Chapter 1 of 10

Chapter 1

16 min read4,057 words

Wei Hang, who had been out of university for more than a year, majored in marine science. Due to the niche nature of his field, he had a hard time finding a job. Initially, he worked as a janitor at the Marine Bureau for a salary of around 2,000 yuan. However, he was fired a while ago after a quarrel with his superior. To this day, he remains jobless and uncertain about his future.

Tangjia Village is situated by Fisherman's Bay, with a pristine beach stretching along the long coastline, facing the vast South China Sea. The blue sky, white clouds, deep sea, and sandy beach... the scene before his eyes was a beautiful painting, like a secluded paradise untouched by the world.

However, this was a poor and backward fishing village, and it was also Wei Hang's hometown. He had been back for about a month, and his elderly mother was busy every day trying to find him a wife.

Hearing the voices of his mother and the matchmaker in the living room, Wei Hang felt a wave of annoyance. He shook his head and gave a self-deprecating smile. Back then, when he was admitted to university, he became the village's first college student, a source of great pride. But who would have thought that a college graduate's salary would be lower than that of a worker from another village?

"Does the girl from the Tang family in the west village not fancy our Hang?" Wei Hang's mother's ideal daughter-in-law was still the second daughter of the Tang family in the west village. This girl was also a college student, though she had only a junior college degree, which was at least relatively compatible.

The matchmaker, Aunt Zhang, secretly glanced at Wei Hang's room and shook her head. "The second daughter of the Tang family has found a job in a big city with a salary of 4,000 to 5,000 yuan, a comfortable and easy job. She probably won't marry back to our village. Back then, a young man from another village wanted to court her, and she clearly stated that she wanted a car and a house."

After saying this, she pretended to look around the house. To be honest, the house was almost an antique, and few women would find it appealing. The Wei family was the second largest clan in the village, mainly distributed in the east, with the least land.

Could Wei Hang's mother not understand? She sighed inwardly, blaming herself and her husband for their lack of ability, which had led to their son being looked down upon.

"As I see it, the daughter of the tofu seller in the north village is not bad. She is pretty, though a bit poor, but she doesn't mind! Most importantly, she has a crush on your son, Xiao Hang." Aunt Zhang still strongly recommended the tofu seller's daughter.

A face flashed through Wei Hang's mind: fair skin as smooth as tofu, not very tall, but with a good figure, and clothes washed until they were almost white but still very clean. The girl was named Zhang Xueru, a former classmate of Wei Hang. Her family made tofu for a living, and her father had died in a sea accident, leaving the three women to support each other.

"Alas! Unfortunately, her younger sister hasn't graduated yet." Wei Hang's mother was still a bit reluctant. The tofu seller's daughter was acceptable, but her education was a bit low, having only completed junior high school. She had later gone out to work to support her sister's university education.

Aunt Zhang's lips twitched, thinking that no matter what, this woman was still fixated on the idea of a college-educated daughter-in-law.

"Hang is still taking a nap. I'll go in and ask him what he thinks!" Wei Hang's mother felt helpless. If their family's situation were better, they might have been able to find a college-educated daughter-in-law.

"Good, go ask Xiao Hang what he thinks. The older sister is at home these days, and she might go back to work soon, so we shouldn't miss this opportunity." Aunt Zhang was delighted. If the match was successful, she would receive a red envelope of a thousand or so yuan.

Wei Hang's mother walked into Wei Hang's room and saw him on his laptop, slightly embarrassed. Since he came back, she had been talking to him about this almost every day. She could tell that he was annoyed by it, and his frequent mentions of looking for a job recently were clearly a way to avoid the issue.

"Hang, are you not sleeping?"

Wei Hang smiled bitterly inside: "You and Aunt Zhang were talking so loudly, how could I sleep?"

"Not, I can't sleep. Mom, is it about matchmaking again?" Wei Hang asked knowingly.

Wei Hang's mother smiled awkwardly. "Hang, you're not young anymore. Don't blame me for being meddlesome, but you're the only son in the family. If you don't get married and have a child, I'll feel guilty towards our ancestors!"

At the mention of ancestors, Wei Hang's head started to hurt. People in the countryside often invoked their ancestors.

"Alright! You were talking about Zhang Xueru, right? If I have time tomorrow, I'll ask her to go for a walk. Is that okay?" In front of his mother, Wei Hang could only surrender. Fortunately, his younger sister was out playing, or she would have teased him.

Wei Hang's mother was delighted. Although the girl wasn't her ideal choice, she was more concerned about her son's attitude. This time, he didn't seem to be resistant, so he must have some feelings for the girl.

"Good, I won't push you anymore." She hurried out to chat with Aunt Zhang.

Aunt Zhang was even happier. After a few words, she left and headed to the north village to inform the tofu seller, so that the older sister would be prepared.

"Mom, I'm going for a walk." Wei Hang left the room and saw his mother weaving a net.

"Going to see the girl we talked about?" Wei Hang's mother was pleasantly surprised.

