The Sea Queen of 1985

Chapter 179: Chapter 179: Discussing the Ownership of the Shipwreck Treasure

Ye Feng thought for a moment, then shook his head. ”I’m not going to retrieve it, either. The repercussions would be endless. However, I plan to forge a notebook about a sunken treasure. It’ll serve as a plausible excuse when I report it.”

”If there’s really that much gold, it would be fantastic. The country has very little foreign exchange. When we want to buy certain things, we have to use gold. I’m not exaggerating—we’ve reached the point of selling blood to make ends meet.”

At the time, blood products could be exported to earn foreign currency.

Hearing this, Han Xiaorui’s expression grew solemn. ”You’re right. We can’t keep any of it for ourselves. I’m just an ordinary person, but I love my country.”

She had a superpower that allowed her to catch vast amounts of seafood, which was more than enough to make her rich.

’There’s no need to be greedy and covet unearned treasure. It would be better to put it to use where it’s needed most, where it can play a more important role.’

When Ye Feng saw that Han Xiaorui wasn’t the least bit regretful, his respect for her deepened instantly. ”Ms. Han, thank you.”

”Don’t thank me. It’s what I ought to do,” Han Xiaorui said with a smile. ”I’ll write down the coordinates for you in a moment. The rest is in your hands.”

Ye Feng nodded. ”Thank you for trusting me. I won’t let you down.”

The seaside breeze carried the salty tang of the ocean, but it wasn’t unpleasant.

The two walked hand in hand along the shore, listening to the sound of the waves, feeling relaxed and content.

After they returned, Han Xiaorui went inside, wrote the coordinates on a piece of paper, and handed it to Ye Feng. ”The rest is up to you.”

”Alright!” Ye Feng accepted. He was about to leave when he paused. ”In light of the advanced surveillance devices you’ve recovered, I’ve applied to have a police station built in Jinshan Bay.”

Han Xiaorui’s eyes lit up with joy. ”Really? Have they picked a location? I hope it’s close to my house.”

”You know how I worry about home whenever I’m out at sea. Even though I have Wu Jiao and Wu Yao, I’m not worried about a random thief so much as I am about being a constant target. I’m really afraid those people will do something desperate.”

From the doorway, Ye Feng pointed to an empty plot of land not far off, next to the ornamental fish farm. ”I suggested that spot right there. It’s two hundred meters from your house, and it’s diagonally across from your front door.”

Han Xiaorui was overjoyed. ”Thank you, Ye Feng.”

The village had applied for one before, but the request was denied.

Han Xiaorui had heard the village secretary complain about it before. She never expected Ye Feng to be the one to bring her such good news.

Ye Feng lowered his gaze, a faint smile on his lips. ”It’s official business. We can’t just let you make all these contributions for nothing. We have to provide you with the proper support as well.”

’She knew Ye Feng must have pulled a lot of strings for this!’

Han Xiaorui felt a great sense of relief, and she eagerly awaited the new police station’s construction.

After Ye Feng left, Han Xiaorui came back inside, beaming.

”Xiao Rui, you put Ye Feng’s gift away so quickly. Come on, let us see it,” Liang Xiaoyu said. She was particularly curious about what a serious person like Ye Feng would give for the Qixi Festival.

Han Xiaoqing was curious too. ”Yeah, sis, bring it out so we can see.”

Seeing how curious everyone was, Han Xiaorui went to her room to get the box. She then opened it in front of them so they could all see it together.

Inside was a pair of Hetian jade bracelets, shimmering faintly under the light.

Granny Cai, who had once worked as an assistant cook for a wealthy family, was generous with her praise. ”The ladies of the great houses used to love wearing bracelets just like these. Judging by the quality, you can tell they’re very expensive.”

”It looks like Ye isn’t afraid to spend money. That proves how much he values Xiao Rui,” Granny Cai continued. ”By the way, Xiao Rui, you bought all that gold jewelry. Did you get a gift for Ye Feng?”

”I did,” Han Xiaorui replied, smiling softly with her lips pressed together.

”What is it?” asked Liang Xiaoyu. She was close to Han Xiaorui and always interested in her personal life.

Han Xiaorui gave a mysterious smile. ”I can’t say.”

Han Xiaorui stood up and put the bracelets away safely.

Liang Xiaoyu raised an eyebrow and smirked. ”Ooh, I bet it’s a gift Ye Feng will really treasure.”

