Chapter 381

The surprise of meeting Guan Peishan at Qilin Villa vanished into thin air amidst a series of mutual hints.

Guan Peishan definitely didn't appear by accident; from his calm sitting posture and his free and easy manner of waving his hands, it could be determined that Guan Peishan was not only a regular customer but also had the ease of an owner.

Last year, when we came for the first time, Guan Peishan had even lost his temper. Now that less than half a year had passed, he was like a different person from before.

This is related to the fact that he once served as the top leader of Chunshan County. People who have been officials for a long time have an official air about them. Official air is an invisible aura that can kill people invisibly.

Guan Peishan had been immersed in the officialdom for decades, and every gesture he made was full of spirit. I had envied this aura of his for a long time.

I had looked at myself in the mirror, inside and out, from top to bottom, searching every pore, but in the end, I couldn't find anything that could emit such an aura.

"Little Chen, you go play," Guan Peishan issued an order to leave.

The simple address of "Little Chen" is a high-to-low address from a superior to a subordinate, and an address of affection from an elder to a younger generation. It makes one unconsciously feel a few degrees shorter in momentum.

He told us to go play? Play what?

I muttered in my heart. I had the woman Li Lian following me, so we couldn't play the things men like to play, and in Qilin Villa, what else was worth playing?

While I was hesitating, Deng Hanyu asked me with a smile: "Night fishing?"

"Fishing for what?" I blurted out.

"Besides fishing, what else do you want to fish for?" Deng Hanyu teased me unceremoniously, his eyes and brows full of mocking smiles.

I know well that Deng Hanyu hates me.

He had been defeated by me under my hands, and the "one game decides the winner" almost made him lose his family fortune. He was also outmaneuvered by me when we were vying for the position of Deputy County Magistrate.

What was his intention in suddenly saying "night fishing"?

Deng Hanyu didn't have the elegant taste for night fishing; he was just a vulgar person, a person so vulgar that he only recognized money, status, and women.

Night fishing is a very hard, lonely, and boring thing.

Since Deng Hanyu had this leisure, why shouldn't I accompany him? Besides, if you don't enter the tiger's den, how can you get the tiger's cub? What exactly did Deng Hanyu want to do? If I couldn't get a hint of information during night fishing, where else could I get it?

Deng Hanyu was the most trusted person around Guan Peishan. He had followed Guan Peishan for so many years, walking from the Town Mayor of Chengguan Town to the position of Deputy Team Leader of the Economic Leading Group; you couldn't say he hadn't paid a heavy price.

Although he had a father who was a County Magistrate, after all, father and son were not in the same officialdom; distant water cannot save a nearby fire, and no matter how long an arm is, there are places it cannot reach. Therefore, following Guan Peishan was the wisest choice.

"Since Team Leader Deng has the elegant interest, I must risk my life to accompany the gentleman," I said, with a fake smile.

Li Lian on the side made a fuss: "You two men are going fishing, what am I supposed to do?"

"Do whatever you want," Deng Hanyu smiled.

"It's freezing cold at night, where would there be fish to catch?" Li Lian said suspiciously: "Don't fool me, fishing for a fart."

"Li Fulian, just wait and see, see if I can catch a fish," Deng Hanyu stood in the hall, shouting loudly for Lao Can to bring the fishing rod.

Lao Can seemed to have been prepared long ago; before his voice fell, he appeared with a few fishing rods, giggling and saying: "Old Deng, I've already made the fish nest."

"How many?"

"Of course two. It's fair," Lao Can's fishing equipment was complete, with long and short rods, sea rods, all available.

"Let's go," Deng Hanyu took the lead and went out.

The light by the pond was dim, and a farmer stood there, holding a flashlight, shining it on the road for us to pass.

Around the pond was a long row of thatched sheds, and the straw covering them still had the scent of the fields.

The floor of the thatched shed was all wooden, creaking when stepped on.

Every three or five meters, there was a fishing platform. By the fishing platform was a small wooden stool and a set of exquisite tea sets.

Deng Hanyu walked straight to a fishing platform and turned back to say to me: "Chen Feng, we have to make a bet."

I smiled and said: "I don't know how to fish. Although I'm risking my life to accompany you today, I can't really risk my life."

Deng Hanyu smiled and said: "Don't worry, no one wants your life. Besides, fishing depends on luck and patience."

I smiled in the dark; Deng Hanyu began to show his tail.

"You have luck, I have patience. Let's try and see if patience can beat luck."

"Trying is fine too," I said, walking to another fishing platform.

Li Lian, who was following me, was blown by the cold wind and shouted loudly: "I'm not playing with you two anymore, I'm going into the house. It's freezing to death."

Deng Hanyu put the bait on in the light, and without raising his head, said: "Li Fulian, you really can't go back into the house. Think about it, the two of us are making a bet, we need a witness."

"What am I witnessing? I'm not witnessing," Li Lian refused.

"This is not up to you. Since you're here, as the old saying goes, since you're here, be at peace. If it's really cold, why not ask Chen Feng to take off a piece of clothing and drape it over you."

"I don't want it," she hugged her arms tightly, refusing Deng Hanyu's suggestion.

"If you don't want his, drape mine," Deng Hanyu stood up and made a move to take off his clothes.

"I don't want either. You men's clothes are all full of cigarette smoke, it's disgusting," Li Lian giggled and stomped her feet.

"Your old man Lao Mo also smokes, are you disgusted?" Deng Hanyu teased her while putting on the bait.

"Lao Mo is Lao Mo, he is my husband. The clothes on my husband, even if they are smelly, I smell them as fragrant." After being retorted by Li Lian, Deng Hanyu laughed awkwardly.

