Chapter 29: Fishing by the River

Chapter 29: Fishing by the River

The next day, the sky was still overcast when Li Qi rose from bed. After washing up, he picked up the bamboo hat and a slender bamboo fishing rod placed on the table—both items he had hastily asked Wu Xiaoliu to find for him the night before.

Li Qi donned the bamboo hat, slung the fishing rod over his shoulder, and was about to step out when he suddenly saw a dark figure standing right before him. Startled, he jumped back and shouted, “A ghost!”

“Brother Li, it’s me, Liuzi. It’s already dawn—where would a ghost be?” came the reply.

Liuzi? Li Qi looked closely and realized it was none other than Wu Xiaoliu. Relieved, he patted his chest, muttering, “Damn, I almost died before I even started. Just need to relax.”

Calming down, Li Qi straightened his posture and glared at Wu Xiaoliu. “You little brat, do you want a beating? Early in the morning, sneaking around my door like that—you know scaring someone can be deadly, right?”

Wu Xiaoliu looked wronged, pouted, and shook his head honestly.

Seeing his pitiful look, Li Qi decided not to argue. He waved his hand. “Forget it, I’ll just blame myself for being careless. Bad luck, really. By the way, did you come looking for me?”

Wu Xiaoliu nodded vigorously. Just as he opened his mouth to speak, he noticed Li Qi’s odd appearance with the bamboo hat and asked, “Brother Li, are you heading out somewhere?”

“Yes, didn’t I tell you yesterday? I have some errands to run today,” Li Qi nodded.

“Where are you going dressed like that?” Wu Xiaoliu asked curiously.

“I’m going to—why are you asking? Remember this: you better work hard for me today. If anything goes wrong, I’ll beat you to death,” Li Qi warned.

“Oh!” Wu Xiaoliu scratched his head nervously.

“Hey, what do you think of my outfit today?” Li Qi pulled the brim of his hat low, revealing only his chin, and struck a few flamboyant poses with a smile. “How is it? Don’t I look like a distinguished gentleman?”

“Uh?” Wu Xiaoliu’s dark eyes scanned Li Qi carefully. Scratching his head again, he said honestly, “Brother Li, you’ve covered your face. How am I supposed to tell?”

“You— you’re shallow; you don’t have an eye for style.” Li Qi lifted his hat and gave Wu Xiaoliu a stern look. Seeing his clueless expression again, he sighed and asked, “Alright, what is it? Why did you come?”

“Well, Brother Li, I couldn’t sleep all night,” Wu Xiaoliu said gloomily.

Can’t sleep? And you come to me? I’m not a psychiatrist, you know. Li Qi rolled his eyes and casually asked, “Missing Xiaotao?”

Wu Xiaoliu nodded subconsciously but quickly shook his head, blushing. “Brother Li, I don’t have time to think about those things right now.”

Tch! You’re just pretending. Li Qi squinted impatiently. “Then why couldn’t you sleep?”

Wu Xiaoliu lowered his head. “I’ve never cooked in front of so many people before, so…”

Ah, so he’s just nervous. Li Qi knew Wu Xiaoliu’s personality well—he was the type who would make a fuss if given the slightest provocation. Patting his shoulder, Li Qi spoke earnestly, “Liuzi, I understand how you feel. But there’s always a first time for everything. I saw you practiced frying stinky tofu last night and got quite good at it, so don’t worry. Just do it like you did then. I have confidence in you. Just focus on frying the tofu well; don’t worry about anything else. Your uncle will help. Remember, if you put your heart into it, the customers will recognize your skill. As a chef, you must have confidence in yourself, got it?”

“I got it, Brother Li. Don’t worry, I won’t embarrass you.” After Li Qi’s encouragement, Wu Xiaoliu’s confidence soared. His previous nervousness vanished. He straightened his back and promised solemnly.

Li Qi patted his shoulder with a smile. “Good kid. Well, the time’s almost right. Go get the tofu from the jar and tell your uncle to prepare to open the shop. I have things to do, so I’ll be off. Remember, you’ll do great!”

“Okay!” Wu Xiaoliu nodded vigorously.

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After leaving the Drunken Immortal Inn, Li Qi walked west along the riverbank until he reached a serene place, where the water flowed clear and the springs were pure. The area was sparsely populated, with the gentle spring breeze rustling the leaves, orioles singing, and crickets chirping in accompaniment. It was truly refreshing and uplifting.

Standing on the grassy riverbank, Li Qi stretched his massive frame and took a deep breath, summing it up in one word—exhilarating! Low-carbon living? Hmph, I’m living “no-carbon” life now!

In truth, Li Qi had no real business today. He just wanted to slack off a little, relax, and cultivate his mood. Most importantly, he no longer wanted to smell that stinky tofu odor. Just thinking about it made him nauseous.

Actually, Li Qi himself wasn’t fond of stinky tofu; it was his father and father-in-law who shared a fondness for the pungent delicacy. Thus, he had explored various versions. The one he made now was a new type, blending the strengths of Changsha’s Fire Palace and Shaoxing’s stinky tofu.

It was fortunate that Wu Furong still thought he had something important to do and had been worrying about him.

Of course, Li Qi wanted to tell Wu Furong the truth, but as a decision-maker, it would be damaging to morale if he admitted to slacking off at such a critical moment. That was why he resorted to this underhanded plan. Besides, frying tofu wasn’t difficult; Wu Xiaoliu could handle it just fine.

After a brief rest, Li Qi picked up the fishing rod. Without baiting the hook, he simply cast it into the river, then stuck the other end into the mud to secure it. Satisfied, he rubbed his hands, exhaled deeply, and settled against a nearby tree, covering his face with the bamboo hat to take a sound nap.

Fishing? Li Qi had no patience for that. He admired the philosophy of Jiang Ziya—willing fish would bite the hook.

Though exhausted these past few days, every day felt fulfilling, unlike when he first arrived and drifted aimlessly. His longing for his wife and parents had also lessened. Unconsciously, Li Qi was gradually adapting to this era.

After some unknown length of time, Li Qi faintly heard someone calling out, “Young master, young master, the fish is on the line!”

Damn! Willing fish really do bite the hook. Saints truly act with cause and effect. Li Qi suddenly woke up, jumped to his feet, and looked excitedly toward the riverbank. Suddenly, his expression froze. Rubbing his eyes hard, he exclaimed, “Huh? Where’s my fishing rod?”

Before he finished, a burst of soft laughter came from nearby. Turning his head, Li Qi saw a stunningly beautiful young woman smiling at him.

She looked to be in her early twenties, with delicate features, elegant eyebrows, and a jade hairpin slanting in her hair. Her eyes sparkled with a lively spirit. Her lips were red, teeth white, and she wore a pure white silk skirt that accentuated her slender waist and graceful demeanor.

Li Qi noticed the slender bamboo rod she held—this looked familiar! Suddenly pointing at it, he exclaimed, “Hey! Isn’t that my bamboo rod—no, my fishing rod?”

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Wishing everyone a happy Singles’ Day.

(End of chapter)