Before long, Pei Yunzhou came running back with a bundle of leaves holding over a dozen earthworms.
"Sister-in-law, look! I dug up so many earthworms!"
"Good job."
d=====(￣▽￣)b
Picking up the fishing rod, Shen Nanchu casually grabbed one of the earthworms and tied it to the line with sewing thread.
Then, with a flick of the makeshift fishing rod, she sent the bait straight into the center of the river.
The entire motion was smooth and effortless.
Pei Yunxi and Pei Yunzhou watched with admiration gleaming in their eyes.
The two kids crouched on either side of Shen Nanchu, eagerly waiting for a fish to bite.
Below the water, a couple of big fish circled the wriggling bait.
A hint of smugness flashed in Shen Nanchu’s eyes.
See?
Fishing is easy.
Anyone could do it.
Look, the fish are practically hooked already.
The corners of her lips curled into a confident smile.
One second passed,
then one minute,
then two…
No fish took the bait.
Shen Nanchu wasn’t worried.
Good things come to those who wait.
The fish were already closing in—how could they possibly escape now?
(•̀ω•́)✧
Ten minutes later,
the two big fish that had been circling the bait swam away.
Leaving the bait untouched.
Shen Nanchu froze in place.
"Sister-in-law, are the fish about to bite?"
"Trust me, your sister-in-law knows what she’s doing!"
Shen Nanchu’s smile twitched.
"Uh… this spot doesn’t have many fish. I’ll try somewhere else."
She moved to a different area with more large rocks.
This time, Shen Nanchu tied not one, not two, but three earthworms to the line.
With so much delicious bait, she refused to believe the fish would resist.
Again, she cast the line right into what looked like a prime fishing spot.
Shen Nanchu waited patiently.
Pei Yunxi and Pei Yunzhou held their breath, watching intently.
This time, there were even more fish, and Shen Nanchu felt even more confident.
Ten minutes later,
the fishing rod in her hand hadn’t moved an inch.
This didn’t make sense.
She always had good luck.
When had she ever been this unlucky?
Her luck lately had been terrible.
Just then,
four men appeared on the winding path.
Leading them was Pei Zhengnian, dressed in his military uniform, with Xiong Lei following behind.
Among the other two men was someone Shen Nanchu had met once before—Liu Guodong.
Liu Guodong had come all the way from Daliao City to investigate the matter at hand.
From a distance, Pei Zhengnian spotted Shen Nanchu.
It wasn’t that his sister Pei Yunxi wasn’t pretty—it was just that Shen Nanchu was stunning.
Liu Guodong also saw Shen Nanchu.
The moment he recognized her, a pang of guilt hit him.
Why?
Because he remembered the promise he’d made to her on the train.
The commendation banner she’d been promised had been approved.
But Liu Guodong had been so busy that he’d accidentally misplaced the address Shen Nanchu had given him.
His senior colleague, also swamped with work, had completely forgotten about it.
Now, seeing Shen Nanchu again, Liu Guodong was suddenly reminded of that neglected promise, and he felt a little sheepish.
"How many fish have you caught?"
At Pei Zhengnian’s question, Pei Yunxi hesitated before clamping her mouth shut.
Better to save her sister-in-law some face.
"Not a single fish!"
Pei Yunzhou, however, had no such reservations and blurted it out loudly.
(￣_￣|||)
Didn’t Shen Nanchu have any dignity to uphold?
Of course she did!
It was all these picky fish’s fault.
Earthworms were delicious—why wouldn’t they bite?
Shen Nanchu maintained her composure, still holding the fishing rod.
Only the slight stiffness in her fingers betrayed her frustration.
"Captain Liu, this is my wife, Comrade Shen Nanchu."
"Nanchu, this is Captain Liu from the city’s criminal investigation unit."
Pei Zhengnian introduced them to each other.
"Captain Liu, what a coincidence!"
"Comrade Shen, indeed, what a surprise!"
Liu Guodong laughed awkwardly.
Shen Nanchu smoothly handed the fishing rod to Pei Yunzhou.
"Here, you take this. You’re in charge of fishing now."
"Whether we have fish for dinner tonight depends on you."
If she was going to chat, she couldn’t very well keep fishing.
That would be rude!
Pei Yunzhou stared at the fishing rod in his hands, momentarily dazed.
He didn’t know how to fish!
He shot a pleading look at Pei Yunxi.
Pei Yunxi promptly looked up at the sky, pretending not to see.
Left with no choice, Pei Yunzhou braced himself and took over.
Pei Zhengnian glanced between his wife and Liu Guodong.
"You two have met before?"
"We crossed paths once on a train."
Liu Guodong quickly recounted what had happened during their previous encounter.
"Last time, we owed everything to Comrade Shen. And now, once again, we’re benefiting from her help."
"A revolutionary comrade as kind and public-spirited as Shen Nanchu is truly rare!"
"Company Commander Pei, you’re fortunate to have such a partner in your revolutionary journey!"
Liu Guodong was laying it on thick.
Shen Nanchu wasn’t the only one who noticed—everyone present could tell.
What was going on? Shen Nanchu was just an ordinary educated youth. Even if she’d married Pei Zhengnian and become the wife of a company commander, was that really enough to make Liu Guodong act so obsequious?
The other man in plain clothes was Wu Junliang, the captain of Yongxiu County’s police station.
Seeing Liu Guodong’s behavior, Wu Junliang couldn’t help but regard Shen Nanchu with newfound seriousness.
Shen Nanchu knew exactly why Liu Guodong was acting this way.
It was all about that banner he owed her.
She was good at reading people.
She gave Liu Guodong an out by not bringing it up.
But afterward, she’d see if he had the decency to make it right.
"Captain Liu, you flatter me."
"Comrade Pei and I are revolutionary comrades united in our dedication to contributing our modest efforts to the nation’s development."
"May our country prosper, our people thrive, our land remain peaceful, and our nation flourish!"
...
Just as Shen Nanchu was delivering her impassioned speech—
"A fish bit!"
"A fish bit!"
Pei Yunzhou yanked the rod, and a grass carp weighing about two pounds landed right in front of Shen Nanchu and Pei Zhengnian.
"Second Brother! Sister-in-law! Look, I caught a fish!"
Pei Yunzhou was beaming with excitement.
Same bait. Same rod.
You’ll bite for him but not for me?
How rude!
Shen Nanchu glared at the fish flopping on the ground.
Liu Guodong’s fingers itched with anticipation.
When he wasn’t working, fishing was his favorite pastime.
"Here, let me try a couple casts."
Using the same crude fishing rod, he tied on some bait and cast the line.
Admittedly, Shen Nanchu had picked an excellent spot.
In less than two minutes, Liu Guodong reeled in a fish.
Wu Junliang’s interest was piqued. "Let me have a go too."
His attempt also yielded a fish—smaller, but still a catch!
Next, Xiong Lei and Pei Yunxi also succeeded in hooking fish.
Shen Nanchu was on the verge of despair.
By the time it was Pei Zhengnian’s turn, she had no expectations left.
After all, she was the only one who couldn’t catch anything.
But then came the twist.
Pei Zhengnian, who had fished many times before and caught plenty of fish, also struck out.
His record matched Shen Nanchu’s—a big fat zero.
What a perfectly synchronized couple.
...
