Chapter Six: The Seafood Stall

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Cai Zhongsheng shared the same sentiment as his mother-in-law, who said it would be best to release the turtle back into the wild since the inscription was already carved. Ye Huiqiong supported this idea but, mindful of her sulking son, refrained from immediate agreement, only remarking that the turtle weighed about ten jin, had cost a thousand yuan to purchase, and another hundred yuan to have the inscription carved.

Liu Sanjun had never fully believed the words of the so-called master and thought buying a turtle for release was unnecessary and unprofitable. Coupled with the earlier incident of the unscrupulous driver demanding extra money, he was inwardly resentful.

He took the turtle from his mother with a somewhat forceful movement, almost snatching it, and with a tone of venting said, "No releasing it—let’s return it to the seller."

His mother had no choice but to go along with him, following him toward the entrance of the vegetable and fish market. She glanced back at the turtle and saw it had withdrawn its head into its hard shell, as though sensing ill fortune and seeking temporary protection.

Cai Zhongsheng, carrying the baby, followed behind. This time, she did not want to wait outside, seeming afraid of being left behind.

The aquatic stalls inside the market were arranged like two parallel lines, naturally forming an alleyway between them for customers to browse and select seafood.

The floor was always wet as if never having dried, even on the hottest days. This was because many fish were kept alive in water-filled basins for freshness, and water inevitably splashed during loading and unloading.

Moreover, seafood was transported daily by large trucks and smaller vehicles from rivers, seas, lakes, and reservoirs. The constant in-and-out traffic left the stall floors damp, and a pervasive fishy odor lingered in the air, unpleasant and unrelenting.

Yet, most individual vendors who worked here had grown accustomed to it and felt no discomfort. Only occasional customers found it hard to bear the smell, holding their noses and stepping carefully on the drier spots to avoid wetting their pants, especially if they hadn’t rolled up their cuffs.

At this moment, Cai Zhongsheng, still holding the baby, had reached the center of the aquatic section, trailing behind her family.

Ye Huiqiong, noticing the wet floor, called back to Cai Zhongsheng to stand still.

She took a few steps forward, and her son had already stopped before the fourth seafood stall.

The vendor asked what he wanted to buy. Liu Sanjun opened his hand to show the turtle and said, “I want to return this. I bought it here about half an hour ago.”

The vendor was momentarily taken aback, then somewhat displeased. “You bought it and now want a refund? Is there something wrong with the turtle? If not, there’s a ten percent restocking fee.”

“That high? Can it be less?” Liu Sanjun thought about the turtle’s thousand-yuan value and the hundred-yuan fee, which felt unfair. He asked in a negotiating tone.

The vendor was firm: “If you think it’s not worth it, you don’t have to return it.”

Ye Huiqiong, worried her son might argue, intervened, “Forget it. You get nine hundred back.”

Liu Sanjun shot the vendor a sharp glance, reluctant. Instead of handing over the turtle directly, he placed it atop the mesh cover of a wooden basin holding several turtles.

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The vendor was about to weigh the turtle on an electronic scale to verify its weight—if there was any discrepancy, he could deny having sold it, thus avoiding the return.

Just then, he looked closely and saw the inscription on the turtle’s back. He exclaimed, “This turtle isn’t mine. Take it away.”

Liu Sanjun explained, “It’s yours, but I had someone carve those characters on its back.”

The vendor replied, “That won’t do. Even if I sold it, I wouldn’t take it back now that it’s inscribed. I couldn’t sell it again. Are you trying to cheat me?”

He picked up the turtle, which was half-sticking its head out of the mesh cover, ready to crawl away, and pressed it back into Liu Sanjun’s hands, urging, “Take it! Take it! Don’t cause me trouble.”

Liu Sanjun had no choice but to accept, looking both wronged and helpless.

Ye Huiqiong said, “Let’s go.”

