Chapter 238: Fish, Fish, Fish, Fish!
Ning Xiyue’s heart raced, her hands faster than her brain. She instinctively lifted the fishing rod, and a crucian carp about the size of four fingers broke the water’s surface.
“Ah! I finally caught a fish by myself, Second Brother!”
Feeling the slippery fish in her hands, Ning Xiyue was overjoyed.
“You’re amazing, little sister! You’re way better than I was the first time I fished,” Ning Qingyuan praised her as if coaxing a child, giving her a big smile — almost like awarding a little red star for good behavior.
He added, “There’s a lot of slime on the fish. Want me to help you clean it?”
“No need, I can do it myself.”
Receiving such praise, Ning Xiyue felt even more motivated — full of energy and determination.
She tucked the fishing rod under her arm, held the fish in one hand, removed the hook with the other, and freed up a space in her fish basket to store her catch. She even squatted for a moment to admire it before washing her hands and continuing to fish.
With that first crucian carp setting the stage, Ning Xiyue became even more focused. Her eyes were glued to the float, blinking not once, careful not to miss a single nibble.
Seeing her so serious, Ning Qingyuan didn’t disturb her. He let her fish undisturbed while he kept a careful eye on his own float.
The two siblings sat quietly, fishing side by side.
Having gained experience, Ning Xiyue no longer needed her brother’s help to know when to lift the rod. She relied entirely on her instincts to pull in each fish.
“Ah! Another one!”
One fish after another, though not every cast yielded a catch, the probability was about eighty percent each time.
As the fish kept coming, Ning Xiyue went from initial surprise to delight, then sheer excitement, gradually becoming completely absorbed — eyes locked on the float, heart racing with the thrill of every bite.
Fish! Fish! Fish! Fish!
She was utterly lost in the joy of fishing, oblivious to her surroundings, reaching a state of pure immersion.
It wasn’t until Ning Qingyuan noticed that both their fish baskets were full — and even the net he brought couldn’t hold any more — that they stopped. He reminded Ning Xiyue:
“Little sister, the baskets are full. Let’s head back. These fish will last us a while. The crucians alone are enough to make one or two jars of pickled fish.”
“Ah! How did it fill up so fast? I feel like I haven’t been fishing long at all!” Ning Xiyue looked at the overflowing basket in astonishment, glancing down regretfully at the large remaining lump of bait in her hands.
This bait was truly amazing — a small piece could last a long time and catch countless fish. Yechu’s bait was just too effective.
Ning Xiyue sniffed the dough in her hand. It had a strange, enticing fragrance — surely that aroma was what attracted the fish. Calling it “fish mint” wouldn’t be an exaggeration.
“Let’s go, little sister. Let’s head back and fry some fish,” Ning Qingyuan said, gathering their gear. He handed the remaining lump of dough to Ning Xiyue. “This bait really works. Keep it for the afternoon.”
“Okay.”
Ning Xiyue took the leftover dough, kneaded it together with the rest she had, and stored it in her system backpack. Such great bait couldn’t go to waste. She wondered how many more fish it could catch.
As they carried their fish and packed up, someone nearby called out loudly:
“Hey, Yue girl! You’re done fishing? Can we use that spot now?”
“Uncle, we’re done. Anyone who wants to fish here can come ahead,” she replied. No matter what, someone would occupy the spot eventually, so better to give it up graciously.
“Alright, thanks!”
The other anglers who had already had their eyes on this prime fishing spot glared greenly at Ning Xiyue and her brother’s two ice holes, waiting for them to leave so they could claim the “best fishing feng shui spot.”
Seeing them getting restless, Ning Xiyue urged, “Brother, let’s hurry. Lots of people are waiting for us to leave.”
The onlookers’ green-eyed stares were intimidating.
“Mm, let’s go,” he replied.
The siblings quickly packed up and left. When they glanced back from the shore, they saw that two of the older team members had already claimed their spot, safeguarded by their seniority.
One of them was the uncle who had asked her about the spot earlier, standing tall and proud, smirking at those who missed out.
Those who didn’t get the spot slunk back like defeated roosters, dragging their stools in disappointment. Two others had moved to the older uncles’ positions to fish.
Looks like they couldn’t fish here in the afternoon — any more would just attract envy. To avoid unnecessary trouble, they’d need to go elsewhere.
Ning Xiyue looked down at the basket of fish she had caught — a large basket, filled to the brim.
But compared to eating fish, she preferred fishing. The thrill of each bite was addictive.
Aunt Liu, sitting by the shore and getting ready to go home to cook, looked up in surprise when she saw Ning Xiyue carrying the fish. “Whoa! Yue girl, you caught so many fish — even better than your uncle!”
“Here, aunties, take some! I can’t eat this all with my brother,” Ning Xiyue said, beaming as she waved to the aunties in the Gossip Squad.
She made a point of giving them the fish first — after all, they had always helped her, covering for her when needed and keeping her informed of everything important.
“Thank you, Yue girl!”
The four aunties each took a string of fish, their eyes sparkling, thanking her profusely.
Ning Xiyue waved and said goodbye. “No problem. You all get back to your business; my brother and I will go first.”
“Goodbye, aunties!” Ning Qingyuan added sweetly, following his sister.
Back at the team, Ning Xiyue delivered some fish to Aunt Yang and Aunt Qiu, and even to Gou Dan’s family, distributing the entire basket she had caught.
She received many thanks in return, along with some dried vegetables. This saved her from idle chatter, earned her praise, and left her with plenty of fish remaining.
Having handled all the social niceties, Ning Xiyue and her brother happily returned to the Youth Commune, carrying their fish and dried vegetables to cook a meal.
