"What’s that?" Yue Xin pointed at the river clam and asked.
Lin Xuan Qi washed the river clam covered in soil with the water of the river and brought it closer to Yue Xin.
"This is a river clam. It tastes wonderful when cooked." He said and couldn’t help but swallow a mouthful of saliva.
"Don’t stand around. Help dig them out." He pointed to the surroundings and said.
Yue Xin couldn’t wait to join in, and she took a pail and a hand shovel from Yue Jie.
Not wasting any ti, she got down and started to dig into the soil.
Liu Shi Shi also joined in and said, "Let’s see who can dig out more of these."
"Huh. I think that will be ." Yue Xin replied to the challenge.
Yue Jie and Xue Cong glanced at each other and gave out a sigh.
Both went on to join in the fun.
Lin Xuan Qi was already on his third river clam when they started.
He wasn’t sure if it was pure luck, but so far, the places that he dug had not disappointed him.
Sima Long, Zhang Jie and Liu Shao, who was now in the tentage, looked on with amusent.
"I think brother Lin has his way of being a carefree person." Sima Long said and he took a sip from his teacup.
Most of the young masters would be having tea or wine, trying to co up with poems while they enjoyed the scenery.
But Lin Xuan Qi was surprisingly unlike them.
"Maybe that’s where he gets his inspiration for his poems from." Zhang Jie held onto her husband’s hand and said.
Liu Shao shook his head and chid in, "I wish I could be as carefree as he is."
It was a crucial ti for his family, and the anxiety was still weighing on him.
Sima Long gave out a long sigh and said, "I’m sure your father will co out from secluded cultivation successfully."
Liu Shao nodded his head and said, "I hope you are right."
anwhile, Lin Xuan Qi was on his way to filling half of the pail he had.
Even he himself couldn’t believe his good luck.
Every dig from his shovel ca up with a river clam among the soil.
"Nothing again." Yue Xin wasn’t as lucky as he was, and she only had a few river clams so far.
Liu Shi Shi gave out a gasp in frustration when she found out that there was nothing underneath the soil where she was digging.
She shook the pail she had, and it made no sound.
"I think it’s best I move away from you." She said and got away from Yue Xin to be closer to Yue Jie and Xue Cong.
Yue Jie and Xue Cong were indeed faring better than they were.
They slowly dug through the soil, making sure that they didn’t miss out on anything.
And so, a third of their pails were already filled up.
When Lin Xuan Qi got closer to the river, he saw so stones and pebbles lying around.
He had a hunch and put down his pail.
Getting closer to the stones and pebbles, he turned one of them over.
Nothing.
There was only soil underneath the stone.
He didn’t give up and turned another stone over.
This ti, there was a river crab underneath.
The crab tried to scurry away, but he was faster than it was.
Clank.
He used the hand shovel to press onto the back of the crab.
The crab tried to attack him with its pincers.
But it was to no avail.
Lin Xuan Qi grabbed its legs and picked it up.
"Look at what I’ve got." He showed it to the girls with a brimming smile.
Yue Xin ca over to have a better look and said, "What’s this?"
"It’s a river crab. The at is sweet and tasty even without any seasoning." Lin Xuan Qi replied and put the river crab into the pail.
"What? You’ve got so many already?" Yue Xin had a peep inside his pail and saw that it was half filled with river clams and now, with a river crab.
"I better buck up and not be the last." She ran back to where her pail and hand shovel were to continue digging for the river clams.
"Be careful." Yue Jie saw her running and got worried.
Xue Cong glanced at her and said, "She’s grown up, maybe it’s best to let her be herself? I always let Ah Di do things on his own."
"I know, but..." Yue Jie knew that she was right, but she couldn’t help but feel like it was her duty to make sure that Yue Xin was safe and sound.
Seeing her hesitant look, Xue Cong went on and said, "Don’t worry. There’s Master Lin to take care of us."
"Thanks." Yue Jie sighed and gave her a nod.
Her sense of gratitude for Lin Xuan Qi and Xue Cong increased.
If he asked, she wouldn’t mind serving him with Xue Cong.
"Look, I got another one." Lin Xuan Qi held up his hand and showed another river crab he had caught.
This ti it was much bigger than the first one.
Seeing how well he was doing catching river crabs, they decided to also join in and try to catch so of the river crabs.
But they quickly realized that it was just as tough as digging for river clams.
"Oh no. Nothing again." Yue Xin was disappointed again, after turning over nurous stones and pebbles.
"I got one."
Yue Jie had better luck, and there was a river crab underneath the stone that she had turned over.
But she didn’t know how to deal with the river crab.
She danced on her feet when the river crab ca at her with its pincers.
Liu Shi Shi ca to her rescue with her shovel, and she smacked down onto the back of the river crab.
Crack.
The impact cracked the shell of the river crab, and it stopped moving.
Liu Shi Shi picked up the river crab and held it towards Yue Jie.
"Thanks." Yue Jie took the crab warily and quickly threw it into her pail.
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