Chapter 44: Didn't Expect Such a Good Thing

No need to ask; just from the tone of their voices, it was clear these old men not only knew each other but were very close.

"What kind of talk is that? I just came over to lend this little girl a hand."

"Whoa, this little girl is no ordinary one; that fish is truly huge."

One of the old men leaned close to Liu Chuxue: "Little girl, will you trade this fish?"

Having originally intended to trade for money or tickets, she naturally had no intention of being pretentious: "Trade."

Before the old man could say what came next, Xiao Xiao Laoyezi Xiao, who had been helping earlier, quickly spoke up: "Xiao Xiao Laoyezi Guo, I already reserved that black fish; don't try to snatch it from me."

Xiao Xiao Laoyezi Guo, unwilling to yield, retorted: "Didn't you just say you were only here to lend a hand? Now you're showing your true colors?"

Xiao Xiao Laoyezi Xiao, exposed, stopped pretending: "Alright, alright, everyone knows everyone. Anyway, I've claimed the black fish; just don't try to snatch it from me."

Xiao Xiao Laoyezi Guo glanced into the bucket, then looked at Liu Chuxue: "Girl, will you lower the hook again?"

Liu Chuxue glanced at the simple fishing rod in her hand: "My gear isn't very handy; I can probably only manage one cast."

Xiao Xiao Laoyezi Xiao nearby ran a few steps back to his spot and brought over a set of fishing tackle: "Little girl, this old man loves fishing, but coming up empty is common. This is the tackle I used before; I bought new gear, so this set became my spare."

"Today, we can count it as fate. How about I trade this old set of equipment for your big black fish?"

Seeing Liu Chuxue hadn't expected such a good thing: "This... isn't that inappropriate? Even as second-hand, this fishing tackle isn't cheap; how could I take such a huge advantage from you?"

"Sigh, that's not how it works. This black fish is already not cheap; yours weighs at least eight or nine jin. I've used this old set of tackle for several years; though it hasn't seen heavy use, it has depreciated quite a bit."

"Besides, people often say a good bow matches a good arrow. Today, we can count it as fate. This thing would be wasted in my hands; let's make it mutually beneficial."

Since the old man had spoken to this extent, refusing further would seem pretentious: "Alright, then this girl thanks you. Take that carp as well; consider it a gift from a junior to an elder."

"Heh, this girl is straightforward. Alright, then I'll accept your kindness."

Xiao Xiao Laoyezi Guo, now anxious, said: "Then the remaining grass carp is mine; you lot can't try to snatch it from me."

Another old man behind him chimed in: "Yours, yours, but it's settled, right? If the little girl catches another one later, whatever fish it is, it counts as mine."

Good heavens; Liu Chuxue was somewhat stunned. She hadn't even agreed yet, and these old men had already arranged everything among themselves.

Xiao Xiao Laoyezi Xiao had already opened that set of tackle, displaying it piece by piece for Liu Chuxue: "Girl, although this set of tackle is old, I used it carefully; there's not a single problem. Later, just get yourself a landing net, and you'll be all set."

Xiao Xiao Laoyezi Qi, who had come along, teased: "It's not that there's not a single problem; you've hardly ever caught a fish with it, so what problems could there be?"

These words made the crowd that had gathered burst into laughter.

Xiao Xiao Laoyezi Xiao wasn't angry: "Go, go, go. A hero doesn't boast of past exploits. You old Qi, stop exposing my weaknesses."

Saying this, he turned his head to teach Liu Chuxue: "This fishing rod, let me tell you..."

One had to admit, every era has disparities between rich and poor. Although this wasn't the future, fishing rods still came in good and bad quality.

Just at a glance, it was clear the old man's family was well-off; otherwise, in these times when ordinary people struggled to meet basic needs, his mere hobby of fishing meant his tackle was already top-tier.

Even this discarded set of tackle, how many people would be willing to buy?