Chapter 41
"Perfect!" He looked at the photo, which was worthy of being entered into a "misery contest," and smiled with satisfaction.
He clicked on Tong Yao's profile picture, quickly sent the photo, and then his fingers flew across the keyboard as he began editing the message. He deliberately used an exaggerated yet slightly coquettish and aggrieved tone:
LaLaLa: He hit me as soon as I got back! Look what my dad did! [Image] [Crying] [Crying]
Lin Li stared at the screen, feeling that the emotional impact wasn't strong enough, so she added a few more tearful emojis.
A few minutes later, Tong Yao's reply popped up.
Pretending to be serious: Are you trying to fool me with some online pictures?
Her words were full of doubt, and she clearly wasn't buying it.
LaLaLa: Really! Why would I lie to you? There's no benefit in it for me!
Pretending to be serious: Hehe.
Before the echo of that "hehe" had even faded, the video call request suddenly rang, startling Lin Li so much that she frantically pressed the hang-up button.
Pretending to be serious: Is it fun?
Those three cold words confirmed his guilty conscience.
Spicy Spicy Spicy: I'm not wearing any clothes, so it's inconvenient for me to answer the video call...
He attempted a desperate struggle.
Pretending to be serious: You think I believe that? [Smiling]
Spicy, spicy, spicy: Then you'll regret it!
Lin Li typed these words with a "what's the use" attitude, roughly ripped off the half-sweater hanging around her neck and threw it aside, took a deep breath, and proactively dialed the video call.
The call was connected almost instantly.
On the screen, Tong Yao only showed half of her face, with the background being a riverside shrouded in the night in the countryside, where the sound of gurgling water could be faintly heard.
"Are you still out so late?" Lin Li asked instinctively.
"I'm fishing with my dad..." Tong Yao replied, her gaze sweeping over his guilty face. The small screen was filled with Lin Li's large face. She raised an eyebrow slightly.
"Come on, let me see where you hit it?"
The teasing tone in her voice made Lin Li's ears burn.
He paused for a moment, then, as if he had made a desperate decision, he raised his phone, turned to the side, and brought the two red, swollen marks on his left arm into the camera lens.
However, his attention quickly shifted from his injuries to himself in the camera lens.
This angle looks good, doesn't it? Would a slight turn to the side make the waist look even slimmer? Shouldn't the abs be showing? Maybe pull the pants down a bit more; the subtle glimpse of the V-line is the real key…
He secretly tightened his abdomen and realized with annoyance that he hadn't been exercising lately and his abdominal muscles weren't as defined.
While he was concentrating on posing, Tong Yao's attention was completely focused on his arm.
"Did your father hit you?" Her voice turned somber, the playfulness vanished.
"Do you have any safflower oil at home? White wine will also work. Quickly apply it and rub it in, otherwise you'll definitely have bruises tomorrow."
"Why did you hit so hard? Did you break any bones?"
Lin Li froze, her pose frozen in mid-air.
She didn't even look? She didn't see the angle he carefully adjusted, his clenched abs, or his barely visible V-line?
His actions were like throwing a flirtatious glance at a blind man! A strong sense of frustration and embarrassment welled up inside him, making him feel even worse than the injury on his arm.
He reluctantly pulled his phone closer, the camera framing his displeased face again, and said in a curt tone, "Huh? Oh... I have safflower oil. My bones are fine, I won't die."
He reluctantly steered the conversation back on track, his voice tinged with a hurt he himself didn't realize: "Why are you staring at my hands? I feel like my whole body is breaking apart; my emotional trauma is far worse than this!"
Tong Yao on the other side of the screen clicked her tongue softly, and the birdsong in the background sounded exceptionally clear.
"Come on, if you're really badly injured, why are you still 'posing' like this? Go and apply some medicine!"
Lin Li, her thoughts completely exposed, felt a little embarrassed but stubbornly said, "What 'posing'? I'm just... I'm just..."
