CHAPTER 747: CHAPTER 580: CHAOS BENEATH THE BRIDGE

"Fireworks for sale!"

Yao Beibei shouted out, looking like a curious baby. She glanced at the things on the stall, pointed, and asked.

"What’s that called?"

"Sparklers."

"Not elegant."

Lin Dong: "???"

Is that right?

"Huang Beibei, stop talking." Jiang Nian turned his phone toward her, "Come on, smile."

"Don’t take a candid shot!" Yao Beibei stood up but hesitated, "If I go over there, would that be a selfie?"

"You figured it out already?"

"Uh-huh."

"Haha, look at this picture." Jiang Nian turned and shared with Zhang Ningzhi, "Haha, like a silly dog."

Upon hearing this, Yao Beibei was instantly annoyed.

She was about to go over and scold Jiang Nian harshly. But she hesitated on her foot, afraid that she would really be photographing a dog when she walked over.

Seriously, Jiang Nian is the real dog.

Fortunately, she had a reliable way, "Zhizhi, did he just take a picture of me?"

Zhang Ningzhi blushed, nodding then shaking her head.

"He did."

Yao Beibei was instantly angry and leaned over to take a look. In the photo, she was in the same frame as the dog, but the focus was only on the dog.

"Jiang Nian! You damn!!"

"Ah, a customer." Jiang Nian stood up and walked away, "Hey handsome guy, look, we have all kinds of fireworks."

Zhang Ningzhi had never run a stall, everything seemed new to her. She followed with a patter, like a little ornament.

Whenever Jiang Nian said something, she would echo or repeat beside him.

"This firework is great, powerful."

"Yeah, yeah."

"Buy another small firework, this one has good value. Pair it with two sky rockets, you can even explode fish, and it’s cheap."

"Cheap."

The guy buying fireworks felt a stab to his heart. The worst thing is comparison, he was buying fireworks to please a girl.

However, at the moment he saw Zhang Ningzhi.

He wasn’t so excited about the carefully planned program for the evening. The girl he was dating was no match for the girl in front of him.

Yet such a girl was foolishly sticking to Jiang Nian’s side.

Comparing people is infuriating.

"Zhizhi, between the two of us," he turned his head, earnestly looking at Zhang Ningzhi, "who made the customer jealous?"

"Of course, it’s you, I’m not handsome."

"Really?"

"Yep, yep."

Lin Dong couldn’t listen any longer, grabbed a small stool, and sat at the end of the stall, basking in the sun to pass the time.

Damn, had I known, I wouldn’t have done it.

Zhen Nan doesn’t regulate fireworks, Shalin Town has designated stalls, and it’s also a centralized fireworks setting-off place.

The fireworks on the car belonged to Lin Dong’s relatives.

In a small place, basically, everyone knows each other, and no one would check. If they run into someone serious, just say they’re minding the stall for adults.

Thus, the qualification issue was also resolved.

The four of them watched over the stall until noon, and once the novelty wore off, after a flurry of activity, they all began to quiet down.

"So tired, damn."

"Indeed." Yao Beibei straightened up, hammered her old waist, "Sitting all the time, can’t take it anymore."

Lin Dong waved a big hand, "You guys go eat, lunch on me."

He stayed to mind the stall.

By the afternoon, there were only a few customers buying fireworks.

Jiang Nian yawned, looking at the crowd setting off fireworks not far from the bridge, then gazed towards the fishermen further away.

"Not many people, I’ll go fish for a bit."

"I’ll go too." Zhang Ningzhi immediately put down the small fireworks, stood up, and followed, "How do you fish?"

"Pick up a hook."

"Huh?"

Lin Dong watched the two go far off, then looked back at Yao Beibei.

"You’re not going?"

"What’s there to go to, without a fishing rod, you can’t catch any fish." Yao Beibei, with dead fish eyes, complained.

"Really went, you’d only see Zhizhi, the bigmouth fish."

Upon hearing this, Lin Dong also felt it made sense.

"Indeed."

He habitually opened the group chat, and the opening message startled him.

"Chi Shi, Chi Shi!!"

Li Hua was in the group, fiercely arguing with Jiang Nian. A bet about a fish hook could catch fish.

Lin Dong was incredulous, glanced at Jiang Nian in the distance.

"Really?"

In the group chat, Li Hua made bold assertions.

"If your damn thing catches a fish, I’ll eat this glass on the spot. [Picture]"

Ma Guojun: "Up to your antics again?"

"Chi Shi!"

