Chapter 11: Finding Fault

Zhao Guixiang looked at Lin Yang intently for a long moment, her eyes gradually welling up with tears. Her lips moved as if she wanted to say something, but it ultimately transformed into a doting scold: "You little brat, I think you're trying to fly to the heavens!"

After a pause, she added, "Bring the dumplings to the table so we can eat together. The cornmeal cakes are steamed, too. Let's have a feast today!"

Lin Yang smiled as he carried the dumplings into the room. He then rummaged through a trunk to find the loose liquor his father kept hidden, placing it directly on the kang table. "Dad, there’s only half a jin left of this. I’ll go buy you a few more jin tomorrow. Let’s both have a drink today!"

Lin Dahai was never one to express his emotions, but upon hearing what Lin Yang had said in the kitchen, a smile he couldn't suppress spread across his face. He was filled with deep emotion, thinking only one thing: *My son has finally grown up.*

Zhao Guixiang picked up a dumpling, slowly placed it in her mouth, and chewed carefully. Her eyes turned slightly red as she softly remarked, "Dumplings brought by my son—they truly taste delicious!"

She turned to Lin Dahai and added, "Old man, pour our son two taels of wine, too. He’s grown up now and can handle a drink."

Seeing his father’s pained expression at the thought of the wine, Lin Yang couldn't help but laugh. "Dad, just pour one tael. They say dumplings and wine make for a finer time!"

The family sat together, the room filled with a warm, harmonious atmosphere. That night, Lin Yang had a wonderful dream and slept soundly.

Before the sky was fully bright, the crowing of a rooster shattered the morning silence. Lin Yang was roused by his father’s loud shout: "Yangzi, hurry to the river and pull up the traps, don't dally!"

In this small mountain village, there was little entertainment at night, so everyone slept early and got plenty of rest. Lin Yang answered, quickly got up, grabbed his net bag, and hurried toward the river.

Upon reaching the riverbank, he began checking the traps, feeling as if he were opening blind boxes. He had carefully selected these spots the day before using his "Prey Locking" skill. While he couldn't guarantee every trap would have a catch, the odds were certainly much higher.

He pulled up the first trap. As soon as he lifted it, he felt a heavy weight and a surge of excitement, blurting out, "A lucky start!"

However, when he saw what was inside, he felt a twinge of disappointment. It was a snakehead fish. Since his small county was near rivers, fish prices never went up, and people usually caught them just for their own consumption. The fish was quite large, at least four jin. Lin Yang shook his head helplessly and moved to the next spot.

He knew that trapping soft-shelled turtles required discretion. In these lean times, the villagers weren't as simple as one might imagine. If someone with bad intentions noticed, his next set of traps might just end up serving someone else's interests. They might take the catch, or worse, steal the traps themselves. These woven traps were a unique craft, and only his father knew how to make them.

The second trap had a mediocre harvest—just some river shrimp, loaches, and small minnows. He had set eight traps in total, but aside from the large snakehead, the rest were mostly small fry. Occasionally, he found a few coin-sized crabs, which he tossed back into the water.

Just as he was starting to feel disappointed, he reached the final trap.

The river water beneath him was churning with silt. Lin Yang’s eyes lit up, and he couldn't help but shout in excitement, "A big catch!"

He hurriedly grabbed the hemp rope and hauled the trap out of the water with force. A turtle's tail was visible, thrashing wildly as it tried to escape. Lin Yang felt his heart pounding. *Good heavens, by the looks of it, it must be at least five jin!*

In the wild, a Songhua River turtle reaching five jin was extremely rare, and even rarer to see in such a small stream. The only reason this old turtle had been caught was because the trap was slightly too small, and it had gotten stuck. Lin Yang noticed that the pheasant innards used as bait had been completely devoured by the beast.

