Chapter 33 Loves Money a Bit More Than Bai Zimo

The next day!

Bai Zimo went out to fish for eels!

A few friends followed along. Thanked to Bai Zimo, the whole group had become quite skilled.

“Pig liver!”

“Retractable rods!”

“Eel hooks!”

“……”

“Bai Zimo, how did you fall in love with fishing?”

Xie Wanghe was genuinely impressed — Bai Zimo was seriously committed to fishing. He was way more meticulous about it than he ever was with homework.

“Because I love it, that’s why…”

“Because I love it, that’s why! Gentleness can’t be scheduled, happiness comes fast, don’t wait until we hurt each other.”

“Because I love it, that’s why! No need to be generous with feelings, no one has to give me a perfect era!”

Alright then!

Bai Zimo just hummed that one line. The boys standing by the canal all started howling like ghosts.

Some things boys do are just inexplicable. Like making pointless bets or doing cringey stuff for no reason.

“You guys are too much!”

“Come on, Xie Tingfeng style — we’ve gotta go a little crazy sometimes!”

Xie Tingfeng’s fans started with this generation, after all.

“Haha, this song reminds me of that summer we stole melons and Siying came to our courtyard.”

“Cherish it while you can! Veggie gardens, canals, ponds — these are becoming rarer by the day.”

“Eh! Got a bite!”

[Ding! You’ve caught one eel today. You earned 1,000 yuan!]

Whoa!

A little profit.

“Finally caught one. Pig liver really does work well for eel fishing.”

“I got one too,”

“Another one! And it’s a big one! Nice!”

[Ding! You’ve caught one eel today. You earned one 1980 Monkey Stamp!]

That stamp’s worth a bit. The collector craze really started this year. Just look at the papers, the news, and those people going door-to-door buying old stuff.

_____

“Zimo, no eels here!”

Xie Wanghe jumped in to dig through the mud by hand.

“Still no eels!”

“You have to be patient! If you want the fish to bite, you have to give it enough time to trust you.”

“You’ve turned fishing into a philosophy! I can’t believe you’ve been doing this for years.”

“It’s the sense of accomplishment. Like when you play basketball well and the girls cheer for you.”

“How is that the same? Here by the canal, who’s cheering for you?”

“Me!”

“And me too!”

Xia Fenghua raised her hand, and Ma Siying followed.

“You two don’t count. You and Bai Zimo are 50/50 — you love money more than you love Zimo.”

“Shaoxingchi, no one asked you to speak!”

“I caught one too! The eels are really cooperating today.”

Shaoxingchi celebrated.

But was immediately roasted.

“They’re cooperating, so you’re gonna destroy their whole eel family?”

“Hua, did I offend you or something?”

“Yeah, and you’re just now realizing?”

“I didn’t know! I swear!”

“Who just said I love money more? You wanna get stomped into the canal?”

Shaoxingchi wiped away imaginary sweat.

“No, I get it now! Sister Hua sees money as dirt!”

Pfft!

Hahaha!

Now was that sarcasm, or sarcasm?

Hua nearly exploded on the spot!

“Must’ve hit a nest today! Hua, don’t be mad — let’s punish Xingchi by making him cook!”

[Ding! You’ve caught one eel today. You earned 1,000 yuan!]

_______

The system rewards were random, But similar catches usually brought similar rewards — nothing too wild. Still, over the years, Bai Zimo had encountered zero-reward days too.

Like today!

They caught several eels, but not every catch came with a prize! Time to pack it up.

“Let’s head back!”

Shaoxingchi, aside from being annoying when he talked, actually had solid cooking skills. Zhou Haikuo could cook too — he had a culinary family background. His dad, Zhou Yanlin, was a famous Huaiyang cuisine chef. But Shaoxingchi learned all on his own. He started cooking for his mom when he was just a kid.

At the canal-side home.

“Let’s go!”

“What’s cooking?”

“Eel noodles!”

Soon, the aroma of stir-fried eel filled the air. It was poured over freshly boiled noodles, sizzling as it landed. It looked, smelled, and tasted amazing.

“How is it?”

Xie Wanghe praised.

“I won’t say more — this eel noodle dish, Xingchi, you’ve inherited Haikuo’s dad’s legacy.”

“Hey, one day, let’s team up and run a night market stall. Split the money fifty-fifty!”

“Hua again! Zimo fishes and you want half. Xingchi cooks and you want half again?”

“Is there a problem?”

Wanghe joked.

“Then what do you even bring to the table?”

“I’m the assistant! Why, you got a problem with that?”

“Other than Zimo, who can put up with your fifty-fifty splits?”

“You’re asking for a beating — get lost already!”

Bai Zimo shook his head and handed a bowl of noodles to Ma Siying.

“What’s wrong? You love eel noodles. Aren’t you going to try some?”

“Thanks.”

“You look worried.”

“Do I?”

“It’s written all over your face!”

“Yesterday, we saw someone leave this world here. You think he wasn’t thinking of his wife and kids when he jumped into the river?”

“Probably just couldn’t take it anymore.”

Xia Fenghua casually said, “If my dad were in that situation, he definitely wouldn’t have done the same.”

Ptui ptui ptui ptui ptui ptui!

Damn!

The other five friends plus Chen Rui — All six of them simultaneously spat toward Hua.

What a bizarre scene!