Chapter 134: Two Poles in Two Days

The tender texture of the ark shell, the springy bite of the sea shrimp—each seafood had its own unique charm. Zhong Di and Shao Hong were both feasting heartily, their mouths filled with the fresh, savory flavors.

Woof! Occasionally, Yusheng would bark nearby, begging for some seafood. It was strange—a dog liking seafood? Wasn’t it usually ducks that craved it?

Zhong Di swiftly extracted the meat from a cat’s eye shell, removing the tail and head, then dipped it into a sauce mixed with millet chili and lemon juice before popping it into his mouth.

At the first bite, the subtle sourness of the lemon juice instantly triggered a flood of saliva. The tip of his tongue met the heat of the millet chili, which spread like a virus, quickly engulfing the entire tongue and mouth.

With a full bite, the combination of the cat’s eye shell meat, liver, and roe melded together, releasing an intoxicating fragrance that instantly ignited Zhong Di’s appetite.

Why did he feel hungrier the more he ate?

“Zhong Di, there’s one last oyster left—save it for me,” Shao Hong said hurriedly as he quickly finished the clams in his hand.

“Give it to you? Are you joking?” Zhong Di was quick and deft, snatching the oyster just milliseconds before Shao Hong could.

Phew! It was a bit hot, and Zhong Di quickly shucked it, pulling the adductor muscle off with the shell before stuffing it into his mouth.

The two of them ate like this for a while.

Thump, thump!

A sound caught Zhong Di’s attention, and not far off, he saw Huang Pizi’s figure approaching.

“Here!” Zhong Di placed a prepared egg not far away.

Huang Pizi set down a rabbit and took the egg before leaving.

Tonight, the rabbit lynx still hadn’t shown up!

Zhong Di sighed softly, the moon scallops in his hand no longer tasting as appealing. Ever since they’d caught the two poachers last time, the rabbit lynx hadn’t returned to the farm.

He wondered if something was wrong, if the lynx had encountered trouble, or perhaps the entire clan had relocated—otherwise, it would have surely visited.

“Perfect timing. Rabbit meat—shall we fry it together?” Shao Hong, still buzzing with excitement, hadn’t noticed the change in Zhong Di’s expression.

Had he previously wasted his time on dogs? How had he not known life could be this joyful?

This feeling seemed only to come from the playful days of childhood.

“Zhong Di,” Shao Hong called again when Zhong Di didn’t respond.

“Ah, what’s up?” Zhong Di snapped back to reality.

“What are you thinking about? Rabbit meat—shall we fry it?” Shao Hong repeated.

“Alright, let’s fry it—fresh is best,” Zhong Di said softly, shaking off his thoughts.

Rabbit meat must be eaten fresh; if left too long, its texture worsens. Even if you don’t plan to eat it immediately, you should salt it and refrigerate it—freezing isn’t ideal.

According to their current situation, catching wild rabbits or pheasants was forbidden, which was why Zhong Di had never actively hunted. All the rabbits they’d eaten so far had come from Huang Pizi or the rabbit lynx—natural predation with no issues.

As for the notion that without buying or selling, there’s no harm done—Huang Pizi didn’t talk like that, so it was impossible to understand or communicate.

“You go.”

“No, you go.”

“Or we go together.”

In the end, they decided to prepare the rabbit meat simultaneously—neither wanted the other to take advantage and eat while one was busy.

Frying rabbit wasn’t like roasting it whole over charcoal after thorough preparation and marination.

They had to process the rabbit first, then cut it into thin slices to fry properly.

Once they were ready, it felt as if all the seafood they’d eaten had been fully digested.

They resumed eating well into the night before finally stopping. Zhong Di glanced again—still no sign of the rabbit lynx.

The next morning, as usual, Zhong Di fed water until half past nine, then headed to the reservoir.

Unlike yesterday’s crowds, today was less packed but still busy. Most people were there to watch the tiebreaker, where the championship’s outcome would be decided—the main event drawing the most attention.

He’d learned the specific time and rules yesterday: from ten to eleven o’clock, all fish caught would count, with the total weight determining the winner.

This wasn’t about catching the biggest or longest fish—that was for long-term contests. This short timeframe made it exciting.

Otherwise, everyone would use big hooks and thick lines to catch large fish, but it was unlikely anyone would catch even one in an hour.

This kind of short tiebreaker was best suited for smaller fish and hooks—it was more engaging.

Don’t think it wasn’t a test of skill; within limited time, choosing between small hooks for many small fish or big hooks for fewer large ones was the real challenge.

“Hello, nice to meet you. I’m Zhu Luoluo,” came a greeting just as Zhong Di arrived.

Facing him was a deeply tanned person—no, more like someone sun-blackened beyond reason. Zhong Di thought, what on earth did you do to get so dark? Even a person who toils daily in the fields, sunbathing constantly, isn’t this black. The insult stung, though the attack was low in strength.

Was this some way of signaling he spent all his time ‘fishing’ rather than working?

Judging by the name—Zhu Luoluo—well, ‘Luo’ as in ‘to fall’ was probably right.

In an instant, Zhong Di composed himself; such thoughts were best left unspoken.

“Hello, I’m Zhong Di.”

“I know your name. Let’s get started—I’m all set,” Zhu Luoluo said, urging him on.

Zhong Di looked around—indeed, everyone else was fishing, but Zhu Luoluo’s spot was deliberately kept clear; no one was within a wide radius.

With that, which spot should Zhong Di choose? He hesitated.

Since that was the case, fishing side by side nearby seemed best. It was only an hour—sleeping was out of the question, and he wouldn’t be able to anyway. Might as well fish.

Having made up his mind, Zhong Di quickly found a spot about fifteen meters from Zhu Luoluo.

The area was surrounded by aquatic plants, with a clear patch nearby—good for fish.

He set up small hooks and fishing lines—since it was a contest by weight, even if he was inexperienced, he knew to start with small fish and then switch later.

Checking the time, it was about to begin.

“Let’s start!”

“Hope you show your full strength.”

Well, to Zhu Luoluo, Zhong Di was clearly a strong rival. Only Zhong Di himself knew he was no expert—he just relied on the aquatic plants to give him an edge.

He adjusted his posture and cast the line.

Zhong Di’s movements were quite polished.

The hook landed exactly where he wanted. Zhu Luoluo, on the other hand, was still busy chumming the water.

It was rare to see someone fish without chumming like Zhong Di.

Splash!

Just as Zhong Di watched Zhu Luoluo baiting, a sudden strong tug jerked his line. He lost his grip, and the fishing rod was pulled into the water.

Damn it—two rods lost in two days!