My happy life in a courtyard house with triplets.

Chapter 7: The Professor's Fishing

When Ye Shuqin ran over with her things, she saw Zhang Lei squatting by the river, searching under bricks and clods of earth. Seeing Zhang Lei's actions, Ye Shuqin quickly asked, "Brother Zhang, what are you doing?" Zhang Lei smiled and looked up, "I'm checking if there are any earthworms. Earthworms are the fastest way to catch fish."

Hearing Zhang Lei's words, Ye Shuqin handed him the fishing rod. Zhang Lei took the rod and examined it. The black bamboo rod looked quite old, and the fishing line and hook tied to it were neatly arranged. He raised his hand and gave it a tug, finding the strength to be quite good.

At this moment, Zhang Lei led Ye Shuqin to a bend in the river upstream, and the two sat side by side on the bank. Zhang Lei stood up, flicked his wrist, and cast his fishing rod. Then he sat quietly waiting for a fish to bite, relying on the fish willing to take the bait. Seeing his unhurried manner, Ye Shuqin couldn't help but ask doubtfully, "Do you really think you can catch any fish like this?"

Zhang Lei grinned, "I'm not sure either, let's give it a try. But I feel like this spot I chose might have a big fish." As soon as he finished speaking, the reeds on the fishing line suddenly sank. Zhang Lei immediately stood up, gripped the fishing rod tightly, and pulled hard. He could feel the force at the end of the rod; the fish must be quite big.

Seeing the float sink, Ye Shuqin became excited and shouted, "Pull it up! Pull it up!" Seeing Zhang Lei struggling, she stepped forward without hesitation, grabbed the fishing rod, and helped pull it back. With their combined effort, a large fish was pulled out of the water and landed on the grassy bank with a splash.

Only then did Ye Shuqin realize that in her nervousness, she hadn't been holding a fishing rod at all, but rather Zhang Lei's hand. Seeing her instantly flushed cheeks and embarrassed expression, Zhang Lei quickly changed the subject: "Let's quickly check the fish; it looks like it weighs about ten pounds."

Having her attention diverted, Ye Shuqin's expression softened somewhat. Looking at the large, lively fish on the ground, she couldn't help but praise, "Brother Zhang, you're amazing! You caught such a big fish in one go!"

Just then, two surprised shouts came from behind. Zhang Lei turned around and saw Ye Shuqi and Ye Shuhua. Seeing the large fish on the shore, the two immediately ran over, excitedly exclaiming, "Big sister, you guys are amazing! You actually caught such a big fish!" Ye Shuqin looked at Ye Shuhua and waved her hand with a smile, "Brother Zhang caught it all; I just lent a hand."

Ye Shuhua immediately looked at Zhang Lei, her eyes sparkling: "Brother Zhang, you're so good at fishing! Teach me!" Seeing her lively appearance, Zhang Lei smiled and nodded: "Sure, you take the fishing rod first, and I'll teach you how to cast the line and choose a spot."

Zhang Lei patiently explained the ins and outs of fishing to Ye Shuhua, who listened attentively and immediately replied cheerfully, "Brother Zhang, I never knew there was so much to learn about fishing! No wonder you can catch such big fish. I used to never even catch a small fish." Hearing Ye Shuhua's praise, Zhang Lei smiled and waved his hand, "I was just figuring it out randomly; I don't know if it will work."

Ye Shuhua immediately tried the method Zhang Lei had taught her, and to her surprise, after only two or three minutes, the fishing line suddenly sank. Her eyes lit up, and she quickly pulled hard. Zhang Lei, who was standing nearby, was worried that she didn't have enough strength and was about to step forward to help when he saw Ye Shuhua suddenly flick her wrist and throw the fishing rod out.

Ye Shuqin, watching from the side, was terrified. She hurriedly shouted, "Shuhua, don't pull so hard!" But it was too late; the fishing line, along with the fish, was flung directly onto the grass behind them. Ye Shuqin quickly looked at the fishing rod and, seeing that it wasn't broken, breathed a sigh of relief. Then, she frowned and scolded, "You! You've broken several of Grandpa's fishing rods already! How can you be so clumsy!"

Ye Shuhua stuck out her tongue and playfully protested, "Sister, I was just so happy to see the fish take the bait!" Ye Shuqin was still worried and carefully inspected the fishing rod before saying helplessly, "You have to be careful, this is Grandpa's last good fishing rod."

Ye Shuhua didn't take Ye Shuqin's instructions to heart at all. She ran forward to see the fish she had caught and then excitedly shouted, "Sister, look! I caught a fish too! This one weighs at least five or six pounds!" Seeing her beaming face, everyone couldn't help but smile.

At this moment, Zhang Lei walked up to Ye Shuhua, took the fishing rod, and patiently taught her how to pull the fish and how to exert force. Ye Shuhua responded verbally, but her hand was already gripping the fishing rod, ready to continue fishing. Zhang Lei shook his head helplessly, guessing that the girl probably hadn't listened.

Soon, the group was fishing on the riverbank, each taking turns casting their line. Under Zhang Lei's guidance, the three sisters quickly mastered the fishing techniques.

After spending time together, Zhang Lei had thoroughly figured out the personalities of the three sisters—the eldest, Ye Shuqin, was gentle and quiet; the second, Ye Shuqi, was intelligent and decisive; and the youngest, Ye Shuhua, was lively and unrestrained. Although the three looked exactly alike, their personalities were distinct, which allowed Zhang Lei to easily distinguish them.

Just as the four of them were enjoying their fishing, they suddenly heard a child shouting from the shore, "Auntie, Second Auntie, Third Auntie, Grandpa told me to call you home!" The group stopped what they were doing. Ye Shuqin stepped forward and introduced Zhang Lei with a smile, "This is my eldest brother's eldest son, Ye Mingyu. My dad must have something to tell us. Let's go home first." Zhang Lei nodded in agreement, "Okay, we've caught quite a few fish anyway."

He looked at the dozen or so lively fish on the ground as he spoke. Just then, Ye Mingyu came running over. His eyes lit up instantly when he saw the fish, and he shouted, "Auntie, Auntie, did you catch all these?" Ye Shuhua immediately stood up proudly, chin raised, and said, "Yes, your third auntie caught them. Pretty impressive, right?" Ye Mingyu looked at her incredulously, "Third auntie, you really caught them?"

Seeing his expression, Ye Shuhua pretended to be angry and glared at him, "Hey, you brat, how dare you doubt your aunt?" Ye Mingyu, seeing her raised hand as if about to hit him, quickly nodded repeatedly, "I believe you, I believe you the most!"

Ye Shuqi, standing to the side, pulled Ye Shuhua aside and said helplessly, "Alright, stop scaring the child. Xiaoyu, you're here anyway, help get the fish." Upon hearing this, Ye Mingyu immediately replied happily, "Okay, okay, I'll take the biggest one!"