"Brother-in-law, what did you catch?"
Hearing the commotion, Shen Qingyue came jogging over with a bamboo basket in hand. When she saw the Spotted Eel still wriggling in Wang Mengde's hand, her eyes instantly lit up as she exclaimed in delight:
"A Spotted Eel! It's so big—it could probably sell for eight Spirit Sand."
One had to know that in the past, her brother-in-law only earned two or three Spirit Sand on average after toiling for an entire day.
This one Spotted Eel was worth three days' income.
"Not bad luck." Wang Mengde handed the eel to Shen Qingyue.
Shen Qingyue transferred it into the net bag, then suddenly realized something. She looked up at Wang Mengde. "Brother-in-law, your Spirit Eye Technique... broke through?"
In the past, her brother-in-law could only tell that there were shrimp or crabs in a certain place, but just now, he had directly named Purple Shells and Green-Claw Shrimp.
Seeing the hopeful clarity in the girl's eyes, Wang Mengde nodded. "Mm. I gained some insight just now and luckily broke through. It's reached minor mastery."
"That's wonderful, truly wonderful." She was so excited that she gave a small hop on the spot, her eyes even turning a little red.
With her brother-in-law's Spirit Eye Technique having broken through, their efficiency at combing the shore would greatly improve. Even if they came only to the reef area every day, their harvest would definitely exceed what they had before.
Even if Chen the Pockmarked took away the family's spirit boat.
As long as her brother-in-law possessed this skill, the two of them could earn enough for the monthly rent by combing the shore. They would not be driven off Rosy Cloud Island and reduced to materials for evil cultivators or food for demons.
At last, there was something to look forward to in the days ahead.
Though the debt of five Spirit Stones still weighed heavily on them, at least there was hope.
Seeing her reddened eyes, Wang Mengde gently patted his sister-in-law's shoulder and said warmly, "Believe me. Our days will soon get better."
The improvement in his Spirit Eye Technique had confirmed the effects of the Heaven Rewards Diligence Fate.
As long as he practiced diligently, his spells could steadily improve.
His predecessor had cultivated both the Entwining Silk Technique and the Fishing Technique to the peak of beginner mastery. They only lacked one or two experience points to break through.
His cultivation also needed only two experience points to break through.
Once his cultivation and both techniques broke through together, the speed at which he earned Spirit Sand would surely increase greatly.
"Mm." Shen Qingyue nodded hard.
"Brother-in-law, let's keep going." Shen Qingyue clenched her little fist, brimming with determination.
"Alright."
Wang Mengde circulated the Spirit Eye Technique.
His gaze swept around, taking in everything within a radius of four zhang.
"Qingyue, two steps to your right front. Beneath that clump of brown algae, there are three Green Crabs as large as palms."
Shen Qingyue answered crisply and immediately turned around, deftly using her hook to push aside the clump of brown algae swaying gently with the seawater.
Wang Mengde did not stay idle either. Carrying the fine-meshed net bag in his left hand, he walked toward a shallow sand pit.
He crept closer on tiptoe, picked his spot, and snapped his wrist. The net bag plunged diagonally into the water, swift and steady, scooping along the sandy bottom.
Water splashed lightly. When he lifted the net bag, five nearly transparent Sand-Line Fish as thick as thumbs were writhing inside in panic.
"Five Sand-Line Fish." Wang Mengde poured the fish into the small bamboo basket at his waist with satisfaction.
After that, the two worked in tandem, dividing the labor between them with remarkable efficiency.
Relying on the insight of his minor mastery Spirit Eye Technique, Wang Mengde assigned tasks to the two of them.
Ordinary shrimp, crabs, shellfish, and small fish posed little danger, so he directed his sister-in-law to catch them.
Anything somewhat dangerous, hidden in tricky spots, or requiring skill and a certain amount of spiritual power to capture safely, he handled personally.
From time to time, Shen Qingyue's clear cries of surprise and admiration rang out through the reef area.
"Brother-in-law, you're amazing!"
"Brother-in-law, you're so incredible today!"
The girl's silver-bell voice drifted through the slightly salty, fishy sea breeze, filled with the joy of harvest and admiration for her brother-in-law.
Wang Mengde had initially found it rather enjoyable, but the longer he listened, the more this modern soul of his felt that something was a little strange.
Then he became a little excited.
What a shameless bastard.
Wang Mengde secretly spat at himself. He then took a deep breath, regained his composure, and continued using the Spirit Eye Technique.
The morning sun gradually climbed higher, dispersing the last of the sea mist.
The tide began to rise slowly, submerging the lower reefs and tidal flats.
