The white rose I picked up cried and said she liked me.

Xu Nianren was dumbfounded.

He had never seen such a big fish in his life.

The 20-pound fish... was like a water monster, writhing desperately in the net, splashing water that soaked half of his clothes.

The dark, glossy scales shimmered so brightly in the setting sun that it was impossible to open one's eyes.

After a brief moment of stunned silence, Xu Nian began to worry.

The fish was so big that even the enormous fishing net could barely hold it, and half of its head was sticking out as it struggled.

Look at the red plastic bucket at his feet; it's barely enough to hold the ten-pound catfish he just caught.

Packing and carrying this enormous 20-pound creature has become a huge problem.

He turned his head to look at the cat carrier behind him and gave it a quick glance.

The cat carrier was large, but not tall enough, and Da Yu couldn't obediently curl up and squeeze in like Xu Xi.

Moreover, what should Xu Xi do if he puts the fish in there?

Xu Nian gave a wry smile, pondered for a while, and then looked at the girl beside her who also showed a hint of surprise.

"Little Flame, how about... we release this fish?"

"This fish is too big...we can't take it with us, and even if we did, we couldn't eat it all."

A ten-pound fish is more than enough to feed seven or eight people.

Even if he and Xu Xi ate their fill, they couldn't possibly fit the enormous 20-pound creature inside.

It would be such a waste if we had to use them.

"Whatever, do as you see fit."

Xu Xi stretched and lazily sat back in the cat carrier.

Assisting with fishing just now had exhausted her energy.

She hugged her knees, her whole body slumped into the oversized gray pajamas, leaving only a small tuft of silver-white hair sticking out from her backpack, swaying gently in the breeze like a swaying foxtail grass.

Xu Nian chuckled, turned her head, and tugged at the big fish's tail.

"Did you hear that? Big guy, you're free now."

Seemingly understanding what he said, the giant carp gradually stopped struggling and slowly calmed down.

Only the gills on both sides opened and closed, as if gently echoing his words.

Xu Nian squatted down and stretched the fishing net containing the big fish towards the water.

"Thump!"

With a powerful struggle, the big fish leaped out of the fishing net and into the water.

Instead of leaving immediately, it swung its thick tail and swam around the man's feet.

"Are you the king of fish in this lake?"

Xu Nian poured the last bit of bait in the bucket into the lake.

"Next time I come fishing, remember to bring a couple of small fish, weighing one or two pounds each, for me to catch. I don't need too many, just enough for a treat. Just don't let me come back empty-handed, okay?"

The big fish gurgled and spat out strings of bubbles.

Immediately after finishing its meal, it turned around and swam towards the center of the lake.

"It would be strange if a fish could understand you if you talked to it."

Xu Xi, inside the cat carrier, yawned and said slowly.

"Everything has a spirit, who knows?"

Xu Nian looked at the waves created by the fish's tail and a faint smile appeared on her lips.

He noticed that Xu Xi had changed from his usual taciturn self and had become much more talkative.

Whether it's making fun of him or insulting him, it's something you almost never hear on a normal day.

This suggests that she is not far from overcoming her depression.

Just then, a series of hurried footsteps came from afar.

Xu Xi's expression changed, and he quickly shrank back, hiding his ahoge (cowlick) in the cat carrier, making sure to zip it up and pack himself away securely.

"Hey? Dude, you're back?"

Xu Nian looked closely and realized it was the fisherman who had been taken away by his wife a few hours earlier.

He jogged all the way to Xu Nian.

After catching his breath, he forced a smile and pulled two packs of cigarettes from his pocket.

"Brother, I'm really sorry, I made you laugh just now."

"It's okay, it's okay... What are you doing?"

Xu Nian quickly pushed the fisherman's hand holding the cigarette back.

He shouldn't accept rewards without merit, especially since he has already quit smoking and hasn't smoked a single cigarette since his release from prison.

The fisherman smiled awkwardly, his gaze lingering on the fishing rod in Xu Nian's hand.

"Brother, to be honest... I bought this fishing rod with my secret stash of money. It's worth more than two hundred. I lied to my wife about the two hundred. If she finds out I've been hiding money, I'll have to sleep with our dog, Wangcai."

"Look... I'll give you back the two hundred, and redeem it, okay?"

Xu Nian glanced at the fishing rod in her hand, paused slightly, and then a barely suppressed smile appeared on her face.

"Dude, you want to go fishing again? Aren't you afraid your wife will come and catch you?"

"Sigh... I'll just fish somewhere else next time."

The fisherman chuckled.

"You know, when a man reaches my age, he doesn't indulge in anything like drinking, gambling, whoring, smoking, cheating, swindling, or stealing, except for a bit of fishing. And he still has to be watched so closely by his wife at home. It's such a torment."

"Focus on your family, buddy. Finish your chores at home before you go fishing, then your wife won't nag you every day."

Xu Nian handed the fishing rod in her hand to the fisherman.

"Hehe...definitely, definitely, thanks bro."

The fisherman took the fishing rod, as if it were a treasure, and held it in his hand for a while, admiring it.

Then, he took out his wallet, pulled out two hundred-yuan bills, and stuffed them, along with the two packs of cigarettes he had just received, into Xu Nian's hand.

"Keep it, buddy. It's not easy for you to hide some money from others."

Xu Nian looked at the two crumpled banknotes, shook her head, and returned them to the fisherman.

He has never liked taking advantage of others, and he is not short of money these days.

Catching a ten-pound fish brought a smile to Xu Xi's face; this was something that no amount of two hundred yuan could buy back.

"But buddy, could you give me that bucket?"

"Hey, hey, sure, sure, I'll give you all my other fishing gear."

The fisherman's face lit up with joy, and he quickly thanked Xu Nian.

"Haha, no need, no need, I just need a bucket to carry the fish back."

Xu Nian lifted the heavy bucket with both hands, and the catfish inside splashed water as it thrashed about.

The fisherman's expression changed when he saw the big fish in the bucket.

"Brother...brother, did you catch this?"

"Ten pounds in one cast!"

Xu Nian straightened her back, even raising her chin slightly, her tone filled with undisguised arrogance.

The fisherman's face shifted between light and shadow.

After a long while, he left the air force base, carrying his fishing rod, looking dejected.

Watching his departing figure, Xu Nian burst into laughter, feeling incredibly happy.

If the fisherman knew that he had just caught a 20-pound kingfish and then released it back into the wild, what a sight he would be!

He's kept a low profile his whole life, and now he's finally gotten his chance to show off.

He wished he could carry the fish around the park twice before going home, and then hang a banner that read, "How did you know I caught a ten-pound catfish in Dingxiang Lake?"

"Did you catch that? You're so proud of it."

A cool little head peeked out from the cat carrier, rolled its eyes at the man, and said teasingly.

After all, she was the one who caught the fish, and it had nothing to do with Xu Nian, that air force guy.

Aside from helping out when the line was being reeled in, Xu Nian even kept predicting the worst.

"Hahaha...I was just kidding."

Xu Nian laughed, hung the cat carrier around her neck, picked up the bucket, and left the air force base.

"My little fire is still the best! Let's go home, I'll make you sweet and sour fish."