Rather Take the Straight Path

"Anu, it's all because Mother is useless. It's all because Mother is useless."

"Mother, don't cry, don't cry. Anu isn't hungry anymore, Anu isn't hungry anymore."

Having only walked a few steps away, Fang Yue heard the mother and daughter crying behind him.

His heart grew ever more stifled. He stamped his foot, yet in the end, he could not bring himself to be hard-hearted.

He untied the smallest Grass Carp from the straw rope and headed back to the Yu Family's door.

"Madam Yu, bring out a basin."

Widow Yu, steeped in grief and already despairing, heard him and stared in disbelief. Yet her body moved mechanically.

She came before Fang Yue. "Brother Yue, you..."

Fang Yue ignored her, tossed the fish in his hand into the wooden basin, then left without looking back.

Widow Yu stared blankly at the Grass Carp in the basin, its gills opening and closing. When she finally came back to herself, she hurriedly looked toward the youth who had already gone far away.

She wiped her tears, carried the fish home, and hurriedly said, "Anu, Mother will make fish soup for you right away."

"Mother~"

When he returned home, Fang Lan saw the four Grass Carp in her brother's hands, and her expression changed in an instant.

"Little brother, you went into the river to catch fish? How could you go into the river alone? That's far too dangerous! Were you hurt?"

Fang Lan immediately looked Fang Yue over from head to toe.

"No, Sister, I'm fine."

"I didn't go into the river. I caught these fish with a rod. Look, isn't this a fishing rod?"

Fang Yue hurriedly explained, though his heart was filled with warmth.

His sister did not look at the fish first, nor was she happy just because they would have meat to eat.

The first thing she did was worry about whether he had been hurt. It was clear how dearly she valued him, her younger brother.

"As long as you're fine. As long as you're fine."

Fang Lan patted her chest, finally relieved. Only then did she hastily fill the wooden basin with water and have Fang Yue put the four fish inside.

There was no need to mention how the brother and sister then discussed how to eat the fish.

A while later, Chen Shi returned.

Even though Fang Yue explained it again and again, she still inspected him carefully from head to toe. Only after confirming that he was unhurt and that his clothes showed no sign of being wet did she begin praising him.

At noon that day, Father Fang and Eldest Brother had a much more lavish meal than usual.

Their usual wild vegetable soup had become fish soup, and each of them also ate half a jin of fish.

Yet while the family enjoyed the delicious meal, they all sternly warned Fang Yue that fishing was fine in the future, but he absolutely must not go into the water.

Otherwise, they would not eat any fish Fang Yue caught.

Seeing how well his father, mother, brother, and sister treated him, Fang Yue felt boundless emotion. Though people could not get enough to eat in this world, it truly was a good place.

He would protect this happiness well too.

Over the next few days, while tending the cattle, Fang Yue took time from his busy schedule to fish.

And as his aptitude increased, his fishing skills grew better and better.

He brought in quite a haul every day.

However, Fang Yue did not catch too many. Two or three fish a day was enough.

It was enough for his family to eat. Catching more would only be wasteful.

Of course, during these days, he continued taking the path that passed Widow Yu's door.

After all, if he came home with a catch every day,

and ate fish every day, it would not look good if the villagers saw it.

People feared not scarcity, but inequality. Though rural folk were simple and honest, there would never be a shortage of those with jealous red eyes.

Should gossip spread, the consequences would likely be bad.

This was an era where one's reputation could drive a person to death.

Still, whenever he happened to pass Widow Yu's home,

he could not help softening his heart and giving her a fish.

Only a few times, of course.

Ten days later, at noon.

That day, Fang Yue finished fishing early and lay atop Big Blue Stone to cool off.

Time flies, Heaven rewards diligence, aptitude +1

The familiar words surfaced before his eyes. At first, Fang Yue paid them no mind.

But in the next moment, the words did not vanish as they usually did.

Instead, they changed again.

Current aptitude: 10 (one in ten)

Note: One in ten. Among ordinary people, you can already begin to stand out, but no more than that.

In the next moment, Fang Yue seemed to feel a strange warm current rise within his body.

Yet when he carefully tried to sense it, he found nothing at all.

He took it for an illusion.

"One in ten!"

"My aptitude rating actually improved!"

Fang Yue could not help sitting upright as he looked at the light screen before him.

His aptitude had improved.

An aptitude of one in ten!

Though the rating was not high, it was still far better than being mediocre.

Fang Yue immediately decided to test his fishing.

For now, fishing was the only skill he could use to verify it.

With that thought, he sprang up and reached the riverbank in a few strides, snatching up the fishing rod at his side.

The slender yet tough fishing rod landed in his hand. Fang Yue looked toward the muddy waters of Small River Bend before him.

For some reason, a feeling arose in his heart that this cast would surely bring in a catch.

Without further hesitation, Fang Yue immediately cast his line into the water.

The motion flowed in one breath, smooth as drifting clouds and running water, as though he had practiced it thousands upon thousands of times.

Sure enough, only a moment later,

Fang Yue felt the rod in his hand suddenly sink.

The fishing rod was even dragged toward the river, making Fang Yue strain to hold it.

Fang Yue immediately exerted force. In an instant, the rod in his hand tightened like the string of a full-drawn bow.

At that moment, ripples surged across the once-calm surface, and muddy waves churned.

"Good heavens, that's a big one!"

Through the muddy waves, Fang Yue vaguely caught sight of a shadow more than two chi long.

It was clearly a huge fish!

Under normal circumstances, even if such a large fish had taken the hook,

he would most likely have given up and found a way to let it slip free.

After all, the fishing rod in his hand was too crude to withstand such pulling.

If it broke, that would be troublesome.

But today, he clearly felt something different.

He might be able to reel in this fish without damaging the rod.

His heart immediately settled.

Fang Yue began wrestling with the giant fish, employing every technique he knew for redirecting and controlling force.

By twisting his body, he weakened the pulling force.

Gradually, as time passed, he actually began to gain the upper hand.

"Hmm?"

"His lower body is strong, his upper limbs coordinated. His methods for exerting and deflecting force are clearly crude, yet they carry a faint trace of true power."

"With such talent and comprehension, he can be rated middling-low."

At this moment, beneath a Willow Tree not far away,

Fang Hu stood against the wind, holding up a roe deer in one hand. Yet his gaze crossed the distance of more than ten zhang to watch Fang Yue by the riverbank, and he murmured to himself.

"Father, what are you looking at?"

At this moment, Fang Ergou came over with his simple, foolish-looking manner.

Then, following Fang Hu's gaze, he saw Fang Yue, half his body gradually tilting toward the river bend.

The bow and pheasant in his hands immediately dropped to the ground.

He broke into a run, opened his mouth, and shouted:

"Ah, Brother Zhi, why are you trying to do something foolish again?!"

"Brother Zhi, don't move!"

"Don't jump into the river!"