At the same time, Yan Bugui was humming a tuneless little ditty, his steps light and his mood jubilant as he headed home.
He had spent the entire day by the lake. Even without Xushu there to guide him, his long hours of persistence—trading time for quality—had yielded a far greater harvest than the day before. With Xushu no longer hovering over him, Yan Bugui felt unconstrained; he brought home every fish he caught, regardless of size.
As he stepped into the courtyard, Third Aunt was sitting out in the yard, picking over vegetables. When she looked up and saw the bucketful of lively, jumping fish in Yan Bugui’s hands, her eyes rounded in surprise, and she scrambled up from her stool in excitement. Yan Jiecheng also scurried out from the house at the sound; seeing the fish in the bucket, he couldn't help but clap in delight.
Chapter 46