After Transmigrating into a Cannon Fodder Submissive, I Became Popular by Foraging on the Beach - Chapter 1

“Get him out of here! Didn’t he say that love is enough to survive on water? Let’s see how long he can last without money!!!” A furious roar came from inside the house from Father Shen.

“Take care of yourself.”

Older brother Shen Ji’s expression was complex, his brows tightly furrowed. After a long while, he quietly added, “Wait a few days for Father’s anger to subside, and come back to sincerely apologize…”

“What are you still talking to him for! Let him go be poor for a month and he’ll understand!”

Father Shen, disappointed that his son wasn’t living up to his expectations, slammed the door.

With a loud bang, the door closed right in front of Shen Qiu’s eyes, almost hitting his tall nose.

Shen Qiu awkwardly rubbed his nose.

He had transmigrated into a book, unfortunately.

And he encountered this situation right after arriving, being kicked out of the house before he could even collect his thoughts.

The characters and plot before him were so familiar.

A few days ago, he had read an urban power-fantasy novel with a straight male protagonist, and the cannon fodder submissive with the same name as him was in that novel.

In the original book, this pair of cannon fodder (a cannon fodder attacker/top and a cannon fodder submissive/bottom) were merely stepping stones on the male protagonist’s path to success.

The cannon fodder attacker, Lu Fu, was both a scumbag and malicious.

His mother, attempting to elevate her status through her child, acted recklessly based on her connection to the Lu family bloodline, coveted the Lu family’s assets, and courted death repeatedly.

He also aided and abetted her, attempting to bleed the Lu family dry.

The cannon fodder submissive, Shen Qiu, was both petty and foolish.

Although he had no real conflict with the male protagonist, Lu Yidong, he was so obsessed with the scumbag attacker that he resembled the classic trope of a scumbag-attacker and pathetic-submissive from early melodramatic novels.

He also provoked and mocked the male protagonist, was easily instigated, and participated in the struggle for the family fortune, resulting in him being kicked out and despised by everyone.

Later, neither of them came to a good end.

In the end, the scumbag attacker was suppressed several times until he was powerless to fight back, was also expelled from the family, and wandered the streets.

And Shen Qiu, who courted death just the same, became the “chicken slaughtered to warn the monkeys,” ultimately meeting a tragic death.

Shen Qiu was glad he stayed up late to finish the book.

The original host loved to go against his family, and he was likely thrown out now for angering them again.

Shen Qiu felt utterly helpless, slowly let out a breath, and scratched his curly hair.

He had no intention of getting involved in the wealthy family’s grudges. As long as he cut ties with the scumbag, he wouldn’t end up in that dire situation.

Shen Qiu, using the original host’s memory, found the scumbag Lu Fu in his WeChat contacts and wrinkled his nose in disgust.

Immediately, with the speed of lightning, he served up the full package of blocking and deleting.

Shen Qiu, after being kicked out, thought back and realized he didn’t have much money on him.

The original host was a pure wastrel who relied entirely on his parents for living expenses.

With his card suspended, the money he had could only last him two or three days, even with careful budgeting.

Fortunately, Father Shen didn’t actually want his son to wander the streets, and the original host had his own property.

It was a blessing in disguise, saving him the money for a hotel stay.

Shen Qiu rubbed his growling stomach, found his target, and took the bus straight to his destination.

The person least likely to starve in the world is a chef, especially a chef who knows how to forage on the beach.

Shen Qiu brought his small bucket to the seaside, once again grateful for nature’s bounty.

The Transmigration God must have felt guilty, which is why he let him transmigrate to the seaside.

The sea is truly a treasure!

He could enjoy a seafood feast at zero cost!

Gazing at the beach, Shen Qiu was already imagining the deliciousness of various seafood, smacking his lips and drooling.

So what if he was kicked out? So what if his bank card was frozen? His culinary skills were no less than a five-star chef’s!

Just as he arrived at the marine ranch specially set up for beach foraging, he heard a young girl complaining.

“Ouch, my back hurts. Why can’t I dig anything up?” She was probably just there for the experience, as she rubbed her back in distress.

Shen Qiu casually told her, “You need to watch carefully for the small mounds they leave when they burrow into the sand.”

Saying this, he crouched down to demonstrate.

He pointed out a slightly raised sand mound right by their feet, and with a few swift scoops, deftly dug out a yellow clam.

The girl looked at the beach, which was already pockmarked with holes and covered in footprints, and was dumbfounded: “That’s too subtle, how can I see it!”

