The 60s Island: The Daily Life of a Capitalist Young Lady with the Army - Chapter 61: I'll Tell You Tonight

Chapter 61: I’ll Tell You Tonight

His voice was deliberately even, yet held a trace of tension he himself hadn’t noticed.

“Did others… say anything?”

Xu Xiangsi was taking small bites of her meal and nearly blurted out: “Say what? Everyone at the beach dresses like that!”

But just before the words left her mouth, she abruptly stopped.

Wrong.

That was her previous life.

In her previous life, society was open-minded, with tank tops and short skirts everywhere.

How could this conservative era compare?

Her eyes darted mischievously as she immediately switched to an expression of natural innocence.

“Nothing at all,” she said.

Her smiling eyes curved like a sly little fox’s.

“I made that outfit myself for fun, copying it from a magazine when I had free time.”

“Besides, what’s fun about Shanghai’s beaches? They’re all muddy flats.”

“If I really went out dressed like that, wouldn’t I get arrested as a female hooligan?”

Hearing this, the heavy stone in Long Peiye’s heart finally settled.

So she made it herself and never wore it outside.

He secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

But then his mind turned to what she’d said earlier.

“This is a swimsuit! Clothes for swimming!”

Holding his chopsticks, he cautiously lifted his eyes like a schoolboy testing the waters.

“Then… you know how to swim?”

“So when you learned, you wore this?”

Xu Xiangsi shrugged indifferently at his question.

She scooped a spoonful of soup, drank it slowly, then set down the spoon.

“Not at all,” she said.

She looked at him with transparent, innocent eyes.

“When I learned to swim, I didn’t wear anything.”

Clatter.

Long Peiye’s chopsticks fell straight onto the table.

His eyes widened like copper bells.

His mouth slightly agape, his Adam’s apple bobbed, but no words came out.

Wore… nothing?

Seeing his thunderstruck expression, the amusement in Xu Xiangsi’s eyes deepened.

She leisurely picked up her chopsticks, selected a piece of potato, then slowly added:

“Must’ve been when I was about three years old.”

“My mother had a swimming pool at my grandfather’s western-style house. She taught me there.”

She tilted her head as if thinking.

“Oh, not exactly nothing.”

“Think I just wore little underpants back then.”

Long Peiye: “…”

Stiffly, he lowered his head and retrieved his chopsticks.

His heart, which had nearly leapt out of his throat from shock, thumped heavily back into his chest.

She scared him to death.

Three years old… little underpants…

Thank goodness.

After the meal,

Xu Xiangsi was already bursting with anticipation.

She put on a large straw hat, carried a small tin bucket, and clutched a little shovel, standing eagerly by the door waiting for him.

Seeing her like this, Long Peiye’s lips unconsciously curved upward.

He brought a palm-leaf fan and a small bag of salt. They walked out single-file toward the beach.

The setting sun stretched their shadows long across the ground.

One tall and straight, the other petite and delicate.

The man in military uniform looked heroic and extraordinary; the woman in white blouse and green trousers appeared fresh and refined.

Walking together, the two made far too striking a pair, drawing the attention of many residents in the compound.

Long Peiye fanned Xu Xiangsi with the large palm leaf fan in his hand, maintaining a leisurely pace as they walked.

A Military Wife who had just finished work smiled and initiated the conversation, “Battalion Commander Long, where are you taking Comrade Xu?”

Hearing this, Long Peiye responded with a beaming smile.

“My wife wants to go tide pooling, so I’m accompanying her to join in the fun.”

The Military Wife let out an envious “Aiyo” and teased, “Battalion Commander Long really dotes on his wife.”

No sooner had she finished speaking than a sour voice came from another corner.

“Battalion Commander Long trains so hard during the day. At this hour, shouldn’t you be resting at home instead of having energy for tide pooling?”

Everyone could hear the sharpness in those words.

But Long Peiye acted as if he didn’t understand, his smile growing even brighter instead.

