Chapter 159: The Angry Fisherman’s Dangerous Temper

No one noticed that Lin Heng had slipped a silver ring onto his finger while packing up.
At dinner, Caiyun spotted the beautiful ring on Xiulan’s hand and exclaimed in surprise, “Sister-in-law Xiulan, that ring is really pretty! Did my second brother buy it for you?”

Only then did everyone notice the shiny ring decorating Xiulan’s graceful hand.

“A gold ring, and it looks like it’s set with agate. So beautiful,” said Liu Juan, the eldest sister-in-law, enviously.

In this era, diamond rings weren’t popular; people preferred agate or jade settings.

Xiulan nodded softly and said gently, “Yes, Lin Heng gave it to me.”

Lin’s mother clapped her hands and said, “I remember now—it’s your third wedding anniversary today! That rascal Lin Heng has finally grown up and knows how to cherish his wife.”

“Mom, I’ve always cherished her, okay?” Lin Heng replied, a bit annoyed.

“Hmph, do you want me to remind you of the old stories again?” Lin’s mother shot him a sharp glance.

Lin Heng gave up the argument, mostly because he didn’t want to spar with his own mother—not because he was scared.

“It’s really pretty,” Caiyun said, holding Xiulan’s hand and looking it over repeatedly, genuinely happy for her.

“No wonder Xiulan is so virtuous. Little brother, you’ve got some skills,” Li Shiwei laughed, slapping Lin Heng on the shoulder.

“She’d be just as good even if I didn’t give her anything—you’re just jealous,” Lin Heng grinned slyly.

Some things only become clear after careful thought: many rural men complain about their wives’ flaws, but a big part of the problem is their own behavior.

Before marriage, the woman is one person; after marriage, she’s treated like personal property—subject to scolding and commands at will.

The rougher ones don’t even regard their wives as people, thinking it’s natural for them to serve tea, wash clothes, and cook meals.

If you don’t treat your wife like a person, how can you expect her to be virtuous?

Sometimes you don’t even need to buy something expensive—giving flowers or a small gift can be enough.

But looking around the countryside, very few men are willing to do that.

“Damn it!” Li Shiwei clenched his teeth upon hearing this, feeling like they were grinding together.

Lin Heng glanced at him, showing a bright smile—he loved seeing that expression.

After dinner, Lin Heng took his wife and child home.

Once their daughter was asleep, Xiulan helplessly asked, “Why won’t you let me take off my clothes to sleep?”

Lin Heng smirked mischievously, “Because I want to slowly peel them off myself.”

His words left Xiulan stunned, her face flushing deep red.

“You—are so bad!” she bit her lip.

Lin Heng chuckled wickedly, pinned her down, and slowly stripped off her clothes, like unwrapping a delicate gift—utterly wonderful.

In his heart, he thought he should buy more clothes for his wife—different textures, different sensations. No matter how hard life is, she shouldn’t suffer.

Xiulan turned her head away, shy like when they’d just married.

In the faint glow, her snow-white skin looked like a peeled egg, her neck curved like a swan’s, her figure gracefully curved. Her long legs were pressed together, hands clutching the bedsheet, looking delicate and vulnerable.

Lin Heng’s excitement grew; seeing his beautiful wife, he pounced on her again.

“Mm~”

…

The next morning, Lin Heng was woken by Xiulan. When he opened his eyes, she was propping her cheek in her hand, watching him.

“It’s 5:30. You need to get up to fish. They’ll probably be here to get you any minute now,” she said with a smile.

“All right, I’m getting up right now.”

Lin Heng didn’t linger a moment longer in bed and got dressed immediately.

“Fishing’s that tempting?” Xiulan asked in surprise. She thought he’d want to sleep in after the exhausting night.

“Of course. I can’t miss this. Just wait for me to catch a big one.”

Lin Heng smiled and put on his shoes, heading out.

He washed his face, ate the shredded potato sandwich Xiulan had made yesterday, then took a big bowl of corn mush to feed Hongzao.

