The Lucky Wife of the Era Married a Rough Man With Space
Chapter 207: net fishing
Deputy Director Zhang, his face twisted in furious humiliation, suddenly turned and slapped his son on the back with a loud, resounding crack.
“Apologize to this girl right now !” he barked.
“Dad!” Zhang Hao’s eyes widened in disbelief. He couldn’t comprehend what was happening—couldn’t fathom the stakes or grasp the depth of his father's fear. Apologize? To this girl? If word of this spread, how could he ever lift his head again? His pride wouldn’t allow it. He stood frozen, defiantly refusing to budge.
Deputy Director Zhang’s face darkened further. With a swift and ruthless motion, he lifted his foot and landed a hard kick to his son's backside.
“I said apologize!”
Watching this scene unfold, Liu Yuefen stood dumbstruck. The mighty director—forced to bow his head to Xu Ying? How powerful was this girl, really? A chill crept down her spine as a terrifying thought crossed her mind: Would this damned girl seek revenge on me too? The more she thought about it, the more her legs turned to jelly. Before anyone could notice, Liu Yuefen quietly slipped away, vanishing into the distance like a rat fleeing a sinking ship.
“I won’t apologize!” Zhang Hao roared stubbornly, refusing to yield.
Xu Ying didn’t spare him another glance. She was too tired to deal with their theatrics.[Read More Here]
Turning toward her parents, she said, “Mom, Dad, let’s head back. I took the day off today—I just want to rest. By the way, have we bought all the New Year’s goods yet?”
The Spring Festival was just ten days away. As the old saying went: Whether rich or poor, everyone celebrates the New Year at home. From offering sacrifices to the Kitchen God on the twenty-third, cleaning on the twenty-fourth, grinding tofu on the twenty-fifth, steaming buns on the twenty-sixth, slaughtering chickens on the twenty-seventh, decorating on the twenty-eighth, buying wine on the twenty-ninth, to metaphorically “shedding one’s skin” on the thirtieth—it was a season of joy and preparation.
In previous years, Xu’s mother would take her to the county town to buy fabric and cotton to make padded winter jackets. Though bulky and often unfashionable, they were wonderfully warm—enveloping the wearer like a toasty cocoon. Even the skinniest child looked plump and well-fed in one.
“I was planning to go with your father tomorrow to buy some cloth and cotton,” Xu’s mother said, linking her arm through her daughter’s. “We’ve saved a bit this year. Everyone in the family will get new clothes.”
At the mention of “new clothes,” Shitou and Huzi, who had been lingering nearby, immediately perked up. Their little faces lit up like fireworks.
“New clothes?! We also get new clothes this year?!” the two boys shouted in unison, bouncing with excitement. “Mom! Can you buy firecrackers for me and Huzi too? I want to go out and play with my brother!”
Sister-in-law Xu rolled her eyes fondly but agreed without hesitation. This year really was different. A few days ago, Xu Ying had handed her mother a hundred yuan, claiming it was a bonus from the food factory—along with another two hundred yuan in commission. At first, Xu’s mother had tried to refuse, but Xu Ying had grown upset, nearly scolding her. That moment of filial piety had moved her deeply. She’d felt so proud, so full of joy.
“Alright, alright,” she said, shaking her head in mock exasperation. “But be careful with the firecrackers! Don’t go blowing Huzi up!”
Shitou nodded enthusiastically and bolted off, no doubt to brag to the other village kids about his good fortune.
“Let’s go first,” Father Xu said, glancing between his wife and daughter.
Xu Ying blinked. “Go? Where to? Is There’s still work in the fields this time of year?”
“What field work?”Father Xu chuckled, looking invigorated. “We’re going to catch fish!”
Brother Xu added brightly, “Little sister, are you coming?”
Xu’s mother slapped her eldest son lightly on the head. “You trying to get yourself killed? Your sister just fell into the river not long ago, and you still have the nerve to drag her into this?”
Brother Xu scratched his head, clearly annoyed. He’d only wanted to share a bit of fun with his little sister. “Forget it, little sister. Just rest at home today. Dad and I will bring fish back for you.”
Every year, the villagers of Xujia Village would gather to fish from the river that ran nearby. But the river didn’t belong to them exclusively—it was open to anyone. Catching fish came down to skill and timing. Unfortunately, Xujia Village always ended up with the fewest. And Xu Ying knew exactly why.
A memory surfaced—one from her past life. Back then, she’d sneaked out to see Dong Wenzhong and had stumbled upon something shocking: villagers from a neighboring commune deliberately fouling their part of the river with pungent substances. The tactic was underhanded but effective—it drove fish away from Xujia Village and kept the spoils to themselves. Xu Ying had been speechless at their audacity.
Now, an idea struck her.
“Dad, I’ll come with you,” she said with a sly smile.
Brother Xu lit up. “Dad! Let little sister come! She’s lucky, you know. Maybe she’ll bring us good fortune and we’ll pull in a whole net of fish!”
Father Xu wasn’t superstitious, but seeing the hope in his daughter’s eyes, he relented. “Alright. But you must stay on shore—no going near the water.”
“Okay.” Xu Ying grinned.
As they made their way to the riverbank, she opened the system store and directly purchased several kilograms of premium fish feed. The kind of quality you couldn’t find anywhere else.
By the time they arrived, all the able-bodied men of the village had already gathered. Nets lay coiled like serpents on the ground, with large basins and barrels standing ready.
“Captain, we’re all set! Let’s start!” the villagers shouted excitedly. After a year of hard work, the Spring Festival’s promise of fresh fish was something they deeply looked forward to. Even if their hauls had been meager in years past, each household could usually count on two or three small fish—just enough to make a pot of fish balls.
“Dad, you go ahead. I’ll just look around,” Xu Ying said casually, weaving through the crowd until she reached the water’s edge.
As her father began explaining safety rules to the others, Xu Ying stealthily tossed the fish feed into the water.
The moment it hit, the surface came alive.
Fish heads popped up one after another, swarming the area in a frenzy.
“Dad! Look! There are so many fish!” Xu Ying called out, pretending to be surprised.
As if summoned by her voice, the fish began to leap from the river in glistening arcs, splashing wildly. Father Xu’s eyes lit up. He turned to the crowd with urgency.
“Quick! Cast the nets!”
The men hurled the large fishing nets into the river with all their might. A moment later—
“My net’s feel heavy!” someone shouted. “It’s definitely full—oh, this must be a huge catch!”
Xu Ying watched with quiet satisfaction.
Father Xu turned to the young man who had shouted. “Then don’t stand around! Pull it up! Don’t let a single fish escape!”
The young men heaved together, lifting the net from the water.
“I’ll be damned! Why are there so many fish?!” someone exclaimed.
The net wasn’t even that big, but it was overflowing with fish—most of them small, yet wriggling energetically.
“Quick! Bring the big basin!”
“Captain, one basin won’t be enough!”
“Everyone go back and grab more buckets from your homes!” Father Xu ordered, equally shocked. The haul from this single net was nearly equal to what they used to catch in an entire year!
[Read More Here]
“Pull up the rest of the nets, quickly!” he bellowed.
The villagers didn’t hesitate. Net after net was dragged from the water—and each one brought up a bounty. Though none matched the astonishing volume of the first, all were far beyond expectations. The fish piled up, overflowing the basins. Even a dozen borrowed barrels weren’t enough to hold them all.
“Why are there so many fish this year?” The villagers stared at one another, dazed, astonished—completely unable to make sense of the miracle before their eyes.
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