Chapter 06: What is a blessing for the eyes may be mistaken for a curse

They secured the fish and stowed away their backpacks, moving swiftly like rabbits and hawks. As the shadow of the vehicle drew closer, the two crouched low and slipped into a pre-dug hideout. It seemed they had been well-prepared; not only was there a concealment over half a person's height, but it was also covered with a pile of weeds, making it nearly impossible to notice that two people were nestled within the grass. Once they were hidden, Lei Dapeng let out a long sigh of relief and quietly remarked that the leader had foresight. Otherwise, if they were caught, the fines and confiscation of fish would be minor issues; losing the fishing rods would be a significant loss.

After a night of busyness, morning arrived in the blink of an eye. With the fishing rod angled and eyes on the bobber, breathing in the fresh air, basking in the warm sunlight, and nibbling on sweet French bread, Lei Dapeng remained in high spirits despite having not slept all night. If he were at school, in such a situation, he might have already been dozing off at his desk. This outdoor life is so pleasant. Just after finishing a piece of bread, someone suddenly shouted:

Upon this thought, I quickly checked to see if there were any places where my whereabouts might have been leaked. It was better not to look, but once I did, I slapped Da Peng on the head and scolded, "You glutton, that place wasn't cleaned up properly, and there are still bread wrappers thrown around."

The literary youth Di Yi Mei, who was genuinely concerned about the two bags of fish, could no longer tolerate it. He curled his lip and silently raised his middle finger, muttering, "You really are something; while others see a beautiful woman and feel infatuated, you see a beautiful woman and feel jealous."

However, upon a closer look, it was no longer surprising. The two individuals were merely waiting by the car, as if they were not here for law enforcement today. In the blink of an eye, the door of the second car opened, and Si Muxian and Lei Dapeng stared intently, both gasping in astonishment at the same time. ... Their eyes widened ... A beautifully designed high heel emerged, its embellishments reflecting the light, followed by one, then two, elegant long legs slowly coming into view. As the person leaned down, amidst the sea of green, a striking splash of red stood out.

Why is that? This is a long story. A few years ago, the Zhangze Reservoir area was not well managed, and it was common for groups from neighboring cities and provinces to come by car to fish. Some professional teams could take away a truckload of wild fish in one visit. Later, as the price of wild fish skyrocketed, the managers of the reservoir also recognized the economic benefits involved. Thus, this unowned resource became collective property. Those who come to fish must go to designated areas, and anyone who casts a line or sets a net without permission is subject to fines according to the local regulations of the reservoir.

The most beautiful Tianji Mountain in Luzhou is primarily due to the vast artificial Zhangze Lake spanning tens of thousands of acres at its foot. Surrounded by mountains, the lush green hills and the emerald waters, combined with the azure sky, create a vivid pastoral landscape painting. Occasionally, one might catch sight of a few soaring waterbirds or see the shimmering scales of fish breaking the mirror-like surface of the water, adding a touch of dynamism to this scene.

Cang and Si Muxian turned their heads simultaneously to look at each other, surprised by the presence of a beautiful woman in this desolate place. If it weren't for the crowd, she would likely be mistaken for a mermaid emerging from the water. Lei Dapeng could not hide his astonishment and was about to speak, but fortunately, Si Muxian understood his nature and quickly covered his mouth.

After putting in a tremendous amount of effort to catch it, how can one not feel distressed? We had agreed to enjoy fish head soup tonight, which is quite nourishing for the brain. Lei Dapeng was not only worried about his fishing rod being confiscated, but also about the discovery of the fish he had hidden.

"Are you out of your mind? Can't you recognize numbers? Look at that vehicle's license plate, you don't know it, do you? That's a car from the Municipal Government Administration Bureau. Just look at that group of people; their identities are not simple. Colliding with them is even more serious than stealing fish." Lei Dapeng expressed his doubts, grinning widely as he spoke, pulling Si Muxian along. However, Si Muxian knew that when it came to street smarts, the title of 'idiot' definitely did not belong to Lei Dapeng. The two of them ran one after the other, with Lei Dapeng shouting back at Si Muxian as they ran.