She came to her senses, smiled innocently, and then saw he was a handsome guy, making her smile even more cheerfully.

The girl asked for guidance: “Could you teach us more?”

Shen Qiu spoke while personally demonstrating: “You need to follow the retreating tide, so the seafood is abundant because no one has dug there yet.”

“Pay attention to the mounds and breathing holes left after they burrow.”

The girl nodded repeatedly, following closely behind him.

Shen Qiu quickly scanned the area, aimed his shovel at a small mound, and with a strong flick, dug up a Moon Shell.

He squatted and walked a few more steps, then reached out and dug open another mound.

He brightened up: “Oh, these two are neighbors.”

He hummed a tune and walked along the beach, occasionally bending down. The girl looked envious: “You make it look so effortless.”

Shen Qiu was still murmuring: “This Moon Shell is too small, I’ll release it.”

“This breathing hole is for a Hairy Clam… Hey, I guessed right!”

“Little fellow, you really think I’m blind, showing me your two big eyes.” (Referring to a crab)

He skillfully used the shovel to press down the crab’s back, preventing its claws from pinching him, picked up the crab, washed it in the seawater, and tossed it into the bucket.

Hearing the clanging sound as each piece of seafood was thrown into the bucket, Shen Qiu weighed the bucket and smiled with satisfaction.

“How can you catch so many?” Suddenly, an older gentleman nearby spoke up, sounding unconvinced, “You haven’t been here that long, have you?”

Shen Qiu waved his hand, modestly saying, “They’re just small shells no one wanted.”

He pointed his shovel at a flat, round breathing hole: “Look, there’s another yellow clam here.”

The grandpa leaned over and looked, then smiled confidently: “Youngster, you still don’t understand, do you? This kind of breathing hole belongs to a Moon Shell.”

Shen Qiu chuckled: “It looks like a yellow clam to me.”

“I’ve been beach foraging for over ten years, how could I not tell the difference!” The grandpa was stubborn, “I bet you it’s a Moon Shell!”

The girl, having followed Shen Qiu all this time, started to worship him blindly: “I’ve watched the handsome guy guess correctly so many times, it must be a yellow clam.”

The grandpa’s whiskers twitched, and he argued with gestures and demonstrations.

Shen Qiu shrugged, and amidst their debate, he quickly dug open the mound.

He pulled it out and washed off the mud. All three people leaned in to look.

Sure enough, it was a clam with a yellow pattern.

The grandpa was speechless: “This yellow clam can camouflage itself now!”

“…Such sharp eyes, no wonder you dug up so much so quickly.”

The old man wasn’t resentful, smiling admiringly: “I admit I’m not as good, and I accept the wager. I’ll give you this half-bucket of Flower Crab!”

Shen Qiu quickly waved his hand to refuse, but the grandpa straightened his face: “Just consider it making a new friend.”

After saying that, he poured the contents into Shen Qiu’s bucket without allowing a refusal, instantly filling the small plastic bucket.

“Well… thank you very much then.” Shen Qiu scratched his head and smiled helplessly.

Seeing that it was getting late, he bid farewell to the two of them. The girl was reluctant: “Handsome guy, are you coming back? It was so interesting watching you forage.”

Shen Qiu smiled: “Maybe another time.”

The haul in his bucket was enough for him today.

Shen Qiu finished work, took the two-dollar bus, and returned to the property under the original host’s name.

Upon arriving home, he placed the crabs and shells in a basin, added oil and salt to the water, and shook it vigorously to make them spit out the sand.

Then, he washed the rice and cooked the meal in one smooth motion.

He also washed the kelp he had picked up at the seaside, blanched it, and cut it into uniform thin shreds.

He piled minced garlic and chili on top, drizzled hot oil over it, and sizzle-pop, the aroma of chili and garlic burst out, immediately rushing to his nose.

Then, he added soy sauce and black vinegar, and a plate of cold-dressed kelp shreds was quickly done.

Shen Qiu checked, changed the dirty water the shells had spit out, and cut the crabs into small pieces.

Hot pot, cold oil. He skillfully sautéed the scallions, ginger, and garlic until fragrant.

Shen Qiu timed the temperature perfectly and poured in the seafood to stir-fry. The crabs quickly turned red, and the shells opened their mouths. He then sprinkled a little seasoning and turned off the heat.

Shen Qiu picked out a shell from the pot and tasted it. The ingredients were fresh, tender, and springy, and the flavor of scallions, ginger, and garlic added layers to the sweet freshness.