After the dog finished drinking, he led it to the road, where Li Shiwei, his father, and Lin Yue were also up.

“Lin Heng, you’re up early,” Li Shiwei called out cheerfully.

“Of course. Let’s quickly get the cart ready and head out,” Lin Heng waved, his back sore but nothing could stop him from fishing.

They quickly assembled the horse cart and loaded the gear prepared yesterday.

“I’m off, wife,” Lin Heng said, returning briefly inside to say goodbye.

“Be safe. No swimming in the river—the Huangtan River is too deep,” Xiulan reminded him, holding his hand.

“Don’t worry, I can’t bear to leave you a widow.”

Lin Heng grinned and kissed her.

“Ptooey! Don’t say such unlucky things!” Xiulan hit him lightly and glared.

“I’m off.”

Lin Heng smiled and ran off, leaving Xiongba behind to guard his wife.

“Let’s go!”

With the horse cart moving, the four of them quickly headed toward Huangtan Town.

Going down from Hongfeng Mountain to Huangtan Town was mostly downhill, so pulling four people, Hongzao ran fast.

The sun was just rising behind the mountains as the four of them chatted excitedly.

“Where are we blasting fish? Upstream or downstream on the Huangtan River?” Lin Yue asked.

“Right, uncle, where did you guys usually go before?” Lin Heng was curious too.

“Definitely downstream. We’d follow the river down to an empty stretch, make a fishing spot, and blast a couple of times in the afternoon,” Li Baiquan said with a laugh.

“Sounds good.” Everyone nodded.

The autumn morning was crisp and chilly, with the wind biting. The wild chrysanthemums by the roadside drooped sadly. Along both riverbanks, clusters of bright red smoke trees and yellow-orange maples bloomed. The hawthorns hanging heavy with red berries dotted the roadside trees.

The scenery was stunning—looking up, they all felt deeply moved.

Soon, they arrived in Huangtan Town and went to Lin Heng’s shop.

Outside the door, Elder Gao was doing his morning exercises. Seeing Lin Heng and the others, he asked curiously, “Little Lin, what brings you down so early?”

“We’re heading downstream on the Huangtan River to fish. Are you coming, Elder Gao?” Lin Heng smiled.

“Fishing? Of course I’m coming!” Elder Gao’s eyes lit up as he stopped exercising and went inside to get ready.

“Brother Lin,” Wang Zhou appeared after washing his face to greet them.

Lin Heng nodded and looked at him, saying, “I’ll tie the horse in the backyard later. You make sure to feed it some grass, okay?”

“No problem, Lin Ge. Leave it to me,” Wang Zhou replied with a smile.

“Oh, by the way, I already talked to that girl. She’s not seeing anyone right now. In a few days, you and I will go meet her together,” Lin Heng added, patting Wang Zhou’s shoulder.

Wang Zhou smiled shyly, grateful: “Okay, thanks, Lin Ge.”

Lin Heng shook his head and smiled—this kid really gets nervous easily, scared of such a little thing.

After tying up the horse, the group set off, carrying about twenty jin of bait—boiled corn and sweet potatoes for chumming.

They also brought two bottles of special fishing bait Lin Heng had made himself, using sweet potato honey as a base.

“Let’s go,” Lin Heng said after packing up. The five of them headed toward the lower reaches of the Huangtan River.

“The autumn scenery really is beautiful,” Grandpa Gao remarked with a smile.

As they walked further downstream, the Huangtan River was squeezed between steep mountains. The few tall trees were sparse here; mostly small trees like Chinese sumac with their red and yellow leaves. The proximity made the colors even more striking.

“Truly a speck in the vast sea of existence—how fleeting life is,” Lin Heng sighed. Moments like this always made him feel how small he was.

“Well said, you’re quite cultured,” Grandpa Gao praised.

“Haha, Grandpa Gao, which spot do you think is best for fishing? We brought explosives this time, planning to blast a big catch,” Lin Heng asked with a grin.

