Chapter 111: Forget Fishing, Let’s Head Back to the Village

The father and son sat in the shade of a tree. Lin Heng leaned against the trunk, chewing on a blade of grass as he gazed at the sky.

“It’s so blue.”

Lin Heng sighed, taking in the harmonious scene of the blue sky, green trees, clear water, and the sounds of birds and cicadas.

Xiong Ba, having eaten his fill that morning, lay beside Lin Heng, belly up, sleeping peacefully.

The dead grouse had started to stink, so they cooked it in the morning and fed it to Xiong Ba. Now, the dog was very content.

“Aren’t you watching the fishing rod? What if you catch something?” Lin’s father asked.

Lin Heng turned to look. Even while talking to him, his father’s eyes were fixed on the fishing rod. Truly dedicated.

He couldn’t help but laugh. “Dad, you don’t have to be so serious. It’s not that easy to catch a fish. Relax, enjoy the sky.”

“There’s nothing much to see in the sky. I’ll stick to watching the water.” Lin’s father shook his head, uninterested in the sky.

Lin Heng sighed helplessly and patted the sleeping Xiong Ba. The dog stuck out its tongue to lick his hand, peeked through half-open eyes, and then dozed off again.

“Fish on!”

Suddenly, Lin’s father leapt up, ran over, and yanked the fishing rod.

Splash!

A fish was forcibly dragged out of the water and landed behind him, coming to rest in front of Lin Heng.

Lin Heng: “…”

“Dad, that’s not how you fish. You’ll tear the fish’s mouth. Even if you don’t, you’ll break the line or rod.” He was speechless.

Lin’s father didn’t care. He picked up the one-pound catfish and grinned. “You know, fishing is actually pretty fun.”

“Woof woof!”

Xiong Ba jumped up, wagging his tail, clearly wanting to eat the fish.

But Lin’s father wasn’t willing. He dug a small pool nearby and placed the fish in it.

Patting Xiong Ba’s head, he said with a smile, “If I catch a five-pounder, this one’s yours.”

“Woof woof!” Xiong Ba happily nuzzled Lin’s father.

“I’ll catch a big one for you soon,” Lin Heng said casually.

Xiong Ba believed him and lay down in front of Lin Heng, watching his fishing rod expectantly.

Lin’s father baited the hook with pork liver and cast the line.

Within three minutes, he shouted again, “Another one!”

He rushed over, grabbed the rod, and pulled up another catfish. It was slightly bigger this time, but still forcefully dragged ashore.

Lin Heng shook his head helplessly, thinking, Is this the beginner’s luck everyone talks about?

Luckily, his father used nylon fishing line. If it were cotton, it would’ve snapped by now.

“About two pounds, right?” Lin’s father showed off the fish, grinning ear to ear.

“Not bad,” Lin Heng said with a smile.

“Woof woof!” Xiong Ba placed a paw on Lin Heng’s leg, eyes questioning.

It was as if the dog were asking, Where’s my fish, master?

“Don’t worry, the fish will come. Patience is key; rushing leads to failure.” Lin Heng smiled and patted Xiong Ba’s smooth, round head.

The dog looked at him, then lay down again.

By the time Lin’s father pulled up his third fish, a three- to four-pound catfish, Xiong Ba had silently crawled over to his side, wagging its tail.

Lin Heng: “…”

Lin’s father placed the fish down, patted Xiong Ba, and looked at Lin Heng with a smile. “Son, you’re good at hunting, but your fishing skills seem lacking.”

Lin Heng: “…”

“How is it that I haven’t caught anything? Is the bait gone?” Lin Heng muttered, feeling challenged. As an experienced angler, how could he lose to a beginner?

He walked over, pulled up the rod, and saw the soggy pork liver still hanging there.

“How strange,” Lin Heng muttered. He replaced it with a fresh piece and cast the line again.

Ten minutes later, Lin’s father caught another small catfish. He placed it down and comforted Lin Heng, saying, “Fishing is odd. We’re sitting so close, but I keep catching fish, and you haven’t caught any.”

Lin Heng: “…”

“Dad, do you know what catfish whiskers are for?” Lin Heng suddenly asked with a smile.

“What are they for?” Lin’s father genuinely didn’t know.

Lin Heng explained with a smirk, “Catfish use taste to hunt. Their bodies have around 100,000 taste receptors. Their whiskers are specialized sensory organs covered with taste buds. This lets them detect prey’s scent from far away, even in a 360-degree range.”

Lin’s father didn’t quite understand but was impressed. “Son, you’re amazing. You know so much about fishing. So why aren’t you catching anything?”

Lin Heng: “…”

He could tell his father was genuinely curious, but the question still stung.

“I think it’s because catfish are more sensitive to acidic tastes. Live worms are better. When they struggle in the water, they release carbon dioxide, which forms carbonic acid, attracting catfish.”

Lin Heng analyzed thoughtfully. He turned over a couple of stones, found a ten-centimeter-long dark worm, and grabbed it as it squirmed.

“This time, for sure.”

Lin Heng pulled up his rod, removed the pork liver, and replaced it with the plump worm. Then, he cast it back into the water.

