Lin Xiuqing crouched down beside Ye Yaodong, staring intently for a while before speaking up, "Will the meat come out like this? How long do we have to wait? If I had known, I would have borrowed a weighing stone so we could check how heavy this snail is."
"Don't worry about weighing it. What's important is whether there’s a treasure inside. This coconut snail is only about three to four pounds, so let’s hang it for a while!"
She could only wait patiently, wondering what kind of treasure might be hidden inside this snail.
Her man was acting all mysterious.
Ye Yaodong lowered the weight hook, and after a long while, the shell of the coconut snail finally fell onto the beach, with the snail meat hanging Q-like on the hook.
At this moment, no one cared about the size or bounce of the snail meat.
The instant the shell hit the sand, Lin Xiuqing's eyes lit up as she picked it up, squinting at the spiral part.
Ye Yaodong nervously asked, "Is there something inside?"
"Yes, it's orange! There really is something inside!"
Lin Xiuqing widened her eyes, pleasantly surprised.
At first, she thought the waves would only bring the shell, not the meat.
"Wow!"
He was immediately excited, taking the shell from her hands and giving it a shake.
An oval, glossy orange-red pearl dropped directly into his palm!
"Hahahaha! We struck gold!"
Seeing him so happy, Lin Xiuqing knew it must be worth a lot.
She asked in amazement, "What kind of pearl is this? I've never seen one before!"
Ye Yaodong held up the pearl, grinning from ear to ear, "This is a Beautiful Melody Pearl! Have you heard of it? The chances of this snail producing a Beautiful Melody Pearl are one in a few thousand."
"What is a Beautiful Melody Pearl? Is it a kind of pearl?"
"It's worth more than regular pearls. If this coconut snail produces a pearl, it’s called a Beautiful Melody Pearl, but it can also be called a ‘Dragon Pearl’ or a ‘Flame Pearl.’ The colors range from orange-red, orange-yellow, yellow, to near white. Some Beautiful Melody Pearls have flame patterns, coming in irregular shapes, oval, and round, with the round ones being the most valuable."
"Our pearl has flame patterns on it!"
"Right," Ye Yaodong squinted happily, "This one is considered a top-grade Beautiful Melody Pearl. It looks bigger than a two-cent coin!"
In this time, a two-cent coin should be about 21mm in diameter.
He estimated it was larger than a two-cent coin but slightly smaller than a five-cent coin, which is 24mm in diameter.
They truly hit the jackpot!
Lin Xiuqing was overjoyed, "Let’s compare it to a coin when we get back. Coming out today was definitely the right choice!"
This was the second time she said this, proving just how happy she was.
He beamed with pride, "Now you know listening to me was the right call!"
"Yes, yes, yes! You're the only one who would come to the beach during a typhoon. Who in the village dares to do that? Don’t they fear being swept away by the waves?"
"They are all cowards. Only during a typhoon can you find surprises. As long as there are big waves, the beach has more to offer than during high tide."
"Then how much can we sell this pearl for? Where can we sell it?"
Uh... that question stumped him a bit, as he didn't know how much the pearl was worth at that moment...
Under the influence of traditional dragon culture in their country, the collection community had always viewed Beautiful Melody Pearls as "Dragon Pearls," attributing them with sacred meaning, making them rare royal treasures.
In his knowledge from later years, these pearls were worth thousands of dollars, but right now, he wasn't sure since production was lagging, and people's basic needs were just barely being met.
He furrowed his brow, "I only know that this pearl is very, very expensive. I can't say exactly how much it will sell for. Our town and the jewelry shop in the county will definitely have trouble estimating it. Even if they can, they won’t offer a high price. The city... feels like that will be tricky too. We might have to go to the provincial capital!"
"Huh? We have to go to the provincial capital? That’s so far away?" Lin Xiuqing was stunned.
Was this pearl really that amazing?
Ye Yaodong felt it was a hassle too.
After thinking for a moment, he spoke in a convincing tone, "Right now, we aren’t really lacking money. Life isn’t bad. What if we keep this pearl and keep the luck with us? After all, it’s a 'Dragon Pearl.' Keeping it at home might also protect our family, giving us good fortune!"
Lin Xiuqing pondered, thinking it made sense.
Their life was still manageable, and if it truly was that valuable, selling it would draw the attention of relatives.
They would end up inundated with requests for loans, and peace would be hard to come by.
In their village, half the people were relatives.
When the stories spread about needing money for school or medical care, would they dare not lend it?
If they refused, they’d be accused of lacking compassion.
Everyone would know they got rich and still wouldn’t extend a hand.
If they agreed to lend, maybe there wouldn't be any gratitude, and those who didn’t get to borrow would harbor resentment...
It would just put them in a difficult position!
It was better to hold onto it for now.
After all, it was still a ‘Dragon Pearl.’ They could keep it to bless their family, and if they really hit hard times, they could still sell it then.
Plus... she glanced at her man.
What if he changed for the worse if they got rich and became lazy after that?
She had heard too much gossip about how men turn bad when they have money.
He had been looking a bit better these days.
It was better not to sell it.
After a while, her mind churned with various thoughts, and she finally sighed, "Mmm! I see your point. Life is still good for us now. Finding this ‘Dragon Pearl’ is good luck in itself. Let’s keep this luck and hope for smooth sailing with plenty of harvest for our family."
"We’ll keep this pearl between us. Don’t tell anyone else."
"I understand!"
Ye Yaodong handed her the Beautiful Melody Pearl, "You take it. Lock it up safely when we get home."
Lin Xiuqing took the pearl, smiling sweetly.
Such a precious item, and he entrusted it to her without hesitation, making her feel a sense of trust and satisfaction.
She couldn’t help but admire him a little more.
"What’s wrong? Suddenly feel your man is very handsome?"
She playfully pushed him, "Stop being cheeky. Let’s go look around and see if there are any more treasures!"
Ye Yaodong was pushed down onto the sand, but rather than getting mad, he smiled and stood up, following her, "I find a rare treasure, and you don’t think to reward me a little?"
Lin Xiuqing gave him a sideways glance, "We’re one, so what’s the problem with me keeping it? Also, you seem to have forgotten, I found that snail... oh right, don’t forget the shell of this coconut snail. Let’s keep it as a keepsake."
"I’ve picked it up. The shell is in the bag, and the meat is still on the hook. Hold the hook while we take it back tonight for a stir-fry. We’ll get an extra meal and some good luck."
"Okay."
He shamelessly drew closer to her, "Since you picked the snail, can I reward you then?"
"Absolutely not! I refuse! I’m being realistic; it would be better if you brought back some more seafood as my reward."
"Even if you don't say it, I’ll still work hard to bring back seafood; that doesn’t count as a reward... come, let me give you my reward..."
"Go away... are you annoying or what..."
Wishing everyone a happy National Day! Safe travels!
(The end of this chapter)