Cold-dressed kelp shreds and stir-fried seafood with ginger and scallions—green scallions and red crab—it was quite a feast for one person.

He smacked his lips, swallowed, and casually took a few snaps with his phone; the pictures were truly a treat for the eyes, nose, and mouth.

Excitedly, he posted to his Moments and then happily enjoyed a large bowl of rice.

While eating deliciously, his phone suddenly vibrated.

He opened it and saw a message from someone whose contact name was “Lu Fu’s Younger Brother.”

[Shen Qiu Ge, you said you would come to celebrate Lu Ge’s birthday, why didn’t you even bring a gift? He’s really upset.]

[It was too late, I could only take Lu Ge home first. Ge, please don’t be mad at me. Lu Ge and I really don’t have anything going on.]

The message reeked of two big words: Green Tea (a manipulative, two-faced person).

Shen Qiu recalled the two people he had briefly met and frowned in disgust.

While lamenting how pathetic the original host was in his obsession, he quickly blocked this person.

These two were truly a match made in heaven, like two peas in a pod.

Let them be entangled with each other.

His mood ruined by the WeChat message, Shen Qiu angrily ate two large bowls of rice, feeling so full that he was forced to go for a walk.

As he walked, he made some calculations. He had just checked, and this rich young master had three sports cars.

Selling just one second-hand car would be enough to live on for a month.

Moreover, even if he made up with his family later, he didn’t plan to keep relying on the Shen family; he needed to figure out what kind of job he could find.

He used to just be a teacher, with no talent for business, and now that he couldn’t be a teacher, how should he earn money?

While thinking, he unconsciously walked to the street outside the complex, strolling slowly.

Cars drove by, stopping and starting.

Suddenly, a phone call rang, bringing his attention back.

He looked at the name and quickly recalled from his body’s memory that this was one of the original host’s unscrupulous friends.

Shen Qiu leaned against the roadside and answered the call.

A boisterous voice came from the other side: “Did you two fight again? If you need anything, come to us brothers, letting you stay for a few days is not a problem.”

“It’s fine, I’m doing pretty well living by myself now.”

“Then… how are things with Lu Fu? What did you do to make your dad so angry?” Lu Fu was the scumbag from the original novel.

Recalling the WeChat message he just received, Shen Qiu pouted. Any normal person wouldn’t tolerate that, right?

No wonder the original host’s family was so disappointed.

Shen Qiu stated directly: “Don’t mention it. I was blind before. We’ve already broken up. I stopped liking him a long time ago.”

The person on the other end hesitated for a second. Shen Qiu’s attitude was honest, completely unlike the heartbroken submissive he used to be, and his tone had changed from gloomy to much brighter.

“That’s not like you.”

Shen Qiu fabricated a lie to clarify: “It’s all about the Lu family. I thought he was as formidable as Lu Yidong, which is why I got close to him. I didn’t expect to waste such good genes for nothing.”

Shen Qiu’s eyes darted around cleverly, seizing the opportunity to praise Lu Yidong a little.

“Him trying to compare with Lu Yidong? Lu Yidong became the director of Sheng Hao Group at a young age, and he’s definitely going to inherit the Lu family.”

“I like Lu Yidong, not him.”

The person on the other side was confused: “It’s good that you don’t like Lu Fu… but why do you like Lu Yidong?”

“Who wouldn’t like Lu Yidong? He’s young, handsome, and rich,” Shen Qiu narrowed his eyes, his voice carrying a smile.

“Tch—”

Shen Qiu chatted with him for a few more minutes, walking further away as he talked, his voice fading.

He didn’t notice a low-key black car that had been parked on the roadside since he started his call.

What he was even less aware of was that the person sitting in the car was none other than the young, handsome, and wealthy Lu Yidong himself.

The assistant in the front seat glanced at Boss Lu through the rearview mirror.

He was indeed young, handsome, and rich.

Boss Lu had stopped the car casually on the roadside while running errands after returning to the country, yet he could hear someone passionately declaring their love for him.

His popularity was simply too high.

While the assistant was daydreaming, the distinguished Boss Lu spoke: “What are you looking at?”

The assistant quickly averted his gaze: “Lu Zong (Boss Lu), I wasn’t looking at anything.”

“Oh?”

Feeling nervous, the assistant had no choice but to confess: “Are you acquainted with that person just now?”

The assistant regretted it as soon as he spoke, quickly shutting his mouth.

Too gossipy, far too gossipy.

“No, let’s go.”

The assistant quickly started the car.

Understood, it was just a plain, average fan.