"sure."
Wang Dabao readily agreed, then frowned and said, "However, you may not know the rules. If you win, you can take twenty from me, but if you lose, you will have to pay double the price. Also, Old Yan's side doesn't consider whether you catch it or not; they just need to make sure the hook is bigger than before."
To ensure he could get his hands on Xu Damao's money, Wang Dabao explained things to him, as well as to Yi Zhonghai and Yan Jiecheng, who were eager to try, in as much detail as possible.
"Of course, that's no problem. After all, the chances of not winning in this bet are much higher, so paying double is only fair."
Xu Damao didn't even consider that Yan Bugui could catch a big fish, and an even bigger one than last time. "I'm just like that bastard Liu Haizhong, we bet twenty yuan, and if I lose, I'll pay forty."
Xu Damao couldn't hide his joy when he saw that Wang Dabao had agreed to accept his bet.
Why should only Sha Zhu and Liu Haizhong get the money if Wang Dabao is rich? He could get it too.
Twenty yuan is quite a lot. Xu Damao was afraid that Wang Dabao would run out of money and try to renege on the deal, so he didn't increase the amount. Otherwise, it would have cost him a month's salary.
Yi Zhonghai was also tempted, but he knew Wang Dabao's character well. This kid wasn't stupid; on the contrary, he was shrewd and wouldn't give money away for nothing.
However, compared to Yan Bugui catching a fish bigger than the Blackfish Demon, Yi Zhonghai was more inclined to believe that Wang Dabao was blinded by money and made a mistake. "Wang Dabao, will you take ten yuan?"
"Answer it, why aren't you answering?"
Wang Dabao didn't expect that a big spender like Yi Zhonghai would be so cautious. Everyone else was betting twenty, but he was only betting ten. "Old Yi, it's beneath your dignity for a big spender like you to bet ten!"
"I just participated to cheer on Lao Yan; I didn't expect to win any money."
Yi Zhonghai glanced at Wang Dabao and asked, "Speaking of which, do you have the money to pay back if you lose?"
Upon hearing this, Wang Dabao thought, "Hey, you old fool, you want to see what I'm made of?" He replied, "Don't worry, I can afford to pay this amount."
Yan Jiecheng was anxiously scratching his head as he watched Yi Zhonghai and Xu Damao pick up money from Wang Dabao's hands. He was also very anxious.
To be honest, Yan Bugui has been fishing for so many years, he knows a bit about the situation in Shichahai. It's already quite "astonishing" that he's found a black carp spirit in all these years, let alone one bigger than that. How much wine would he have to drink to dream of such a thing?
But these people were only willing to spend ten or twenty dollars at a time, and he simply didn't have that much money.
"Hey Uncle Da Bao, I'm a bit short on cash lately, not as much as everyone else. How about two yuan? Just consider it as you letting me have a game."
"Why not?"
Wang Dabao was delighted. He never expected to get something out of Yan Jiecheng. "Jiecheng, if you lose, you have to give me four yuan. You need to understand that."
"Yes, yes."
When Yan Jiecheng saw that he could also make money off Wang Dabao, he immediately responded with a smile.
Four yuan is a month's worth of cigarettes for him, which is quite a lot.
The bet is settled; now it's up to Yan Bugui to show his skills.
For Yi Zhonghai, he was happy if Yan Bugui caught a big fish, but it didn't matter if he didn't, he could still get ten yuan from Wang Dabao to compensate for his emotional loss.
But Yan Jiecheng was different.
From the beginning, he didn't believe that his father, Yan Bugui, could catch a big fish again. Now, with the added bonus of the bet and the influence of the Yan family's traditions, he was even less willing for his father to catch a big fish.
After all, those four yuan were his own private savings!
It was early autumn, and the weather was much cooler than before, but Yan Bugui had been sweating profusely ever since he sat down.
Seeing that Yan Bugui's side hadn't made any moves, most of the onlookers left, while the rest whispered and pointed at him, making Yan Bugui feel uneasy. He could only force himself to stay alert.
Wang Dabao's consciousness continued to search the waters around the island until he encountered a large fish about two meters long.
This is a real behemoth, weighing over 100 kilograms.
You're the one!
He instantly released the large fish into Shichahai Lake, then directed the two-meter-long fish to slowly rise from the bottom of the water to tease Yan Bugui's fishhook.
Seeing the float disappear in a flash and feeling the sensation in his hand, Yan Bugui was horrified and his body trembled as he stood up.
A sharp-eyed person in the crowd immediately screamed, but was quickly scolded and stopped by the person next to them.
Yi Zhonghai, Liu Haizhong, Yan Jiecheng, and others noticed the situation and began to slowly approach Yan Bugui.
Two seconds later, the float rose again.
Yan Jiecheng's wildly beating heart resumed its rhythmic pounding. That was terrifying! He almost lost four yuan.
Before Yan Jiecheng's expression could calm down, with a "bang," not only did the float disappear, but the fishing line also taut. Yan Bugui was pulled back two steps and stepped directly into the water.
This was only because Wang Dabao instructed the big fish not to struggle too much.
Otherwise, with Yan Bugui's small stature, he would have been dragged into the deep water by the big fish long ago.
Ignoring the risk of getting his clothes wet, Yi Zhonghai ran to the water near the shore to help Yan Bugui hold onto his fishing rod, and also called for Yan Jiecheng and Liu Haizhong to come and help.
Liu Haizhong and Yan Jiecheng stood there dumbfounded. Anyone with eyes could see that this was a big fish. Did that mean they had lost the bet with Wang Dabao again?!
Liu Haizhong was startled; that was forty yuan!
No, the big fish hasn't shown itself yet. As long as everyone hasn't seen the whole picture, he hasn't lost.
Having made up his mind, Liu Haizhong cried out in pain, tilted his body, and fell to the ground, clutching his aching back and groaning.
Yan Jiecheng also wanted to learn from Liu Haizhong, but he was conflicted. In the end, he sighed and chose to go into the water to help.
Yan Bugui, Yi Zhonghai, and Yan Jiecheng slowly returned to the shore and began to play the fish.
After all that commotion, the crowds of onlookers returned to the shore, and there were even more people than before.
An hour later, cheers erupted from the crowd on the shore. Liu Haizhong, Shazhu, Xu Damao, and the others were devastated, for they had seen the fish's spine, which was three or four feet long. This indicated that the fish would surpass the previous black fish spirit in both length and weight.
"Don't worry, I specially selected these fishing rods and lines; they won't break even if you pull a 100-pound fish."
Yan Bugui's face flushed red, his heart surging with emotion. Now he finally understood the old saying, "A loss may turn out to be a blessing in disguise."
If the previous fish hadn't gotten off the hook, he would have gone back to sell fish by now and wouldn't have encountered this giant creature.
Of course, I am most grateful for the encouragement from my brother Da Bao!
Yan Bugui thought to himself that once he sold the fish, he would definitely buy Wang Dabao a good pack of cigarettes, the kind that cost six cents a pack would be just right.
Sha Zhu slapped his thigh in frustration, muttering that he was doomed. Regardless of whether he could catch the fish or not, his money was gone.
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