I put you in charge of the child, and you raised a monster!

Shen Ling'er carried the large dolphin into the hotel lobby, while Zhao Lei behind her carried the fish that weighed more than eight pounds.

The fish's tail flicked occasionally, and water droplets fell on the floor and onto Zhao Lei's trouser legs.

Zhao Lei looked down at his soaking wet pants, then looked up at Shen Ling'er in front of him.

"Teacher Ling'er."

Shen Ling'er didn't turn around. "What are you doing?"

"Does this fish have a grudge against me?"

"no."

Zhao Lei had just breathed a sigh of relief when he heard Shen Ling'er continue, "It just thinks you didn't bring it up well."

Zhao Lei: "..."

Bai Sisi suppressed a laugh. "Didn't you just say you were going to work hard?"

"I tried my best."

"So, how's your proposal going now?"

Zhao Lei looked down at the fish and said seriously, "I think it already feels very powerful."

Shen Ling'er stopped and looked back.

"Fish head down, fish tail outwards."

"If you keep bringing it up like that, it will keep struggling."

Zhao Lei was taken aback. "Then how should we bring it up?"

Shen Ling'er placed the dolphin in Yang Mi's arms and walked over to take the fish.

She didn't use much force; she simply turned her wrist, turned the fish sideways, supported its belly with her palm, and held its tail with her other hand.

The fish, which had been thrashing about, suddenly became much quieter.

Seeing this scene, Zhao Lei felt a bit like he was questioning the meaning of life.

Why isn't it moving?

"Because you just made it uncomfortable."

"I'm just carrying it."

"You should also pay attention to the weight when carrying things."

Shen Ling'er looked down at the fish, her tone calm.

"The fish's head is heavy, so its tail will swing. If you only hold the fish's head, it will keep trying to swing its tail back."

"Support it in the middle with your hand, and it will know it won't fall, so it won't struggle."

Zhao Lei was silent for a moment, then asked sincerely, "Did my father teach you this too?"

Shen Ling'er looked up at him.

Why do you have to ask my dad about everything?

"It's mainly because you know too many things."

"Then you should ask less questions."

Zhao Lei immediately shut his mouth.

The screen was already flooded with comments.

"Even Zhao Lei's attempt to pick up a fish was corrected by Teacher Ling'er."

Fish: Finally, someone who will mention me.

"Focus on the center, support the middle"—this saying sounds like a life lesson.

"Just how much did Shen Fei actually teach us? Even the way you handle fish has its rules?"

The director stood behind, looking at the fish in Shen Ling'er's hand with a somewhat complicated expression.

He originally just wanted a few families to complete a simple seaside market task.

Buy ingredients, learn about seafood, and experience local life.

Before the task cards have even been evaluated, Shen Ling'er has already bought the fish, negotiated the price, checked its condition, and even re-taught her how to lift it.

The assistant director glanced down at the memo.

[Seaside Market: Teacher Ling'er is in charge of purchasing, bargaining, inspecting goods, and providing guidance on handling.]

He thought for a moment, then added a sentence at the end.

Zhao Lei: Responsible for carrying the fish.

Zhao Lei happened to see this, and his expression immediately changed.

Why is my job description only three words?

The assistant director looked up. "Because you've only completed three words so far."

"Which three words?"

"Carry the fish."

Chen Doudou peeked out from the side. "Uncle Zhao Lei, was your suggestion good?"

Zhao Lei straightened his back. "You're doing a great job now."

Shen Ling'er nodded. "It's better than before."

Zhao Lei's eyes lit up. "Is that a compliment?"

"Calculate."

Just as he was about to smile, Shen Ling'er added, "But it's not yet at the point where I can bring it up myself."

Zhao Lei's smile froze on his face.

Bai Sisi couldn't help but gently pat his shoulder.

"Progress gradually."

"I feel like my status here is getting lower and lower."

Shen Ling'er hugged her giant dolphin back and said calmly, "You weren't here to be a teacher in the first place."

"So what am I here for?"

"Being seen".

Zhao Lei: "..."

The live stream chat immediately erupted in laughter.

"I'm being watched, hahaha!"

"Teacher Ling'er accurately summarized Zhao Lei's program positioning."

Zhao Lei: I came to participate in a parent-child program, so why did I end up being the subject of observation?

"Shen Ling'er is not a demon pill, she is the quality inspector of the program team."

At this moment, the director clapped his hands.

"Alright, everyone, don't rush back yet."

Zhao Lei's expression immediately became wary.

"Director, what you said doesn't sound very safe."

The director laughed and said, "It's not some kind of emergency mission."

Shen Ling'er glanced at him.

