Chapter 82

The private class group didn't have Old Liu or the class monitor, but somehow a Qian Bao had slipped in.

Jiang Nian had just posted the picture, less than two minutes ago.

Qian Bao immediately sent a Mamba emoji: "【Arrest】."

"You're taking leave to play, huh? Did you bring your English test paper? Pull out your phone and take a picture!"

(Jiang Nian): "Teacher, the test paper fell in the water. Bo Pengba came ashore and slapped me, telling me to stop writing foreign stuff."

Qian Bao: "【Yang Mi speechless】."

With Qian Bao acting as bait, seven or eight classmates suddenly popped up in the group.

Li Hua entered the group with special effects: "Nian, when you go fishing, remember to wear a helmet."

(Ma Guojun): "Where are you fishing??"

(Minor Brother Sun Zhicheng): "Check out the fishing rod (clever). My dad loves fishing too—he bought a set worth several thousand yuan, and when he's free, he drives around looking for spots to fish."

Look, the fish haven't even started biting, but they've already bitten the hook themselves.

By the reservoir, Jiang Nian put away his phone and found a shady spot.

Just as he was about to sit down, a fully equipped uncle ten meters away suddenly shouted while holding his fishing rod.

"Young man, that spot has terrible fish activity."

"Huh?" Jiang Nian said something fitting his appearance, tilting his head, "Fish activity? What's that?"

The uncle clearly felt awkward—he had a reclining chair, a fishing box, bait containers, additives, a fish basket, and full gear—but he stood up and walked right over.

Seeing this, Jiang Nian couldn't help but be curious.

"Uncle, aren't you afraid the fish will bite while you're gone?"

"Nah, the bell rings when they bite, no problem." The uncle waved his hand generously, then realized how silly it sounded—had he gotten used to fishing without bait?

Don't underestimate the poor middle-aged man! Young man!

"Hmph, is this all you brought for fishing?" The uncle sized him up: a white latex bucket, and a bamboo pole with a simple rig tied to it.

"Do you need anything else for fishing?" Jiang Nian looked clueless, playing along with the uncle's showboating: "Uncle, your fishing rod is so beautiful—what's that box for?"

"Bah, you'll learn when you fish long enough." The uncle rubbed his hair. "My rod's a brand name—it doesn't matter how big the fish is, first you need full gear, or else if the fish gets away, you'll regret it."

"Mm-hmm." Jiang Nian nodded, pretending to tie bait: "Uncle, do you think my gear can catch fish?"

The uncle couldn't hold it in—he burst out laughing.

"For wild fishing, it's fine—just luck. But if you hook a big one, the line might snap. Hey, why am I telling you this? Your spot won't get any big fish anyway."

"Snap" means line break—cheap fishing line breaks easily.

"Oh~ I don't get it, this is my first time fishing." Jiang Nian lowered his head, winding the line while stacking buffs: "I'm just a student in real life—I can't compare to you, Uncle."

"I'm so envious of your professional gear—so cool and flashy."

"Ah, ah, ah, you'll have yours someday." The uncle, flattered, went back to his spot and brought him half a pack of cheap bait.

"Uncle, thank you, Uncle." Jiang Nian accepted his pay for playing along.

Probably because Jiang Nian's gear was so pathetically basic, the uncle became intensely interested in him (since he couldn't catch fish).

The uncle didn't seem to want to return to his spot—he stood behind Jiang Nian with his hands behind his back, watching curiously and occasionally dropping bits of advice.

"A good rod has many advantages—good feel, steady hooksets, quick fish retrieval. Your bamboo pole—"

Jiang Nian cut in: "But my rod won't break easily."

"Hahaha, young man, how big a fish do you need to break a rod?" The uncle laughed as if hearing the funniest joke in the world.

Before he finished speaking, the water surged and splashed wildly!

Got one?

Holy shit!

The uncle froze—just like when his fish wouldn't bite until he stood up to pee or do something else, then they'd bite immediately—he'd spoken and the fish obeyed!