Han Xiaoqing had a vague suspicion. ’She probably gave Ye Feng the coordinates of the sunken treasure.’

At eight-thirty, the Qixi Festival activities came to an end.

Everyone, adults and children alike, had a wonderful time eating qiaoguo and playing games.

Han Xiaorui decided that from now on, she would celebrate every holiday properly. ”Sister Cai, the Mid-Autumn Festival is almost here. Let’s make grand preparations for that one, too.”

Granny Cai was thrilled; she loved organizing this sort of thing. ”The Mid-Autumn Festival is always so lively! The village committee will collect donations and hire an opera troupe to come perform.”

Han Xiaorui vaguely recalled that in the past, Yang Zhigang had sponsored the village opera performances because he was the wealthiest person in Jinshan Bay.

The other well-off families would also donate a little here and there.

’I’ve made a lot of money this year, too,’ Han Xiaorui thought. ’I can’t be a penny-pincher. I’ll have to make a donation as well.’

”Alright. Sister Cai, remind me when the time comes. When it’s time to contribute, I’ll do my part,” Han Xiaorui said without hesitation. If she was stingy, people would say she was rich but uncharitable.

Granny Cai was delighted by Han Xiaorui’s generosity. ’No wonder Xiao Rui has such a good reputation in the village,’ she thought. ”Alright!”

Everyone helped carry the tables, chairs, and benches inside, and they washed all the pots and pans before taking their leave.

After giving the children their baths and putting them to bed, Han Xiaorui called Ye Feng. ”Your gift is beautiful. I love it.”

Ye Feng chuckled softly. ”They were a gift from my grandmother to my mother, and now they’ve been passed on to you. I’m sure the bracelets will look beautiful on you.”

He pictured his mother secretly wearing those same bracelets. ’She was so beautiful.’

But she was gone from his life forever.

Now, with another important person by his side, the emptiness in Ye Feng’s heart was slowly being filled with warmth.

”Alright, I’ll wear them the next time I come to see you,” Han Xiaorui said with a smile. ’Jewelry is meant to be worn, after all.’

Fate was just that simple. It couldn’t be forced. At the right time and in the right place, the right people would eventually find each other.

「The next day」

Song Sixth took Han Xiaoqing and the children to the hospital for their classes, with Wu Yao accompanying them.

When he returned, Song Sixth took Han Xiaorui and Wu Jiao to register for their motorcycle license test.

Wu Jiao saw many people learning to ride. ”Sister Xiao Rui, you’re learning to ride a motorcycle?”

”Mhm,” Han Xiaorui nodded. ”I’m not the only one. You’re going to learn, too.”

”But... I’m not very educated,” Wu Jiao said. Despite her outgoing personality, she felt insecure. Living in Shencheng for a while had opened her eyes.

She often saw people riding motorcycles and was incredibly envious.

She never thought her employer would want her to learn.

Han Xiaorui explained, ”You don’t have to pay for it; I’ll cover all the costs. Once we get our licenses, we’ll buy motorcycles.”

”They’re much faster than bicycles and make getting around so much more convenient. There are plenty of people who aren’t highly educated, that won’t hold you back. Look at all those people here. Are you saying you can’t do what they can?”

Wu Jiao, who had been lacking confidence just a moment ago, scanned the crowd. ’These people don’t have extra eyes or arms,’ she thought.

’If they can learn, why can’t I?’

’Besides, the boss is asking me to learn, which means it must be a useful skill for the future.’

”Sister Xiao Rui, I’ll learn,” Wu Jiao said, her expression serious. ”I promise I’ll master it.”

Han Xiaorui nodded with a smile. ”That’s right. We’re young. We should have the energy of young people and keep up with the times.”

Wu Jiao was thrilled and nodded eagerly. ”Sister Xiao Rui, you’re the best! You not only pay us a high salary, but you also help us learn new skills.”

In those days, being able to operate a vehicle was considered a valuable skill.

With an introduction from Song Sixth, Master Zhao immediately promised that he would make sure they learned, guaranteed.

Master Zhao explained the basics, and Han Xiaorui gave it a try. To everyone’s surprise, after just five or six minutes, she was riding steadily and had already gotten the hang of it.

Wu Jiao, with her martial arts background, simply copied the movements and learned in twenty minutes. This left Master Zhao completely dumbfounded.

It was the first time he had ever met anyone who learned so fast.