Daily News: You promised yourself to be a fisherman, but you've become a martial arts god?

Chapter 1 Forming a Gang

"Erlang, what's your plan to go to Sister Zhang's house to ask for help?"

"It may not be dignified, but at least you can survive."

"Mother, I'm hungry..."

In a daze, Li Nian heard the indistinct voices of a woman and a child.

Slowly opened his eyes.

He lay on the embankment, and all he could see was a dilapidated thatched hut, with wind and snow blowing in through the holes in the walls.

My gaze shifted to a woman dressed in ancient peasant clothes, holding a five- or six-year-old girl who was trembling.

The woman was in her early twenties, her slender frame bearing abundant fruit, her sallow face with delicate features, and she exuded a rich, mature woman's charm—she was an absolute beauty.

The little girl was disheveled, pale and thin, but her delicate features resembled those of a woman, and her large, watery eyes were pitiful.

"Where is this place?"

"hiss--"

Li Nian looked at everything in front of him with curiosity. As he thought about it, memories surged in his mind like a tide, and he couldn't help but gasp in pain.

After a moment, the pain disappeared.

He suddenly sat up in shock.

He crossed!

This is Qianhu County, the frontier of the Great Zhou Dynasty.

The original owner was sixteen years old, with the same name as him. His family had been fishermen for generations, and his parents had died early.

Two weeks ago, the eldest brother, Li Zhi, died after encountering a lake monster while swimming in the lake, leaving behind his wife and daughter.

The woman and little girl in front of him were his sister-in-law and niece.

Zhao Lijuan and Li Duoduo!

Seven days ago, their home was burgled, and their winter food was stolen, leaving the already impoverished family completely destitute.

"The porridge is ready, Duoduo, you can eat."

"Duoduo isn't hungry, let Uncle eat. Uncle's just recovered from a cold and needs to replenish his strength."

"Uncle, have some porridge."

Lost in thought, Li Duoduo brought a bowl of porridge to Li Nian.

The porridge in the bowl was clearer than water, with only a few grains of mushy rice at the bottom.

Duoduo stared intently at the porridge in the bowl, swallowing repeatedly.

Seeing this scene, Li Nian felt a sudden pang of sadness.

A wave of sadness washed over him, and his eyes filled with guilt and self-reproach.

He also had a loving sister-in-law and a sensible and lovely niece.

In those famine-stricken years, his sister-in-law and niece ate tree bark on his back, but gave him all their food, believing that he could save the family.

And this beast of a man actually disregarded his promise to his deceased brother, abandoned his sister-in-law and niece, and ran away with the capitalist's daughter, leaving his sister-in-law and niece to starve to death in that cold winter.

By the time he realized his mistake, it was already too late.

This incident became a thorn in his heart that he could never remove!

Having traveled here now, the scene is so similar to what I saw back then.

Is this yet another test from God for me?

Whether it is true or not, I must never repeat the same mistake!

Li Nian's gaze was firm!

"Duoduo, Uncle isn't hungry. You and your mother eat."

Composing herself, Li Nian spoke gently to her niece.

"If Uncle doesn't eat, Duoduo won't eat either."

Duoduo swallowed hard, forcing herself not to look at the porridge in her bowl.

Zhao Lijuan's eyes reddened, and she tenderly ruffled Duoduo's hair.

"Erlang, this porridge won't last until tomorrow, you eat it, my son and I aren't hungry."

"Now that your elder brother is gone, you're the head of the household. You can't let yourself go hungry."

Upon hearing this, Li Nian felt as if her heart had been stabbed with a needle, and she was heartbroken.

"How about this, we'll divide this bowl of porridge into three bowls, and each of us will have one."

As Li Nian spoke, she took two bowls and divided the porridge in one bowl into three.

He gave two bowls of rice porridge with grains of rice to his sister-in-law and niece, while he gave himself only clear rice porridge.

Just as he was about to pick up the bowl, Zhao Lijuan snatched it away and gave the bowl that originally belonged to her to Li Nian.

