Chapter 536: Startling Tales of the Fishing World (1800+ words, 4K request for support!)

Aaron naturally did not know that his habitual low profile had unintentionally helped him avoid a lot of trouble.

However, even if he had known, he would not have cared.

Because he was in the middle of an immersive performance!

And, he was prepared to act for several years!

There was no one who would have the patience to tail a poor fisherman like him for several years!

……

Winter departed and spring arrived.

Spring arrived and then the cold winter came again.

Ever since he obtained 'Changsheng', he had gained a deeper understanding of how heroes feel when their strength fails and beauties feel when they grow old.

Aaron was already quite familiar with commonly used characters; occasionally, when he encountered ones he didn't understand, he would guess based on the context, treating it like reading comprehension and fill-in-the-blank exercises, and he managed to understand seven or eight out of ten.

……

Aaron picked up a piece of white-cut meat and nodded silently as he listened.

It wasn't until it was time to pay that he saw the parallel red lines on the face.

Sure enough, Lao Chutou asked in surprise: "Ayu, have you struck it rich?"

Bringing this page of paper back to the boat cabin, Aaron brightened the Lamp and began to study it carefully.

"However, if it is truly as described and its effects are miraculous... then the reason Laili Liu can return with a full load every time he goes Fishing is likely found. Because he has a type of potent Fish Bait in his hands?"

"Heh... that's long outdated. Even for a Flower Courtesan, one has to sell oneself, and once you sell too much, you aren't worth much anymore... Have you all heard? A new Flower Courtesan was recently chosen in the prefecture, a girl named 'Hong Yu'. Bai Mudan is past her prime and can only make way for the newcomer..."

"Sigh..."

"Huh?"

'This is only because the value of the knife-fish isn't very high, and the "Golden Fish Gang" doesn't want to drain the pond to catch the fish... After all, every one of us fishermen is a leek that grows back automatically and endlessly... If this were changed to "Red Blood Carp", I'm afraid they would even have the heart to kill for treasure, right?'

"Eighty copper coins... I'm such a loser!"

After pulling in the net, Aaron saw a few silver-gray little fish jumping about; their shapes, clearly different from ordinary crucian carp, carp, or Big Green Fish, immediately made his eyes light up: "After Fishing so many times, is it finally my turn to have a change of fortune?"

"Sigh..." Lao Chutou sighed and then exhorted his son: "Speak less of this in the future."

The more this was the case, the more she knew she could not provoke the other party again.

Aaron spat a mouthful of Yellow Wine all over the head and face of the clueless Xiao Chu; unable to hold it in, he could only pound the table and laugh.

For example, how the harvest was bad last year, or how grain prices had risen by twenty or thirty percent this year—it was all sighs and lamentations.

……

After all, playing the pig to eat the tiger shouldn't mean actually becoming a pig.

After a long while, a regular customer whispered: "I knew it... so it was Niu Er who took all the money his family had saved at the bottom of the chest to sleep with Bai Mudan; no wonder his face was scratched up like that by his wife..."

There were even certain specifications for its use, requiring it to be used in the middle of the night on water surfaces illuminated by moonlight!

This Niu Er was also extremely drunk; otherwise, he would absolutely never have revealed such private matters.

This page of paper likely described a method for making a type of 'Fish Bait'.

The Treasure Pot on the small red clay stove was puffing out steam, and the tea soup inside was boiling.

Although he said that, because he was willing to spend money on himself and was eating much better than before, his body had developed and he had grown taller again; his face not only had a bit more flesh but also more color.

"Si Niang, when will you let me take a look and have a feel?" Immediately, someone who had drunk too much began to make lewd remarks.

"At least she was a Flower Courtesan; she should be able to live quite well after retiring, right?"

'Wait until the situation changes, then come back to settle the score... That Young Master of the Liu Family is truly deep in thought and vicious in his methods.'

Seeing his face flushed red and the alcohol going to his head, a regular customer started a conversation: "Have you heard of 'Bai Mudan'?"

"Si Niang is joking... how could I have such qualifications?"

……

"…… At the third quarter of the Zi hour, use it facing the moon... and the fish will come of their own accord!"

"Sigh... I've really been penniless these past two years, even worse than before; I haven't saved any money at all..."

"Wait... wasn't 'Bai Mudan' protected by someone back then?"

This scene left everyone stunned.

It wasn't until now, when he boasted that he could read without difficulty, that he came to explore it.

Niu Er, however, suddenly slumped over the table and began to wail.

Fishermen scattering bait to lure schools of fish is a basic skill, but the method for making this bait was quite complex and had some very strange conditions.

Among the many fishing families, he was already considered a pretty good young man.

Then, unsurprisingly, half of it was happily taken away by 'Hu Ye', leaving only thirty copper coins.

Si Niang looked at Aaron silently, her almond-shaped eyes seemingly carrying a hint of a smile.

'It's just that... I have to be fleeced by that dead tiger again...'

