HBWMA -Chapter 41 Fishing for Shrimp in the Stream

Jiang Huashan carefully recalled everything. Aside from the recent presidential election, there didn’t seem to be anything special going on.

She obediently nodded and studied Shen Zhuang thoughtfully.

Shen Zhuang looked at her with amusement. “What is it? Have you been staring at Grandpa all night?”

Jiang Huashan shook her head and took a big bite of a meatball. Then, as if remembering something, she said indignantly, “Grandpa, Shen Guiling came to Qinyuan today. He took your favorite flowers. I wouldn’t let him take them, and he even scolded me!”

“Oh? That child has such a good temperament and he still scolds people?” Shen Zhuang became interested. “What did he say to you?”

So Grandpa really was being deceived by Shen Guiling. If he really had a good temperament, there wouldn’t be a single good-natured person in this house.

Jiang Huashan said, “He told me to study hard.”

No! That didn’t sound damaging enough. She quickly added, “He was implying that my brain isn’t good.”

Shen Zhuang was amused. The gloom of the entire day was instantly swept away as he teased her with a smile, “What he said doesn’t seem wrong, does it?”

Jiang Huashan glared. “Grandpa!”

Shen Zhuang squinted at her. “Speaking of studying, your principal called to apologize today. I saw your report card too.”

Jiang Huashan froze, not reacting for a moment.

Shen Zhuang continued, “Little Shan, you got 360 total points in math, Chinese, and English. How did you manage not even to reach 60 in each subject? If your principal hadn’t personally called, I wouldn’t have believed it. My Shen Zhuang’s granddaughter—one is last in the entire grade, and another is second-to-last. You two are really making me proud.”

“…”

Long-buried memories suddenly came flooding back. Jiang Huashan finally remembered that she was, in fact, a total underachiever—worse even than that fool Fu Sui’er.

Shen Zhuang sighed again in frustration. “Your older brothers—Lanxi and A-Ling aside—while the others are a bit unreliable, they’ve never been bad at studying. The Shen family doesn’t lack food or clothing, but you still need to study properly. I don’t expect you to excel in everything, but you can’t be completely hopeless at everything either. A girl doesn’t have to suffer many hardships in life, but studying is one hardship you must endure.”

An adult being lectured to felt utterly ashamed. “I understand, Grandpa.”

Under the scorching summer sun, everything was peaceful.

After being severely criticized, Jiang Huashan resolved to change and spent two days locked in her room trying to figure out how to “grow a brain.”

Shen Guiling focused intently on tending flowers and plants, while Fu Sui’er nervously watched the news and political affairs on time every day, so much so that Shen Jiao began to wonder if she had been possessed.

Even though they were all under the same roof, the three of them seemed to have fallen into a state of complete estrangement.

The old master couldn’t stand it any longer. On the third day, there was constant clanging and banging in the back mountains of Qinyuan. In just two days, Shen Zhi led several teams of construction workers to build a ten-meter wooden bridge over the stream.

As the sun set, Shen Zhuang dragged Jiang Huashan, Fu Sui’er, and Shen Guiling out of their rooms and brought them to the back mountain.

When the three arrived at the stream, they saw the old master lying back on a bamboo chair in wooden sandals, looking completely relaxed. Even more strikingly, he was wearing big shorts, a white T-shirt, a light windbreaker vest, and sunglasses on his head—he looked like a full-on carefree “old baby.”

Shen Zhuang said leisurely, “Shen Zhi, give the fishing nets and rods to A-Ling.”

Shen Zhi immediately presented the prepared tools.

Shen Zhuang continued, “A-Ling, take your two younger sisters to catch some fish and shrimp for Grandpa. Whether we eat enough tonight depends on you as the older brother.”

Shen Guiling obediently took the tools. “The water plants over there look lush. Let’s go there.”

“Why should we listen to you?” Fu Sui’er snatched the fishing net from his hand and pointed at a bare patch of muddy ground. “I think that place is good. I’m going there to catch shrimp.” Then she turned to Jiang Huashan. “You… Jiang Huashan, are you coming with me?”

