Lin Dayong secretly chuckled and quickly picked up his daughter. “What are you looking for me for?”
As he spoke, he wiped Ruanruan’s tears and asked gently.
Even though he knew the little girl was pretending, seeing her red, aggrieved-looking eyes still made his heart tighten.
Ruanruan chewed her candy, then stuffed another piece into Lin Dayong’s mouth. She grinned, her eyes still red, and eagerly begged,
“I want to go fishing by the sea. Dad, can you take me? I heard people in the village say the seaside is really fun. I’ve never seen it before.”
When Su Ting heard the words seaside, her eyelids twitched.
Ruanruan’s biological mother had drowned on the island.
Before she could speak, Ruanruan blinked her big red eyes at her, pouting pitifully. “Auntie~ can you let Dad go with me?”
Su Ting’s temples started throbbing again.
Afraid the troublesome girl would start something again, she quickly said, “Go, go, go! Let your dad take you!”
After thinking for a moment, her eyes shifted, and she added, “Xiaomei will go too!”
Xiaomei was the daughter she had brought with her—Ruanruan’s stepsister.
“Okay!” Ruanruan was easy to talk to.
What else could Su Ting say? As soon as they left, she gritted her teeth and went to buy pig trotters.
On the way to the seaside.
Lin Dayong deliberately slowed his pace, avoiding Su Xiaomei, and quietly asked his daughter, “Why didn’t you follow what Dad taught you just now?”
What he had taught her was to throw a big tantrum whenever something didn’t go her way—preferably the kind where she’d climb onto the roof, smash pots, and kick beds.
Ruanruan blinked.
Of course she wouldn’t tell her cheap father that she didn’t trust him and was afraid he’d treat her as part of the games between him and her stepmother.
She was still waiting to avenge her pitiful mother!
Tilting her head, she said innocently, “I think stepmom looks scary. I was afraid if I made too much trouble, she’d cause problems for Dad. Ruanruan doesn’t want Dad to have a hard time.”
The little girl leaned her head on Lin Dayong’s shoulder, the two tiny buns on her head bobbing.
But her mind had already drifted to the seaside.
Lin Dayong’s eyes grew moist. He rubbed his daughter’s head with his big hand. “Silly girl!”
He thought his daughter’s personality was too gentle—just like his former wife, obedient and sensible.
He hadn’t been able to protect his wife, but this time he would definitely protect his daughter.
Ruanruan secretly covered her mouth and laughed.
Silly dad! You got outplayed~
When they arrived at the seaside.
Ruanruan dashed off like an excited puppy, carrying the small bucket Lin Dayong had brought for her.
“Dad, you can go back now! Just come pick me up later!”
Don’t follow behind her—it would affect her performance.
Lin Dayong snorted irritably. What an ungrateful little brat, tossing him aside after using him.
Just as well—he still had some official business to deal with, so he didn’t dwell on it and went back.
Su Xiaomei timidly followed behind like a little tag-along.
She looked at Ruanruan and her father with a hint of envy.
Her own father favored sons over daughters, and her mother had divorced her former husband because she had given birth to a girl, so she had never liked her very much.
Ruanruan ignored her and played by herself.
[Ding!]
[Host detected at the seaside. Would you like to use the upgrade gift pack?]
Ruanruan was delighted and silently replied in her mind, Use it, use it, use it!
[Congratulations, Host! You have obtained: a fishing rod that never returns empty x1, bait x10!]
She happily prepared to start fishing.
Suddenly, a little girl with horn braids and a floral dress rushed over, pushed her, and pulled Su Xiaomei aside while glaring fiercely at her.
“Xiaomei! Did she bully you? I heard Auntie say your stepsister is really fierce. She must have bullied you!”
Several half-grown kids followed behind her.
Ruanruan blinked her big eyes innocently.
“N-no…” Su Xiaomei explained softly. “Cousin, she didn’t bully me.”
Su Xiaomei’s cousin—the girl who had just spoken, Liu Qianqian—didn’t believe it.
“Your eyes are red. If she didn’t bully you, who did?”
“Hey! Apologize to Xiaomei!” She pushed Ruanruan again.
Even the most patient person would get annoyed.
And Ruanruan, as a lucky koi, had never suffered injustice before.
“Smack!”
She slapped the other girl’s hand away and looked at her coldly with her chubby little face. “Can’t you see I’m fishing?”
Try touching her again and she’d knock her down! Hmph!
Liu Qianqian laughed angrily and pointed at Ruanruan’s bucket mockingly.
“You think you can catch fish? Dream on!”
Ruanruan couldn’t be bothered with her and rolled her eyes.
Slowly, she took out the bait she had exchanged from the system and hooked it onto the line.
Under the astonished gazes of the children, she skillfully cast the fishing rod. In less than three minutes, she caught a lively large yellow croaker.
At the same time—
[Ding! Congratulations, Host! You caught a large yellow croaker. Points +10!]
“Wow!”
The children around her were amazed and gathered around.
Liu Qianqian’s expression darkened. She scoffed, “Just lucky…”
Ruanruan calmly cast the line again and caught several more fish in succession.
Before long, her little bucket was already half full.
[Ding! Congratulations, Host! You caught a sea crucian carp. Points +10!]
[Ding! Congratulations, Host! You caught a blackfish. Points +10!]
[Ding! Congratulations, Host! You caught a sea bass. Points +10!]
…
In just over ten minutes, her points skyrocketed to 70!
The children exclaimed in amazement.
Even Liu Qianqian, who had originally been hostile toward her, was stunned.
“Hmph!”
Embarrassed and annoyed, she grabbed Su Xiaomei and turned to leave. “What’s so great about it! Let’s not play with someone who likes to show off. Country bumpkin!”
Ruanruan shrugged and ignored her.
Right now, her mind was filled with the tempting seasonings and snacks in the system shop. She had no time to care about such petty provocations.
Soon the bait ran out, but the system prompt said she still needed two more fish to unlock the shop.
Ruanruan rolled her eyes and looked at the children watching.
“Can someone find me some bait?” she asked sweetly with a smile. “I can trade fish for it!”
The children looked at each other.
At that moment, a sturdy little boy with a tiger-like head who looked quite cute stepped forward.
“M-my dad works at the supply and marketing cooperative. We have bait at home!”
Ruanruan’s eyes lit up, and she praised him in her soft childish voice,
“Really? Big brother, you’re amazing! If you can help me find bait, I can give you a few more fish~”
Who wouldn’t love an adorable little sister?
The praised boy, Chen Zihao, blushed and ran home.
Not long after, he came back panting, holding a cloth bundle.
“H-here you go!”
Ruanruan opened it and was shocked.
So much!
This wasn’t just “a little” bait—it was clearly all the bait the cooperative had in stock!
She could practically picture Chen Zihao’s father chasing him around the yard with a broom.
“Big brother…” Ruanruan swallowed and carefully asked, “You took this much… does your dad know?”
Chen Zihao scratched his head and smiled honestly. “It’s fine! My dad dotes on me the most!”
Ruanruan silently worried about his backside for three seconds before using the bait without hesitation.
Soon, fish were biting again!
[Congratulations, Host! You have unlocked the Intermediate Shop—]