They've all become top scholars in the imperial examinations, and you're telling me this i

Chapter 12 Fishing? Fishing for dragons!
I don't know how much time passed. The sun rose higher, but the water remained murky and turbulent.

"elder brother……"

Chen An lowered his voice, about to remind them that it was time to go back, but before he could speak, his gaze suddenly froze on the water.

The thin fishing float, which was almost swallowed by the rapid current, suddenly trembled violently without warning! The movement was small, but the sensation was transmitted very clearly to Chen Guangrui, who was holding the fishing rod on the shore.

Chen An instinctively held his breath.

Old Zhang, who was standing nearby, also saw the commotion. His cloudy old eyes were filled with doubt and undisguised disdain.

He stopped poking at the pebbles with his fingers, snorted through his nose, and muttered something under his breath.

"Nonsense... With this torrent of water, fish eggs would be crushed, how could a fish hook stay on the hook? That's weird!"

He didn't believe it at all, taking it as just a float bobbing around in the water. He even thought the two young men were wasting his good bamboo pole. His face was wrinkled with layers of creases, full of sarcasm as he waited to see them make a fool of themselves.

The force underwater seemed to become clear and persistent, pulling the fishing line steadily and powerfully, again and again!

Chen Guangrui's eyes narrowed, and he suddenly exerted force on his wrist, lifting it upwards!
With a splash, a golden ray of light burst forth from the water! In the sunlight, the fish's scales shimmered like gold, its tail thrashing violently, splashing water droplets everywhere! It was a golden carp weighing at least a pound!
"Huh—!"

Old Zhang, the fisherman, suddenly choked and spat out half a mouthful of saliva. The exclamation sounded as if someone had forced it out while choking him! He stiffened as if struck by lightning, his cloudy old eyes bulging out of their sockets as he stared intently at the fluttering golden light.

"You...you really caught it?!"

His astonishment froze on his face, his wrinkles seemingly smoothed out and then rapidly twisted in an instant.

This impossible thing is happening right before our eyes!

He instinctively rubbed his eyes, as if to make sure he wasn't seeing things. After the initial shock, he swallowed hard, licked his chapped lips, and tried to salvage the situation, stammering and incredulous as he tried to explain.

"What a stroke of luck! This silly fish... it must have been blind to have run into your hook? What a coincidence! What an incredible coincidence!"

But his eyes, still lingering with shock, were fixed on Chen Guangrui and the fish thrashing about in the basket, emitting a blinding golden light.

Although he kept saying "skillful," he couldn't suppress the chilling feeling deep inside him.

Chen Guangrui moved swiftly, unhooking the fish and placing the lively golden carp into the bamboo basket that Chen An had hastily prepared, which contained a little river water.

As soon as the fish were put into the basket, they struggled vigorously, their reflections shimmering golden on the water's surface.

While Chen An was still in shock, Chen Guangrui had already rebaited the rod and cast it, the position unchanged, still the same place where the turbulent white waves were rolling!

Old Zhang watched helplessly as the fishing hook once again "whooshed" into the turbulent whirlpool, the thin fish float appearing so fragile and conspicuous amidst the violent splashes.

This young man… he actually threw it back again? And in that godforsaken place again?!

My goodness!

"It can't be...it can't be...God can't play this joke on us...there's no such thing as two good things happening in a row...there's no such thing as two good things happening in a row..."

At that moment, his common sense as an old fisherman and decades of life experience made him certain that he couldn't catch fish here.

But the golden carp was still thrashing about in the basket, which made Old Zhang a little uncertain again, and he kept his eyes fixed on the fish float.

This time, the waiting time was even shorter! In less than the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, the float shook violently again!
Chen Guangrui flicked his wrist steadily! "Splash!" Another dazzling golden hue leaped out of the water! It was yet another golden carp, almost the same size!

As the second lively carp, gleaming with the same eerie golden light, was placed into the basket, Chen An looked at his brother's calm profile, then at the still roaring and surging rapids, and his mind went completely blank.

Old Zhang was completely petrified on the spot. His mouth was wide open unconsciously, his chin was trembling slightly, and he tried to say something several times, but could only let out gasps of "ho...ho..."

His eyes lingered on the pair of lively golden carp in the basket, and after a long while, a sound finally escaped from his stiff throat.

"This is weird... This is really... This is absolutely weird..."

It wasn't surprise, but a chilling feeling after his worldview was completely overturned, as if something he couldn't understand or fight against was hidden beneath the turbulent, muddy river. The young man calmly fishing on the bank sent a chill down his spine even more than the river itself.

