Get Up!

After breakfast.

Madam Zheng cleared away the bowls and chopsticks.

Shen Xiuhan tidied up his fishing rod and fish basket, preparing to head out and fish.

"Eldest son..."

Madam Zheng came out of the kitchen, holding the oil paper that had wrapped the Grilled Fish Bones yesterday. Inside, two hard flatbreads bulged against the wrapping.

"Take some provisions. Have something to tide you over if you get hungry at noon."

Poor families had always eaten only two meals a day. Madam Zheng was clearly adding an extra meal for him because he had only just recovered from a serious illness, hoping to nourish his body.

Warmth stirred in Shen Xiuhan's heart. He accepted it, tucked it into his robes, and nodded.

"Got it, Mother."

The two left the house together.

They had barely stepped out of the fenced yard when Shen Momo's crisp shout came from inside.

"Big brother, catch lots and lots of big fish! Momo still wants to eat fish..."

Turning back, he saw the little girl clinging to the window frame, only half her small face visible, along with that tuft of silly hair sticking up.

Shen Xiuhan laughed heartily and waved at her. "Got it. Be good and wait at home."

"That greedy little thing..."

Madam Zheng shook her head helplessly.

They reached Uncle Chen's house.

Aunt Li happened to be carrying a wooden basin out to throw away water. Seeing the mother and son, she greeted them warmly.

"Brother Han, Gui Ping, heading off to work?"

Gui Ping...

That was Madam Zheng's real name.

Madam Zheng paused and smiled. "Aunt Li, keeping busy? Where's Chen An?"

At the mention of Chen An, Aunt Li's face immediately lit up, and she straightened her back a little more.

"Chen An? He went to the martial hall at the crack of dawn to temper his sinews and bones. That child really is obsessed with martial arts, diligent as can be. Last night, he didn't close his eyes all night—he buried himself in training in his room until dawn..."

Madam Zheng had no reason to doubt her and sincerely praised him. "With Chen An striving so hard to better himself, he will surely achieve great things in the martial path someday!"

"May your words come true, may your words come true!"

Aunt Li was overjoyed, grinning from ear to ear. She even forgot that she had deliberately waited for them to come by so she could press them about the debt they owed.

Standing to one side, Shen Xiuhan wore a slightly strange expression.

He had no idea whether Chen An had practiced martial arts all night.

But he knew a thing or two about what Aunt Li and Uncle Chen had practiced last night.

After parting with Aunt Li and walking a little farther, Madam Zheng turned south and headed to the Bai Estate weaving workshop in the outer city for work.

Shen Xiuhan, meanwhile, made his way with practiced ease into the depths of the Little Path Bay reed marsh.

The morning mist had yet to disperse, and the withered yellow reeds were covered in frost.

He pushed aside the reeds and looked up. The pale golden point of light representing a Silver-backed Fish was lazily circling beneath the water's surface not far away.

Shen Xiuhan's spirits rose.

He found a rock and smashed open an ice hole directly above the marker.

The ice was about four fingers thick. With several cracking sounds, it split open into a large gap, and lake water spilled out.

Shen Xiuhan pulled a small handful of millet from his robes and scattered it through the ice hole.

Beneath the ice, the pale golden point of light immediately became active.

It darted left, then swam right, occasionally drawing close before warily retreating again.

"This beast is clever..." Shen Xiuhan narrowed his eyes and watched.

After about the time it took to drink a cup of tea, having sensed no danger, the Silver-backed Fish gradually relaxed and drifted lazily beneath the ice hole.

Shen Xiuhan could practically picture it pecking at the millet underwater.

"Eat up. Eat more. You need a full belly before you set off on your journey..."

He took out his hook, threaded several grains of millet onto it, and gently cast it into the ice hole.

But what Shen Xiuhan had not expected was...

The Silver-backed Fish was extremely wary!

After circling the hook twice, it retreated far to one side and refused to come near no matter what.

"Has this Treasure Fish turned into a spirit? Has it truly gained intelligence?"

Shen Xiuhan frowned slightly.

