed by a sharp crack.
“Ouch, his rod snapped! That fish must’ve been huge!”
The man whose rod broke slapped his thigh in frustration: “That fish had to be at least fifty pounds! What a shame.”
But out at sea, there was nothing to be done once the rod broke—he could only watch helplessly.
The others only glanced over briefly before quickly refocusing on their own rods.
Xiao Nan became even more cautious.
Please don’t let my rod snap—hang in there, fishing rod!
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