At this moment, Si Niang picked up a yellow-skinned gourd ladle, scooped up a bowl of water, splashed it fiercely onto Niu Er's face, and scolded with her hands on her hips: "If you want to sleep, get out of here to sleep!"

"Sigh... life is boring, one has to find some fun."

For a moment, the tavern was silent.

"Wuu wuu..."

Niu Er drank very quickly; it was clear he had come to drink himself into a stupor, and when a person wants to be drunk, it is very easy to get drunk.

Aaron hurriedly pulled in the net, scooped the knife-fish onto the boat, and counted them; there were three in total.

"Bah! I wouldn't take a fancy to you..."

Ever since this fellow saw the Flower Courtesan Bai Mudan last time, he had been like a man whose soul had been hooked, and he hadn't been seen for a few days.

Seemingly because of this unpleasant start, the drinkers began to discuss other, even worse topics.

Carrying the Lamp, Aaron arrived at the spot he had marked previously; after digging out a deep pit, he unearthed the page that was neither skin nor paper he had harvested back then.

"That can sell for at least five?" Xiao Chu's eyes lit up: "Sigh... it's a pity that half will be extorted by 'Hu Ye'..."

Spring returns to the earth, and all things grow.

【Talent: Immortality】

Boating on the lake, sipping tea and relaxing, is also one of life's great pleasures.

……

The fields by Taize Lake turned white twice, and two years of time slowly passed by.

"Wuu wuu..." Niu Er sobbed, as if poked in a sore spot, crying even harder: "I cry for myself, I hate myself for being incompetent..."

When it reached the dead of night, he arrived at his secret base—the reed marsh.

After his daily grumbling about the Golden Finger he had conjured, Aaron finished his tea and began to skillfully cast his net and scoop up fish...

【Age: 18】

A group of old bachelors with green eyes wanted to curse, and Xiao Chu was so anxious he wanted to hit someone.

"Hehe..."

Suddenly, he didn't care about the other fish, directly steering the boat, preparing to row to 'Sanshui Wharf' to sell them.

Aaron focused his attention on a point of Light at the corner of his eye and opened the Attribute Panel:

【Name: Fang Yu (Aaron)】

Aaron recognized him; that was Niu Er, a regular at the restaurant who spent his days daydreaming about sleeping with the Flower Courtesan.

Si Niang spat; a woman who could come out to sell wine at a tavern was naturally not someone to be trifled with, her personality sharp and forthright: "If it were changed to Ayu, it might be worth considering..."

However, his understanding was different from ordinary people.

'Scholarly public opinion is the power of the masses; it can indeed be extremely prosperous for a time, but it comes and goes quickly... If one wants to remain prosperous and never decline, one must still combine with the local snakes; that is, the local tyrants and the powerful families!'

Having laughed and enjoyed, cried and scolded, in the end, one still cannot escape the dispersal when the song ends.

These three fish were worth more than three vats of fish usually were!

Lao Chutou was knowledgeable and experienced, stating the truth in one breath: "Did you fight with your wife?"

Niu Er didn't say much either, asking for two bowls of Burning Knife and gulping them down.

"Heh... why else would they say all heartless people are scholars? Back then, the famous scholars supported her because she was young and beautiful, and her fame was great... each took what they needed. It's just that this woman didn't seem very smart; she thought of herself as someone important, truly acting cold and aloof, slighting the powerful. At the time, no one really held it against her, but times have changed, and now that the situation is right, it's a crime!"

The crowd wasn't in a hurry, knowing Niu Er's nature; once he was drunk, he would inevitably have a loose tongue.

【Skill: Fishing (Proficient)】

Niu Er let out a drunken hiccup and collapsed onto the table.

On Taize Lake.

Two years passed, and this proprietress had lost none of her charm; instead, she was like a ripe peach, exceptionally alluring.

"Had good luck yesterday, caught three knife-fish..."

The other old lechers were impatient: "A cow chewing a peony, how does it taste? Hurry up and tell us, tell us!"

Hearing this, Aaron also felt a strange sensation.

Aaron touched his money bag and walked toward 'Yuyang Restaurant'.

A customer joked.

"Then you've guessed wrong. 'Bai Mudan' gave the eldest young master of the Liu Family a hard time at the Liu Family's birthday banquet back then. He didn't say anything at the time, but he still remembers it now. There's no need for him to even speak; people below have already handled the matter automatically... 'Bai Mudan' was sent directly to a low-class brothel to receive guests, though the price isn't cheap—eighty large coins a time! Tsk tsk..."

He was telling the truth; at this moment, Fang Yu had no qualifications to sleep with Si Niang. Otherwise, not to mention the malice of the military men behind her, even the jealousy of these old men could bring disaster!

"……knead into a pill, seal with wax, and bury under yin soil for seven days……"

The seven daily necessities—firewood, rice, oil, salt, sauce, vinegar, and tea; drinking tea can cleanse the stomach, and it is also a pastime and habit.

"Bring a bowl of Old Yellow Wine and a plate of white-sliced meat."

