Ch 18: The World’s Number One Resort

“Old Chen’s sister-in-law is doing Aierjian now, and I’ve heard it works well. I’m thinking about giving it a try when we get back,” Zhao Hongxia said hesitantly as she smoothed out the bedsheets.

Old Chen, whose real name is Chen Fenglian, lived in the same neighborhood as them. Now retired, they often danced together in the square with a few other friends. Aierjian was a well-known health brand that focused on natural medicine, supplements, and medical equipment, with over 600 branches nationwide. Old Chen’s sister-in-law became an Aierjian agent and often tried to persuade Zhao Hongxia to buy some health products. At first, Zhao Hongxia refused, but over time, her resolve began to waver.

“All these supplements are scams. Didn’t our son already tell you not to mess around with those things?” Xia Shengguo frowned as he heard Zhao Hongxia mention Aierjian. These days, there were constant warnings on TV about health supplement scams, and while his wife was usually sharp, she seemed to be getting more gullible as she aged.

“Little Wang passed away last month, and it’s been weighing on my mind. You know how these things go—one day you’re fine, and the next, illness strikes. We’re not young anymore. We need to take care of our health and prevent things like this from happening,” Zhao Hongxia replied quietly. Little Wang, a woman from their square-dancing group, had been full of life just a few months ago but was suddenly struck by cancer and passed away. She was only 58, five years younger than Zhao Hongxia, and her sudden death left Zhao Hongxia deeply unsettled.

The idea of her own mortality now haunted her, so much so that she started following a strict diet and trying to live as healthily as possible. Their son, seeing her anxiety, had even suggested this overseas trip to help her relax. But it seemed the break hadn’t completely eased her mind.

“Didn’t our son get you that premium health checkup plan? You get a full checkup every three months. What else do you need to prevent?” Xia Shengguo reminded her. Their son had purchased the highest tier of VIP health checkups for them, which had already been used twice.

“Hospitals aren’t reliable. They take the checkup fee but don’t even do a proper examination…” Zhao Hongxia muttered.

“And you think Aierjian is?” Xia Shengguo shot back, his patience starting to wear thin.

“Well, Old Chen said they just got a precision body scanner. Her sister-in-law can get me a free test,” Zhao Hongxia argued.

“So, the big machines at hospitals aren’t reliable, but this small gadget is?” Xia Shengguo chuckled, now fully exasperated. “You know what? Fine, do what you want. Dinner’s almost ready, I’m going downstairs.”

“I’m just talking to you about it. Why are you getting so worked up?” Zhao Hongxia responded, her voice tinged with hurt. She hadn’t even made any purchases yet, and it wasn’t like they couldn’t afford it. A few thousand yuan wasn’t a big deal now that their finances were comfortable. Why was he acting like she was making an unreasonable request?

“Ah, looks like Tang’s already got the fish ready. Let’s go eat first. We’ll deal with this later,” Xia Shengguo said, trying to avoid a deeper argument as he quickly grabbed a light jacket and headed down the ladder from the treehouse. Zhao Hongxia, left alone, sighed as she tied a silk scarf around her neck and glanced at the latest message from Old Chen on her phone.

…

Meanwhile, Tang Huai had caught ten colorful fish and was busy grilling them over a small portable grill. He’d brought olive oil, cumin, and chili powder from the mainland, and with his prior grilling experience, the fish gave off an irresistibly fragrant aroma in less than thirty minutes.

By 7:50, Jiang Yaoyao, Darcy, Evan, and the others had freshened up and made their way down from the treehouses.

“Is this the famous specialty grilled fish that costs two hundred per fish? Manager Tang, did you clean these properly? Are they safe to eat?” Qian Dasong asked, raising an eyebrow.

Qian Dasong, now dressed in a black short-sleeved shirt and holding a small lunchbox, was the first to step forward. He wasn’t deliberately trying to cause trouble, but ever since he became wealthy, he had become accustomed to a certain standard of living. While this trip was far from a presidential-level tour, the fact that he even had to bring his own lunchbox for a meal made him feel like he was back in his days on the construction site—days he had no desire to revisit.

“The fish are all cleaned, don’t worry. These Blue Sea fish are edible,” Tang Huai said as he brushed a layer of olive oil on the fish. He had picked up on Qian Dasong’s dissatisfied tone but knew after five days together that, while Qian Dasong had a temper, he didn’t mean any harm. In the tourism business, after all, service was key.

“But this fish—”

“Are you going to eat or not? If not, go back to sleep,” Jiang Yaoyao interjected, giving Qian Dasong a sharp pinch on the arm and glaring at him. She was fed up with him nitpicking while everyone else had already settled in to enjoy the meal.

“I just wanted to ask if you could put more cumin on mine…” Qian Dasong mumbled, feeling a bit wronged. He had disembarked at three in the afternoon, hiked for three hours, and eaten all the chocolate he had packed. Fresh grilled fish sounded way better than any industrial snacks, and considering each fish cost 200 yuan—more than even the spicy grilled fish back home—it was only right that he savored every bite.

