The Lucky Wife of the Era Married a Rough Man With Space
Chapter 209: Lijiacun wants fish
Xu's father led the older boys from various houses to , going door to door with nets and buckets, to distribute fish.
But whenever they arrived any home, several people from there stepped forward, insisting on giving him a few extra fish from there own share .
“Uncle Captain,” one of them said earnestly, “we all owe you. If it weren’t for you, how could we be living such a good life? [Read More Here]
You’ve worked so hard for everyone—what’s a few more fish to thank you?”
Xu’s mother, who had just come out to meet them, refused without hesitation. “We can’t accept that,” she said firmly. “Your uncle is the village captain. It’s his job to work harder for everyone.”
Taking those fish would look like he was abusing his position. She glanced at her husband, adding with conviction, “As long as everyone’s life improves, that’s what makes him happy. We don’t want any special favors.”
Father Xu nodded approvingly at her words. “She’s right. I can’t take the fish. It’s already been divided among the village. If I start setting an example of taking more than my share, then who will follow the rules in the future?
As the captain, I should be leading with integrity, not taking what belongs to others.” He gave the young men a sincere look. “I appreciate your kindness, truly—but I can’t accept the fish.”
The young men looked at him with new admiration. In the village, there wasn’t just one leader—there were also a deputy captain and a village party secretary. But unlike Father Xu, those two often used their positions for their own gain, asking for favors and gifts from others under the table.
But Xu’s father? He was the most upright leader they’d ever seen.
If only every official in the world were like him, the lives of common folk—especially farmers—would be much easier.
“Captain, let’s continue dividing the fish,” someone called out.
Father Xu nodded and led the group to keep working. When they went back to the river, the nets yielded another heavy catch. Fish flopped into the buckets one after another, until several large buckets were brimming full.
“Captain, why do we have so many fish this year?” one man asked again, clearly surprised.
“Who knows,” another laughed, his face lit up with excitement. “Maybe even the fish know that Xujia Village is different this year—they’re all rushing over to us!”
Second brother Xu snorted, crossing his arms. “Hmph, it’s all because of my little sister. She wasn’t here in past years, and we barely caught any fish. This year, she shows up, and suddenly the river’s full.”
Xu’s father shot him a glare. “What nonsense are you saying? That’s feudal superstition. If someone with bad intentions hears that, it could cause us a lot of trouble for us.”
Second brother Xu chuckled sheepishly and scratched his head. “I said it quietly! No one else heard.”
Someone nearby chuckled, “Shengcai, you’re not wrong. I think your little sister is lucky. Ever since she returned, everything’s changed for the better.”
“Exactly! First, the state-owned restaurant started buying from us, then the food factory even set up a workshop here. All of that’s thanks to your sister.”
“I tell you, the fish must’ve smelled her wealth and rushed into our river first!” someone said, only half-joking.
Father Xu gave a modest smile, but he couldn’t hide the pride in his eyes. Deep down, he agreed.
“It’s not that serious,” he said humbly. “My daughter just happened to bring some good fortune to the village. She’s always cared deeply about our people. Everyone has treated her well since she was little—she hasn’t forgotten that.”
The villagers all nodded. Their faces were full of approval.
While joy and laughter filled Xujia Village, the atmosphere in Lijia Village was heavy with gloom.
They’d expected to catch dozens of fish today. Even if it wasn’t a great year, at the very least, each household should’ve gotten two jin of meat. But this year?It was a Disaster. They’d be lucky if every family got one jin—maybe even less.
Captain Li of Lijia Village stood with a stormy expression, his brow furrowed tight.
He glanced toward Xujia Village and remembered the words of that old man earlier. Gritting his teeth, he finally said, “I’m heading over to Xujia Village.”
His words lit up the faces around him.
“Captain, you should’ve gone earlier!” someone said. “It’s the same river, but they’re pulling in net after net, while we get barely anything!”
“Right! They’re making a fortune this year, and we’ve got nothing. It’s not fair!”
Captain Li straightened up. Their complaints made him feel more confident. He smiled as he made his way to Xujia Village, but his eyes stayed glued to the large, shiny fish flopping in the buckets.
“Brother Xu,” he called out, “you’ve really got a lot of fish over here this year.”
[Read More Here]
Father Xu smiled politely. “Yes, we used to have the smallest catch in past years. But this year, fortune smiled on us.”
The moment he said that, Captain Li’s smile faded.
Someone from the side scoffed. “Captain Li, shouldn’t you be catching fish in your own village? What are you doing here?”
Captain Li laughed awkwardly and rubbed his hands. “Well, as you can see… our catch this year wasn’t good. Not even enough to give one jin per family. Could you spare some of yours with us?”
As soon as he said that, the villagers of Xujia Village instinctively stepped in front of the buckets, guarding their fish like hawks.
Father Xu narrowed his eyes. This scene looked all too familiar. Wasn’t it just a few years ago when their village had nothing, and they’d gone to Lijia Village to ask for help?
At the time, Captain Li had coldly refused them.
Now he had the nerve to come begging?
“Captain Li,” said one villager sharply, “you were the one who said before—whoever nets the fish gets to keep it. Don’t forget how you rejected us when we came to ask you for fish.”
“Exactly! Now that we’ve had a good year, you come running over with a smile on your face? Sorry, there’s nothing for you here.”
Xu Ying stepped forward, her eyes gleaming with a hint of mischief.
“Eldest Brother, Second Brother,” she said innocently, “we never throw trash into the river, do we? But yesterday, we picked up so much garbage—it was disgusting. No wonder we always had poor catches before! The fish probably couldn’t stand the stench.”
“Ah? We didn’t collect anything!” her brother replied, confused.
“Shut up!” Xu Ying scolded quickly, and Brother Xu covered his mouth in alarm.
“I mean, really. None of us throw garbage in the river,” someone else said, frowning.
“Who would be so stupid to dirty their own river? We still need to eat those fish in the winter!”
“I didn’t throw anything!”
“Neither did I.”
The villagers looked at one another and shook their heads.
Xu Ying pretended to be shocked. “Oh? Then who did it? How did all that trash get into the river? The smell alone could drive the fish away for good!”
Standing on the sidelines, Captain Li looked like he wanted to disappear. He couldn’t meet anyone’s eyes. Guilt was written all over his face.
Father Xu had seen enough. His tone turned cold. “Brother Li, we caught these fish fair and square. We won’t be giving any away.
There’s still time for you to cast more nets—go make the most of it. We’re busy here, so please see yourself out.”
Earlier, he’d been willing to leave some for Lijia Village out of goodwill, but now—after hearing that—they didn’t deserve even a single fish.
“Keep casting,” he instructed his team. “Catch every last big one before we head home.”
So the men of Xujia Village continued, net after net, dragging in catch after catch. Their arms ached, but their hearts were light.
“Why do we have so many fish?” Xu’s mother asked aloud in wonder. “It’s almost too good to be true!”
“Mom, it’s just a good harvest year,” Xu Ying said with a grin. “The fish decided to bless us. I also already decided what I’ll cook for New Year’s dinner!”
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