"You glanced at Uncle Zhao Lei before you spoke."

director:"……"

Zhao Lei immediately became alert. "You did look at me just now."

The director had to explain, "There's another part to the market experience, which is provided by the local fishermen's association."

"I don't need to cook, and I don't know how to catch fish."

Zhao Lei visibly breathed a sigh of relief when he heard that he didn't have to cook.

"That's good."

Shen Ling'er looked up. "Are you afraid of cooking?"

"It's not that I'm afraid, it's just that I feel that cooking should be left to professionals."

"You're not a professional at handling fish either."

Zhao Lei: "..."

The director continued, "Fishermen by the sea need to master some knot-tying and navigation skills when they go out to sea. We will invite an experienced master to teach everyone how to tie knots, recognize wind direction, and read the tide line."

Zhou Xiaoyu immediately became interested. "Can you even tell the wind direction?"

The experienced craftsman smiled and nodded. "Of course."

Chen Doudou asked, "Can you tell when to eat by looking at the wind direction?"

Lin Jia turned his face to the other side.

"Don't associate everything with eating."

Chen Doudou said earnestly, "But I think they are related."

Shen Ling'er glanced at him. "It's related."

Lin Jia was taken aback.

Chen Doudou's eyes immediately lit up. "Look, Ling'er agrees with me too."

Shen Ling'er continued, "If the wind is bad and the boat can't come back, then no one will cook for you."

Chen Doudou paused for two seconds, then nodded solemnly.

"This relationship is very important."

Everyone immediately laughed.

Behind the seaside market was a small wooden platform with a few thick ropes, wooden stakes, and old fishing nets laid out beside it. The old man, surnamed Gu, was over sixty years old and had worked at sea for many years; his hands were rough and his knuckles were somewhat deformed.

He first picked up a rope and demonstrated the most basic knotting method to everyone.

"This is called a single overhand knot, and it's very useful when you need to secure something."

"The rope goes around the stake, comes out from underneath, and then comes back around behind you."

"Tighten it at the end, but don't strangle it."

Zhao Lei picked up the rope and examined it carefully for a few seconds.

"I understand."

Bai Sisi looked at him. "And you know so much?"

"Wrap it around once, then thread it through again, and finally tighten it."

Master Gu smiled and nodded. "You're right."

Zhao Lei immediately became smug. "Teacher Ling'er, didn't I do a decent job this time?"

Shen Ling'er did not answer, but just looked at the knot in his hand.

Zhao Lei finished tying the knot and handed it over with anticipation.

Shen Ling'er glanced at it twice.

"The ____ does not work."

Zhao Lei's smile vanished instantly.

Master Gu also went over to take a look, and then let out a soft "hmm".

"That's true."

Zhao Lei immediately asked, "Where can't it be used?"

Shen Ling'er pointed to the middle of the knot.

"It looks like you tied a single overhand knot, but the rope end went through the wrong direction."

"If you tighten it now, you won't see any problems on the surface. But when you apply force, the rope ends will curl outwards."

"If the stake gets a little wetter, or if the rope is pulled by the boat, the knot will slowly come loose."

Zhao Lei was somewhat unconvinced. "But I've already pulled it very tight."

"The tighter it is, the easier it is to fool you."

"What do you mean?"

Shen Ling'er loosened the knot slightly and readjusted the direction of the rope ends.

"Just because it can be tightened doesn't mean it's right."

"Some flawed things actually seem particularly solid at first glance."

"It will only be revealed when it is truly subjected to force."

Master Gu looked at the knot she had rearranged and couldn't help but nod.

"The little girl is right."

He pulled hard on the rope, and the knot that Zhao Lei had tied immediately veered to one side, with half of the rope end even slipping out of the gap.

Zhao Lei was stunned.

"How could this happen?"

Shen Ling'er handed over her knot. "Pull it again."

Master Gu took it and pulled it with the same force.

The knot remained perfectly still, only tightening with each pull, without deforming.

Zhao Lei fell silent immediately.

The comments section started buzzing again.

"Teacher Ling'er can even spot hidden problems in knots."

"The wrong thing often seems the most solid at first glance—that's so true."

"Zhao Lei was defeated by his own overconfidence once again."

"She doesn't just look at the surface; she can even imagine what will happen after the force is applied."

Master Gu looked at Shen Ling'er, his tone becoming more serious.

"Have you learned knot tying before?"

Shen Ling'er shook her head. "I've learned a little."

"Who taught you?"

"My dad."

Master Gu's brow twitched slightly.

"Was your father a shipbuilder?"

"no."

"Then how does he know these things?"

Shen Ling'er thought for a moment. "He knows a lot."

