The two sisters finished turning over the rest of the dried shrimp and put everything in order before coming over.
Chen Pandi asked with a smile, "What were you doing just now?"
"Those two little tagalongs were in the way!" Chen Sidi grumbled, though she was smiling.
"Sister, we found a great big little bird..."
"What bird? Where did it come from?"
The two sisters glanced at the bird's nest cupped in Chen Haichao's hands and saw that there really was a little bird.
Chen Xiaoliu added, "We're going to take it home and raise it, or it'll freeze to death."
Chen Haichao looked at them. "Finished? If you're done, let's head back. Mom and Dad are probably already at the shore."
"We're done. Let's go back first."
Chen Xiaoliu trotted happily beside Chen Haichao. "Big Brother, are your hands sore? Do you want me to help?"
"My feet are sore. Carry me on your back."
"Ah~ I'd get squashed flat."
Chen Xiaoqi was grinning foolishly beside them when he stumbled.
If Chen Pandi hadn't grabbed him by the collar, he would have fallen.
"Watch the road ahead. Don't just stand there grinning like a fool..."
"It's too dark~" Even after nearly falling himself, Chen Xiaoqi didn't forget to remind Chen Haichao, "Big Brother, watch the road. Don't drop the little bird."
"So it's all right if your brother falls, as long as he doesn't drop the little bird, is that it?"
Chen Xiaoqi's eyelashes fluttered as he pondered how to answer. Chen Sidi gave him a pat on the head.
"Watch the road! If you fall flat on your face later, just wait till you get home and get a beating."
"I tore a hole in my pants when I fell, and Mom didn't even know. She didn't beat me at all," Chen Xiaoliu said innocently.
"That's because she was busy and had no time to deal with you. Just wait till bedtime and see if she notices. You won't get away with it."
Chen Xiaoliu shrank her neck, growing nervous and frightened again. "I'm going to sleep with Sister tonight..."
"Heh~"
By now, the village was shrouded in darkness. It was so quiet that only an occasional meow could be heard. There was no one else on the road, only the siblings chattering away as they walked with their flashlights.
When they got home, they had planned to send the twins over to Grandma's, but the two flatly refused. They wanted to stay at home with the little bird. If they went to Grandma's, they would have to go straight to bed.
They had just gotten an unusual little pet, and neither of them could bear to go to sleep.
Chen Haichao had no choice but to light a dim kerosene lamp for them and tell them to stay home and behave, without going outside.
The wind howled along the shore, where Father and Mother Chen were already down in the water, hard at work.
When the siblings arrived, they followed them into the water. If this batch couldn't be dried, they could save it up; it wasn't going to disappear.
They had twisted their resolve into a single rope, the whole family pulling together.
Looking at his family working hard alongside him, Chen Haichao felt his heart fill to the brim. With the whole family working as one, what hardship couldn't they overcome?
This time, however, they didn't stay until the tide had fully receded as they had the night before. The sea breeze was too cold in the middle of the night, and the water was icy enough to chill them to the bone. Before ten, Mother Chen called them ashore and told them to stop gathering.
They couldn't ruin their health from the cold just to earn a little money. Besides, this batch gathered at night might not sell, so there was no need to work themselves so hard.
Although they hadn't waited for the tide to reach its lowest point, they had still gathered four large sacks, which looked to weigh another six or seven hundred jin. Yesterday, they had lost some time watching the commotion.
As they pushed the handcart home, Mother Chen said, "I made ginger soup tonight and put it in the thermos. When we get back, everyone should pour themselves a bowl to drive off the cold, then soak your feet. Don't let yourselves get chilled, not with the New Year so close."
Chen Haichao said, "We all made sure to put on an extra layer tonight, so we won't get cold. We've got hats and scarves too, and young people are as strong as can be. You and Dad take care of yourselves. Don't come out tomorrow night. New Year's almost here, so take a break and get to bed early."
Father Chen chuckled. "You youngsters might not even be as healthy as I am."
"How could that be? Now, if you said we weren't as quick at work as you, that'd be more like it."
"It's almost ten. I wonder if those two at home are asleep. Are they scared, being there by themselves?" As Mother Chen spoke, she quickened her pace. The two children were still young, and she couldn't stop worrying about them.
"They probably can't bear to go to sleep."
"You said earlier that they picked up a seabird. What kind was it again?" Father Chen asked curiously. He had heard Chen Haichao mention it earlier, but the wind at the shore had been loud, and he hadn't listened closely.
"It's a cormorant. Once it's grown, we can train it to catch fish."
"I think I've heard that those birds can catch fish, but I've never seen one. Those two little ones have pretty good luck."
"First we have to see if we can raise it. I don't know if those two gave it water and something to eat..."
They chatted all the way home, their hands and feet frozen numb, as though they no longer belonged to them.
When they opened the door and didn't see the boy-and-girl twins, they thought the two had gone to bed on their own. To their surprise, the twins were still awake, and as soon as they heard them come home, they emerged from his room.
"Mom, Dad, you're back! Come and look at the little bird!"
"The little bird is so cute..."
Hearing their clear little voices, Father Chen felt all the weariness leave his body. His face broke into a broad smile as they pulled him into the room to see the little bird.
As for Mother Chen, they didn't dare act up around her!
They were afraid she'd scold them for still being awake.
Sure enough!
"Look at the time! You're still awake and looking at a bird? When the grown-ups aren't home, you two don't have to sleep, is that it?"
Chen Xiaoliu plucked up her courage. "I'm sleeping with Sister tonight!"
"Suit yourself. Both of you, come wash your faces and feet, then get into bed."
Chen Xiaoliu said, "Xiao Qi can wash first..."
Chen Xiaoqi said, "Xiao Liu can wash first..."
"Both of you, get over here together. Every day you keep pushing things onto each other. Don't you know how filthy you are?"
The two dawdled over and, unsurprisingly, got another thorough scolding. She complained about how grubby they were: every day, if they hadn't torn a hole in their clothes, they had scraped holes in both knees.
Chen Haichao first went to check on the cormorant. It was still fine in the nest he had made, with a chipped bowl of water and a small piece of fish in front of it. It seemed the two knew a thing or two about feeding it.
Since they had put it in his room anyway, they might as well keep it there. His room was a little warmer than the main room, and during the day they could put it beside the stove, where it would be warmer.
The bird didn't even have all its feathers yet. If they hadn't found it, it probably would have frozen to death within a couple of days.
As soon as the twins had finished washing up, they ran back to his room to look at the bird. Chen Xiaoliu no longer wanted to sleep with her sister.
"Big Brother, I want to sleep with you tonight."
"No. If both of you sleep with me, will I get any sleep at all?"
"I want to, I want to~" She swiftly took off her padded jacket and trousers, climbed onto the bed, and hid under the quilt.
Chen Xiaoqi was still crouching in front of the nest. He was already yawning, but he couldn't bear to go to bed. "Big Brother, let's give the little bird a name."
"All right, you two pick one."
"Let's call it Xiao Ba!"
"You're giving it a number in the family? Mom and Dad can't give birth to a bird."
"I want to call it Xiao Ba. It's part of our family now too."
For once, Chen Xiaoliu agreed instead of arguing with him. "Xiao Qi is right. It's a member of our family now too, so we have to call it Xiao Ba."
"All right. It's rare for you two to agree. Now hurry up and get into bed. You can both sleep with me tonight, but behave yourselves. Lie down and go to sleep. No fussing, no talking, and no kicking."
"Mm-hm, we'll be good."
Chen Haichao felt he had been too hasty after all. He had been fooled. Two lumps were wriggling under the quilt...