Chapter 24: Fishing, a Subtle Display of Mastery

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“What red envelope? You’re not married yet. You can give it when you get married; it’s not too late,” Chen Jiang’s eldest sister-in-law said as she approached.

“Hello, sister-in-law,” Chen Jiang greeted her.

“Hmm, Xiao Jiang, you’ve graduated now? Time flies. When I first came in, you were just in junior high,” Chen Na-min reminisced.

“Everyone’s already inside eating,” a woman of about thirty came out at that moment.

“Second sister-in-law,” Chen Jiang greeted her as well.

“Yeah, I heard from your mom that you’ve started a company in Shen City?” Zhou Ya-qiu, the second sister-in-law, asked with a smile.

“It’s just a small startup,” Chen Jiang humbly replied.

“That’s impressive enough,” she said.

The whole family gathered together, sharing a meal with the two elders.

At the table, Chen Jiang was inevitably asked why he hadn’t found a partner yet.

He smiled and said, “I’ll definitely settle down when the right person comes along.”

After the meal, he quietly slipped back home to continue writing.

The most annoying thing about going home was always being bombarded with questions from the elders, but this life was much better than the last.

In the previous life, at this time not only was he pressured to marry, but relatives also kept asking about his job...

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Early the next morning.

While Chen Jiang was having breakfast, he suddenly saw his father carrying a large box and slinging a fishing rod over his shoulder, preparing to leave.

Chen Jiang swallowed his porridge and asked, “Dad, are you going fishing?”

“Yes, I arranged to go to the village reservoir with some fishing buddies,” his father nodded.

“Do you want to come along?”

“Sure,” Chen Jiang thought; he was bored at home anyway.

“I’ll grab another fishing rod, and since you can drive, you can take me there,” his father chuckled.

He went inside to get another rod just as Chen Jiang finished tidying the table.

The two of them headed out.

“Dad, why don’t you just get a driver’s license? That way it would be easier to go fishing. I can even get you a car,” Chen Jiang said after they got in the car.

“I’m too old for that,” his father shook his head.

“Nowadays plenty of people in their seventies and eighties are getting licenses,” Chen Jiang encouraged.

“No need. I’m fine riding my motorcycle. The fishing spot isn’t far, just in the village,” his father said with a smile.

“Besides, buying me a car is just a waste of money.”

When they arrived, Chen Jiang saw his father’s fishing friends.

There were three young men in their twenties and two middle-aged men about the same age as his father, around fifty or sixty.

Chen Jiang couldn’t help but marvel at the fishing community—it truly brought together people of all ages.

“My son just came back from Shen City and is here to join me fishing today,” Chen Jiang’s father boasted.

Chen Jiang nodded and greeted the others.

The three young men stared in amazement at Chen Jiang’s car.

“Wow, Uncle Chen, is that a Yangwang U8? I just saw it on Douyin the other day. It costs at least a million yuan…”

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One young man exclaimed.

“I don’t know much about cars; you should ask my son,” Chen Jiang’s father said calmly, though inside he was thrilled.

Such an expensive car?

Hearing the young men’s amazed comments and the admiring looks from his peers, Old Chen felt a great sense of vanity fulfilled.

“Chen, your son really made it big!” one middle-aged man chimed in.

The two middle-aged men went to fish with Chen Jiang’s father nearby.

The three young men gathered around Chen Jiang’s car.

“Man, this car is just cool!” one said.

“But brother, if you have that kind of money, why not buy a similar-priced gas car?”

“Maybe I have a gas car, too,” Chen Jiang shot back, silencing them.

“Come on, you must be new to fishing, right?” one young man said enthusiastically.

“Today, I’ll show you how to fish; you won’t come back empty-handed!”

Chen Jiang nodded. “Yeah, it’s my first time fishing.”

Following the three to another spot, Chen Jiang learned how to set the float and bait the hook.

He cast his line as instructed.

“Now we wait for the fish to bite. Don’t rush; it usually takes some patience,” the young man said before going off to fish on his own.

Chen Jiang eagerly watched the float.

After about five minutes, it twitched.

He pulled up and a big fish leapt out of the water.

“Guys, I caught a fish!” Chen Jiang shouted.

“What?” The three hurried over.

“No way, you really caught one! That fish must weigh several pounds!”

“See? I told you, just do as I said and you’ll catch fish!” the young man patted Chen Jiang on the shoulder.

They placed the fish in the bucket and returned to their fishing spots.

About ten minutes later, the float moved again.

“Guys, I caught another fish!”

The three experienced anglers were speechless.

Two hours later, the weather turned cloudy and it started to drizzle.

They had to stop fishing.

Back in the car, Chen Jiang asked, “Dad, how many did you catch?”

Looking in his bucket, only two or three small fish were there.

Chen Jiang’s father glanced into his own bucket and fell silent.

“Ahem, not bad. You’ve been lucky today. I’ve had some bad luck these past few days. Usually, I catch more.”

“I believe you,” Chen Jiang nodded.

Back home, his mother was amazed.

“Not bad, you caught so many fish today?”

“That’s all from the boy, right?”

Chen Jiang snapped a photo and sent it to Yi Yunxue.

[Yi Yunxue]: You went fishing?

[Chen Jiang]: Yeah, went with Dad today. Caught several big fish in two hours. How about that? Am I amazing?

[Yi Yunxue]: So awesome!

[Yi Yunxue]: Did you have lunch?

[Chen Jiang]: Not yet.

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Shen City.

Yi Yunxue was eating takeout at home, lost in thought, missing the days when Chen Jiang was around.

Even though he had only been back home for two days.

“It was better when Chen Jiang was here; I could cook for myself.”

Anyone who’s cooked knows how troublesome it is to cook for one.

At that moment, her phone vibrated.

She thought it was a message from Chen Jiang, but it was from Sister Li.

[Sister Li]: Yunxue, are you free this afternoon?

[Yi Yunxue]: Yes, Sister Li, what’s up?

[Sister Li]: (I sent a location share. Yin Yue Tavern.)

[Sister Li]: I found a promising candidate here. Want to come take a look? Seems like a good fit for our studio...

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Since tomorrow was New Year’s Eve, the family of three did a simple house cleaning in the afternoon.

By evening, Chen Jiang went out to buy some New Year’s essentials.

Like couplets, blessing characters, and a pack of red envelopes.

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The next day.

Chen Jiang woke up after ten in the morning.

As soon as he left his room, he saw his parents busy preparing ingredients.

According to tradition, New Year’s Eve was spent with his eldest uncle’s family.

Both families would prepare their own ingredients, then gather at the old apartment building for a hot pot dinner.

Southerners really don’t eat dumplings for the New Year!

Chen Jiang took down last year’s couplets at the door and replaced them with ones he bought yesterday from the village’s best calligrapher.

He had always bought his couplets from the same old man in previous years.