Chapter 99

Chen Wuji, who rose early in the morning, wore a sorrowful expression, as if he had encountered some great worry.

This frightened Huo Sanniang badly; she hurriedly asked Chen Wuji whether his injury had worsened again.

Chen Wuji could only tell her in a low voice, "The kang is too big; sleeping alone makes my whole body uncomfortable, the wound feels even more pressed, and I'm not feeling well."

After he finished speaking, Huo Sanniang's concern turned into a look of disdain.

"Wife, you can't be so heartless!" Chen Wuji shouted.

Huo Sanniang's cheeks flushed slightly as she chided, "Look at you like this, and you still dare to think about those things—are they really that good? Once your injury heals, I'll go along with anything you want, but for now, behave yourself."

"When I wasn't injured, you didn't seem to go along with everything either!" Chen Wuji said. "Swear it—if you swear to go along with everything, I'll behave myself."

"Normal, I mean normal—not those weird, messed‑up things you're imagining!" Huo Sanniang, who was wiping Chen Wuji's face, suddenly pressed harder; her face flushed even more brightly than yesterday evening's rain‑kissed sunset.

Chen Wuji said solemnly, "Wife, that is normal—what's not normal about it? It's perfectly normal; you just don't know. Because you don't know, you've never tried, so you think those things are abnormal, almost obscene."

"But those things are the fun of it; you might not believe me, but try it and you'll see. After you've tried, come tell me how it was."

"I won't try, stop talking!" Huo Sanniang shook her head like a rattle drum, quickly wiped Chen Wuji's face twice, then fled.

She simply couldn't bear to listen any longer.

Just thinking about those things made her heart race as if it would jump out of her throat.

I don't know where this brat learned those messed‑up antics.

He hasn't spent much time out and about growing up, and nobody's taught him these things.

Even though Chen Bushi isn't a good person, he certainly wouldn't teach him these things.

It's really strange.

Chen Wuji found Shen Youwei with a regretful expression and told her the whole story again.

As the saying goes, 'the crying child gets milk'; to get something to eat, he had no choice but to resort to this.

Shen Youwei's reaction was the opposite of Huo Sanniang's; she also said somewhat wistfully, "Husband, I myself have no problem, but older sister warned me sternly yesterday not to sneak around and do those things with you; your injury is serious, and if it accidentally ruptures, recovery will be even harder."

"Husband, just bear with it for a while; I'll come later to serve you well. As for the things you're thinking about, older sister won't agree, but I will—I can even help you in front of her."

Chen Wuji gave up completely.

It seems like someone else is really the head of this household.

His words don't work anymore.

After the failed negotiation, when Yuan Jinshi and Licentiate Yuan arrived home, he led those two boys into the mountains.

With his current sorry state, he certainly can't go hunting.

Even walking briskly is difficult, let alone chasing beasts in the mountains—don't even think about it.

But he kept thinking about his own traps.

He hasn't gone into the mountains for days, and he doesn't know whether there are still any melons and dates; even a bit of fur would be nice. More importantly, Chen Wuji wants to repair his traps.

After not going for so many days, the traps he set are probably mostly destroyed.

Previously he only needed half an hour's walk, but today he forced himself to walk an hour and a half—almost three hours—and it wore him out completely.

Yuan Jinshi and Licentiate Yuan, the two brothers, helped Chen Wuji sit down by the edge of the largest pool.

This pool gave Chen Wuji his first mountain delicacy after crossing over.

It was also where Chen Wuji recently let Qin Zhanhong's red fall.

After not coming for a few days, Chen Wuji glanced and saw in the pool extremely tasty baby fish and yellow eels, both of decent size.

"Quick, get in the water!" Chen Wuji urged, "Remember, when catching yellow eels use two fingers, just like I'm doing—eyes and hand together, fast and steady!"

Yuan Jinshi said nothing and dove right in.

Although this is where Qin Zhanhong's red fell, after so many days the pool has surely self‑purified, so eating from it is harmless.

If one sees such a plump baby fish and feels no desire, they deserve heavenly thunder.

Licentiate Yuan was a step slower, but he wasn't willing to lag behind his brother.

As soon as he entered the pool, he shot straight at a yellow eel swimming like lightning.

He strictly followed the method Chen Wuji taught, but…

Unfortunately, he just couldn't catch it.

After all that struggling, he was worn out to the point of exhaustion, and he didn't catch a single fish.

This nearly drove the two brothers into withdrawal.

But nobody complained a word; they stared wide‑eyed, searching the pool for any sign of prey.

Chen Wuji felt anxious watching them, but seeing their state, he didn't speak.

They were indeed serious.

But catching fish bare‑handed really does require some skill.

After another round of struggling with no result, Chen Wuji said, "Presented Scholar, come out; it looks like we're not destined to eat fish today, so stop wearing yourself out—your injury still isn't fully healed."

"I'm fine, Brother Wuji; my injury is mostly healed, eh—there's one!" He shouted and thrust both hands into the water.

This time he succeeded.

A baby fish weighing about six or seven catties was pressed firmly underwater by him, then he carefully lifted it out, saying, "Brother Wuji, I've got it—I caught it!"

"Not bad, we can have an extra dish." Chen Wuji laughed.

Having caught something, Yuan Jinshi put great pressure on Licentiate Yuan; his eyes stared harder, his right hand raised, ready to deliver a deadly blow to any prey appearing beneath the water.

But his luck and comprehension were still a bit inferior to Yuan Jinshi's.

After struggling for a long time, he earned the nickname 'Air Force'.

On the contrary, after catching that baby fish, Yuan Jinshi seemed to have truly found the knack for catching fish, and in no time he harvested three yellow eels and a smaller baby fish.

Chen Wuji pulled some weeds, braided them into a grass rope, and strung up the fish Yuan Jinshi had caught.

"All right, that's enough—these few fish will be plenty for today's meal; let's go check the traps." Chen Wuji said.

Licentiate Yuan hurriedly begged, "Chen Wuji, give me a little more time, I will definitely catch it, just the time it takes to burn an incense stick, the time of an incense stick, I don't want to be a good-for-nothing!"

"Who says not catching fish makes you a good-for-nothing? It's fine, not being good at these things doesn't mean you're a good-for-nothing." Chen Wuji said, despite his young age, his competitive spirit is remarkably strong.

"Chen Wuji, let me try again, just a moment." Licentiate Yuan pleaded.

Just to catch a fish, look how anxious the child has become.

"Then like this, you take your time catching the fish, I'll take your brother to fix the trap." Chen Wuji shook his head and said.