With the shouts, splashes of water erupted, and the bright silver belly of the fish shimmered dazzlingly in the net. In a flurry of activity, the two finally managed to secure the struggling fish in the net and drag it to the shore. Si Muxian, feeling delighted, unhooked the fish, while Brother Lei, panting from exhaustion, weighed the large fish's tail. Suddenly, the fish flipped and splashed water all over Lei Dapeng's face, infuriating him to the point of jumping up and cursing: "Damn it, Brother Lei, you dare to hit? You don't want to mix anymore." Si Muxian, feeling delighted, unhooked the fish, while Brother Lei, panting from exhaustion, weighed the large fish's tail. Suddenly, the fish flipped and splashed water all over Lei Dapeng's face, infuriating him to the point of jumping up and cursing: "Damn it, Brother Lei, you dare to hit? You don't want to mix anymore."

"Stop it, I caught some too. How many did you catch in one night? They were all just a few inches long, small crucian carp." Lei Dapeng sat up and continued fishing, which was indeed no small task. Si Muxian did not argue this point; when it came to fishing, aside from the eldest, Lei Ge was the best. The bait they prepared here was effective, and after fishing all night, Lei Dapeng's catch was significantly greater than that of Si Muxian.

Green mountains and clear waters, rocky shores; washing my feet in the clear water, I feel no chill

A beautiful woman unexpectedly descended in a red dress

"This is incredibly delicious, even better than Wangwang rice crackers. It's a shame to give it to the fish." Lei Dapeng smacked his lips, savoring the taste as if it lingered on, still moving his jaw as if the flavor had not yet faded. He reached for more, but was snatched away by Si Muxian, who kicked another portion over and taunted, "If you dare, eat this bait."

This is a notification to the mountain www.hetushu.com regarding the capture of turtles by Dan Yong. The coded language created by Lei Dapeng refers to potatoes and sweet potatoes as relatives. They are using the urban management channel, talking while running, carrying equipment weighing around 180 pounds. This lazy man, Lei Dapeng, does not complain about the weight, and he uses both hands and feet to navigate through thorns and barbed wire, sprinting towards the direction of the parking area at the mountain entrance

What are you looking at? A vehicle is coming. The three of us took a shortcut over the mountain from the secondary road. Along the dam, there is a makeshift road, which was built several years ago for flood relief and sandbag transport. This area is surrounded by piles and barbed wire due to the reservoir, making it difficult to see any signs of human presence. However, at this moment, three vehicles appeared in sight. As they got closer, we saw an old-fashioned Jeep, and instinctively, the two of them shrank back, immediately pulling the rod to reel it in.

With a smile, Brother Jilei watched as the woman turned her head, seemingly joyfully calling out something. Then she opened the passenger door, and out came an elderly man with a head full of silver hair. At this moment, eight or nine people had fallen from three cars. Aside from the reservoir management, the identities of the newcomers were all significant, including several middle-aged men with prominent bellies. The group headed straight towards the low hill.

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After muttering a few complaints, just as he cast the fishing rod, the float moved slightly. When Si Muxian sat down and casually turned his head, he was startled and nervously pulled Lei Dapeng to look back.

In an instant, the scenery in my eyes became more dynamic and poetic because of this graceful figure

Beautiful! Enchanting. A beauty that could topple kingdoms. Even Si Mu Xian felt that the vocabulary in his mind was somewhat lacking, insufficient to describe what he saw at that moment. As he glanced around, the woman casually tucked her hair, inadvertently turning towards the direction where the two were hiding. In the sunlight, her gentle and soft facial contours resembled a meticulously painted lady in a landscape of green mountains and clear waters, leaving the two hiding in the grass utterly mesmerized.

Si Muxian was so delighted that he couldn't pay attention to Lei Dapeng anymore. The big grass carp, which was at least one meter away, felt a bit heavy in his hand, weighing around twenty to thirty jin. Out of the water, it was exhausted and lacked strength, its mouth opening and closing softly, drooping down. Si Muxian took the opportunity to slip a plastic strap into its gills and said joyfully, "This must be the biggest one I've caught, right?"

At this moment, Si Muxian looked around the environment once again. Behind him was a low mountain, on which remnants of walls from migrations still remained. Years ago, the expansion of the reservoir submerged over 60,000 acres across seven towns. Currently, he was at the confluence of a tributary of the Zhuozhang River, not far from the Tianji Mountain Range. He had already bypassed the reservoir management station by more than ten kilometers, reaching the northernmost part of the reservoir area. This place is considered a high-risk area prone to flooding during the rainy season. Theoretically, no one should come here. If someone were to come... ? The only explanation, Si Muxian uncertainly suspected, could it be that someone was indeed fishing illegally?

Si Muxian shook his head deeply and said, "You do not understand appreciation, do not make random comments."