Chen Guangrui put away his fishing rod, handed the simple bamboo basket to Chen An who was still in a daze, then picked up two golden carp strung together with straw rope and walked to the dumbfounded Old Zhang.

"Old man,"

Chen Guangrui's voice was calm and even as he handed the two still-wriggling golden carp to Old Man Zhang.

"I bought two golden carp from you yesterday for one string of cash. How about I sell you two more today? As for the price..." He smiled.
"I'll charge you one string of cash as well."

"What?!" Old Zhang's astonishment was instantly replaced by anger and extreme resentment. He looked at the two fine golden carp in front of him and thought of the string of cash he had earned yesterday.

He hadn't even had a chance to warm the money yet! This was practically tearing his flesh out!

"No way! This...this is bullying an old man!"

He stiffened his neck, his old face flushed red.

"Yesterday...yesterday those were fish I...I caught myself. You...you fished in the river, how can you calculate it like this!"

He was heartbroken. Although he had made money yesterday, he couldn't explain it to Mr. Yuan, which was why he hadn't been able to find the right spot to fish today. And now he had to pay back that sum of money again? And it would be "returned to him"!
We lost money, we lost a lot of money!

Chen Guangrui didn't say much, only glancing indifferently at Old Zhang's empty fish basket.

"Oh? Did you catch any golden carp today, old man? If not... I'm afraid you won't receive it through Yuan Shoucheng's divination, will you?"

These words struck at Old Zhang's Achilles' heel.

He froze, and the resentment on his face instantly turned into immense frustration.

Yes, his harvest today wasn't even enough to sell small fish and shrimp, let alone find a golden carp to offset Yuan Shoucheng's fortune-telling fee!

If it weren't for the golden carp, that old fox Yuan Shoucheng definitely wouldn't have calculated his fishing spot for tomorrow...

His gaze darted back and forth between the golden carp in Chen Guangrui's hand and his own empty fish basket, and he made a hoarse, panting sound from his throat, like an old ox panting, full of extreme resentment.

His expression changed several times, and finally only a helpless and defeated look remained.

Fine, I'll just consider it... money to buy a living tomorrow!
He shakily pulled out the string of coins that originally belonged to Chen Guangrui from his pocket.

The coins were heavy and slightly warm from being gripped by his sweaty hands.

Old Zhang's withered hands trembled violently, and the way he handed it out was so slow it looked like he was peeling skin and pulling out tendons.

The string of coins struggled between his fingers, each copper coin seemingly telling a story of his heartache.

In the end, he placed the string of coins on the slightly damp pebbles at his feet, and then almost snatched the two golden carp from Chen Guangrui's hand. He turned and left, his steps hurried and unsteady, as if he would regret it if he were a step slower.

"Hey? Old man, your fish basket!" Chen An saw that he was so angry that he didn't even want his own fishing gear, so he quickly picked up the empty basket on the ground and chased after him for a few steps, calling out to him.

Old Zhang muttered "bad luck" as he snatched the fish basket and walked away again.

Chen An watched his retreating figure as if fleeing a disaster, then glanced at the ever-present lone pile of silver coins at his feet, and shook his head, both amused and exasperated. "That old geezer..."

He bent down and picked up the copper coin.

Chen Guangrui paid no attention to Lao Zhang's angry departure; his gaze remained fixed on the two golden carp that Lao Zhang was clutching tightly in his hands.

Just as Lao Zhang was about to step onto the riverside path and his figure was about to disappear into the sparse woods, one of the carp suddenly turned its head!
The golden fish head pointed very clearly in the direction of Chen Guangrui!

The movements were swift and powerful, carrying an eerie quality that fish could never possess! Like a silent, reassuring signal!

On Chen Guangrui's calm and expressionless face, the corner of his mouth twitched upwards very slightly, so quickly it was like an illusion.

I finally accomplished what I promised the Dragon King of the Jing River yesterday.

Chen An, oblivious to everything, was still bending down to pick up the money, muttering to himself.

"Thankfully, the money from yesterday has come back..."

They didn't even notice the carp nodding in that fleeting glimpse.

Chen Guangrui withdrew his gaze and looked at the still rushing Jing River. The sound of the water drowned out some deeper, more subtle observation and turmoil in the forest.

"Let's go."

He said, his voice as calm as ever.

"I've taken the money, it's time to go back."

(End of this chapter)