"Got one!" Jiang Nian reacted instantly.

He tried to reel it in, but realized the fish might be big? Even with system buffs making fishing as easy as drinking water, the line quality was still unreliable.

As Jiang Nian hesitated, the uncle suddenly snapped out of it and rushed back to his spot to grab a landing net.

"I'll do it! I'll do it!"

The uncle jumped in: "Carp! Oh my, two or three jin."

Plop—the fish landed in Jiang Nian's big white bucket.

The two men stared at the carp circling in the bucket, then looked up and met each other's eyes.

The uncle felt awkward, forcing a fake smile and offering a few congratulatory words.

"Young man, you're pretty good."

"Thank you, Uncle, you'll have yours too." Jiang Nian said, "It's my first time—I've got no experience. Mostly luck. Can't compare to you, Uncle."

The uncle nodded, unable to suppress a wave of gloom.

You're comforting me now?!

Kid.

Sigh, back in the day, I waved a five-hundred-yuan rod like a general. Now I drive over an hour, hauling thousands in gear to some rural reservoir to fish.

Sat here since morning, laid the bait, and damn it—no bites at all!

"It's fine, keep fishing. I'll go check my spot." The uncle still maintained adult dignity—no one would be jealous of a newbie's buff, right?

Right?

He'd only walked halfway when he suddenly heard Jiang Nian shout again.

"Got another one!"

Huh?

He spun around sharply—the rod in Jiang Nian's hand was indeed trembling!

No, young man, you—

"I'll get it! I'll get it!" The uncle sprinted forward, snatched the landing net from the ground, and rushed over. "Another carp! Man, this fish is big!"

Plop—two fish now floated in the white latex bucket.

The two exchanged glances; the uncle waved his hand voluntarily.

"No need to thank me. I probably won't catch anything today anyway. Try again—I bet your luck's about run out. That's how fishing goes."

"Oh, okay." Jiang Nian nodded. "I'll give it another shot."

To be honest, the middle-aged uncle felt a pang of discomfort. The most important thing in wild fishing isn't gear, nor technique—it's resources!

Resources mean location—where, exactly, can you catch fish? Without resources, nothing matters.

Now he reasonably suspected Jiang Nian's spot was a golden fishing position. But he was an adult—he couldn't bring himself to ask a kid to swap spots.

Forget it. Forget it.

The cold weather had chilled his heart too.

The uncle shook his head, hands behind his back, and walked toward his own fishing spot. From watching the spectacle to helping that kid net two fish, exactly ten minutes had passed.

In those ten minutes, his own rod hadn't moved an inch—like a john who hadn't taken his medicine.

He sighed, about to sit back in his recliner and scroll through his phone. His ass hadn't even settled when he heard Jiang Nian's voice again—same familiar line:

"Got another one!!"

The uncle shot up instantly, snatched the landing net, and made it three times in a row. Plop—three fish now crowded the bucket. They glanced at the fish, then at each other.

"Thank you, Uncle," Jiang Nian said.

"Don't call me Uncle. Call me Brother Sun." Sun Jianguo pulled out a pack of cigarettes and a lighter. "Kid, smoke? Huazǐ. Have one."

"No thanks. I don't smoke." Jiang Nian declined.

"Cough, cough. Good. Good for your health." Sun Jianguo rubbed his scalp, embarrassed. "Uh… kid, could I borrow your rod for a bit?"

With someone else taking over, Jiang Nian pulled out his phone and snapped a photo of the fish in the bucket.

He opened the group chat—99+ unread messages.

Someone had @ him. He tapped in—it was Sun Zhicheng. Jiang Nian didn't know these people well; they never hung out together, but he still replied politely.

"First time fishing? Suggest buying a few hundred yuan's worth of gear to practice."

Classmate: "Wohri, a few hundred? That expensive?"

(Sun Zhicheng): "What's that? My dad spent nearly ten thousand on this gear."

Classmate: "Your family's rich, sir. Sir."