"With so many men messing around with her, how could she not be unfortunate?" Lei Dapeng scoffed, noticing that Si Muxian was at a loss for words. He then escalated his remarks: "You might as well be like Boss Dan. Boss Dan speaks so well; aren't all women like that? With their breasts protruding like mountains and their legs clamped like a waterfall cave, the bigger the mountain, the better the view; the deeper the cave, the more secrets it holds. Since ancient times, one cave and two mountains have buried countless heroes... Enough nonsense, hurry up and carry the things away, we can't stay here."

Lei Dapeng straightened up, and Si Muxian was so infuriated by Brother Lei's perspective that his stomach began to ache, causing him to slow down. However, he dared not slack off, as being caught by the administrator would lead to a heap of trouble. The two of them, one in front and the other behind, hurried towards the place where the fish were hidden, carrying their equipment. When they lifted it, Si Muxian paused for a moment and pointed at three vehicles, asking, "Surely they aren't driving two Toyota Land Cruisers and bringing along beautiful women to patrol the warehouse, right? Is this not our concern?"

One person holding the rod turned into two people vying for it, and the two brothers were so excited that they ran about joyfully, completely lost in their delight. They walked along the water's edge for over ten meters, casting and reeling in, stopping and starting. Under Lei Dapeng's professional guidance, they finally brought the hooked fish close to the shore, but the two became tense. They handed the rod to Si Muxian, while Lei Dapeng reached into the water with the landing net. With a swift scoop, he was nearly pulled into the water by the struggling fish. After finally stabilizing himself, he had a net full of fish and exclaimed in surprise, "Wow, it's so strong." Under Lei Dapeng's professional guidance, they finally brought the hooked fish close to the shore, but the two became tense. They handed the rod to Si Muxian, while Lei Dapeng reached into the water with the landing net. With a swift scoop, he was nearly pulled into the water by the struggling fish. After finally stabilizing himself, he had a net full of fish and exclaimed in surprise, "Wow, it's so strong."

Yellow and sticky, it is the bait for catching carp and grass carp. Lei Dapeng took one look and got angry, shouting: "This is bait made from wet cow dung, don't think I don't know. That one, bring it here."

Not far away, Si Muxian suddenly stood up with a start, excitedly rambling incoherently. He raised his arm, tightly gripping the fishing rod, the fishing line taut, when suddenly it was yanked down into the water at an angle. He had hooked a fish, and it was a sizable one. It felt as if someone was trying to pull the rod from his hands, the rod nearly bent into a full arc. Lei Dapeng sprang up like a spring, wielding a more than two-meter-long landing net, nervously saying: "Take it slow, don’t let it come off the hook... Yes, yes, follow its lead. It feels like someone is trying to pull the rod from your hands, the rod nearly bent into a full arc. Lei Dapeng sprang up like a spring, wielding a more than two-meter-long landing net, nervously saying: "Take it slow, don’t let it come off the hook... Yes, yes, follow its lead. You’re so foolish, I’ve never seen anyone as foolish as you... Let out some line, ease up a bit, then quickly reel it in when the tension relaxes. Reel in slowly. Don’t let it slip away, this one’s not small."

However, the two individuals had their gaze fixed on the same point. At this moment, they were no longer concerned about the fishermen in the reservoir; instead, they were intently watching the woman who had just alighted from the vehicle. She wore a red coat and had long, dark hair that gently swayed in the breeze, giving her an ethereal appearance. Facing the rippling spring water, it seemed that the woman had been in the car for a while, as she made a gesture to expand her chest, her slender figure accentuating her graceful curves.

A fleeting glimpse caught their attention; there was still some distance from the hiding place of the two individuals. However, Si Muxian and Lei Dapeng's gazes were captivated by that graceful figure, watching as a group of people walked out of sight. After a while, Si Muxian's eyes became dreamy, as if his soul had been drawn away by the silhouette of that woman

"You are such a pig brain." Si Muxian anxiously watched the approaching vehicle, which was getting closer. However, Lei Dapeng suddenly remembered that Dan Yong was still on the other side of the mountain setting up nets. He hurriedly took out the walkie-talkie, but this area had no mobile phone signal, so they could only rely on the shortwave communication provided by Lei Dapeng's father. When he was about to speak, Si Muxian quietly pressed him down, signaling him to remain silent

It is getting closer... even closer. The two thieves, feeling guilty, held their breath, fearing that their hiding place would be discovered