After Jiang Yaoyao’s reprimand, Qian Dasong quieted down and sat on the ground. The sandy shore around Blue Sea Lake was soft, making it more comfortable than his office chair back home.

“The fish are ready, and the condiments are on the side,” Tang Huai announced as he finished grilling the fish. He carefully placed a portion in each of their small lunchboxes. The boxes were a bit small, so some of the fish tails hung over the edges. As Tang Huai handed out the food, the group turned their attention to the grilled fish in front of them.

The fish had a slightly crispy, charred exterior, and the skin looked perfectly golden. Li Rui cut into it with his knife and fork, revealing the tender, white meat inside. A sprinkle of cumin transformed the aroma, elevating the already delicious scent.

“Manager Tang, this fish doesn’t have any bones, right?” Xia Shengguo asked, glancing at Tang Huai as he cut off a small piece. Zhao Hongxia couldn’t handle fish with bones due to her poor teeth.

“No bones,” Tang Huai replied, already digging into his meal. After days of catching and eating these Blue Sea fish, he had developed a fondness for their rich flavor. It had been a while since he last tasted them, and now he found himself craving them again.

The grilled fish was so flavorful that, after the first bite, everyone else quickly joined in.

“This is the best fish I’ve ever had! I’ve eaten fish my whole life, but I’ve never tried this kind before. Is it sold in China? It’s just too good.”

“It’s incredibly tender. If only we had some Sichuan peppercorns, that would be perfect. But even without it, this fish would be a top-tier dish back home, no doubt.”

“Now I understand why the Chinese character for ‘fresh’ includes the character for ‘fish’…”

With just one bite, the group felt as though their taste buds were overwhelmed by the freshness and flavor of the Blue Sea fish. In China, there was no shortage of delicious fish dishes—sweet and sour fish, steamed fish head with chopped chili, spicy boiled fish—but none of those compared to this. It was as if they were truly tasting fish for the first time.

“This is a gift from God,” Darcy and Evan mumbled in their broken Mandarin, licking their fingers. They weren’t particularly fond of fish, but after taking just one bite, they were stunned by the explosion of flavor from the slightly charred fish. It was… unbelievably delicious!

“The taste is alright; let me try another one.” While everyone was marveling at the flavor, Qian Dasong had already devoured an entire fish in no time. As he finished the last morsel of the tail, his expression still showed a hint of dissatisfaction.

After Qian Dasong spoke, everyone turned to him. If they remembered correctly, he had been the one with the biggest complaints earlier.

“Ahem, it’s not that the fish is amazing—I was just really hungry,” Qian Dasong coughed lightly, his gaze shifting evasively. He had hiked for three hours today, and one fish was nowhere near enough.

“There’s one more left,” Tang Huai said with a grin. He had grilled ten fish earlier, leaving just two remaining. And with each fish tied to the island’s economy, Tang Huai was naturally more than happy to provide more.

Qian Dasong quickly took another fish, and Xia Shengguo, seeing this, swiftly grabbed the last one. Evan looked on helplessly but didn’t mind too much, as the fish he and Darcy shared was quite large and filling.

After the feast, everyone leaned back with satisfied smiles.

They chatted for a bit as the time passed, and by 9:30, the peaceful night had settled in. After bidding each other goodnight, the group headed back to their individual treehouses under the Angel Oak trees.

Tang Huai stayed behind, tidying up the grill.

“Manager Tang, don’t you think something’s off with Mr. and Mrs. Xiao?” Jiang Yaoyao walked over as he was folding the grill, her voice tinged with mystery.

“What do you mean?” Tang Huai asked, puzzled.

“Ugh, never mind. You wouldn’t understand even if I explained.”

Jiang Yaoyao hesitated, then let out a frustrated sigh. She wasn’t usually one to gossip, but with only eight of them on the island, and since she couldn’t stream all the time, it was hard not to notice something was off. During dinner, she’d sensed a strange tension between Zhao Hongxia and Xia Shengguo, like they were holding something back. She had tried asking Qian Dasong, but he, being his usual oblivious self, hadn’t picked up on anything. Now, even Tang Huai seemed clueless.

Jiang Yaoyao sighed, deciding to drop the subject. Asking further would only make her seem nosy.

After helping Tang Huai finish cleaning up, she tossed her long hair over her shoulder and walked away. Tang Huai watched her retreating figure, still puzzled by what had just happened.

The moon rose high in the sky. Darcy and Evan discussed design concepts, Jiang Yaoyao and Qian Dasong were busy with their own “harmonious life,” and Xia Shengguo and Zhao Hongxia lay in bed, backs turned to each other.

Xia Shengguo felt a dull ache in his teeth. Earlier, Chen Fenglian, his sister-in-law, had made an international call, persuading Zhao Hongxia to return for a health checkup. She had even criticized him, calling him old-fashioned and rigid for not embracing modern health trends. He had never imagined that behind all her enthusiastic “Brother” greetings, she would speak about him like that behind his back. Xia Shengguo felt a wave of irritation.

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