Beachcombing: The beach is full of amazing seafood, but my wife won't let me get out of bed!

"Brother-in-law, making money at sea is so easy?"

Chen Yang lay sprawled on the deck, his face flushed with excitement, his arms aching so much he could barely lift them, yet he couldn't stop talking.

"If I'd known, I wouldn't have bothered going to school; I would have just gone to sea with you to make money."

"College graduates now only earn a little over 1000 yuan a month, but you can earn their annual salary by going beachcombing in one night."

Wu Sui, who was tidying up the net bag, stopped what she was doing when she heard this.

He turned around, his smile vanished completely, and his brows furrowed into a knot.

The atmosphere on the deck suddenly turned cold.

Chen Yang was still grinning foolishly, completely unaware that Wu Sui's expression was off, and was still talking about what he should buy for his parents when he got back.

"You think it's easy?" Wu Sui spoke, her tone harsh.

"Xiao Yang, if you're thinking like that, then you shouldn't get on this ship anymore."

Chen Yang was stunned, his smile frozen in mid-air, somewhat at a loss.

"Brother-in-law... I... what did I say wrong?"

Wu Sui walked over and pointed to the dark sea outside the ship.

"Open your eyes and look at this sea."

"There's no wind or waves tonight, and the tide is going out well."

"But what about other times? Do you think money in the sea is free? It's earned with your life."

Wu Suiyue's voice grew louder and louder, carrying far across the vast sea.

"Look, there are reefs all over here. If it weren't for your experience, brother, the bottom of the boat would have been cut open long ago."

"If the ship sinks, the three of us will be stranded on this deserted island, completely helpless. Do you still think making money is easy then?"

Chen Yang shrank back after being scolded, and didn't dare to say a word for a long time.

Wu Gang stubbed out his cigarette on the side of the boat and sighed.

"Xiaoyang, your brother-in-law is right."

"We fishermen have an old saying: 'Don't underestimate the mountains, but never underestimate the water.'"

"The sea has a terrible temper; it turns on you without warning."

He stood up and patted Chen Yang on the shoulder.

"You haven't seen real storms. Last year, the people in our village didn't take it seriously when the tide was high and lingered a little longer."

"Then a wave came and all three of them were swept away, and their bodies have not been found to this day."

"You can't be careless on the ship anymore."

"People should have a sense of awe for the sea."

Chen Yang broke out in a cold sweat, his earlier excitement long gone.

He looked at the dark seawater and couldn't help but shiver.

"Brother-in-law, elder brother, I was wrong."

He kept his head down, his voice muffled.

"I was just excited when I suddenly saw that I could make so much money."

"I will definitely be more careful in the future and will never be greedy."

Seeing his proper attitude, Wu Sui's expression softened considerably.

"Alright, remember this lesson."

"At sea, safety is always the top priority."

"If you're dead, no amount of money will help."

Wu Sui turned around and picked up the iron shovel.

"Have you rested enough? If you have, then get back to work."

"Let's make a lot more before the tide comes in."

The three went back into the water.

After what just happened, Chen Yang was noticeably more composed and steady in his work.

Don't be greedy, and be more careful when shucking oysters.

However, the rocks were too slippery, and the oyster shells were sharp, so Chen Yang missed a strike with his hammer, and the back of his hand rubbed against a nearby rock.

A cut about an inch long oozed blood.

Soaking in seawater causes excruciating pain.

Chen Yang gasped and shook his hand.

He glanced at Wu Sui, said nothing, and gritted his teeth as he continued to swing the hammer.

Wu Sui caught a glimpse of it but didn't say anything.

Although my brother-in-law is young and inexperienced, he has a ruthless streak and is a good worker.

Time passed little by little.

The sky began to turn grayish-white.

The rate of sea level rise has accelerated significantly.

The water, which had originally only reached my waist, had now risen to my chest, and the current had become rapid.

"Stop, get on the boat," Wu Sui ordered decisively.

Chen Yang was still somewhat unsatisfied and pointed to a reef in front of him.

"Brother-in-law, there are several other really big ones over there. Shall we finish them before we leave?"

