I Have a Penglai Immortal Island

After another week in the South Pacific, the hold was almost full. They encountered quite a few foreign fishing boats, but overall, it was a smooth trip. The atmosphere on the boat was cheerful.

One day, Zhao Zhao was painting grand pictures for Da Linzi, talking about how precious The Tianga Vajra Scripture was, how powerful her master was, and what he should do in the future when a call from an unknown number interrupted her.

She answered it absentmindedly. There was silence on the other end for a while. Just as she was about to hang up, she heard a sigh and her name: "…Zhao Zhao!"

Zhao Zhao thought she had long forgotten the appearance and voice of that woman. If they met again someday, somewhere, she figured they wouldn't recognize each other.

But at this moment, as soon as she heard the voice, she knew the woman on the other end was her birth mother, Qin Qing.

She signaled Da Linzi to return to the cockpit and calmly replied, "Yes, this is Zhao Zhao. Who is this?"

There was a sob on the other end: "…Zhao Zhao, it's your mother!"

Zhao Zhao's mouth twitched, and she glared at Da Linzi, signaling him to leave.

The world owed Qin Qing an Oscar.

What kind of drama was this? If she didn't know her mother was married to the Liu family in Liujiaji, she might have cried along with her.

Whether it was emotions or atmosphere, it was spot on. Laughing would be inappropriate.

"Zhao Zhao, why aren't you saying anything? It's your mother!" the woman said again, her emotions overflowing when Zhao Zhao didn't respond.

This time, she couldn't help but laugh, "Sorry, it's been twenty years. I didn't realize." She hadn't had a mother for twenty years, and her grandfather had been gone for three. What was this all about now?

"I know you're angry with me, but I had no choice. Your father only had you, and you took his surname, Xiong. I couldn't take you with me. Don't hate me. When you were studying in Changshan, I often went to see you secretly," she said with another sob.

This wasn't interesting anymore. When she was in middle school in Changshan, her step-sister Liu Mei was a grade above her. Thanks to Xiong Jin, she knew all the details. Liu Mei's dorm was diagonally opposite hers. Qin Qing probably didn't even know what year she was in or when she graduated.

During the only two encounters in middle school, Qin Qing didn't recognize her. You can't fake that kind of look.

The last time they met was when Liu Mei graduated, and Qin Qing came to pack her things. They bumped into each other in the hallway, and Qin Qing asked her for help with a dropping basin, calling her "classmate."

Zhao Zhao couldn't be bothered to argue with her and directly asked, "Okay, I got it. Why are you calling today?" No need to ask, the number must have been given by Qin Yunmei, probably knowing her current situation.

"I heard from your second aunt that you came back. Now I'm your only family left. Come see me when you have time," said Qin Qing.

Three years of silence, and now she was the only family?

"Who said that? I still have Da Linzi. He's like my real brother," Zhao Zhao said while playing with an apple from the fruit bowl.

"Da Linzi is your cousin, after all. When it comes to real family, you have a sister in the Liu family. How can a cousin be your real brother?" the woman said anxiously.

That's her mother for you. The melodrama didn't suit her.

This was the same Qin Qing who remarried right after her husband died and never set foot on Jinshi Island for twenty years. She didn't even show up when the old man died, nor did she send even two bundles of paper through someone. By local customs, she was quite a rarity.

Just a stranger. Zhao Zhao suddenly didn't want to argue with her. "Alright, I understand. But I've gotten used to not having a mother for over twenty years, and I don't want to change that. I'm quite busy at sea. Goodbye."

She hung up. Da Linzi was peeking from a distance.

"Come over. Are you putting on a drama there?"

"Finished talking? Was that my distant aunt, your ex-mom?"

Zhao Zhao was amused by this silly guy, "Ex-mom? You're quite creative."

"Well, if there's a stepmother, there must be an ex-mom. They’re the same."

You know, that actually makes sense.

Zhao Zhao rubbed her chin, pretending to think, "Do you think your aunt found out we got rich and has some ideas?"

"Can't be. Her family is quite wealthy and owns a boat. When I visited my grandma's house, Liu Mei was showing off her new phone and sneakers."

"Naive. Who ever thinks they have too much money? Her family only owns half of that boat."

"You know that? It belongs to the two brothers of the Liu family. I heard that boat cost 4 million. There's no boat that big on our island. Your ex-mom, my aunt, is very proud of it," Da Linzi said with a pout.

"What's this? You don't like her because she loves to show off?" It was rare for her silly guy to show such feelings.

"Why should I like her? She wasn't good to you! My mom said she loves to show off to us to prove she made the right choice by leaving…" He muttered indignantly, then realized what he was saying, glanced at her, and started chewing his apple.

Zhao Zhao smacked him on the head, "Grow up! There's nothing you can't say. To me, she's just a distant relative who hasn't contacted us in over twenty years. I'm old enough not to care, and neither should you."

He took another fierce bite of his apple, "Anyway, I hate her family. All of them!"

Thinking for a moment, he added, "You bought me the latest phone, and I have a yacht driver's license now. Next time I see her, I'll show off too."

Childish, isn't he?

Zhao Zhao saw an opportunity and persuaded, "First, you need to master the Tianga Vajra Scripture. Then you'll be a handsome guy with extraordinary skills and temperament. That's something worth showing off! My master doesn't teach his skills lightly!"

"Alright, I'll buy the herbs and take medicinal baths when we return! Zhao Zhao, will the money from this trip be enough?"

Liu Family Residence

Qin Qing hung up the phone, her face dark as she sat on the sofa.

Liu Mei didn't care about her expression and sat next to her, hugging her neck. "Mom, what did she say? Was Aunt bluffing?"

"Sit properly! I'm annoyed."

"What's there to be annoyed about? If it's true, you have a millionaire daughter. But did Aunt say she looks better than me? Is it true, Mom?"

Qin Qing glanced at her daughter clinging to her. Mei looked more like her. Zhao Zhao looked more like her father, but in a good way, like a doll. Who knew what she looked like now?

Her husband, Liu Jiasheng, entered and heard her say, "Who knows what she looks like now? I haven't seen her in twenty years. Raising you two nearly killed me. I feel sorry for her, but I couldn't manage everything. As for looks, no one can compare to our Mei Mei. You look like me, but she doesn't."

Liu Mei was satisfied, "Of course I'm prettier. How can she compare to me? And who knows how much debt that big boat has? What's a girl doing fishing anyway? I'm the good one, right, Mom?"

Qin Qing didn't comment. She got up to pour her husband a glass of water. Liu Jiasheng said, "We should keep in touch more often. After all, she's still Mei Mei's sister."