READ NOVEL ONLINE Chapter 257
The scorching sun was blazing down, turning the ground into a fiery furnace at 1 PM.
After resting a bit at the accommodation until the sun mellowed out in the afternoon.
By the time decently large clouds covered the ground, we finally managed to step outside.
Seizing the moment, we headed to the crowded clam digging equipment rental shop.
Well, what else could we do?
‘Unless you’re a beach person, you wouldn’t carry clam digging gear around, right?’
After about twenty people rented their gear ahead of us, it was finally our turn.
An Italian-style mustachioed plumber-looking uncle with snug suspender pants.
Clam digging gloves and boots, with gloves and sleeves connected.
Just throwing them over thin clothes made us look like innocent young girls learning household chores in a mudflat village.
“You both look great!”
“Like kids who live by the beach.”
Seeing us dressed up, Ji-eun’s couple tossed a few comments.
Looking in the mirror, I thought a straw hat and a towel would really complete the vibe.
Leaning slightly, I kicked the air and smirked back.
“Hehe, I can’t stand the fishy smell.”
The two went inside to gear up.
But Juwon, excited at the thought of catching something, was raring to go.
“Let’s go already!”
Not even waiting for his parents, he grabbed his sisters’ hands and tried to drag them to the beach.
Surprisingly, it was Siyeon who managed to control Juwon, who was twisting his whole body, almost falling.
“Mom and Dad aren’t out yet, wait.”
“Ughhh~!”
Ignoring Siyeon’s plea to wait, Juwon pulled harder with both arms.
Even though boys are strong, there’s still a difference between a kindergartener and a high schooler.
It felt like trying to drag a sack of rice stuck to the ground.
Seeing everyone else walking to the beach, he must have felt left out.
“Mom, come out already!”
“Let’s go, let’s go!”
Only after Ji-eun and the uncle came out fully geared did we head to the beach without delay, spurred by Juwon’s urging.
The dark gray sandy mudflat was packed with people.
Everyone with buckets looked no different from the local fishermen out for seasonal clamming.
Thus began Juwon’s ambitious plan to fill a bucket, marking our first clam digging experience.
But, as expected.
With so many people, filling a bucket at the shallow waters was a stretch.
Occasionally finding conch or clam shells buried in the mud, they were empty.
Like someone had scooped out the insides, leaving only sand or long-dead crabs.
“Found it! Oh.”
Again, a conch shell filled with sand.
“Ugh, it’s empty.”
Disappointed, I put it back where I found it.
Well, with so many people ahead, it’s not like I was the first to look.
Please leave some for the rest of us.
“Mom! Look at this!”
“Let me see, a scallop… 5 cm? No, we have to let it go.”
“Whyyy?!”
Juwon dug up a clam, decently sized but under 5 cm, so Ji-eun had to return it despite his protests.
Catching small ones is against the rules, and we didn’t want to pay a fine.
“You can’t catch the small ones…”
With all the restrictions, it was hard to catch anything freely.
The only thing we could catch without worry was the flower crab, also known as the sand crab.
As long as it wasn’t carrying eggs, there was no off-season for catching them.
Though Juwon’s insistence started this clam digging…
‘Is there even anything here?’
Only empty shells kept getting caught in my gloves, fueling my determination.
I dug through the sand, water up to my thighs, not caring.
Feeling the squishy sand through my gloves, I stirred the water for a while until…
‘Oh.’
Something pinched my glove. Pulling my hand out, a sand crab clung tightly to the glove.
A decent size, perfect for cutting in half and boiling in ramen.
Before it got too dark, I tossed it into our bucket at the shallow waters.
Hearing something drop into the bucket, Ji-eun looked up from the ground.
“Did you catch something?”
“One crab.”
A victory prize after much effort.
Ji-eun, busy looking after Juwon, could only play in the shallow waters.
Not seeing the uncle around, I asked Ji-eun.
“…Where’s the uncle?”
“Don’t know, he went off to catch something.”
Dae-han had gone off to the deeper waters alone, leaving Ji-eun to watch Juwon.
Well, adults get excited about these things too.
Today’s going to be a long day.
“Did you catch anything?”
Changing the subject, I walked over to the bucket with the sand crab.
As expected, the bucket only had one crab and two lifeless octopuses.
“Ugh, what can you even catch here?”
“True.”
Ji-eun’s indifferent reply as she checked the nearly empty bucket.
I wasn’t expecting much anyway.
“Look at this!”
In the midst of this, Juwon raised his arm.
Holding a large, empty conch shell.
What was he planning to do with it?
“An empty conch shell, right?”
“He says he’s taking it home.”
“Why?”
The question was for Juwon, but Ji-eun answered.
Hearing he wanted to take a useless shell home, I wondered why.
“To play with it, listening to the ocean.”
“Ah~”
Finally understanding, I nodded.
Listening to the ocean in an empty shell, huh?
Maybe my brain’s rotten from old age.
Feeling a bit self-loathing for judging everything by its usefulness.
But that feeling quickly faded as two figures waved in the distance.
The uncle with a crab between his fingers, and Siyeon empty-handed.
“Did you catch anything?”
“Nothing left, barely got these.”
The uncle dumped his catch into the bucket.
Despite saying there was nothing, he managed three crabs.
“I got nothing!”
Siyeon proudly declared, but at least the bucket had something now.
As the sky darkened, we decided to head back.
Honestly, for the money spent on renting gear, the results were underwhelming…
“Did you have fun, Juwon?”
“Yeah!”
Watching Juwon proudly carry an empty conch shell back, I felt somewhat satisfied.
Well, these are all memories.
The accommodation wasn’t fancy, just a large room combining a kitchen and living room…
You know, those places called hotels in name only.
Dinner was naturally decided: seafood ramen with the sand crabs and octopuses.
We had kalguksu for lunch, but leaving out crab and octopus for ramen would be an insult to seafood.
Filling a pot with water for the ramen, I turned on the stove.
Three sand crabs and two octopuses.
A luxurious ramen with ingredients more expensive than the main dish.
Fancy, huh?
“Oh, Mari’s cooking?”
“Yes, I’ll make it delicious, just sit back and relax.”
The uncle seemed touched as I took charge of the stove.
Using a historical drama-style tone, I stood guard by the stove as Ji-eun got up.
“Hey, come here for a sec.”
“Why?”
With a ghostly movement and a serious tone, she got up.
The uncle, clueless about what he did wrong, followed without hesitation.
Oh boy, here we go.
“Where are Mom and Dad going?”
“Hmm, they need to talk for a bit, stay with your sisters, okay?”
The sound of slippers scraping the floor sent chills down my spine.
Siyeon, as confused as the uncle, tilted her head but played with Juwon as told.
Close your eyes and cover your ears, Juwon.