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"Wait up, Third Brother!" Xingxing called out in a rush, squatting down and using her small hands to move the stones by the stream.

Gui Ge'er quickly came over to help.

The siblings worked together to move several stones and discovered to their surprise a freshwater mussel the size of a palm!

"Wow, it's so big!" Xingxing exclaimed in amazement, turning it over and over, treating it like a brand-new toy.

"Let's keep it with the fish and add it to the soup later—it’ll make the broth very flavorful," Liu Ge'er said. "Let’s go home."

Xingxing nodded eagerly, happily carrying her large freshwater mussel as she followed her brothers back home.

...

In the Yu family’s small courtyard.

Su Rouer, after calming down, returned to the house to stitch shoe soles.

She was average at needlework, but she was really good at making shoes.

Previously, she had secretly looked down on her elder sisters-in-law for selling their needlework to supplement the family income. Now, however, she wanted to make an honest living through her own labor.

Ju Ge'er, worried about his mother, stayed in the yard with a small slingshot his fourth uncle had made for him. He drew a circle on the ground and played by shooting small stones into it.

Just as Liu Ge'er came through the gate carrying the big fish, Ju Ge'er bent down to pick up a stone. When he looked up, he was stunned to see the enormous fish in his third brother’s arms!

Ju Ge'er was stunned speechless!

First, he felt regret—catching such a big fish must've been awesome, and he’d missed it!

But then excitement took over—such a huge fish meant they’d have fish to eat again!

Gui Ge'er bragged: "Pretty cool, huh? Xingxing found it, and Third Brother and I caught it!"

Ju Ge'er nodded like crazy: "Take me next time!"

"No problem!" Gui Ge'er agreed readily, then shouted excitedly toward the house, "Mom, Grandma, come out and see! We caught a huge fish!"

Wei Pozi and Bai Xiaofeng came running at the noise and were astonished to see the massive bighead carp in Liu Ge'er’s arms.

Bai Xiaofeng, recovering from her surprise, couldn’t stop smiling.

Her two boys were truly capable!

"Mom, do we have a big basin at home?" Liu Ge'er asked, his arms tired from holding the fish. "Let’s keep it in a basin for a couple of days. When Eldest Aunt and the others return, we can make fish soup."

Bai Xiaofeng nodded repeatedly: "Yes, yes, wait here. I’ll get a basin from the kitchen."

Once the half-dead bighead carp was placed in the basin, it quickly regained its energy, swimming in circles and flicking its tail.

The children all relaxed.

Wei Pozi was at a loss for words: "Where did you catch such a big fish?"

Gui Ge'er babbled excitedly: "Right in that little stream! We tried forever but couldn’t catch anything. Then Xingxing spotted this dumb bighead carp had gotten itself stuck in a hole. Third Brother and I grabbed it right away."

That’s how it happened?

Bai Xiaofeng listened, couldn't stop laughing!

"Xingxing is truly our little lucky star!" Bai Xiaofeng couldn't help but exclaim.

Xingxing, feeling a bit shy, raised the large freshwater mussel in her hands to show Wei Pozi and Bai Xiaofeng: "Grandma, Auntie, look! Xingxing found this too!"

"My goodness, our Xingxing is amazing! Such a big freshwater mussel!" Wei Pozi hugged Xingxing and gave a loud kiss on her little cheek.

Xingxing laughed shyly, both happy and bashful.

Ju Ge'er suddenly got an idea and came over to look. "Grandma, I heard freshwater mussels can have pearls inside. Does this one have any?"

Wei Pozi chuckled. "Pearls are rare things. You don't just find them."

"What's a pearl?" Xingxing tilted her head, puzzled, and asked Ju Ge'er.

Ju Ge'er gestured but struggled to explain. "They're little white beads!"

Liu Ge'er added from the side, "Pearls are shiny white all over, very rare and beautiful. I once heard someone found a pearl as big as a chicken's eye in a freshwater mussel and sold it for good money... But we usually don't come across them."

Xingxing listened, fascinated, and full of anticipation. She placed the large freshwater mussel on the ground and picked up a thin twig, poking at it here and there. "I wonder if there's a pearl inside?"

Ju Ge'er squatted beside Xingxing, said know-it-all, "Didn't you hear what Third Brother said? They're rare. It's not that easy to find one."

"Oh." Xingxing continued poking at the mussel's shell, still curious. "I've never seen a pearl before!"

Wei Pozi said with a laugh, "Let me open it and see for you."

But the freshwater mussel was quite large, its shell tightly shut. Wei Pozi worked at prying it for a long time before finally managing to open it.

When it finally opened, she froze.

There, nestled within the flesh, was a lump...

Could there really be a pearl inside?

Wei Pozi could hardly believe it. Her hands trembled slightly, almost dropping the knife she used to pry the mussel open!

Chapter 51: Easy Come, Easy Go

As Wei Pozi's trembling hands cleaned the mussel's flesh, she indeed found a perfectly round and beautiful pearl!

The lustrous pearl shone under the sunlight, leaving the Yu family courtyard in complete silence.

Wei Pozi and Bai Xiaofeng were too shocked to speak.

Liu Ge'er and Gui Ge'er never imagined that their little sister's lucky find would contain such a beautiful pearl!

Ju Ge'er stared wide-eyed. "Wow, is... is this really a pearl?"

Xingxing also gazed with round, admiring eyes. "So pretty!"

Wei Pozi and Bai Xiaofeng came to their senses. The mother-in-law and daughter-in-law exchanged glances, both thrilled beyond measure.

Could it be... they had actually found a pearl?!

...

By evening, Yu Laotou returned with his four sons.

No sooner had he stepped inside than Wei Pozi immediately pulled him into the house.

Bai Xiaofeng wore a dreamy smile and, once the Yu family was inside, promptly closed the courtyard gate.