“Mm, it’s even bigger than the last one!” Although she had not caught it herself, Li Lizhi was still delighted.
Xiao Ran removed the fishhook and hefted it. “A little over three pounds.”
“Woof, woof, woof!” Seeing the big fish, the Samoyed began barking as well.
“Big fishy~”
Xiao Ran put the fish into the bucket and looked at the little princess. “Young lady, do you like eating fish?”
The little princess nodded, then shook her head.
“Hmm?” Xiao Ran did not quite understand. “Do you like it or not?”
“I like it~” The little princess looked at the large carp. “Fishies have bones~ They’ll poke me~”
The little princess spoke very seriously, which made her look rather comically adorable.
Xiao Ran laughed as well. There really was some risk when children of this age ate fish. Not to mention children—even adults could get fish bones stuck in their throats.
“Young master’s skill in landing fish is as effortless as a butcher carving an ox,” Li Lizhi remarked. She had seen Li Shimin fishing before, and more than once.
It had never looked this easy for Xiao Ran.
“I was just lucky. It’s nothing special.” Xiao Ran sat down, attached more bait, and continued casting.
The bite was good right now, so he had to make the most of it. An opportunity like this was rare; once it was missed, it would be gone.
Li Lizhi looked at the bait in front of Xiao Ran and grew increasingly curious about him.
“Father and uncle arrived before young master. Father still has nothing, while young master has already caught so many fish. How can you call it luck?”
Xiao Ran looked toward the place where Li Shimin and the Others were. The three men still had not caught anything.
Watching Xiao Ran continuously pull up big fish was even more painful than getting skunked themselves.
“Perhaps the fishing rod and bait are different. The fish here like the bait I brought. Also, the positions chosen by the three uncles may not be very good.”
Having found a topic, Li Lizhi continued the conversation. “Is there actually knowledge involved in choosing a fishing spot? I must admit my ignorance.”
Li Lizhi truly had not known.
“As the saying goes, ‘In spring, fish the shallows; in summer, fish the deep pools; in autumn, fish the shade; in winter, fish the sun.’” Xiao Ran glanced toward the direction of Li Shimin and the other two. “That side is deep water, suitable for fishing in the hot summer. It’s clearly not very suitable right now.”
Li Lizhi suddenly understood. She had not expected there to be so many rules to it.
Zhang Anan, standing nearby, silently memorized Xiao Ran’s words as well.
“Fish deep in summer and at noon in winter; in spring and autumn, fish the edges early. Fish the edges in the morning and evening, and fish farther out at noon; fish close in the morning, shallow in the evening, and the middle at midnight.”
“Fish the corners of square ponds, the middle of long ones, and the center of round ones; in irregular ponds, fish the depressions. Fish the narrow parts of wide areas and the wide parts of narrow areas. Where deep and shallow water meet, hidden immortals may lurk.”
“Fish before the wind and after the rain. With a southwest wind, fish both ends; with a northeast wind, the basket will be full.”
“At the head of a bridge or the stern of a boat, you’ll never regret casting; fish linger at inlets, and the area beside drainage stations holds a feast of fish.”
Li Lizhi carefully pondered Xiao Ran’s words, then looked over the position of the fishpond.
According to what Xiao Ran had said, his spot really was the best fishing spot for this season.
Li Lizhi looked again at the positions of Li Shimin and the others, immediately understanding why they still had not caught anything.
“Young master truly is a divine man. I have learned much!” Xiao Ran’s words left Li Lizhi awed despite not understanding why.
Xiao Ran had a very good impression of the Li Lizhi sisters. Li Lizhi gave off an air of learning, reason, dignity, and elegance.
“Ah, another one!” Xiao Ran hurriedly stood and pulled on the line.
Without Xiao Ran needing to say anything, Li Lizhi reached for the landing net. She turned to look at Zhang Anan and gave him a meaningful glance.
Zhang Anan instantly understood Li Lizhi’s meaning, turned around, and quickly walked away.
