"Nu, it's all my fault. I'm so useless, so useless..."
"Mom, don't cry, don't cry! Nu isn't hungry anymore, I'm not hungry..."
He had only taken a few steps when he heard the sounds of the mother and daughter crying behind him.
Fang Yue felt a growing frustration in his heart. He stomped his foot, ultimately unable to be so cruel.
He untied the smallest grass carp from the straw rope and turned back to the Yu Family's home.
"Mrs. Yu, bring a basin."
The despairing Widow Yu, lost in her own sorrow, heard him. Disbelief filled her eyes, but her body moved mechanically.
She came before Fang Yue. "Yue, you..."
Fang Yue ignored her, tossed the fish in his hand into the wooden basin, and left without a backward glance.
Widow Yu stared blankly at the grass carp in the wooden basin, its gills opening and closing. When she came to her senses, she quickly looked toward the boy, who was already far in the distance.
She wiped her tears and hurried home with the basin. "Nu, Mommy will make you some fish soup right now."
"Mommy~"
~~~~~~
Back home, the moment Fang Lan saw the four grass carp in her younger brother's hands, her expression changed instantly.
"Brother, did you go into the river to catch fish? How could you go in the river alone? It's too dangerous! Are you hurt?"
Fang Lan immediately looked Fang Yue over from head to toe.
"No, Sis, I'm fine."
"I didn't go in the river. I caught all these fish. See? This is my fishing rod."
Fang Yue quickly explained, his heart filled with warmth.
'His sister's first thought wasn't about the fish or the happiness of getting to eat meat.'
'Her immediate concern was whether he was hurt. It was clear she cared deeply for her little brother.'
"As long as you're okay, as long as you're okay."
Fang Lan patted her chest, finally relieved. Only then did she quickly fill a wooden basin with water and have Fang Yue put the four fish inside.
Needless to say, the siblings then began discussing how to cook the fish.
A while later, Ms. Chen returned.
Even though Fang Yue insisted he was fine, she still meticulously checked him from top to bottom. Only after confirming he wasn't injured and his clothes showed no signs of being wet did she begin to praise him.
That noon, the lunch for Father Fang and his elder brother was much more lavish than usual.
The usual wild vegetable soup was replaced with fish soup, and each of them even got to eat half a catty of fish.
But while the family enjoyed their meal, they all sternly warned Fang Yue that while fishing was fine, he was absolutely forbidden from going into the water.
Otherwise, they wouldn't eat any fish he brought back.
Seeing how well his father, mother, brother, and sister treated him...
Fang Yue was filled with deep emotion. 'Even though it's hard to get enough to eat in this world, it's truly a good one.'
'He had to protect this happiness.'
~~~~~~
For the next few days, Fang Yue would sneak in some time to fish while he was out herding the ox.
And with the increase in his Talent, his fishing skills improved more and more.
He had a good haul every day.
However, Fang Yue didn't catch too many—just two or three fish a day was enough.
It was enough for his family to eat; any more would be a waste.
Of course, these past few days, he had been taking the path that led past Widow Yu's home.
After all, it wouldn't be good if the other villagers saw him bringing home a catch and eating fish every single day.
"One worries not about scarcity, but about inequality." In the countryside, even if the people were simple and honest, there was never a shortage of jealousy.
If rumors and gossip started spreading, the consequences would likely be negative.
This was an era where one's reputation could be a matter of life and death.
Of course, on the few occasions he passed by Widow Yu's house, he couldn't help but feel soft-hearted and give her a fish.
Only a few times, of course.
~~~~~~
「Ten days later, at noon.」
That day, Fang Yue had finished fishing early and was lying on a large bluestone, enjoying the cool air.
[Time flies, but heaven rewards the diligent. Talent +1]
The familiar text appeared before his eyes. At first, Fang Yue paid it no mind.
But in the next moment, the text didn't disappear as it usually did.
Instead, it changed again.
[Current Talent: 10 (A Cut Above the Rest)]
[Note: Being a cut above the rest means you can now begin to stand out among mortals, but that is all.]
In the next instant, Fang Yue seemed to feel a peculiar, warm current emerge within his body.
But when he tried to perceive it carefully, he found nothing.
He dismissed it as a trick of the mind.
"A Cut Above the Rest!"
"My Talent rating actually went up!"
Fang Yue couldn't help but sit up and stare at the screen of light before him.
His Talent had increased.
A Talent that was a cut above the rest!
Although the rating wasn't high, it was far better than being mediocre.
Fang Yue immediately decided to test it out by fishing.
Right now, his fishing technique was the only way he could verify the change.
At this thought, he leaped to his feet, reached the riverbank in a few steps, and snatched up the fishing rod lying nearby.
The long, tough fishing rod landed in his hand. Fang Yue looked at the murky little river cove before him.
For some reason, a feeling rose in his heart—that this cast would surely yield a catch.
Without further hesitation, Fang Yue immediately cast his line into the water.
The motion was a single, fluid sequence, as smooth as flowing water, as if he had practiced it a thousand times over.
Sure enough, it only took a moment.
Fang Yue felt a sudden, heavy tug on his fishing rod.
The rod was being pulled toward the river with such force that even Fang Yue struggled to hold on.
Fang Yue immediately applied his strength, and the rod in his hands instantly bent taut like a full-moon bowstring.
Just then, the originally calm water's surface erupted with waves, churning the water into a murky torrent.
"Whoa, this is a big one!"
Through the turbid waves, Fang Yue could faintly make out a figure about two feet long.
It was clearly a monster!
Normally, even if he had hooked such a large fish, he would have most likely given up and tried to let the fish unhook itself.
After all, the fishing rod in his hand was too crude to handle this level of pulling.
It would be bad if it broke.
But today, he had a distinctly different feeling.
He felt it might be possible to land this fish without breaking the rod.
With a flicker of resolve, his mind was made up.
Fang Yue began to wrestle with the giant fish, employing various techniques to redirect and manage the force.
He twisted his body to lessen the pulling force.
Gradually, as time passed, he slowly started to gain the upper hand.
~~~~~~
"Hm?"
"A strong stance, coordinated upper body... His Force Application and redirection Technique is clearly crude, but it shows a hint of 'Jin'."
"Such innate talent and comprehension... I'd rate him lower-intermediate."
At that moment, under a willow tree not far away.
Fang Hu stood against the wind, holding a roe deer in one hand. His gaze, however, pierced the distance of over a hundred feet, fixed on Fang Yue by the riverbank as he muttered to himself.
"Dad, what are you looking at?"
Just then, a simple-looking Fang Ergou walked over.
Following Fang Hu's gaze, he saw Fang Yue, whose body was gradually leaning over the river cove.
Instantly, the bow and wild pheasant in his hands dropped to the ground.
He broke into a run, shouting:
"Ah, Zhi! Why are you trying to end it all again!"
"Zhi, don't move!"
"Don't jump in the river!"