"What is this? Do you really think I can't see through your little scheme?"
"Very handsome, keep it up."
After saying that, Tong Yao hung up the phone.
None of the expected scenes appeared—there was no coquettish blushing from Tong Yao, no angry and embarrassed "you rascal," and no flustered, evasive gaze.
Reluctantly, Lin Li grabbed the sweater that had been tossed aside and put it back on.
How boring! The script was completely off! His meticulously planned "self-inflicted injury" and "handsome man" scheme only resulted in the other party staring at two bloody marks and giving a serious medical examination. This was a far cry from the sensual plot he had imagined.
Oh, right!
A sudden inspiration struck Lin Li, as if she had grasped at the last straw, and her fingers flew across the screen:
Lala: "You promised to give me a 'snoring' before!"
"I don't need you to appear on camera anymore, how about sending a voice message?"
He stared intently at the screen, calculating in his mind that even if he could hear a soft, comforting word from her, it wouldn't be a complete loss.
The message had barely been sent when the notification sounded almost immediately. A short, two-second voice message appeared prominently in the background.
So straightforward? Lin Li was overjoyed and couldn't wait to press the phone tightly to her ear and start playing.
A single word came through the receiver, clear, crisp, and full of energy:
"roll!"
Without the slightest hesitation, without any delay.
Lin Li was stunned for a moment, but instead of showing any frustration, his face lit up like a cat whose fur had been stroked. The corners of his mouth couldn't help but curve upwards, and he even let out a low, satisfied sigh. He leaned back and sank comfortably into the bed.
Okay, that feels good.
This is the perfect flavor!
He lay there, belatedly realizing something was wrong—what was wrong with him? Did he really feel uneasy if he didn't get a few scoldings from her every day?
Oh no, he seems to be... heading in a strange direction.
"Go fishing with my dad?"
Tong Yao's words echoed in my mind once again.
fishing?
Lin Li sat up happily.
There's a huge fishpond back home, how could he forget? He could go fishing while he's back for the banquet!
So Lin Li opened the door.
"Dad! Let's go early! I want to go fishing."
Lin's father had just finished washing up when he heard Lin Li speak to him. He was taken aback at first, but surprisingly, he wasn't sulking.
"Fishing? Okay, let's go down a day earlier."
"Yes!"
Lin Li happily ran to the storage room and began rummaging through the fishing gear.
the next day.
Lin's father fell silent as he looked at Lin Li, who was carrying a basket full of fishing gear on her back.
She opened her mouth, wanting to persuade Lin Li to bring less, but seeing Lin Li's excited expression, she decided against it.
He'll definitely regret it when he gets there; I'm not going to help him carry it.
Lin Li weighed the basket on her back.
I brought a landing net, a stool, two fishing rods, spare fishing line, enough bait, and pots and pans.
There don't seem to be any earthworms, but we can dig them up when we get there!
"Dad, how are we going to get back to our hometown?"
"Take the bus."
Lin Li wasn't surprised; he had guessed it.
When we arrive at our destination, we'll have to shout, "Driver! Brake on the next section!"
Haha, Lin Li couldn't help but laugh out loud when she remembered that scene.
Lin's father fell silent again. After being beaten, the child not only didn't hold a grudge, but last night when he passed by Lin Li's room, he heard Lin Li laughing very happily inside.
Has this kid been beaten senseless? He didn't hit his head.
Yancheng Bus Station
A bus with the sign "Yancheng to Yuanba" on its windshield slowly pulled into the station.
Lin Li put the basket in the trunk and got into the car.
After getting on the bus, he took a deep breath.
"Ah!" It was the familiar leather mixed with the smell of smoke.
It stinks!
Lin Li often goes to her maternal grandmother's house by taking this kind of bus. In a few years, the bus service will gradually be discontinued, and every trip she takes will be one less trip she takes.
Lin's father glanced at Lin Li's outfit and finally couldn't resist.