Cai Zhongsheng, holding the sleeping baby, turned and started toward the market exit, thinking the turtle couldn’t be returned and if it wasn’t to be released, they should just go home.

But just as they were leaving, Liu Sanjun said angrily, “I must return this turtle to the vendor.”

Ye Huiqiong tried to persuade him, “Forget it! With the inscription, even if you return it, the vendor wouldn’t want it and can’t sell it. Don’t make things difficult for him.”

Cai Zhongsheng, noticing the baby had fallen asleep in her arms, quietly suggested, “Since the family’s names are carved on the turtle’s back, it’s best to take it to the seaside and release it.”

Ye Huiqiong nodded in agreement. Liu Sanjun, however, was stubborn and refused, saying he had a way to get a refund and would find the vendor again shortly.

When Ye Huiqiong asked what his plan was, he kept silent.

They saw Liu Sanjun carrying the turtle walk toward the street. She and her daughter-in-law followed behind.

They realized Liu Sanjun had found the same elderly engraver who had carved the inscription on the turtle’s back. He asked the old man to remove the inscription.

The engraver was a lean old man wearing thick black-rimmed glasses. Seeing Liu Sanjun approaching with the turtle, he thought he might have made a mistake and needed to redo the work. When he learned otherwise, he scrutinized Liu Sanjun’s face, wondering silently, “Is this young man crazy? He paid me to carve, and now, less than half an hour later, wants it erased.”

Yet, the engraver kept these thoughts to himself, noting Liu Sanjun appeared quite normal, and asked, “Why do you want this?”

Liu Sanjun answered, “I don’t care why. Just remove the inscription.”

The engraver said, “Fine, but you pay me half the original price, fifty yuan. If you agree, I’ll do it. If not, I won’t take this kind of game.”

He spoke with a hint of arrogance, barely looking at Liu Sanjun.

Liu Sanjun pulled out fifty yuan and waved it in front of the engraver, repeatedly saying, “Alright, alright. You just want money, right?”

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The engraver laughed and replied, “This is how I make a living. If I did it for free, I’d be starving.”

He took the turtle, picked up his rasp, and within a few strokes, blurred the inscription on the curved shell.

The turtle’s back was naturally uneven, but now it was much smoother. The startled creature had retracted its head deeply and tightly, with all four legs tucked inside motionless.

The engraver held it like a heavy stone and handed the “stone” back to Liu Sanjun, who pressed the warm fifty yuan into the old man’s hand.

Ye Huiqiong and Cai Zhongsheng stood silently nearby, while the baby was now in Ye Huiqiong’s arms—his grandmother.

Liu Sanjun, cradling the turtle with the inscription gone, proudly said to his mother and wife, “Let’s go!”

Back at the seafood stall in the market, the vendor who had refused to accept the return after seeing the inscription had just made a few sales when he looked up and saw the young man returning, still carrying the large turtle.

The vendor turned his face away, pretending not to see.

Soon, the young man called out, “Master, please take the turtle back.”

The vendor stubbornly replied, “I told you, turtles with inscriptions on their backs are non-returnable.”

He pointed to several empty tubs and basins. “Business is good. See, the turtles, softshell turtles, and oysters are all sold out. But do any other customers come back to return goods like you? Returns are fine, but not with inscribed turtles.”

The young man before the vendor was indeed the familiar yet distant Liu Sanjun.

Liu Sanjun glared at him and pointed to the turtle’s back, “Look, the inscription is gone. Now you should accept the return.”

The vendor examined the shell carefully; it was as Liu Sanjun said. He prepared to accept the one-hour-old sale back, deduct the fee, and refund the rest, though he was reluctant to give the young man an easy deal.

Hesitant and conservative, he tapped on the turtle’s back and said, “Here’s my proposal: if you accept it, I’ll take it back; if not, forget it.”

Liu Sanjun tightened his grip on the now-relaxed turtle and replied, “Speak your terms, but they must be reasonable.”