"Stop talking nonsense, get on the boat!" Wu Sui raised his voice a few decibels.

Chen Yang dared not argue any longer and quickly carried the net full of oysters back home.

The three of them struggled to climb onto the boat.

As soon as I arrived, I felt completely drained and didn't want to move a single finger.

The deck was piled high with oysters, leaving no room to even step.

A rough estimate suggests that over two thousand kilograms were harvested that night.

The small fishing boats now have a much deeper draft and are more stable.

"Gurgle..."

Chen Yang's stomach emitted a long series of protesting sounds.

He clutched his stomach and gave an awkward laugh.

"I'm starving after a whole night of running around." Wu Sui stood up and went into the cabin.

Before they set off, Chen Xue prepared food for them, putting the dishes into a rice cooker and heating them together.

Wu Sui reheated the soup separately, and the meal was ready.

Seeing the deck full of oysters, I casually picked up a few large ones and pried them open.

The plump oyster meat was exposed, brimming with juice.

He handed one to Wu Gang and kept one for himself.

Wu Gang took it without hesitation, tilted his head back, and sucked the oyster meat and juice directly into his mouth.

"So refreshing! Wild ones are so fresh, there's not a trace of fishiness."

Wu Sui followed suit and ate with great enjoyment.

Chen Yang, holding the oyster, watched the two of them eat it and his face turned green.

"Brother-in-law, you're just going to eat it raw like that?"

Chen Yang waved his hands repeatedly, his face full of resistance, "It's disgusting, I'll just eat."

Wu Suile was delighted, pried open another one, and handed it directly to Chen Yang's mouth.

"You don't know anything, this is called 'authentic'."

"The water here is clean and there is no pollution at all."

"Oysters are a man's energy booster, why don't you try some?"

Chen Yang backed away, refusing to open his mouth no matter what.

"What's wrong? You were just saying how easy it is to make money at sea, but now you're afraid to even eat an oyster? You're such a coward."

Chen Yang can't stand it when people say he's a coward.

He gritted his teeth, steeled his resolve, and took the oyster.

"Eat it, it's no big deal."

Chen Yang closed his eyes, held his breath, brought the large oyster to his lips, tilted his head back, and poured it directly into his mouth.

He had prepared himself to feel nauseous and even planned where to vomit.

But when the thick piece of oyster meat slid into my mouth, the expected fishy smell did not appear at all.

On the contrary, the rich sweetness explodes in your mouth.

The meat is smooth, tender, and crisp, with absolutely no gristle.

Chen Yang opened his eyes and chewed twice, somewhat incredulously.

"Huh? It's not fishy at all, it's actually quite sweet."

His eyes lit up, and he took another big bite.

"Is it delicious? Eat more to nourish your body."

Wu Sui smiled and went to pry open the next one.

Chen Yang chewed the oyster meat with gusto, his face full of enjoyment.

"Boom!"

A crisp sound came from his mouth.

Chen Yang clutched his cheek in pain, his features contorted in agony.

"Ouch, holy crap, my teeth!"

Chen Yang was in so much pain that tears almost welled up in his eyes.

He opened his mouth and struggled to stir it with his tongue.

Wu Sui stopped what she was doing and turned to look at him.

"What's wrong? Did you find a small stone in your food? I told you to eat slowly; wild oysters sometimes have bits of shell stuck in them."

Chen Yang didn't speak, but finally squeezed out a hard lump from his mouth and spat it into his palm.

He rubbed his cheek and looked down at his palm.

That wasn't some broken shell, nor was it a small stone.

It was a bead the size of a fingernail.

The surface of this bead is not a perfectly smooth circle; it has slightly irregular bumps.

But the color is very peculiar, with a faint silvery-purple luster.

Under the illumination of the headlamp, it refracted an indescribable texture.

Chen Yang was stunned, even forgetting his toothache.

He picked up the bead and brought it closer to examine it carefully.

"Brother-in-law..." He swallowed hard, raising the object in his hand.

"This...this is a pearl? Pearls can grow inside oysters?"