Dark clouds drifted away as the sun gradually emerged.
Luckily, the weather wasn’t too hot now that the sun was out—instead, there was a warm, comforting feeling in the air.
After rebaiting his hook, the old fisherman finally caught something. Although it was just a grass carp, he proudly strutted over to Lin Mo’s side, holding the fish up like a trophy.
“Hey, kid, all your friends have caught something, but you don’t have a single fish yet?”
Perfect, a classic divide-and-conquer tactic.
But Lin Mo simply lifted his head, his tone calm and steady: “Maybe I’ll catch a big one soon.”
Fang Jun shrugged indifferently. “We’ve caught enough here, more than enough to eat. But what about you, old man? Just one grass carp—won’t your wife scold you when you get home?”
Alright, alright, so this is how you want to play it.
The fisherman scowled and stomped back to his spot, casting his line again.
The others didn’t mock Lin Mo; they all knew their catches were pure luck. Whether they’d catch anything else was anyone’s guess.
Just then, Lin Mo’s float suddenly dipped beneath the water.
Fang Jun immediately shouted, “There’s a bite!”
Lin Mo felt the tug on his fishing rod—the rod bent sharply, as if it might snap in two with just a little more pressure.
But Lin Mo braced his arms, channeling his spiritual energy into the rod, reinforcing it to prevent it from breaking into pieces.
“Damn! This has got to be a big one.”
He gripped the rod tightly and skillfully let out some line.
Fishing, especially for big fish, was all about the delicate balance of tension and release.
The fisherman’s eyes were glued to Lin Mo’s rod, surprised and intrigued.
He was already wondering if he’d need to step in if Lin Mo failed.
But seeing Lin Mo’s smooth handling, he realized the young man knew what he was doing.
Lin Mo eased the line out, then pulled it back, locked in a tug-of-war with the fish beneath the surface.
He kept this up until the fish finally tired, then slowly began reeling it in.
A massive fish, its head taking up a third of its body, was scooped up by Lin Mo in one swift motion.
“No way, that’s huge!”
The fisherman abandoned his own rod to stare at the nearly one-meter-long bighead carp Lin Mo had caught.
Also known as the “fathead” or “bighead carp,” this fish was famous for its large, meaty head.
The spicy steamed fish head dish was traditionally made with this kind of fish.
Though Lin Mo’s catch wasn’t quite a meter long, it was about as long as a man’s forearm.
It probably weighed around fifty jin (about 25 kilograms).
Several fishermen gathered around, amazed that Lin Mo had managed to catch such a beast.
“Kid, what kind of rod are you using? How did it not snap?”
Bighead carp had huge, powerful heads, and their strength often broke ordinary rods costing a few hundred yuan.
But Lin Mo’s rod was still intact.
Fang Jun had originally planned to use a net to catch the fish, but seeing such a large one, he let Lin Mo handle it himself.
After all, Lin Mo was strong as hell.
He hoisted the bighead carp, half his own body length.
Lin Mo looked around at the others. “Still fishing? This one should be enough for us to eat, right?”
Someone nearby immediately shouted, "Bighead carp are schooling fish. If you catch one, you can definitely catch a second."
Others cast dissatisfied glances at the angler who spoke up.
If this group of youngsters left, their spots would open up.
But that one comment gave the kids the feeling that maybe they should stay.
Still, Fang Jun said, "Forget it, let's head back. We only brought one bucket and no fish basket. If we stay too long, the fish will die."
Lin Jiajun nodded in agreement.
"One fish is enough. We can't eat two anyway. Let's go back."
No one was jealous of Lin Mo for catching such a big fish.
The group immediately turned, carrying their gear, and made their way back to the farmstead.
Since it was afternoon, many people at the farm were resting.
Entering the main hall, they saw He Guoan busy tallying accounts nearby.
He Guoan looked up and saw Lin Mo walking in, carrying a fish half his height.
"Whoa! That bighead carp is huge!"
"Uncle! This is my classmate Lin Mo’s catch. Pretty impressive, right?"
He Guoan kept nodding, "Impressive, impressive. Quick, put it in the pond. If you want to eat it tonight, I'll have someone prepare it. That bighead carp's head is really huge."
With that, He Guoan led Lin Mo to the pond and had him release the fish into the water.
The fish in their buckets suddenly seemed less important.
The bighead carp was still alive when placed in the pond. Once oxygen was pumped in, it swam around energetically.
"Bighead carp are great—few bones, and the head tastes fantastic. How do you want it cooked tonight? I'll arrange with the kitchen."
Lin Mo thought for a moment. "Use part of the fish meat to make congee, some for a clear broth hotpot. The fish bones can be deep-fried until crispy. Fish intestines stir-fried with eggs. The fish roe is a delicacy—let’s make a claypot dish with that. And the fish head, of course, pan-fried on an iron griddle."
In eastern Guangdong, they don’t use chopped chili on fish heads, but people still love eating them. Pan-frying brings out the aroma perfectly.
He Guoan gave a thumbs-up. "You really know your food. Alright, we’ll do it your way."
Lin Mo then patted Fang Jun on the shoulder.
"Let’s go catch another one. Anything extra we’ll give to Uncle."
He Guoan chuckled at the idea. "That’s thoughtful, but such bighead carp are rare. You guys are lucky this time."
Lin Mo smiled.
"My luck’s always been good. Maybe I’ll catch a second one."
Fang Jun and the others were excited. "We just heard that these fish are schooling fish. If you catch one, you can catch a second."
He Guoan didn’t discourage their enthusiasm and waved them off, saying, "Alright then, go ahead. Just be careful, and don’t go wading in to grab fish."
Fang Jun pulled Lin Mo and the others along without looking back.
"Got it!"
Watching their backs as they left, He Guoan just smiled.
When Lin Mo and the others returned, they found their previous fishing spots completely taken over—a group of people busily chumming the water, sitting side by side.
The earlier scattered seating arrangement was gone. Except for a few who hadn’t moved, everyone else was occupying those spots.
When Lin Mo and the others returned, several people eyed them warily.
They were clearly afraid Lin Mo and his group would reclaim their spot.
Lin Mo couldn't help but smile.
These people really had such narrow minds.
After taking a quick look around, Lin Mo led Fang Jun and the others to a spot a little farther away.
Sitting with those guys would have just been a drag.
Still, Lin Jiajun and the others felt a bit resentful; after all, they truly believed the spot they had just left was a prime feng shui location.
Lin Mo sat down and took the bait Fang Jun handed him.
“Ah!” Fang Jun suddenly slapped his thigh.
“What’s up?” The others all looked toward Fang Jun.
“I completely forgot to take a photo earlier. Catching such a huge silver carp without a picture to prove it might as well be like not catching it at all!”
Hearing this, the others were all filled with regret.
“No worries, we’ll catch another one!”
The young men boasted loudly over here.
Meanwhile, the seasoned anglers a distance away overheard them but only sneered quietly.