Ye Yaodong shifted his gaze from the boats back to the surrounding rocks.
They were covered with clusters of small mussels, tiny clams, and shells of oysters that had been stripped of their meat.
This place had been visited by people far too many times, and the slightly larger mussels and clams had long been harvested clean, leaving only the small ones that were about the size of a fingernail still growing on the rocks.
These tiny creatures had shells without any flesh, probably smaller than a booger, making them unfit for eating.
However, whenever the tide went out, there were bound to be a few that had grown larger.
At this moment, someone was searching along the rocky wall, and that someone was his mother.
Ye Yaodong walked closer to take a look.
His mother held a scoop in one hand while a small basket dangled from her wrist.
The scoop already had a few small oysters in it, and the basket contained some clams and small snails of decent size.
“Mother, with so many of these in sight, why don’t you go dig up some sand clams instead?”
His mother pried open an oyster shell with a screwdriver as she replied, “There are so many people at home digging already. If I get just a few oysters, we can have oyster pancakes for dinner tonight. The kids at home haven’t had them in a while.”
“What’s the point of this little bit? Haven’t we fixed the boat? Why don’t we let Father take you all to the lonely island to dig instead? Besides, we should be digging for sand clams now; in two hours, the tide will cover this beach again.”
“You make it sound so easy. The rocks on the lonely island are quite slippery. It’s not easy to stand on them. If a wave hits, I might get swept back into the sea to meet Mazu.”
“Haha, it won’t be that bad. Just pick a calm day when the tide is ebbing.”
His mother raised an eyebrow at him and said, “Well then, why don’t you tell me what day and month that will be when the weather is calm, the tide is right, and your father and brothers just happen to be free!”
“Uh! How would I know that?”
The winds and waves of the sea were beyond the comprehension of someone like him! Not to mention, how could he possibly know when his father or brothers would be free?
His mother shot him a glare. “If you can’t help, then just shut your mouth. Go find somewhere cool to laze around, and don’t hold me up!”
Ye Yaodong rubbed his nose.
Did he really annoy her that much?
“Why don’t I help you dig? You can search for sand clams instead?”
He had been crouching for a while, and his legs felt sore.
Digging oysters on the rocky wall didn’t seem so bad.
After all, he didn’t suffer from any phobias of crowded places.
“You’ll help?”
“Yes, I’ll do it. Opening oysters and digging clams is nothing much; I’m good at it.”
He may not be skilled at much else, but he certainly had played around with these things in his youth; the skills learned wouldn’t fade with the passage of time.
His mother sized him up and thought back to his earlier declarations in the house about becoming more diligent and hard-working after separating from the family…
Could it be that he was serious? Had he changed his ways?
“Fine, I’ll let you give it a try. But when we get back, if you don’t dig at least one bowl full for me, I’ll beat you to death!”
“Oh come on, how many can I dig? It’s all up to luck. How can I guarantee I’ll fill a bowl before we go home? These oysters are so tiny…”
Without letting him finish, his mother hung the basket on his wrist and thrust the scoop and screwdriver into his hands. “Be thorough! I want a bowl of oysters, a bowl of clams, and a bowl of snails!”
Ye Yaodong stared wide-eyed at her.
How could he possibly manage all that?
“Wasn’t Dongzi out playing today? Why are you here at the beach?” His aunt, holding her own scoop, looked over curiously.
“Uh, it’s just too hot outside. I didn’t want to go out!”
“Really? Coming to the beach doesn’t make it hot? Look how bright the sun is!”
Having failed to make up a good excuse, Ye Yaodong felt a bit awkward. “Uh, yes, I just came out for a quick look.”
Best to keep focusing on digging, not chatting, as he wanted to finish up and head home for lunch before the tide came back in.
Oysters, also known as mussels, grew on the rocks as a type of plankton.
During the breeding season, they released matured sperm and eggs into the water, which fertilized in the sea.
After some time drifting as plankton, they would attach themselves to other objects, settle down, and transform into a young shellfish, eventually growing into oysters.
When a boat stayed in the water for too long, young shellfish would also grow under its hull.
People would usually lift the boat, scrape the young shellfish off the bottom to lighten the load, and take the shellfish back to open oysters.
The young shellfish on these rocks were too small; opening them only yielded tiny oysters, yellowish-green and reminiscent of mucus.
Only slightly larger ones would show white bellies.
“Why bother? It’s so tiny! When will I fill a bowl!” Ye Yaodong couldn’t help but grumble after opening one.
“Sometimes you need to make do. There are so many mouths to feed at home. Every little bit helps. This isn’t sand clams, and they’re not out every day for the digging,” his aunt replied seriously.
“Dongzi, you’re already a father of two. You can’t keep loafing around all day. It’s time to find a proper job. You’ve got a wife and children to support, and your parents can’t take care of you forever,” she continued.
“I am working! Auntie!”
“Working is good, but you need to earn money. And you can’t only work for one day. Supporting a family is a long-term responsibility. You’re a man; you need to have resolve and a sense of duty…”
Her words poured out like a river, rambling on and on.
Ye Yaodong regretted speaking up.
If he had just stayed quiet, she probably wouldn’t have felt the urge to chat.
He couldn’t retort either, since she was an elder, and everything she said was for his own good.
But the relentless lecturing made his head feel heavy.
He would have preferred digging for sand clams; how did he know his aunt could talk so much?
“Auntie, you take your time digging. I’m going to stroll a little further out.”
With the tide receding a bit, he decided to search from the furthest rocks.
However, his luck seemed to be shining!
As he reached a position closest to the receding tide, he spotted two small blue crabs in a shallow area piled with stones.
His eyes lit up; this was a good find!
Quickly, he placed his scoop and basket aside, eagerly stepping toward the pile of rocks.
The two blue crabs, unaware of the danger nearing, were engaged in a tussle with their claws!
Ye Yaodong grabbed one in each hand, being careful to separate them so their legs wouldn’t get tangled and break.
A blue crab with a broken leg loses a lot of value, especially if it’s just for eating.
The two separated crabs waved their big pincers around wildly.
If one pinched him, it would hurt like crazy, and he might break a nail.
(End of Chapter)