Yan Fugui talked the toughest talk but played the most cowardly game.
Watching Li Anquan closing in again, he snatched up his fishing rod with lightning speed and scurried away, pushing his bicycle.
Wei Jianye, meanwhile, found the young boy increasingly interesting. When a man reaches a certain age, his family becomes his greatest concern. Li Anquan had been harassed by Yan Fugui for quite some time without ever resorting to violence, yet when Yan Fugui brought his family into it, he had exploded in rage. In the old man’s eyes, this was worthy of praise.
As for Yan Fugui’s claims that Li Anquan was a "solitary star of disaster," he merely chuckled. In his own youth, a fortune-teller had cast the same spell on him, yet hadn’t he ended up with a loving wife and children, and a house full of descendants?
"Little one, I don't even know your name yet. That kick you delivered just now was brilliant. Do you need me to help you deal with that trouble?"
Li Anquan was caught off guard. He paused, stunned, before waving his hand dismissively.
"Old timer, my name is Li Anquan. You can just call me Anquan. I’m sorry for the spectacle earlier—you can hardly call that 'trouble.' You have no idea how chaotic our Courtyard is; yesterday was even worse!" He grinned. "Still, dealing with those animals? That’s child’s play for me."
Feeling a surge of gratitude toward this complete stranger who had offered to help, Li Anquan looked at the bait in his hand, pinched off a chunk, and handed it to the old man.
"Old timer, the reason I'm catching fish so quickly is all thanks to this bait. You should try some, too. It’s hard to come by, so use it sparingly."
Things produced by the System were always top-tier. Furthermore, the bait had a "never-depleting" feature—whenever Li Anquan used a portion, the stash in his dimension would replenish itself. But, he liked the old man, so he didn't mind.
Wei Jianye looked at Li Anquan with a similar sense of kinship and smiled knowingly. "So that’s the secret! I was wondering why you were pulling them in one after another. Well, I’ll give it a try!"
The old man and the boy sat by the riverbank fishing. Wei Jianye seemed completely unbothered by Yan Fugui’s insults, though his security detail had taken it all in. One of the guards had already left to dig up information on Li Anquan, while another would be reporting the incident involving Yan Fugui to the old man’s family so they could handle it.
Under the scorching sun, the banks of Jishuitan were filled with the laughter of the pair. Li Anquan knew exactly how to keep an elder company—just follow his lead. Most of the time, Wei Jianye spent his energy recounting his life experiences.
The effectiveness of the universal fish bait went without saying. However, given Wei Jianye’s advanced age, the frequency of the catches began to take a toll on his body, which was already burdened by hidden ailments.
Li Anquan enjoyed the old man’s company, but he had his own secrets to keep and couldn't store the catch in his dimension while the elder was watching. He could only wait for the old man to suggest leaving. Fortunately, the guards noticed their leader’s fatigue and hurried over. Although Wei Jianye had forbidden them from interfering, they were responsible for his safety.
This time, Wei Jianye didn’t scold his guards. He wiped the dust from his hands and spoke first. "Little Anquan, my family is here to pick me up. I have to head back. This has been the happiest day of fishing I’ve had in a long time—I’m glad to have made a friend like you!"
He gestured to the pile of fish. "These catches are all thanks to your bait, so they’re all yours. Don’t be shy if your family is struggling—should I have my people help you carry them back? These fish aren't light!"
Though physically tired, Wei Jianye was in high spirits. To him, this catch was a trifle.
Li Anquan, however, had a quirk: he hated taking advantage of others, and he refused to let anyone take advantage of him.
"Old timer, are you looking down on me? You caught those fish, so they’re yours. I treat you as a friend, but what is this? Are you trying to give me charity?" His face turned serious. "I may be young, but I see things clearly. If you pull this, we’re finished as friends!"
The guard was about to step in, but the old man laughed heartily. He shot the guard a fierce glare before turning back with a grin.
"Fine, fine, I won't do it! You're a rare friend indeed. We have an appointment for tomorrow, don't forget. You must come—I’ll have a gift for you, and you’re not allowed to refuse!"
Li Anquan nodded excitedly. "Of course! You promised, so you’d better deliver. If you don’t, I’ll just come to your house to mooch off your food!"
Wei Jianye was thoroughly satisfied. He stood up, and his guards quickly gathered the fishing gear and the catch. Carrying over a hundred pounds of fish, the old man even bragged to the other anglers nearby. "Look at that! This is what I caught today. I’m going to take these back and show off to all my old friends!"
He looked back at the boy. "Little Anquan, I’m off. You must come tomorrow, or fishing alone will be terribly boring!"
Li Anquan stood up, waved goodbye, and watched until the old man’s figure vanished. Others were starting to crowd around him, hoping to snag the spot where the two had been so successful, but Li Anquan knew when to call it a day. He pulled his rod from the water, ready to pack up.
He crouched by the riverbank, secretly transferring most of the catch from his line into his dimension, leaving behind only a single four- or five-pound catfish.
The other fishermen approached. "Lad, are you packing up already? You caught quite a bit today, didn't you?"
Li Anquan put on a naive smile and scratched his head. "I let the small ones go. There are only two of us at home, so I just kept this one catfish. It’s almost lunchtime, so I’ve got to get back!"
The anglers, who were hoping to supplement their meager pantries, sighed in regret. "Why’d you let them go? What a waste! If you don't want them next time, give them to me."
"You're not fishing anymore, right? Mind if I take your spot for a while?"
Li Anquan grabbed his rod in one hand and the heavy catfish in the other. As he left, seven or eight people rushed to claim the spot. But without his universal bait, the fish would soon scatter. As for how much they’d catch—that was up to their own luck.
Humming a tune, Li Anquan left Jishuitan. A short while later, making sure no one was watching, he tucked his fishing rod into his dimension as well.
...
Back at the Courtyard, shouts and curses erupted by the water tap. There were now seven or eight padlocks hanging on the faucet's housing.
It was lunchtime, and as the women of the house went to prepare meals, they discovered there was no water. Everyone sat around the tap, pointing fingers and complaining.
When someone saw Li Anquan returning with a massive catfish, they immediately crowded around him. "Oh, Anquan! Where’d you get such a huge catfish? It’s just you and your sister at home, and with this heat, it’ll go bad if you can't eat it all. Can I trade you something for a piece of it?"