Pei Ying opened the bait box and looked at the squirming little bugs inside. Falling silent for a second, she pulled her opponent over without hesitation to order him around. "Huo Tingshan, put the bait on for me."
The man walked over with a smile. "Madam, does this count as interfering with your opponent?"
Pei Ying refused to admit it, arguing her case with plausible logic. "I am helping you warm up. Later on, you will definitely get faster every time you bait your hook."
They were just tiny bugs, but she did not dare touch them. Huo Tingshan hooked the bait in a few quick motions. "Alright, then I will take your word for it."
With everything ready, the competition began.
Pei Ying had not fished for a very, very long time. The last time she fished was when her daughter was little. She had taken her daughter to a shopping mall, where they came across one of those fishing pools specifically designed for children.
Adults and children would stand beside the inflatable plastic pool, which was filled with many plastic fish with magnets embedded in their mouths.
Then, parents and children would hold fishing rods with little magnets attached, fishing for the little fish by the side of the pool.
Now holding a real fishing rod, Pei Ying gently cast her hook into the river.
The boat was not moving very fast at the moment, and even in modern times, fishing from a moving boat was a thing. Therefore, after casting the hook, Pei Ying sat down on her chair and began to patiently wait for a bite.
Huo Tingshan cast his hook as well.
But this man did not fish quietly. After sitting down, he casually struck up a conversation with Pei Ying. "Has Madam fished often in the past?"
"Not often, almost never," Pei Ying answered truthfully.
The curve of his lips deepened a bit. "Then does that not mean I am taking advantage of Madam this time?"
Pei Ying laughed at him. "This is where you do not understand. Someone like me, who has hardly ever fished, usually gets something called a starter pack or beginner's luck. It is still uncertain who will emerge victorious."
Just as she finished speaking, Pei Ying's fishing rod twitched.
Both of them were holding their fishing rods, so the movement of the rod was especially noticeable. Pei Ying was immediately overjoyed. "See? I have got a fish on the hook!"
Huo Tingshan: "..."
Pei Ying hurriedly lifted the rod and reeled in the line. Soon, a crucian carp emerged from the water. As the fish was pulled up from the surface, it sent water droplets splashing. Under the afternoon sunlight, those sudden splashes of water looked exactly like glittering gemstones.
Pei Ying brought the crucian carp onto the boat and measured it with her hand.
Not bad, it was about the length of her palm.
Pei Ying took the hook out of the fish's mouth and put the little fish into the water-filled clay pot she had prepared earlier.
After storing the fish, Pei Ying looked up and saw Huo Tingshan watching her. She immediately smiled and said, "If you feel like you are taking advantage of me, why don't you help me bait my hook a few more times?"
Huo Tingshan's mouth twitched. She was really pushing her luck after getting a good deal.
However, he still walked over, took a little bug from the bait box, and hooked it onto her empty hook.
Things happened to be just that coincidental. Just as Huo Tingshan was halfway through baiting her hook, his own fishing rod twitched.
They were at the stern of the boat, and the railing at the stern was not built very high. Moreover, when Huo Tingshan went over to bait Pei Ying's hook earlier, he had casually rested his fishing rod against the stern railing.
The fish that bit the hook was a big one with a lot of strength. With no weight holding down the butt of the rod, a sudden tug at the tip sent the fishing rod that was resting on the railing vaulting over it like a hurdler. Then, as the two of them turned their heads at the sound, it plunged straight into the river with a swish.
Pei Ying: "..."
Huo Tingshan: "..."
This sudden turn of events happened too fast. When it occurred, Huo Tingshan was still holding the hook in one hand and attaching the bug to it with the other, barely halfway done. From his perspective, in just the time it took to turn his head, his fishing rod was gone.
The air was silent for three seconds, and then it was suddenly broken by a soft chuckle.
The owner of the laughter could not hold back, laughing louder and louder.
"Hahaha." Pei Ying was so amused that her eyes curved into crescents. Not only did she laugh, but she also added rather unkindly, "Huo Tingshan, your crime tool has been confiscated. Could this be the will of heaven? I am destined to win this round."