Lei Dapeng is indeed different; he looks beautiful, but after a glance, one can only drool and soon forget. Just as he forgets, Si Muxian lets out a wistful sigh and says with deep emotion: "Like a startled swan, graceful as a wandering dragon. Radiant like autumn chrysanthemums, flourishing like spring pines. Brilliant as the lotus emerging from the rippling waves... Now I understand the feelings of Cao Zijiang when he wrote 'The Ode to the Goddess of the Luo River.' It is a masterpiece born from an unattainable desire, a longing that cannot be approached, truly beautiful"

Potato, potato, I am a sweet potato... the water has overflowed, hurry and slip away

Twenty to thirty meters away, two cars slowly came to a stop. The leading car was familiar to those who fished, specifically responsible for enforcing the penalties related to the fishing rod collection policy, and was currently stationed not far from where the two individuals were hiding. Both individuals were on edge, not daring to make a sound.

Indeed, a glaring piece of white plastic wrapping paper appeared particularly conspicuous among the grass and rocks by the shore. Lei Dapeng nudged his body and uncertainly murmured, "It's just such a small piece, surely it won't be noticed? If someone takes our two bags of fish away, it would be a huge loss for us."

Oh... quickly, the big fish is on the hook, no, the big fish is on the hook, Dapeng, come help me

The harvest has been returned, and the two woven bags are almost full again. This morning, two bags were already placed on the vehicle. The eldest skipped class to come here to find this new spot, which seems to be quite good; there are plenty of fish, and they are quite foolish, just biting the hook incessantly

"What time is it? How can we still think about fish?" Si Muxian complained unhappily.

Naturally, Lei Dapeng would not be fooled. He leaned to one side, competing with Si Muxian. Si Muxian had always found it difficult to outmaneuver this Brother Lei. In helplessness, he ended up losing several fragrant fish baits to Brother Lei. This was quite troublesome, as it was still before noon, and it seemed that the bait would not be sufficient. The boss, Dan Yong, was very particular about making bait; he did not prepare much of each type, but they were all quite effective. Throughout the night, most of the catch consisted of grass carp and common carp, along with some fortune and longevity fish, as well as the large white-striped silver fish unique to Zhangze Reservoir, but he had not caught any large ones. This was indeed a problem, as most of the bait had been consumed by Lei Dapeng, leaving only wet cow dung and live earthworm bait uneaten.

"Enough already, are you talking about what Teacher Ren mentioned regarding the 'Ode to the Goddess of the Luo'? The woman in it was Yuan Shao's daughter-in-law, who was taken by Cao Cao, and later became Cao Pi's wife. Perhaps both of the Cao family men had their turn with her, hehe. I really do prefer the chaotic relationships of ancient times; whoever is powerful gets to take whoever they want. " Lei Dapeng finally showed some expression; this was an aside that Teacher Ren mentioned while discussing ancient literature. He didn't quite understand the 'Ode to the Goddess of the Luo,' but he clearly remembered the aside about the relationships. I really do prefer the chaotic relationships of ancient times; whoever is powerful gets to take whoever they want. " Lei Dapeng finally showed some expression; this was an aside that Teacher Ren mentioned while discussing ancient literature. He didn't quite understand the 'Ode to the Goddess of the Luo,' but he clearly remembered the aside about the relationships. Hearing this comment, Si Muxian felt a surge of anger and, emphasizing his tone, scolded Lei Dapeng: "This just illustrates that heaven is jealous of beautiful women, and that beauty often leads to a short life, which is truly lamentable... How did it turn into a tale of chaos in your mouth?"

Speaking of the joy of fishing, it lies not in the catch but in the act of fishing itself. However, if one can enjoy both the process and the catch, the pleasure is undoubtedly immense. As he settled back down, Si Muxian had just prepared a bait to cast when he saw Lei Dapeng, who was indiscriminate in his eating habits, reach for a fish bait and toss it into his mouth, chewing on it. This left Si Muxian both amused and exasperated. He reminded him, "Dapeng, don’t compete with the fish for the bait. The boss said this is specifically for the grass carp and the bighead carp to be mixed with flour."

"Hurry, hide! They can't see us from that angle," Si Muxian said nervously, pulling the woven bag used for fish towards the grass by the shore. However, Lei Dapeng was busy packing his backpack and reeling in his fishing rod, complaining as he did so, "Don't drop the rod; it's worth several thousand. If I lose it, my dad will definitely treat me like a big fish when we get back."

So beautiful. Si Muxian silently praised, seeing from a distance the woman with a joyful face, as if in that moment the surrounding green mountains and clear waters became the embellishments of this exquisite image. Turning to look at Lei Dapeng, he found Lei Dapeng already dumbfounded, his lips parted and glistening with drool.