Rebirth in a Courtyard: I Am a Little Hunter

Twenty minutes later.

"They're on it again!!"

"My God! There's more?!"

"Fathead! What a huge fathead fish!!"

When the second, equally enormous bighead carp burst out of the water under Wei Chen's "forceful" dragging, its silvery-white scales shimmering in the sunlight, the shore, which had just calmed down a little, completely descended into madness!

The screams were like thunder!

The crowd surged forward even more frantically than before, so tightly packed that it was impossible to move. People at the back stood on tiptoe and craned their necks, and the scene became chaotic!

The buzzing of inquiries about bait recipes, line setups, and even the desire to buy some bait from him was like countless flies swirling around my ears.

Wei Chen politely but firmly refused, citing reasons such as "it was just a lucky break," "I'm having a really bad day," or "the task is urgent, and the boss is pressing me hard."

The next hour or so became a peak "performance" of Wei Chen's personal skills and "luck". He no longer pursued the ultimate giant fish with a single tail, but controlled the fish he "caught" within a "reasonable" range - five or six catties of carp, seven or eight catties of grass carp, and occasionally a bighead carp.

Every cast of the rod is accompanied by an exaggerated bend and a sharp hiss of the fishing line; every "fight" is thrilling and suspenseful; every time a large, shimmering fish is scooped ashore, it triggers a new wave of enthusiastic cheers and an even larger surge of people on the shore.

He "caught" seven fish! Including the first big grass carp, he had a total of eight sizable "trophies"!

The enormous green fish tank was crammed full, its weight sinking heavily into the water, and every sway drew the attention of hundreds of eyes on the shore, which were practically spitting fire.

The entire western shore of Shichahai Houhai seemed to have become Wei Chen's stage, and the name "the lucky angler" spread like wildfire throughout the entire lakeside.

Wei Chen felt the time was right. If he continued "fishing," it wouldn't be good luck anymore, but rather the appearance of a monster, which would cause big trouble. He glanced at the shore, which was surrounded by a tight, impenetrable barrier, and the dark mass of people still surging in from afar, and made a decision.

"Ladies and gentlemen! Make way! Please make way!" Wei Chen shouted as he quickly reeled in his line, his face showing "anxiety." "Mission accomplished! Eight fish! I have to get them to the factory canteen right away! Any later and thousands of workers will miss their meals, and I'll be in big trouble! The bosses will skin me alive! I'm so sorry everyone! Make way! Please make way!"

The "task" and "workers' brothers" worked once again. Although sighs of disappointment rose like a tide, the crowd reluctantly parted like waves, barely making way for a narrow passage just wide enough for bicycles.

Countless gazes of regret, envy, and even awe were fixed on Wei Chen and his bulging fish tank, as if they were real.

In the final instant of reeling in the line, Wei Chen's mental energy, like an invisible giant net, sank once more into the waters ahead. With his mind highly focused, he instantly locked onto the equally plump and robust fish in his spatial backpack!

His mind raced like lightning! Forty or fifty lively fish, each weighing at least five or six pounds, were precisely "scattered" by an invisible hand, silently "parachuting" into different water layers and hidden spots among aquatic plants within a radius of twenty or thirty meters centered on his previous fishing spot!

After the fish were released, Wei Chen did not immediately withdraw his mental energy. He manipulated that vast mental power, like an invisible, enormous underwater agitator, violently stirring up the area where the fish had just been released!

At the same time, mental energy simulated a large predator rapidly swimming and stirring up the water and aquatic plants! "Splash—!" The calm water surface suddenly churned violently as if a pot had boiled over!

Countless huge splashes of water erupted without warning! Muddy slurry surged up from the bottom! Aquatic plants swayed wildly! It was as if countless frightened fish were thrashing about underwater, fleeing madly! The entire surface of the water instantly became chaotic!

"Fish! My God! So many big fish!!" "It's causing a stir! There's a huge school of fish down there!!" "Look! The water's boiling! It's full of big ones!!"

Sharp-eyed anglers on the shore immediately spotted this extraordinary and earth-shattering sight. They were so excited that their voices cracked, and they pointed at the churning water, talking incoherently! The crowd, which had been filled with immense disappointment because of Wei Chen's departure, was suddenly injected with a powerful stimulant and went completely wild!

Everyone rushed to their fishing spots like madmen! They frantically baited their hooks and cast their lines! Their eyes were wide open, staring intently at their floats, their hearts pounding in their throats! The entire shoreline was enveloped in an atmosphere of near-religious fervor!

A barely perceptible smile curved Wei Chen's lips. He quickly lifted the heavy canvas fish basket ashore. Inside, eight large fish were still struggling fiercely, displaying astonishing vitality.

He opened the fishpond opening, reached in, and scooped out the two small crucian carp and small carp that he had caught earlier, which weighed less than a pound together and seemed incredibly tiny at the moment.