His gaze gradually became strange and profound: "Two years... it has actually been faster than expected to reach the goal."

Although he knew there was no legend of 'Longyang Jun' in this world, Aaron still got goosebumps...

At this moment, Niu Er suddenly slapped the table: "What are you all clamoring about... let me tell you... don't look down on me. I, your father, would be a romantic ghost even if I died under a peony flower. This cow of mine really did chew a peony!"

Amidst the uproarious laughter, Lao Chutou sat over and comfortingly patted Niu Er's shoulder: "Brother Niu... this old brother really didn't expect you to have such an unspeakable hidden trouble, but don't be afraid! We have known each other for a while; if I don't help you, who will? If this old brother catches a 'Dragon Sun Trout' in the future, I will definitely sell it to you cheaply... take it back and stew it into soup, I guarantee it will make your wife surrender and regain your masculine vigor!"

"Niu Er... what are you crying for?"

It could be said that the cost-performance ratio was quite high.

"After two years, I finally raised my Fishing skill to Proficient... this was entirely raised by my own little-by-little exploration. What use do I have for this Attribute Panel?"

The group of men lowered their heads one after another, deeply understanding the principle that a good man should not fight with a woman, especially a woman who is angry.

The surrounding customers laughed: "Haha... Si Niang has taken a liking to Yu Zai... Yu Zai is truly lucky!"

Even if a beauty is stunning for a time, in the end, she will grow old with white hair...

"Yo, isn't this Niu Er? When are you going to sleep with the Flower Courtesan?!"

However, Niu Er was a bit strange, keeping his face covered the whole time.

"……"

"Just today, just today." Another person chimed in, and the restaurant was suddenly filled with a cheerful atmosphere.

"Or is the wife not letting you into bed?"

One hundred large coins in the Lin Kingdom can be exchanged for one tael of silver; eighty large coins is not a small amount for them.

"Green Algae two taels six qian... Silkworm Chrysalis Powder one tael... Soybean Flour three qian... Chicken Egg two pieces... Mica... Earth Dragon Attractant..."

He had also reached the age to get married, and at this time, he dreamed of a wife, but he had no money...

"Could it be that you're pained by the money?"

Aaron leisurely brewed the tea, blew on the steam, and took a relaxed sip.

Life is not easy for anyone, why make things difficult for a poor child?

"And then?"

Although far inferior to the Red Blood Carp, it is still quite valuable; one can sell for at least twenty or thirty large coins!

Furthermore, there will definitely be someone to buy it, so it won't end up stuck in one's hands.

"The previous Flower Courtesan?"

Harboring a bit of silent criticism, Aaron arrived at the Fish Market the next day, sold three knife-fish, and harvested sixty large coins.

"Yo, Ayu is growing more and more handsome."

Aaron pretended to blush, stepped back, and nimbly dodged away.

Niu Er did not know what he was reminiscing about, laughing foolishly: "That skin, tsk tsk... tenderer than tofu... one word—moist!"

After deciding to learn to read, he chose to leave the harvest of Laili Liu forgotten right here.

Aaron was certainly in no rush; he asked for a small stove, slowly stewed Yellow Wine, and sipped it from time to time, feeling perfectly content.

Aaron picked up his wine bowl and the plate of white-cut meat, and joined Lao Chu at his table.

Aaron took out six large coins and tossed them on the counter; this was to divert attention, very crude and direct, but quite effective.

"And then... *hic*..."

"Others say the spring night is too short... for me... for me... it's over in a few strokes!"

"Oh my... was this scratched by a woman?"

These few silvery-gray little fish are knife-fish, with delicious meat and rich nutrition.

"I was actually looking forward to it, thinking it was some kind of Wu Secret manual..."

Aaron returned to Sanshui Wharf, untied the mooring rope, and rowed the Black-Awning Boat toward the middle of the lake.

How could it cut off here?

Hurry up and get up to explain clearly, ah ah ah!!!

"You scoundrel, after guzzling a few bowls of horse piss, you don't even know north from south!"

Si Niang happened to be selling wine, and when she saw Aaron, her eyes lit up: "Come let Si Niang have a look..."

While speaking, she even truly reached out her scallion-white jade hand to touch Aaron's cheek.

Opening the oil-paper package and seeing that the pages inside were completely fine, his expression could not help but tighten: "I have long found it strange; the material of this paper is not right, it fears neither water damage nor insect infestation, it is likely no simple item..."

Just at this moment, a clumsy-looking peasant walked in.

This youth is truly becoming more and more excellent; he understands reason, knows how to advance and retreat, and with a light touch, he steered the topic away—he truly understands the Tao of self-preservation.

"Pfft!"

"But what good things could a fisherman have? It's just like this."

It is normal for a fisherman's heirloom to be this kind of thing; if it were truly a legacy of some Wu Secret manual, Aaron would have to invent a convoluted, melodramatic, third-rate backstory for Laili Liu...

(End of chapter)