Xiao Hai's House

Qing Yang walked down a path that not so many people passed by. Walked for about fifteen minutes, looked in front of a house that was built simply from wood. Not too big and not too small. Xiao Hai's house.

Qing Yang with big smile on her face and stand in front of the gate of the house. Without delay, she raised her hand, placed her palm on the doorknob and pushed the door inward. The first thing she saw was the children sitting in the open yard playing.

She stepped in and shouted. "Hi….. I got a big fish today… ahahah…" while holding up the fish in her hand to show it to the other children.

Shan Du with his eyes wide with joy immediately ran to where she was and said "Qing Yang the fish is big"

"Of course" Qing Yang replied with a big smile still remembering the look on Mr Shi's face that looked irritated when he found out that he had been fooled again.

Eyes still shining, Shan Du asked "Qing Yang with this big fish what would you like to cook?" His hand tried to hold the fish, wanting to feel the texture of the fish meat.

Shan Du, even though he is only 7 years old, lives near the beach, he often likes to go to the beach where fishermen sell their fish for sale.

The fishermen like to give each other information about the types of fish that are good and fresh. How is the texture of the fresh meat? what is it good to cook with? He liked to hear the chatter of the fishermen.

Shan Du is a smart boy, brown eyes quickly catch anything that is in front of his eyes. Besides being smart, he also likes to help fishermen to help bring fish pots to the market for sale.

His body can be considered to have grown bigger than a child his age in general. The other kids called him Big Brother. And indeed, he is the biggest among the other children in Xiao Hai's house.

Qing Yang's fingers stroked her chin, with her eyes looking to the upper side thinking about what kind of dish to serve this time. "How about if the Ginger fish steam cooked onions, it must be delicious" Qing Yang's tongue stuck out licking her lips until became wet, as if she was enjoying the fish dish.

"Wow…. It must be delicious Qing Yang!" Shan Du exclaimed as he pulled Qing Yang into the kitchen to start cooking.

"Hey Shan Du, what are you doing, you are walking too fast---" Qing Yang protested as her body almost fell from being unprepared.

"Come on Qing Yang, my stomach is already hungry. And the other kids are also hungry waiting for you to come home" Shan Du interrupted impatiently.

"Ha-ha-ha… so that's why you guys are playing hide and seek to distract from your hungry stomach." Qing Yang laughed while holding her stomach which had also been hungry ever since she stepped out of the gate of Xiao Hai House to go to the market.

Hearing Qing Yang's words, Shan Du just stared in shame with his head lowered and his right hand clasped his head. Seeing Shan Du was embarrassed. Qing Yang approached him, took his hand and led him into the kitchen. Without saying anything else.

Within an hour, the food is ready to be served on the dining table. Qing Yang was still busy arranging the cutlery on the table when the front gate creaked open. Spontaneously she looked towards the door. A figure with a face that was no longer young, Grandma Fen Fang stepped in, turning around to close the door. Then walk in

Qing Yang called out, "Grandma….Grandma is come back." Her eyes turned to Shan Du who was also helping to arrange the tableware. Handed over the rest of the cutlery she was still holding. She walked over to Grandma, took the books she had brought and put them on the table in the living room.

Grandma's face looks tired, maybe because she is 70 years old. Her hair, which was tied in a bun on top of her head, had turned white.

Grandma walked towards the living room door, pulled the door to put down the umbrella she brought with her every time she went out.

"Grandma, Steam fish" a small child suddenly approached her, grabbed Grandma's clothes and called and pointed at the table to inform Grandma.

Grandma turned around, bent her old body so that her face was level with the little boy's face, looked at his tiny face and smiled at him. "It seems you're hungry, Ruo," said Grandma, stroking Tan Ruo's head.

Hearing Grandma's words, Ruo nodded happily. His eyes were almost closed from laughing happily, making his face even more attractive at the age of 4 years.

Ruo is very happy with all kinds of dishes from fish. He could eat a plate of rice quickly if the dish was fish.

Still looking at Ruo, Grandma rubbed his cheek then held his right hand and said "Come on, let's eat" invite Grandma, Grandma and Ruo walked together to the dining table. Other children have also arrived who are sitting in their respective places at the dining table.

Grandma sat at the end of the center of the table, as the head of the Xiao Hai House. Qing Yang because the eldest child among the other children sat on Grandma's right. To her left is Ruo, the youngest child in the Xiao Hai House.

"Hmm.... you stole Mr. Shi's fish again Qing Yang" a smile stifled, Grandma glanced at Qing Yang.

Qing Yang embarrassedly blushed and lowered her head looking down at the floor. In front of Grandma, she can't lie because Grandma can tell if a lie is being told. So, she just said "Mr Shi gave it forcefully"

Hearing this, Grandma just smiled broadly. Grandma also knew, actually for Mr Shi it didn't matter because Qing Yang also liked to help him sell the fish he caught on the ocean in the market.

Master Shi was very grateful to Qing Yang but in front of her Mr Shi acted as if her actions irritated him. Grandma hid her smile, trying not to be seen by Qing Yang.

Without another word, Grandma Fen Fang, Qing Yang, and the other children ate together happily. After eating, each of the children brought plates and other cutlery to the kitchen and put them in a bucket which Qing Yang would later wash, sometimes other children helped her wash the dishes.

Xiao Hai's house is always filled with joy. Qing Yang lived with the elderly Fen Fang grandmother along with the other children who were younger than him, all of them were orphans. Qing Yang was the first child to be raised by Grandma Fen Fang since she was 7 years old, after her parents died in the sea by a storm while trying to catch fish, at the time of the incident there were many other fishermen who were also carried away by the wave and never knew their fate after.

After that one by one the children came to Xiao Hai's house. Someone left the baby in front of Grandma's door. Some left it to Grandma. They said that they just wanted to leave it for a while and they would take it back later, but the day turned into a month and then turned into a year, the person who left their child did not show up. They end up living at the Xiao Hai's house until today. And they live happily, learn and helping each other.