He was considering whether to try the black carp innards left over from last night.

The reed float on the water suddenly plunged without warning. The float had gone black!

"A fish?"

Shen Xiuhan instinctively flicked his wrist and fiercely raised the rod.

Splash!

Water flew everywhere.

A plump Silver-striped Fish burst through the surface, the five silver stripes on its back sharp and distinct.

It was not the Silver-backed Fish!

Shen Xiuhan's expression changed slightly as he instinctively looked toward the pale golden point beneath the water.

Sure enough.

The instant the Silver-striped Fish broke the surface, the Silver-backed Fish sensed danger. Like a startled bird fleeing at the mere twang of a bowstring, it shot several yards away into the deep water beyond the ice hole.

"Not good!"

"I can't keep this fish!"

Shen Xiuhan made his decision without hesitation.

Before the Silver-striped Fish froze stiff, he swiftly dug out the hook and threw this catch worth more than forty copper coins straight back into the ice hole!

Plop!

One had to sacrifice the child to catch the wolf.

Shen Xiuhan held his breath and focused, staring fixedly beneath the ice.

The Silver-striped Fish entered the water, flicked its tail, and slowly swam back.

Meanwhile, the Silver-backed Fish remained motionless in the distance.

One breath.

Two breaths.

About half an incense stick's time passed.

At last, the Silver-backed Fish moved.

It first cautiously swam forward more than a foot, then stopped.

It swam another foot, then stopped again.

Repeating this over and over, it gradually approached beneath the ice hole.

Seeing that nothing happened, it finally lowered its guard and returned to peck at the millet.

"A perfect chance!"

Shen Xiuhan took out the fish innards he had deliberately saved from last night and hung them on the iron hook.

He cast the line into the hole.

The moment the bloody bait sank to the bottom.

The Silver-backed Fish shot several yards away as if startled.

But immediately afterward, the scent of blood dissolved into the water and drifted outward in wisps.

The Silver-backed Fish's body stiffened. It paused where it was for a moment, then finally could not resist swimming closer. It circled the bait again and again, probing.

Shen Xiuhan barely dared to breathe.

He did not know how much guard this spirit-like Treasure Fish had lowered because of his tactic of letting it go only to lure it back.

He could only wait.

Then he saw that the pale golden point of light ultimately could not withstand the temptation of instinct.

It crept closer to the hook...

Closer still...

Then overlapped with it.

The reed float suddenly vanished, and the bamboo rod violently dipped downward!

A tremendous force several times greater than that of the Silver-striped Fish traveled up the line into his palm. The bamboo rod was instantly bent into a full bow!

It had taken the bait!

"What terrifying strength!"

Shen Xiuhan had just intended to raise the rod when he immediately sensed something was wrong.

With the brute force the Silver-backed Fish had unleashed, he absolutely could not confront it head-on.

Otherwise, the bamboo fishing rod and the hemp-rope line would likely snap on the spot!

Left with no choice.

He could only grit his teeth, steady his footing, and begin circling around with the Silver-backed Fish.

When the enemy advanced, he retreated; when the enemy halted, he harassed.

Pull for a while, then give for a while.

Man and fish began a battle of endurance across the ice!

Shen Xiuhan had only just recovered from a serious illness. His vitality was depleted, and his body remained exceedingly frail.

After barely holding out for the time it took to burn an incense stick, his arms felt limp as mud, while his lungs heaved like bellows.

The first to fail was actually himself!

"No..."

"If this goes on, it'll drag me into the ice hole!"

Shen Xiuhan gripped the fishing rod with one hand and reached into his robes with the other, pulling out a cornmeal flatbread.

He opened his mouth, took a savage bite, and swallowed it down, chewing as he did!

The moment the flatbread went down, he immediately felt the effects. His arms no longer shook quite so badly.

Supported by food, he forcibly held on for another cup of tea's time.

At last, the immense force beneath the water began to weaken.

The Silver-backed Fish could not withstand the exhaustion after all, and the strength of its struggles gradually waned.

Get up!