The sky gradually brightened.
Feng Ye, who had only slept for less than three hours, was woken up by the urge to urinate.
Ye Qingling, who was beside him, had disappeared at some point, and only his son was still sleeping soundly, sprawled out on his back.
He got up, washed up, and went to the dock to check the sea conditions.
The waves seemed even larger than they had been in the early morning.
However, the sky remained clear and cloudless, and the sun came out, casting a golden glow on the sea.
This doesn't look like a sign that a typhoon is coming.
It was still too early, and the village loudspeakers hadn't started playing yet.
Under normal circumstances, it would take at least eight o'clock for the village to obtain accurate information.
But based on the surge alone, Feng Ye knew that the chances of a typhoon were very high, probably close to 80 or 90 percent.
Many people shared his view, so there weren't many people at the dock.
Many fishing boats have gone out and are now adrift on the sea.
Some rushed to the harbor to seek shelter; others took advantage of the waves not being too big and quickly went out to retrieve their fishing nets.
Most near-shore fishing vessels do not use only one type of fishing gear; they use a combination of other gear such as bottom cages, longlines, and gillnets.
Just like the previous Rising Sun.
Of course, some people remained calm and said that the typhoon wouldn't come anytime soon, so there was no rush.
Feng Ye was also one of the calm people.
Ah-chan hasn't come over yet; he's probably still asleep.
Not wanting to stand on the dock waiting, Feng Ye went to the boat, grabbed a snakeskin bag, and stuffed it into his pocket.
Then, he strolled leisurely toward the beach in front of the new house.
With such a big wave, there's a chance some cargo might get swept up.
It's low tide now, the tide has reached its highest point, but it looks like it's still rising, with waves constantly crashing against the shore.
Feng Ye hadn't walked more than a few steps along the shore when he saw a clam the size of a baby's fist being rolled up by the waves.
"What a huge clam!"
Now that we've seen it, there's no need to be polite.
Taking advantage of the receding seawater, he quickly went forward, picked it up, and threw it into the snakeskin bag.
He then walked along, picking up as he went, and found quite a lot of goods, but they were all snails and shellfish.
Oyster snails, cat's eye snails, sand clams, white clams, hairy clams, blood clams...
"Huh, this is... a clam?"
Feng Ye dug out a seashell that was half-buried in the sand, somewhat surprised.
Clams are considered a relatively expensive type of shellfish.
Its meat is delicious, making it a top-quality clam, and it enjoys the reputation of being "the most delicious in the world" and "the crown of all flavors".
The shell surface is bulging, the dorsal edge is slightly triangular and oval, the shell is thick and hard, the surface is smooth and delicate, and there is a layer of brown shell skin.
Clams are generally quite large, with the largest reaching 10 centimeters in length.
This creature is found from south to north, but it is rarely seen in Dongtou Village.
Moreover, it wasn't just this one; he found quite a few more afterward.
If he had known there were so many shellfish, he would have called Ye Qingling out so she could have some fun too.
Many people came and went at the dock, and quite a few saw Feng Ye picking things up non-stop.
But they were all there to check on the waves, and none of them had brought anything with them, so they could only watch Feng Ye happily collecting things.
Fortunately, they were all shellfish and snails, nothing too expensive, so most people were able to keep a calm attitude.
The people on the dock finally lost their composure when Feng Ye picked up a snail that was over 40 centimeters long from the waves.
They all shouted loudly:
"Holy crap, what a huge snail!"
"Ah Ye, what kind of snail is it? It looks a bit like a conch shell..."
"Ah Ye, is there any meat inside? Or is it just a snail shell?"
"Could it be a hermit crab?..."
Feng Ye was overjoyed as he looked at the snail in his hand.
This is no ordinary snail, but the most famous of the four great snails, the Phoenix Tail Snail.
Its shell is yellowish-red with yellowish-brown or purplish-brown scaly spots and patterns, resembling a phoenix tail, hence its name.
It has been used since ancient times, and the ritual implements used by monks and Taoists are of this kind, hence it is also known as the Dharma Conch.
The salamander has been listed as a Class II protected animal.
The conch shell is tall and pointed, and can be over 30 centimeters long.
Inhabiting coral reefs and feeding on crown-of-thorns starfish, they are known as guardians of coral reefs.
The conch shell, along with the nautilus, triton shell, and mahogany shell, is known as one of the world's four most famous conches.
It is also ranked first among the four famous snails due to its unique shape, beautiful patterns that resemble peacock tail feathers, and its rarity.
Of all seashells, the conch is the most precious.
It is said to be able to ward off evil spirits and protect peace, and is often used by sea dwellers and mountain people as a horn to exorcise demons.
The ancients regarded it as a sacred object and enshrined it in some temples and monasteries.
A poem says: "The conch shells resound before the temple halls, driving away demons and evil spirits to ensure peace."
"If you blow it, the river will be destroyed and the gods will be pleased; if you hear it at dawn, the river will be freed from sins and obstacles."
In Buddhism, the conch shell is a symbol of the Buddha's teachings, and a representation of wisdom and power.
This conch not only has a collectible shell, but its meat also tastes very good, with a chewy and springy texture.
The conch shell in Feng Ye's hand was quite long, but not very heavy, weighing at most about four pounds.
He's not planning to sell it; it's not worth the risk, as prices in China are a bit low now.
He planned to eat its meat and then keep the shell.
Perhaps I'll sell it years from now, or perhaps I'll keep it forever...
Feng Ye certainly heard the voices of those people on the shore, but he ignored them.
Anyway, the sound of the waves was quite loud, so I just pretended not to hear it.
If they see it and recognize it, wouldn't they all want a piece of the pie at Haitang?
And it will definitely spread, and it won't be slow.
It probably won't be long before this beach is packed with people again, just like it was during the last typhoon.
Therefore, it's best to keep a low profile and make a fortune quietly.
At the dock, seeing that Feng Ye did not respond, some people continued to shout, while others turned around and went home to get containers, and still others went aboard the ship to get them...
Despite the experience of the last typhoon, everyone knows that a lot of good stuff is swept ashore during typhoons.
But since it was still a long time before the typhoon made landfall, and it was also the low tide period, no one was prepared.
They were all just checking the waves; they didn't realize there would be things to pick up.
However, it's not too late now.
Before long, the beach was filled with men and women carrying buckets and fire tongs.
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