"Uncle! Who's Zhu Bajie!? If you keep this up, I won't come see you again!" Tang Qingying puffed up her cheeks, grabbed Han Qiwu's wrist, and said angrily, "Pick up the dishes. We're eating at your place. Ignore him."
"Alright, no problem." Han Qiwu immediately stood up and started packing without hesitation.
Mr. Tang's hand is a bit slippery.
"Hey, hey, hey, what are you doing, kid? Are you really just going to start packing?" Brother Jing quickly came over and grabbed Han Qiwu's other wrist.
"Tsk tsk, this hand really doesn't cut it. It's too rough," Han Qiwu silently criticized in his mind.
"Alright, alright, I'll stop. Let's hurry up and eat, or it'll get cold and won't taste good anymore." Facing his niece, who was ready to leave with her obedient student at the drop of a hat, even a tough guy like Brother Jing had no choice but to give in.
No matter how outsiders might imagine it, no one could possibly guess that the "sea tyrant" Tang Jing had this side to him.
The same went for Tang Qingying. If Han Qiwu hadn't encountered her today, he wouldn't have discovered this hidden side of his ice-cold academic god of a teacher.
Women are too complicated!
The three of them sat back down to eat.
The golden squirrel-shaped mandarin fish soaked up the sauce perfectly. One bite in, it was crispy on the outside, tender on the inside, and the fragrance filled his mouth. Even after swallowing the fish, the sweet flavor lingered.
The world really is worth it!
Golden-ranked dishes truly are magical!
"This is so good! Han Qiwu, have you ever considered becoming a chef?" After just a few bites, Tang Qingying had completely forgotten her previous statement.
She couldn't help it; the food was just too delicious!
"Hah, see? What did I say?" Brother Jing teased while shamelessly snatching food. God knows how he managed it, but his chopstick speed was insane—one bite after another, resembling a dragon striking with its claws.
In contrast, Han Qiwu seemed a bit distracted. He had made up his mind back in the kitchen: as soon as the system notification popped up, he'd put down his chopsticks and dash to fish. Not a second could be wasted.
The fish was undeniably delicious, but maximizing his fishing efficiency took priority.
Teaching a man to fish beats giving him a fish!
"Mr. Tang, after the meal, I won't be seeing you off. I'm going to fish for a bit longer," Han Qiwu explained in advance.
"No need to see me off; I drove here," Tang Qingying replied quickly before diving back into her food.
She couldn't help it—it was just too tasty.
Han Qiwu nodded and, while continuing to eat, kept glancing above his field of vision.
In Brother Jing's eyes, this behavior looked a bit strange.
"Xiao Han, where are you from?" Brother Jing, now 80% full, couldn't resist asking.
"Ah, I'm from up north." Han Qiwu replied while sneaking another glance upward.
"Do people from your area use clouds to go with their rice? Stop staring. It's raining today, no clouds to see," Brother Jing said helplessly, waving him off. Then, his chopsticks struck like dragons once again!
Han Qiwu: "…The hell do you mean, 'clouds for rice'."
"Brother Jing, it's not clouds; it's the smog. I have a deep love for the smog of my hometown. It's not as spicy as eastern smog nor as choking as the western kind—it has a unique, rich charm. One bite, and it wakes you up; two bites, and you never feel tired; three bites—"
"Immortal life, right? Enough with the nonsense and get back to eating." Tang Qingying, tossing a piece of fish onto Han Qiwu's plate, interrupted his poetic monologue.
But Han Qiwu wasn't annoyed. He obediently lowered his head and continued eating.
Three minutes later,
Han Qiwu suddenly wolfed down a few more bites, polishing off his food. "I'm full. You all eat at your own pace. Drive safe on your way back, Mr. Tang. Rainy roads are slippery."
With that, Han Qiwu put down his bowl and chopsticks, darted into the kitchen, packed the grilled fish, and headed for the docks.
In the top-right corner of his vision, a tiny squirrel-shaped laurel mandarin fish icon had quietly appeared.
[Fishing Level +1. Remaining time: 2 hours 56 minutes]
When Han Qiwu finally noticed, the system notification was fashionably late.
[You've temporarily gained Level 2 Fishing with the accompanying skill: Fishing Mastery +1]
[Fishing Mastery increases the size of caught fish, float weight, and reduces nibbling time. It also enhances fish quality.]
Grind! I just knew it—no system prompt! A waste of two minutes!
Time to hustle!
8:28 PM. The rain had stopped, and the crescent moon was out. Han Qiwu was about to pass out.
There were already nine fish in the bucket at his feet.
[Sardine] ×2
[Atlantic Herring] ×3
[Yellow Croaker] ×2
[Yellow Croaker (Silver Star Quality) ×1]
[Sardine (Silver Star Quality) ×1]
Despite the plentiful haul, Han Qiwu's face was tense.
The +1 Fishing buff had less than a minute remaining. His dried fish snacks were all gone, and this next cast had to land something.
If not, a ton of time would be wasted—and swallowing all those condensed-poop-like herring fillets would've been for nothing.
[Ding]
It's hooked!
Han Qiwu perked up and took a glance at the icon. His heart sank.
An unfamiliar icon.
DAMN IT!
You think I'm scared!? Bring it on!
Han Qiwu's mind felt as clear as it did in the moments before entering an exam hall.
"Tug 0.5... nope, adjust... drop 1.5 seconds… hold firm."
The tug-of-war lasted over forty seconds, and sweat poured down Han Qiwu's forehead.
"I can't hold on much longer," Han Qiwu thought, his mind starting to fog. Fishing drained not only physical strength but also mental energy.
"All or nothing! No movement!" Leaning back in his chair, Han Qiwu held the fishing line steady and did nothing.
A second passed.
[Congratulations, you've caught an Eel ×1]
[Eel (Normal Quality)]
[Stamina +30]
[HP +20]
[Note: It can be turned into delicious eel rice.]
"Congratulations on completing the task [Elder's Gift]. Please head to [Fisherman's Haven] to submit the quest."
Finally done.
Han Qiwu slumped in his chair, motionless from exhaustion.
He realized a problem: in-game food could restore stamina but not mental energy. Even if he had some physical strength left, he didn't feel like moving.
No nap, collapse by noon—the silly netizens didn't lie to me.
After resting for a dozen minutes, under the moonlight, Han Qiwu carried two buckets toward [Fisherman's Haven].
"Hey, isn't this our little fisherman? How'd the haul go?" Brother Jing stood up with a grin. Taking a peek into Han Qiwu's buckets, he shot to his feet.
"You caught an eel with that toy rod? Let me see—sardines, yellow croakers, herrings? What kind of bait are you using to get such a mixed batch?" Brother Jing couldn't hide his amazement. If he had to use that rod, he might not catch anything all day. Guess the kid had been toying with him prior!
"Ahem, it's ancestral bait. Go ahead, count them—these ten fish were all caught using [Copper Blade]." Exhausted, Han Qiwu exhaled as he spoke. It was a challenge; how could he explain that he didn't use bait? Just pure luck?
Would Brother Jing even believe that?
"Alright, [Copper Blade] is yours, you brat. Come by often, but I'm not taking these fish—I'll catch my own if I want to eat." Brother Jing sat down with a grin. "Go get some rest, kid. You don't look so great."
[Task: 'Elder's Gift' complete]