Huo Tingshan could not stand seeing her so happy right now and laughed out of exasperation. "Did this matter not start because of you? Shouldn't Madam compensate me with a fish?"
"That won't do. We are in the middle of a competition right now. The fish each person catches belongs to them. We can talk about compensation after the match." Pei Ying refused crisply.
"You heartless little thing."
After finishing baiting her hook, Huo Tingshan returned to the cabin to get a new fishing rod. When he came back with it, he found that Pei Ying was reeling in another fish.
Hearing his footsteps, Pei Ying turned to look at him. She was so happy that she could not resist showing off a little. "Huo Tingshan, this is my second one."
The man glanced at the fish she had caught this time. This second one was much smaller than the first, only half its size. He poured cold water on her parade: "It seems Madam has a special fondness for little fish and tiny shrimp."
Pei Ying snorted softly. "Still better than you."
After unhooking the fish, Pei Ying looked at the half-eaten bait and could not help but purse her lips, conflicted about whether to change the bait.
Mocking him was a momentary thrill, but asking for a bait change now would be a disaster. Pei Ying slightly regretted not holding back earlier; now, calling him over to help her seemed a bit hard to bring up.
Seeing her pause there, Huo Tingshan naturally knew exactly what she was conflicted about. The corners of his eyes lifted slightly, revealing a hint of smugness. "What is wrong? Does Madam have another request? It is not impossible. Just say something nice. When I am happy, I agree to anything."
Pei Ying cautiously probed, "What kind of nice things do you want to hear?"
Huo Tingshan said leisurely, "For example, praising how heroic and martial your husband is."
Pei Ying: "..."
Pei Ying looked down at the remaining half of the bait, closed her eyes, and blurted, "My husband is a man of great strategy and grand vision, the foremost among all men in the world."
The man nearby beamed, feeling completely satisfied in body and mind. "Great minds think alike. Madam's words are absolutely correct."
Pei Ying: "..."
Before coming over this time, Huo Tingshan learned from his previous lesson. He first found a heavy object to weigh down his rod, and only then did he change her bait.
However, his efforts were in vain this time. His fishing rod showed no movement. Instead, shortly after the new bait was put on, Pei Ying's rod twitched again.
As Pei Ying lifted the rod, she said, "I was right earlier, wasn't I? Beginners like me generally have pretty good luck."
Huo Tingshan's gaze swept over her fish. It was not much different from the first one and could not be considered a big fish. "It is still early."
Pei Ying put the fish into the fish basket.
Perhaps it was just as Pei Ying said, beginners had a starter pack. From then on, she kept catching fish. Although none of them were very big, the feeling of catching fish one after another was simply exhilarating.
In just two hours, Pei Ying's clay pot was filled with twelve fish.
Half of the competition had already passed.
Compared to her, Huo Tingshan's record was quite dismal. His clay pot was exactly the same as it had been at the very beginning.
Pei Ying was flushed with success. Feeling that it would be quite pitiful for this man to end up with a zero score, she said, "Huo Tingshan, do you want to switch places with me? The feng shui on my side seems pretty good. Perhaps you'll be able to catch a fish before the competition ends."
That man cared a great deal about his pride sometimes, and he was exceptionally chauvinistic. Pei Ying actually didn't expect him to agree.
After all, her words sounded quite a bit like showing off.
"Then it would be impolite for me to refuse," he agreed very crisply.
And so, the two switched places.
After switching, neither of their fishing rods showed any movement. But Pei Ying was not panicked in the slightest. She was already far in the lead. Unless Huo Tingshan caught a streak of large fish, she was bound to win this competition.
Since she was going to win anyway, Pei Ying began to ponder what she should make him agree to after her victory.
What would be good to ask for?
This man was used to being domineering. How about stipulating that he could no longer be dictatorial from now on, that things must be discussed and negotiated between them, and he couldn't...
"Got a bite," he suddenly said.
Pei Ying jolted awake as if from a dream and hurriedly turned to look next to her. At this sight, her eyelids twitched.
Fishing rods of this era were made of either wood or bamboo. Because the latter had better elasticity and was easier to shape, it was more favored by people.
