Su Han immediately sat down.
Ding couldn't help looking at her. So, it was that easy to get the fishing pole from He? One had to say rent, not buy? At the thought of that, he felt a wave of regret wash over him. He'd have long rented it if he knew.
"Young lady, fishing isn't an easy business." He nagged, everything he said a lesson paid for in his blood, "Let me tell you, those fishes are sly! They…"
Less than a minute after casting her line, the water surface started rippling. Su Han immediately reeled the line in. On the hook was a large grass carp.
Taking the carp off the hook, Su Han threw it into the metal bucket nearby. And then she turned around with a very innocent-looking expression. "What did you just say? I didn't hear it."
He, "I said nothing, please continue."
It was pretty weird if one thought of it. He had been placing his rod right beside her, but he hadn't seen a single fish for three days. However, the moment Su Han sat down, she had fish biting once in a while and another in a moment. In half an hour, she had four.
Old He had mixed feelings at that sight. True, he was pretty happy because today, he at least could bring two fish home. But how'd this person done it? They were using the same fishing rod at the same location!
After onlooking for a long time, He could finally resist it no longer. He tried negotiating, "Uh can we exchange places?"
Even though it was nice to split some fish, however, being able to fish on his own was even better.
"Sure." Su Han immediately exchanged places.
And then, to He's great dismay, he found that in his original position were countless fishes, the speed they were biting the bait even faster than before!
Su Han took the initiative to ask, "Want to exchange rods?"
Old He, "…"
Yes, he did, but he didn't have the cheek to say.
At the thought of how his granddaughter was still going hungry at home, he sighed. In the end, he decided to stuff his rod into Su Han's hands too simply, "You do it. I'll stop being a bother."
After saying this, he gave up on his spot by the lake and decided to go to one side, splitting the catch.
Su Han spared a glance in his direction and found that He was still pretty generous. He left all the fat fishes in her bucket, only taking those skinnier fishes.
Amidst the gentle breeze, Su Han placed the two fishing rods in front of her, occasionally tugging at it, and reeled the line in, very satisfied.
The other people around her would occasionally get a catch. However, they were too embarrassed to shout happily now— the fellow who'd caught nearly ten fish is sitting right beside them with a calm expression. They've only caught one fish. What was there to be excited about?
At around 4.30 pm, hearing that someone here had a bountiful harvest, the public quickly hurried over to make their purchases.
"I would like a grass carp, are you willing to exchange it for four bags of instant noodles?"
"I need a crucian carp for soup, how does 1.5 kg of grain for the carp sound like?"
"I need a crucian carp too. I'll exchange it with 1 kg of tofu, is that okay?"
Su Han glanced at the metal bucket and found that there were exactly five fish inside. And so she decided to ask He to help her exchange it for instant noodles.
He softly advised her, "Ignore them. You can exchange for more in the black market!"
Su Han also lowered her voice as she replied, "Do you really think we'd be able to go back holding five fishes each?"
Old He stopped talking. He'd heard the story of how a fishing buddy of his managed to catch a fish after much difficulty but lost it during a robbery on the way home. That was already considered lucky because at least he got out of it unharmed. Some unlucky people accidentally fell over and were unable to move for a week.
Ah, the world is so dangerous nowadays. If he had to lay on the bed for a week, wouldn't his family starve to death? At the thought of that, he, too, started having thoughts about exchanging.
He didn't think of that just now because he had never had such blissful worries previously. He usually went back home with an empty bucket.
Su Han continued fishing as He started striking up conversations with people like a social butterfly. "No no, one kg of tofu can't even get me full. Add something else."
"1.5 kg is too little, I'll change it for 2 kg. You don't have 2 kg? Hah, are you kidding me? How could someone who can bear to eat the crucian carp be poor?"
"You have shampoo? I'll change! Take these two fishes!"
He was originally not someone who liked to bargain with others. However, thinking of how he would bring more things back to his granddaughter, he instantly felt himself filled up with an endless amount of energy!
As for Su Han's five fishes, they changed for 12 bags of instant noodles and 4 bars of soap.
And then Su Han found with great surprise that families with substantial amounts of resources were living pretty well; at least they weren't at the end of their limits. However, if the pernicious inflation continued, no one knew how things would be like then.
Managing to exchange for quite a bit of food and necessities, He was delighted.
Su Han couldn't resist shooting him a look and then calmly uttered, "Wow, luck sure is pretty good today, I actually managed to catch 11 fishes. What about cooking hotpot so that everybody gets to have some?"
He was about to say that no one had ever made soup for him after catching a fish. However, suddenly recalling something, he instantly changed the words about to come out of his mouth. "It's a must, it's a must."
The next moment, he revealed a troubled expression, "But we have neither a pot nor firewood, we can't cook it."
Immediately, people were giving him helpful suggestions. "We can go look for the homeless people who live in the park for a pot."
"Not just a pot, there's a stove here too!"
"Get some condiments too."
The moment many fishers with average skills heard there was fish soup to be had, they stopped fishing and started to help make preparations for the hotpot.
When the fish soup started cooking, that fragrance! It wafted more than ten meters away!
Some people instantly could not resist walking over to hurry. "It smells fantastic, quick, let me take a sip!
A lot of people started crowding around the pot. A long time later, there was finally a good person remembering the fish owner, "Old He, you guys want to come try some too?"
When those people turned around, they were dumbfounded. Old He and the lady wearing backpacks had already left.
Old Ding sneered, "If they don't leave now, will they get a chance to later? You really take them for an idiot?"
Everyone fell silent.