Chapter Fifty-Seven: The Fishing Competition

Zhang Xiue was filled with anxiety, worried that something might go wrong during the tour of the "Ghost King Cave." The protection of this cave was now the top priority for Yutou Village; even if it didn't bring in profit, nothing could be allowed to jeopardize its preservation.

In the end, her fears were unfounded—everything went smoothly during the visit.

They stayed inside the "Ghost King Cave" for about two hours, and then people began trickling out one after another. Perhaps it was the warning given before entering, or perhaps it was just the high standard of behavior among the university students nowadays, but in any case, nothing happened that made Zhang Xiue frown or lose her temper.

"Did the Ghost King really live in the cave before?" someone asked.

"Who knows? This Ghost King Cave was split open by a thunderstorm. I saw it with my own eyes," Zhao Xiaoyue replied, her crescent-shaped eyes squinting as she explained to her companions on the way down the mountain.

The legend of the Ghost King Cave was shrouded in mystery, and its fame extended throughout Taoyuan County and even the entire city. In fact, Tang Long had always thought the name was rather unappealing—surely "Dragon King Cave" sounded better than "Ghost King Cave"? But somehow, through repeated retellings, the name "Ghost King Cave" had stuck.

By the time they descended the mountainside, it was nearly noon.

"Those of you who brought swimsuits can go for a swim; any area that's marked is open for swimming. If you want to try fishing, you can experience the fun of angling. The creek, the woods, and even the area around Yutou Village are open for exploring. If you're tired, you can rest in the tents. Lunch will be at twelve o'clock, at the same place as last night—on the left side of the camp," Zhang Xiue announced, putting down her electronic megaphone and walking over to Tang Long.

"You must be exhausted!" Tang Long, eager to please, offered to massage her shoulders and show off his skills.

But Zhang Xiue, shy and reserved, didn't want any public displays of affection with Tang Long in broad daylight; she always felt it wasn't proper to be seen together like that. In fact, she would have preferred if no one found out about their relationship at all. Although they were officially dating, it wasn't a stable sort of relationship; there was a ninety percent chance they'd break up in the future. If everyone knew, that would only make things awkward!

"Don't get too close to me!" Zhang Xiue glared at Tang Long, her cheeks flushed, and warned him in a low voice.

Tang Long gave her a wry smile. She was acting just like an ostrich, thinking that if she buried her head, no one would notice her—even though her whole body was still exposed.

"It's daytime now, I'll make it up to you tonight," Zhang Xiue said softly after a moment's hesitation, worried that Tang Long might be upset.

Tang Long brightened, giving her a teasing look. "You said it! No backing out tonight!"

With that, Tang Long made his way over to watch the university students fishing by the side of the pond.

In Yutou Village, there were only two ways the villagers fished: either by casting nets, or by jumping into the river and catching fish by hand.

This kind of angling was rarely practiced. Fishing with a rod was slow and required patience—nothing like the straightforwardness of a net or the thrill of diving into the river.

But angling was undeniably addictive.

"Village Chief Tang Long!" called Jiang Xue, waving at him as he approached. She was fishing with her friends.

"Do you know how to fish?" she asked, smiling, once he was close. As she spoke, she expertly cast her line into the water, her practiced technique betraying a seasoned angler.

"I know a bit," Tang Long replied, coming to stand beside her. A female student nearby giggled and offered him her small stool.

"Want to compete with me?" Jiang Xue lifted her chin slightly, her eyes holding a playful challenge.

Tang Long was momentarily taken aback before chuckling. He hadn’t expected Jiang Xue to challenge him to a fishing contest.

"How do we compete?"

He wasn’t bothered; win or lose, it was all just for fun.

"We’ll use dough as bait—ten pieces each. Whoever catches the most fish wins," Jiang Xue explained, then continued, "The loser has to agree to do one thing for the winner!"

Tang Long grinned, unconcerned. "All right, let's do it!"

A male student nearby quickly lent Tang Long his fishing rod. The bait was unlimited in weight but limited in number—ten pieces each, no more.

If it were a matter of diving in and grabbing big fish with his bare hands, Tang Long would have been in his element, and could guarantee he’d lose to no one.

But fishing required experience, skill, and patience—things one had to learn over time. Clearly, this wasn't Tang Long's strong suit.

"First bait!" Jiang Xue and Tang Long cast their lines into the water at the same time. The rods were less than five meters long, only reaching the edge of the pond.

They were competing to see who could catch the most fish, not the biggest or the heaviest.

For his first bait, Tang Long pinched off a sizable piece of dough, while Jiang Xue used just a tiny bit.

Word spread quickly that the campus beauty, Jiang Xue, was competing in fishing with Village Chief Tang Long, and a lively crowd of students gathered to watch.

They stood behind, eagerly observing.

Tang Long didn’t take the contest too seriously, but Jiang Xue, sitting next to him, wore a solemn, focused expression.

As soon as the bait hit the water, the float began to move—there were clearly plenty of fish below, testing the bait.

Tang Long glanced at Jiang Xue with a smile. She, in turn, stared intently at the water, displaying true expertise.

A fish nibbled at his hook, but he didn’t rush to pull up his line.

Suddenly, Tang Long's float was yanked under, and he quickly lifted his rod—only to find it empty. He’d been too hasty; the fish had escaped, and the dough was barely touched.

Jiang Xue glanced at him with a slight smile, then lifted her own rod—out came a small fish, fluttering, perhaps weighing about two ounces.

"One to zero!"

Tang Long laughed. He knew he’d lost this contest the moment he agreed to it.

"Impressive!" Jiang Xue smiled, unable to hide her pride, though she said, "The contest has just begun—who knows who will win in the end?"

As she spoke, she placed a much larger piece of bait on her hook than before.

Seeing this, Tang Long couldn’t help but smile—she clearly intended to win by a landslide, not just win, but win beautifully, leaving him thoroughly convinced.

"Let’s continue," Jiang Xue said seriously, casting her line again.

She’d caught a small fish in the first round; now, in the second, she aimed for a big one.

Tang Long didn’t change his bait, simply recast his line.

"Did you fish a lot before?" he asked, curious.

Jiang Xue shook her head. "Not often—just occasionally. My grandfather loved to fish, and when I was little, I often went with him."

"No wonder you’re so skilled—it’s a family tradition," Tang Long replied with a smile.