"Anu, it was all because Mother was useless. It was all because Mother was 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 vexed. 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 went instead to the Yu Family's door.
"Madam Yu, bring a basin over."
Widow Yu, who had been 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 came back to herself, she hurriedly looked toward the boy who had already gone far away.
She wiped away her tears, carried the fish, and rushed home. "Anu, Mother will cook fish soup for you right away."
"Mother~"
~~~~~~
When he returned home, Fang Lan's expression changed instantly when she saw the four grass carp in her brother's hands.
"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, Sis, 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 because they would have meat to eat.
The first thing she did was ask whether he had been hurt. It was clear that she cared deeply for him, her younger brother.
"As long as you're fine, as long as you're fine."
Fang Lan patted her chest, finally putting her mind at ease. Only then did she quickly fill the wooden basin with water and have Fang Yue put the four fish inside.
There was no need to mention how the siblings then discussed eating the fish.
After a while, Chen Shi returned.
Though Fang Yue explained again and again, she still examined him carefully from head to toe. Only after confirming that he was not hurt and that there were no wet marks on his clothes did she begin praising him.
At noon that day, Father Fang and the eldest brother had a much more sumptuous meal.
The usual wild vegetable soup had become fish soup, and each of them also ate half a jin of fish.
Yet even as the family enjoyed the delicious meal, they sternly warned Fang Yue that he could fish in the future, but he must never enter the water.
Otherwise, they would not eat the fish Fang Yue caught.
Seeing how well his father, mother, brother, and sister treated him,
Fang Yue naturally felt boundless emotion. Though people in this world could not fill their bellies, it truly was a wonderful place.
He would protect this happiness well, too.
~~~~~~
Over the next few days, while herding cattle, Fang Yue would steal a little time to fish.
And as his aptitude increased, his fishing skills grew better and better.
Every day, he brought in quite a haul.
However, Fang Yue did not catch too many fish. Two or three fish a day was enough.
As long as there was enough for his family to eat, any more would be wasteful.
Of course, these past few days, he had continued taking the route past Widow Yu's door.
After all, he had a catch every day,
and fish to eat every day. It would not be good if the villagers saw that.
People did not fear scarcity, but inequity. Though the countryside folk were simple and honest, there would certainly be no lack of jealous red-eyed people.
If gossip began to spread, the consequences would likely be bad.
This was an era where one's reputation could drive a person to death.
Of course, only when he happened to pass Widow Yu's home once in a while,
would he inevitably soften his heart and give 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 enjoy the cool air.
Time flies, Heaven rewards diligence, aptitude +1
The familiar words appeared before his eyes. At first, Fang Yue did not pay them much attention.
But 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.
The next instant, Fang Yue seemed to feel a strange warm current arise within his body.
But when he tried to sense it carefully, 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 and looking at the light screen before him.
His aptitude had improved,
to the aptitude of one in ten!
Though this evaluation was not high, it was still far better than that mediocre talent.
Fang Yue immediately prepared to test his fishing.
For now, fishing was the only skill he could use to verify it.
With that thought, he sprang to his feet and reached the riverbank in several strides, grabbing the fishing rod at his side.
The long, resilient rod fell into his hand. Fang Yue looked at the muddy Small River Bend before him.
For some reason, he suddenly felt that if he cast this rod, he would definitely gain something.
Without hesitating further, Fang Yue immediately cast his line into the water.
The movement 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 fishing rod in his hand suddenly sink.
The 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 pulled taut like the string of a full moon bow.
At that moment, ripples rose over the once-calm water, and muddy waves churned.
"Good heavens, it's a big one!"
Through the muddy waves, Fang Yue vaguely saw a shadow around two chi long.
It was clearly a huge fish!
Under normal circumstances, even if a fish this large had truly 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 hands was too crude to withstand such pulling force.
If it broke, that would be troublesome.
But today, he clearly had a different feeling.
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 all manner of techniques to divert and control its force.
Through twists of his body, he weakened the pulling power.
Gradually, as time passed, he slowly gained the upper hand.
~~~~~~
"Hmm?"
"Strong lower body, coordinated upper limbs. His methods of exerting and redirecting force are obviously crude, yet they carry a hint of true force."
"With such talent and comprehension, he can be rated lower-middle."
At that moment, beneath a Willow Tree not far away,
Fang Hu stood against the wind, carrying a roe deer in one hand. Yet his gaze crossed more than ten zhang to settle on Fang Yue at the riverbank as he murmured.
"Father, what are you looking at?"
At that moment, Fang Ergou came over, looking rather foolish.
Then, following Fang Hu's gaze, he looked toward Fang Yue, whose upper body was gradually tilting toward the river bend.
The bow, arrows, and pheasant in his hands fell to the ground.
He broke into a run, opened his mouth, and shouted:
"Ah, Brother Zhi, why are you trying to end it again?!"
"Brother Zhi, don't move!"
"Don't jump into the river!"