Chapter 43: As Expected

The water in the kitchen had boiled. After pulling out the firewood to extinguish the flame, she specifically poured a portion of the boiling water into a container to store in the warehouse for warmth, leaving the rest in the pot in the kitchen for her upcoming needs.

She placed her fishing gear into a bucket and then carried it out of the space.

Not wanting to make things harder for herself, she asked around for directions and took a bus from the stop to the moat.

Upon arriving, she found quite a few people fishing along the banks. She didn't crowd the busy areas; partly because her makeshift fishing rod was a bit embarrassing, and partly because she rarely saw girls fishing alone.

Finding a spot to sit, she took out her makeshift fishing rod—made from a safety pin and a piece of firewood—attached her homemade bait, and deftly cast the hook. Now came the moment to see if her hypothesis was correct.

Sure enough, in just about ten minutes, a fish took the bait.

However, the fish was large, and her firewood rod couldn't withstand the direct force of the pull.

Fearing that a sudden tug would snap the rod, she had to play the fish, pulling it back and forth to tire it out, regretting that she hadn't made a simple landing net.

After a smooth struggle, she used the momentum to lift the fish out of the water.

Wow, not bad at all. A grass carp weighing as much as five pounds came up. She glanced at the bucket she had brought; she had been careless.

If every fish she caught was this size, her bucket would be full after only a few more.

But she had come here with a specific purpose; as long as she achieved what she intended, it would be enough.

The second fish she caught was a carp weighing about three pounds. There were only seven or eight minutes between these two catches, which proved that the water in that pool was indeed extraordinary.

By the time the third fish took the hook, she had caught the attention of nearby fishermen. The old man closest to her put down his rod and jogged over. "Little girl, not bad! Your luck is truly something else."

As he spoke, he reached out to help, but because Chuxue's makeshift rod was so flimsy, she didn't dare be too aggressive. "Old gentleman, let me play it for a bit longer. I'm afraid the rod won't be able to take it."

Only then did the old man notice the rod in her hand, and he teased her directly, "It's not that your rod can't take it, it's your fishing line that's no good! Where did you find such scrap material? But you're quite a character, girl—three fish in half an hour with that setup. You've really opened my eyes."

Seeing that the fish was almost tired out, she said, "Old gentleman, please step back a bit. I've almost got it, and I don't want to accidentally bump into you."

The old man was reasonable and stepped back a good distance.

Thinking of something, he ran back to his spot.

A moment later, he returned with a landing net. "Girl, here, let me help you."

Chuxue was just worrying because this fish was even larger. She had been thinking that once this one was pulled up, her makeshift rod would likely be scrapped, but she hadn't expected the old man to be so observant.

Working together, they exerted a great deal of effort to finally bring up the eight or nine-pound snakehead.

Just as Chuxue put the fish into her bucket, the old man said, "Little girl, can we make a deal?"

Liu Chuxue glanced up at him. "Go ahead."

The old man rubbed his hands together. "Little girl, could you sell—oh, no, exchange—yes, exchange one of your fish for me? Just the one you just caught will do. I'm not greedy."

Liu Chuxue was amused by his expression and tone. "Old gentleman, you say you're not greedy, yet you specifically pick the biggest and best snakehead. You certainly have a way with words."

The old man felt a bit embarrassed at being called out. "I was just afraid someone would come and snatch it from me."

Just as he finished speaking, someone was heard approaching. "Old Man Xiao, you can't keep all the good stuff to yourself!"

(End of Chapter)