Tao Ran, rarely heard from, suddenly chimed in, "Winter’s dry season, you can’t fish mermaids in such a small river."

Dong Que: "Class rep, nobody said they wanted to fish for mermaids."

Chen Yunyun: "@Jiang Nian, where is this place?"

Zhang Ningzhi: "Shalin Town."

Tao Ran: "So there aren’t any mermaids, huh. Looks like I’m hallucinating. I wonder if the counseling room is open."

Dong Que: "....The leader, they blocked you."

Jiang Nian isn’t looking at the group chat, focusing intently on fishing. He fashioned some fishing lines and grabbed a stick to use.

A minimalist setup, simple and unadorned execution.

Fully geared-up fishermen cast a glance at them from afar. One shook his head while the other mocked.

"With such basic gear, you still think you’ll catch something?"

Jiang Nian ignored them, tossing the hook directly into the water. It floated for a moment before the line suddenly tensed.

"Not professional enough, lacks technique." That person shook his head.

Zhang Ningzhi, upon hearing this, couldn’t help but clench her hand.

"He’ll definitely catch something!"

"Hahaha!!!" Those two burst into laughter, the air around them filled with a sense of joy at the fishing spot.

However, in the next second.

The fishing line in Jiang Nian’s hand stiffened, and he yanked it up with a wrapped hand. A two-pound black fish broke the water’s surface.

The fishermen froze, stunned. Damn!

"Beginner’s luck!"

"Exactly, my first time fishing, I caught a four-pound grass carp just after the hook hit the water."

Splash, and another carp was hooked.

Jiang Nian, expressionless, weighed the fish in his hand. Not satisfied with the catch, he tossed it back.

"So small, not worth my expression!"

Fisherman: "...."

This youngster, he’s really putting on airs!

They’ve squatted here all day, the fish Jiang Nian just threw back were the ones they longed for but couldn’t get.

The two exchanged glances, deciding to go into the river and catch some snails to bring home.

To hell with fishing.

At the firecracker stall.

"You actually caught them?" Yao Beibei was amazed, "How do you plan to bring so many home?"

Jiang Nian took a photo and sent it to Li Hua.

"Not taking them home."

"Let Lin Dong handle them. I think his family just got a cat. There’s also a yellow dog, right? They should eat fish, right?"

Lin Dong was also dumbfounded, "Okay."

Jiang Nian @ Li Hua, "Eat from the glass cup, you little foodie."

"Chi Shi!"

.....

As night fell.

As a perk for being helpers, Lin Dong left some fireworks for them to play with. The group got lost in the fun.

Jiang Nian took a moment to reply to messages on the side.

"Yeah, the four of us together."

On the other end of the screen, it was Chen Yunyun.

"Will you pass through Yunmu Town?"

"We will, but it’ll be quite late by then," Jiang Nian said, "Let’s plan a proper visit to your place next time."

Chen Yunyun: "Okay."

Jiang Nian ended the chat, not giving it much thought. He was about to open the class group chat to check what Li Hua was saying.

Suddenly, a message from Chen Yunyun popped up.

"Remember to come next time."

Hmm... he was just saying it casually, having been running around for two days, he was already a bit exhausted. Visiting would have to wait till after New Year’s.

"Okay."

Later that night.

Zhang Ningzhi, too scared to light fireworks, played with a sparkler instead. After waving it twice, she nearly got hit.

A few rowdy young folks underneath the bridge were launching fireworks at the crowd.

"Wuhu!!"

"This is fun, so awesome."

Jiang Nian sensed something was wrong and grabbed Zhang Ningzhi to walk towards the shore. Meanwhile, he picked up a piece of broken tile.

Silently and casually, he flung it back.

A scream came from behind, the young guy shooting fireworks slumped down, clutching his head and howling.

"Let’s get to the car first." Jiang Nian said.

"That was scary." Zhang Ningzhi finally realized, still shaken, "Wait, Beibei is still there."

"I’ll find her." Jiang Nian got Zhang Ningzhi into the car, then turned back into the crowd, "Stay in the car."

During the chaos, Yao Beibei got separated from the crowd.

"Where’s Zhizhi?"

Jiang Nian, after locating her, circled her to check. Seeing that she wasn’t hurt, he finally relaxed.

"In the car, getting ready to head home."

"Oh, okay." Yao Beibei followed Jiang Nian, nearly getting separated again.

Jiang Nian decisively grabbed her by the sleeve and led her through.

Yao Beibei: "...."