CHAPTER 359: CHAPTER 338: PEACH BLOSSOM SPRING

This time, Hu Xiaodong and Hu Dong got on the boat much quicker than before—this time, the tides were fiercer, the east wind stronger, and even the sea level was much higher than last time.

As a result, the sailboat caught the wind and moved far faster than before.

Once the father and son reached the shore, Lu Xi’an and Yao Wei carried four buckets to the side of the boat.

—On their way to the coast, they had already filled the four buckets with water.

"How about it? We kept our promise and brought back the buckets for you, right?"

Lu Xi’an put the water buckets on the father and son’s boat and said with a smile.

Hu Xiaodong hurriedly laughed awkwardly: "You’re joking with us, how could we doubt you two? If we doubted you, how would we dare leave the buckets with you?"

After saying that, he quickly added, "Really, thank you both so much for waiting here and getting the water for us so early."

As he spoke, he glanced at his son, Hu Dong, and the usually silent Hu Dong quickly added, "Thank you."

"You’re welcome."

Lu Xi’an casually replied, but didn’t engage with Hu Xiaodong’s comment about doubt.

Hu Xiaodong had forgotten how he was before when Lu Xi’an and Yao Wei took his buckets, their eyes looked as if they were saying farewell to a wife, yet here he was saying this.

But a mouth is on Hu Xiaodong, and no matter what he says, it’s up to him, and Lu Xi’an didn’t bother to pursue it.

"Do you need to rest this time?"

Hu Xiaodong replied, slightly embarrassed: "We still need a little rest, the wind is too strong, and the return journey is more exhausting, we can’t afford any mistakes. Would you two mind waiting a bit?"

Lu Xi’an nodded and said, "Alright, you all rest for a day, and let’s set off early tomorrow, okay?"

Hu Xiaodong nodded repeatedly and said: "No problem! Definitely no problem!"

So, Lu Xi’an and Yao Wei returned to the mountain top, and in the evening, they came down again to inspect their stranded boat. After confirming that there were no issues with launching it, they were relieved.

While they were inspecting, Hu Xiaodong said, "Don’t worry, the boat has already been checked by us, everything is fine, we can set off directly in the morning."

Having double-checked and confirmed, Lu Xi’an and Yao Wei felt even more at ease.

"Thank you."

Said Lu Xi’an, as he and Yao Wei returned to the mountain top, rested in their RV, and waited to go back down the next day.

On the East coast, Hu Xiaodong watched as Lu Xi’an and Yao Wei suddenly disappeared from sight and couldn’t help but sigh: "They are really easy to talk to! I’ve never seen such capable people so easy to deal with!"

The usually silent son, Hu Dong, again spoke up: "They are good people."

Hu Xiaodong nodded, "Indeed, they are truly good people!"

One night passed, and the east wind was slightly smaller the next day. After Lu Xi’an and Yao Wei got up and exercised, they stir-fried some shredded potatoes, had some barley rice, and went to the east coast to find Hu Xiaodong and his son.

The father and son brought their own provisions, pancakes made of barley mixed with sweet potato puree and potato bits, so Lu Xi’an and Yao Wei didn’t need to worry about their meals.

When Lu Xi’an and Yao Wei brought their drone and Gou to the coast, Hu Xiaodong and his son had already finished eating and were ready to set off immediately.

Seeing the things in Lu Xi’an and Yao Wei’s hands, Hu Xiaodong couldn’t help but remark: "These two things seem like they’re from that big ship. The look, the shell..."

Lu Xi’an said: "Alright, let’s hurry up and set out."

He had already asked Gou beforehand and confirmed that both Gou and the drone were well-designed for water resistance, so getting wet wasn’t a problem.

"Alright!"

Hu Xiaodong and his son agreed, pushed the boat into the sea, and jumped on board.

Lu Xi’an and Yao Wei followed closely, pushing their boat into the sea and jumping on board.

They placed Gou and the drone carefully on the boat, and then, maneuvering the sails and rowing in a zigzag, followed Hu Xiaodong and his son into the deep sea.

The sea waves rocked the boat up and down, swaying more intensely the further they went into the sea.

Yao Wei couldn’t help but keep a close watch on Gou and the drone, afraid they might accidentally get tossed into the water.

—Of course, she only needed to watch, because as a Type A Neo-Human, her speed was very quick, and in case of an emergency, she could swiftly grab Gou and the drone to protect them.

At the very least, she could ensure she had the drone and Gou in her hands, preventing them from falling into the vast sea, impossible to retrieve.

"Luckily we didn’t go out to sea."

Feeling the sea’s rocking, Lu Xi’an couldn’t help but sigh, "If we went out to sea, even if our boat was bigger than this one, in this endless ocean, it would be insignificant. If something happened and the boat capsized, we’d have nowhere to stand."

