Lu Qing arrived at the fishing spot, methodically flattening the surrounding grass and placing it into the wooden bucket before taking out the bamboo tube filled with earthworms.
He removed the clay seal from the bamboo tube, revealing the squirming red earthworms inside.
The sharp-eyed little kids perched above, immediately let out gasps of surprise upon seeing the squirming creatures inside the bamboo tube.
Earthworms, of course, they were familiar with; they often caught them to play with.
Sometimes, they even dug them up to feed to the chickens and ducks at home.
But they had no idea these things could be used to catch fish.
Under the intense gaze from the little kids, Lu Qing pulled out an earthworm and carefully threaded it onto the hook.
He then cast the still-wriggling earthworm into the water.
The spot was precisely marked by the gray glow spirals from his superpower as the optimal fishing location.
Once the hook entered the water, Lu Qing began to quietly wait.
The little kids watching from the slope behind him held their breath, staring intensely at the unfolding scene.
Before long, they saw the small wooden float tied to the fishing line on the bamboo rod begin to gently move.
The little kids grew even more tense and excited.
Only Lu Qing remained composed and calm, steadfast in not making a move, allowing the float to shake and bob as it pleased.
It wasn't until the float suddenly tilted upward and plunged downward that he swiftly lifted the fishing rod.
A streak of white shot out from the water.
When everyone could see clearly, a slender, finger-sized small white fish was already hanging off the hook.
"He really caught a fish!"
Seeing the tiny white fish hooked onto the fishing line, its tail constantly bouncing and flipping, the little kids were absolutely amazed.
Little Yan even leapt up, "Brother caught a fish, a big fish!"
Lu Qing couldn't help but smile.
Luckily, his skills hadn't deteriorated; he hooked one on the first cast. Otherwise, if he missed the fish in front of these little kids, it'd have been pretty embarrassing.
He removed the fish from the hook and carefully observed it.
This small white fish bore a strong resemblance to the whitebait he used to catch in his previous life.
Soon, a faint gray glow emerged from the fish's body.
[Small White Fish: Edible, might be a good source of nutrition.]
Seeing the word "edible," Lu Qing immediately felt relieved.
If it can be eaten, that's good enough—at least today's meal was secured.
He scooped a bit of water into the bucket, placed the fish inside, and sighed slightly at the ongoing excited chatter of the little kids behind him.
"Quiet down, you'll scare the fish away."
Hearing this, the little kids immediately covered their mouths, not daring to make another sound.
The excitement in their eyes, however, could not be hidden no matter what.
Now that they had seen Lu Qing catch a fish, it was like they had uncovered a whole new world; the thrill in their hearts knew no bounds.
But the events that followed truly gave the little kids a taste of what real excitement was.
Lu Qing threaded another earthworm onto the hook, cast it into the water, and shortly after, the float moved again—another small white fish was reeled in.
From then on, Lu Qing entered an uninterrupted streak of catches.
One fish after another was steadily pulled from the water, seemingly with the ease of simply scooping them directly out.
The fish he hooked weren't limited to just small whitefish anymore; he also caught other types.
Small yellow catfish, tiny river shrimp, and others were reeled in as well.
The scene was so exhilarating that the little kids behind him nearly went wild with excitement.
If they weren't afraid of scaring the fish away, they would've been screaming at the top of their lungs by now.
Lu Qing reached into the bamboo tube again, only to come up empty-handed.
Looking inside, he realized most of the earthworms in the bamboo tube had already been used, leaving only a few at the bottom.
Glancing at the wooden bucket next to him, it was now filled to the brim, a bountiful harvest.
A smile spread across his face.
It had been ages since he'd felt this kind of effortless, satisfying streak of fishing success.
There was no doubt about it: fish raised in the Otherworld's pristine, natural environment were something special.
They were full of strength, even the small ones had an unmistakable pull when reeled in.
At the same time, he felt a bit fortunate.
Thankfully, he had chosen this fishing spot. Even catching small fish at this spot was so rewarding; had he chosen one of the other two fishing spots, the fishing line might've snapped from the sheer force of larger fish.
Noticing that the earthworms were nearly used up and that the frequency of fish biting the hooks had significantly decreased, Lu Qing knew it was time to call it a day.
If he kept fishing, he'd practically clear out all the small fish from this spot entirely.
They needed time to regroup.
With this in mind, Lu Qing began to pack up the fishing rod, emptied the remaining earthworms into the water, and picked up the wooden bucket to head back uphill.
The little kids on the slope were now gazing at him with pure admiration.
When they saw Lu Qing approach, they immediately crowded around.
The sight of the bucket brimming with fish triggered a string of exclamations.
"Lu Qing, you're incredible! You caught so many fish!"
"Whoa, that's a ton of fish! How long will it take to eat them all?"
"So it turns out you can really catch fish using bamboo rods!"
"Brother! Brother! Fishies, so many fishies!"
Little Yan was bouncing excitedly. Her small, flushed face beamed with joy.
"Not bad, though the fish are a bit small," Lu Qing said modestly.
Once the little kids had calmed down somewhat, Lu Qing added, "You guys can help me carry this bucket of fish back home later; everyone will get a share."
Lu Qing estimated he had caught around seven or eight catties worth of fish this time. Adding the weight of the wooden bucket and water, it wasn't light.
His body was still weak, and while he could lift it temporarily, carrying it all the way back to the village was beyond his strength.
Besides, there was no way he and his sister could finish that many fish in just one or two meals.
Small fish didn't keep well, and they didn't have proper storage methods at home—it was better to share a portion with others.
"Okay, Lu Qing!"
Hearing there would be fish to share, the little kids were immediately overjoyed.
Two grabbed opposite sides of the bucket and effortlessly carried it together.
The ones who couldn't get a turn nearly burst into tears from frustration.
Lu Qing had to step in to mediate, arranging for them to rotate shifts, which finally settled the quarrel.
And so, a group of them cheerfully carried the bucket of fish toward the village.
Back in the village, the chatter from the excited little kids drew the curiosity of several villagers, who came out to see what was going on.
When they saw the scene, they were immediately stunned.
"Lu Qing actually caught fish—and so many of them?"
While Lu Qing had been at the river fishing, news of his recovery had spread throughout the village.
Many villagers also knew he had gone to the river to fish.
But none of them had expected him to catch such a haul.
Looking at the bucket, there seemed to be at least ten catties of fish in there!
When had Lu Qing picked up this skill?
Curiosity swelled among the villagers.
Especially those who had themselves tried fishing by the river, were especially eager to find out what method Lu Qing had used to catch so many fish in one go.
Driven by curiosity, some villagers couldn't help but follow him to Lu Qing's house.