Ye Yaodong walked toward Ye Chenghai and saw him grinning excitedly, fishing around inside a broken jar. A moment later, he pulled out a little white octopus.
"Oh, a little white octopus! Not bad!"
"There are more. I just felt another one..."
Ye Chenghai shook his hand over the bucket several times, trying to fling the little white octopus off, but it wouldn't budge. Its eight tentacles clung tightly to his hand, refusing to let go.
The children beside him crowded their heads together, closing one eye to peer into the earthenware jar, itching to snatch it and reach inside themselves.
"Eldest Brother, let me help you!"
"Brother A-Hai, me, me! I'll get it out for you!"
"Let me!"
They jostled one another, all reaching out to grab it.
But Ye Chenghai held it high, refusing to let them have it. "I found this! Don't even think about it. I can catch them myself. Go find your own."
Tall and long-armed, Ye Yaodong casually took the jar from him and reached inside. His eyes immediately lit up. Sure enough, he pulled out another little white octopus.
"There's another one!"
The children cheered happily.
"Try again! Are there any more?"
"Any more, Third Uncle?"
Ye Yaodong handed the octopus to Ye Chenghai, signaling for him to put it in the bucket, then felt around the jar's smooth inner walls again.
"No more. Just two."
"Oh..."
"Still, two in one jar isn't bad. Leave this jar here. Better tie a rope around it and fasten it to a rock so the waves don't wash it away. Use it to catch octopuses. Whenever you're free, or when the tide's out, come by and reach inside to see if there are any more."
"Huh? You can do that?" Ye Chenghai's eyes widened.
The other