“Hey, son, I’ve got my fourth fish!” Lin’s father shouted gleefully, pulling up another pound-sized catfish.

“Woof woof!” Xiong Ba wagged its tail, adoringly looking at Lin’s father.

“Haha, I’ll bring this one back for you to eat,” Lin’s father said, patting the dog’s head.

“Don’t worry, I’ll catch one soon,” Lin Heng said optimistically.

“Eh, no matter how many I catch, it’s still nothing compared to you hunting a wild boar,” Lin’s father joked. He glanced at the sky. “The sun’s getting hot. Let’s go pick mushrooms.”

“Alright.”

Lin Heng had lost interest in the clear blue sky and spat out the blade of grass in his mouth. His eyes stayed fixed on the tip of his rod, focused on the water.

As time passed, the morning coolness disappeared. The ground steamed with rising heat, and the cicadas grew louder and more annoying.

Lin’s father caught one more half-pound catfish, then sat back. Lin Heng’s rod remained still.

“Let’s pack up and head back,” Lin’s father said cheerfully.

“Dad, you pack up first. I’ll wait a little longer,” Lin Heng said stubbornly. How could I go home empty-handed? Did my luck really run out?

“Alright then.”

Lin’s father began packing the fish. Just as he was about to collect the rods, Lin Heng suddenly dashed forward and grabbed his own rod.

As soon as he pulled it up, he felt as if he were hooked to the earth itself.

Just when Lin Heng thought he’d snagged the bottom, a tremendous force yanked the line outward, bending the rod into an arc.

“A big one! It’s definitely a big one!” Lin Heng couldn’t hide his excitement as the nylon line creaked under tension.

“That’s huge! Need help?” Lin’s father shouted excitedly, scrambling nearby.

“It’s fine. I’ll tire it out.” Lin Heng grinned, revealing his back teeth. “See? I was right about the live worm.”

As a seasoned angler, Lin Heng wasn’t as impatient as his father. He carefully pulled and released, wearing out the fish’s strength.

After ten minutes of this battle, the fish finally tired. Lin Heng heaved it out of the water.

But when they saw it, all three—father, son, and dog—froze in shock.

“A giant turtle? It’s not even a fish!”

Lin Heng: “…”

Damn it, after all that fuss, it’s a turtle?!

“Son, that’s impressive,” Lin’s father said, giving a thumbs-up.

“Not bad,” Lin Heng laughed awkwardly. While it wasn’t a fish, a turtle this size was still valuable.

They pulled it ashore. Though not as big as the one they’d found in Baishi Creek, it still weighed a good six or seven pounds.

“This turtle’s worth it. Easily six or seven pounds,” Lin’s father said with satisfaction.

Lin Heng looked at the nylon line and checked the hook. Fortunately, it hadn’t swallowed the hook but was just pierced through its jaw.

“Good thing, Dad, you helped remove the fishhook, it can still survive.”

Lin Heng grabbed the turtle’s legs with one hand and its neck with the other, while Father Lin carefully worked on removing the fishhook, which took some effort.

“This turtle must be over ten years old,” Lin Heng observed, showing it to Father Lin before tossing it into a snakeskin bag.

“Absolutely, it’s an old turtle, worth as much as a white softshell turtle. Even though you didn’t catch fish, you earned more than me catching five!” Father Lin patted Lin Heng’s shoulder happily.

Lin Heng: “…”

After packing up, the two men and a dog left together, chatting and laughing.

Back at the camp, eldest brother Lin Yue hadn’t returned yet, and Lin Wei was playing by the stream, catching fish.

Seeing the two return, Lin Wei excitedly ran over. “Grandpa, Second Uncle, did you catch anything?”

“Of course, no big game, but we caught catfish, and your second uncle even caught a big turtle,” Father Lin said, ruffling his grandson’s hair with a smile.

“You’re amazing! Next time, I want to go fishing too,” Lin Wei exclaimed, his eyes wide as he looked at the fish and turtle.

Lin Heng smiled, dug a small pond for the fish, and hung the turtle in its bag. “No water’s fine, it won’t die.”

“Dad, let’s go pick mushrooms,” Lin Heng suggested.

Father Lin shook his head. “Lin Heng, you take Lin Wei to pick mushrooms. I’ll handle the wild boar’s head so we can eat it for lunch.”

He didn’t want the boar’s head to go to waste. Last time, Lin Heng fed the wild boar’s head to their dog, Xiongba, which broke his heart.

“Alright then, Lin Wei, let’s go.” Lin Heng understood his father’s intention and took his nephew up the mountain.

“Today’s goal is to pick tea tree mushrooms, shiitake, lingzhi, and if we come across egg mushrooms or blue mushrooms, we’ll grab some too.”

“I got it, Second Uncle! Let’s see who picks more,” Lin Wei said with enthusiasm.

“Alright, work hard. Whatever you pick, you can sell it and buy what you want,” Lin Heng encouraged him.

“Okay!” Lin Wei’s energy surged even more.

They split up and began foraging. Tea tree mushrooms were the most abundant.