“Woof, woof, woof!” As Xiao Ran’s little companion, doggie was providing maximum emotional support.
“It’s another Big Fishy~” The little princess watched the water’s surface. “Little Gentleman is sooo amazing~”
When Xiao Ran pulled the fish to shore, Li Lizhi used the landing net to bring it up onto the bank.
Zhang Anan returned to Li Shimin’s side. “Your majesty!”
“Why have you returned? Did you discover anything unusual?”
“Your majesty, although his clothing and appearance do not resemble those of someone from the Central Plains, his features and speech are similar to those of the Han Chinese.”
“He looks like a young man and appears very amiable, not like a vicious criminal.” Zhang Anan was certain of this.
“The young man’s fishing rod is very unusual. I have never seen bait like his either, and he seems to possess considerable knowledge about fishing.”
Zhang Anan repeated the fishing maxims Xiao Ran had mentioned earlier for Li Shimin and the others to hear.
“Oh! Then our spot is suitable for summer!” Cheng Yaojin realized it as well.
“How interesting!” Li Shimin stood up. “Since that side is a good place, why don’t we go over and join in the fun?”
Xiao Ran had already caught several big fish in a row, making Li Shimin and the others desperately eager to try.
Qin Qiong and Cheng Yaojin hurried after him with their fishing rods.
Zhang Anan picked up Li Shimin’s stool and followed close behind.
When he saw Li Shimin and the others approaching, Xiao Ran stopped fishing.
If those men had come over directly earlier, Xiao Ran would have been somewhat wary. But since Li Lizhi and the little princess had already approached and interacted with him, he was no longer worried that Li Shimin and the others would try to harm him.
Li Shimin strode at the front, his general’s belly thrust forward and one hand tucked into his belt.
When Xiao Ran saw Li Lizhi, he had at least assumed they were from an affluent family. Seeing Li Shimin’s bearing, Xiao Ran realized that this family had not only money but also power and influence.
Ordinary people did not possess such an aura.
As they drew closer, Xiao Ran got a clear look at Li Shimin’s face. He had a high nose bridge and the appearance of a handsome mixed-race man.
The other two men were also burly, with extraordinary bearing.
They all seemed far from ordinary.
“Hahaha!” Li Shimin burst out laughing. “We arrived first, yet still have nothing to show for it, while young master has already made a considerable catch. How embarrassing!”
“Anan says that young master is an expert angler. I would like to ask for some guidance.”
Xiao Ran gave an awkward smile. “I wouldn’t call myself an expert. I was merely lucky.”
Although he felt rather proud inside, he remained humble in words.
The little princess walked up to Li Shimin and tugged at him. “Father~ Little Gentleman is sooo amazing~”
She held up five fingers and said, “Little Gentleman has three fishies~”
“Sizi, it isn’t three; it’s four!” Li Lizhi could only laugh and cry at the same time.
Only then did Xiao Ran learn the name of this adorable little girl.
“Hahaha! Young master’s fishing spot truly seems to have claimed the spiritual energy of heaven and earth. The three of us guarded that deep pool for half a day without catching a thing. Would it be all right if we watched from nearby?”
Although he was an emperor, Li Shimin was still very courteous.
“Uncle, this place isn’t mine. Please feel free.” Xiao Ran thought to himself, With four enormous men like you, how could I refuse?
“Good. We’ll trouble you, then, and learn a thing or two.” Li Shimin pointed to a spot not far away, and Zhang Anan set down the stool.
Cheng Yaojin and Qin Qiong looked at Xiao Ran and nodded with smiles, counting it as a greeting.
Doggie was somewhat afraid of Li Shimin and did not dare approach.
The three men did not hurry to start fishing. Instead, they examined xiao ran’s fishing rod, bait, and other equipment.
They truly had never seen anything like them.
Xiao Ran attached the bait and cast the fishing rod out again.
As the fishhook flew out, the fishing reel began spinning rapidly.
Compared with the bamboo fishing rods, the one in Xiao Ran’s hands was far more refined.
It could even be said that the two were completely incomparable.