"It is not a question of whether I am satisfied or not; it is a question of whether the people are satisfied. I came here to shop, and as a customer, I deserve the respect I am entitled to," Chen Mo said.
"Yes, yes, of course, comrade. What would you like to buy? I will arrange it for you right away," the manager said hurriedly. This young man kept invoking the name of the people, and if word got out that he was acting like a tyrant over them, he would be in serious trouble. Better to smooth things over.
Seeing the other man's improved attitude, Chen Mo said nothing more.
"I’m buying clothes for my girl. There’s no problem with her trying them on, is there?" Chen Mo asked.
"No problem, of course, no problem," the manager said quickly. "You there, Xiao Li, come and help them out."
He Yushui, standing to the side, watched Chen Mo with adoration. It was the first time she had ever seen anyone put a department store clerk in his place like that. Brother Chen Mo was truly incredible, and the way he looked just now was so handsome.
"Yushui, try on whatever you like. We’ll buy everything you take a fancy to."
"Brother Chen Mo, the clothes here are all so expensive," He Yushui said after checking the price tags. The cheapest ones were several yuan, and others were over ten.
"Just try them on. We aren't short on money," Chen Mo said, smiling and ruffling her hair.
Many of the women nearby heard Chen Mo’s words and were filled with envy. Here was a man who was both handsome and generous. Looking at their own partners—not only were they unattractive, but they were also stingy—it really was a case of "comparison is the thief of joy."
He Yushui tried on several outfits. Chen Mo thought they all looked great, so he bought several dresses, a few blouses, some trousers, and a coat.
The new clerk looked at the pile of clothes, uncertain. "Are you taking all of these?" she asked, glancing at Chen Mo.
"Wrap them all up. How much?" Chen Mo replied.
He Yushui tugged on Chen Mo’s sleeve and whispered, "Brother Chen Mo, I only need to buy one."
"It’s alright, be at ease. It’s just a few pieces of clothing. Like I said, we aren't short on money," Chen Mo said.
"Mmh," He Yushui nodded, her face flushing.
The clerk felt a wave of envy; where could one find a man like this? Send me a dozen.
"Hello, comrade. Three dresses, two pairs of pants, two Dacron blouses, and one coat. That will be 112 yuan in total." Chen Mo pulled a thick stack of bills from his pocket, counted out twelve ten-yuan notes, and handed them to the clerk. The clerk was even more shocked—he had produced so much money without even blinking. This family must be well-off; it was just a pity he was already taken.
After receiving eight yuan in change, they packed the clothes into a large bundle.
He Yushui had changed into a white dress, looking young and radiant, which made Chen Mo’s heart skip a beat.
He Yushui felt incredibly happy; Brother Chen Mo was just too good to her. She loved these clothes, too—they were all the latest styles.
They spent another two yuan on a quality fishing rod and a bucket. With the bundle of clothes tied to the bicycle, the two rode together to the banks of the city moat.
The moat was already crowded with people casting their lines. Chen Mo and He Yushui found a quiet, secluded spot and parked the bike. Chen Mo took out the bait he had prepared that morning, hooked it, and cast his line.
He Yushui watched him fish quietly.
"Brother Chen Mo, isn't that Third Uncle over there?" she asked, pointing to a small man in glasses not far away.
Chen Mo cast a glance at Yan Bugui. That old guy would skip anything to go fishing, let alone on a weekend. Although Yan Bugui had slightly more of a moral compass than the other "animals" in their compound, it wasn't much of one. Chen Mo didn't exactly dislike him, but he didn't want to deal with him either.
"Let’s just focus on our own fishing and ignore him. Once we catch a few big ones, we can roast them right here for lunch." There was plenty of empty space around the moat, and it would be nice to have a barbecue away from the others.
He Yushui looked forward to it. Just then, she saw the fishing rod twitch and tugged Chen Mo’s hand. "Brother Chen Mo, I think something’s biting!"
Chen Mo pulled the rod, feeling a heavy weight. He let the line out a bit, then slowly reeled it in. Dragging the fish to the bank, he gave a quick flick, and a large black carp, at least forty or fifty centimeters long, landed in the bucket. It flopped a few times and then went still.
Only then did Chen Mo realize he’d forgotten to put water in the bucket. He quickly filled it, and the carp began to swim in the narrow space.
"It’s so big! Brother Chen Mo, this fish must weigh at least ten pounds!"
"Probably about that," Chen Mo laughed. He added more bait and cast again. The moment the hook hit the water, the surrounding fish swarmed toward it.
Chen Mo pulled, flicked, and another fish landed in the bucket.
He Yushui looked on with admiration. This was too impressive. Watching other people fish compared to watching Brother Chen Mo was a completely different experience—he was handsome, and everything he did looked cool. She stared at the fish in the bucket, her face glowing with happiness.
"Chief, it's too crowded over there. Let’s fish over here; it’s quieter." Two men walked toward Chen Mo and He Yushui. The older man, with white hair and a kind face, smiled. "Alright. I just couldn't sit still at home and wanted to come out for some fresh air. Oh? Look over there."
As the older man walked behind them, he saw Chen Mo flick his rod. A large fish leaped from the water and landed precisely in the bucket beside him.
The younger man stepped in front of the older one protectively, but the older man waved him off. "Why are you so nervous? This young man is quite interesting."
Just watching Chen Mo’s technique for landing the fish in the bucket showed the young man had some skill; otherwise, he wouldn't be that accurate. Sure enough, before long, another large fish was tossed into the bucket.
"Brother Chen Mo, the bucket is already full," He Yushui said, looking at the overflowing container with a troubled expression. In less than ten minutes, they had caught seven or eight fish, and each was huge, the smallest weighing five or six pounds.
"Why don't you give it a try?" Chen Mo suggested with a smile.
"Okay!" He Yushui had been dying to try after watching him.
Chen Mo taught her hand-over-hand how to bait the hook and cast. He Yushui didn't have much strength and nearly threw herself into the water, but Chen Mo caught her. In the end, she had to carefully lower the hook into the water. The moment it submerged, she got a bite.
She tried to yank the rod up, but the fish pulled back. Luckily, Chen Mo helped her steady it.
"You can't just pull all at once. You have to learn to play the line—let the fish tire itself out first, then reel it in slowly."
"I caught it! This fish is huge, Brother Chen Mo, look!" He Yushui cheered excitedly as she pulled the fish onto the bank.
"Yes, yes, you’re amazing," Chen Mo said with a laugh.
"But the bucket is already full," He Yushui said helplessly, looking at the overflowing container.