Chapter 143: Brothers Reconcile with a Smile, Letting Go of Old Grudges

As Tan Linlin cursed Xiao Lin at the skating rink, Xiao Lin, who was fishing by a small river, couldn't help but sneeze.

"Seems I didn't dress warmly enough today," Xiao Lin muttered to himself as he pulled out a tissue and wiped his nose.

This weekend, Tan Linlin and her three friends had gone ice skating, while Wang Tao and his four companions had shouldered their fishing rods and carried small buckets to the riverbank. The river they visited bore a pleasant name, Golden Willow River, derived from the rows of willow trees lining its banks. As spring was approaching, the willows were beginning to show hints of green, and even the withered grass along the shore showed signs of new life. Located south of the capital, the Golden Willow River was a popular spot for those seeking leisure and a change of scenery.

At this moment, the five of them were each perched on a small stool, holding their fishing rods. Because winter fishing was difficult, their combined haul stood at only seven fish.

"Dammit! Fish, why won't you bite my bait, but you'll bite theirs?" Yuan Weiye suddenly stood up from his stool and bellowed at the water. He had been fishing for over an hour but hadn't even hooked a single scale.

"Calm down. You won't catch anything acting like that. The most important thing about fishing is patience," Lin Xudong said, shaking his head at Yuan Weiye.

"Patience my foot! It must be that your bait is different from mine; otherwise, why wouldn't the fish bite?" Yuan Weiye indignantly put down his rod and walked over to inspect Lin Xudong’s bait, only to find it was identical to his own. He was left speechless.

"Yuan Weiye, come here. Let me tell you why the fish aren't biting your hook," Wang Tao said, waving at him with a mischievous glint in his eyes.

"Why?" Yuan Weiye walked toward Wang Tao.

"Ahem, let me ask you a question first. If a fool was crying and begging to be your friend, would you agree?" Wang Tao asked once Yuan Weiye was close.

"Pfft, only a fool would choose to be friends with a fool," Yuan Weiye replied dismissively.

"Exactly. Now, tell me, are the fish in this river foolish?" Wang Tao asked with a sly smile.

"I suppose not, otherwise it wouldn't be so hard to catch them," Yuan Weiye replied after some thought.

"Congratulations, you answered correctly. And since the fish aren't foolish, it proves that the person fishing is the fool—otherwise, why hasn't he caught a single fish?" Wang Tao burst into laughter after delivering his punchline.

"What? What was that?" Yuan Weiye was stunned for a moment before the meaning sank in. "Wang Tao, you bastard! How dare you call me a fool?" Looking around for something to use as a weapon, his gaze landed on the small bucket in front of Wang Tao. He reached out swiftly, grabbed the bucket, and dumped the contents into the river. "Haha! Now you don't have any fish either. You've become the fool too!"

Wang Tao, caught off guard, stared at the empty bucket, his face turning a shade of liver-red with rage.

"Yuan Weiye, I'm going to kill you! Do you have any idea how hard it is to catch these? That was the only one I had, and I was planning to give it to Kang Yan!" Wang Tao roared, dropping his rod to charge at Yuan Weiye. Seeing the situation turn dire, Yuan Weiye took off running; he was no match for Wang Tao. Seeing the two chasing each other, Lin Xudong and Xu Tong laughed heartily, and even Xiao Lin, who usually fished with a cold expression, allowed a trace of a smile to reach his eyes.

In the end, Yuan Weiye couldn't escape. After being caught and soundly beaten by Wang Tao, he promised to repay the fish twofold, and only then did Wang Tao let him go. Of course, that was assuming he could actually catch any. Two hours passed, and Yuan Weiye still hadn't caught a single fish. Wang Tao seemed to have caught Yuan Weiye’s bad luck and also came up empty. Lin Xudong and Xu Tong each caught one, while Xiao Lin landed four—including one that weighed a full pound, making Yuan Weiye drool with envy.

"Boss Xiao, please, just give me a tip. I haven't caught a single fish. How can you bear to watch?" Yuan Weiye leaned over to Xiao Lin, massaging his shoulders while flattering him.

Xiao Lin remained unmoved, holding his rod steadily, eyes fixed firmly on the water without looking away. Seeing Xiao Lin’s lack of reaction, Yuan Weiye opened his mouth to nag again.