The fishing rod in Huo Tingshan's hands was bent severely right now, making it look as though a big fish was on the line.
Sure enough, Pei Ying's premonition was not wrong.
With a splash, a large and plump sea bass was abruptly pulled out of the water and then swiftly hauled onto the boat.
Huo Tingshan unhooked the fish, slipped his fingers into its mouth to grip it, and lifted it up. Smiling, he weighed it in his hand. "Madam's spot is indeed a treasured land of good feng shui. I'm afraid this single fish is equal to five of yours."
Pei Ying: "..."
"Fish this big aren't common. You should cherish it while you fish." Pei Ying averted her eyes, refusing to look.
Huo Tingshan rebaited his hook and then cast his line neatly. "Out of the depths of misfortune comes bliss. Who's to say my good luck isn't just beginning?"
Not long after, Huo Tingshan's second fish took the bait. This one wasn't as heavy as the plump bass from earlier, but it was still definitely a big catch.
Pei Ying fell into silence.
She had caught a whole basketful, but they were all small fish, mainly for the experience. He had caught two in succession, and his record was already about to catch up to hers.
Seeing Huo Tingshan cast his line again, Pei Ying suddenly felt an indescribable sense of crisis. "Huo Tingshan, I want to discuss something with you."
The man cast a sidelong glance at her, the fine lines at the corners of his eyes crinkling with amusement. "If Madam wants to ask for this treasured land of good feng shui back, then I cannot agree. There is no logic in spitting out what has already been eaten."
Pei Ying: "..."
Pei Ying really did want to switch back.
Ever since they traded places, she hadn't caught a single fish, as if his original spot was cursed.
"If you won't switch, then don't. I can still beat you from here," Pei Ying muttered.
But over the next two hours, Huo Tingshan caught another three fish in a row, each of these last three plumper than the previous. Pei Ying also had a harvest on her end, but it could only be said that her performance remained consistent—the ones that took the bait were all fish roughly the size of her palm.
The competition ended, and the results were tallied.
Over this afternoon, Pei Ying caught a total of fifteen fish, while Huo Tingshan only had five.
In terms of quantity, Pei Ying won, but in terms of weight, Huo Tingshan was superior. Looking at it this way, they each had their own edge. Unfortunately, when the competition rules were initially set, they were competing on weight.
"Madam, thank you for letting me win." He smiled, looking exceptionally smug.
Pei Ying was willing to accept her defeat gracefully. "Speak, what do you want me to agree to?"
"Conditions don't allow for it right now, so I'll tell you another day. A promise from Madam is worth its weight in gold; I'm sure you will keep your word." While keeping her in suspense, Huo Tingshan did not forget to flatter her.
That ominous premonition struck Pei Ying again. She said warily, "We agreed beforehand that it cannot violate my principles."
Huo Tingshan nodded. "Naturally."
Seeing him nod, Pei Ying felt her heart settle slightly.
The two had fished at the stern of the boat for the whole afternoon. After the competition, all their spoils were handed over to the army cooks. Tonight's dinner would once again be a fish feast.
However, during dinner, only the husband and wife dined together. Meng Ling'er was seasick and feeling unwell. Having a poor appetite, she didn't want to eat at the scheduled time for now.
Her daughter had always suffered from motion sickness, so it was perfectly normal for her to get seasick while traveling by boat. Pei Ying did not force her, figuring that since the kitchen was right on the boat, Nannan could order food whenever she got hungry. If she didn't want to eat now, then so be it.
*
Inside the room.
Meng Ling'er lay on her side in bed, staring blankly ahead. Her gaze, however, lacked a focal point, indicating she was clearly in a daze.
She was indeed seasick, but actually not to the point where she couldn't even manage to eat.
Her mind was in a mess, and there were some things that seemed impossible to ignore any longer. She had never doubted her mother's words, and various subsequent events had proven that what her mother said was always right.
At noon today, her mother had mentioned that there were tiny bugs in raw meat that were invisible to the naked eye.
She believed these words were absolutely correct.
But since those bugs could not be seen with the eyes, how did her mother know about them?
