Yesterday, after the crocodile was cleaned, its heart, kidneys, and liver were divided up, but the rest of the viscera were mostly discarded.
He went to the spot where the organs had been dumped, but all that remained were some bloodstains. The gory mess of pancreas and intestines had vanished.
It was a little disappointing, but a whole night had passed, after all.
The two families walked a few dozen meters downriver before Qin Ziwen said to Deng Guang, "Wait for me a second. I'm going back to get my fishing rod."
Deng Guang looked at the black bag in Qin Ziwen's hand, surprised. "You didn't bring a fishing rod?"
"Nope, this is an Earth Cage." Qin Ziwen shook the bag.
Deng Guang's eyes widened. He nervously glanced around and whispered, "You actually have a treasure like this!"
Qin Ziwen smiled. "I just remembered I had it."
Deng Guang's first instinct was to offer a quick warning. "You have to hide that well. If someone spots it, you'll probably have trouble."
Then, he was filled with emotion. "Younger Brother Qin, you really trust me. Don't worry, I, Old Deng, will definitely not leak a word about this."
He then instructed his wife and daughter not to reveal that Qin Ziwen had an Earth Cage.
Xiao Xuemei crossed her arms, looking at him irritably. "When have I ever had a big mouth?"
Deng Wen bobbed her head in agreement. As a modern high school student bombarded with information from the internet, she knew a thing or two.
She might not understand everything, but she understood this: if the Earth Cage stayed with Qin Ziwen, and the two families stayed on good terms, she might have a chance to get a share of any extra fish. If it fell into someone else's hands, all she could do was watch with envy.
"Brother Deng, do you know how to set up an Earth Cage?"
Deng Guang puffed out his chest. "Of course I do. My family's from the countryside. Back in the day, the rules weren't so strict, and lots of people used them. Now the policies are tighter, and they're banned back home. I haven't seen one of these things in a long time."
Deng Guang explained, "An Earth Cage isn't like fishing. You don't catch something right away. You have to leave it for a while to get a haul."
As soon as he finished speaking, the other four people gave him a strange look.
Deng Guang flushed with shame. "The reason I can't catch anything is just bad luck."
Xiao Xuemei sneered. "Hah. At least you're not blaming it on a lack of fish this time."
Deng Wen let out a pfft of laughter.
In an undeveloped, primeval forest river like this, other things might be scarce, but fish certainly weren't.
Deng Guang snorted proudly. "Fishing might not be my strong suit, but setting an Earth Cage? I'm an absolute pro. Location is key. In a small stream, you set it near waterweeds or a pile of rocks. In a river, you have to place it near a cove with calm currents and abundant weeds, with the opening facing the current.
"Then you put some snail meat or frog meat inside. Unwanted pig organs work great, too. I guarantee that by the next morning, you'll have a full catch."
Qin Ziwen gave him a thumbs-up. "Brother Deng, you're a genius!"
Deng Wen giggled and chimed in, "Brother Qin is a beast!"
As soon as she said it, her parents both turned to stare at her, their eyes filled with confusion.
Deng Wen blushed with anger. "It's a meme! Ugh, you old people just don't get it!"
Xiao Xuemei sneered, "Right, right. Mom doesn't get it."
Deng Guang let out a long sigh and shook his head without saying a word.
Deng Wen pouted, her eyes darting around before her gaze landed on Qin Ziwu's back.
The group walked to the southeast corner of the Gated Community, which was relatively close to the east gate.
"Xiaowu, go home and grab my fishing rod for me. It's on the living room table."
"You got it." Qin Ziwu jogged toward the east gate.
Compared to the bustling south gate, the east gate was much quieter.
Speaking of which, ever since the Gated Community had transmigrated, Qin Ziwen had explored the north, south, and even west sides of the area, but he had visited the east gate, the one farthest from his home, the least.
Occasionally, he would see neighbors from the community, carrying bags and heading in groups deeper into the forest.
A moment later, Qin Ziwu ran back with the fishing rod.
"Let's go. I've still got the earthworms I dug up last time in my tackle box."
Deng Guang waved his hand, and the two men scouted the downstream area for a long time before finally finding a small eddy.
This type of terrain was a natural gathering spot for fish.
The eddy was lush with aquatic plants, and the surrounding terrain was flat. They had to be wary of not only crocodiles but also any snakes that might be lurking within.
The two men stood four or five meters back from the water's edge and adjusted their lines to be longer.
The other three squatted nearby, helping to keep an eye on the surroundings.