Before Master Gu could ask any more questions, Shen Ling'er had already lowered her head and started tidying up the rope.

"A rope is just a rope."

"If you hit it correctly, it can hold things in place. If you hit it incorrectly, it will make things fall down."

"Nothing special."

Zhao Lei whispered from the side, "This is what you call nothing special?"

Shen Ling'er looked at him. "You just haven't seen enough."

"Alright, alright, I haven't seen much of that."

Zhao Lei has now learned not to argue with her.

Master Gu then taught everyone how to identify the tide line.

Several streaks of water, varying in color, marked the edge of the beach. The water was wet and shiny closer to the sea, gradually drying out as it moved upwards. Several seashells and seaweed were washed in different locations, with tiny bubbles remaining nearby.

"When the tide goes out, it leaves a trace."

"By observing the waterline, foam, and seaweed, you can roughly determine where the seawater has been."

Zhou Xiaoyu squatted on the ground and examined it for a long time. "Is this a waterline?"

Master Gu nodded. "Yes."

Chen Doudou squatted down as well, pointing earnestly to the other side. "Is this a fishing line?"

Lin Jia: "..."

Shen Ling'er looked at the ground.

"That's not fishing line, it's a plastic rope."

Chen Doudou nodded. "I told you it wasn't a waterline."

Zhao Lei couldn't help but ask, "You just said it was fishing line."

"I've changed it now."

"You changed it way too fast!"

Chen Doudou said earnestly, "If you see a mistake, correct it."

Shen Ling'er nodded. "That's right."

Chen Doudou immediately straightened her chest.

"Ling'er is right!"

Zhao Lei remarked softly from the side, "Dou Dou is getting better and better at grasping the key points."

Shen Ling'er took a few steps forward and came to a patch of slightly darker sand.

She squatted down, gestured with her fingers through the air, and looked at the distant sea.

"This isn't the highest waterline we saw earlier."

Master Gu was taken aback. "Why?"

"The foam is here, but the seaweed isn't."

"If the water really did reach this area, the seaweed should have been pushed up along with it."

"This foam was blown in by the wind, not left by the tide."

Looking in the direction she indicated, Master Gu indeed found that there were no seashells or traces of fine sand around those small clumps of foam.

He squatted down and rubbed a little sand between his fingers.

"That's true."

Shen Ling'er looked up at the sea.

"The wind is blowing from the right today."

Zhao Lei was taken aback. "You can watch this?"

"Look at the seaweed over there."

She pointed to a small patch of seaweed piled up on the shore.

"They were bent in a different direction than the waterline."

"The sea flows to the left, the wind blows to the right."

"So that piece of foam was pushed here by the wind."

Master Gu looked up at the sky, then at the flag in the distance, and the smile on his face completely disappeared.

"Little girl, you've really never been here before?"

"no."

"Then why...?"

"You can tell who pushed them by seeing where they fall."

After she finished speaking, she stood up and patted the sand off her hands.

Master Gu looked at her without saying a word for a long time.

Zhao Lei had already turned his head and lowered his voice towards the camera.

"Dear viewers..."

"Today's task at the seaside market has completely changed from buying groceries to Teacher Ling'er teaching everyone how to read the tides, observe the wind direction, and tie knots."

Shen Ling'er glanced at him.

"What you said is alright."

Zhao Lei instinctively straightened his back. "Really?"

"Um."

"So, does that mean I'm already...?"

"Don't mention certification."

Zhao Lei's words caught in his throat, and he swallowed them back down.

Bai Sisi smiled, her eyes crinkling. "Now she can even know what you're going to say in advance."

Zhao Lei whispered, "I feel like I have no secrets left."

Shen Ling'er said calmly, "You didn't have any secrets to begin with."

"I have."

"for example?"

Zhao Lei thought about it seriously.

"I used to sneak a bite of the cured meat from my family when I was a child."

Chen Doudou immediately asked, "Is it delicious?"

Zhao Lei: "..."

Lin Jia reluctantly pulled Chen Doudou a little further away.

Master Gu then took out a thicker cable.

"Since the little girl knows how to read forces, why don't you try this?"

One end of the rope was fixed to a wooden stake, and the other end was looped around an old iron ring. Master Gu deliberately made the rope loops very complicated, making it look like many knots were tangled together.

"This is a common method of untying the mooring lines used to be on fishing boats."

"If the rope is too tight, you can't just pull it."

"We need to find its loosest spot first."

Zhao Lei immediately took a step back.

"Let Teacher Ling'er handle this."

Shen Ling'er glanced at him. "Weren't you going to work hard?"

"I've already taken the fish."

