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Chapter 543: Fishing
Chapter 543: Fishing
Following a small path that ran alongside the estate, they soon reached the shores of Lake Tai.
Liancheng Bi withdrew a dagger and casually dug up a large clump of dirt, from which he deftly plucked a wriggling earthworm.
He baited the hook, cast his line, and gracefully flung the rod forward. The hook, with its wriggling cargo, arced through the air and landed far out on the lake, sending ripples across the serene surface.
Liancheng Bi then propped the fishing rod in the grass and removed a bamboo basket from his shoulder. He filled it halfway with lake water before setting it by the shore, ready to receive their catch.
"In Qi and Lu, do people usually eat carp from the Yellow River?" Liancheng Bi asked, feigning ignorance.
Shen Bijun nodded in agreement and added, "Carp is the most common, but we also have silver carp, bighead carp, crucian carp, and occasionally seafood from Lu East."
"That's quite a variety," Liancheng Bi remarked. "Lake Tai has most of these fish as well, but it's also known for its whitefish. Let's see if we're lucky today."
As soon as he finished speaking, the fishing rod, firmly planted in the grass, began to quiver gently.
A fish was on the hook! Liancheng Bi swiftly pulled out the rod and lifted it, bringing the struggling fish into the air.
A plump, large fish flailed wildly, its body twisting and turning, but unable to free itself from the iron hook firmly embedded in its mouth.
"What a pity, it's a grass carp," Liancheng Bi sighed.
He reeled in the line, removed the hook, and tossed the grass carp into the bamboo basket floating in the lake. "But grass carp has its uses too. Whitefish is tender and suitable for steaming, while grass carp is perfect for grilling."
There seemed to be something quite enjoyable about eating fish that you had caught yourself.
Shen Bijun watched as Liancheng Bi baited the hook with another earthworm. She clapped her hands and laughed, "The next one will definitely be a Lake Tai whitefish."
"Want to bet on it?" Liancheng Bi asked.
"What would we bet?" Shen Bijun asked.
"We bet on whether the next catch is a whitefish or not. If it is, you win. If not, I win. The loser has to grant the winner a request," Liancheng Bi proposed with a smile.
"What kind of request?" Shen Bijun asked again.
Liancheng Bi laughed heartily, "What conditions could there be between husband and wife?"
Shen Bijun's delicate face flushed for a moment, but she found the idea intriguing and agreed, "Alright, I'm in!"
As soon as she spoke, she saw Liancheng Bi wave his hand and cast his line in a different direction, once again sending the baited hook into the water.
This time, with a bet on the line, Shen Bijun couldn't help but feel invested. She anxiously fixed her gaze on the spot where the fishing line met the water, her heart fluttering with anticipation.
Liancheng Bi found her reaction amusing but didn't say anything. Seeing that the rod remained still, he wandered over to the nearby forest and gathered some dry branches and leaves, bringing them back to the lake and adding them to the small pile he had started.
Shen Bijun turned and noticed his actions, prompting her to ask, "What are you doing?"
"Preparing to grill the fish, of course!" Liancheng Bi replied as if it were obvious.
"Grill the fish? Here?" Shen Bijun exclaimed in surprise.
"If not here, then where? Of course, we grill our own catch. That's the best way to enjoy it!" Liancheng Bi declared.
Shen Bijun's eyes widened, and she looked charmingly bewildered.
She was astonished that Liancheng Bi knew how to grill fish. After all, gentlemen rarely ventured into the kitchen, and Liancheng Bi was renowned as a gentleman. He might be skilled in the arts of music, chess, calligraphy, and painting, or even poetry and moon-gazing, but cooking?
Then, to her surprise, Liancheng Bi opened the bundle he had set aside earlier. Among the various bottles and jars, she spotted a small clay pot.
"Could that clay pot be for making fish soup?"
As soon as he finished speaking, the fishing rod twitched again!
"Quick! There's a bite!" Shen Bijun shouted excitedly, her martial arts skills momentarily forgotten in her excitement.
Liancheng Bi sprang forward, pulling up the rod to reveal a large silver-white fish struggling at the end of the line, its body glistening with rainbow-colored droplets in the sunlight.
"A Taihu whitefish!" Liancheng Bi exclaimed with a laugh, turning to Shen Bijun. "You win!"
A look of pure joy spread across Shen Bijun's face, a sight that even the well-versed-in-beauty Liancheng Bi found striking.
Shen Bijun, aware of her own beauty, felt a mix of shyness and satisfaction seeing the awe in Liancheng Bi's eyes.
Liancheng Bi made no attempt to hide his admiration. After all, Shen Bijun was his wife, and admiring her was only natural.
Reeling in the line, he tossed the whitefish into the fish basket and asked, "So, have you thought of your request?"
Shen Bijun blinked, momentarily stumped.
She realized that she couldn't think of any request, as she was already content with everything.
Noticing her hesitation, Liancheng Bi chuckled and said, "If you can't think of anything now, you can always save it for later."
Shen Bijun shook her head. She wanted her request to be special, and her eyes landed on Liancheng Bi's sword leaning against a nearby stone. "How about... you perform a sword dance for me?"
Before her marriage, she had often imagined her future life with Liancheng Bi, and one of those fantasies included him dancing with a sword in the wind while she stood amidst the flowers.
Since she couldn't think of any other request, she decided to share this long-held desire.
Liancheng Bi found this amusing. "Is that all?"
"Sure!" he agreed with a laugh. "Let me prepare these two fish first. You can watch me while you eat, okay?"
"Okay!" Shen Bijun beamed.
Then, she watched in amazement as Liancheng Bi cleaned and scaled the fish, washed them in the lake, seasoned them with salt and spices, skewered the crucian carp, and cut the whitefish into sections for cooking.
In no time, the aroma of grilling fish and simmering soup filled the air.
Seeing Liancheng Bi skillfully tending to the grill and soup, Shen Bijun was stunned. This man before her seemed like a completely different person from the one she thought she knew.
"Don't be too surprised," Liancheng Bi said with a smile. "When I travel, I don't always stay in inns. Sometimes I camp outdoors, and I have to cook my own meals to fill my stomach."
Shen Bijun's eyes softened with sympathy and affection. She heard the hardships he'd endured, and it made her appreciate him even more. The elegant and immaculate Master Liancheng, renowned for his refinement, had also faced challenges that others didn't see.
"All done!"
Liancheng Bi first brought the fish soup to Shen Bijun and placed it on the stone in front of her. Then, he removed the grilled fish from the fire and handed it to her.
"Be careful, it's hot. Eat slowly," he cautioned.
"Mmm!" Shen Bijun nodded eagerly as she took the fish from him.
Liancheng Bi stepped back, drew his sword, and smiled at Shen Bijun. "Behold, the Dong You Sword Technique of the Wujing Mountain Villa!"
(End of Chapter)
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