Jiang Huashan frowned. “I don’t want to. It’s too dirty.”

Although she didn’t want to side with Shen Guiling either, Fu Sui’er’s suggestion was clearly even less sensible. She didn’t want to blindly follow it.

Shen Guiling said, “The soil over there is clearly different from elsewhere. It’s been freshly turned. It’s best not to go there.”

“What do you know? That’s where the most shrimp are—in the mud!” Fu Sui’er refused to listen and stubbornly waded straight into the muddy pool.

Seeing that she couldn’t be persuaded, Shen Guiling didn’t insist. He turned and walked upstream where the water plants were denser. Jiang Huashan looked left and right, followed neither of them, and instead found a big tree to sit under for shade.

No stance, no agreement, no refusal—if Shen Guiling caught fish, she’d eat fish; if Fu Sui’er caught shrimp, she’d eat shrimp. That’s what it meant to stay out of it.

Before they had even started, the three of them had already split apart due to disagreement.

The old master lay resting on a reclining chair under the corridor frame, taking in everything they did, but he didn’t interfere. He only glanced over once before closing his eyes again to rest.

“Ah!!” Suddenly, Fu Sui’er let out a scream.

Jiang Huashan’s ears rang from the shock, and she quickly sat up.

“I caught one! A huge shrimp! I grabbed it—it’s thicker than my leg!” Fu Sui’er had already thrown away her fishing net, groping excitedly in the mud. “Jiang Huashan, come here! It’s huge! I can’t pull it out by myself!”

Jiang Huashan stood up and rolled up her pant legs, just about to help when a fishing rod blocked her path.

Shen Guiling said calmly, “There are no shrimp in a mud pit bigger than a bowl.”

“……”

Jiang Huashan glanced at Fu Sui’er’s leg and fell silent. What? Was Shen Guiling always this sharp-tongued?

“Jiang Huashan! Come quickly! It’s really big! If we catch it, I’ll split the credit with you!” Fu Sui’er yelled out, her face covered in mud.

Who cares.

Did this silly girl not realize her whole face was practically radiating innocent stupidity?

Jiang Huashan held her head. Forget it—she chose her teammate, even if she was foolish, she had to deal with it. She snatched the fishing rod from Shen Guiling, waded over to the muddy pool, and handed it over with obvious reluctance.

“Here. You hold the rod, I’ll hold you.”

Fu Sui’er grinned and suddenly yanked on the fishing rod, dragging Jiang Huashan straight into the mud. Jiang Huashan immediately let go of the rod and was about to hit her, but Fu Sui’er grabbed her hand and shoved it into the mud.

“Look! I didn’t lie to you, did I?” Fu Sui’er said mysteriously.

Jiang Huashan froze.

Even through the slippery mud, the hardness and size she felt in her hand… it really did seem like a very large shrimp.

She turned toward Shen Guiling. “Shen Guiling! Come quick! It’s really big! Bigger than my head!”

“……”

Shen Guiling stood above them, looking down. Both of them had fallen into the mud—one already stained yellow and dirty—but this short, chubby one still looked like a piece of polished jade, glowing unnaturally white.

He didn’t want to bother with them, but that old fox was still watching from nearby.

After a brief hesitation, Shen Guiling picked up the fishing rod from the water and cast the hook over.

“Tie it up. I’ll pull it out.”

“Wha—”

Before Fu Sui’er could protest, Jiang Huashan quickly cut her off and grabbed the line. “Hurry, tie it.”

Fu Sui’er was unhappy. “Who are you ordering around?”

Though her mouth kept complaining, her hands betrayed her. She took the line, wrapped it several times, and even tied two tight knots. Satisfied, she lifted her chin proudly. “Go on, pull it.”

Shen Guiling raised his arm slightly, a flicker of emotion in his eyes. This heavy?

Seeing this, Fu Sui’er put her hands on her hips. “Shen Guiling, did you not eat? That strength—”

Pfft!

Before she could finish, Shen Guiling yanked hard.

With a loud “whoosh,” a giant blue lobster burst out of the mud, splashing filthy water straight into Fu Sui’er’s mouth.