The moon was shining brightly, and it was the perfect time to set the net to catch cuttlefish.
The ground powder of cuttlefish bone could be applied externally to treat burns, which would be just right for Lu Xunguang.
The sea was rough, and she didn't dare to take her precious daughter on such a risky trip. She ruffled Maomao's little head and was about to go out.
Maomao was sleeping soundly with her little cat eyes looking hazy and sleepy. She meowed a few times at her and then bit firmly on the hem of her skirt.
Li Ying understood what it meant, but her delicate eyebrows furrowed even tighter.
"Maomao, I know what you're trying to say. You're warning me that there will be a big storm at sea tonight. But Lu Xunguang's burn can't wait any longer. He got into such a mess because of me. I can't just sit back and do nothing."
Her mind was made up. The little sick cat waved its paws reluctantly, then jumped into the basket and stared longingly at her, waiting to go with her.
Li Ying lovingly stroked the cat's head but refused, saying, "No, Maomao. You're still a little one, and you're naturally afraid of water. It's too dangerous."
She steeled herself and ignored Maomao's meowing behind her as she walked straight out of the door.
The sea was calm. As long as she could find the reef area where cuttlefish spawned, make a quick catch, and return to the village before the storm hit, it should be okay.
This was Li Ying's first time going out to sea alone. Without Mianmian and Maomao by her side, she could only search based on the tips Grandma Sun had given her, and she couldn't help feeling nervous.
Whether it was good luck or something else, after casting the net a few times, she actually caught a fat cuttlefish.
Li Ying was overjoyed. She took out the cuttlefish bone and clumsily tried to turn the boat around to head back to the village. But suddenly, she heard a dull thud from the bottom of the boat.
Oh no!
The boat swayed, and Li Ying's heart sank.
She didn't have much experience at sea. After all the commotion just now, the fishing boat had hit a hidden reef. The sea water immediately rushed in.
Was she really going to be eaten by the fish today?
Li Ying was reluctant to accept this fate. She spotted a nearby reef and managed to climb onto it with all her might.
She sat there like a waiting-for-husband rock, watching the tide rise. The water around her was getting higher and higher. A huge wave crashed down on her, drenching her from head to toe. The sea breeze blew, making her shiver.
Maomao's "weather forecast" was indeed accurate. A sudden downpour was coming, and the big storm at sea had begun.
Li Ying was swallowed by two mouthfuls of the salty sea water and coughed violently.
The sea was changing color. It was like a ferocious beast, eager to devour everything in the world.
Just when Li Ying thought she was surely going to die this time, she saw a small boat sailing towards her through the wind and waves!
She thought she was hallucinating due to her daze. But in a moment, the boat reached her side, and a strong hand reached out to her without hesitation.
"A Ying, get on the boat quickly!"
Lu Xunguang's voice was like sunlight shining into the abyss and a god descending into a desperate situation. It rang clearly in her ear.
Before she could suspect that this was a dream in her dying moments, her cold body was embraced by a warm chest.
"A Ying, don't be afraid. I'm here."
Lu Xunguang hugged her tightly, and there was even a slight tremor in his voice.
He couldn't even imagine what he would do if he had come a moment too late and A Ying had been swallowed by the waves.
"A Ying, don't be afraid. I'll take you home."
He softened his tone and repeated these words one by one, as if he were coaxing an innocent little girl.
Listening to the steady heartbeat in his chest, Li Ying's panicked heart miraculously calmed down. The powerful beats seemed to have some kind of magic.
"Brother Lu, how did you know I was here?"
Before Lu Xunguang could answer, Maomao, who was standing in the basket, was not willing to be ignored and meowed twice.
"Your little sick cat, even with three legs, can run as fast as a rabbit. It dragged me onto the boat without saying a word. That's how I found out you had gone out to sea to look for medicine for me."
Lu Xunguang saw her slender figure at a glance. Even when she was about to be swallowed by the waves, she still held tightly to the cuttlefish bone in her hand. His heart warmed.
Their eyes met, and their gazes lingered. The stormy wind and rain seemed to have nothing to do with them.
Maomao meowed again and punched Lu Xunguang on the leg without mercy.
Li Ying bent down to pick it up and nuzzled its little head affectionately.
"Thank you so much, my little hero!"
But before the words were out of her mouth, Li Ying's smile froze on her face.
A towering wave swept towards them mercilessly!
"Brother Lu..."
Li Ying only managed to call out once before choking on a mouthful of sea water. The little sick cat was also soaked and looked extremely embarrassed.
The two of them and the cat didn't even have time to clean themselves up. Wave after wave crashed down on them, making her dizzy. Her feet could no longer stand steadily, and she fell headlong into the surging current.
In the face of the absolute power of nature, humans were indeed the most insignificant and humble beings.
Li Ying was in a daze. She didn't know how long she had been drifting with the current. A rough feeling on her face made her slowly open her eyes.
Everything around was golden.
Maomao looked like a wet rag that had fallen into the water, but she still stuck out her little tongue and gently licked Li Ying's face.
They had actually survived.
The small boat had been smashed into pieces, and the scattered wooden boards had been washed to the shore by the waves.
Lu Xunguang was lying on the beach not far away, still tightly holding a floating board in his hand.
Presumably, at the moment of life and death, it was he who had desperately saved her and Maomao.
Li Ying didn't care that every bone in her body ached as if it had been broken apart. She quickly picked up Maomao and rushed to Lu Xunguang's side. She gently turned him over and softly called out, "Brother Lu?"
Lu Xunguang's eyes were tightly closed, and his thin lips had a faint blue tint. His bronze skin, which had been exposed to the scorching sun at the dock every day, was now pale from being soaked in the sea water.
He was deathly still, as if... all his vitality had been taken away.
Li Ying's breath caught in her throat, as if someone had grabbed her heart tightly.
"Lu Xunguang, wake up!"
On his back, there was a gash that ran from his shoulder to his waist. Presumably, he had been scratched by the reef while drifting with her.
The wound was like a ferocious monster, opening its huge mouth and laughing at Li Ying triumphantly. The turned - up flesh was soaked white. She couldn't even imagine how painful it must be.
Li Ying pressed her face against his chest.
Thank goodness, his body was still warm. Although his breathing was weak, at least he was still alive.
Li Ying heaved a sigh of relief. She looked around at the environment, gritted her teeth, and put one of Lu Xunguang's hands on her shoulder. Then she supported him and walked towards a cave not far away.