"Go back, little ones, come back when you're older," he said softly, tossing them back onto the rippling surface of Shichahai Lake.

Then, he dumped the remaining six large fish into two extra-large, thickened buckets that had been prepared beforehand. Each bucket was filled to the brim, the plump fish bodies huddled together, their heads bobbing, the fishy smell pungent, and water overflowing from the rims.

He painstakingly hung the two incredibly heavy buckets on the specially made, reinforced iron frames on either side of the bicycle's rear seat, repeatedly binding them tightly with thick, water-soaked hemp rope.

Wei Chen took a deep breath and climbed onto the bicycle seat. Under countless gazes filled with envy, jealousy, and hatred that seemed to scorch his back, he pedaled hard, struggling to squeeze out of the still reluctant and noisy crowd, and left the Shichahai shore that had been completely stirred up because of him.

The golden rays of the setting sun shone on his sweat-drenched back, and also on the two heavy metal buckets behind the car, which symbolized a bountiful harvest and "luck".

Less than ten minutes after Wei Chen left, a wild, raucous roar, almost hysterical, erupted from Wei Chen's fishing spot: "Go! Go! Go! Go! Go!"

The one who took over Wei Chen's "throne" was none other than the dark-skinned old man who had spoken to him earlier! At this moment, his face was as red as a pig's liver, the veins on his neck were bulging, and his hands were tightly holding his old bamboo cane as if he were holding a gold brick!

The bamboo pole bent into a terrifying arc, as if it were about to snap in the next second! The simple wooden reel emitted a creaking scream as if it were about to disintegrate!

A fight even more realistic and thrilling than Wei Chen's performance just now is about to unfold!

The old man was dragged several steps by the giant creature underwater and almost fell into the water! In the end, with brute force and desperate determination, he dragged and pulled a giant carp with golden scales and a red tail, weighing about twelve or thirteen pounds, onto the muddy shore!

"Thank God! Our ancestors have blessed us!!" The old man, seeing the giant, golden carp still leaping and thrashing about on the grass, was so excited that he rushed over and pressed it down with his whole body, as if he had embraced his long-lost son! The scene was filled with primal ecstasy and the shock of surviving a catastrophe!

This was like throwing a spark into a boiling oil pan!

"I caught one too! A carp! Seven or eight pounds!!"

"Grass carp! My goodness! This one's not small either! Quick, grab the landing net!!"

"Over here! Someone come quick! I've already hooked up the big one! I can't pull it anymore!!"

Centered on the area where Wei Chen released the fish and created a "shocking frenzy," the area seemed to be instantly ignited! One angler after another caught fish! And all of them were "giant fish" that are rarely seen and only heard of in legends!

Exclamations, joyful laughter, anxious shouts, the sharp sound of fishing lines piercing the air, the dull thud of big fish slapping the water's surface... all sorts of sounds mingled together, deafeningly loud!

The entire western shore of Shichahai was plunged into a frenzied frenzy! The news spread like wildfire, reaching every corner at an astonishing speed:

"West of Yinding Bridge! Amazing! A fish paradise has sprung up! They're all huge, over ten pounds each! Hurry and grab a spot!" "A massive catch! A real massive catch! If you're late, there won't even be a place to stand!!"

The crowd surged toward the small area from all directions like madmen. Those who arrived later desperately tried to squeeze in, while those who arrived earlier, with red eyes, clung tightly to their tiny "precious spots." Arguments, shoving, and shouting filled the air, and some even fought over a fishing spot!

The scene was completely out of control, utterly chaotic. People from the Shichahai Management Office rushed to the scene and tried their best to maintain order, but their voices were drowned out by the huge wave of noise.

Meanwhile, our third uncle, Yan Bugui, was squatting in a secluded willow grove on the eastern shore of Shichahai Lake, utterly dejected. Beside his small stool sat an empty tin bucket, its surface gleaming a pale white in the setting sun.

All afternoon had passed, and the float on his precious bamboo fishing rod remained motionless, like an iron nail welded to a mirror. He sighed repeatedly, his thin face etched with the frustration and heartache of his failed scheme.

My mind was racing with calculations: I wasted a penny on transportation, half a precious day of rest, and a lot of bait... What a loss! A huge loss!

Just then, a fellow angler who usually fished in Qianhai and whom he knew fairly well came running over, panting like he'd been chased by a dog. He was covered in sweat, his face contorted with a mixture of extreme excitement and immense regret: "Old Yan! Old Yan!! My goodness!! What are you still doing here arguing with this stinking ditch?! Hurry! Hurry to Houhai! West of Yinding Bridge! It's a fishing frenzy! A crazy catch! A crazy catch!! All big fish weighing over ten pounds! They're jumping up like dumplings being dropped into a pot!"