Zhao Lijuan cooked the porridge and knew exactly how many grains of rice were in it, knowing that Li Nian had given all the rice to them.

"Erlang, I've already drunk my porridge. You and Duoduo can have yours."

"I'm number one! Let's see who's number two!"

Before Li Nian could react, Zhao Lijuan had already finished drinking the bowl of plain water porridge without a single grain of rice in it, and said with a smile.

"Uncle, let's see who comes in second place, you or Duoduo."

As she spoke, Duoduo drank the rice porridge in the bowl, even licking the bottom of the bowl clean.

"Duoduo came in second place!"

"Why isn't Uncle drinking his porridge yet?"

"Uncle, drink it now!"

Seeing her sister-in-law and niece trying to find joy amidst their hardship, Li Nian held back her tears and drank the porridge in her bowl.

The frail body felt a little warmer.

"Erlang, what's your plan to help Zhang's family out?"

"You've seen the situation at home. If you stay here any longer, you'll just starve to death with us."

"After your eldest brother passed away, you were the only male left in the Li family."

Zhao Lijuan pulled Li Nian aside and whispered something.

Forming a clique?

Li Nian frowned in thought.

Memories surged.

Zhang Daniu from the village had been an apprentice at a martial arts school in the city a month ago. However, during a competition, he was seriously injured and became a cripple.

Last night, Sister-in-law Zhang came to his house, hoping he would come over and help her out.

"I'm not going!"

"I promised my older brother I couldn't abandon you all!"

Li Nian did not hesitate at all; her attitude was resolute.

Their family had a rule that the two brothers would not go into the lake together, the purpose of which was to leave behind a male heir.

The day my elder brother went into the lake, it was supposed to be his turn, but because he caught a cold, my elder brother went in his place.

You could say that his older brother died in his place!

He clearly remembered that before his elder brother went down to the lake, he, as always, entrusted him to take good care of Zhao Lijuan and her daughter if something happened to him.

Moreover, his parents died early, and his eldest brother raised him single-handedly.

His sister-in-law also treated him as her own son.

He can no longer be an ungrateful beast!

"Erlang, if you don't go and help them..."

"Don't worry, sister-in-law, I believe there's always a way out!"

In response to Zhao Lijuan's concerns, Li Nian spoke solemnly.

That bowl of porridge was the last food we had at home.

Without food, we simply cannot survive this long, harsh winter.

but.

Li Nian was not worried.

Since fate has brought him here, it must have left him a way out.

Even if not, being able to keep my promise and die with my sister-in-law and niece would fulfill one of my wishes!

"Sister-in-law, you stay home and take good care of Duoduo. I'm going out fishing."

Li Nian said to Zhao Lijuan.

Relying on mountains to eat mountains, relying on water to draft water.

The village is near a thousand lakes, and fishing is the best way to obtain food.

In his previous life, after running away with a capitalist's daughter, he joined the navy and rose to the rank of admiral through sheer ability. He had a unique understanding of the water conditions of rivers, lakes, and seas, and was an expert angler.

The original owner was a fisherman, and his family happened to have fishing gear.

After a brief chat, Li Nian went to the side room, picked up her fishing rod, put on her worn-out raincoat, and went out with her fish basket on her back.

While he still has the energy, he must go fishing as soon as possible.

No sooner had Li Nian left than a voluptuous woman appeared at his doorstep.

"Young lady, what's your husband's decision?"

"Sister-in-law Zhang, Erlang has gone fishing."

Upon hearing that Li Nian had gone fishing, a hint of displeasure flashed in Zhang Dasao's eyes.

Immediately, a contemptuous sneer rose in his heart.

"To think you can fish for a living in the dead of winter? That's a pipe dream!"

"Your family has run out of food; you won't survive this winter."

"To survive, Li Nian, you'll definitely come to my house. You can't escape my grasp!"

...

At that time, Li Nian arrived at the village entrance.

A box suddenly appeared in front of him, generating lines of text.