Helping the Old Sea Turtle Clean Barnacles

Lin Yu looked toward the old sea turtle.

Goodness, this aged marine turtle was truly massive.

Its oval carapace was easily over a meter wide in diameter, resembling a thick, ancient shield. The shell was densely covered in barnacles; some clung tightly to the edges, while others clustered in the center in overlapping layers, making the old turtle look as though it were wearing a bizarre and terribly heavy suit of armor.

The originally smooth shell, now overrun by barnacles, had become pitted and uneven, having lost its former luster.

A hint of urgency and helplessness seemed to shimmer in the old sea turtle’s gaze. It was struggling to move closer to Lin Yu, raising its head from time to time to fix its bean-sized eyes directly upon Lin Yu on the boat.

"Do you think it's asking us for help?" Lin Yu asked, rubbing his chin in thought.

"Asking for help? What could we possibly do for it?" Wang Dachun asked with a puzzled expression.

No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't fathom what troubles a sea turtle of this size could possibly have. Normally, a sea turtle this large had virtually no natural predators in the ocean.

Even if it did, there was nothing they could do to help!

"Perhaps it wants us to help clear the barnacles off its body. Brother Dachun, do you have a knife?" Lin Yu asked.

In his past life, he had seen television reports about many sea turtles or whales seeking help from humans on nearby boats to remove barnacles. If this old sea turtle was truly seeking help, this was most likely the reason.

"I do!"

Hearing Lin Yu's question, Wang Dachun quickly pulled the knife from his waist and handed it over. "As fishermen heading out to sea, how could we not carry a knife? They have all sorts of uses."

The blade was not overly long, yet it possessed a solid, sturdy feel. Under the sunlight, the edge gleamed with a cold light, clearly having been meticulously sharpened and maintained for any unexpected needs.

The hilt had been worn perfectly smooth, making it comfortable to grip, and was wrapped with a few turns of aged cloth to increase friction and prevent slipping during use.

"Let's get it up here first!" Lin Yu said as he took the knife.

Hearing Lin Yu's words, Wang Dachun stood by the gunwale, looking at the massive old sea turtle in the water, and hesitated. "Xiaoyu, this old turtle is simply too big. How are we supposed to get it up here? If you ask me, we should just forget it. What if this isn't what it wants, and we're just wasting our effort for nothing?"

Lin Yu smiled and replied, "Come on, let's pull together. Don't be afraid of a little trouble!"

Seeing Lin Yu's determination, Wang Dachun sighed. With no other choice, he followed Lin Yu's lead, found a secure footing, bent down, and reached out toward the old sea turtle.

The old sea turtle seemed to understand their intentions; it stopped flailing about wildly and tried its best to cooperate with them. Even so, hoisting it onto the boat was by no means an easy task.

While its massive body was submerged, the buoyancy of the seawater supported it, but the moment they tried to lift it, the full weight rested squarely upon the two men.

Lin Yu dug his fingers tightly into the edge of the old turtle's shell. The muscles in his arms instantly strained, and the veins on his forehead bulged. Gritting his teeth, he exerted all his strength to pull upward, occasionally shouting, "One, two, three, heave!"

Wang Dachun was not idle either. He firmly grabbed one side of the old sea turtle with his hands while pressing his foot against the gunwale for leverage. His face turned beet red, and the blood vessels on his neck stood out clearly, his straining posture suggesting he was putting every ounce of his strength into the effort.

However, the old sea turtle only budged an inch before slipping back down with the movement of the waves, splashing a large spray of white water that soaked them both from head to toe. Yet neither of them showed any intention of giving up. Wiping the seawater from their faces, they mustered their strength once more.

Time and again they pulled with all their might. Both men's hands were rubbed raw and red, their arms began to ache and burn, and beads of sweat the size of peas rolled continuously down their foreheads, pelting against the deck. Yet well over half of the old sea turtle's body remained in the water.

The sea breeze howled, sounding as though it were cheering them on, or perhaps urging them not to give up.

Finally, after repeated coordinated efforts by the two men, the old sea turtle's massive body was hauled onto the boat inch by inch. With a loud splash, the entire turtle was pulled onto the deck, landing heavily and causing the hull to sway slightly.

The two men were left panting heavily, collapsing onto the deck in a heap. They looked at each other, and Wang Dachun breathed out a long sigh of fatigue. Lin Yu's frame was too slight, meaning most of the heavy lifting had fallen on him, and he was thoroughly exhausted.

