Chapter 300

On Sunday morning, the Siheyuan was still steeped in the weekend's lazy atmosphere. The door of Xi Kua Yuan creaked open, and Li Ping'an led the neatly dressed Li Yaozong out. The little fellow was especially excited today, because dad had promised to take him fishing!

Li Ping'an was carrying a small wooden bucket in his hand, which held simple fishing gear and a Small Cloth Bag; the bag contained a two‑portion dough soaked in Spirit Spring Water, his "secret weapon" for today.

The father and son had just passed through the Moon Gate into the Front Courtyard when they ran into Third Elder Yan Bu Gui, who was tending to his few cold‑hardy potted plants.

Yan Bu Gui pushed up his glasses that slipped onto his nose, surveyed the wooden bucket in Li Ping'an's hand and his little son's eager demeanor, and asked puzzledly, "Ping'an, in this bitter cold, why are you taking your son out? The northwest wind doesn't care about anyone's appetite." His words carried a hint of intellectual sarcasm.

Li Ping'an smiled and replied in an ordinary tone, "Third Elder, there's no choice. We have two children at home, and my sister's side has twins, whose milk is always considered insufficient. I heard the crucian carp at Shichahai are good, and stewing them makes the best lactation soup, so I thought I'd try my luck and see if I could catch a few to supplement them."

The explanation was reasonable; who in the courtyard didn't know that the Li Family and his sister's family had many children and a heavy burden.

When Yan Bu Gui heard the words "fishing," the tiny eyes hidden behind his lenses lit up instantly. He was the courtyard's acknowledged "fishing veteran," even though eight out of ten trips returned empty, his theoretical knowledge was thorough.

He immediately adopted a senior's posture, stepped closer, and lowered his voice: "Fishing? You've asked the right person! In this season, in this weather, fish are hard to catch! They hide in deep water and don't move much! You must choose the right spot and the right bait! I also have a bit of secret fermented rice; its effect is top‑notch! How about…"

He rubbed his fingers, his meaning obvious: he wanted to trade his "experience" and "secret bait" for some benefit from Li Ping'an, even if it was just a cigarette or a promise to share a caught fish.

Li Ping'an's mind was as clear as a mirror, but his face remained impassive as he politely declined, "Thank you for your kindness, Third Elder, I'm just taking my son out to have some fun, just to try it casually; whether we succeed doesn't matter, so I won't trouble you." After speaking, he courteously nodded, grabbed his son, and walked out.

Yan Bu Gui watched the father and son's backs, curled his lip, and muttered to himself, "Can't read a good heart! With your rookie skills and that dead weight, it's unlikely you'll catch any fish! You'll just be drinking the northwest wind!" He was convinced Li Ping'an would return empty‑handed today and was ready to enjoy the joke.

Li Ping'an led his son, braving the crisp yet biting morning wind, to Shichahai. The winter lake surface was thinly iced, with only a few broken patches near the shore where fishing was possible. Three to five hardy anglers were scattered along the bank, bundled up tightly like frozen statues.

Li Ping'an chose a relatively secluded spot, skillfully set up a folding stool, and gave his son a small seat. He took out his fishing rod, attached the two‑portion dough bait soaked in Spirit Spring Water that emitted a faint yet deadly attraction to fish, flicked his wrist, and the line with hook slipped silently into the icy water.

At the same time, his Divine Perception, far beyond ordinary, acted like invisible tentacles, slowly probing the water, sensing the movements below. Though he couldn't control the fish precisely, he could roughly discern the schools' gathering zones and water currents, allowing him to choose the hook point more accurately.

"Yaozong, watch how dad does it," Li Ping'an patiently taught his son how to grip the rod and watch the float, "Fishing requires a calm mind; you can't be impatient."

Little Li Yaozong learned earnestly, holding his own small rod, sitting properly on the little stool, his big eyes fixed unblinking on the surface float, his heart full of wonder and anticipation, imagining himself catching a gigantic fish to surprise his mother and sister at home.

However, something that left the nearby veteran anglers gaping occurred. The float on Li Ping'an's line, shortly after sinking, began to move! The float plunged down sharply, Li Ping'an lifted his wrist, and a palm‑sized crucian carp whose scales glittered silver in the winter sun was lifted out of the water, hopping wildly in the air.

"Dad! Fish! Fish!" Li Yaozong exclaimed, clapping his little hands excitedly.

Li Ping'an smiled, removed the fish, and placed it into the wooden bucket. He didn't stop; he re‑baited and cast again. Thereafter, almost every few minutes a fish bit—crucian carp, carp, and even a grass carp over two pounds! The splashing in the bucket grew increasingly frequent.

Even more astonishing, the float on little Li Yaozong's rod began to move frequently. Under Li Ping'an's guidance, the youngster managed to reel in several small crucian carp; though tiny, they made his face flush with excitement, his sense of achievement soaring.

