Hearing the voice call her name, Bai Suxiang turned her head.
"What's wrong?"
The person was bent over, hands clutching his stomach, his head facing the beach, but his body refused to squat down no matter what.
Bai Suxiang ran over while shouting loudly.
There was no one else on the shore at this time; if she didn't help him, he might fall to the ground.
Bai Suxiang couldn't bother with anything else. She reached him and immediately bent down to support him.
But to her surprise, his hand grabbed Bai Suxiang's shoulder.
His hand hooked tightly around Bai Suxiang's neck, his fingers even touching her cheek.
Bai Suxiang's heart tensed, and she let go of her hand.
"Ouch! Ah..."
The man groaned, seemingly in great pain.
Bai Suxiang hurried to help him up again.
Under normal circumstances, a man making such a move would surely have ill intentions.
But Bai Suxiang saw sweat beading on the man's forehead and his hat askew. He probably wasn't trying to take advantage of her.
"Sir, what's wrong? Do you have any medicine on you?"
Bai Suxiang asked.
Generally, if an elderly person often had such sudden ailments, they would surely carry medicine.
If not, she would have to think of other ways.
"Oh, yes, in my shirt pocket, there's... painkillers. Can you, can you get it for me..."
The man endured the severe pain and spoke, his fingers still consciously pointing to his shirt pocket.
However, due to his physical condition, he could no longer reach it.
Bai Suxiang's eyes were quick. She found the medicine immediately, took out a pill, and handed it to him.
The man took it, popped it into his mouth, and tilted his head back. His expression relaxed considerably.
"Help me sit down slowly. It'll be fine in a while."
The man's voice was a little weak and much lower.
Bai Suxiang didn't say much. Following his instructions, she slowly helped him sit down on the sand.
The sea roared, but the waves didn't reach them.
However, watching them repeatedly hit the shore, it wouldn't take long for them to be submerged.
The man closed his eyes and meditated for a moment. After his breathing evened out, he said:
"Thank you for saving me. Fortunately, I met you today, otherwise..."
"It's only right. I believe anyone in this situation would have helped!"
Bai Suxiang said frankly, with a sense of accomplishment.
Saving a life is better than building a seven-story pagoda. It's not just a belief, but a glorious pleasure.
At moments like these, she always felt happy.
The man looked at her, seeing: a smiling girl, bathed in the sunset glow.
A sense of luck welled up.
Who could have imagined someone would help him at the critical moment?
Perhaps, this was heaven's way of saying he wasn't meant to report for duty yet.
"Alright, let's leave quickly. The tide is coming in. If we're any later, it'll truly be too late!"
He said, standing up.
Perhaps due to weakness, his body was still slightly bent.
"Take your time. Let me help you back!"
"This... then I'll trouble you!"
The man didn't refuse Bai Suxiang's kindness.
Bai Suxiang had originally been looking for the old man with the teapot. But with this incident, she had lost the sense of urgency to find him.
She helped the man to a thatched hut. The man said, "Alright, this is it!"
"Here?"
Bai Suxiang asked in surprise.
This looked nothing like Hong Island.
She had walked from the other side of Hong Island.
At least before today, she had never imagined that such a thatched hut would exist on Hong Island.
The style felt incompatible with modern life.
There was no trace of the luxurious Peach Blossom Spring.
"Hahaha! Yes, this is it! Would you like to come in and sit down?"
The man was very sincere, his tone full of earnestness.
Bai Suxiang initially wanted to refuse, but thinking that she still needed to inquire about some matters, she saw this as an opportunity.
"Really? Then I'll be imposing. I truly didn't expect Hong Island to have such a thatched hut."
As Bai Suxiang spoke, she stepped into the hut.
"Of course, you're very welcome!"
The man said, and also walked into the hut.
The house looked small from the outside, but inside, it was like Hong Island itself—a world apart.
The first feeling was that it wasn't cramped at all.
From the outside, it looked no more than about ten square meters.
But upon entering, she realized it was completely different.
Several descending steps led down, revealing two or three rooms hidden behind.
Indeed, one shouldn't judge things solely by their appearance.
"Thank you so much today! If you don't mind, you can have dinner here before you go back!"
"Oh no, my manager will be doing rounds later. If I'm late, I'm afraid she'll cause trouble for me!"
Bai Suxiang refused.
She had helped him unintentionally in the first place. If she expected any reward, it wouldn't be her original intention.
"Hahaha! You're talking about Ah Hong! It's alright, I'll call her. You can eat here with peace of mind!"
"Ah Hong? You mean Aunt Hong? You..."
Hearing this address, Bai Suxiang's feelings instantly changed.
"It's nothing, we're just old acquaintances. You know, we've lived on this Hong Island for many years. We're all neighbors, and we help each other out!"
The man's words seemed unassailable, and Bai Suxiang didn't think too much about it.
She chatted with the man while helping him wash vegetables and cook.
It turned out the man had a son.
He lived alone here because his son was disobedient and insisted on venturing out on his own.
To have a peaceful environment, he bought a piece of land here and intended to live out his days.
Listening to the man's narration, Bai Suxiang felt that his state of being was what truly deserved to be called a life in the "Peach Blossom Spring."
They chatted casually. The man seemed to connect very well with Bai Suxiang, and Bai Suxiang also enjoyed talking to him immensely, as all his words sounded like the life of a hermit living in seclusion.
Although she had met true immortals before, the man's perspective still made her eyes light up.
As they chatted, the cooking was almost done.
There were no special dishes. Life on the island was, after all, inferior to that on the mainland.
But the island's specialty dish, "Bowl Fish," was indispensable. The man said it was his signature dish.
Bai Suxiang, following his instructions, sat at the dining table early.
"Alright, just a little more stewing, and it'll be ready to serve!"
"Okay!"
Bai Suxiang answered readily.
She turned her head and discovered a secret.
In a small room directly opposite the dining table, there was a table, only slightly higher than a bed, with a teapot placed on it.
It looked particularly ugly and ancient.
"Uncle De, can I have a look inside your room?"