(Sun Zhicheng): "(Grinning) Just my dad's hobby. I don't get these middle-aged guys. He drove out before dawn again today—no idea where he's fishing."

Classmate: "@Sun Zhicheng, show us your dad's catch. Make him post it—let us see!"

Classmate: "Come to think of it, I wanna go fishing too."

Jiang Nian stood aside, scrolling down the chat history. He saw Sun Zhicheng's latest reply: "(Grinning), no problem, I'll ask."

Jiang Nian had planned to post the bucket photo straight to the group, but hesitated. Instead, he sent a message to Xu Qianqian: prepare a temporary place to keep the fish.

"Today's catch might be a bit much."

Xu Qianqian replied: "?????"

Jiang Nian: "?"

Xu Qianqian: "Didn't catch a single fish? Are you crazy?"

Jiang Nian didn't reply. He put his phone away.

He planned to catch two more—didn't matter if the bucket was full. He'd thread them on a plastic rope and drag them back. Let Xu Qianqian cry while killing the fish today.

Fish every year—ever heard of it?

Suddenly, Sun Jianguo's phone buzzed. He pulled it out, glanced, frowned in annoyance, then answered.

"Son, what's up?"

Remarkably, his tone softened instantly.

"The fish? Oh, oh, this morning…" Sun Jianguo suddenly stammered. "Impossible. How could that be? You know I never miss."

At that moment, a proud father quietly shattered.

Hearing this, Jiang Nian studied Sun Jianguo with suspicion. Could it really be that coincidental?

Sun Jianguo hung up, embarrassed, cleared his throat, and said:

"Kid, can I ask you a favor? Could you sell me one fish? Don't worry—I'll pay fair. Name your price. I won't haggle."

Jiang Nian rubbed the back of his neck, then glanced at the class group message.

"Brother Sun, one's not enough, is it?"

Zhennan High School.

Sun Zhicheng still waited for his dad's photo to show off, scrolling through one question after another in the group. His sense of satisfaction swelled—who else's high schooler fishes?

Such a niche hobby—totally awesome!

(Chen Yunyun): "My dad loves fishing too, but he's terrible. Always goes out empty-handed and comes back empty-handed. My mom calls him the 'guardian of the reservoir.'"

Seeing this, Sun Zhicheng was ecstatic.

He hadn't expected Chen Yunyun's dad was also a fishing enthusiast—now he had something in common with her. Same group, proximity gives advantage.

He thought for a moment, then typed a message to the class group:

"My dad's the same—sometimes catches tiny fish. But he rarely comes home empty. He always gets something. I think it's about the fish bite."

Sure enough, Chen Yunyun @ed him.

"(Confused) (Confused) What's a fish bite?"

Sun Zhicheng was thrilled on the spot, blood rushing to his brain, the excitement shooting straight to the crown of his head. His fingers hammered the screen as he poured out everything he'd heard from his old man.

"It's just fish opening their mouths to eat, no fish biting means the fish's mouth isn't good. (Blah blah blah)."

Chen Yunyun: "Wow, Sun Zhicheng, you know how to fish too?"

The corner of Sun Zhicheng's mouth curved into a Nike swoosh, his face flushing red with excitement. At that moment, he wished he could throw out every bit of fishing knowledge he had to chum the waters!

Just as he was scratching his ears and cheeks restlessly on the sports field, his dear old dad sent him a picture.

In the fish keeper, three fish were leaping about lively.

At that instant, Sun Zhicheng let out a "Yi!" and hurriedly forwarded the picture to the class group chat.

"@Chen Yunyun, (grinning) My dad's haul from this morning. He said he just arrived not long ago, hasn't really started fishing yet, so the catch isn't all that much."

The following lines were Sun Zhicheng's personal improvisation, but the effect was excellent.

The class group chat was filled with nothing but "Holy crap, holy crap," and even Chen Yunyun sent a meme.

"@Sun Zhicheng, your dad's amazing, your fishing skills must be pretty great too, right?"

(Sun Zhicheng): "(grinning) Average, average."

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