Chapter Fifty-Six: The Water-Repelling Pearl

Zhang Can found it odd—if even he couldn’t see through this object, it surely couldn’t be anything ordinary. Besides, the peculiar behavior of those crabs suggested something unusual. Could it be that this round stone was made of some strange material? Without saying a word, Zhang Can quietly slipped the stone into his pocket. The children didn’t notice him picking up a stone; they thought he was just grabbing crabs like everyone else.

“Where did the crabs go? They’ve disappeared… Where did all those crabs run off to?”

The boys who had been catching crabs were puzzled. The crabs had suddenly scattered and vanished, whether burrowing into the sand or fleeing into deeper water, they couldn’t catch any more.

Feeling that the stone was suspicious, Zhang Can had no desire to linger. He hurried to a dry spot, put on his shoes and socks, and returned to the barbecue stalls. The long row of stalls, numbering over a hundred, were all grilling food. Seeing so many children and parents, Zhang Can realized that it was the weekend.

After that, he had little appetite for barbecue, his mind preoccupied with thoughts of the mysterious stone. The more baffling and inexplicable a thing was, the more determined he was to understand it.

A stack of grilled meat piled high on several plates. Old Zhu pulled Zhang Can over to sit at a stone table, calling Zhang Qiang, Old Su, and others to join. Old Su ambled over, but Su Xiu simply glared fiercely at Zhang Can, carrying her plate of grilled meat to eat alone.

Zhu Senlin smiled wryly. In his own restaurant, he hoped for harmony among his staff, but Su Xiu seemed aloof and solitary. Perhaps she considered herself a college student and didn’t want to mingle with the likes of Zhang Qiang and Zhang Can, whose education was not as high. Zhu Senlin didn’t mind; he was unaware of the grievances between Old Su and Zhang Can, so he didn’t think much of it. If he knew, he wouldn’t have been so casual.

“A Qiang, bring over the beer. Tonight we drink to our hearts’ content!” Zhu Senlin said, munching on grilled meat and instructing A Qiang to fetch the drinks. He had brought two full cases of beer, intending for everyone to enjoy themselves.

Zhang Can couldn’t hold much liquor; Zhu Senlin knew this and didn’t push him, letting him drink as much as he wished. Zhu Senlin, on the other hand, drank freely, seemingly unable to fill his gaping mouth. Out of the several plates, he alone ate nearly a third, while the other seven shared the rest. Eventually, Zhu Senlin was so drunk he didn’t know east from west. Zhang Can felt dizzy, but fared much better, remaining clear-headed.

Zhang Qiang sighed, “Manager Zhang, try to stay alert. Let’s take the boss home first, then come back to take you home…”

Zhang Can shook his head, “No need. I’m fine. Just take Old Zhu home.”

A Qiang didn’t object; it was clear Zhang Can was sober and far from losing control. He’d only had two glasses, while Zhu Senlin had polished off an entire twelve-bottle case.

Unfortunately, Zhu Senlin was heavy. Even with three men helping, it was difficult to move him. After a brief discussion, they split up: A Qiang and two others took Zhu Senlin home, Old Su and Su Xiu went their own way, and Zhang Can walked home alone.

When Zhang Can arrived home, his mind was still on the strange black stone. As he unlocked the door, he heard his sister Zhang Hua and Liu Xiaoqin laughing happily. The two girls were in high spirits.

Seeing Zhang Can enter with a hint of drunkenness, Liu Xiaoqin hurried over to support him. Zhang Can shook her off, “I’m fine. Don’t worry about me. I’m going to my room.”

Liu Xiaoqin nodded and softly asked, “Should I make you some sobering soup? My mother taught me—it’s very effective.”

“No need.”

Zhang Can refused flatly, went straight to his room, and shut the door tightly. Liu Xiaoqin bit her lip, stood in silence for a moment, and then returned to her room, ignoring Zhang Hua’s calls.

In his room, Zhang Can lay on the bed, holding the black round stone, scrutinizing it under the lamp. Its surface was smooth and delicate, its color as dark as ink. His ability to see through objects failed to reveal its nature; with the naked eye, Zhang Can was equally unable to discern what it was.

No matter how he examined it under the light, he couldn’t see anything extraordinary about the stone. Yet he had witnessed with his own eyes thousands of crabs gathering around it on the beach. Zhang Can was convinced that the stone contained an unknown secret.

After a while, he tried burning it with a lighter, placed it on the table, ran electricity through it with copper wire, but nothing happened. Feeling tired, Zhang Can sighed, deciding to take a bath and sleep.

He turned on the hot water and sat by the tub, still holding the stone, pondering its mysteries. He didn’t realize the tub was overflowing until the water splashed out. The temperature was a bit high, about forty degrees; soaking in hot water, he found it pleasantly invigorating.