“Oh, I do know a place like that—surely there are big fish there,” Grandpa Gao nodded.

“Where?” Lin Heng asked curiously.

“Not far, about a kilometer or two downstream,” Grandpa Gao replied.

They continued down a narrowing river where the water deepened considerably, walking along a mountain path.

About two kilometers later, the five reached a large bend where the mountains jutted out, creating an S-shaped curve in the river.

The water was a dark green, murky and bottomless in appearance, and the current slowed significantly. No sooner had they arrived than a large carp broke the surface, its golden scales shimmering brilliantly.

“Nice spot, huh?” Grandpa Gao asked, smiling.

“Definitely. I have to catch that big carp today,” Lin Heng said with a laugh.

“Then let’s get to work. We’ll chum two spots, one inside and one outside the two converging bays, then blast it this afternoon,” Li Shiwei said, smiling.

“Sounds good. The earlier we chum, the sooner the fish come,” Li Baiquan agreed.

Lin Heng divided the bait into two portions, placing ten jin of homemade sweet potato and corn chum at each spot. The fishing rods were ready, with his self-made seven-star floats and fishing lines—all set to start.

The five spread out to their chosen spots.

Lin Heng settled by a spot over three meters deep, hooking a kernel of corn on his purple bamboo rod, which he weighed down with a stone. He then leaned back against a large rock to rest.

Grandpa Gao picked a spot about three meters downstream from Lin Heng, roughly two and a half meters deep, also using Lin Heng’s homemade corn bait.

Li Shiwei set up upstream of Lin Heng with a five-meter-long bamboo rod, casting far out.

He glanced at Lin Heng and grinned, “I’m definitely catching a big one today.”

“Let’s hope so,” Lin Heng smiled, thinking that even if Li Shiwei was lucky, it was unlikely he could handle a big catch.

Lin Heng’s older brother and uncle-in-law were positioned further downstream where the water was about 1.5 meters deep. They were using worms, aiming to catch crucian carp.

Minutes after the lines hit the water, Lin Yue suddenly shouted, “Whoa, got one!”

Everyone looked over and saw him pulling up a small crucian carp, excitement written all over his face.

“Looks like there are plenty of fish,” Grandpa Gao said with a smile.

“This crucian feels great on the line,” Lin Yue said as he grabbed the fish and tossed it into their homemade cloth fish bag.

“I got one too—oh no, it got away!” Li Baiquan at the far end shouted in surprise, having caught a big silverfish that slipped free just as it broke the surface.

“The hook’s too big. I suggest switching to corn bait if you want the big fish,” Lin Heng advised with a smile.

“We prefer worms. They work better for us,” the two shook their heads, wanting any fish regardless of size.

Lin Heng shook his head and gazed at the water, thinking today was unlikely to be a blank. The river should have plenty of fish.

Time passed slowly. Lin Heng’s older brother and uncle-in-law caught a crucian every so often, excitedly watching their floats as if they were pros already.

An hour passed. Those fishing with corn bait hadn’t had a bite yet. Li Shiwei, growing impatient, walked over to chat with Lin Heng.

As they talked, Lin Heng suddenly said, “Your float’s moving.”

Li Shiwei glanced back, rushed to grab his rod, and yanked hard. A fish was dragged out of the water, slapping the rocky bank behind with a thud, instantly going limp.

Lin Heng shook his head and gave a thumbs-up. “Wow, you really lucked out. That fish’s had bad luck for eight generations.”

If it weren’t for the strong line and rod, it would have snapped.

“Ha, I got a little excited. Thought it’d be huge, but it’s only about half a kilo,” Li Shiwei laughed, tossing the half-dead carp into Lin Heng’s fish bag.

Lin Heng just shook his head, marveling at beginner’s luck.

“Looks like your bait’s good—already got fish so quickly,” Grandpa Gao remarked.

Just then, his seven-star float twitched. With a gentle tug, the purple bamboo rod bent into a deep arc.

“Whoa, a big one!” Lin Heng exclaimed, quickly grabbing the net.

