Gourmet Hunter - Chapter 109 (Patreon)

Chapter 109: Beading

Buhara's face looks quite youthful, appearing only thirteen or fourteen years old, but his height and physique are closer to that of an eighteen-year-old, truly tall and hefty.

He sports a buzz cut, with short and thick eyebrows, small eyes, a rather uncommon upturned nose, and a large mouth that's always grinning, giving off a naive yet gentle vibe.

Being one of the more noticeable individuals in the Reef Area, Luo took note of Buhara, his distinctive appearance and physique reminiscent of the examiner from the first Hunter Exam in the original story.

Afterward, Luo made a point to interact with Buhara, confirming his suspicion upon learning his name.

Buhara had also come to participate in the Hunter Exam, arriving in Mafando a month prior.

Upon reaching Mafando, he spent nearly all his travel funds on accommodation. After learning about the existence of drift shells, he spent his last bit of money renting a net to catch drift shells daily for his meals.

Unfortunately, luck wasn't on his side; despite catching plenty of drift shells daily, the pearls he found were only mediocre, barely covering his room and net rental fees.

The reason he persisted with drift shells was two-fold: they were the only sea product he could get his hands on, and after Luo prepared him chilled thin-sliced shellfish once, he couldn't get enough, pestering Luo daily to cut the shellfish for him.

As the two walked through the streets of Mafando, they saw various stalls betting on shells.

Drift shells of varying quality were laid out on tables for buyers to choose, with prices starting from 50,000 Jenny, typically above 100,000.

It was the busiest time of day, with many people gathered around the betting stalls.

People would pick their shells, pay, and within a few minutes, find out if they'd made or lost money.

Since the rise of shell betting, the focus shifted from the meat to the pearls, with fewer people like Buhara coming for the meat.

A while back, a lucky young man found several thumb-sized black pearls and sold them on the spot to a jeweler for 7 million Jenny.

Overjoyed, he reinvested the 7 million Jenny in more betting, only to lose everything, becoming one of the many shell gatherers in the Reef Area.

Such occurrences weren't rare in Mafando.

Luo had considered trying his luck at shell betting, hoping to find a beautiful purple pearl to give to Machi.

However, he'd been busy with boat racing lately, plus Buhara was bringing him twenty to thirty drift shells daily, so he didn't partake in shell betting.

Though he opened many shells daily, the pearls were not of much value.

As more ordinary pearls were found, their price naturally decreased, only rare-colored and attractive pearls remained valuable.

After walking through the bustling streets to a quiet residential area, Luo led Buhara back to an elderly lady's home.

In the yard, the lady was knitting a fishing net, with Sanbica assisting by her side.

Entering the courtyard, Buhara headed straight for the well, tossing the drift shells beside it and starting to draw water without being asked.

"How's the boat racing going?" the elderly lady paused her work to look up at Luo with a gentle smile.

"Almost there," Luo smiled back.

Nodding slightly, the lady remarked, "Few outsiders come to Mafando wanting to learn boat racing, getting distracted by shell betting instead, not considering how they'll get on a boat when it arrives."

"Boat racing is quite challenging," Luo admitted with a bitter smile, having capsized numerous times before barely mastering it.

"Is learning to cook any easier?" the lady eyed him critically.

Luo meekly responded, "You know it's tough. If I weren't interested, I'd have given up after a few days."

"Learning a skill is never a disadvantage. Those who give up because it's hard will always remain the same," the lady advised.

"You're right!"

Luo, like a diligent student, agreed, noticing Sanbica's pitiful gaze.

The lady believed in the value of multiple skills, encouraging Sanbica to learn net knitting.

If not for the lady being alone, Luo might have thought she wanted to take Sanbica as a granddaughter-in-law.

Ignoring Sanbica's look, Luo wondered if the lady would have him learn net knitting if he weren't busy with boat racing.

Regardless, he couldn't help Sanbica, effectively unable to assist.

Seeing Luo pretending not to notice, Sanbica felt helpless.

"Luo, ready."

Buhara, having filled a large bucket of water, eagerly called out.

"Open them all."

Luo approached the well, crouching to inspect the thirty-one neatly arranged drift shells.

Each shell was as large as a washbasin, slightly flat, and dark purple, their color deep and rich.

Having

tasted the meat from the drift shells, which only increased his data by 0.1%, well below average, the effect was disappointingly low.

Buhara, rubbing his hands, forcefully opened the shells, moving quickly from one to the next.

Luo picked out pearls from the light yellow flesh, tossing them into a nearby basin.

The value of a pearl depends on its luster, color, size, and the presence or absence of surface flaws and shape. The most valuable pearls are those that are naturally perfect, requiring no human modification.

The pearls extracted from the drift shells were as expected, occasionally finding ones with decent luster and size but common colors, thus not very valuable.

After finding a dozen or so pearls, Luo suddenly discovered a perfectly natural black pearl among them, its quality, size, and luster all top-notch, without any surface flaws.

Seeing this beautiful black pearl, Luo immediately thought of Sanbica's eyes...

"What a beautiful pearl," Buhara, also attracted by the black pearl, paused his work.

The elderly lady and Sanbica, hearing the commotion, looked towards the black pearl in Luo's hand.

"Good luck," the elderly lady remarked, focusing on the black pearl. "It's been a long time since we've seen a black pearl of such quality."

"Buhara, continue opening," Luo instructed, pausing before handing the black pearl to Sanbica, simply saying, "For you."

Sanbica, taken aback by the gesture, and the elderly lady, with a hint of teasing in her eyes, said, "Sanbica, according to our customs, if a man gives you a beautiful pearl, you must accept it."

Giving a pearl from a man and beading by a woman then became a token of engagement, though the elderly lady didn't mention this.

"Is that so..."

Sanbica, coming back to her senses without suspicion, slowly took the pearl, looking at it closely, seemingly happy.

As Sanbica held the black pearl, Luo returned to the well.

He felt today's luck might be excellent, hoping to find a purple pearl next, perfect for giving to Machi.

Purple was Machi's favorite color, matching her hair, while the black pearl, as beautiful as Sanbica's eyes, was the most fitting gift for her.

As Luo walked away, the elderly lady turned to Sanbica, seriously saying, "Sanbica, you've learned net knitting well enough. Now, let's start teaching you how to bead."

"Ah?"

Sanbica was taken aback, barely mastering net knitting and now facing another task: beading.

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