The Fish I Catch Can Level Up-Chapter 38: Fishing in a Mountain Pool

For the next two days, Chu Mingcheng continued fishing for turtles at the abandoned pond, but his catch dwindled with each session. He caught eight total over the two days, though three were under two jin, so he released them back. That left him with five keepers.
Adding them to the seven he'd caught before, he now had twelve wild soft-shelled turtles resting in a container at home. The smallest was just over two jin, and the largest was five.
Chen Qing and the others were coming to the island that afternoon, and the three of them had already claimed all twelve. Even if they couldn't eat them all, they could always give them away as gifts.
He went for his usual morning run. It had rained the night before, making the island air feel exceptionally fresh, and Chu Mingcheng felt an extra spring in his step.
After grabbing breakfast, he was back by six-thirty. He gathered his gear, planning to head to the reservoir to try for turtles there. Just as he was about to leave with Mimi, he received a message from Yao Xin, the female angler he'd met a few days ago.
"Hey, kiddo. A few friends and I are going to fish for Spotted Creek Chub today. You in?"
Spotted Creek Chub?
It was another species he'd never heard of, which naturally piqued his interest. This was exactly why he'd wanted to build connections and join the group chat in the first place. Following experienced anglers was much better than fumbling around on his own.
"Absolutely. Send me the location."
"You got it! Oh, and you only need to bring a 4.5-meter hand pole. A carbon one is best—something light. For your line, use a 1.0 main line with a 0.6 leader, and a size 3 sleeve hook."
"Don't worry about bait. I have a secret recipe I'll share with you. Commercial baits don't work well for Creek Chub—they won't bite."
"OK, I'll get my stuff and head out."
Yao Xin must have fished this spot often to be so familiar with the setup. She was confident enough that he didn't even need to bring extra rods to adapt to different conditions.
He happened to have a 4.5-meter carbon pole—the very first one he'd ever bought, which he usually used for crucian carp. Now it was getting a chance to catch something new.
Still, he made a quick stop at the tackle shop. When the owner saw him, he thought Chu Mingcheng was there to ask about the two sea rods he had on order.
"Hey, your rods aren't here yet. I had to pull some strings to get them ordered from overseas for you. The quality is way better than the stuff made for the domestic market, so just be a little more patient," the owner said. "I'll call you the second they arrive."
"No rush," Chu Mingcheng said, explaining his visit. "I'm going to fish for Spotted Creek Chub today—just need to grab some line and hooks."
He was having too much fun catching turtles lately and wasn't in a hurry to go sea fishing. Buying the rods was just preparation for the future.
After buying the line and hooks, he saw that Yao Xin had sent the location. It was in a place called Shi Town. Chu Mingcheng had never been there but knew it was across the river from Wenshi City and very mountainous. It was a bit of a drive—about forty to fifty minutes away.
Around 7:20 AM, Chu Mingcheng arrived next to a supermarket called "Sunshine Mart" in Shi Town, the meeting point Yao Xin had sent. Since he was fishing with others today, he'd left Mimi at home.
He was about to get out and look for them when the passenger window of a nearby Toyota Prado rolled down, revealing Yao Xin's face.
Chu Mingcheng quickly lowered his window and gave her a wave. "Yao-jie!"
Yao Xin smiled. "Just follow us. We're heading out now."
"Got it."
The Prado pulled out, and Chu Mingcheng followed close behind, making a mental map of the route. If the spot turned out to be good, he could come back himself next time, or maybe bring Zhang Wei along.
Soon, they arrived at the foot of a mountain with a stream flowing beside it. The Toyota Prado was parked in a clearing, and three people got out. Besides Yao Xin, there were two men.
The driver looked to be about the same age as Yao Xin and was fairly handsome. The man who got out of the back seat was older, probably over forty, with a dark complexion but a charismatic air about him.
When Chu Mingcheng stepped out of his car, however, both men paused for a second. The older man didn't react much, but the younger one became visibly uneasy.
Looks, build, height... I don't seem to have an advantage in any of those,
he thought.
The only thing I might have over him is money, since his car isn't great.
But seeing how enthusiastic Yao Xin is toward this newcomer
. His sense of crisis grew significantly.
Times have changed. These days, women don't always prioritize a man's financial status. When they meet a handsome guy, even if they're not thinking about a serious relationship, they might not mind if something happens. It's not like they're the ones losing out—especially women over thirty.
"Ah-Cheng, let me introduce you," Yao Xin said cheerfully. "This is He Zheng, or He-ge. And He-ge has a boat, if you know what I mean!"
"He-ge, nice to meet you. I'm Chu Mingcheng—just call me Ah-Cheng," he said. Hearing that He Zheng owned a boat, the polite smile on Chu Mingcheng's face instantly became much more genuine.
He Zheng had a hearty personality. He clapped Chu Mingcheng on the shoulder and joked, "Kid, did you pick the wrong hobby? With a face like yours, isn't fishing a total waste?"
"Hey, I'm just here to raise the average good looks of us anglers!"
"Haha, I like this kid!"
Next, Yao Xin introduced the younger man, whose name was Xu Fang. When Chu Mingcheng greeted him, he could feel that while Xu Fang was polite on the surface, he was keeping a distinct distance.
Chu Mingcheng didn't mind. They were just strangers who had met by chance—it was unlikely they'd ever see each other again after today.
He Zheng saw the exchange but simply turned to get his tackle box from the car, pretending he hadn't noticed a thing. Yao Xin knew what was going on, too, but didn't let it show.
The group grabbed their gear and began walking up the mountain, following the stream. When Chu Mingcheng saw Xu Fang eagerly offer to carry Yao Xin's tackle box, it all clicked.
So that's how it is,
he thought with a private smirk.
This guy is one of the fish in her pond.
The destination wasn't too far. After about twenty minutes, they arrived. Chu Mingcheng was surprised to see that the small stream from the base of the mountain had widened considerably, flowing into a large, deep pool. It wasn't stagnant water—thanks to last night's rain, the current was moving at a decent clip.
"Ah-Cheng," Yao Xin asked, "have you ever fished for Spotted Creek Chub before?"
Chu Mingcheng shook his head. "Sister Yao, I only got into fishing during the National Day holiday. I've never even heard of them, let alone caught one." He looked at the water. "So, there are Creek Chub in this pool? How do you fish for them?"
Seeing that he was truly a novice, Yao Xin began to explain.
"The first rule of fishing is to understand your target's habits. The Spotted Creek Chub, also called the 'light-lipped fish' (guang chun yu), requires extremely high oxygen levels, which is why it lives in flowing mountain streams."
"At the same time, it's a very sensitive and skittish fish. They usually hide under rocks or in crevices. If you catch one in clear water, all the others nearby will scatter and stop biting completely."
"That's why we chose this pool. The current here isn't too fast or too slow, and the water is murky, which is the perfect hiding environment for them."
"Also, timing is crucial. The best time to fish for them is in early summer, around May or June, and in late autumn. For the time of day, morning until noon is prime time. Afternoon, the water temperature rises, and the fish move into deeper water, making them much harder to catch."
Chu Mingcheng listened intently, gaining a deep understanding of the fish's nature from her explanation.
"You mentioned I shouldn't bring commercial bait. Does that mean this fish is picky about its food?"
Yao Xin nodded. "It is. The absolute best bait for Creek Chub is the river shrimp found right in this stream. The second best are the stone worms you can find under the rocks."
"But both of those are hard to get. So I got a secret bait recipe from some experienced anglers. It's also very effective. If you're interested, I can send you the recipe later."
Chu Mingcheng gave a bashful smile. "Oh, I couldn't possibly ask for that!"