The horizon gradually turned fish-belly white, making the sky look all the clearer.
The light was soft, and then a streak of rosy red appeared on the horizon.
Suddenly, the bamboo rod twitched, and Li Ping'an flicked his hand.
The fish's silvery figure traced an arc through the air.
Like a faint arc of light, it flashed softly.
"Tsk, tsk~"
"I spent all night fishing for you, and you finally took the bait."
The first step was always the hardest.
Soon, a second followed, then a third...
"Old Ox, we're in for a treat first thing this morning. Let's head back."
Old Ox mooed.
Then he dipped his hind legs into the water and began paddling away with a splash.
The lone boat slowly moved toward the Small Pavilion in the middle of the lake.
"Teacher really treats him well, giving him stuffed pancakes and steamed buns. Just looking at them makes me hungry."
Chunqiu walked ahead, a hint of dissatisfaction in his voice.
"Stop complaining," Xia Chan said. "We should be thinking about whether we can catch Xixi today."
Chunqiu heaved a long sigh. "Forget it. We've been fishing for three years."
Something suddenly occurred to Xia Chan. "Hey, Mr. Li at the pavilion in the middle of the lake asked us for hooks and line last time. Does he want to fish too?"
Chunqiu rolled his eyes. "If Xixi were that easy to catch, would people as talented as us have spent three years fishing without catching any?"
Xia Chan nodded. "That's true. Should we tell him, then, so he doesn't waste his effort?"
Chunqiu thought for a moment. "Let him fish. He won't catch anything anyway.
"If we say something, he might think we're being stingy and won't let him fish. It's not like he has anything