Chapter 27: A Cluster of Snow Clams!

In just a short time, Ye Yaodong had found five stone crabs, six or seven mantis shrimp, a few mudskippers, and the crown jewel: a large mantis shrimp.

He kept wandering around the shallow water when he suddenly exclaimed, “Ah, snow clams! And a whole cluster!”

In this era, few people had poor eyesight, and since he hadn’t done much reading in his life, his vision was especially sharp. Even from a distance, he could spot the snow clams partially buried in the sand, their antennae peeking out. Excited, he jogged over.

“It really is a whole cluster!”

“What cluster?” Xiaoxiao, who wasn’t far away, turned around at the sound of his excitement.

“Snow clams! I found a whole cluster, all poking out their antennae!” Squatting down, Ye Yaodong picked one up. As soon as he held it, the clam clamped its shell tightly shut.

He weighed it in his hand and grinned. “They’re not small, either—looks like a great harvest!” With a thud, he tossed it into his bucket.

Curious, Xiaoxiao ran over to look. “Wow, what luck! A whole cluster of such big snow clams?”

Ah Zheng also came over to take a peek. “Damn, what kind of luck did you step in? Your bucket is already full of stone crabs! Look at mine—I’ve got two mantis shrimp and two mudskippers, and that’s it!”

“Same here! I’ve only got two mudskippers.” Chen Wei, standing at a distance, lifted his empty bucket to show.

“It’s just bad luck on your part!” Ye Yaodong chuckled as he happily scooped up the entire cluster of snow clams and tossed them into his bucket.

Everyone watched with envy as they clattered into the bucket, each sound making their jealousy grow.

“How many in this cluster? And each one’s a good size—they’ll be so satisfying to eat!”

He gave the bucket a shake and estimated the haul by their size. “Must be at least a pound—eighteen or nineteen of them, I think.”

“Lucky bastard! Go, go, find somewhere else to dig. Leave this area to me. Look at my empty bucket—don’t you feel a little ashamed?” Ah Guang waved his long hook, shooing him aside to claim the spot.

Ye Yaodong laughed as he shuffled over. “So that’s why you’ve been so quiet—your bucket’s still empty, huh?”

“Get lost! I’m taking over this spot. Go look somewhere else and let me try my luck!”

“Honestly, maybe it’s your name that’s bad luck. ‘Peiguang’ sounds like ‘losing it all.’ No wonder your bucket is empty, and things don’t go well for you in life. Haven’t you noticed how you always lose more than you win at cards? Yesterday was the first time in ages you won. And over the years, every venture you try fails.”

He spoke sincerely because Ah Guang’s luck had indeed always been unfortunate. Even when they kept in touch while he was in Zhoushan, every call was full of tales of setbacks and losses.

It wasn’t until Ah Guang was in his forties that someone suggested he change his name to shift his luck, and miraculously, things started turning around. Within a few years, he’d paid off his debts, bought his son a house, and prepared for his marriage.

Ye Yaodong thought it was worth bringing up to Ah Guang now. After all, their village had always been somewhat superstitious.

Ah Guang stroked his chin thoughtfully. “I think you’re right—my name just doesn’t seem to bring me any luck!”

“Why don’t you ask your dad to change your name to ‘Awang’? Hahaha!”

“Haha, that could work! It’s a good name!”

“No way, if he’s called ‘Awang,’ he’d win at cards every time. We’d all be broke!”

“Right, we can’t have him be that lucky; he’d take all our money. Pick another one, not too lucky!”

Everyone laughed, teasing him from all sides.

“Get lost, go back to what you were doing!” Ah Guang glared at his friends.

“Or you could go by Pei Shun,” suggested Ye Yaodong with a grin. “It means ‘smooth sailing,’ good fortune and prosperity!” In his past life, Ah Guang had indeed changed his name to Pei Shun.

“Pei Shun… that’s actually not bad, easy to remember and with good meaning!” Ah Guang seemed intrigued.

“Naming is a profound art. They say it relates to your fate, fortune, and future. Nowadays, fortune tellers base names on the ‘Eight Characters’ of birth. I have a copy of the I Ching at home. Want to borrow it and see? Better safe than sorry!”

Ah Zheng looked at him in surprise, “The I Ching? You have that? Are you planning to become a mystic or something?”

“Pfft, I found it by accident in my house, along with a manual on acupressure. Might be my ancestors’ legacy! Wanna try it? Maybe you’ll become a martial arts master!”

“Wow, so your ancestors might not only have been mystics but martial heroes too? Do you have any secret techniques?”

“Want me to write it out for you? ‘To master this skill, first abandon desire.’ I wouldn’t mind helping you out! How about a blunt hatchet to make it last a little longer?”

“Maybe you’re the one who’s ‘abandoned desire’—which is why you’re still single. Dude, you’re your dad’s only son, and you’d give up on the family line?”

“Give up what? I’ve got a big bird, unlike you!”

…

Amid their banter, Ye Yaodong noticed something under a large stone nearby. He interrupted, “Whoa, guys, come check this out—under this big stone, is that a grouper tail?”

“Where? Where?” Ah Guang rushed over, practically lying down to get a better look under the rock. “Damn, it’s a tiger grouper! I was just here, how did I miss it?”

“Told you your luck is just off. Step aside, let me poke it with the fire tongs and see if it swims out. Can’t reach it under the stone.” Excited, Ye Yaodong prepared to dislodge the big catch. A tiger grouper—now that was a prize!

Everyone gathered around, grumbling, “How do you always find the good stuff? Ah Guang was here ages, didn’t spot a thing!”

“Guess my luck’s turning around?”

Or maybe it was karma balancing out, he mused. He had once drowned because of his bad luck. Now, having come back, perhaps his ill fortune had finally run dry.

Ah Wei patted Ah Guang on the shoulder. “When your dad gets back, better get that name changed.”

Ah Guang was feeling deflated. He had indeed scoured that rock, figuring there’d be something, but nothing had come out. Then he’d heard about the snow clams and dashed over, only to miss the fish. Just his luck. He’d searched here forever, found nothing, then Dongzi comes along and spots a grouper right away.