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Wang Xiaohe listened coldly to the villagers' discussion from the side. When their voices quieted, he said to the sweating Liu Qingsong, "Our Locust Tree Production Team has guests today, and we need good dishes to entertain them. Is that large grass carp of yours for sale?"
"If it's for sale, I'll go home and get the scale."
This was clearly a scheme aimed at Liu Qingsong.
As long as the large grass carp was in his hands, he could then squeeze Liu Qingsong however he pleased.
But Liu Qingsong was no longer the man he had been. He put the large grass carp in the Fish Keepnet, shot Wang Xiaohe a sidelong glance, and said, "What does it matter to me if the production team has guests? I'm not the team leader. If you've got nothing better to do, go cool off somewhere else and stop bothering me while I fish."
"You... you!" Wang Xiaohe was so choked up by that retort he couldn't get a word out.
"You what? Don't tell me you're planning to force a sale!" Liu Qingsong shot back.
"Who said I'm planning to force a sale?" Seeing Tao Guoqing eyeing him with suspicion, Wang Xiaohe immediately grew flustered. "I'm paying with cash, cash, you understand?"
"I understand, I understand! But sorry, this fish isn't for sale today." Liu Qingsong sat on his small stool, threaded Bait onto his hook, and ignored Wang Xiaohe.
Wang Xiaohe ground his teeth, but he didn't dare lose his temper with Tao Guoqing still there.
If things blew up in the end, he'd likely be the one left holding the bag.
So for now, besides holding back, he also had to stay calm.
Once Tao Guoqing left with his granddaughter, Wang Xiaohe was sure he could deal with Liu Qingsong with a single word.
Liu Qingsong could easily guess the petty thoughts running through a man like that.
He glanced over at the little rascal, who was chatting and laughing with Little Mochi, Little Sister, and Pangdun, having become fast friends with them in no time. After a moment's pause, an idea came to him. "Little Mochi, are you hungry?"
"I'm a little hungry!" Little Mochi answered honestly.
"Then how about we fish a bit longer and then head back to eat?" Liu Qingsong asked.
"All right." Little Mochi nodded, then looked hesitantly at the little rascal. "Where do you live? I need to go home to eat soon, so I can't keep fishing with you."
"My home is far from here!" the little rascal replied, looking downcast. "How about... how about I go home with you to eat, then come back to the riverside to fish?"
"Ahem, ahem..." Tao Guoqing cleared his throat.
He had no objection to her playing.
But eating at their home was another matter.
He knew the villagers of the Locust Tree Production Team weren't well-off, and they hadn't prepared food for him or the little rascal. If they went anyway, the villagers would surely gossip.
And yet—
Little Mochi agreed. "Sure! Come with me to my Maternal Uncle's House to eat, and then I'll go with you to the riverside to fish. Let me tell you, my uncle's Spicy Diaozi Fish is delicious. Once you try it, you'll want more."
"Really?" The little rascal bit her index finger.
"Of course it's true!" Little Mochi confirmed.
Hearing this, Tao Guoqing's head was throbbing.
Wang Xiaohe's face darkened too.
But he couldn't say much about it.
After all, even a fool could see that the little rascal wouldn't listen to him.
To keep things from spiraling out of control, he turned to Liu Qingsong. "Your Niece doesn't understand manners, but surely you do. If the little rascal goes to your house to eat today, Elder Tao and the others will have to go too. Can your household afford to host them?"
"That's not something you need to worry about. Everyone except you can afford a meal at my house," Liu Qingsong replied coldly.
"That's right, that's right, who do you think you're looking down on?" Little Sister chimed in.
"My uncle's house has tons of good stuff to eat." Little Mochi tilted her little head and couldn't resist adding.
"You..." Wang Xiaohe clenched his fists, then relaxed them.
After all, Tao Jianguo was right there, and he couldn't afford to act up.
Wang Xiaohe's humiliation made Liu Qingsong smile. When the Fishing Float sank below the river's surface, Liu Qingsong lifted the rod. It was a Wild Diaozi Fish, which he unhooked and placed in the Fish Keepnet.