Grandpa Gao calmly played the fish, skillfully easing the tension from side to side.

Minutes later, the fish surfaced—a carp weighing over two jin. Lin Heng timed it perfectly and scooped it up with the net.

“Hey, your bait really works,” Grandpa Gao said, grinning as he inspected the catch.

“Of course. I studied the fish’s habits carefully to come up with it,” Lin Heng replied with a smile.

The fish from ’83 would never have imagined that anglers in later generations would develop countless bait recipes just to catch them, nor how intense the tug-of-war between fisherman and fish would become—various schools of fishing techniques roaming the rivers and lakes.

But now, Lin Heng only had to cast casually, and the fish of this era had no real resistance.

With just a slight effort, he was already unbeatable.

Yet for some reason, after more than two hours, his float hadn’t moved at all. Lin Heng couldn’t help but wonder if his presence was too strong, scaring all the fish away.

Li Shiwei seemed to notice this too and laughed, asking, “Why haven’t you caught anything yet?”

Lin Heng remained calm, “Haste makes waste. Chasing small gains won’t achieve big results. You don’t get it—I’m waiting for the big fish.”

Grandpa Gao smiled and gave a thumbs-up: “That’s some mindset.”

Plop!
A big carp suddenly leaped from Lin Heng’s float, splashing back into the water.

Lin Heng paused, then laughed: “Keep it up. Let’s see how wild you can get.”

“I guess your chum is too heavy at that spot. The fish probably aren’t interested in your bait. Try somewhere else,” Grandpa Gao joked.

“Yeah, I was thinking the same,” Lin Heng nodded with a smile, took his rod, and went to find another spot.

He headed to the big bend downstream, deciding to give it a try there.

Finding a spot near a cliff, he dropped his rod, and within seconds the seven-star float twitched. Lin Heng quickly grabbed the rod, waited until the float dipped a bit more, then jerked the rod upward to hook the fish.

Feeling the tug on the line, Lin Heng stayed completely calm—pull a little, wait for the fish to fight back, then loosen a bit. He repeated the cycle, having fun. After such a dry morning, catching a fish was something to truly enjoy.

“Changing spots really made a difference—didn’t catch anything all morning, but switched and got a bite immediately,” Lin Heng marveled. Fishing was full of surprises like that.

When he finally pulled the fish out of the water, he was taken aback: “I actually caught a red carp? That’s insanely lucky.”

“Red carp?” Lin Yue ran over with the landing net.

They saw a beautiful red carp being expertly reeled in by Lin Heng. Lin Yue laughed, “Catching a red carp? Looks like you’re going to make a fortune.”

As he spoke, he scooped the fish up.

Lin Heng looked at it—it wasn’t big, just a bit over a jin, but catching a red carp still made him happy.

“Yeah, I’m lucky today. I’ll take this one home to raise in the fish pond,” Lin Heng said with a smile.

“I’ll bring you the fish bag,” Lin Yue nodded.

After that catch, Lin Heng’s spot quieted down again, but he wasn’t worried. Lying back on a big green rock, he admired the beautiful riverbanks and enjoyed the gentle autumn breeze on his face.

Time passed slowly until noon. The others had all stopped fishing, and with the sun getting hot, they found a place to eat.

“When are we blasting the fish this afternoon?” Li Shiwei asked impatiently.

Who wants to keep fishing when you can just blow them up?

“Four or five o’clock,” Li Baiquan replied with a smile.

“Alright,” everyone ate their buns, eagerly anticipating the afternoon blast.

After lunch, when Lin Heng checked his rod again, he suddenly spotted a huge dark shape floating near the riverbank.

Splash!

Seeing him, the shadow flicked its tail and dove underwater.

“Whoa, that’s one big black fish!” Lin Heng exclaimed.

Mentioning black fish reminded Grandpa Gao of something: “You said you knew a way to catch black fish before. What’s the trick?”

“I’ll grab something and show you,” Lin Heng said, heading upstream to find what he needed.

