Chapter 148: So Cheap It Was Practically Free

Zhou Hao and his family came from an old coastal city. In ancient times, it had been an important port and a strategic military stronghold. In the modern era, however, the old city had long since lost its former glory, like an aging man clinging stubbornly to the seashore.

The Zhou family had lived here for more than a dozen generations. In earlier years, they had been the area’s great landowners, but over time the family branches divided, and their fortunes declined. By now, only Zhou Hao’s branch still had any standing; the other members of the Zhou family lived ordinary lives.

Zhou Hao’s grandfather lived here with his daughter, and two caregivers looked after the old man. Zhou Hao’s father and his two uncles also returned from time to time, staying for a few days to keep him company.

Zhou Hao had originally planned to come back and work in his hometown, but an unexpected incident had made life unbearable. In the end, he chose to distance himself from the place.

“Grandpa! Grandpa! We’re back!”

The two boys leaped from the car with their bags and dashed into the house. Even Zhou Sheng, who disliked expressing his emotions too exuberantly, hurried inside at a near run.

“They were both raised by my grandfather. Zhou Sheng especially—after his parents divorced, he lived with Grandpa ever since. He was supposed to call him maternal grandfather, but he followed everyone else and called him Grandpa. When his household registration was filed, he was even entered under Grandpa’s household and took the surname Zhou. You may meet his mother later—my aunt. She can be rather unpleasant to listen to, so don’t take her words to heart. She’s actually a good person; she just has a sharp tongue.”

Afraid that Chen Xin might be given a hard time, Zhou Hao offered the warning in advance. Of course, after what had happened in the past, his family generally refrained from interfering too much in his personal affairs.

Once inside, they learned that Zhou Sheng’s mother was not at home. She had gone traveling with colleagues from her workplace, heading to the northeast, and would not be back before they left.

With Zhou Hao’s aunt absent, the two boys seemed to break free of their restraints. They dragged Zhang Zhang all over the courtyard, running wild.

Zhou Hao’s grandfather was quite old, but his health was still passable. He had suffered greatly in his younger years and been left with chronic ailments. After years of careful recuperation, he was generally well in summer, though winter often brought his illnesses back.

Ever since the two boys had left for school, the house had become much quieter. It was rare for so many of the younger generation to return at once, and now there was also the chubby, cheerful Zhang Zhang. The old man seemed visibly more spirited. After his afternoon nap, he set up a reclining chair beneath the osmanthus tree in the courtyard and lay there watching them play.

“Grandpa, why don’t you come stay with me for a while? The climate and surroundings where I work are very pleasant.”

The old man had a few age spots on his face and thinning hair, but his smile was warm and benevolent.

“No, no. It’s better for an old man like me not to go and burden you. Here, I can play a few games of chess when I have nothing to do, or take a walk along the shore. When my time comes, you don’t need to build me a grave. Just cremate me and scatter the ashes into the sea. I don’t intend to leave this place for the rest of my life.”

“Isn’t it too early to talk like that, Grandpa? You haven’t even met your great-grandchildren yet. Would you really be content with that?”

“Is it something I can settle by being content or discontent? Not one of you wants to marry, and I can’t be bothered to force you. Only the people in a marriage know whether it is happy or difficult. Even if others keep urging you, they can’t live your lives for you. Of course it would be wonderful if I could meet them, but if I can’t, I won’t insist. There are two words your grandfather has followed all his life.”

“What words?”

“Let fate decide!” Old Grandpa Zhou threw back his head and laughed. “Fate is something you can neither see nor touch, but when it arrives, you know it. Hao, you must cherish your fate. Don’t end up like your aunt. Once you lose something, you may never find it again.”

Zhou Hao nodded in silence. His memory of his uncle was faint. He seemed to have been an especially quiet and solemn man, a typical engineer. Zhou Hao no longer remembered what had caused the two of them to divorce, and he was too embarrassed to ask his parents. But he knew that his aunt still thought of his uncle. All these years, however, she had refused to mention him—not even his name.

“As for Sheng, you must look after him in the future. Whatever else may be true, he’s still your younger brother. The same family blood runs through you.”

“Of course. Whether or not he has the surname Zhou, he’s still my brother. He’s the son of my own aunt—how could he be anyone else?”

Zhou Hao knew that his aunt and his mother had something of a mutual standoff, but the family kept the reason shrouded in silence. The younger generation had never let it drive them apart; they were merely somewhat helpless in the face of it.

Before evening, they carried the newly purchased barbecue grill to the beach behind the old house. The sand there was not as fine and soft as the sand at a tourist resort. It was coarse, littered with broken shells and the claws of shrimp and crabs. Anyone who walked across it barefoot risked cutting their feet.

The beach lay about fifty meters from the old house, reached by a narrow path bordered by tangled weeds.

They had bought the meat, vegetables, and fresh seafood that afternoon. The fishermen in the area usually went out to sea during the day and returned around four or five in the afternoon. The better seafood was taken by dealers, while the rest was sold directly at a market near the wharf. Such goods were remarkably cheap.

Clams cost only one or two yuan a pound, despite being fairly large; the tiniest ones were sold by the heap. There were crabs and shrimp as well, so cheap that even Chen Xin felt as though she had picked them up for free.

Sea fish were especially inexpensive here. One particular headless fish was about a palm and a half long and half a palm wide, with thick, firm flesh. Two of them cost only one yuan. Zhou Hao said they usually braised that kind of fish at home; the meat was tender yet satisfyingly springy.

There were sea vegetables of every description too. They might as well have been giving away a packet of them with every fish.

In any case, Chen Xin had never eaten seafood this cheap in either of her lifetimes.

The old man came down to the beach with them. There were two beach chairs at the house. He took one, while the other was given to Zhang Zhang, who sprawled across it.

Zhang Zhang wanted to play in the water, but the tide was coming in, and for safety’s sake he was not allowed to go into the sea.

Zhou Hao promised to take him out to gather seafood along the shore the next morning, then bring him swimming later in the morning, once the sun was less intense. Only then did the boy finally settle down.

Zhou Hao’s grandfather seemed to like Zhang Zhang quite a lot, and Zhang Zhang was already accustomed to spending time with old people. Whether it was his own grandparents, Grandpa Liu and Grandma Liu, or even Grandpa Song and Grandma Song from Cheng Jie’s family, he had spent long periods with them all. He had a special talent for comforting the elderly.

Zhou Sheng also loved playing with the camera. When Chen Xin told him she wanted to take some pictures for an online blog, he transformed into a photography fanatic, shooting from every possible angle. All kinds of ingredients and the surrounding scenery were captured by his lens. Chen Xin had specifically told him not to photograph people; otherwise, she had no idea what other tricks he might have tried.

“Come on, Sheng. Take a shot of your brother’s hands and the barbecue grill. Pay attention to the composition. Don’t include anything else—just those hands.”

Among men, Zhou Hao’s hands were exceptionally attractive. His knuckles were distinct without being overly coarse, and his joints were not too large. As a soldier, he kept himself meticulously clean and neat, and his nails were trimmed perfectly. Wrapped around a skewer of grilled meat, those hands possessed an inexplicably sensual quality that made people swallow.