After the barbecue, the sun sank into the sea.

The four of them came out of the water and headed to the bathroom to bathe and change clothes.

After a while, Mrs. Jiutiao emerged in a thin house dress and saw Dubian Che washing dishes. She said,

"Tomorrow the boat will dock, and people will come to take care of these things."

"It's okay, I'm used to it."

"Do whatever you want," Mrs. Jiutiao walked over to the counter. "Bartender, please give me a whisky with water, on the rocks."

"Just a moment, Mrs." Dubian Che washed his hands, grabbed a glass for her, and added ice balls.

Mrs. Jiutiao thanked him with a guest's tone, picked up the glass elegantly, and sipped lightly.

The night breeze reached them; Dubian Che caught the fragrance of her bath.

Mrs. Jiutiao took a sip, looking at Dubian Che, she asked, "Alone without a housekeeper?"

"I didn't have money before; now that I do, I never thought about hiring a housekeeper."

"Do you wash your own clothes?"

"You don't think I squat there with a washboard, do you? I just throw everything into the washing machine and dry it when it's done."

"A washboard?" Mrs. Jiutiao asked curiously. "I've heard of it; what does it look like?"

"Wave."

While Mrs. Jiutiao sipped her drink, she imagined a washboard with the pattern of waves.

"Do you wash the dishes and mop the floor all by yourself, and cook all your meals?" she continued.

"Sometimes convenience store bento."

Neither spoke again; Dubian Che silently washed the dishes while Mrs. Jiutiao stood by the counter drinking for a while before turning on the record player.

Inside the cabin, the melody of "Five Hundred Miles" began to play.

Mrs. Jiutiao sat back down, smiling said, "I really like this song; it reminds me of my childhood in Capital City. This afternoon when you sang it, I almost fell for you."

"Fell for a farm boy who sells barbecue and washes dishes?" Dubian Che laughed.

"That's enough." Mrs. Jiutiao smiled slightly. "The barbecue was delicious, good for making money to support a family; washing dishes shows you don't dislike household chores."

She swirled her glass; the ice balls clinked inside, appearing as though they would fly out several times but miraculously fell back in.

Before "Five Hundred Miles" finished playing, Mrs. Kiyono and Jiutiao Meijie came up after their bath.

Mrs. Kiyono wore the same type of thin house dress as Mrs. Jiutiao, very cool.

Jiutiao Meijie wore one of Dubian Che's shirts, with shorts resembling pajamas hidden underneath.

"The 500 Miles Bar is open; what will you two have?" Dubian Che's gaze fell on Jiutiao Meijie's thighs peeking out from beneath the shirt hem.

"Beer, thank you." Mrs. Kiyono sat down next to Mrs. Jiutiao.

Dubian Che took a glass and poured beer into it.

The exquisite clear glass held the golden liquid, with bubbles rising from the bottom, forming a rich white foam on the surface.

"It looks very tasty," Mrs. Kiyono complimented.

"Thank you," Dubian Che said, turning to Jiutiao Meijie who was on the other side of Mrs. Jiutiao. "My Meijie, what would you like?"

"Milk."

"Just a moment."

"They sell milk in a bar?" Mrs. Kiyono asked with a laugh.

"The bar was just a joke." Dubian Che turned away from them, taking out milk from the fridge. "Actually, this is mine and Meijie's love nest, and the table is just a kitchen counter."

"Unapproved cohabitation." Mrs. Jiutiao spoke while drinking.

Jiutiao Meijie took a few sips of her milk and as the song with the lyrics "Now I am ragged, but still anonymous," played, Kiyono Lin came up.

"You took a long soak, Lin," Mrs. Jiutiao called out.

Dubian Che guessed her reply would involve the hassle of hair care.

"I didn't soak for long; it took time to fix my hair." Kiyono Lin first went for "Blue Planet II", then sat at the bar.

"One watermelon juice," she said while opening the book.

"This is a bar, Miss Lin," Dubian Che reminded jokingly.

Kiyono Lin didn't respond, already engrossed in her book.

"Don't make it a habit." Dubian Che cut a watermelon into chunks, dividing it into two portions.

One was placed on the bar for them to eat, and the other went into the juicer.

Mrs. Kiyono glanced at her daughter's long hair and said, "How about trying a short hairstyle?"

"No need, I like my long hair."

Jiutiao Meijie, from across the two ladies, glanced at Kiyono Lin, her gaze landing on her pale shoulders.

Kiyono Lin wore a slip-off-the-shoulder nightgown, giving her an innocent, sexy look, with a hint of homeliness.

"Would you wear something like that?" Jiutiao Meijie asked with a sneer.

"My mother prepared it," Kiyono Lin replied without looking up.

"Is that the only set?"

"Do I need your permission for what I wear?" Kiyono Lin shot a glance at Jiutiao Meijie.

Mrs. Jiutiao laughed and said to her daughter, "We've seen everything in a swimsuit during the day, a bit of shoulder doesn't make a difference."

"A swimsuit is a swimsuit; dressing like this, I'm afraid it's with the intention of seducing someone," Jiutiao Meijie said.

"All right, here's your juice," Dubian Che put the glass in front of Kiyono Lin and then suddenly took it back.

"Nearly forgot." He dropped an ice cube in.

The juice spilled out, from the bottom of the glass, spattering on the cabinet.

"An unnecessary move." Kiyono Lin glanced at it.

"Everyone else was just right; only yours overflowed." Dubian Che dried the glass and handed it to her.

"Like Meijie said, were you seduced by my shoulders? Forgot to put the ice in first?"

"Bearing false witness at least requires a shred of evidence. Everyone knows I have no interest in shoulders. And as a professional bartender, who doesn't wipe tables?"

"Ice in juice, professional bartender?" Kiyono Lin said with sarcasm.

Dubian Che ignored her, continued wiping the table and asked Mrs. Jiutiao, "Miss Manaka, would you like more?"

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