He found a small pool on the riverbed and spotted his target—a green frog, medium-sized.

Grabbing it, Lin Heng returned and prepared his fishing line and hook, attaching the hook to the frog’s belly.

“That’s all?” Grandpa Gao asked, curious.

“Yes, that’s all,” Lin Heng nodded. He tied about ten meters of line, one end to the frog, the other to a stick he held underfoot.

Facing the spot where the black fish had appeared, Lin Heng cast the frog out. It immediately started struggling on the water’s surface with splashes.

Lin Heng slowly reeled the line in, changing directions if nothing happened.

On his eighth cast near the opposite bank, a huge splash erupted. A black shadow lunged out and swallowed the frog in one bite, then flicked its tail and swam into deep water.

“Got it!” Lin Heng exclaimed, grabbing the stick to start playing the fish. The black fish splashed wildly on the surface.

“Really caught it—impressive!” Grandpa Gao said, amazed. He’d never seen this fishing method before.

Lin Heng reeled in the big black fish for a full five minutes before bringing it close enough for Lin Yue to net it.

“Wow, it’s half a meter long!” Li Shiwei was shocked.

Lin Yue was also amazed: “That must weigh seven or eight jin. Probably the biggest fish we’ve caught today.”

Lin Heng puffed out his chest, grinning—no need to say more; this was the mark of a true expert.

They all admired the black fish. It was much tastier than carp.

“Don’t know if there are more black fish in that pool. Hopefully we catch a few more this afternoon,” Li Baiquan said thoughtfully.

“Maybe there are,” Lin Heng smiled and shook his head.

The group joked and laughed as they returned to their spots. But fishing in the afternoon wasn’t as good as in the morning.

Logically, this season is when fish are fattening up for winter—they should be biting aggressively.

Yet all they caught were small fish. Lin Heng was especially annoyed; he was using corn bait, but even the annoying small fish kept nibbling at it, ruining the fun of fishing.

“Why don’t we just blow them up? Teach these damn fish a lesson!” Lin Heng said angrily. This wasn’t the future where someone might care—no one would mind if they blew up the fish here. These ungrateful fish had to be taught a lesson.

“Sounds good!” Lin Yue nodded.

“I’ve been wanting to do this for a while! These fish are way too annoying,” Li Shiwei laughed.

“Then let’s blow them up,” Grandpa Gao said, not wanting to fish anymore. Blowing things up was way more exciting—real men loved watching explosions.

“Alright, let’s pack up and take all the fish upstream, or else they’ll all get blown to bits,” Li Baiquan said.

Lin Heng waved his hand, “Except for the black fish and red carp, just toss the rest on the shore—dead or alive, I don’t care.”

After packing up, Lin Heng and the others took their nets downstream, waiting to scoop up the fish as they floated down.

Grandpa Gao and Li Baiquan were in charge of the explosives, each holding a kerosene bottle filled with explosives and detonators.

“Everyone stand back. I’ll count to five, then we throw at the same time,” Grandpa Gao glanced at Lin Heng and the others, then nodded to Li Baiquan.

“Got it,” Li Baiquan agreed.

They lit the fuses. Grandpa Gao counted down, “Five, four, three, two, one—throw!”

They threw the lit bottles into the water. The kerosene bottles, weighted with iron blocks, quickly sank.

A few seconds later, two massive splashes exploded upward, shooting water seven or eight meters high. Then Lin Heng and the others heard a thunderous blast.

The explosion echoed through the valley, reverberating endlessly.

“Holy crap!” Lin Heng gasped. It was absolutely spectacular.

They ran upstream, and as the dense bubbles on the surface faded, they saw a river covered in white—fish of all sizes floated across the water.

“This is incredible! This is what happens when they refuse to bite the bait,” Lin Heng cheered, thrilled.

“Hell yeah, this is awesome!” Li Shiwei shouted happily.

“Look over there! That’s a huge fish!” Lin Yue suddenly yelled excitedly, pointing upstream at an unexpectedly large fish flipping its body.
(The End)