Early the next morning, Ye Yaodong slept until he woke naturally. He checked the time-eight o'clock-and was surprised. It had been ages since he had slept so late.
Even during his two days off from going out to sea, he had gotten up early to check the tide.
Perhaps? Maybe? Working day and night yesterday had worn him out?
After getting out of bed, he rolled his neck and twisted his waist. After a night's sleep, he felt all right, not especially tired.
Youth really was an asset!
When he was tired, a night's sleep had him full of life again.
The door creaked open. "You're awake?"
"Yeah. Why didn't you wake me?"
Lin Xiuqing shot him a reproachful look. "Weren't you complaining last night that your back, waist, and shoulders hurt? That you ached everywhere and had no strength left? Since you were so tired yesterday, I thought I'd let you sleep a little longer."
He gave an awkward cough. "Ahem... I really was a bit tired yesterday."
Then he immediately changed the subject. "Oh, right. Are there still starfish out by the pier today? Has everyone in the village gone out?"
"Yes. I heard people were already waiting there with flashlights before dawn, before the tide had even gone out. By now, everyone in the village who can move is probably at the pier, along with people from the neighboring villages. Even standing in our doorway, I could see people everywhere outside the pier. There are more than yesterday."
He hurriedly pulled on his clothes and trousers. "Then you should've woken me earlier."
"Wasn't I just thinking about how hard you'd worked? You were picking them up alone, yet you collected more than anyone else. With so many people today, you probably wouldn't get much even if you