Chapter 245: Dreaming of Seaside Foraging
Vivian Lowell glanced at Julian Faulkner in surprise.
Julian’s theory was a bit too absurd. Though, as luck would have it, her parents had indeed died in a car accident.
And in a photo Vivian had once found in Shelly Lowell’s jewelry box, she had seen a manor abroad.
It was the Drake Family’s manor. Vivian later got her confirmation from Rachel Faulkner’s profile picture. ’Does that mean my parents had at least some contact with the Drake Family back then?’
Vivian froze.
"But I don’t think I resemble Mr. Drake."
Vivian thought back carefully. Mr. Drake’s features were very defined and his profile was strong. Even in his old age, he gave off a serious impression.
Although, when he smiled, he also looked very kindly.
But Vivian’s features were the delicate type—each one perfectly and exquisitely formed, like a Barbie doll’s. She was stunningly beautiful.
It was a completely different look from the strong definition of Mr. Drake’s features.
Julian was noncommittal. He thought for a moment before saying, "You have a point. I was just throwing it out there, thinking it was a possibility."
Vivian clicked her tongue and yawned.
"Tired?"
Julian asked in a soft tone, walking over to wrap his arms around Vivian’s waist and plant a gentle kiss on her forehead.
"Yeah, I’m tired. I woke up early, and I was out all afternoon. Of course I’m tired."
Vivian wanted to go get some rest, so she wiggled a little in Julian’s embrace.
Julian chuckled and said, "Not so fast. I had someone prepare some warm milk for you. Have some milk, take a shower, put on a face mask, and then you can have a nice, comfy sleep, alright?"
"So thoughtful of you."
"Naturally."
After they shared a few tender hugs and kisses, Vivian went to take a shower.
In the bathroom, the perfectly warm water cascaded over Vivian’s body. After lathering up with some fragrant shower gel, she felt much more relaxed.
’Mm, a hot shower really is a good way to wash away fatigue.’
That night, Vivian had a dream that she was beachcombing.
It was the very place Mr. Drake had talked about. She carried a bucket and a small shovel, wandering along the shore and digging around the rock piles.
She even found real oysters!
Mr. Drake was there, too.
Mr. Drake walked ahead, leading Vivian to find crabs hidden in the rock crevices. He also taught her how to dig clams out from the holes in the sand.
"See how this little hole is still spouting water? That’s a clam’s breathing hole. The best way to catch them is usually with salt."
"Clams are simple creatures. Once you put the salt in, they come right up on their own. Watch..."
After he spoke, Mr. Drake produced a bag of salt as if by magic and sprinkled it over the clam’s breathing hole.
Sure enough, it wasn’t long before the clam couldn’t take it anymore and emerged on its own.
Mr. Drake snatched the clam, but it struggled with all its might. After a brief stalemate between man and mollusk, the clam gave up the ghost. It had fought so hard its "nose" fell off, but the big clam was now firmly in Mr. Drake’s hand!
"And that’s all there is to it."
Mr. Drake chuckled and placed the clam in Vivian’s bucket of spoils.
Vivian felt a little embarrassed that Mr. Drake was giving everything to her, so she said, "Okay, now I’m going to catch a clam for you, Mr. Drake!"
"Of course, Vivian!"
At Mr. Drake’s encouragement, Vivian started searching the sand for breathing holes.
But Vivian had no beachcombing experience. She found a few breathing holes and sprinkled salt on them just as she’d seen Mr. Drake do, but she got no reaction at all.
"Why isn’t it working?"
Vivian squatted down, cupping her chin in confusion as she stared at the hole. ’Could it be that I didn’t use enough salt?’ she wondered.
With that thought, Vivian sprinkled more salt, but even after waiting a full five minutes, until the sun started to make her head feel hot, the clam still didn’t emerge.
"Vivian, what’s wrong?"
Just then, Mr. Drake returned from a nearby rock crevice, holding a crab he had just caught.
The crab was full of life, its eight legs waving wildly even as Mr. Drake held it. He was clearly an expert at catching crabs!
No matter how its eight legs thrashed about, they couldn’t touch Mr. Drake’s hand.
"What a big crab!"
Looking at the crab, which was nearly the size of her own palm, Vivian couldn’t help but say in a discouraged tone, "Mr. Drake, I tried your method of sprinkling salt in the hole, but the clam won’t come out!"
"It won’t come out? Let me take a look."
Mr. Drake said as he placed the crab in the bucket and walked over. "Some clams won’t come out for salt," he added.
"Usually, that happens when the clam is a clever one, or if the sand is too dry for the salt to dissolve and seep down."
Vivian’s eyes widened.
’I never knew any of this!’
"Then what about mine..."
Vivian took another careful look at the hole in front of her and asked, "So, is the clam here just too clever?"
"No."
Mr. Drake shook his head, smiling at Vivian.
Only the other possibility was left. Vivian blurted out, "Then it must be too dry here? But I used so much salt!"
Mr. Drake shook his head again. Now Vivian was truly confused. ’Didn’t he just say those were the only two possibilities?’
’Could it be that the clam dug its hole here and then moved on to dig another one somewhere else?’
Just as she was wondering, Mr. Drake stopped keeping her in suspense. He laughed heartily and said, "That’s because this isn’t from a clam at all! There are lots of different holes on the beach."
"Besides clams, there are holes for sand crabs, and even venus clams, Moon Shells, and Cat’s Eye Snails all have their own unique kinds of holes."
𝓯𝓻𝓮𝙚𝙬𝓮𝙗𝒏𝙤𝒗𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝒐𝓶
Vivian was amazed.
Watching Mr. Drake, beachcombing had seemed so simple. But when it was her turn, she found it incredibly difficult. Only now did she understand that there was so much to learn about it.
"Mr. Drake, you’re amazing! So what on earth is this hole, then?"
Vivian offered her praise before bringing the conversation back to the matter at hand.
Mr. Drake took a look, then drove the shovel into the sand. With a single scoop, he unearthed a clean, white Moon Shell.
"Here, it’s a Moon Shell! It’s a pretty big one, so it’s yours!"
"This... I can’t possibly... I just said I was going to find a clam for you!"
"Don’t worry about it, you just keep looking. You can do it, Vivian. I believe in you!"