"Xiaoyu, aren't we just asking for trouble here?" Wang Dachun fanned himself and complained. "You'd have been better off just continuing to fish. With the time we wasted, who knows how many fish you could have caught."

"Brother Dachun, you don't understand. All living things have a spirit, let alone a giant sea turtle that has lived for who knows how many years? You're exhausted too, so take a good rest. Leave clearing the barnacles to me," Lin Yu said with a smile, wiping away his sweat.

Without pausing to rest, he stood up, breathing heavily, and picked up the sharp knife, ready to begin cleaning the barnacles off the old sea turtle.

He first walked around the old sea turtle, carefully observing the distribution of the barnacles on the shell. They were densely attached everywhere—on the back and the lower belly—and he could even see some barnacles opening and closing their shells to breathe.

Lin Yu squatted down, gently patted the old sea turtle's shell as if to comfort it, and spoke in a soft voice, "Old fellow, don't be afraid. I'll get rid of these annoying things for you right now."

Then, Lin Yu cautiously grasped the knife handle, aiming the blade at an area along the edge of the shell where the barnacles were most concentrated. His expression was focused and cautious, terrified of accidentally scratching the old sea turtle.

He first tried to gently pry at the base of the barnacles with the edge of the blade, one stroke, two strokes, using gentle and delicate movements to find the gap between the barnacles and the shell so they could be separated. As he pried, tiny fragments fell from the bases of the barnacles, and Lin Yu knew this was a good sign, indicating that his method was working.

Next, he applied slightly more force, inching the blade into the joint between the barnacles and the shell. His movements grew even more careful, his eyes fixed intently on the precise point where the blade met the shell. Fine beads of sweat welled up on his forehead again, but he completely ignored them, wholly focused on prying the barnacles off intact.

With a soft *creak*, the first barnacle was finally pried loose. A trace of joy appeared on Lin Yu's face, and he quickly tossed the removed barnacle aside.

With a successful start, Lin Yu grew increasingly adept. He worked his way along the edge of the shell, clearing the barnacles one by one. When he encountered larger barnacles that were more firmly attached, he would change his angle, approaching from the side, first tapping gently with the back of the knife to weaken their grip, and then slowly slicing through the connective tissue with the blade to peel them away from the shell bit by bit.

Every time he pried off a barnacle, Lin Yu would habitually reach out to stroke the old sea turtle's shell, checking for any scratch marks. Only after confirming it was unharmed would he continue clearing the rest.

Barnacles—these tiny creatures possessed extraordinary adhesive abilities. From their larval stage, they roamed the vast ocean searching for a suitable "stronghold" to settle down.

Once they found a suitable target, they would unhesitatingly deploy their unique "gluing technique" to parasitize it. Whether fish, shellfish, sea turtles, or even whales, they would be tormented endlessly by these parasites.

Annoying as these barnacles were, they happened to be a supreme delicacy among seafood. All one had to do was wash the fresh barnacles thoroughly to remove surface impurities, arrange them neatly in a steamer without adding too many seasonings—just a scattering of ginger slices and scallions, drizzled with a bit of cooking wine to remove any fishy odor—and turn on the heat to steam them.

The tender and juicy meat inside would then be revealed, white and delicate. A gentle bite on the palate would first yield the original salty freshness of the ocean, followed by a tender and smooth texture, as if the pure deliciousness of the sea had been condensed into that single small bite, leaving an endless aftertaste that made it impossible to stop eating.

Seeing Lin Yu busy clearing the barnacles, Wang Dachun didn't stay idle either. Armed with a small wooden stick, he helped nudge away the barnacle fragments that had been pried loose but still clung to the shell, and occasionally splashed seawater over the old sea turtle to keep it moist and prevent any discomfort from being out of the water too long.

As time passed, the barnacles on the old sea turtle's shell grew fewer and fewer. The shell, once cluttered, chaotic, and heavy with barnacles, gradually revealed its original appearance, and its ancient, rustic luster reappeared. The old sea turtle also seemed to feel the newfound lightness in its body, twitching its limbs from time to time while its bean-sized eyes beamed with contentment.

Lin Yu's forehead and face were already covered in sweat, and a large patch of his clothes was soaked through, yet his movements never stopped. He continued patiently and meticulously clearing the remaining barnacles until the very last one was successfully removed, and the old sea turtle's massive body was completely freed from this vexing "shackle." Only then did he let out a long breath and straighten up.

"There you go, you can finally feel light on your feet."