Lin Jiang put in another burst of strength and pulled the red marker in the center over to his side.
"We won! We won!"
Zhao Wenxuan and Zhang Zihao cheered loudly.
For them, the prize wasn't important. Winning was what mattered most, because it was a symbol of honor.
Yu Bin looked grim. He stood there awkwardly, not daring to meet anyone's eyes.
The tug-of-war was over, and next up was the sandcastle competition. The goal was to build the best-looking castle out of beach sand. There was no prize, but the winner's creation would be featured on the class poster.
This activity was much more relaxed—it was all just for fun.
Everyone was at ease. Many of the parents got their dresses splashed by the seawater, and they had a blast walking barefoot on the sand.
As the sun began to set, casting a golden hue over the coast, the group walked back to the hotel. Soon after, it was dinnertime.