He turned to glance at Xu Xiangsi beside him, speaking in a voice neither too loud nor too soft, but clear enough for everyone around to hear.

“If my wife likes it, I’ll accompany her.”

“As long as she’s happy, my little bit of hardship doesn’t matter.”

He paused, the tenderness in his eyes seeming to overflow.

“Besides, I don’t even feel it’s hard work.”

“Nothing makes me happier than seeing my wife joyful.”

Upon hearing this, several Military Wives gasped in unison.

Heavens!

These words were enough to make one blush and their heart race!

They stole glances at their own husbands who either ate or lounged around like masters the moment they returned home, feeling even more frustrated by the comparison.

After speaking, Long Peiye looked contentedly at the envious and jealous eyes around him.

He turned back, wanting to see if Xu Xiangsi was thoroughly moved by his words.

Instead, he was met with Xu Xiangsi’s peculiar expression.

She was raising her hand, vigorously rubbing her arm back and forth.

Her expression looked as if she’d seen a ghost.

She was muttering something under her breath too.

Long Peiye leaned closer to listen.

“Oh my god, so cheesy, I’m getting goosebumps all over… This man really tells lies without batting an eye…”

Long Peiye: “…”

The smile on his face instantly froze.

He knew it.

This woman simply didn’t get it.

No matter how much he said, it was like playing the lute to a cow – completely wasted.

The sea breeze carrying its salty, humid scent blew against their faces, while waves crashed against the reefs one after another.

The moment Xu Xiangsi reached the beach, she burst with excitement like an unbridled colt.

“Wow! Look quickly, this seashell is so beautiful!” She squatted down, cupping a pink-and-white fan-shaped shell in both hands, her eyes sparkling.

Long Peiye glanced at it and smiled helplessly, “Collecting shells again? Didn’t we agree we were here for tide pooling?”

“I’m just doing it along the way,” Xu Xiangsi mumbled, but her hands never stopped moving. In no time, her small bucket was half-filled with colorful shells and broken coral pieces.

Long Peiye shook his head, tucking the palm fan into his waistband, “If you really want to catch something to eat, we need to head over there.”

He pointed toward the mudflat recently exposed by the receding tide in the distance, “That’s where the good stuff is. If you only collect these, should I make you stir-fried shell soup tomorrow?”

Xu Xiangsi pouted, “With my skills, what treasures could I possibly dig up? Don’t tell me after all that effort, it won’t even be enough to fill the gaps between my teeth.”

“Through hard work, one can achieve prosperity,” Long Peiye patted her head, “When you actually dig something up yourself, the taste will be much more satisfying than anything bought from the market.”

Xu Xiangsi blinked, feeling both tempted and hesitant, but she still tightened her grip on the small shovel.

“Alright then, I’ll give it a try!”

With that, she stood up decisively and began scanning the beach left and right like a detective.

But after haphazard digging here and there, all she managed to produce were flying sand and scattered stones—not a single edible creature in sight.

Long Peiye could no longer stand watching. He strode over, rolling up his sleeves. “Silly girl, watch how it’s done!”

He crouched down, gently pressing his toe against a small burrow entrance, and patiently explained: “See this? These breathing holes mean there’s something inside. First sprinkle some salt, then dig slowly. Otherwise it’ll dart away faster than a rabbit.”

Xu Xiangsi listened attentively and carefully followed his instructions. To her surprise, a grayish clam suddenly emerged from the mud!

“Ahhh! It’s out!” She jumped up excitedly, grabbing the clam and raising it triumphantly. “Long Peiye, look! I did it!”

Long Peiye couldn’t suppress his laughter as he stepped forward and ruffled her hair. “Not bad at all, Comrade Xiangsi. This is our first harvest today—you deserve a reward.”

“What reward?” Xu Xiangsi blurted out without thinking.

The man raised an eyebrow slightly and murmured in a low voice: “I’ll tell you tonight when we get back.”