The grandfather, his grandson, and their two grandchildren had just returned from the Tanah Lot Temple when they smelled a strong aroma wafting from the kitchen.
When Chen Zhiyao walked into the kitchen, Yan Shuting had just opened the lid of the casserole, which contained fish head stew with tofu.
The milky white broth paired with firm tofu soaked in the broth looks incredibly appetizing and smells delicious.
The 4-pound wavy grouper she brought back was too big to steam directly, so Yan Shuting prepared it in two ways.
The fish head was used to stew tofu, the fish body was steamed, and a stir-fried vegetable dish with garlic was also prepared.
With the addition of the roast goose and char siu that Chen Zhiyao had packed back, dinner was quite sumptuous.
Even Ah Huang's dinner consisted of rice mixed with grouper meat, and he enjoyed a delicious meal.
After eating and drinking her fill, Chen Zhiyao mysteriously took out the two pearl oysters she had picked up on the rocky beach that day.
"Wow, this clam is quite big. The meat must be old and tough to chew."
Yan Shuting had never seen a pearl oyster before and thought it was the kind of large clam that you could eat.
Grandma Chen, who had seen and heard much, explained to her, "This isn't a sea clam meant for eating; it's a pearl clam."
Yan Shuting immediately became interested. "It's a pearl oyster! Tangtang, quickly open it and see if there are any small pearls inside."
Although there are many seafood farmers in the nearby villages, not a single one is raising pearl mussels.
Moreover, this kind of thing is not commonly seen when going beachcombing, so everyone was very curious and gathered around to watch her open the clam.
One had already been opened during the day, and this time the opening of the oyster went very smoothly. Chen Zhiyao opened a huge pearl in no time.
"So many pearls, and they look quite uniform." Chen Zhiyao was immediately amazed after the clam was opened.
The pearls here all look very round. Although they are not particularly large, they are all about the same size, probably enough to make a pearl bracelet.
The people around were also astonished; they hadn't expected there to be so many pearls inside.
Under everyone's expectant gaze, Chen Zhiyao took out the small pearl clasp inside.
After the first pearl was squeezed out, she couldn't help but exclaim:
"It's so pretty, it's even pink."
Pink pearls
This pink and tender little pearl looks so dreamy that she fell in love with it at first sight.
However, there are only six pink pearls in total; the remaining 20 or so are mostly common milky white pearls.
Seeing that her daughter had nowhere to put the small pearls in her hand, Yan Shuting quickly went to the kitchen and brought out a clean white ceramic bowl.
After carefully placing the twenty or thirty adorable little pearls in her hand, Chen Zhiyao couldn't wait to open the second pearl oyster.
The second pearl oyster didn't have many pearls, only five in total, but each one was quite large.
Two of the large, pale yellow pearls were as big as her thumbnail.
Moreover, these two pearls were very round and beautiful, and she felt they were perfect for making a necklace pendant.
The remaining three small pearls are of average size and are also the common milky white color.
Looking at the pretty little pearls in the bowl, Chen Zhiyao had already figured out how to turn them into beautiful jewelry.
Pink pearls have a dreamy, girly feel and are suitable for young people to wear.
She plans to make three pairs of earrings, one for herself and the other two for her two best friends.
Two large, pale yellow pearls can be made into pendants, and then two necklaces can be made, one for Grandma and one for Mom.
There is a craftsman in their village who specializes in making silver jewelry. Whether it's earrings, necklaces, or bracelets, the silver jewelry he makes is exceptionally beautiful.
She planned to take the pearls and pay him extra to have them made into silver necklaces with pearl pendants and pearl earrings.
As for the remaining milky white pearls, I estimate we can make another pearl bracelet.
It's not poverty that's the problem, but injustice. There's only one bracelet, and it's hard to explain whether it's given to my grandmother or my mother.
Chen Zhiyao, who is skilled at maintaining balance, plans to keep it for herself.
After washing the small pearls clean, she checked the time and realized it was only 8 o'clock.
Most of the villagers make a living by fishing, beachcombing, or seafood farming, and they usually eat dinner quite late.
At this time, usually right after dinner, she hurriedly took the newly unearthed pearls and excitedly went to Master Fang's house, where he made silver jewelry.
Yan Shuting, who loves to join in the fun, happily followed her daughter out the door.
Master Fang's home is right next to the convenience store. Upon entering, there is a small storefront displaying many unique styles of silver jewelry.
While gold retains its value, carrying it around is too ostentatious and can easily attract thieves.
Therefore, people in the village rarely wear gold jewelry.
The two large gold bracelets that Chen Zhiyao gave her last time were only taken out to look at from time to time by the mother and daughter-in-law; they wouldn't take them out.
Master Fang's jewelry is of good quality and inexpensive, making it the first choice for many people in the village.
When the mother and daughter arrived, there were still people looking at jewelry in the Fang family's jewelry store, but they left as soon as they arrived.
Chen Zhiyao and Yan Shuting each chose a simple and plain silver necklace.
Then Chen Zhiyao took out the pink and yellow pearls she had selected in advance.
Knowing that the two wanted to use these pearls to make pendants, three pairs of earrings, and two necklaces, Master Fang happily agreed.
Besides the money from the jewelry, he can also earn extra money from the handicrafts.
The three of them discussed for a long time in the shop and finally agreed on the style of the necklace and earrings.
Because there are many items, it will take Master Fang three or four days to finish them.
On their way back, the mother and daughter were very excited, wondering how beautiful the finished product would be.
As for the remaining pearls, Chen Zhiyao plans to buy a hole punch online and make them into a bracelet herself.
Back home, she looked at the remaining pearls and muttered to herself:
"We still don't have enough pearls. It would be nice to buy a few pearl oysters online while we're at it."
Chen Zhiyao usually enjoys watching videos of bloggers opening oysters, and she's always been itching to try it herself.
These pearl oysters aren't expensive; you can buy three or four for 100 yuan.
Chen Zhiyao had a good harvest from the three pearl oysters she opened today. She planned to buy a few more online to play with, hoping to find a few more beautiful large pearls.
Without hesitation, Chen Zhiyao immediately downloaded a pearl drill online and also spent 100 yuan to buy three pearl oysters.
She's going deep-sea fishing in a few days, and she specifically chose a local restaurant.
Tomorrow is the day of low tide. After turning off her phone, Chen Zhiyao fell asleep early to the sound of the waves.
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