When he got home, Mr. Lu seemed a bit down in the dumps.
He took out his dry tobacco, wanting a puff or two, but couldn't bring himself to waste it. All he could do was sit on the doorstep and stare blankly.
Lu Chang'sheng comforted him with a few words, but when it didn't help, he just went back to his room.
A lot of people know, holding onto this kind of gloom never lasts, but that's just how folks are. What else can you do?
Just gotta wait.
A few more days passed, and now Lu Chang'sheng's handwriting was smooth as could be. Even with his eyes closed, he could write out all hundred-something characters without missing a single one.
"Not even two months left till I turn ten!"
He set his brush down and saw Little Heitu nearby, drawing on the ground with a twig. He watched closely for a moment, then turned and walked away.
"Splash!"
A crowd of ten or so kids darted through the river channel.
Four of them were at another spot, a few dozen yards away, slacking off in the water.
"Got one!"
Wang Heihou popped up from the river, both hands clutching a big white carp.
"Chang'sheng, I've been catching fish way more lately. Don't you think my skills are getting better?"
Wang Heihou swam over to Lu Chang'sheng, his face lighting up with excitement.
Lu Chang'sheng nodded slightly.
Right then, a crisp voice rang out.
A little head broke the surface—turns out it was Li Nangua, the girl from the village.
"I... I caught one too!"
Li Nangua didn't have as much strength, but she was quick and nimble. After some practice these days, her skills weren't any worse than Wang Heihou's.
Lu Chang'sheng chose his teammates after careful thought.
You don't just invest in anyone at random.
If the people you pick can't give you any returns, there's no point wasting your time on something that brings no reward.
Niu Dazhuang in the group was strong, but not so good with technique.
Li Nangua might be weak, but she picked things up fast. When Lu Chang'sheng taught her, she understood right away.
And Wang Heihou just had a natural gift for slacking off in the river.
The four of them together caught more fish than they ever could alone.
Because of that, after splitting the catch for the first couple weeks, Lu Chang'sheng's take-home after that was at least as good as fishing solo.
"The water level's dropped! It's easier to catch fish now!"
Lu Chang'sheng said.
Wang Heihou and Li Nangua each looked a little disappointed.
They were both hoping for some praise from Lu Chang'sheng.
"Still got kids' hearts at the end of the day!"
Lu Chang'sheng thought to himself.
"The water keeps dropping—soon we won't be able to fish at all!"
Zhao Family Village sits high on the land. For miles around, there are just a few stretches of gentle riverbank.
When the water drops, you've gotta go miles and miles if you want to keep fishing.
At their pace, they couldn't make the round trip in a single day, even if they tried.
The hills are full of bramble and wild beasts—not to mention bandits. Folks say there's fighting in the west and refugees wandering everywhere.
For a kid not even ten to leave the village, that's real dangerous.
Lu Chang'sheng definitely wasn't going to risk his neck for a couple of fish!
"Plus, New Year's is almost here. Better to play it safe. If we don't hear anything from Zhao Deshui by then, we'll figure something out!"
That's how things were in those days—even leaving the village was a chore.
Lu Chang'sheng brought two fish home with him.
As soon as he walked in, he saw Mr. Lu and Mrs. Lu sitting in the yard, both with smiles on their faces.
Now that—that was something you didn't see every day.
You had to know: Mr. Lu hardly ever smiled.
Looking closer, he noticed a man and an old woman sitting there with them. He understood right away.
This was a marriage match for his older brother.
The man was from Zhong Village, from the Zhao Family.
The old woman—she was the local matchmaker!
Marriage was always arranged by the parents, so even someone like Lu Haozi didn't know everything about the bride's family.
If both families liked the match, it was done, just like that.
No telling what they were talking about, but things felt a little tense at that table.
When Lu Chang'sheng walked in, the grown-ups just glanced at him, then looked away.
"Ma, I got two fish. Let's make some fish soup later!"
Lu Chang'sheng walked over to the pond at the side of the yard and let the two hand-sized fish go in.
Splash!
The nearly dead fish finally hit the water, gulping for air, breathing out tiny bubbles.
The water rippled again and again.
The middle-aged man couldn't help but glance over, something like envy in his eyes.
When Lu Chang'sheng went back inside, he heard the man say: "I hear your second son brings home fish from the river every day—"
Mr. Lu caught on instantly, nodding eagerly. "That's right! Haven't missed a day these past two months!"
The man just smiled and let it drop.
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"Ouch!"
Right after stepping into the next room, someone jumped up with a start.
"Ah, it's Er Dan!"
Lu Haozi looked embarrassed—he'd been leaning against the door, eavesdropping on the talk outside, but he didn't expect Lu Chang'sheng to catch him.
"You could just go out and take a look, you know," Lu Chang'sheng said.
For some reason, Lu Haozi felt like his little brother wasn't quite like before.
"N-n-no way!" he mumbled, his face bright red.
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Spring finally came for big brother Lu Haozi.
That night, with the matchmaker as a witness, the engagement was sealed with the Lu Family.
After that, the big, awkward brother put his heart into every chore—he said he wanted to save up more for his future household.
On the side, he even asked Lu Chang'sheng to teach him how to fish.
He made time to practice for several days, but to be honest, he didn't even catch a single fish. Could hardly touch one, actually.
Turns out, when it came to this, the older ones couldn't keep up with the kids.
But Lu Haozi never lost his spirit.
It was almost autumn harvest season, so there wasn't a ton of farm work. He wanted to use the break to pick up some new skills.
He wasn't trying to get as good as Lu Chang'sheng—but at least he'd be able to catch a fish or two every now and then.
"Chang'sheng, I know you're not like me. You see farther. If you're ever not in the village, at least I can bring home something good for Mom and Dad!"
That's what Lu Haozi said.
"Things are way better at home these days, you know? Honestly, it's not my first time seeing Xinghua, but she never glanced my way before. If she hadn't heard that things got better here, she'd never have agreed to the match!"
Lu Chang'sheng frowned, asking, "Big bro, you did talk to Xinghua at least, right?"
Lu Haozi just gave a nervous chuckle.
Lu Chang'sheng started to feel a bit uneasy.
"So—how do you feel about her?"
"Um... how do I feel? It's good! Really good..." By the end, his voice was barely a whisper.
Seeing that, Lu Chang'sheng figured best not to push it.
The two of them headed to the riverbank, when suddenly, they both gasped in shock.
Lu Haozi turned and ran for home.
"You watch here—I'll go tell everyone!" he shouted back.
Meanwhile, Lu Chang'sheng looked out over the river, his face shining with surprise.
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