Lu Qing arrived at the fishing spot and stomped down the surrounding grass, tossing it into the wooden bucket. Then he pulled out the bamboo tube filled with earthworms.
He removed the clay seal, revealing the wriggling red worms inside.
The kids behind him, standing on the slope and peering down, spotted the movement in the tube and gasped in surprise.
Earthworms—they knew what those were. They'd caught them plenty of times to play with or feed to the chickens and ducks at home.
But they had no idea you could use them to catch fish.
With the children watching intently, Lu Qing took out a worm and threaded it onto the hook. Then he cast the still-squirming bait into the water.
The hook landed precisely at the spot his ability had marked with the gray spiral ripple.
As the hook sank, Lu Qing quietly waited.
The kids on the slope behind him held their breath, eyes locked on the scene.
Soon, they saw the small wooden float tied to the fishing line begin to wiggle slightly.
Their tension spiked.
But Lu Qing remained calm and composed, not moving a muscle, allowing the float to tremble on the surface.
Only when one end of the float suddenly jerked up and then plunged down did he swiftly lift the rod.
A streak of white flashed through the air.
By the time everyone saw it clearly, a small, finger-thick white fish was already wriggling on the hook, its tail flicking wildly.
"He actually caught a fish!"
The kids were stunned, eyes wide at the sight of the fish on the hook.
Xiaoyan even jumped up in excitement. "Big brother caught a fish! Such a big one!"
Lu Qing smiled as well.
Thankfully, his skills hadn't gotten rusty. Landing a fish on the first cast saved him from embarrassment in front of the kids.
He removed the fish and examined it closely.
It resembled the small white fish he'd caught in his previous life.
Soon, a soft gray glow appeared over its body.
[Small White Fish: Edible. May be good for restoring nutrition.]
Seeing the word edible, Lu Qing felt a wave of relief.
As long as it was edible, they had food for today.
He poured some water into the bucket and placed the fish inside. Hearing the kids still excitedly chattering behind him, he turned around, a bit helpless.
"Quiet down, all of you. You'll scare the fish away."
At his words, the kids quickly clamped their mouths shut, not daring to make another peep.
But their eyes still sparkled with excitement they couldn't hide.
Now that they'd seen Lu Qing actually catch a fish, it was as if they had discovered an entirely new world. Their enthusiasm soared.
But what happened next made them truly understand what it meant to be excited.
Lu Qing baited the hook with another worm, and soon after casting it again, the float moved—and he reeled in another small white fish.
From that moment on, Lu Qing entered what anglers called "rapid catch mode."
Fish after fish came up on his line. The ease and rhythm with which he fished made it look like he was simply scooping fish out of the water.
And the catches weren't limited to white fish—he also pulled in other small varieties, including yellow catfish and river shrimp.
The kids watching were absolutely thrilled.
If they hadn't been afraid of scaring the fish, they would have been cheering out loud.
Reaching into the bamboo tube again, Lu Qing found it empty.
Looking inside, he realized that most of the worms had been used up—only a few remained at the bottom.
He glanced over at the wooden bucket—it was nearly full. A generous haul.
He couldn't help but smile.
It had been a long time since he'd had such a satisfying fishing session.
No doubt about it—this otherworldly environment produced different fish altogether.
Even the small ones had a real fight in them, making each catch feel distinct and gratifying.
He also felt a bit lucky.
Thank goodness he had chosen this fishing spot. Even these small fish put up such a struggle—if he had gone for one of the other spots with bigger fish, his line might have snapped instantly.
Seeing that the worms were almost gone and the frequency of bites had dropped significantly, Lu Qing knew it was time to call it a day.
If he kept fishing, he'd clean out the small fish population in this spot completely.
Best to give them time to regroup.
With that, Lu Qing reeled in the line, dumped the remaining worms into the water, and carried the bucket back up the slope.
The kids waiting on the hill looked at him with wide eyes full of admiration.
As soon as he climbed up, they rushed over.
Peering into the full bucket, they gasped in awe.
"Brother Lu Qing, you're amazing! You actually caught this many fish!"
"So many! How long will it take to eat them all?"
"Wow… you can really catch fish with a bamboo pole!"
...
"Big brother, fish! So many fish!" Xiaoyan bounced up to him, her little face flushed with excitement.
"Not bad, huh? Just a bit small," Lu Qing said modestly.
Once the kids had expressed their excitement, Lu Qing added, "You guys, help me carry this bucket of fish back. Everyone will get a share."
He estimated the fish weighed around seven or eight catties (about 7–8 pounds). With the water and bucket included, it wasn't light.
He was still weak—carrying it briefly was fine, but hauling it all the way back to the village would be too much.
Besides, he and Xiaoyan couldn't finish all the fish in a meal or two.
Small fish spoil easily, and they had no way to preserve them. It was better to share some with others.
"Okay, Brother Lu Qing!"
Hearing they'd get a share, the kids were overjoyed.
They lifted the bucket together with ease.
The ones who didn't get a grip on the bucket looked like they were about to cry.
Lu Qing had to step in to mediate, suggesting they take turns carrying it, which finally settled things.
And so, the group made their way back to the village, carrying a bucket full of fish.
As they entered the village, the excited chatter from the children attracted some of the villagers.
When they came to see what the commotion was, they were stunned.
"He really caught fish? And that many?"
News of Lu Qing's recovery had already spread through the village while he was out fishing.
Many knew he had gone to the river.
But no one had expected him to catch so many fish in one trip.
Judging by the full bucket, it looked like at least ten catties worth.
Since when did Lu Qing know how to fish?
More and more villagers grew curious.
Especially those who had tried fishing themselves—they were desperate to know how Lu Qing had managed such a haul.
Driven by curiosity, some of them couldn't help but follow the group back to Lu Qing's home.