"You're dressed so shabbily for visiting relatives!"
Lin Li looked at it and saw that the upper body of the body was a school uniform consisting of a wool sweater, a cardigan, and a windbreaker.
She wore two pairs of school trousers on her lower body.
Why wear two layers? Because one is too cold.
"I brought other clothes. Besides, why would I wear such nice clothes to fishing?"
Lin Li didn't take it to heart, and Lin's father lit a cigarette and said nothing more.
Smelling the smoke, Lin Li fell silent.
"Dad, I see the passenger seat is empty, I'll sit there. Call me when we get there."
Lin Li sat in the passenger seat.
An hour later.
Lin's father's booming voice rang out: "Master! Brake on the next section!"
Lin Li then called out, "We're here! Open the trunk!"
He mustn't forget his fishing gear!
Soon, Lin Li and the others got off the bus.
Lin's father walked ahead, as if he thought Lin Li's outfit was too embarrassing.
Lin Li, carrying a basket on her back, quickly caught up.
"Dad, are people allowed to fish?"
The fishpond doesn't belong to them.
"Go go fishing."
Lin's father pointed to the fishponds in the distance and said, "They're all relatives; we all know them."
That's good.
Lin Li followed her father to the host's house where the banquet was being held.
Seeing that Lin's father was still exchanging pleasantries with the host, the host politely asked Lin Li and the others to sit down and prepare for dinner.
It's already past 4 pm, and we'll be having lunch in another hour.
Lin Li handed the bag containing the clothes to her father without saying a word, then slung her backpack over her shoulder and headed towards the fishpond.
Lin Li, carrying a heavy basket on her back, curiously approached and asked, "Uncle, how was the harvest?"
An uncle wearing a straw hat turned around, sighed, and gestured with his chin toward the empty bucket next to him: "The fish aren't biting. I've been sitting here for ages, and the float hasn't moved an inch."
“Alright, I’ll go try my luck at that pond down there.” Lin Li said, tightening the straps of her suspenders as she walked along the ridge towards the secluded fishpond further away.
He spotted a spot partially surrounded by aquatic plants, offering a wide view—a perfect hiding place for fish. He put down his basket and began preparing with practiced ease.
First, he took out an old white porcelain basin, scooped up some pond water, and then skillfully poured in commercial bait, slowly stirring it. Next, he quickly pulled out his rod, tied on the line, attached lead weights, and tested the water depth.
"Wow, so deep?" He muttered as he watched the fishing float completely submerged in the water, then pulled it up quite a bit. Only then did he unfold the creaking folding stool and sit down steadily.
With the freshly prepared bait on the hook, a flick of the wrist sends the fishing line tracing a graceful arc as it plunges into the water with anticipation.
He thought to himself: let's see if the fish in this pond will cooperate; if not, I'll decisively move to another place.
Unexpectedly, not long after I sat down, the orange fishing float gave a signal—it twitched a few times.
"This looks promising!" Lin Li was overjoyed and decided to set up camp here.
But he never really trusted commercial bait, always feeling it lacked a certain "soul." He turned around, pulled a small hoe from his basket, and began digging in the damp mud. After working for a while, he finally caught a plump earthworm, its dark red body wriggling in his palm.
"You're the most reliable one." He picked up the earthworm with satisfaction, carefully threaded it onto the hook, and cast the line again.
It was as if the rod had been thrown directly into the fish's mouth! The moment the hook hit the water, the float was pulled sharply into the water, creating a rapid "black float"!
Lin Li reacted quickly, immediately lifting the rod! The fishing rod instantly bent into an arc, the line taut, and the vibrations of a struggling underwater creature could be heard.
A small, shimmering silver crucian carp was lifted up and leaped about in the sunlight.
Lin Li smiled and skillfully removed the hook, pulled a large plastic bucket from her backpack, filled it with water, and tossed the "good start" into it.