"Then you can keep trying."

Zhao Lei looked down at the thick cable, and finally resigned himself to his fate and walked over.

He gripped the rope with both hands and tried to pull it outwards.

The rope remained completely still.

Zhao Lei's face flushed red, and he began to exert more force.

"Don't pull," Shen Ling'er suddenly said.

Zhao Lei quickly stopped. "What's wrong?"

"If you pull any harder, the metal ring will deform."

Master Gu nodded quickly. "Yes, this ring has been used for many years and can't withstand such strong force."

Zhao Lei quickly let go, glancing at the iron ring with lingering fear.

"Did I almost break it?"

"Not almost."

Shen Ling'er pointed to the inside of the iron ring.

"It's already a little bent."

Master Gu took it and examined it closely, his expression changing slightly.

Yes, it is.

Zhao Lei immediately broke out in a cold sweat.

"Did I almost lose money just now?"

Shen Ling'er nodded. "That's possible."

"Luckily you called me back."

"It wasn't me who called you; it already told you."

Zhao Lei glanced at the cable, then at the iron ring.

"When did it tell me?"

"When you pull, the iron ring doesn't move, but the rope is squeezed to the side."

"This means the knot isn't stuck; the force is being applied in the wrong direction."

She walked to the cable, squatted down, and started gently turning the loops from the position closest to the iron ring.

"here."

She pushed a small section of rope to the left.

"This is pine."

They then pushed the other section of rope back a little further.

"Let it back down first; don't pull it out directly."

Her fingers are small, but her movements are very steady.

The tangled rope loops gradually untangled in her hands. She didn't pull hard or use brute force. She simply followed the direction of each section of rope, returning them to their original positions.

In less than half a minute, the cable slipped off the iron ring.

Master Gu stared at the rope lying on the ground, his eyes filled with surprise.

"this……"

Shen Ling'er stood up.

"It's not that it can't be solved."

"You've just been pulling in the wrong direction."

After watching for a while, Zhao Lei finally managed to say, "If you can go with the flow, don't force it."

Shen Ling'er looked at him.

"I've memorized that sentence."

Zhao Lei laughed instantly. "This time it wasn't me who said it, it was you who said it before."

"Then you remember quite well."

"Is this considered a compliment?"

"Count it as a little."

Zhao Lei immediately clenched his fist quietly.

"It's perfect."

The live chat was completely flooded with comments.

"Zhao Lei has finally learned not to be greedy."

"Teacher Ling'er's praise is now counted in 'one point'."

"Cable: I've finally met someone who understands me."

"She didn't teach how to untie the rope; she taught how to find the loose end when encountering a problem."

"Demon Orb is quiet today, but its boasting hasn't stopped at all."

The director looked at the task card, then at the rope that Shen Ling'er had rearranged, and finally decided to announce the result.

"In today's seaside market mission, Shen Ling'er's group is currently ranked first."

Zhao Lei immediately raised his hand. "Why is it temporary?"

The director laughed and said, "Because the other crews haven't returned yet."

"Shall we celebrate first?"

"cannot."

Shen Ling'er said calmly, "It's not over yet."

Zhao Lei glanced at her and immediately lowered his raised hand.

"it is good."

Master Gu took out a small copper whistle from an old wooden box next to him and handed it to Shen Ling'er.

"This is for you."

Shen Ling'er glanced down at it but didn't answer immediately.

Why?

"You helped me find the tide line today and also untied the rope."

"I just saw it."

"Not everyone who sees it will speak up."

Master Gu smiled.

"Take it. People who live by the sea know that those who can read the wind direction won't stray too far from the right path."

Shen Ling'er thought for a moment, then reached out and took the whistle.

She weighed the whistle in her palm.

"Can this be blown into shape?"

Master Gu nodded. "Yes."

Shen Ling'er raised the whistle, put it to her lips, and blew it softly.

The crisp whistle sound immediately traveled through the sea breeze and reached the market entrance not far away.

Zhao Lei instinctively covered his ears.

"Why is that sound so loud?"

Shen Ling'er looked at the whistle in her hand.

"It was originally loud."

Why are you blowing it?

"Give it a try."

"Have you finished trying it?"

"Um."

Just as Zhao Lei released his grip, he heard Shen Ling'er blow another whistle.

The whistle blew again.

Zhao Lei trembled.

"Teacher Ling'er, don't you think this is fun?"

Shen Ling'er nodded. "A little."

"Then don't blow it at me."

"I wasn't talking to you."

"But the sound came through."

Shen Ling'er looked at him intently.

"That's a problem with the wind."

Zhao Lei: "..."

