Chapter 170

Early Sunday morning, Li Ping'an was awakened by the chirping of sparrows outside the window. He got up quietly, glanced at his still‑sleeping sister. During this time Li Ple had been staying up late every night to embroider the thank‑you gift for his teacher in preparation for joining the Textile Factory, his face had grown thin. Li Ping'an felt sorry for him and planned to give his sister a good nourishment today.

"Brother, where are you going so early?" Li Ple rubbed his eyes and sat up.

"Going to Shichahai to try my luck, I'll catch you a fish for an extra meal." Li Ping'an tied his shoelaces, "Sleep a bit longer, I'll stew fish soup for you when I return."

He had already made up his mind. The wild chickens and wild pigs raised in the Spiritual Spring Space were fatty, but he needed a legitimate source. Fishing was a good excuse—it could nourish his sister and let him scout Shichahai at the same time.

Pushing his bicycle out of the front courtyard, he was indeed stopped by Yan Bu Gui.

"Ping'an, you're going fishing?" Yan Bu Gui pushed up his glasses, his small eyes gleaming, "You know how to fish? Or should Third Elder teach you? Guaranteed to learn, just one dollar! I've fished for over ten years, I'm very experienced!"

Li Ping'an secretly laughed, this old Yan really sees every gap as an opportunity, even charging for fishing lessons.

"Third Elder, I'm just going to try my luck, no need for you to trouble yourself."

"Ah! Fishing isn't just about luck!" Yan Bu Gui chased after him, "Choosing a spot, making a bait pile, watching the float—those are all skills!"

"I'll ask you for advice another day." Li Ping'an mounted his bicycle and sped off.

Yan Bu Gui still wanted Li Ping'an to take him fishing, but Li Ping'an had already slipped away.

Arriving at Shichahai, what a sight—people sat densely along the bank, men, women, old and young, fishing rods stretching like a forest. Li Ping'an found a secluded corner, pretended to take soaked corn kernels from his satchel but actually took them from the Spiritual Spring Space.

As soon as the hook entered the water, he recalled that many predecessors in his past life had made their first fortune in Shichahai, so he quietly extended his Divine Perception to check whether there was any gold in the water.

This probe was astonishing—not only were fish schools dense underwater, but the silt also buried many good things! There were several rust‑stained iron boxes, looking like old Qing‑dynasty items; deeper still lay a wooden box, faintly glowing with pearl and jewel light.

He had struck gold… Li Ping'an's mind stirred, his Divine Perception silently wrapped those boxes and slipped them into the space.

Just then, the float suddenly sank!

"A bite!" Li Ping'an flicked his wrist, a palm‑sized crucian carp leapt out of the water.

What followed was simply miraculous. As soon as the bait hit the water, fish bit the hook, each one bigger than the last. In less than two hours, the fish basket he brought was full, the largest grass carp weighing at least five or six catties.

This commotion left the surrounding anglers dumbfounded.

"Young man, what bait are you using?" an old gentleman couldn't help but ask.

"Just ordinary corn kernels." Li Ping'an smiled.

"Can I buy a few fish from you?" a middle‑aged man stepped forward, "I'll pay a high price!"

Li Ping'an shook his head: "Sir, private buying and selling isn't allowed now—it would disrupt the economic structure, but you can exchange with tobacco or liquor coupons."

As soon as he said that, several people gathered around. In the end he traded two large fish for two tobacco coupons and one liquor coupon, keeping only the two biggest fish for himself.

Just as he was about to pack up and head home, Yan Bu Gui arrived panting. Seeing Li Ping'an's fish basket, his eyes widened: "Ping'an, you… you caught how many?"

"Not much, just enough for a few meals." Li Ping'an deliberately spoke lightly.

Yan Bu Gui stared at the few small miscellaneous fish in his own bucket, his face turning green: "Your bait… really just corn kernels?"

"Absolutely." Li Ping'an mounted his bicycle, "Third Elder, I'm heading back now—my sister is waiting for fish."

Returning to the Siheyuan, as soon as he entered the front courtyard he was stopped by Jia Zhangshi.

"Oh dear, Ping'an, you caught so many fish!" Jia Zhangshi's eyes fixed on the basket, "You two brothers and sisters can't finish them all, give us one, will you?"

Li Ping'an hid the basket behind his back: "Jia Zhangshi, we're still growing, these two are just enough for us."

"Li Ping'an, how stingy!" Jia Zhangshi put her hands on her hips, "Neighbors, what's wrong with sharing a fish?"

"If you want fish, let Jia Dongxu go catch it himself." Li Ping'an couldn't be bothered to argue, and walked straight toward the rear courtyard.

Jia Zhangshi shouted from behind: "Stingy ghost! Eating alone will rot your guts! Some people become leaders and then look down on neighbors, only caring about their own eating and drinking, who knows how much corruption and bribery they've done!"

Li Ping'an pretended not to hear. He first went to the central courtyard: "Zhuzi, bring Yushui over for dinner tonight—I've caught two big fish."

Sha Zhu was picking vegetables in the courtyard; hearing there was fish to eat, he happily rubbed his hands: "Sure! I'll handle the cooking, I'll make it fragrant!"

In the evening, fragrant aromas drifted from Li Ping'an's kitchen. Sha Zhu really had a hand—he made one fish into sour cabbage fish, the other into braised fish chunks, served with two‑grain flour steamed buns, making all the kids in the courtyard crowd at the door, drooling.

"Brother, it's really fragrant!" Li Ple ate with oil dripping from his mouth.

Yushui also whispered: "Brother Ping'an, thank you…"

Next door, the Jia family, Jia Zhangshi smelled the aroma and flew into a rage, smashing her enamel basin with a bang: "Eat, eat, eat—why don't they choke to death!"

In the front courtyard, Yan Bu Gui's home, San Dama watched the pot of soup made from those few small miscellaneous fish, unable to hold back: "You say you fished all day, and that's all you got—just cat food…"

Yan Bu Gui gulped down the soup, mulling in his mind that tomorrow he must ask Li Ping'an what secret recipe he used.

Meanwhile, in the Deaf Old Lady's room in the rear courtyard, Yi Zhonghai was quietly discussing something with her.

"Old Lady, smell this fragrance…" Yi Zhonghai frowned, "Li Ping'an this brat is getting more and more disregard for the courtyard rules."

The Deaf Old Lady smacked her lips: "It is quite fragrant… if only I could taste it."

"You still want to eat his fish?" Yi Zhonghai leaned closer, "If this continues, his prestige in the courtyard will keep rising, and later who will still listen to us? Our retirement plan…"

The Deaf Old Lady's cloudy eyes flashed a glint: "Then what do you plan to do?"

"We need to think of a way…" Yi Zhonghai lowered his voice, "make them unable to stay in the courtyard…"

At this moment Li Ping'an knew nothing of it. He was giving his sister a piece of fish belly, watching her satisfied smile, and calculating in his mind how to deal with those treasures in the space.

Who knows what extraordinary things might be hidden in those boxes. And the secret talk in the Deaf Old Lady's room is like a seed buried in the dark, waiting to sprout someday.

Night deepened, in the Siheyuan the fish aroma had not yet faded, while undercurrents were already surging.