"Yeah."

Yao Wei also nodded, agreeing.

Fortunately, on this journey to East Island, they didn’t encounter any issues.

Just like Hu Xiaodong and his father once said, when the tides come in, there usually aren’t any big waves at sea. That’s good.

They spent most of the day, finally seeing an island appear far off to the east.

The island wasn’t large, neatly flat, with edges like stairs, and the top flat like it was deliberately decorated into a cake, looking peculiar, unlike a natural formation.

This "cake" was encircled by greenery. In the northwest direction of the lowest layer, something vaguely could be seen. Upon closer inspection, it was a large steel ship, beached for an unknown period of time, its hull seemingly embedded into the earth, surrounded by vegetation.

The ship was rusty, with numerous vines crawling over it. The windows of the second-floor cabin had long been broken, whether smashed by people or damaged by heavy sea waves in the past remains unknown.

"Is that your East Island?"

Lu Xi’an asked.

They stayed close to Hu Xiaodong and his father’s boat, speaking loudly enough for them to hear completely.

"Yes!"

Hu Xiaodong and his father answered loudly, "Our island looks like this. According to the elders, it was deliberately made this way for survival reclamation back then, which is why it looks a bit strange.

"Below is actually the normal appearance of an island and mountain, but they’re submerged by seawater. You can only see them when the tide recedes. We actually live atop this island’s mountain."

Lu Xi’an understood: "So you can only go out to sea to Caiyang Mountain when the tide rises, right?"

"Yes."

Hu Xiaodong answered, "Actually, it’s quite good this way. Once the tide drops, we hide on the mountaintop, and nobody, no matter how skilled, can easily come over."

"Indeed."

Lu Xi’an nodded.

"Look over there, that’s the ship I mentioned to you two. See, I didn’t lie to you, right?"

Hu Xiaodong pointed out the rusty large ship that Lu Xi’an and Yao Wei had already seen, saying.

Lu Xi’an smiled and said, "I never said you lied to me. If I thought you were lying, I wouldn’t have come along."

"Indeed."

Hu Xiaodong laughed sheepishly, and further introduced Lu Xi’an and Yao Wei, "You two don’t know; I once saw a great tide when I was a kid. That tide was fierce, it nearly flooded the bottom layer you see now.

"At that time, it was just a little more and this ship would’ve been swept away by the sea. I was watching from the third floor with others on the island, so nervous. If it had been swept away by the sea, we wouldn’t be able to climb up now."

"And you couldn’t earn money from me, right?"

Lu Xi’an joked.

This made Hu Xiaodong embarrassed again, scratching his head.

However, Hu Xiaodong understood now that Lu Xi’an and Yao Wei meant no harm, and were simply joking.

The boat continued in a zigzag course, gradually approaching East Island.

They saw people working along the island’s shore, and children playing, a harmonious, vibrant scene, truly better than elsewhere.

Some children saw the boat and jumped around, waving towards it.

Lu Xi’an felt that such an atmosphere was something even the 923 Base couldn’t provide.

It was as if he’d traveled back to a previous life, traveling everywhere, stumbling upon a small village amid the landscape, so simple and beautiful, offering a peaceful serenity even from a distance, a beauty isolated from the world.

On the other boat, Hu Xiaodong and Hu Dong both raised their arms, waving to the people on the island, looking very happy.

As he waved, Hu Xiaodong introduced Lu Xi’an and Yao Wei: "That little boy is my grandson, Hu Xiaodong. He’s different from my son; he’s quite lively."

Hu Dong just grinned widely.

Lu Xi’an couldn’t help but laugh; Hu Dong’s child was indeed also named Hu Xiaodong. This family truly seemed to be playing out "One Hundred Years of Solitude."

The children on the island noisily ran a hundred meters south, then a boy spoke to an adult there.

There was an adult female who was originally bent over working. After the boy spoke, she straightened up, glanced over to the sea, and waved as well.

Hu Xiaodong smiled widely: "That’s my daughter-in-law. My son can only joke around with my daughter-in-law; he doesn’t talk much with us."

"That area is our family’s land. It’s not much, just enough to feed our family. So we still buy grains from the island market.

"Once we’re on the island, do you two want to visit the ship or stroll around the island first? You could also check out the market."

Lu Xi’an said with a smile: "Why aren’t you planning to earn the fare in between, letting us go to the market ourselves?"

Hu Xiaodong smiled bashfully: "We’ve already earned enough. You two treat us sincerely, how can we only think about making money without considering your wishes?

"Bringing you two to the island, that alone earned us quite a bit, didn’t it?"

With his constant chatter, Lu Xi’an decided not to mind him. After some thought, he said, "Let’s visit the ship first, and then the market. If we find anything we don’t need on the ship, we can sell it directly at the market."