"Hey! That's cheating!" a fellow angler wrapped in a military coat couldn't help but approach, "Brother, what kind of divine bait are you using? In this bitter cold, why are the fish all crashing onto your hook?"

Li Ping'an simply smiled plainly, "Luck—just pure luck; maybe there are many fish here."

His extraordinary "luck" caused surrounding anglers to stare, their eyes full of envy and disbelief.

In less than half a day, Li Ping'an's bucket was nearly full, brimming with fish leaping about. Seeing enough, he stopped casting.

Looking at the full bucket, his mind became active. The family couldn't finish the fish, and nowadays there were no refrigerators. He proactively chatted with the nearby anglers who had scant catches, trading a few plump crucian carp for several valuable cloth vouchers and a few cigarette and liquor tickets. Those items sometimes proved more useful than money.

After packing everything, Li Ping'an first took his son and most of the fish to his sister Li Pingle's home. Chen Jianghe was also at home that day; seeing his brother‑in‑law bring so many fresh fish and hearing they could help the child's mother lactate, he was so grateful he didn't know what to say. Li Pingle, watching the lively fish and the excited nephew, kept thanking repeatedly.

Leaving his sister's house, Li Ping'an only had the biggest grass carp and a few crucian carp reserved for his own family left in his hand. When he returned to the Siheyuan, it was already afternoon.

Just as he entered the Front Courtyard, he ran into Yan Bu Gui again. Yan Bu Gui's eyes instantly spotted the massive grass carp in Li Ping'an's hand, threaded with a grass rope and still thrashing vigorously; its scales glittered gold, weighing at least three to four pounds! The eyes behind his glasses bulged, his mouth opened wide enough to fit an egg.

"Ping… Ping'an… is… is this all you fished?" Yan Bu Gui's voice changed pitch as he pointed at the fish, stumbling over his words. He recalled his morning "high theory," his face burning with embarrassment.

"Hmm, just lucky, happened to catch one," Li Ping'an said in his usual calm tone.

"Ah! This is really… amazing!" Yan Bu Gui instantly put on a smiling face, circling the fish, his mouth watering, "This fish is so plump! Stewed soup will be delicious! Look… this…" He began rubbing his fingers again, the implication obvious.

Li Ping'an couldn't ignore his intent, cutting in, "Third Elder, this fish is for my wife to restore her health; the children also need nutrition. You wouldn't be taking the children's food too, would you?" After speaking, he ignored Yan Bu Gui's disappointed and sullen expression, led his son straight back to Xi Kua Yuan.

As the father and son carried the fish through the Central Courtyard, the thrashing big fish naturally attracted countless gazes. Jia Zhangshi, who was at the doorway polishing shoe soles, stared fixedly at the large grass carp; her cloudy eyes filled with envy, jealousy, and an indefinable sourness. She smacked her lips and muttered, "What a show! It's just luck of the devil that got him a fish! Look at what he can do!"

Her beloved grandson Bang Geng, even more enticed by the lively fish, tugged at Jia Zhangshi's sleeve and began clamoring, "Grandma! Grandma! I want to eat fish! I also want a big fish! Go buy one for me! I want to eat!"

Jia Zhangshi, irritated by her grandson's fuss and unwilling to spend money, snapped at Bang Geng's hand, "Eat, eat, eat! All you think about is eating! Where will the money to buy fish come from? That's for those with skill! If you want to eat, wait until your mother gets her salary!" Inside, however, she cursed Li Ping'an countless times, feeling he was deliberately flaunting the fish around the courtyard, tempting her grandson.

In Xi Kua Yuan, Lin Xueqing saw her husband and son return laden, and was overjoyed.

Li Ping'an sent the crucian carp that Li Yaozong had caught to Sha Zhu, and Li Yaozong took the fish to Sha Zhu's house in the Central Courtyard. Seeing He Xiao playing, he said, "He Xiao, I brought fish for you. I went fishing with dad today and caught a lot, even sent some to my aunt. This fish is for your family; I'm heading home now."

He Xiao took the fish and said, "Yaozong, thank you, but why didn't you invite me when you went fishing? I'm bored at home!"

Li Yaozong: "Forgot, will invite you next time."

He Xiao: "Then it's settled!"

That evening, both the Li and He households were filled with the long‑missed, rich aroma of fresh fish soup. Little Li Yaozong ate the fish his dad caught, his face beaming with pride, feeling his father was the most amazing person in the world!

Meanwhile, in the Front Courtyard, Yan Bu Gui, smelling the faint fish aroma, recalled his empty net and Li Ping'an's bucket brimming with catch; his heart felt like a tipped five‑flavor jar, an indescribable frustration. In the Central Courtyard, the Jia household echoed with Bang Geng's relentless wailing and Jia Zhangshi's helpless scolding.

A single fish reflected the varied hearts and lives within the Siheyuan. Li Ping'an, in his own way, silently improved his family's life and, in these ordinary days, unintentionally stirred a pool of spring water.