Generally, the larger the turtle, the more valuable it was, as common folk believed the older the turtle, the more nourishing it was. A five-jin turtle like this could fetch at least a hundred yuan. Lin Yang remembered that in the year 2000, someone had caught a four-jin-seven-tael Songhua River turtle, and a buyer had offered as much as eight thousand yuan. Unfortunately, the police arrived too quickly, and the deal fell through. He remembered this incident vividly because both parties involved were taken away by the police.

But things were different now. There were no such laws to restrict him; as long as he could catch them, he could sell as many as he wanted. Some high-ranking officials even preferred gifting these wild behemoths. Of course, the turtle had to be alive, because if it died for more than half an hour, its internal organs would produce toxins—a fact many didn't know, but Lin Yang was well aware of.

He made a split-second decision to stuff the turtle directly into his carry-bag. A woven net of thin hemp rope wouldn't hold something this big. He had originally planned to catch a few snow frogs, but he didn't want to waste any more time for the sake of this turtle. If it died by accident, the loss would be immense.

Lin Yang hurried toward home with the bag, but he didn't get far before his path was blocked. It was none other than Auntie Zhang.

She stood squarely in his way, her eyes fixed greedily on the bag in his hand. She curled her lip in disdain and said sarcastically, "Is this what you call making big money, Lin boy? At best, this big snakehead fish looks like something, but it's worthless! I've seen fish sellers at the river—a seven-jin bighead carp only sells for a little over a yuan. Yours is already limp; it'll be dead by the time you reach the city. Who would buy your dead fish?"

Lin Yang couldn't be bothered with her and tried to step around her, but Auntie Zhang was relentless. She was still fuming from how Lin Yang had ignored her yesterday, which had kept her tossing and turning all night. Now, the more she thought about it, the angrier she got, and she was determined to expose his "lie."

She shrieked at the top of her lungs, "Your mother, Zhao Guixiang, tells everyone you made over a hundred yuan, and this is it?! Bah! She sure knows how to brag to save face for her son! Aren't you afraid of twisting your tongue with such big talk? The Sun family girl agreeing to date you is a total waste of a good girl!"

The small mountain village was usually quiet at dawn, save for the occasional dog bark. Auntie Zhang’s shouts shattered the peace, attracting a crowd of neighbors who stepped out to watch the commotion. In this era, rural entertainment was scarce, and any village gossip became a hot topic. Especially in winter, with no farm work to do, people were hungry for conversation.

"Isn't that Yangzi? How did you offend Auntie Zhang?" someone in the crowd asked with a grin.

Lin Yang’s expression turned icy. He stared straight at Auntie Zhang and said coldly, "Zhang Xiumei, I haven't bothered with you, yet you provoke me time and again. What is it? Showing off how capable you are? Are you feeling bitter because I can make money and it makes your two useless sons look bad?"

Zhang Xiumei had two sons who were known idlers. They only occasionally helped out in the fields, working three days and resting two. Their eight mu of land were worked entirely by Old Man Liu. Although Old Man Liu was a skilled farmer, he was cunning and never let himself suffer a loss. Hearing his wife being insulted by name, he rushed out in a rage.

"Lin boy, are you looking for a beating?" Old Man Liu roared, eyes bulging.

Seeing her husband arrive, Zhang Xiumei grew even bolder. She put her hands on her hips and cursed, "You little bastard, you have the nerve to talk! When did I ever trouble you? I'm just telling the truth! Everyone, judge for yourselves. Yesterday, Zhao Guixiang was telling everyone her son had made over a hundred yuan and caught a pheasant. She even claimed he'd make more today. Isn't this just lying through her teeth? Maybe their family is harboring some dark scheme!"

The surrounding neighbors didn't help Lin Yang; instead, they began pointing and whispering. Lin Yang knew his reputation had been poor, which explained their reaction. If it were only about himself, he wouldn't care. But he would not let his mother be slandered.

Without a word, Lin Yang took out the middle basket, slammed it onto the ground, and shouted, "Come on! Open your eyes and look closely! A five-jin turtle—now, tell me loudly, how much is this worth?!"