"Great!" He clapped his hands, his confidence soaring, reattached the earthworm, and cast his line with anticipation.
An hour later, Lin Li looked at the plastic bucket full of fish and sighed.
The fish here are like idiots, too easy to catch, there's no fun in fishing at all...
Lin Li felt bored, so she filmed a video and sent it to Tong Yao.
Spicy: "It's boring."
Tong Yao and her father were warming themselves around a bonfire with their relatives.
When her phone beeped with a message, Tong Yao opened her phone and clicked on Lin Lifa's video.
In the video, Lin Li doesn't appear on camera, but speaks to a bucket full of fish, saying, "I caught these, pretty good, right? But these fish are all like idiots, not challenging at all."
Just as Tong Yao was about to exit the video, she was interrupted by her father's voice.
"Is he your classmate? He's amazing! He caught so many!"
Tong Yao thought to herself, "That's really impressive. Dad fished for so long last night and didn't even see a fish."
He then nodded: "That boy from last time was pretty good. I'd never heard of him being able to fish before..."
"Could you ask Dad where this location is?"
Tong's father had already packed his fishing gear, looking ready to set off at any moment.
Tong Yao typed helplessly: "Lin Li, where is this? My dad said he's coming."
Lin Li was taken aback when she saw the message: "Minor details"
Is Tong Yao's father coming?
Lin Li's expression turned strange...
Tong Yao relayed Xiao Jie's message to her father.
Tong's father said excitedly, "That's not far from here, only about 10 kilometers away."
As he spoke, Tong's father prepared to set off.
Tong Yao asked, "Dad, how are you going to get there?"
Dad waved his hand: "Walk!"
Tong Yao was speechless...
-
"Where is Tong Yao's hometown?" Lin Li quickly typed the question.
LaLaLa: "Tong Yao, where is your hometown?"
Pretending to be serious: "Courtyard"
Lin Li remembered that the bus had just passed through the courtyard.
They were immediately excited! They hadn't seen each other for half a month.
Lin Li packed up her fishing gear and went back to eat.
After finishing their meal, Lin Li set off with her backpack on!
Watching Lin Li walk away, Lin's father shouted, "Where are you going?"
"The courtyard!"
The courtyard? "That kid's running around everywhere!"
Lin's father was so angry that he wanted to drag Lin Li back.
A familiar relative at the table said, "Let him go. The host has booked a hotel on Yuanba Street. We're going there later too. He's a grown man, he won't get lost."
"Your son has grown so tall, is he still in school?"
Lin's father's attention was immediately diverted.
"Studying, studying, growing taller."
A relative exclaimed, "He must be over 1.8 meters tall! Such a handsome man!"
"Oh dear, it's not as good as they say!"
Lin's father was modest, but if the occasion hadn't been inappropriate, he would have been grinning from ear to ear.
Lin Li had already arrived at the place where she had just gotten off the bus.
Walking? That's impossible. He's not stupid. He just checked, it's over 10 kilometers!
It's only a little past 5 o'clock, and there's still one last bus.
Lin Li stood waiting for the bus, typing as she did so.
Spicy Spicy Spicy: I've come to find you!
Pretending to be serious: What's wrong with you all?
Tong Yao's forehead veins throbbed as she read Lin Li's message.
Lin Li had long forgotten that Tong Yao's father was coming to go fishing.
I was a little confused when I saw Tong Yao's message, but I didn't think much of it because the car arrived.
After Lin Li boarded the bus carrying his heavy basket, the ticket seller asked, "Where are you going, young man?"
"The courtyard!"
"Five courtyard sections."
Lin Li took out her phone and scanned the QR code on the aunt's neck.
After receiving the money, they tore off a train ticket and handed it to Lin Li.
Lin Li put the ticket in his pocket and casually put his basket down.
There were too many people on the bus before, so there was nowhere to put them. Now that there are empty spaces, we'll naturally put them in the carriage.
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