Chapter 11: Big Fish

It wasn't that no one had thought of the idea of Fishing before, but when the schools of fish swim upstream, the current also becomes faster and more turbulent.

Previously, some people were not afraid of death and ended up being swept directly downstream by the current; even when fished out, they had lost half their lives.

Schools of fish generally swim upstream in an orderly fashion in the middle of the river to spawn.

Those that come close to the banks can be counted on one's fingers.

Cheng Feng now has earthworms as bait, so he is not afraid that they won't be attracted over.

But the turbulent river water also forces Cheng Feng to be careful.

Cheng Feng took 3 large coins to buy a large fishing net, which can catch a lot of fish.

But he still lacks people, lacks those who can swim, and lacks adults to help pull the net and put in some effort.

There is also the need to look after the children to prevent accidents.

How can an adult's swimming ability compare to children who are always playing in the water in the river?

In Cheng Feng's view, all of these are indispensable.

Safety first, wealth second.

Over these past few months, the money the two brothers made from Fishing subsidized their household food and clothing, and they even saved twelve large coins for the family.

Cheng Feng did not think much and gave it all to Cheng Mu.

Winter is coming soon, so he let Cheng Mu buy more things for the family.

Cheng Feng also spun white lies, saying how people in the city cook and eat.

This made Cheng Mu's cooking skills improve greatly.

They bought more rice and flour, and it was no longer just coarse grains.

The texture of coarse grains is really too hard.

Although they also eat them interchangeably, at least it is changing Cheng Feng's family.

Cheng Feng attaches great importance to food; if it's not good, that won't do. On one hand, he is gluttonous, and on the other, Cheng Feng consumes a lot of physical strength practicing Archery; if he doesn't eat well, he could end up with injuries all over.

Cheng Mu feels bad about the money, but feels even worse for her son.

So she listened to Cheng Feng's words and no longer thought about saving.

Derived from scientific exercise methods from his past life, plus the training volume of practicing Archery later on, Cheng Feng's physique also developed emerging muscle lines.

He is no longer as thin and listless as before.

He chose six children to help, all of whom are good at swimming.

These past two days, he has also been taking them to get familiar with laying the net.

On this day, Cheng Feng brought his little companions and also called for Cheng Shu.

The rest of the adults are busy with the autumn harvest; Cheng Feng's family has plenty of manpower, so they don't miss this one day.

According to Lao San, the fish in the river have been getting more and more numerous these past two days.

Cheng Feng also estimated that the time was about right, so he brought along Lao Da as external support and hurried toward the riverbank.

The earthworms from before had also been prepared long ago.

Mixed with grass leaves and kneaded into balls the size of an infant's palm.

Cheng Feng prepared more than a dozen, intending to use them all up in these few days.

At noon, the sun was scorching, the current was turbulent, and the riverbed was winding, but this did not scare them off.

They didn't fish at the old spot; Cheng Feng had specifically scouted out a place beforehand.

At the bend of the river, the current speed can always be reduced; with this buffer, plus each person having a ten-plus-meter-long rope tied to their body, and additionally dry cloths for wiping, hot water, and dry rations, the logistics were also fully prepared.

Big brother Cheng Shu stood by the tree, keeping his eyes on the ropes of those in the water at all times just in case; in terms of safety, it could be considered done to the extreme.

If it weren't for these safety measures, the children's parents wouldn't have been willing.

They chose the most treacherous stretch of the river, where fish were abundant, but hidden dangers also lurked.

They certainly didn't dare to go to the center of the river.

They could only throw bait to lure the fish.

Under the temptation of the bait, this school of fish split off a portion and swam toward the bank.

He reinforced the belief of "safety first" to these little children, and then began to deploy people and lay the net.

Laying a net for Fishing requires patience and skill.

Cheng Feng and Cheng Lei, the two brothers, cooperated tacitly, one handling the net and one directing. The little companions also showed their own unique skills, some responsible for stabilizing the net, some responsible for observing the school of fish.

Watching tail after tail of fish swim toward the spot Cheng Feng had set up, Cheng Feng secretly thought, "It's steady."

Suddenly, the river surface surged, and a huge fish leaped out of the water, drawing exclamations from everyone.

That fish's body could occupy half an adult's size, its scales shimmering, making people feel awe.

No one spoke loudly; they all looked at Cheng Feng in unison.

Seeing this, Cheng Feng's heart stirred, knowing this was the greatest challenge of their trip.

He nodded to signal, "Go."

As long as they catch this one, they will earn back their costs and make a profit.