After an hour or so, Lin Heng’s basket was full, containing about fifty pounds of mushrooms. On the other side, Lin Wei had half a basket.

Carrying their baskets back, Lin Heng spread the tea tree mushrooms out on a pebble beach by the stream to dry. By noon, Lin Heng had collected over 150 pounds of tea tree mushrooms.

“These things are abundant, but dried ones only sell for thirty cents per pound,” Lin Heng said with a slight shake of his head. Drying reduces mushrooms drastically, with ten pounds of fresh mushrooms yielding only about a pound when dry.

“Second Uncle, how much do you think mine weighs?” Lin Wei asked, pointing at his pile.

“About sixty or seventy pounds—not bad!” Lin Heng praised, patting his shoulder.

Back at the shelter, Father Lin had cleaned and skinned the wild boar’s head.

“How does it look? Not bad, huh?” Father Lin asked with a smile.

“Yes, if we could marinate it, it’d be perfect,” Lin Heng replied with a grin.

“There’s no way to marinate it up here. Let’s just fry it with mushrooms,” Father Lin said, beginning to cut the meat.

Lin Heng brought over the cleaned blue mushrooms and egg mushrooms.

The boar’s skull, with some meat still left on the bones, simmered in a pot. Typically, the meat is removed and fried, but today it was fed to Xiongba, the dog.

The pork head meat was fried with mushrooms, releasing a delicious aroma that made everyone’s stomachs growl.

“What’s cooking? Smells amazing!” Lin Yue’s voice called out from near the stream.

“Dad, they’re frying wild boar meat. Second Uncle and Grandpa caught a wild boar and even two piglets!” Lin Wei excitedly ran over to his father.

Lin Yue was stunned. “You caught a wild boar? How big was it?”

“You came back just in time. Sit down, we’ll tell you all about it over lunch,” Father Lin said with a smile.

Once the pork head was ready, the four of them sat together to eat. They boiled noodles to go with the meal since they had a bit of rice and noodles left.

The pork head meat was mostly skin—soft, chewy, and springy, similar to pig ears.

Hearing the story of the last two days, Lin Yue sighed, “That’s incredible. If I’d known, I wouldn’t have left. I missed out on hunting wild boar!”

Lin Heng chuckled. “Don’t worry, we’ll bring you along next time. There’s no shortage of wild boars on the mountain.”

“Lin Yue, this afternoon you and Lin Wei should head back to the village with some wild boar meat and call for more people,” Father Lin suggested over a sip of homemade rice wine.

Lin Yue glanced at their supplies and shook his head. “Dad, I don’t think it’s necessary. I checked—there’s not too much. The salted wild boar meat won’t spoil easily. Let’s all leave together tomorrow afternoon.”

“That works too,” Father Lin agreed after some thought.

After lunch, everyone went back up the mountain to collect tea tree mushrooms. By evening, Lin Heng had gathered another 150 pounds, while Lin Yue and Father Lin collected over 100 pounds each.

At night, they continued eating pork head meat, which was so large they had only finished a third of it that morning.

The next day, they ventured farther into an oak forest and picked another hundred pounds of tea tree mushrooms each before stopping at ten o’clock to dry them. By noon, the mushrooms collected the day before had dried completely under the scorching August sun.

By the time they packed up, Lin Heng’s 300 pounds of tea tree mushrooms had shriveled to fifty pounds. Father Lin and Lin Yue each had around thirty pounds, while Lin Wei had about ten.

They packed their baskets carefully: a musk deer, two wild boar piglets, wild boar meat, mushrooms, herbs, catfish, and the turtle, using sticks to separate layers and secure everything with rope.

Each basket weighed over a hundred pounds. “This load is killing me,” Lin Heng joked as he tested the weight.

“My bad, I thought we had less. Turns out we packed so much,” Lin Yue apologized.

“No problem. We’ll just rest a few times on the way back. Let’s go home!” Father Lin declared.

“Let’s go home!” everyone echoed.

As they walked back, Lin Heng glanced at the shelter and the beautiful, dreamlike forest before turning away. He missed his wife and kids.

The load was heavy, but for strong rural folk, it was just tiring, not unbearable. As long as it brought income, no one complained—just like workers on construction sites.

By 3 p.m., they began their journey, reaching the outskirts of Hongfeng Mountain by sunset. It was a slow trip because of the heavy loads, but the long summer days worked in their favor.

When they finally arrived home around 9 p.m., villagers were still out chatting in the evening cool.

Lin Heng and the others hoped to return quietly, but the cries of the piglets and musk deer attracted attention. A crowd quickly gathered.

“Lin Heng, did you go hunting again? You even caught wild boar piglets and a musk deer?” Tian Baishun gawked.

“What on earth is in those giant baskets? It’s so much!” Li Caifeng’s voice trembled.

“Looks like they made a fortune again,” someone muttered, green with envy.

Lin Heng laughed it off, saying, “We didn’t get much—just tea tree mushrooms and a few animals. If anyone wants a wild boar piglet, come buy it tomorrow.”

Ignoring further questions, they headed inside to unpack. Outside, the villagers speculated enviously, marveling at Lin Heng’s skills and luck.

—

(End.)