Gurgle, gurgle.
Bubbles drifted quietly upward.
"Black Brother, Black Brother! Is that true? We can go to Outpost Canyon too, become Palace Fish, and eat the Great Huai Army's rations?"
"A good thing! A truly wonderful thing!"
"'If I gain wealth and rank, I shall not forget you'? Is that an ancient human saying? So philosophical! Wuwuwu, when Spiky Big Fish agreed to let Black Big Fish join the Pufferfish Tribe, I personally delivered the fish! Back then, I even disliked how much Black Big Fish ate. I'm not a fish! I'm truly awful!"
Smack! Smack! Smack!
As the words reached their depths and emotions swelled, the fish speaking swung its fin and viciously slapped its own big mouth. It struck with tremendous force, leaving bloody welts in a single blow.
Once the Jianghuai New Year Festival had passed and the promotion banquet was held, Fat Catfish had feasted and attended banquets everywhere. Its entire body had grown another round fatter. With its big white belly protruding, it looked brimming with good fortune, nearly unable to bend over as it wobbled like a Water Orb.
It breathed out a long sigh, puffed out its chest and sucked in its belly, and only then managed to bend down and stop the fish, grabbing its pufferfish fin and helping it up.
It looked around.
Every Pufferfish before it wore an expression of deep emotion, utterly moved.
Fat Catfish struck while the iron was hot, wagging its long whiskers as it spoke with impassioned righteousness.
It vowed never to befriend unrighteous fish, and resolved to repay fish that had shown it kindness!
To know kindness yet not repay it was to be unworthy of being a fish of the river!
Small fish looked only to fish kindness, forgetting it the instant it passed.