"Come to my side and watch me fish," Deng Hanyu said: "My body has high Yang energy, it will warm you."

"Get lost!" Li Lian giggled: "You hollow radish, can your Yang energy be higher than a young man's? I won't fall for your trick. Not going."

"If you don't come, that's fine, just accompany your County Magistrate Chen and see who catches the first fish," Deng Hanyu said, casting his fishing rod into the water.

A slight sound rang out on the water surface, and the fluorescent float appeared and disappeared on the water.

As the fishing rod went into the water, a group of silver-white light suddenly jumped on the water surface, disappearing in a flash—a fish jumped out of the water.

My confidence increased greatly; a fish jumped out, which meant the fish were not hiding in deep water. The fish would bite the hook! I said to myself secretly, and at the same time, I deeply believed in what Lao Can said about making a fish nest.

I don't know what the fish bait was made of, but it just felt fragrant and pungent, making one have the desire to take a bite.

I fished when I was a child. When I was seven or eight years old, there was a small river ditch in front of my house, and the river water was clear to the bottom. When the weather was good, there really was the meaning of fish swimming in the shallow bottom.

The small river ditch led directly to the Xiang River, and if the water rose, you could see big and small fish swimming upstream in strings. If you took a net and scooped it into the river at this time, the harvest would definitely make people full of joy.

My mother didn't allow me to go to the small river alone; I could only run to the shallow water by the river to play to my heart's content under the care of my aunt.

It was also at this time that my aunt made me a small fishing rod, letting me sit under the willow shade and learn to fish like Jiang Taigong.

I had to have bait to fish, and I wouldn't use a straight hook either. I dug for earthworms in the vegetable plot with my little butt stuck out. Earthworms are the best bait for fishing. I always thought that for fish, earthworms were no less than the lychees we rarely ate.

The current fish bait was a soft thing, like dough, like soft rice. It didn't look like anything, but it had a strange fragrance that pierced through the night sky.

I also cast my fishing rod, looked at the vaguely floating float, and let out a long breath. I took out a cigarette and took a big puff with satisfaction.

"Brother Chen Feng, although night fishing is good for us two brothers, it lacks passion," Deng Hanyu also took out a cigarette and lit it.

"How about asking Li Lian to dance to help the fun?" I teased Li Lian.

She was sitting by my fishing platform, staring at the float with wide eyes. Hearing my words, she reached out and slapped me, shouting: "You two stinky men, what did you compare me to?"

Deng Hanyu covered his mouth and laughed, singing: "I compare you to the Weaver Girl, not a bit of difference."

He was singing a flower drum tune, the oldest but most popular kind of opera flower cavity in Central Province.

Li Lian was teased by us until she was anxious, stood up from the small stool, grabbed a fishing rod, and wanted to chase after us to hit us.

Deng Hanyu dodged and said: "Li Fulian, can you have a good heart? It wasn't me who asked you to dance. If you want to hit someone, you should hit Chen Feng, why come hit me?"

Li Lian was incredibly shy and called out: "He didn't sing, why are you singing?"

Deng Hanyu complained: "I sang a flower drum opera, does it bother you? You're too overbearing, aren't you?"

Li Lian scolded: "I am overbearing, so what? Can't stand it? If you can't stand it, go die."

Watching the two of them bickering, my eyes never left the float for a moment.

Vaguely, I saw the float move, and immediately after, the fluorescent float disappeared on the water surface. I quickly grabbed the fishing rod with both hands and lifted it hard, hearing a wooing sound, but the hook was empty.

Deng Hanyu laughed when he saw this and said: "Brother, fishing requires a calm heart, you can't be in a hurry. When a fish bites the hook, it doesn't necessarily swallow it in one bite; it will also test it."

I felt ashamed; I had originally thought I would catch a fish before Deng Hanyu, but now it seemed it wasn't as easy as I had imagined.

After my casting, the two of them stopped talking.

After putting on the bait and casting the rod into the water, I looked at the water surface, which was as calm as a mirror, and sighed: "They say night fishing is something elegant people do. I didn't expect us two vulgar people to learn to be elegant."

Deng Hanyu didn't miss the opportunity to add: "We vulgar people, let's just be vulgar to the end. Let's follow my previous idea, we have to make a bet."

"How to bet?" I had the experience just now, so I wasn't afraid of him.

"Betting money has no class, betting people has no guts. Why don't we bet on your Suxi Town."

"How to bet?"

"If I win, you give me the Suxi Town infrastructure project. If I lose, the money is yours, you can find whoever you want to do it."

"The money is in your hands, whether to give it to someone or not, isn't it just a word from you?" I teased him, and a curse welled up in my heart: "Deng Hanyu, you old boy, you're starting to have ideas about me."

But I still said: "This bet has no meaning."

"I think it has meaning."

"What is the old Secretary's opinion?"

"No opinion. Anyway, the work has to be done by someone."

"Since that's the case, there's no need to bet. You just do this."

I thought in my heart, the infrastructure project needs a lot of funds, and these funds all depend on you giving them. Whoever does it has to make money, so letting you, Deng Hanyu, make some money is not a bad thing. Besides, the money isn't mine!

"My idea is that the tap water plant in your Suxi Town, once it's done, cannot be managed by your government; I want the 30-year contracting right," Deng Hanyu said unhurriedly, his eyes also staring at the float like me, as if he were talking about something that had nothing to do with me.

"Do whatever you want," I said, taking a deep puff of my cigarette: "Let's see who catches the fish first."