Over on Little Sister's side, a fish soon took the bait as well.
This time it was a River Carp.
It looked to be about four or five jin.
The sudden pull from its struggling nearly dragged Little Sister right into the river.
Fortunately, Tao Guoqing and the two young men beside him reacted in time and held her back. Otherwise, the consequences would have been unthinkable.
But Wang Xiaohe practically wished the River Carp had dragged Little Sister into the water, because then he could have used it as an excuse to persuade Tao Guoqing and the little rascal to leave the riverside and go home.
Unfortunately for him, Little Sister didn't fall into the river—instead, with Tao Guoqing's help, she managed to reel the River Carp up onto the bank.
The sight infuriated Wang Xiaohe, but he had to pretend to be delighted. He was about to flatter Tao Guoqing when Little Mochi beside him lifted her Fishing Rod.
The fish she caught wasn't big, a River Crucian Carp weighing about seven or eight liang.
Seeing this, the little rascal cheered and clapped her little hands. "Big sister, you're amazing! You caught another one."
"If only my grandpa were as amazing as you, then he wouldn't get scolded by grandma."
Tao Guoqing: "..."
Wang Xiaohe: "..."
Why did this little rascal always have a knack for bringing up exactly the wrong thing?
Liu Qingsong, Little Sister, Little Mochi, and Pangdun burst out laughing.
The little rascal laughed along too, looking sheepish.
Tao Guoqing's face darkened at the laughter.
Wang Xiaohe's head throbbed at the laughter too.
After all, if Tao Guoqing lost face in front of Liu Qingsong and the others, Wang Xiaohe lost face too.
At a loss for what to do, Wang Xiaohe saw short, stout Wang Jiahe appear on the winding mountain path in the southeastern area, accompanied by limping Liu Delei.
For some reason, Wang Jiahe dragged Liu Delei along, and Liu Delei seemed unwilling to come to the riverside.
Yet in his eyes there was also a deep fear of Wang Jiahe. Upon spotting Wang Xiaohe and Liu Qingsong by the river, he stopped in his tracks altogether.
Wang Jiahe burned with anger. "Old Man Naji, what's the matter with you? Aren't you usually capable back at the production team? Why are you so frightened this time when I sent you to the riverside to chase off Liu Qingsong and Liu Hongxia?"
"I... I'm not afraid of Liu Qingsong and the others, it's that Elder Tao is right there next to him!" Liu Delei stammered out an explanation.
But in truth, he wasn't afraid of Tao Guoqing at all.
He was afraid of Liu Qingsong.
As for the reason—
He had tried to sneak into Liu Qingsong's house the night before to steal something, only to get slashed for his trouble.
"Is that so?" Wang Jiahe looked toward the riverbank. Tao Guoqing was sitting there fishing with Liu Qingsong, his granddaughter the little rascal beside him. They were chatting and laughing. Wang Jiahe rubbed his eyes.
He looked again.
It wasn't a dream.
Wang Jiahe clutched his forehead, feeling like he wanted to die.
He couldn't figure it out either—in such a short span of time, how had this Liu Qingsong come to know Tao Guoqing?
But with things having come to this point, there was nothing he could do now. Seeing Wang Xiaohe waving him over, he dragged Liu Delei along and walked over.
"Uncle, that big bad guy is back again!" Upon spotting Liu Delei, Little Mochi couldn't help whispering a warning to Liu Qingsong.
"Is that so?" Liu Qingsong turned to look.
Liu Delei's eyes darted away, and he avoided Liu Qingsong's gaze. Liu Qingsong handed his Fishing Rod to Tao Guoqing, walked over with a smile, and said, "Uncle, what brings you to the riverside?"
"Huh?" Liu Delei froze.
Had he heard that right?
Liu Qingsong had called him uncle?
Just as he was starting to think he'd misheard—
Liu Qingsong stepped forward, reached out, and slapped the injured arm. "Huh what? I'm saying hello!"
……