The spiritual power in Wang Mengde's dantian was nearly exhausted, and his head felt somewhat heavy from continuously casting spells.
He stopped the Spirit Eye Technique and rubbed his brow.
"Brother-in-law, shall we continue?" Shen Qingyue dug up a Razor Clam and looked back at Wang Mengde.
"My spiritual power is exhausted." Wang Mengde waved his hand. The spiritual power reserves of the First Layer of Qi Refinement were simply too little.
Hearing this, Shen Qingyue was not disappointed. Instead, she comforted him:
"Brother-in-law, you were already amazing today."
Then, as if presenting a treasure, she lifted the heavy bamboo basket and net bag. A satisfied smile filled her face. "We've already harvested so, so much today. Look..."
The bamboo basket contained Green Crabs, Flower Crabs, Swimming Crabs, and all manner of crabs large and small, tied up with straw rope.
There were also Sand-Line Fish.
The net bag held the Spotted Eel, along with all sorts of sea snails—Iron-Shell Snails, Spicy Whelks, Sesame Snails—as well as Clams, Razor Clams, and other shellfish.
Though apart from the two Cloud-Pattern Crabs they had caught at first and the later Spotted Eel, most of this seafood did not contain even a trace of spiritual power and was merely ordinary seafood, the quantity was truly considerable.
Shen Qingyue counted on her fingers and made a rough calculation before crying out:
"Brother-in-law, all this seafood together can definitely sell for ten Spirit Sand. With the Spotted Eel and the Cloud-Pattern Crabs, it's close to twenty Spirit Sand."
The girl's bangs were damp with sweat and stuck to her smooth temples. Her little face was flushed with excitement, but her eyes shone astonishingly bright. Looking at their overflowing harvest, she could not suppress the smile at the corners of her lips.
Twenty Spirit Sand.
For the Wang Mengde of old and Shen Qingyue, whose daily income had only been two or three Spirit Sand, this was a bumper harvest.
Looking at the heavy harvest before her, then thinking of the hope brought by her brother-in-law's breakthrough in the Spirit Eye Technique, the girl felt herself filled with motivation.
The girl raised her head and looked at Wang Mengde, her dark, bright eyes brimming with excitement. "Brother-in-law, from now on, we'll leave before dawn every day.
"At this rate, twenty a day, two hundred in ten days, and in a month... we'll soon save up plenty of Spirit Sand.
"Maybe we really can gather those five Spirit Stones within the deadline Chen the Pockmarked set and keep our spirit skiff."
The more she spoke, the more excited she became. Her cheeks were crimson, filled with certainty and longing for the future.
Looking at the girl's youthful, radiant smile, Wang Mengde seemed to be infected by her mood. His own spirits lifted and brightened.
Seeing her brother-in-law reveal a relaxed smile as well, Shen Qingyue seemed to gather more courage. She stepped closer, raised her head, and looked earnestly at Wang Mengde with those dark, bright eyes.
"Brother-in-law, then let's set a small goal: keep our spirit skiff."
Meeting the girl's clear, trusting gaze and feeling the dependence and determination in her words, which tightly bound their fates together, Wang Mengde felt a heavy sense of responsibility and a desire to protect her rise in his heart.
"Alright. Let's set a small goal: keep our spirit skiff."
"Mm."
Having received an affirmative answer, Shen Qingyue seemed to have received the most important promise of all. An incomparably brilliant smile blossomed across her little face.
She swung her clenched little fist hard and repeated brightly to the steadily rising tide, "Keep our spirit skiff."
The sea breeze swept past, lifting several mischievous strands of hair before her forehead.
Sunlight filtered through the gradually thinning mist and fell right upon Shen Qingyue's upturned face.
The sixteen-year-old girl still retained a trace of childishness in her features, yet one could already glimpse the grace she would possess in the future.
Her dark, bright eyes reflected the sky's light and the sea's colors, sparkling clean without the slightest impurity.
Bathed in golden morning light, her entire body overflowed with vigorous youthfulness and vitality.
Looking at that pretty face so close at hand, Wang Mengde's heartbeat quickened slightly.
The next instant, Wang Mengde cursed himself as a beast. He turned around, slung the bamboo basket of seafood onto his back, lifted the heavy net bag, and strode toward the shore as he said in a low voice:
"Qingyue, the tide is getting higher and higher. Let's head back and sell everything at the pier first."
"Alright."
Shen Qingyue answered cheerfully, quickly gathered up the tools, and followed Wang Mengde with light steps.
One before the other, the two walked across reefs and wet sand increasingly submerged by seawater, heading toward the shore.
Before you continue