The family bent over their work, prying open oysters, until Chen Fengying felt her back growing sore.
As she straightened up, she happened to glance over at Wei Donglai.
Her mouth immediately fell open in a round O.
She looked at the oyster shells in front of her, then at the mountain of shells piled up beside Wei Donglai. For a moment, she felt as though she were dreaming.
Wei Donglai's hands seemed to be moving so fast they left afterimages.
The oysters that would have taken the women ages to pry open offered no resistance in Wei Donglai's hands. With one gentle flick, the shells popped open, and he scooped out the meat along with them.
She quietly tugged at Xue Li and Li Yue'e beside her, then pointed at Wei Donglai.
The other two had apparently noticed something unusual on his side as well, and both stared in a daze.
With all three pairs of eyes fixed on him, Wei Donglai seemed to sense something. He looked up and saw the three of them standing there like dumb geese.
"Why are you all staring at me like that?"
"How are you prying those oysters open so easily? It doesn't even look like you're using any strength."
"What would I need strength for?"
Wei Donglai was a little puzzled. As he spoke, he pried open another oyster, his movements light and effortless.
Chen Fengying thought the oysters on his side might be easier to open, so she came over and tried one. It was no different from before.
"Have you gotten stronger lately?"
Chen Fengying couldn't think of any other explanation.
Wei Donglai didn't know either. "Could it be because you're all just weaker to begin with?"
Chen Fengying shook her head. It wasn't as though her husband had never pried oysters with her before. He had been faster than her, but never this ridiculously fast.
"What good is a whole heap of brute strength if you can't even talk back when someone makes fun of you?"
Wei Donglai looked at Li Yue'e and couldn't help pursing his lips. She still hasn't gotten over it?
Though there had been this little interruption, the three women didn't think much of it and went back to prying oysters.
Wei Donglai looked at Li Yue'e, who was still angry, then glanced at the two older women who had mocked him nearby. He picked up his bag and headed straight over to them.
"Where are you going?"
"To stand up for you!"
"You get back here."
Wei Donglai acted as though he hadn't heard Li Yue'e shouting and kept walking, his steps firm.
The two women were prying oysters when a shadow suddenly fell beside them, giving them a fright.
They looked up and saw Wei Donglai. Thinking he had come to pick a fight, they backed away a couple of steps in alarm. "What do you want?"
"To pry oysters. What else?"
"Don't you have some over there? What did you come over here for?"
"I saw that the oysters over here were big and plump, aunties, so I thought I'd come pry some."
"We've already claimed this spot. Go somewhere else."
"Did you pay for it? Got any proof? Show me. You say you've claimed it? Well, I'll spread my arms and open my mouth, and the whole sea belongs to me."
"You're a complete scoundrel."
"Is this your first day finding that out?"
Seeing Wei Donglai like this, the two women were beside themselves with anger.
Sister-in-law Yang's lips trembled as she wanted to curse him, but Sister-in-law Hu, who had just experienced how formidable Li Yue'e was, didn't dare offend him again.
They couldn't curse him, and they couldn't drive him away, so Sister-in-law Hu tugged at Sister-in-law Yang. "Forget it. There's no arguing with someone like that. Let's go pry oysters somewhere else."
The two went off to one side, thinking that would be the end of it, but before long, they saw Wei Donglai causing trouble again not far away.
"Aunties, this really is a treasured spot with good feng shui! These oysters are big and easy to pry open."
"Look, one flick, one oyster. Another flick, another oyster. It couldn't be easier."
Wei Donglai kept chattering away, his hands flying all the while.
Watching him work so comfortably, a smug look on his face, the two women felt a wave of irritation.
"Aunties, why are you having such a hard time? Want me to help you pry them open?"
"Why are your oysters so small? You have to pick the big ones. The big ones are worth money."
"Auntie, you have to put some strength into it. Use the same force you do when you beat your third son."
Sister-in-law Yang and Sister-in-law Hu felt as though a fly were buzzing nonstop in their ears. With the sun beating down on their heads as well, anger darted wildly through their hearts, but they didn't dare let it out.
With no other choice, they moved somewhere else.
But wherever they went, Wei Donglai followed. He didn't stand right next to them, just dug nearby while chattering away.
Wei Donglai was already fast at prying oysters, and he kept circling the two women, picking out only the big ones. By the time he had made a full round, all that remained were small ones.
Looking at the pitifully small oysters in their hands and listening to Wei Donglai harass them in that sarcastic tone, the two women felt that if this went on, they would probably die of anger even if they didn't die of exhaustion.
"I'm done prying! I'm done! I'm about to go mad from all this!"
Sister-in-law Yang finally couldn't take it anymore. She picked up her bucket, its bottom barely covered with oyster meat, and headed for the road.
Sister-in-law Hu glanced at Wei Donglai, then followed her with a dark face.
"Aunties, come again tomorrow! I'm counting on following you to make a fortune!"
At Wei Donglai's shout, the two women couldn't help stumbling. Then they fled toward the shore, their short old legs pumping so fast they nearly threw sparks.
Once the two women had gone, everyone burst out laughing.
A woman surnamed Zhou grinned. "A Lai, that was wicked of you."
"Auntie Zhou, that wasn't wicked. That was giving them a taste of their own medicine."
"My, you've even learned to use fancy words lately?"
"You bet. I just poured two jin of ink down my throat the day before yesterday. I count as an intellectual now."
"Hahahaha, I'd say you're just a smartmouth."
Seeing Wei Donglai come over with a grin, Li Yue'e gave him a look of disdain.
"Mom, your son isn't just a heap of brute strength, is he? To stand up for you, I pulled out all my best tricks."
"You're pretty proud of being a hooligan, aren't you?"
"That's what they get for provoking my dear old mom. It takes a villain to deal with a villain."
"Stop putting gold on your own face. Get over there and get to work. Don't stand here getting in the way."
"As you command, Mother."
As Wei Donglai walked away, Chen Fengying leaned over to Li Yue'e. "Mom, you're pleased, aren't you?"
"What have I got to be pleased about?"
"Mom, the corners of your mouth are turning up."
"Are you asking for the corners of yours to be turned up too?"
When Li Yue'e raised her hand as though to hit her, Chen Fengying hurriedly pulled Xue Li in front of her as a shield.
"Mom, I didn't say anything about you."
"I know you didn't. Get back to work!"
Seeing how timid her eldest daughter-in-law was, Li Yue'e sighed. She had nothing else to complain about with her eldest daughter-in-law, but her temperament was just like her eldest son's. Both of them were simpletons.
She looked again at her third son, who was hard at work prying oysters in the distance, and the corners of her mouth rose despite herself.
With the two disagreeable older women gone, everyone felt much more at ease.
After prying oysters all afternoon, even Li Yue'e felt an ache in her back.
Li Yue'e looked at the sun sinking in the west and straightened up.
"Lili, Fengying, let's call it a day. I'll go get your third brother."