He quickly adjusted the fishing net, aiming at the giant fish. Once, twice, three times, the giant fish cleverly escaped the net's restraint.

Seeing that the big fish was about to rush out of the net's range,

Cheng Feng shouted in the river, "Don't let it run!" He knew that in this river, the contest with the giant fish was not just about skill, but even more about perseverance and wisdom.

He crushed the largest piece of bait in his pocket and scattered it next to the big fish; sure enough, the big fish swam forward a distance and then turned to swim toward the bait.

For no other reason, the bait was too fragrant.

And Cheng Feng changed his position, enclosing the big fish in the center of the fishing net.

Watching the big fish about to fall into the net and struggle, Cheng Feng shouted, "Big brother, pull the net!"

The children in the river also tried their best to swim toward the bank.

Their task was to lay the nets and change positions; to haul in the nets, they first had to get on the bank and then pull the ropes together.

The giant fish thrashed several times and was almost broken free.

Fortunately, Cheng Shu still had some strength and gripped the rope tightly without letting go.

With the help of the children who had climbed onto the bank, the big fish was finally firmly trapped by Cheng Feng's large net and dragged ashore.

Everyone fell to the ground one after another, cheering to celebrate this hard-won victory and also to celebrate today's bountiful harvest.

A moment more, and that big fish would have broken free from the net and run away.

At the same time, they were also exhausted; the big fish was too large and too heavy, almost draining everyone's physical strength.

This Fishing trip not only yielded a full harvest of fish,

but also served as a workout for Cheng Lei and this group of children.

In one afternoon, they only laid the nets twice, harvesting 38 regular fish that could normally be sold, over 40 smaller fish, and one giant fish.

The sun set, and the golden afterglow spilled onto the river surface, making it shimmer.

Cheng Feng and Cheng Lei, carrying the full harvest, set off on the return journey with their little companions amidst laughter and chatter.

They knew that this experience would become the most precious memory of their lives.

And that giant fish was not only a symbol of their victory but also a testament to their courage and wisdom.

They regarded this fish as a mascot and named it "Autumn Water," signifying moving forward courageously.

Cheng Feng planned to sell all these fish, but felt it was too conspicuous and considered whether to sell them in batches.

Cheng Feng fell into a happy dilemma.

Because the big fish was too heavy, the group walked and stopped, and the sun had already set before they returned to the village.

Looking at the sky, Cheng Feng's heart also returned to calm, and he was no longer so excited.

Looking at this big fish, Cheng Feng wondered if it would be too flashy.

He called over the six children who had helped; regardless of their specific tasks, each person received two big fish and four small fish.

Seeing this, Cheng Shu beside him became anxious. With such a harvest, why distribute it like this? What could he get for himself? Was Lao Er stupid?

He forgot that he was carrying the biggest harvest of this trip on his back: a giant fish nearly half the size of a person, weighing nearly sixty jin.

Cheng Feng also felt reluctant in his heart, but he knew there was truly no other way.

This harvest was too big; he feared they wouldn't be able to keep it and would only invite trouble.

The children might not understand, but their parents would certainly have plenty to say.

If they knew their family had such a big harvest, and they were only sent away with two small fish, would there be a next time?

Plan slowly, and only then will it last long.

Lao San had learned a lot from following him, and their coordination was tacit.

He whispered to Lao San beside him, and Lao San understood what he meant.

He snuck over to Cheng Shu's side and whispered, "Big Brother, don't be anxious. Second Brother will explain to you later."

Cheng Shu hugged the fish trapped in the fishing net in his arms; the tacit understanding between brothers made him realize it wasn't the time to say more.

After finishing the distribution, Cheng Feng said, "Everyone has worked hard. It's getting late, and we're almost at the village entrance. You all go home first to report that you're safe. If we go Fishing again in a few days, I'll call you."

The children all happily carried their fish and ran home; this could be considered as generating income for their families.

Everyone would eat fish tonight.

After the children left, Cheng Feng explained to his brothers the principle of "an innocent man treasures a jade ring and becomes a crime."

Lao Da said, "You are too cowardly. How can there be a reason to push away benefits?"

Lao San didn't speak. He hadn't been questioned little about the secret of the Fishing before, but he kept his mouth shut, and he hadn't heard few rumors behind his back either.

This resulted in fewer people playing with him now.

This was perhaps the jealousy that Second Brother spoke of.

He was too outstanding and was envied by others, so he was distanced.

Just as Cheng Feng was about to speak, a girl's voice came from the side: "Since it's so troublesome, wouldn't it be better if you just let me go?"

As soon as the words fell, Cheng Feng was startled.

Where did that girl's voice come from?