Chapter 48: Enriching the Space

Judging things by her own perception, Liu Chuxue rolled her eyes at them, signaling that they could leave.

However, as she turned away, she couldn't help but offer a parting warning: "A word of advice: those who commit injustice will eventually bring ruin upon themselves. Stop wasting these prime years of your life being idle and unlearned."

Hearing this, the young man in the lead cast a complicated glance toward the distance before turning around resentfully to urge the others to leave.

Watching Chuxue walk away carrying the bucket, Old Man Xiao stroked his chin and remarked, "That girl is a person of profound wisdom disguised as folly."

Old Man Guo watched the group limp away, supporting one another. "Doing nothing all day and constantly causing trouble... giving them a lesson was a good deed on her part."

Old Man Xiao patted his shoulder. "If all else fails, just throw him into the military. If we keep letting him drift like this, he really will turn into a street loafer."

Old Man Guo’s expression was grim. The leader was none other than Lu Weijun, the biological cousin of his youngest daughter-in-law. The name was fine, and the boy indeed possessed some talent, but he simply refused to follow the righteous path, spending his days acting like a hooligan.

Between a dying comrade's dying wish and his youngest daughter-in-law's fierce protection of this cousin, he had never been able to bring himself to be harsh with him. He hadn't expected to witness this scene today.

After walking a distance, Liu Chuxue waited until she saw that no one was paying attention to her before veering toward a spot she had scouted earlier. By the water stood a crooked weeping willow, with more than half of its branches stretching over the surface. At this time of day, it cast a large patch of shade, making it an ideal spot for her activities.

Setting her things aside, she nimbly ducked beneath the branches and reached into the water, using her willpower to release a small amount of pond water into the stream.

Knowing the attraction of that pond water from her previous fishing experience, she stopped after releasing only a small amount to be safe.

To her surprise, even that tiny amount attracted a significant number of aquatic creatures. Fortunately, the canopy of the crooked tree was large enough to provide ample cover, allowing her to work with peace of mind.

After several trips back and forth, in addition to shrimp, crabs, and tadpoles, she had collected at least ten different species of fish: catfish, black carp, silver carp, snakehead, bream, carp, perch, salmon, mandarin fish, and whitebait. She even saw a few ornamental fish among them—she wondered how such fish could even exist in this city moat.

Not being greedy, she stopped once she had enough; the nutritional meals for her father were now secured.

Seeing that it was getting late, she didn't dare delay any longer. Carrying her things, she jogged toward the bus stop. Her luck held up, as a bus arrived shortly after she reached it.

Since this wasn't the starting station, there were no seats left. She carried her bucket toward the back and found a relatively stable place to stand.

A woman nearby noticed the fish in her wooden bucket, and her eyes instantly lit up. She leaned closer to Chuxue and asked, "Young lady, are you willing to trade these fish?"

The bus was crowded, and some passengers looked like they were heading for the hospital stop. With only one fish in the bucket, Liu Chuxue didn't want to cause any unnecessary trouble. "I'm sorry, I caught these specifically to provide nutrition for a family member in the hospital."

The woman looked disappointed upon hearing this.

Judging by Chuxue's attire, she realized the girl likely wasn't lying.

Still unwilling to give up, she asked one more time, "These fish aren't small. Could you trade half of one to me?"

Fearing another rejection, she quickly explained, "My daughter-in-law just had a baby and isn't producing much milk. I thought if I had a fish, I could make some fish soup to help her lactation."

The woman thought of something and asked anxiously, "Young lady, are you getting off at the hospital up ahead?"

(End of Chapter)