Wei Hang felt a headache. "Mom, do you think about anything other than finding me a wife? It seems all Chinese mothers are like this, treating their sons' marriage and reproduction as the most important things."

He forced a smile. "I'm just going for a walk by the sea."

Wei Hang's mother was a bit disappointed but nodded. "Go ahead! Come back early in the evening."

On his way out, Wei Hang greeted many of his fellow villagers. On the surface, everyone was friendly, but he knew that they looked down on him. After all, he had a college degree but was worse off than a worker, and even worse than the daughter of the Tang family, who had a good job in an office with a high salary.

"I thought the Wei family would become prosperous, but it turns out this kid didn't do well in college and can't even find a job. The daughter of the Tang family is much better, working in an office with air conditioning and a high salary."

"Isn't that true? I wonder how the second daughter of the Zhang family will turn out after college."

"Probably better than this guy, right?"

...

Wei Hang quickened his pace, unable to bear the gossip of the village women.

In fact, many college graduates from rural areas face this awkward situation. When they meet an uncle or aunt, the first thing they ask is about their job and salary, and they don't know how to answer. They can't understand the intense competition in today's society and the lack of advantages for college graduates.

However, not far from his house, Wei Hang ran into the old village chief. The chief had been in office for over ten years, was surnamed Tang, and was in his sixties. He was a kind and hardworking man, but he couldn't change the village's poverty and backwardness.

"It's Xiao Hang! I haven't seen you much these days. You've been dragged into a lot of matchmaking, haven't you?" The old man said with a smile. This wasn't a secret; everyone in the village knew.

Wei Hang greeted him and nodded, respecting the old man. When he was in college, the old village chief had helped him a lot, insisting on nurturing the village's first college student. Facing this kind and elderly man, Wei Hang felt guilty, just like he did with his parents, feeling that he had let them down.

"Yes, it hasn't stopped."

The old village chief chuckled but didn't delve into the topic. He cared about the village's first college student and didn't believe the rumors that the boy had learned nothing in college.

"What are your plans for the future?"

Wei Hang's scalp tightened. He didn't want to disappoint the people who had high hopes for him. He forced a smile. "I want to stay in the village for a while and see if there are any development opportunities."

"Oh? Not planning to go out and develop elsewhere?" The old village chief was surprised.

"It's not easy out there. This time, coming back, I saw the state of the village and felt a bit depressed. These days, I've been thinking a lot and trying to find ways to boost the village's development." Wei Hang said subconsciously.

He did have this idea. The fast-paced life outside made him feel exhausted, and although the village was poor, the peaceful life was very enjoyable. The talk about finding a job outside was just a desperate response to his mother's constant pressure.

The old village chief's eyes lit up, feeling both relieved and worried. He remained silent for a moment.

"Have you discussed this with your family?"

"Not yet. I need to come up with a development plan before I can talk to them, or they'll definitely scold me." Wei Hang answered honestly.

"Alright! When you have a plan, come talk to me. I'll support you as much as I can. But you need to show some results, or I won't be able to help you in the end." The old village chief genuinely supported Wei Hang.

"Thank you, sir. I appreciate your concern."

The old village chief waved his hand and left with a smile.

Wei Hang looked at the village, a dilapidated fishing village. Besides fishing, what other development opportunities were there? The village had very little arable land, and the sandy soil couldn't support farming, so the villagers had to buy rice from other villages. Additionally, the transportation was poor, with only a dirt road leading out.

With the depletion of shallow sea resources, fishing villages like Tangjia were increasingly in a difficult situation. Therefore, the villagers all hoped to leave and find a way to survive.

Walking to the beach, stepping on the white, fine sand, and kicking aside the cute shells, Wei Hang's mind was in turmoil.

At that moment, a small sea turtle caught his attention. The turtle had a gray pearl in its mouth and was washed ashore by the waves, struggling to crawl back to the sea.

"Could it be a black pearl?" Wei Hang's heart raced. He rushed over and flipped the turtle onto its back, making its legs flail.

Wei Hang had heard that black pearls were very valuable. His heart raced as he pinched the turtle's head with one hand and reached for the pearl with the other.

The turtle seemed angry at this unexpected intruder. When the pearl was taken, it quickly bit Wei Hang's finger, venting its frustration.

"Ouch! You little turtle, be careful, or I'll stew you." Wei Hang's finger was bleeding from the bite.

He didn't bother with the turtle, picked it up, and threw it back into the sea, then picked up the gray pearl from the sand.

As soon as his hand touched the pearl, a scene unfolded that terrified him. The gray pearl glowed slightly when it touched his blood, then suddenly absorbed it and stuck to his wound, impossible to shake off.

Gradually, he felt dizzy, a clear sign of excessive blood loss. His last thought before losing consciousness was: Am I going to be killed by a pearl? What a miserable way to die.

Lying on the beach, Wei Hang had a dream. He could dive deep into the sea to find treasures, and the pearl allowed him to move freely underwater.

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