HLM – Chapter 1070 Pinching for Snails

The riverbank was still crowded with people. Several motorcycles and electric scooters were parked along the roadside. Wang Bo glanced up a few times and noticed the crowd only continued to grow.

A child had fallen into an abandoned well beside a pile of garbage—terrifying enough on its own. But what truly shocked the villagers was the child’s claim that “a girl brought me here and pushed me into the well.”

People on the bank discussed the incident heatedly. Many local ghost stories circulating in the area were brought up again, and some even began talking about the little girl who had died earlier.

Wang Bo stepped into the water wearing rain boots. It was still early in the day; the lake water was clear and cool. Soaking in it in such stifling heat actually felt very comfortable.

Looking out at the vast reservoir, Li Xing said, “The water seems a bit murky today… you think there might be some kind of water ghost down there?”

Na Qingyang shot him a glare. “Can you let us pick snails in peace? After what just happened, stop bringing up ghosts and spooky stuff.”

Wang Bo laughed. “How did I never realize your courage is even smaller than Atulu’s?”

Atulu’s fear was toward trouble, not ghosts. In Māori culture, the dead were respected, and there was no concept of malicious spirits.

Na Qingyang said, “I’m not scared because I’m timid. Just like some people fear snakes, others fear toads, and some fear pollen—I’m just especially afraid of ghosts. Been like this since I was a kid.”

Wang Bo believed there were indeed many things beyond scientific explanation—for example, his own Lord’s Heart. But he didn’t believe that people turned into ghosts after death, or that ghosts could freely harm the living.

Around the reservoir was a ring of stones. The water was shallow here, and thick water plants grew along the edges—prime habitat for snails.

Back in his hometown, snails never grew large. They were far inferior to golden apple snails, but because of their size, they weren’t strong hosts for parasites and were relatively clean.

On top of the stones and near the water’s surface, many snails grew, their shells a light green mixed with ink-like darkness.

Wang Bo pinched one off and held it to the sunlight. Its shell was thin—almost like a sheet of paper when lit from behind—and he could clearly see the meat inside.

There were no snails in Lake Hawea in Sunset Town. Eva found a large snail and examined it, smiling. “It looks beautiful.”

Wang Bo said, “Pretty but useless. The meat is big but doesn’t taste good. Pick ones around this size—they’re the best for cooking.”

Li Xing said regretfully, “We can’t just sweep them with our hands? There are so many here. If sweeping worked, we could fill a whole basin in minutes.”

Wang Bo snapped back, “You want good food but don’t want to put in the work? Nothing comes that easy. Even if you sweep a whole bunch, you’d still have to sort them later. Same effort.”

Picking them one by one was a bit tedious, but not too tiring.

At first, Da Pang was wary of the water and sat on a rock, looking around. But when he saw Wang Bo and Eva busy collecting snails, he found it interesting and came over to help.

But a cat’s paws couldn’t pinch together. It scraped off a snail—and clink—it fell straight into the water.

Annoyed, Da Pang reached a paw into the water to try to scoop up snails.

But as soon as his paw touched the water, he recoiled in fear.

Tiny fish fry swam around under the rocks and between the cracks. When the fat cat noticed them, its eyes widened instantly. It let out two low warbling sounds and, locking onto a target, began testing the water with its paw.

After a few attempts, feeling confident, it swiped down.

Water splashed everywhere. It caught no fish. Terrified, the fry scattered instantly, disappearing without a trace.

Er Pang ran over and peeked into the water. It also spotted the fish and exchanged a knowing look with Da Pang. The two jumped onto two adjacent rocks.

Now, the fish trapped between the stones seemed like prey in a jar.

But reality was never that simple. The two cats swiped continuously—but still didn’t catch a single fish.

After several failed attempts, the cats lost patience and began slapping the water wildly in frustration.

Water splashed everywhere, soaking their fur until it clumped together, making them look utterly pitiful.

And still, they caught nothing.

Finally, Er Pang couldn’t stand it anymore. It jumped straight into the water, clawing and biting desperately, hoping to catch a fish fry.

The fry panicked as usual, scattered as usual—and as usual, none were caught.

By now, Wang Bo and the others had collected two buckets of snails. The sun was high, the heat harsh, and the sunlight burned their skin painfully.

They prepared to head home and called the fat cat brothers to come back.

Da Pang growled angrily, refusing to return empty-pawed. It continued splashing around, still trying to catch fish.

Wang Bo glanced over and laughed. “They look so fat normally, but once they get soaked… how do they suddenly look this skinny?”

Pallas’s cats relied entirely on their long fur to look fluffy. Though Big and Er Pang were indeed chubby, with some extra rolls on their bodies.

Carrying Da Pang in his left hand and Er Pang in his right, Wang Bo and the others returned home.

His parents still weren’t back. He washed the snails clean and then put them into fresh water mixed with a little sesame oil—this helped them purge sand more effectively.

“Let them sit for a while to spit out the sand. Now, what should we eat for lunch?” Wang Bo said.

Na Qingyang suggested, “Why don’t we go behind the village and collect eggs again?”

Wang Bo rolled his eyes. “Why don’t you go to the toilet and look for some? Same result.”

“There are eggs in the toilet?” Na Qingyang froze in confusion.

Li Xing was puzzled too. “Never heard of that. Do you guys keep chickens in the bathroom?”

“Go to the toilet and you’ll find shit—that’s the same result as taking eggs from a hen in broad daylight. Going to someone’s chicken coop to snatch eggs during the day is asking to die.” Wang Bo said irritably. “You really can’t figure that out? So dumb.”

“Screw you,” the two said, flipping him the middle finger.

There were still plenty of eggs from last night. Na Qingyang suggested making scallion egg pancakes—they hadn’t had them in a long time.

This was one of Wang Bo’s specialties. They had a big electric griddle at home, but he preferred using a cast-iron wok.

He mixed eggs, water, and flour, added chopped scallions, and since it was just for themselves, he added a touch of vinegar and soy sauce to enhance the flavor.

He brushed peanut oil onto the wok. As soon as the fire heated it, a rich aroma spread instantly.

Scooping the batter with a ladle, he drizzled it along the edges of the wok. Soon, a thin pancake formed.

After flipping and cooking it several times, a fragrant scallion egg pancake was done.

The Princess circled the stove eagerly. Pancakes made in a cast-iron wok had a unique aroma—especially when made with top-quality eggs from Sunset Pasture.

But the weather was extremely hot. Wang Bo’s clothes were soaked with sweat, enough to wring out.

The strong smell of pancakes drifted out. A neighbor’s child caught the scent and ran over. “Uncle, your pancake smells amazing!”

Wang Bo handed him one and patted his head. “Then stay and eat. Uncle made plenty.”