Before leaving, Mr. Xu had mentioned that dedicated staff would handle all the cleaning at the villa. Therefore, after finishing the barbecue, Li Xiao didn’t waste time tidying up. However, he carefully poured clean water over the grill to thoroughly extinguish the charcoal.
The four of them said their goodnights and returned to their respective rooms.
The villa was well-equipped, with each room featuring an en-suite bathroom and a bathtub. After a comfortable, warm soak, Li Xiao suddenly felt drowsy. Having played for almost the entire day and woken up before dawn, he locked his door and quickly fell into a deep sleep.
What Li Xiao didn’t know was that he was the only one in the villa who had closed his door; the others had left theirs open. And while he fell asleep early, the other three were tossing and turning, unable to sleep.
The next day, he woke up bright and early. Seeing the other three looking bleary-eyed, he was a little puzzled.
Although the villa’s rates were exorbitant, the hotel clearly didn’t skimp on investments. The soundproofing of the doors and windows was excellent, completely blocking out any external noise. The bedding was also from premium brands, making his sleep incredibly comfortable.
Looking confused, he asked, “Why do you three look so exhausted? Did you not sleep well last night?
“If you want, you can rest a bit more. We don’t have to go to the pier.”
Hearing Li Xiao’s words, the three exchanged glances, seemingly detecting a hint of awkwardness in each other’s eyes.
The young assistant waved her hands repeatedly. “We’re already up, so let’s skip the sleep. I guess I was just too hyped from singing last night, so I couldn’t fall asleep right away.”
Hearing Zhou Shishi’s explanation, Wenchu People hurriedly nodded. “Yes, exactly! It’s been so long since I last came out to play. After having fun all day yesterday, I was just too excited. I lay in bed but couldn’t sleep.”
Wen Yaqian was much more composed than the other two. “I was scrolling through short videos in bed last night. I only planned to watch a couple more before sleeping, but I ended up scrolling until two in the morning.
“Still, it’s rare for us to come out and play, so let’s not waste time sleeping. Mr. Xu should be arriving soon. Let’s get ready to board the yacht, shall we?”
By the time they finished getting ready and stepped outside the villa, Mr. Xu was already waiting by the door.
He bowed slightly and politely greeted the four of them. “Good morning, honored guests. Shall we proceed with the original plan this morning? Would you like me to take you to the fishermen’s pier to see if you can pick out some suitable seafood?”
Li Xiao nodded. “Yes, we’ll stick to yesterday’s plan. Thanks for your hard work.”
After exchanging a few pleasantries, Mr. Xu led the four of them back onto the yacht.
Mr. Xu’s piloting skills were as steady as ever. About ten minutes later, the yacht docked beside a pier that was slightly smaller than the one from yesterday.
At this moment, aside from their luxury yacht, there were roughly twenty to thirty fishing boats of various sizes moored nearby.
The morning light pierced through the thin mist, spilling over the rippling sea. The golden sunshine and the water reflected each other, creating a captivating scene.
The pier was bustling with activity. Fishermen were busy unloading their overnight catch. Massive buckets of fish, shrimp, crabs, and shellfish were hauled ashore, the fresh seafood shimmering with a silvery glint in the morning light.
In addition to supplying wholesale seafood to the island’s shops, many fishermen set up stalls directly along both sides of the pier. Various types of seafood were displayed on stalls everywhere, and the air was filled with the mixed scent of seawater and fresh fish.
Mr. Xu enthusiastically greeted several vendors he knew well. As a South Australia Island local and a villa butler, he clearly recognized quite a few of them.
“Wow, what kind of shells are these? How come I’ve never seen them before?” Zhou Shishi squatted in front of a stall, speaking excitedly. Her gaze was drawn to the colorful shells on display.
This particular stall exclusively sold all sorts of shellfish. The smallest were the size of a pinky fingernail, while the largest were as big as a fist.
Pinching a pink conch between her fingers, Zhou Shishi’s eyes sparkled. “The color of this shell is just too gorgeous!”
Li Xiao nodded in agreement; the color of this conch was indeed quite rare. “If you like it, just buy it. Taking the meat out and using the shell as a decoration would look really nice.”
Zhou Shishi nodded repeatedly. “Then you guys go ahead and look around first. I’ll pick out a few I like here.”
The others continued forward. Wen Yaqian and Wenchu People were captivated by another vendor nearby.
The stall was lined with buckets of all sizes, each overflowing with fish. The oxygen pumps inside bubbled away, letting out continuous GURGLE GURGLE sounds.
These fish were clearly caught by the fishermen casting nets in the open sea; there were fish of all different species and sizes.
Mr. Xu led them toward another stall that displayed fresh conches and crabs.
The vendor, a middle-aged woman, immediately broke into a warm smile upon seeing Mr. Xu and the group. She asked enthusiastically, “Mr. Xu, brought friends to buy seafood again?”
Mr. Xu smiled in response. “Yes, ma’am. We want to pick out some fresh seafood.”
The female vendor immediately began introducing her seafood. “These crabs were just caught; they’re incredibly fresh.
“The conches were also harvested this morning. Look at this meat—absolutely fresh.”
As she spoke, she reached out and scooped up a crab, pressing her finger firmly against its belly. “Look how firm the meat on the belly is. You can tell at a glance that it’s meaty.
“Since you’re Mr. Xu’s friends, I’ll give you a bargain. The large crabs are thirty per pound, the small ones are twenty, and these conches are a flat fifteen per pound, regardless of size.”
Hearing the prices, Li Xiao raised an eyebrow.
The prices for these crabs were exceptionally cheap. Apart from a few mitten crabs he didn’t quite recognize, the majority were three-spot swimming crabs.
These crabs were quite large. The smaller ones weighed around two or three taels each, while the larger ones were at least four or five taels. In any regular seafood market outside, the price for crabs of this size would easily be double.
“How about these crabs? They look super fresh,” Wen Yaqian said, pointing to a pile of lively crabs.
“They’re not bad. Let’s buy these. There are tongs right over there. Use them to pick the crabs, and be careful not to get pinched by their claws,” Li Xiao reminded her. At the same time, his gaze landed on the conches displayed at the stall.
These conches were very active, each of them vigorously trying to escape their containers. He asked the vendor, “All of these conches are edible, right?”
The female vendor didn’t blatantly lie. She glanced around, and upon seeing that there were no other customers nearby, she lowered her voice slightly. “If it were anyone else, I’d definitely say yes. But since Mr. Xu brought you here, I won’t spout nonsense.
“The fact that I’m selling them here means they are definitely edible. However, most of these are bitter conches. They have a slightly bitter taste. We locals quite enjoy eating them, but I’m not sure if you tourists will be used to the flavor.”