Chapter 76: Have Fun

Cao Shujie had been driving for less than ten minutes on the highway to the county town when Mengmeng started getting restless. She leaned against her mother, peering out the window. “Daddy, are we there yet?”

This was already the fourth time Mengmeng had asked since getting in the car.

From the moment they left the house, she’d been bombarding them with questions. Cheng Xiaolin was already getting a little annoyed but still responded gently, “We’ve only just started driving. Don’t be in such a rush. Once we get there, I’ll take you to play, and your dad can go buy his fishing net.”

“Okay!” Mengmeng immediately calmed down after hearing what she wanted.

But that peace lasted all of three minutes. She kicked off her shoes and tried to stand on the back seat, holding onto her mom for balance.

Cheng Xiaolin quickly pulled her back. “Mengmeng, if you keep messing around, I’ll take you home. Your dad and I will go to the county town without you.”

“No!” Mengmeng pouted and glared at her mom, clearly not intimidated.

Cheng Xiaolin was getting a headache. She couldn’t understand how her daughter had inherited all her bad habits and none of the good ones.

With all the laughter and fussing, the trip didn’t feel boring at all, and time seemed to fly. Before they knew it, the Buick LaCrosse with Beijing plates rolled into Pingyuan County Town.

Mengmeng looked out the window at the malls and buildings and shouted excitedly, “Mommy, look! We’re here!”

“Yes, yes, we’re here. Now sit properly, okay?” Cheng Xiaolin scolded with a stern face. “If your dad slams the brakes, you’ll go flying.”

“Mm!” Mengmeng nodded obediently.

Cao Shujie drove them to the mall entrance. Spotting a newly set-up bumper car ride at the front, he said, “You two go play bumper cars. I’ll go buy the fishing net and come find you after.”

“Okay!” Mengmeng nodded and even made a little phone gesture by her ear. “Daddy, go ahead. If anything comes up, call me.”

Cheng Xiaolin got out with Mengmeng. Cao Shujie watched them walk over to talk to the bumper car operator, asking about prices. Smiling, he restarted the car—but then realized he had no idea where to buy fishing nets.

Left with no choice, he called his childhood friend.

“You’re in the county town?” Cao Zhen immediately caught on when he picked up.

Cao Shujie nodded. “Yeah. You know how the upper reaches of the Yellow River release water around late June or early July? I figured I’d get a good net in advance and catch some fish when the time comes.”

Cao Zhen scoffed. “Shujie, it’s been years—are your fishing skills even still any good?”

“Now that you mention it, I almost forgot. Maybe I’ll head back at the end of the month too,” Cao Zhen said, clearly tempted.

Back when they were kids, the two of them used to sneak off to the Yellow River to catch fish and shrimp. They got their fair share of beatings for it too.

He could still remember how his dad whipped him with a leather belt when he got home. Not that it helped—after a while, they’d be right back at it.

As they grew older, they stopped doing that kind of thing. But now, hearing that Cao Shujie was planning a fishing trip to the Yellow River, Cao Zhen felt the itch to go back.

“Come back, man,” Cao Shujie said. “If we team up, we’ll be unstoppable in Cao Family Village.”

“Let’s ask the others too—see if they’ve got time to come back. We could have a little reunion,” he suggested.

Cao Zhen was all for it. He thought it was a great idea.

He told Cao Shujie which street to go to and roughly where the fishing gear shops were, but he hadn’t been into that stuff in years and didn’t really know the shop owners anymore.

He even considered coming over to show Cao Shujie around, but Shujie waved him off. “You’ve got work to do. It’s a small thing—I’ll check it out myself.”

“Alright then. I do have something going on here. If you’re staying the night, let’s meet up later,” Cao Zhen said.

But Cao Shujie replied, “Can’t tonight. I already told my mom we’d be back for dinner.”

“Then let’s plan for a few days from now. When we go back at the end of the month, we’ll do it right. Shujie, you’re basically the village landlord now—don’t hold back on the feast,” Cao Zhen teased.

Cao Shujie burst out laughing. “No problem. Whatever you want to eat, we’ll make it happen.”

“Hot summer day, some grilled meat, a few cold beers—what could be better?” Cao Zhen shouted.

Just picturing it made him smile.

Cao Shujie agreed without hesitation.

Following Cao Zhen’s directions, he drove to Guangming Street, headed south about 300 meters from the intersection, and spotted the first fishing gear shop.

He quickly pulled into an empty parking spot and walked in. After checking out four different stores, he finally settled on one called “Happy Good Fishing.” He bought two high-quality casting nets and a smaller one for Mengmeng to play with.

Thinking he might as well enjoy some peaceful fishing trips in the future—and look cool doing it—he also picked up two full fishing rod sets.

He had the shop owner put together all the necessary gear.

That’s the perk of living near the Yellow River—you’ve got the perfect excuse to play around!

Buying was fun, but paying was another story. He’d thought it was just a few simple items, but they weren’t cheap. Altogether, it cost him over 2,000 yuan.

The nets were affordable; it was the fishing rods that were pricey.

Loaded with gear, he returned to the mall entrance and parked. He saw his wife and daughter still playing bumper cars, and could hear Mengmeng’s joyful laughter from a distance.

There weren’t many people on the ride, but plenty of kids were watching from the sidelines. The ride wasn’t cheap, and not many parents were willing to fork out for it.

“Mengmeng!” Cao Shujie waved at his daughter, signaling her to look his way. He took out his digital camera and snapped a few photos.

“Mommy, look—it’s Daddy!” Mengmeng said proudly.

Cheng Xiaolin had already spotted her husband and said, “Let’s go find Daddy and do something else.”

But Mengmeng wasn’t having it. She pointed at an empty bumper car and shouted, “Daddy plays too!”

“…”

In the end, Cheng Xiaolin called her husband over, and the three of them played bumper cars together for another twenty minutes before Mengmeng was satisfied.

“You done buying the fishing nets?” Cheng Xiaolin asked.

Cao Shujie nodded. “All set. I even got some for you two. We’ll head to the Yellow River at the end of the month and check it out.”

“Mm!” Cheng Xiaolin nodded, already starting to look forward to it.

“It’s way too hot outside—let’s head into the mall and cool off,” Cheng Xiaolin said, already wilting from the heat. Her clothes clung uncomfortably to her skin, making her feel miserable.

The family of three had been out and about in the county town all afternoon. As the temperature kept rising, Mengmeng eventually lost all her energy. Only then did they decide to head home, their arms full of shopping spoils.

On the way back, they rolled down the car windows. A strong breeze rushed in, creating a refreshing crosswind that instantly made everything feel cooler.

With the wind blowing through her hair, Mengmeng perked right back up.

She shouted, “Daddy, let’s catch fish when we get back!”

“Sure, as long as you behave, Daddy will take you,” Cao Shujie replied with a smile.

(End of chapter)