Chapter 43: Sure Enough

The water in the kitchen had already come to a boil. After pulling out the firewood to put it out, she deliberately ladled out a portion of the boiling water and stored it in the warehouse to keep it warm, then served out the rest and left it in the kitchen for what she would need next.

She put the fishing gear into a bucket, and only then did she step out of the space carrying it.

Not about to make things hard for herself, she asked around, found a bus stop sign, took the bus to the moat.

Once she arrived, she found quite a few people fishing along the bank. She didn't squeeze into the crowded spots—first, because her makeshift fishing rod was honestly a bit embarrassing to take out, and second, because a Miss who came fishing alone was almost nowhere to be seen.

She found a spot to sit, took out the makeshift fishing rod made from a hairpin and a firewood stick, baited the hook with her own homemade bait, and cast the line in one smooth motion. What followed was the moment to see if her guess was right.

Sure enough, in barely ten minutes or so, a fish took the bait.

Only the fish wasn't small, and her firewood-stick fishing rod couldn't take the force of hauling it in directly.

Afraid that one hard pull would snap the rod, she could only play the fish by pulling it back and forth, and she regretted not having made a simple dip net.

After one smooth run, she borrowed the momentum and lifted the fish right up.

Whoa, not bad at all—a grass carp weighing a full five jin came up. She glanced at the bucket she'd brought and realized she'd been careless.

If every fish she caught was this big, it wouldn't take many before her bucket was full.

Still, she'd come here with a purpose in the first place, so as long as she achieved what she'd set out to do, that was enough.

The second fish she hooked was a carp of about three jin. These two were only seven or eight minutes apart before a fish took the bait, which showed that stretch of water really was something special.

When the third fish took the hook, it drew the attention of an angler not far away. The old man closest to her set down his own rod and jogged over: "Little girl, not bad at all—your luck is something else."

Saying that, he moved to lend a hand, but Seeing Liu Chuxue's makeshift rod couldn't handle it, she didn't dare be too rough: "Old man, let me play it a while longer, otherwise I'm afraid this rod won't hold up."

Only then did the old man notice the fishing rod in her hands, and he teased her directly: "It's not that your rod can't take it—your fishing line is no good either. Where'd you scrounge this junk?"

"But you, little girl, are something else—three fish in half an hour with that setup, you've really opened this old man's eyes."

Seeing the fish was played out enough: "Old man, please step back, I've played it out about as much as I can. Wouldn't want to bump into you in a bit."

The old man was a good listener and immediately backed off a good distance.

Thinking of something, he ran straight back to his own spot.

In no time he came running back with a dip net: "Little girl, here, I'll help you."

Liu Chuxue had been worrying, because this fish was even bigger—she'd just been thinking that once this one was hauled up, her makeshift rod would be done for. She hadn't expected this old man to have such good sense.

Working together, they spent a great deal of effort before finally getting this eight- or nine-jin black fish up.

The moment Liu Chuxue got the fish into the bucket: "Little girl, can we strike a deal?"

Liu Chuxue glanced up at him: "Go ahead."

The old man rubbed his hands together: "Little girl, could you sell—oh, no, trade, trade, yes, trade me a fish, that one from just now will do, I'm not greedy."

Liu Chuxue was amused by the old man's expression and tone: "Old man, 'not greedy' yet you pick out the biggest, best black fish—you really know how to talk."

The old man was a little embarrassed at being seen through: "Well, I was afraid someone would fight me for it in a bit."

The moment his words fell, she heard someone coming this way: "Old Xiao, good things can't be only for you alone."

(End of chapter)