Bai Sisi smiled and pulled Zhao Lei aside.

"Stay away from the wind too."

Zhao Lei nodded seriously. "I now realize that the most dangerous thing today wasn't the fish, nor the rope."

"What is it?"

Zhao Lei looked at the bronze whistle in Shen Ling'er's hand.

"Anything she gets her hands on that she recently acquired."

Shen Ling'er hung the copper whistle on her waist and took the large dolphin back with her.

"As long as you don't get too close, you'll be fine."

Zhao Lei immediately retreated.

In the distance, several seabirds skimmed the crests of waves on the sea. The wind rustled the cloth flags at the market entrance.

Shen Ling'er stood by the wooden platform, looked down at the few cables that had not yet been retracted, and then looked up at the tide line in the distance.

She suddenly said, "There will be a gust of wind this afternoon."

Master Gu was taken aback. "What did you say?"

"The clouds over the sea are moving this way, but the flag is tilting to the other side."

"The wind hasn't even turned upside down yet, but things are already in chaos below."

She pointed to a small fishing boat in the distance.

"It would be best if that ship set sail later."

Master Gu followed her gaze, and his expression gradually became serious.

"There was indeed a sea trip this afternoon."

"Then let's do it later."

Shen Ling'er spoke as if it were perfectly reasonable.

"Don't rush to send the boat away before the wind has decided which way to go."

Master Gu was silent for a moment, then picked up the walkie-talkie and turned around to notify the people on the boat.

Zhao Lei stood to the side, his expression gradually becoming complicated.

"Teacher Ling'er."

"Um?"

"Didn't you just say that today's task was just to participate in the seaside market mission?"

"right."

"Then why have you started managing the ship again?"

Shen Ling'er glanced at him.

"Because the wind wrote the answer."

Zhao Lei immediately fell silent.

After a few seconds, he turned to look at the camera, his voice much lower than usual.

"Dear viewers..."

"Today's task was to buy a meal."

"But now it seems that Teacher Ling'er has already arranged everything, including market purchasing, knot teaching, tide line judgment, and the time for going out to sea."

Shen Ling'er added casually, "It's not arranged yet."

Zhao Lei was taken aback. "What else?"

"The fish in your hand."

Zhao Lei looked down at the fish that was no longer struggling much.

"What's wrong with it?"

"You've been bringing this up for too long."

"What should we do then?"

Shen Ling'er pointed to the bucket next to her.

"Put it in."

Zhao Lei quickly did as instructed.

The fish returned to the water, flicked its tail twice, and finally calmed down.

Shen Ling'er looked at the water and nodded.

"That feels much more comfortable."

Zhao Lei wiped the sweat from his forehead.

"So, does that mean I've completed my task for today?"

Shen Ling'er hugged the large dolphin tightly in her arms.

"At least you didn't kill the fish."

Zhao Lei: "..."

Laughter erupted in the live stream room once again.

"Zhao Lei's achievement today: The fish didn't die."

"The value of this certification may seem strange, but it is indeed very important."

"Teacher Ling'er will never give you an overestimation."

"Today's beach day was so relaxing. Mowan was showing off while also saving the day."

"Shen Fei teaching his daughter to read the wind direction is amazing."

The director, seeing the sun gradually setting in the west, finally called everyone to get on the bus.

Several families, carrying seafood, souvenirs, and a host of fresh stories, slowly walked toward the hotel.

After Zhao Lei got into the car, the first thing he did was to maximize the distance between himself and Shen Ling'er.

Shen Ling'er sat next to Yang Mi, holding the giant dolphin, with the copper whistle still hanging from her waist.

As soon as the car started, she looked down at the whistle, then at the tree branches swaying in the sea breeze outside the window.

Zhao Lei immediately became alert.

"Teacher Ling'er."

"What are you doing?"

"If you're going to brag, could you at least give me a heads-up?"

Shen Ling'er shook her head. "No need."

Why?

"Because I told you beforehand, you would hide."

Zhao Lei: "..."

Yang Mi couldn't help but smile and take her daughter's hand.

"Ling'er, you did a great job today."

Shen Ling'er nodded.

"Um."

Are you happy?

She thought for a moment, glanced at the large dolphin in her arms, and then touched the small copper whistle at her waist.

Cheer up.

Zhao Lei asked in a low voice, "Why is there only a little?"

Shen Ling'er looked out the window.

"Because we haven't seen anything truly interesting today."

Zhao Lei immediately sat up straight.

"What do you mean?"

Shen Ling'er did not answer.

She simply watched the clouds slowly gathering on the distant sea, a hint of anticipation in her eyes.

Outside the car window, the wind direction had quietly changed.