Cloud Province.
The setting sun gradually sank below the horizon, leaving only a beam of light shooting into the sky.
The tide had gone out.
Quite a few people stood barefoot by the sea, baskets on their backs, their heads lowered as they rummaged through the sand.
People who lived by the sea followed the rhythm of the rising and falling tides, timing their trips for low tide.
They went to the coastal mudflats and reefs to gather seafood, a practice known as tide gathering.
The tools used for tide gathering came in all shapes and sizes, but they boiled down to four things.
Gloves, a small basket, a hook, and a shovel.
Sun Hai had grown up in the sea and needed none of these tools.
He relied entirely on his own two hands.
The Sun Family made their home on boats and their living by fishing, and had lived at sea for generations.
Seafaring folk like his family were not uncommon along the coast.
Before long, the basket on Sun Hai's back was filled to the brim.
He handed the basket to his younger brother, then swam out into deeper water.
The farther he went from shore, the darker the water became.
The endless waves in the distance left him a little entranced.
Suddenly, his hand touched something warm and wriggling, and he gave it a hard tug.
A living creature appeared in his grasp.
When he realized it was only a cat, he jumped in fright and hastily let go.
How could there be a cat in the sea??
Kitten dropped back into the water.
Only Sun Hai's head showed above the surface.
This was already deep water, somewhere no one would dare swim unless they were a strong swimmer.
At that moment, if there had not