A cool breeze blew as the large trees behind them blocked the sun.
Qin Ziwen said, "Fishing is still a stable option for now, but homemade fishing rods will definitely become more and more common. Someone capable might even figure out how to make a fishing net. When that happens, angling won't have such a big advantage."
Deng Guang was silent for a moment, unwilling to think too far ahead. "Who cares about that. We'll fish while we can. As long as I'm around, I can guarantee my wife and daughter won't go hungry."
Qin Ziwen jerked his rod. "Got one!"
SPLASH—
A ripple broke the surface of the water.
A small, silvery-white fish was hooked.
The water's surface shattered as a much larger shadow lunged out and bit down on the small fish.
"WHOA—!"
The tip of the fishing rod bent into a perfect arc.
"Holy crap, what is that?!"
Staring at the massive, nearly meter-long black shadow beneath the water, Qin Ziwen gripped the rod tightly.
Deng Guang shouted, "Let go of the line, or the rod will break!"
The words had barely left his mouth. SNAP!
The fishing line broke, and the rod shot upright.
Qin Ziwen fell right on his butt.
Thankfully, there were no rocks behind him.
Clutching the rod, Qin Ziwen stared at the empty, broken line, his heart aching. He suddenly understood the anguish of an angler who'd lost the big one. "Did you see that? That was definitely a meter-long lunker!"
Deng Guang was also full of regret. "I saw it. That thing is vicious. It actually eats other fish."
Just as he said that, the rod in Deng Guang's hand suddenly went taut. He quickly lifted it.
"WHOA!"
The water's surface broke again, and a large fish emerged, thrashing wildly.
From the looks of it, it was almost identical to the massive fish from a moment ago.
Deng Guang froze, instinctively tightening his grip on the rod.
Qin Ziwen said, "Let the line go, or the rod will break."
A flicker of emotion crossed Deng Guang's eyes. He finally clenched the rod hard, gritting his teeth. "The line on this rod is thick. I want to give it a try."
'If a fish this big gets away, I'll jolt awake in the middle of the night and slap myself!'
'And a fish this size is food!'
An immense force came from the water, and Deng Guang stumbled, nearly falling into the river.
Qin Ziwen quickly wrapped his arms around his waist from behind and pulled back.
Deng Guang had been fishing for years and had watched countless videos of master anglers online. He had learned a lot about how to land a big fish. "You can't use brute force; you have to wear it out."
First, he sharply jerked the rod tip up to set the hook deeper. Then, he lowered the rod, letting the reel spin wildly.
SPLASH—
The great fish tried to flee.
Deng Guang held on to the rod for dear life, letting it make its first run.
After the initial ferocious burst of energy passed, he raised the rod again, pointing the tip upward and using the pole's natural elasticity to absorb the force.
In the river, the huge fish darted left and right from time to time.
Deng Guang's mind raced. Faced with the trophy fish of his dreams, he felt like his IQ was approaching Einstein's level.
When the fish ran, he let out the line. When the fish stopped, he slowly reeled it in.
Sweat beaded on his forehead from the tension.
Fighting a big fish was exhausting. After a while, Deng Guang could feel his waist, legs, and arms starting to ache.
Qin Ziwen volunteered, "Let me help you."
Deng Guang hesitated for a moment, then handed him the rod.
"Alright. Just do what I was doing. Don't pull too hard, just wear out its stamina."
Even though he had given the rod to Qin Ziwen, Deng Guang kept his eyes glued to the water, ready to take over at a moment's notice.
「Half an hour later.」
Under the surface, the big fish's movements grew smaller and smaller.
Deng Guang said, "You can start reeling it in."
Qin Ziwen started to reel. As the line came in, a large, brass-colored fish, its belly turned up, was dragged toward the shore.
Deng Guang wanted to take the rod back, but then he thought about how Brother Qin had helped him fight the fish for so long, and how excited he seemed right now...
He couldn't bring himself to say it.
Qin Ziwen noticed Deng Guang's gaze and said with a smile, "Don't worry, Brother Deng. The fish is yours. I've just never caught one this big before."
As he spoke, the line was almost at the bank. Seemingly sensing something was wrong, the big fish on the hook suddenly found a burst of strength. With a flick of its tail, it struggled to swim back into the river.
"WHACK!"
Qin Ziwu raised a stick and brought it down hard on the big fish.
The fish lost all its strength.
Only after the fish was pulled ashore did everyone realize that not only was it huge—nearly a meter long—but it was also filled with a mouthful of sharp teeth.
...
...