Siheyuan: The Counterattack of Passerby

Lin Geng got up, had breakfast, left the housework to Sha Zhu, and went out with his fishing gear. He wanted to fulfill his promise to Director Wang before the house was cleaned up, and then get some fish for the street office and the police station.

Although catching dozens or even hundreds of kilograms of fish is no longer a big deal for him, there are plenty of them in the big pond in his small world. He can take out a hundred or eighty kilograms of fish at any time with just a thought, but he doesn't dare to do so.

Because if he didn't go fishing, he wouldn't be able to explain where the fish came from. Once someone targeted him and checked his whereabouts, they would suspect that the fish he caught were not from legitimate sources. So he had to be careful and not leave any evidence to be caught by others.

The secret of the small world is his biggest secret. He doesn't intend to let anyone know it in this life, not even his closest people, because doing so may bring danger to his closest people.

Xu Damao got up late again. When Lin Geng woke him up, he was almost late. He was dragged out of bed by Lin Geng in a daze. After he washed his face hastily, he rushed into Sha Zhu's house as if he was being chased by a dog. He snatched a steamed bun made of two grains of flour that Sha Zhu had just put a piece of fermented bean curd in, put the bun in his mouth, and pushed the broken bicycle provided to him by the factory. He rushed out of the courtyard howling, jumped on the bicycle, and rushed towards the factory in a hurry.

Sha Zhu got up earlier, heated up the steamed buns from last night in the steamer, cooked a pot of cornmeal porridge, mixed in the onions that Lin Geng brought back yesterday, and made a few pieces of fermented bean curd. He just sent He Yushui away and sat down to eat a piece of fermented bean curd.

Xu Damao rushed in and snatched the steamed bun with fermented bean curd that was almost at his mouth, put it in his mouth and ran out, leaving Sha Zhu stunned.

If it were in the past, Sha Zhu would have been furious immediately, but today, after being stunned for a moment, he shook his head and laughed, and shouted at Xu Damao's back: "Shamao, you can't drink much! You got up late again! It's like being chased by a dog, and you rushed into my house without saying a word and stole my food! Aren't you afraid that I will beat you up?"

Xu Damao's voice came from the yard: "Shazhu, you called me Shamao again! I'm too lazy to argue with you, I'm going to be late! You're leaving first! You should also hurry back to the factory to work. If you don't go back to the factory, be careful that the leader will punish you!"

Before he finished speaking, Xu Damao's voice gradually faded away, and he had already pushed his bicycle to the front yard.

Sha Zhu thought about it and stretched his legs and feet. He decided to take another day off and go back to work at the factory tomorrow!

In fact, Lin Geng had already gotten up before Xu Damao went to work. He first went to Sha Zhu's house to have breakfast, and gave He Yushui two salted duck eggs, asking her to eat one in the morning and one at noon. Then he went to pick up Xu Damao.

Then he took his fishing gear, tied a large bamboo basket on each side of the back seat of his 28-inch bicycle, and rode straight to the river where he often went fishing these days.

When he arrived at the river, he had just spread out his stall and cast his hook into the river when he heard a familiar voice behind him: "Hey? Isn't this the guy who gave me the big fish that day? Why are you here so early today? I came here these few days, but I didn't see you at all?"

Lin Geng turned his head and saw the middle-aged man with a limp in one leg whom he met when he first came to fish. He came quite early today and brought the strong young man who was with him last time with him. He carried his fishing gear and walked not far behind him.

Lin Geng immediately laughed, without getting up, he turned his head to look at the middle-aged man and said with a smile: "Hey! Uncle, you are here early too! Do you still remember me? I have been here these few days, but maybe I came at the wrong time and missed you and didn't meet you!

Sit over here! No one is here yet!" He pointed to the place next to him.

The middle-aged man was not polite. He took a small stool and sat down not far from Lin Geng. He said to Lin Geng with a smile: "Young man, I haven't thanked you properly yet! Last time I took the fish back and asked someone to cook it for me. It tasted really good. It earned me enough face! How do you think I should thank you?"

Lin Geng had already caught a fish by this time. With a flick of his hand, he lifted up a carp weighing about 150 grams. He smiled and waved his hands, saying, "Why are you thanking me? You fought for the country. As a junior, what does a fish mean to me as a filial gift to you? It's not worth mentioning!"

Besides, I didn’t buy the fish with my own money. It was a gift from nature. I just fished it out of the river and gave it to you. I didn’t lose anything! Don’t be polite to me!”

Lin Geng took off the fishing hook and threw the fish back into the river.

The middle-aged man asked in confusion: "Hey, hey, hey! Why did you throw the fish back into the river?"

"This is a small carp. There's nothing to eat. It's full of thorns. Let it go back to the river and grow a little bigger. It would be a waste if we take it back. We can't catch every fish when we go fishing. Wouldn't that be like killing the goose that lays the golden eggs?" Lin Geng smiled and put the dough bait he prepared on his hook and threw it back into the river.

After hearing this, the middle-aged man laughed and gave Lin a thumbs up, saying, "That makes sense. Fishing requires a mindset like yours. You can't take all the fish! Drain the pond to catch all the fish? Well said! Haha!"

Young man, you may not be that old, but you have a pretty good character! Do you have a job? Where do you work?"

He packed up his fishing rod, cast the hook, adjusted the float, and started to put earthworms on the hook.

Lin Geng stared at the water and said calmly, "Uncle, you are too kind! I haven't started working yet, but I will soon. My mother passed away some time ago and left me a job at the Red Star Steel Rolling Mill. After my house is cleaned up in a few days, I will start working in the factory!"

The middle-aged man glanced at Lin Geng and saw that he looked a little lonely, so he sighed and said, "Young man, I'm sorry! I was wrong. I shouldn't have reminded you of this!"

"It's okay. Everyone will grow old, get sick and die one day. I can let it go. Although I will still be sad, I will live a good life and will not let myself live in sadness forever. If I do that, my parents in heaven will not be at peace!

Living a good life is the best way to repay them!" While Lin Geng was talking, he shook the fishing rod, and pulled up the rod, and another grass carp weighing more than two kilograms was pulled to the riverside. He reached out and picked up the scoop net, and skillfully scooped the fish out, unhooked it and threw it into the fish basket soaked in the water.

The middle-aged man was stunned for a moment, then he gave a thumbs up again and said: "Young man, you are in a good mood! You are more insightful than many people older than you! Your fishing skills are really amazing! It's only been a short while, and I haven't even adjusted the float yet, and you've already caught two fish!

I think we are destined to be together. Let’s get to know each other. My surname is Liu. I won’t tell you my specific position for now. Just call me Uncle Liu. I think you won’t be at a disadvantage!

If I remember correctly, your name should be Lin Gengshi, right? You live in No. 95, Nanluoguxiang!"

Lin Geng was slightly surprised. He turned his head to look at the middle-aged man and said with a smile, "Wow! You have a really good memory! I just said it casually, and you remembered it! Well, since you think highly of a junior like me, I will call you Uncle Liu from now on! I am marrying above my station!"

"You little brat, what's the point of trying to marry someone you think is high up? I'm just a soldier who's been in the army for a long time! I used to be a poor commoner!

I finally met you again today. Do you have anything to do today? If you have nothing to do, come with me to my house to get to know me. Come to my place more often when you have nothing to do. I am not very busy these days and I am recuperating at home! I have nothing to do when I am free, so I come here every day to fish and kill time! "Old Liu said to Lin Geng.