Moving Stones

Time flowed on, and in the blink of an eye, seven days had passed.

The sunlight was just right that day.

Fang Ergou sat by the river, holding a five-meter-long fishing rod.

This rod was twice as long and twice as thick as Fang Yue.

This was not the technologically advanced world Fang Yue had once known, with all kinds of supramolecular materials that, so long as one was willing to spend the money, could make fishing rods sturdy, resilient, and lightweight.

Yet even in that era, as a veteran fishing enthusiast, Fang Yue had rarely seen anyone use a rod longer than five meters.

After all, setting aside the weight of such a long rod, its length alone severely affected handling and would instead hinder one's performance.

In this world, however, the best material was bamboo, and bamboo was also the most suitable.

A five-meter bamboo pole weighed more than twenty jin on its own.

An ordinary person would find it strenuous after carrying it for only a short while.

Not to mention that Fang Ergou was holding it one-handed. Factoring in leverage, he still looked utterly relaxed.

Didn't Fang Ergou have more than two hundred jin of strength in one hand alone?!

Watching this, Fang Yue could not help but marvel inwardly.

He truly had not expected it. He truly had not seen it coming.

Fang Ergou seemed to be two or three years younger than him this year, wasn't he? Twelve or thirteen, perhaps?

He was practically a beast!

As a result, the slight arrogance Fang Yue had developed these past few days, as his aptitude steadily improved and his fishing skills grew increasingly proficient, vanished without a trace in an instant.

But this only made him more certain.

Fang Hu truly knew real martial arts!

Otherwise, even if Fang Ergou was taller and stronger than him, he could not possibly possess such tremendous strength.

At this thought, Fang Yue's gaze toward the youth beside him gradually grew fervent.

"Brother Zhi, why haven't the fish bitten yet?"

Fang Ergou spoke impatiently, scratching at his hair with his other hand as though several fleas were crawling over his scalp and biting him.

Seeing this, Fang Yue's shock finally eased somewhat.

This monstrous Fang Ergou had finally acted normally.

This was how a farm child ought to be.

"When fishing, the first priority is one's temperament. You must endure loneliness and withstand solitude. As the saying goes: an old man in a straw cape aboard a lone boat, fishing alone in the cold river snow."

"It has only been a short while, and you already can't endure it.

"When I first learned to fish, ah, it took me quite some time to catch my first fish."

Fang Yue stood with his hands behind his back, carrying himself like an old scholar tirelessly instructing and enlightening others.

"Brother Zhi, how long did it take you?" Fang Ergou asked anxiously.

"About... one shichen, I suppose," Fang Yue said after calculating inwardly.

One shichen was two hours.

Mm.

When he had learned to fish in his previous life, it had taken him about that long to catch his first fish.

Though for a long time afterward, it often took him even longer than that to catch another one.

"Ah, Brother Zhi, you're amazing!"

Fang Ergou first froze. His dark, broad face, nearly wider than Fang Yue's waist, seemed to turn to stone in an instant.

His mouth hung wide enough to fit an egg inside as he stared at Fang Yue in utter shock.

After all, how long had he been fishing already? Nearly two shichen, perhaps.

Perhaps Fang Ergou's luck had finally arrived. In the midst of their conversation—

The fishing rod in his hand dipped slightly.

"A fish has taken the hook. Remember what I taught you before—don't panic."

Seeing this, Fang Yue lowered his voice and began explaining the techniques he had already repeated more than a dozen times.

Judging by the rod's movement, the hooked fish should not have been large.

At a time like this, even a swift flick of the rod had a good chance of hauling the fish out.

But once it was in Fang Ergou's hands—

Something still went wrong. The rod suddenly jerked and trembled violently.

Fang Ergou had clearly panicked as well. He abruptly exerted force, and his tremendous strength immediately sent the fishing rod flying out.

The five-meter bamboo pole slashed through the air at high speed.

The howling wind tore out a piercing shriek.

A while later, Fang Ergou looked at the tiny grass carp on the hook, not even as long as his palm, and could not help saying:

"Brother Zhi, I caught one! I really caught one!"

Fang Ergou had originally feared that he would fail again, but this time, he had actually gained something.

He had finally learned how to fish!

In truth, because the fish was so small, it had still been reeled in despite his mistake.

After seven days, learning for one shichen each day, Fang Ergou had finally caught a fish.

This showed just how difficult fishing was.

After all, the fishing equipment of this era was far too crude.

When the tools were poor, skill had to make up the difference.

"Mm, mm, not bad. Not bad at all. Truly not bad."

Fang Yue felt that at this moment, he ought to have been a white-bearded old man, watching a junior catch a fish after receiving his guidance.

He ought to have stroked his nonexistent long beard with one hand, smiling as he encouraged his junior.

Teaching a disciple and watching that disciple gain something was deeply satisfying.

After calming his emotions, Fang Ergou still had excitement on his face, but he did not strike while the iron was hot and continue fishing.

Instead, he picked up the bow and arrows he had brought from beside him, walked before Fang Yue, and said in a deep, muffled voice:

"Brother Zhi, it's time for me to teach you archery."

At this moment, Fang Ergou imitated how his father had once been—expressionless, stern, and earnest.

But he had been born with an honest, simple-looking face.

The more serious he tried to look, the more out of place he appeared.

"My father said that to learn archery, you must first cultivate strength. Only once you have built enough strength can you begin learning to shoot."

"Brother Zhi, look. This bow of mine is a Three-stone bow. To draw it, you have to... you have to lift this stone—oh, no, this stone must be raised over your head. Then... then hold it there for thirty breaths."

As Fang Ergou spoke, he felt around nearby for a stone and lifted one slightly.

Before long, he found a stone the size of a water bucket. With one hand, he lifted it and raised it over his head, demonstrating for Fang Yue.

"..."

Fang Yue's eyelid could not help twitching.

That stone was several times larger than the wooden bucket at his home. It had to weigh more than three hundred jin.

And he had simply lifted it?

"Brother Zhi, you try too."

Very soon, thirty breaths had passed.

Fang Ergou put down the stone without flushing or even breathing hard. Clearly, his strength was far beyond three hundred jin.

"Just move stones directly?"

Fang Yue was doubtful. Moving stones could build strength?

Like weightlifting?

Could one really train up immense strength this way? Was that scientific?

"When my father taught me, that was what he said. It can't be wrong. As long as you keep moving stones little by little, your strength will grow."

Fang Ergou nodded, opening his mouth in an honest grin.

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