A great torrent of fish feed poured down, and the fish surged forward in a spirited rush to devour it—an uplifting and lively scene.
Feeling relieved, Eddie turned his attention to his main domain: the coral reef area.
He had been worried that the cod fry might ravage the reef's abundant seaweed and algae, but once he reached the reef, he relaxed. He saw Little Beluga ("Ball Ball") patrolling like a regal king around the coral formations. With its guard in place, none of the fry dared come too close.
The grayling fry, however, remained calm. They didn't panic when Ball Ball swam by; they simply continued what they were doing.
When Eddie projected his Sea-God Awareness into the water, Ball Ball became instantly excited—like a launched torpedo, it rushed straight toward him, scattering the cod fry in all directions.
Eddie allocated more Sea-God energy to Ball Ball as a reward for guarding the territory. Ball Ball clearly showed its delight, circling happily around the aura of power.
At that moment, a few vividly colorful fish caught Eddie's eye.
These fish displayed striking stripes of blue, green, red, and black. Their bodies and parrot-like beaks formed one distinct shape, and they hovered clumsily along the edge of the reef, occasionally feeding on dead coral polyps.
"Parrotfish? Where did these little guys come from?" Eddie immediately recognized them.
Parrotfish play a crucial role in reef ecosystems. They consume dead coral polyps and excrete the indigestible coral or rock as fine sand. Additionally, their bodies secrete mucus that helps coral polyps adhere, aiding reef growth.
Such is the wonder of marine ecology—vast and diverse. The seawater medium allows far more exchange among species than land does. With parrotfish present, the reef can expand more rapidly.
Eddie injected Sea-God energy into the parrotfish. Soon, their coloration grew more vibrant and lustrous, and they became more energetic, clamping down on coral fragments with quick beaks.
The reef began to expand, but the number of fish there was still limited—grayling made up the largest group—so he decided to introduce about two hundred more fry into the reef and infused them with Sea-God energy as well.
It wasn't a strategic decision, just a spontaneous gesture to make full use of the seaweed and aquatic vegetation inside the reef.
After finishing, Eddie continued his usual underwater perusal, but found nothing. He then veered toward the snowy mountain stream. As he passed the estuary, he spotted small freshwater turtles resting on the river bottom. He lingered nearby, amassed Sea-God energy, and dozed off.
When he woke again, it was already evening. Someone shook him awake—CK was smiling at him.
"Oh shit, Dapeng!" Eddie sprang up and gave him a big hug.
CK beamed and said, "Glad you're here in time. I thought you weren't coming back."
"Well, your wedding's in two days—I wouldn't miss that. I'm your best man," Eddie replied with a friendly punch.
"I heard you've been doing well abroad, going overseas to study or whatever. Enough small talk—dude, come to my place tonight for dinner. We'll catch up properly." With that, CK invited him over and walked off.
That evening, Eddie picked a fine cigarette, grabbed two bottles of ice wine, plus some scallops, sea cucumbers, and dried lobster, and headed to CK's house.
CK lived at the west end of Eddie's village in a newly built two-story house, one constructed specifically for his upcoming marriage.
Eddie greeted CK's parents at the door. The older couple greeted him with beaming smiles: "Here's little O! Tuck in—seeing you two are such good friends, why did you bring all these gifts?"
Eddie replied cheerfully, "These are specialties from Canada—brought them just for you."
"Little O knows how to talk, knows how to get things done. Unlike Dapeng, he just smiles—doesn't say much," CK's mother said.
Eddie laughed, "Auntie, don't be fooled by his honest look. If I were that persuasive, I'd have even gotten myself a wife. But look at Dapeng—he's got one."
At that, CK's mother perked up and asked, "By the way, little O, you're not getting any younger—are you thinking about finding someone? Let me tell you…"
Sticking to tradition, CK's father interrupted, "What are you saying? Does little O need to be set up? He's a university grad, working for a state enterprise, even studied abroad—would he lack a wife?"
CK's mother disagreed, putting her hands on her hips: "I know he's accomplished—but a hometown girl would be better for settling down than tall, pretty city girls."
CK gave Eddie a nudge, and Eddie forced a wry smile.
To be fair, Eddie was a bit older now and still single. Back when he was in Bailang Island City, his salary was low and he was too shy and inexperienced at dating. Even though there were many women at work, he remained a perpetual bachelor.
He didn't have anything against local girls—he simply wasn't home enough to meet any.
CK ushered Eddie to sit down and examined the ice wine and cigarettes: "Top-shelf stuff, man."
Eddie grinned, "Light them up, have a sip, and tell me if you like them. I can send this stuff regularly—lots of it up in Canada."
CK asked, "How long are you staying in Canada?"
Eddie paused then said, "Actually, man, I am Canadian now—I moved my household registration over."
CK was stunned. Eyes wide, he said, "Holy cow, are you serious? You're officially a foreigner now? My God, how did you do that?"
Eddie chuckled and replied, "It's a long and complicated story—I'll tell you more later."
They sat talking at the coffee table. CK's parents soon brought out several dishes. Old friends didn't make a big fuss. CK's father, once a chef, prepared bell pepper scrambled eggs, dry-fried cauliflower, stir-fried peanuts, boiled pork slices, and fried kidneys.
The parents didn't sit down at the table—they gave them space to converse.
Eddie salivated at the sight of the red-hot boiled pork. He said, "I haven't had your dad's shuizhu pork in six months. Damn, eating in Canada sucks—just bread and seafood, so boring."
CK's father had learned the recipe from a Sichuan chef and perfected it. The dish, with bright red chilies, green oil shoots, white lotus root, and golden pork slices, delivered fragrant, spicy heat with numbing Sichuan peppercorns. It was both visually stunning and delicious.
After a few bites, Eddie set down his chopsticks. CK raised his glass and said with a smile, "Here's the one—bro, let's drink to it!"
"To the big guy finally settling down," Eddie toasted. "But I've gotta say, man, you didn't do this right. How come I didn't even know you had a girlfriend—then bam, you just get married?"
CK grinned sheepishly, "Hey, it's not entirely my fault. I didn't expect it to be this fast. Lily and I have known each other for less than half a year."
"A shotgun wedding? When did you get so trendy?" Eddie teased.
CK looked embarrassed and rubbed the back of his head: "Well, we didn't plan for it to be this fast. It was… well, you know."
He gave Eddie a meaningful look—men understand.
Eddie was taken aback, "You guys knocked someone up?"
CK blushed and confessed, "Yep. Family shotgun—got pregnant before the marriage."
Eddie didn't know what to say. As a virgin, he thought all he could do was finish his drink and shed a tear.
"By the way, where is your fiancée? I'd like to meet her," Eddie realized mid-drink.
CK answered, "She's at her mother's house. Tradition says, nine days before the wedding, she can't enter my house. We're going to the county tomorrow to pick up the wedding convoy—come with us, I'll introduce you."
He winked: "My wife's got plenty of girlfriends coming—maybe I can hook you up with one."