"Your bait is too big," Xiao Lin finally said. This was the only sentence he had spoken since they started. He didn't really want to talk, but if he didn't, the persistent Yuan Weiye would have circled him endlessly like a fly. Xiao Lin had initially refused to come on this trip, but Yuan Weiye had pestered him from dawn till dusk until he finally gave in. The fact that Yuan Weiye could force a concession from someone like Xiao Lin showed just how powerful his nagging truly was—he lived up to his reputation as a "unique specimen."

Just as Yuan Weiye was about to start another round of prattling, Xiao Lin had decisively chosen to provide the reason.

"The bait is too big?" Yuan Weiye repeated to himself.

"Winter fish are hard to catch, which is why I didn't want to come. Because the temperature is low, freshwater fish congregate in groups at the bottom, entering a state of hibernation. They don't swim much and rarely leave their nests to forage. It's better now that spring is approaching, but they aren't feeding heavily yet, so the size of the bait is crucial. Here, take some of mine and try it." Seeing that Yuan Weiye still didn't quite grasp it, Xiao Lin explained patiently and gestured to the bait at his feet.

Xiao Lin's explanation made not only Yuan Weiye nod repeatedly but also left Lin Xudong and Wang Tao feeling enlightened.

"Xiao Lin, share some of that bait with us, too," Wang Tao said.

"Right, give me some too," Lin Xudong added.

Xiao Lin shrugged, signaling them to help themselves.

"You bunch of animals!" Yuan Weiye snatched some bait first, then scurried back to his spot as if guarding a treasure.

Wang Tao and Lin Xudong followed suit, but Xu Tong hesitated, remaining in his spot. He actually wanted some, but his pride held him back. The tension between him and Xiao Lin hadn't dissipated.

As Wang Tao passed by Xu Tong with the bait, he nudged him, signaling him to speak up and break the ice. But Xu Tong shook his head. He was still harboring resentment over Tan Linlin’s injury. Even though he knew it wasn't intentional, Tan Linlin was his girlfriend, and he couldn't just pretend nothing had happened, even if Xiao Lin was his brother. In truth, Xu Tong didn't want to end their friendship; otherwise, he wouldn't have come fishing with them at all.

He just needed Xiao Lin to make a gesture to ease the tension. Men were prideful, and neither wanted to be the first to apologize. So, they had been stuck in this stalemate.

Xiao Lin wished Xu Tong would come over for bait, but seeing him remain seated, he sighed inwardly. It had been a month, and they had spent it pretending not to know each other. Enough was enough. The fault was his to begin with. What was a bit of pride compared to brotherhood? Xiao Lin knew which was more important.

"Xu Tong, you should use my bait," Xiao Lin said, setting down his rod and walking over to Xu Tong with his small container of bait.

"Oh, Xiao Lin... well, thanks," Xu Tong said, standing up hurriedly to take the bait.

"Xu Tong, I want to apologize for what happened to Linlin last time. I hope you can forgive me," Xiao Lin said slowly. As he spoke, he felt a weight lift from his heart, and he felt a sudden sense of relief.

"Well... heh. Actually, I was at fault too; I was being a bit petty," Xu Tong said, scratching his head in embarrassment.

The two looked at each other and smiled, raising their hands to give each other a high-five.

"Haha, that’s more like it! We’re all brothers here. Great, great. I’ve finally finished the task Tan Linlin gave me," Wang Tao said, clearly surprised by Xiao Lin’s initiative. Given Xiao Lin's personality, getting him to apologize was harder than reaching the heavens. Wang Tao was mistaken, though; while Xiao Lin didn't compromise easily, he was always willing to take responsibility for his own mistakes. He had been the one to break up with Wang Yuqing after the drunken incident, after all—he was a responsible man. One had to admit, this side of Xiao Lin was quite admirable.

"Right! Brothers let bygones be bygones. Now, let’s see who can catch the most fish!" Lin Xudong said, clapping in delight at their reconciliation.

"Hahaha! I finally caught one! Oh, fish, I’ve missed you so much!" Yuan Weiye, having switched to Xiao Lin’s bait, reeled in a medium-sized grass carp. He was busy winding in the line with glee.

But just as he unhooked the fish, Wang Tao walked up to him. "Hand it over," Wang Tao said, holding out his hand.

"Tao, don't be so heartless. I just caught this!" Yuan Weiye protested with a woeful expression.

"Enough talk. Debts must be paid, and fish must be compensated. That’s the rule anywhere," Wang Tao said, snatching the fish and walking away, leaving a heartbroken Yuan Weiye behind.

"You can't just bully people like this!" Yuan Weiye lamented, sounding exactly like a jilted lover, which sent the rest of the group into fits of laughter.