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墨書 Inktalez
Anyone who enters the store is greeted with a complimentary Fish Hook from Shi Tianyi. It’s not just about spending ten dollars on a Sandworm; even if someone buys a box of worms, he will still throw in a few sets of Fish Hooks worth several dollars.
When it comes to attracting customers, offering warmth is not really an option; it can only be done inside the store. Unfortunately, not many people come in for Freshwater Fishing, and the efficiency of Sea Fishing is too slow, which leaves him feeling a bit frustrated.
Saturday business is decent, although most sales are for small items. However, these consumables do attract foot traffic! By the time the morning rush was over, he hadn’t made much money, but in terms of customer count, it was quite impressive.
“Old Zhang! Is the store still open? Hurry up and get it started!”
Just as he sent off a wave of customers, Aunt Zhang's roar from next door startled Shi Tianyi. Watching Uncle Zhang scurry away with Fishing Gear in hand, Shi Tianyi couldn’t help but worry whether Aunt Zhang would come looking for trouble with him!
While it felt rewarding to lead Uncle Zhang into this venture, listening to Aunt Zhang berate him made Shi Tianyi quickly retreat into the store. He had no intention of showing his face until the storm passed!
Avoiding contact was impossible. Before noon, Brother Huang Pao from the delivery service brought over the camera he had ordered. To install the camera, Shi Tianyi needed to buy some wires and a power strip from Old Zhang.
It was hot at noon and he didn’t have much appetite. As he prepared to install the camera, Old Zhang and Rider came over to help upon seeing his clumsy attempts.
Old Zhang ran a Gold Shop, and while that might not mean much, his store was well-equipped with tools. With Rider’s assistance, the installation went surprisingly quickly.
“How did it go this morning? Did you catch any big fish?” Shi Tianyi asked as he handed tools to the two of them.
He had been too busy earlier to pay attention to the few people across the street, but during brief moments between customers, he managed to steal a glance. It seemed everyone had caught something.
Fish catches were every Fisherman’s favorite topic, and once Shi Tianyi brought it up, Old Zhang began to boast.
“The catch today was average; I only got a few Xiao Shi Ban weighing two to three pounds each. But there were plenty of Black Sea Bream—just all small ones that I threw back!”
Two or three pounds of Shi Ban isn’t small at all. If it weren’t for those bricks pressed by Shui Bi Zhang’s hydraulic machine being sturdy enough, there’s no way he could have caught that many fish.
Shi Ban? That’s a good catch! It sells for at least three or four dollars per pound. With just this morning's haul, you’ve already made hundreds—what’s there to complain about? After teasing Old Zhang a bit, Shi Tianyi focused on Rider who was drilling under the eaves.
“Rider! Old Zhang is quite skilled; just two days ago he bought a Rod and caught a big fish after just ten minutes!”
Looking down at his feet, Shi Tianyi pulled out three expansion screws and stuffed them into the drill hole. He removed the drill bit and replaced it with a screwdriver bit; suddenly his drill transformed into an electric screwdriver.
“My surname is Sun—Sun Lang.”
This self-introduction from Sun Lang reminded Shi Tianyi of a familiar phrase: short and ineffective!
Still processing Sun Lang's aloofness, Old Zhang cleared his throat and said with a blush: “Xiao Sun is impressive; he just caught a six-pound Largemouth Bass and another fish over three pounds that Lao Shui said is quite valuable!”
A six-pound wild Sea Bass at three dollars per pound is indeed sought after; such a large fish is perfect for a family meal—not too small or it won’t taste good, and not too big or it will go to waste.
“Wow Sister Lang! Catching such big fish on your first try! Looks like you have a talent for fishing!” After complimenting Sun Lang, Old Zhang steadied himself on the ladder while Shi Tianyi dashed off to the market for groceries.
Since they were helping him install the camera, he felt obliged to treat them afterward. With cars in the backyard making entry and exit cumbersome and more people in town lately, this was where the benefits of an Electric Mini truly shone.
Old Zhang was indeed a professional when it came to installing cameras. What Shi Tian didn’t expect was that Sun Lang was also quite skilled; he was well-versed in installation, networking, and debugging.
“Don’t leave after you’re done! I want you to taste my cooking today; I’ll be in the kitchen myself, and we’ll have a couple of drinks!” With the ingredients in hand, Shi Tian greeted the two busy with Alive and headed upstairs.
He prepared a pound of cold beef, a roasted duck—both ready-made and just needed plating. He also stir-fried some Spicy Stir-Fried Clams, made a plate of Pipi Shrimp, and added two vegetable dishes. By the time the two finished their tasks, Shi Tian had everything set on the table.
With six dishes for three people, it felt a bit wasteful. He called over Shui Bi Zhang and Shui Laoban, who were still basking in the sun. They brought out two dozen Iced Beers, and each downed a can, instantly dispelling the summer heat.
“Little Boss, your cooking skills are impressive! It’s such a waste to run a Fishing Tackle Shop; if you opened a restaurant, it would surely be a hit!” Shui Laoban teased as he sampled a Pipi Shrimp.
He wasn’t particularly picky about food, but he could tell when something was delicious. This plate of Pipi Shrimp had flavors that no ordinary restaurant could replicate.
“Opening a restaurant is definitely not an option; who would want to give up fishing?” Shi Tian replied with a smile as he clinked glasses with Shui Laoban. “Once I hire some staff at the shop, I’ll spend some good days fishing with you!”
He longed to fish too! However, since opening the shop, he hadn’t had the time. When the fish were biting well, business at the shop was also good. If there were no bites at noon, there wouldn’t be any customers either; he couldn’t just go fishing then! That would be too cruel!
“The fishing was decent today; I just hooked a big one earlier, but unfortunately, it got away!” Shui Bi Zhang lamented as he bit into a Spicy Stir-Fried Clam.
The ones that get away are usually Largemouth Bass; once hooked, they tend to spit out the hook. Without certain skills, it’s easy to lose fish.
“If they don’t get into the net, no matter how big they are, it doesn’t count!” Shi Tian said sourly, wishing he could close up shop in the afternoon and fish all day with them.
“That fish wasn’t big; it was only about seven or eight pounds!” Before Shi Tian could finish his sentence, Shui Laoban chimed in.
“What seven or eight pounds? It had to be at least ten pounds!” In matters of fishing, Shui Bi Zhang wasn’t afraid to go toe-to-toe with Shui Laoban. And Shui Laoban had no retort; after all, this kid always managed to find good Fishing Spots!
“How do you handle the fish you catch?” After chatting about Shui Bi Zhang’s big catch for a while, Sun Lang pondered before asking.
This was his first time fishing; while he had caught fish, he couldn’t possibly eat them all! Plus, his small pot wouldn’t be able to cook such large fish!
“You eat them yourself! If you can’t finish them all, just freeze them in the fridge. Whenever you want to eat them later, just take them out!” Old Zhang said smugly upon hearing this.
They had eaten fish from two days ago yesterday; today they were out for free food—otherwise they’d still be eating from two days ago. As for the fish caught yesterday, they were frozen in the fridge. He initially planned to give them away but after checking the price with Aunt Zhang, she couldn’t bear to part with them. That’s why he could still enjoy his freedom to go fishing today.
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