Li Jianguo hurried off. He had been holding it in for a while—his bladder was about to burst.
But failing to catch a single fish had left him equally frustrated.
In the end, nature won.
Old Yang glanced at Lu Ping’an. Though his expression remained calm, Lu Ping’an could clearly sense the deep doubt in his eyes.
Lu Ping’an chuckled inwardly.
Just wait—I’ll shock you speechless.
He took out the bait soaked in Spirit Spring water, hooked it casually, and flicked the line into the water.
“Xiao Lu, fishing is an art,” Old Yang said with a smile. “There’s technique to casting the line. You can’t just—”
He abruptly stopped mid-sentence.
Lu Ping’an’s fishing rod suddenly bent sharply downward!
Lu Ping’an immediately braced himself and began reeling in. Within moments, a large fish broke through the water’s surface.
“Holy—! That fish has to be over ten jin!”
Someone exclaimed in shock, staring at Lu Ping’an enviously.
Old Yang was equally stunned. He had fished for years and had never caught one that big.
Must be luck. The fish just happened to swim there. Pure dumb luck, he comforted himself, though his face felt burning hot.
He had just been about to show off—
And got slapped in the face instead.
Thankfully, no one seemed to notice his earlier boasting.
Soon, a grass carp weighing over ten jin was dragged ashore. A crowd quickly gathered.
Everyone thought Lu Ping’an’s luck was unbelievable.
“Young man, you’ve hit the jackpot! That fish could feed a family for days!”
“Exactly! Slice it up, dry it, and it’d make great drinking snacks!”
“Old Yan, living well these days, huh? Still drinking daily?”
Laughter and chatter filled the air. Those who had planned to leave changed their minds.
Maybe they’d catch a big one too.
What they didn’t know was that Lu Ping’an had already quietly stored seven or eight fish of similar size into his Spirit Spring Space earlier.
After placing the fish into his bucket, he secretly dripped in a few drops of Spirit Spring water to keep it alive.
The single fish already filled nearly half the bucket, its tail sticking out conspicuously—making Old Yang even more sour.
“Old Yang, what were you saying earlier?” Lu Ping’an asked innocently.
Old Yang coughed repeatedly to mask his embarrassment.
“Xiao Lu, fishing takes more than luck,” he said solemnly. “As the saying goes, if you don’t chum the water, you’ll waste your effort. You have to attract the fish first!”
“And casting distance matters. You should throw farther out.”
“You cast too close just now. There’s no way you’ll—”
He choked again.
Lu Ping’an had hooked another fish.
And judging by how deeply the rod bent, this one was even bigger.
Old Yang’s face felt like it was on fire.
Luck. Just luck. A coincidence, he reassured himself, though his hands trembled slightly on his rod.
The crowd surged forward again.
When Lu Ping’an hauled up a carp weighing at least sixteen or seventeen jin, the lakeside erupted.
“How can a carp get that big? Has it become a spirit or something?!”
“I’ve fished for decades and never seen anyone catch a carp that size!”
“Young brother, teach me your method!”
Voices overlapped until they formed one question:
How did he do it?
Lu Ping’an answered with a straight face, “It’s all thanks to Old Yang. He just taught me everything.”
“If you want advice, ask him. I’m sure he’ll share everything he knows.”
He laughed inwardly.
You started showing off first—don’t blame me for roasting you now.
Old Yang’s face turned green, then white, like a dye shop in chaos.
Everyone here knew everyone else. Showing off to strangers was one thing.
But trying to fake expertise here?
That was asking to be humiliated.
Most didn’t believe Lu Ping’an anyway. They assumed he was just being polite.
Their eyes shifted to his bait.
Must be the bait.
But none dared to ask for some, so they reluctantly stepped back.
After placing the giant carp into the bucket—now nearly full—Lu Ping’an re-baited his hook.
“Old Yang, you said I should chum first and cast far, right?”
“This time, I’ll throw it as far as I can.”
He smiled obediently, like a model student.
But inside, he was grinning.
Let’s see how long you can hold out, old man.
He took a generous portion of the bait Li Jianguo had prepared and scattered it far into the water.
Old Yang forced an awkward smile.
“Good, good. Fishing requires study. Preparation is key.”
“As the saying goes, sharpening the axe won’t delay chopping wood.”
“Chumming is only the first step. It doesn’t guarantee you’ll—”
He went silent again.
Lu Ping’an’s hook had barely hit the water before a fish bit instantly.
Old Yang stared viciously at the water.
Another massive fish surfaced.
Even if it wasn’t ten jin, it was easily seven or eight.
Without hesitation, Old Yang packed up his gear.
Before Lu Ping’an even finished hauling the fish ashore—
He fled.
His face burned in humiliation.
Three attempts to lecture.
Three public slaps to the face.
His spirit had suffered irreparable damage.
Meanwhile, Li Jianguo finally finished relieving himself.
When he saw a large crowd gathered where he had been fishing, his heart nearly stopped.
His first thought:
Did my nephew fall into the lake?!
His legs nearly gave out.
If anything had happened to the boy, he wouldn’t dare imagine the consequences.
“Excuse me! Let me through!”
Panic-stricken, he shoved through the crowd.