Sour Regret

Zhou Chenglei took it and glanced at it, stunned: the flame pattern inside the pearl had actually formed the shape of a deer, and this tiny flaw was right on the deer's eye. It was such a small flaw that it was invisible without careful inspection, but upon closer inspection, the flaw was no longer a flaw, but rather the finishing touch, like adding wings to a tiger.

The deer inside the pearl seemed to come alive, spirited and divine.

It was a deer running upwards in the mountains, about to reach the summit, raising its head and calling out, commanding all beings.

Father Zhou curiously leaned over: "What does it look like?"

Mother Zhou and Tian Caihua also craned their necks: "What does it look like?"

"A deer."

"A deer? Let me see!" Father Zhou was delighted.

Zhou Chenglei gave the pearl in his hand to Father Zhou.

Father Zhou took it and squinted at it. Due to his presbyopia, he held the pearl, raised his hand, sometimes near, sometimes far, and couldn't find the clearest angle for a long time.

Mother Zhou became impatient: "Are you blind or what? If you can't see it, don't look! Let me see!"

Father Zhou: "Don't move, I've found the best viewing point!"

Mother Zhou twitched her lips, "You're so nosy!"

So the two elders huddled together, squinting their eyes to look.

Father Zhou carefully examined it, and then his hands trembled with excitement: "It's a deer! It really looks like one! Not only does it look like a deer, but it also looks like a painting!"

Mother Zhou excitedly asked, "Let me see! What kind of painting does it look like?"

Father Zhou placed the pearl in his palm and pointed to it with one finger, explaining to Mother Zhou: "Look, doesn't this look like a deer, don't these patterns look like mountains, doesn't this look like a pine tree, this is an Auspicious Cloud."

Mother Zhou hadn't even seen it clearly yet. When people get old, their eyesight becomes blurred, but she nodded vigorously: "It looks like it, it looks extremely like it! More than anything else!"

Even if she couldn't see clearly, she had to say it looked like it. The more it looked like, the more valuable it was! She didn't have much education, but she knew some Auspicious Beasts.

The deer is an Auspicious Beast in the world, and the deer is homophonous with "Blessing (lù)," implying promotion and increased wealth.

The patterns on the pillars of their village's ancestral hall included deer, bats, and pine trees.

Mother Zhou was very happy: "This is a pearl with a good omen! It has some kind of auspicious omen, good luck and happiness."

Zhou Chenglei: "Auspicious Omen."

"Yes, that's the Auspicious Omen, haha!"

Tian Caihua also took a look. She couldn't say it didn't look like it, it looked too much like it! Even if she didn't have an education, she knew that the deer was an Auspicious Beast, with auspicious meaning.

If a stone naturally formed the shape of a deer, that stone would become priceless.

If the texture of a pearl formed the shape of a deer, wouldn't it become a priceless treasure?

Tian Caihua was sour, like drinking a hundred pounds of freshly squeezed lemon juice.

What kind of luck did Jiang Xia have? Most importantly, now that they had separated, no matter how much money this pearl sold for, it wouldn't be her business.

The more Father Zhou looked at it, the happier he became: "It looks like it, it looks too much like it! This deer looks so good! Haha!"

"Let me see!" Mother Zhou hadn't actually seen it clearly yet.

Father Zhou gave the pearl to Mother Zhou, letting her take a look.

Mother Zhou took it and squinted, fiddling with it for a while before barely seeing it clearly: "It's a deer, it looks too much like it, it's too beautiful! It has a good meaning! Good luck to those who see it! Great Luck Arriving!"

As soon as Tian Caihua heard this, she quickly said, "Mom, let me see, let me also get some good luck."

Mother Zhou gave the pearl to Tian Caihua.

Tian Caihua took it and carefully examined it, her heart even more sour, like eating ten thousand pounds of lemons, both sour and astringent.

The flame pattern not only looked like a deer, but also like a deer raising its head and calling out on the grass.

The flame pattern under the antlers was obviously finer and denser, like the grass on the mountain! This texture was simply like a landscape painting growing inside the pearl.

Tian Caihua twisted the pearl back and forth, reluctant to let go, as if doing so could absorb some auspicious energy.

Why wasn't she the one who picked up such a meaningful pearl? "Sister-in-law, give me the pearl, let me take another look." Seeing that she couldn't wait to rub off the deer on it, and also afraid that her fingernails and the thick calluses on her hands would scratch the pearl, who could she cry to? Before this pearl was sold, no one knew how much it was worth, and it would be difficult to ask her to pay for it! "Let me take another look, let me get some joy. This is your pearl, you can look at it anytime." Tian Caihua was still reluctant to give it, and when she saw Jiang Xia reaching out, she subconsciously turned to dodge, unexpectedly bumping her arm into Mother Zhou beside her, and the pearl fell from her hand!

Jiang Xia and Zhou Chenglei reached out to catch it at the same time.

Zhou Chenglei was one step ahead and caught the pearl.

Jiang Xia, who had been on edge, finally relaxed.

If it got damaged, she would definitely make Tian Caihua pay!

She wouldn't show any leniency!

Tian Caihua was also shaken; she was afraid of damaging it and having to pay. Paying a few dozen yuan would embarrass her, but paying a hundred yuan would break her heart, wouldn't it? Mother Zhou was also startled and quickly said, "Don't look, don't look! Xiao Xia, quickly put it away! It won't be worth anything if it gets damaged."

Although it wasn't that easy to damage, who could guarantee it wouldn't happen? Jiang Xia nodded, "Then I'll take it inside and put it away."

Mother Zhou hurriedly added, "Remember to hide it well!"

Jiang Xia took the two pearls back to her room.

Mother Zhou was very happy. Seeing that it was getting late, she looked at Tian Caihua, "You should go back too! Are the boys asleep? Remember to tell them to sleep early and get up early tomorrow to weed the peanut field with me."

Tian Caihua, wearing a long face, responded and left. Why was she always telling her sons to do this and that? They didn't even have time to do their homework! What would happen if they couldn't get into college in the future? As Tian Caihua walked out of the courtyard gate, she ran into Pan Daidi from next door.

Seeing Tian Caihua's dark face, Pan Daidi's gossiping heart was burning, "A-Hua, why do you look so unhappy? I heard you guys talking lively just now?"

Usually, when she asked like this, Tian Caihua would spill everything in vivid detail.

Today, Tian Caihua wasn't in the mood. She said unhappily, "Why wouldn't I be happy? I'm very happy. My brother-in-law picked up a conch shell and found a pearl. Why wouldn't I be happy?"

Tian Caihua left these words and left! Pan Daidi grabbed her, "What did you just say? What conch shell had a pearl in it?"

Tian Caihua shook off her hand. She said unhappily, "What kind of conch shell could it be? Of course, it's because people have good luck and found a conch shell on the beach that had a pearl in it."

Pan Daidi grabbed her hand tightly again, "What?! What did that conch shell look like? Was it covered in thorns?"

Tian Caihua said, "I guess so!"

Anyway, she saw that both conch shells on the ground had thorns. One of them was indeed covered in thorns, but she didn't know which conch shell the pearl came from.

Tian Caihua left these words and left, she wasn't in the mood to talk.

Why did they have to separate so early? It would have been great if they had waited until after the Typhoon passed. It would have been great if the broadcast had said there was a Typhoon a few days earlier.

Was it? Pan Daidi stood there in a daze, feeling incredibly sour and regretful! So, the conch shell that her son kicked away had a pearl in it?

A pearl! Even a small pearl is still a pearl.

Did she just miss it like that?