老蚌生珠

lǎo bàng shēng zhū

lit. an old oyster producing a pearl (idiom)

fig. birthing a son at an advanced age

lǎo

prefix used before the surname of a person or a numeral indicating the order of birth of the children in a family or to indicate affection or familiarity

bàng

mussel

shēng

to be born

zhū

bead