By the time they got home, Lin Xiuqing had only just brought the water to a boil and put the conch shells in. After all, lighting the earthen stove with matches took quite a bit of work, and there was so much ash in the firebox that she had spent a good while poking around before getting a fire going.
"You're all back? How was the haul?"
"Not bad. All clams."
Ye Second Sister-in-Law glanced into the pot, her eyes flickering, then smiled. "You've already put yours in, so let's wait until they're cooked and see whether there are any pearls first. I'll wait for the next batch."
That would keep them from getting mixed up. What if a pearl really did turn up? Whose would it be? They would never be able to settle that.
Lin Xiuqing smiled, unbothered. "Sure."
Ye Eldest Sister-in-Law asked curiously, "How did you both find these sea snails? Is there something special about them? I just saw the secretary's wife pick one up, and A Dan, the one who makes shrimp fry paste, picked one up too."
Ye Second Sister-in-Law smiled. "I didn't even recognize them. I only found out after Yaodong told me."
As she spoke, she turned to Ye Yaodong. "What kind of pearls can these emperor snails produce? Are they worth anything?"
"What kind? They're called Emperor Triton Pearls, another kind of conch pearl. It's just that these sea snails are a bit more valuable, and there's a certain chance they'll produce a Conch Shell Pearl. What conch pearl isn't worth money? It just depends on whether you're lucky enough to find one."
"Stop thinking about it. You won't find any. Get on with whatever you need to do. They're still laying tiles over there. I'm taking the boat to the