Chapter 5: So Many Fish

Su Liuhu listened to Su Erhu’s words and laughed carelessly. “Brother Two, don’t worry—just leave them be. They’ll both learn how to dog-paddle in no time.”

Da Pan and Er Pan immediately waved their tiny arms and shouted in unison:
“Dog paddle! Dog paddle!”

Su Erhu burst into laughter, bending down to slap his son’s little behind.
“Good job, you little rascal—no doubt you’re a true heir of the old Su bloodline!”

With that, Su Erhu stripped off his clothes in one swift motion, leaving only a raggedy undershirt patched so many times it looked like a quilt. Then he leapt straight into the river.

Seeing this, Su Liuhu didn’t hesitate—he shed every stitch, even his underwear, and plunged in after him.

The problem? He had nothing left to wear once his last pair of pants got soaked.

Soon, every male in the Su family was scrambling through the river, as if someone had just scooped it clean with a net.

To be honest, neither Su Erhu nor Su Liuhu really believed they’d catch anything. They’d been fishing here for years—most of it wasted effort.

Life in the village was tough. Meat was a luxury. When hunger struck and the craving for fish hit, everyone would grab a net or a stick and head to the river. Especially the half-grown kids—they practically lived in the water once spring warmed up.

“Brother Two… something just bumped me,” Su Liuhu suddenly stopped, his voice tinged with uncertainty.

Su Erhu froze too, hesitating. “Me too… something brushed against me. Could it be… a fish?”

Could there *really* be big fish in this river?

By feel alone, whatever had hit his leg was at least as wide as his palm.

The two brothers exchanged a glance. In unison, they jerked their tattered fishing net into action.

A heavy pull. A sudden weight. Their hearts shot up into their throats. Breathing stopped.

White, glistening bodies surged upward through the mesh—three, four, maybe five large carp, flopping free of the net.

Su Erhu’s eyes lit up like firecrackers.

Su Liuhu’s voice cracked with disbelief.
“Brother Two! It’s really fish!”

As soon as the words left his mouth, Er Pan’s high-pitched voice rang out:
“Dad! Fish! Fish!”

Su Erhu and Su Liuhu assumed the boy had seen the fish in the net.

Su Erhu grinned proudly. “That’s right! Big ones! Boys, today I’m gonna—”

“Second Uncle! Fish! Fish!”

Before he could finish, Da Pan’s voice cut in.

Su Erhu turned toward the boys, cheeks flushed with pride, ready to boast about his catch—then his words died in his throat.

There, in Er Pan’s arms, clutched tightly despite the struggle, was a massive red carp, standing awkwardly beside a spring.

The fish was too big for the little boy. As it wriggled, Er Pan lost balance—*plop!*—he fell flat on his butt.

But his hands never let go.

At that moment, Da Pan came sprinting over, yelling all the way.

Right then, a huge fish leapt from the spring—straight into Da Pan’s arms.

*Plop!* Another seat-splash. And another fish now nestled in his arms.

Then another. And another.

Su Erhu stood frozen.

He couldn’t remember how he’d gotten to the spring. One second he was by the riverbank, the next he was staring at a bubbling fountain that had somehow turned into a fish fountain.

Carp. Crucian carp. Grass carp. All fish.

His heart pounded like a drum. Hands fumbling, he yelled at Su Liuhu:
“Da Pan, run home fast—tell Grandpa to bring big buckets!”

He kept grabbing fish, shouting orders.
“And don’t make a fuss! Don’t tell anyone! Just sneak it to Grandpa—go!”

“Okay! Got it, Second Uncle!” Da Pan saluted, then bolted toward the village like a bullet.

Poor kids grew up fast. Da Pan might be mischievous, but he knew better than to spread the word. If others found out, they’d come swarming like flies. So even though his face burned with excitement, he kept quiet all the way home.

When Su Old Man heard Da Pan’s story, he stared, skeptical.
“Fish coming out of a spring? Never heard of such a thing in my life.”

But he trusted the boy. No child lied about something like this.

So he grabbed two big wooden tubs and hurried to the river.

Not long after, Su’s wife brought in a bowl of thick noodle soup.

“Mother, eat it while it’s hot,” she said, her eyes drifting to the baby on the bed.

She’d never seen a child so beautiful.
She’d given birth to several children herself—none of them had ever looked like this. Not even close. More like little monkeys with messy hair and grubby faces.

No wonder Grandpa and Grandma had been praying for a granddaughter.

Her thoughts drifted back to the whispers she’d heard around the village earlier that day.

Was this little sister-in-law really going to bring fortune to the Su family?

Su Old Lady frowned when she saw the noodles were made of white flour—and that there was an egg floating in sweetened water.

“Where did you get this?” she asked sharply. “We’ve had babies before. Why borrow things like this?”

“Father sent me,” Su’s wife smiled. “The flour was borrowed from Second Uncle’s house. The eggs from Third Grandma’s.”

She wanted to say, *He’s doing it because he cares about you*, but as a daughter-in-law, that felt too bold.

“You know, Second Uncle’s not exactly rolling in cash,” Su Old Lady sighed. “And his two daughters aren’t exactly easy to deal with. Don’t go asking favors from them again.”

Su’s wife nodded instantly.
“Mother, where’s Father? Did Da Pan go fetch him?”

She wasn’t prying—just curious. Her son’s face had been glowing red with excitement. She couldn’t help wondering what kind of miracle had happened.

“He didn’t say,” Su Old Lady replied, her eyes flickering. “Just disappeared off into the woods, acting mysterious.”

She’d heard Da Pan shout about fish, and how Second Uncle told Grandpa to bring buckets—but she chose not to share that yet. Too uncertain. Too wild.

Still, deep down, she held a quiet hope. Maybe this little girl—this tiny treasure—was bringing luck after all.

Lost in thought, she glanced down at the baby.

Xiao Tang Bao had just woken up.

“Mother,” Su’s wife whispered, awestruck. “Look at her eyes—so bright and deep. And her skin—so soft, like fresh egg white. Her eyebrows—thin, curved, dark and dense. She won’t need to draw them later. Her nose is delicate, her lips rosy and plump…”

She couldn’t find the right words. She just kept staring, mesmerized. The baby looked like a fairy who’d fallen from the sky.

Without waiting for a reply, Su’s wife leaned forward, pressing her face against the edge of the bed, utterly enchanted.

“Oh! And look at her eyelashes—long and thick, like little fans!”

“And her ears—tiny, round, like little gold ingots!”

“And her earlobes—like pearls!”

She didn’t know how to spell half the words she used. But she spoke with the honesty of a woman who’d lived hard, loved deeply, and now, finally, had something truly precious to marvel at.