While soaking in the bath, Zhang Can picked up the stone again, turning it over and over. It seemed impossible to unravel its secret.

He sighed, lowered his hand, and immersed the stone in the hot water. Suddenly, he sensed something unusual.

He quickly pulled the stone out and discovered the difference: his right hand and the stone were completely dry, without a trace of moisture.

Stunned, Zhang Can couldn’t figure out what was happening, but he knew the stone held a secret. He placed the stone flat in his palm and slowly submerged his hand in the water.

This time, he watched intently as his palm entered the water. He saw clearly—the bathwater, when approaching within an inch or two of the stone, failed to touch its surface. No matter how deep he submerged his hand, the water could not reach the stone. It was as if a mysterious force radiated from the stone, pushing the water away by two inches.

The stone could repel water!

Zhang Can was shocked. He had never imagined the stone’s secret would be this—it could keep water at bay.

Historically, objects that repel water were considered priceless treasures, though such tales were confined to legends. Even in Journey to the West, the Water-repelling Pearl was said to be a divine object forged from the horn of the East Sea’s rhinoceros spirit, able to ward off water and fire, making one impervious in both.

Of course, Zhang Can didn’t believe in those legends. Realistically, how could a pearl truly repel water and fire? The stone in his hand could only push water away by a couple of centimeters.

Having discovered this secret, Zhang Can experimented with the stone in the tub until the hot water cooled, finding that aside from keeping water a few centimeters away, it had no other remarkable qualities.

Looking at his right hand, still perfectly dry, Zhang Can wondered—could there truly be such a thing as a “Water-repelling Pearl” in the world?

In legend, the Water-repelling Pearl was even more miraculous than the Luminous Pearl. Though Luminous Pearls were rare, there were records and real examples, albeit extremely scarce. They were among the most mysterious and valuable treasures. But the Water-repelling Pearl existed only in tales; no one in reality had ever seen one, its existence confined to ethereal myths.

Zhang Can continued to test the stone in the tub for half an hour, roughly grasping its properties. He hesitated—should he give it to Zhu Senlin?

After much deliberation, Zhang Can decided to keep it for himself. He followed a personal rule: anything acquired during work belonged to the shop; anything found outside work was his own. He’d explain to Zhu Senlin later; everyone had their own time and their own secrets. This stone would be his secret.

He dried himself with a towel, walked naked back to his bedroom, and locked the water-repelling stone away.

Before sleeping, Zhang Can tried using his vision ability again, feeling it had grown stronger and lasted longer. It seemed his inability to see through the stone wasn’t due to his ability failing, but because the stone was truly unusual. Its secret would have to be unraveled in time.

His mind was overwhelmed—the events of the past few days nearly blew his head apart. Tossing and turning until two or three in the morning, he couldn’t sleep. In a hazy state, a woman’s silhouette flashed through his mind. Looking closely, it seemed to be Liu Xiaoli, but in the blink of an eye, she turned into Liu Xiaoqin, who plaintively said, “Zhang Can, I like you!”

As Zhang Can tried to reply, “Actually, I like you too,” her beautiful face suddenly changed into Zhou Nan’s. Zhou Nan glared and shouted, “Will you marry me? If not, I’ll jump from your window!” She climbed onto the window ledge.

Frightened, Zhang Can broke out in a cold sweat, rushing to grab Zhou Nan, but before he could reach her, she had already jumped.

“No!” Zhang Can cried desperately, lunging to the window, reaching out as if to catch something. He looked out and found he had actually grabbed Zhou Nan. Overjoyed, he was about to speak, but Zhou Nan tore his clothes and fell away again, saying in mid-air, “Zhang Can, get up and eat!”

The feeling of cold against his skin from the torn clothes jolted Zhang Can awake. He realized it was all a bizarre dream. But opening his eyes, he saw an even stranger scene.

Last night, after bathing, he’d gone to bed without any underwear, naked under a blanket. Now, Liu Xiaoqin had come in to wake him for breakfast, and when she pulled back the blanket, discovered Zhang Can was completely unclothed. He was dumbfounded.

“Oh dear…”

Flustered, Zhang Can grabbed the blanket to cover himself, scolding, “You… you… what are you doing!”

He suddenly remembered Zhou Nan’s words as she jumped—“Get up and eat!” It had been Liu Xiaoqin calling him to breakfast. Fine, wake him up—but why lift his blanket?

Liu Xiaoqin was even more embarrassed than Zhang Can, her face flushed crimson all the way down her neck. She covered her face with her hands and fled the room without looking back.

After washing up and dressing properly, Zhang Can came out to the dining room. His sister Zhang Hua sat at the table, resting her chin in her hands. When she saw him, she said gloomily, “Second brother, can’t you two restrain yourselves a bit? I’m still a child. Maybe you should share a room—out of sight, out of mind!”