This fish is called the Dragon Carp, which, according to records, was a delicacy enjoyed by the imperial palace and nobility in ancient times, hence the name.
"Dragon Carp, the koi of emperors!"
Ye Chen took a deep breath, "Moreover, this is a juvenile Dragon Carp, if raised well, its value is absolutely immeasurable!"
"What a pity, this Dragon Carp is too small, it needs to be fed over the long term. I’m afraid I can only get two or three pounds a month, and if I want to eat it, I’d have to spend money to buy it!" Ye Chen lamented, "Forget it, let’s take it back first, perhaps we’ll encounter a bigger one in the future!"
With this thought, he put the Dragon Carp into the fishing net and carried it back to the shore.
"Wow, you caught a Dragon Carp?!" Old Liao’s eyes bulged in shock and envy upon seeing this. Dragon Carps are rare treasures with considerable value, and Ye Chen actually caught one!
"Yes, this thing is a treasure, I’m going to make a soup for my mom with it, it’ll cure all her ailments for sure!"
Ye Chen said cheerfully, "Grandpa Liao, I’ll give this to you."
"Give it to me?" Old Liao was stunned but then shook his head in refusal, "Forget it, such a precious thing, I wouldn’t dare to accept it!"
"It’s fine, I don’t really have a use for it anyway, besides, we’re like family, right? Why the distinction between you and me?" Ye Chen smiled.
Old Liao hesitated. He might be poor, but he wasn’t greedy. He really couldn’t bring himself to accept such a treasure.
"No ’buts’, just take it, or I’ll be angry!" Ye Chen feigned anger.
"Alright, then I shall respectfully obey!" Old Liao laughed and nodded, accepting the thing.
"Okay then, I’ll take my leave now!" Ye Chen shouldered his fishing net and waved goodbye before turning to leave.
"Alright, be careful on your way!" Old Liao reminded, "Also... is your fishing rod broken? You might as well throw it away, so it doesn’t go to waste!"
"Sure, I’ll throw it away then." Ye Chen responded and tossed the fishing rod into the river.
"Oh no, I forgot to tell him, with a broken rod, he’ll need a new one to catch bigger fish."
Old Liao suddenly thought of this and hastily chased after him, shouting, "Ye Chen, wait, your fishing rod is broken, you need to buy a new one, or it’ll be hard to catch fish."
"Oh, I know." Ye Chen replied without looking back and continued on his way.
Soon after, Ye Chen arrived at a farm market near the village.
This was the only shop in town, Ye Chen checked his phone for information and quickly found out about this place.
The market was large, with plenty of vegetables, meats, and other fresh products, including various kinds of fish.
In addition, there were also meats like wild boar and alpaca for sale, as well as poultry eggs, vegetables, grains, etc., all at very low prices and of good quality.
"Hey, boss, I want two fishing rods!" Ye Chen approached a man’s stall and directly made his request.
The man glanced at Ye Chen and then said indifferently, "Young man, it’s your first time here, isn’t it?"
"Yes, so what?" Ye Chen’s eyebrows raised in query.
"Is the fishing rod you’re buying a new one?" the man asked with a smile.
"Yes, is there a problem?"
"Hehe, of course there’s a problem." The man shrugged.
"Our fishing rods here are professionally made, and they don’t have defects. Although your rod is of good quality, it’s outdated and of poor quality. Moreover, it was soaked in the rain, so it can’t be used at all."
"Oh, I see!" Ye Chen frowned.
The man said, "Since you’re looking to buy a fishing rod, I just so happen to have a new set of high-quality rods. Plus, we offer professional training services."
"For just 20 yuan, you can learn fishing rod techniques, so you won’t have to worry about issues anymore."
"Really that good? Alright, get me a new fishing rod then, how much?" Ye Chen’s eyes lit up, asking without any hesitation.
The man replied, "Since this fishing hook is brand new, it’ll be three thousand yuan for a set."
"Okay, I’ll take a set." Ye Chen didn’t hesitate and paid on the spot.
Soon, two brand-new fishing rods were placed into Ye Chen’s fish basket. The rods were of great quality and comfortable to use, but Ye Chen didn’t use them for fishing. After all, they were too small and fish could easily slip away, plus, catching a few small fish wouldn’t be very helpful.
Ye Chen arrived at the Liao Family’s doorstep once again and knocked on the door.
"Coming, coming! Brother Ye Chen, so late in the evening, what brings you here?" Inside, Liao Xuexue dressed neatly and walked out of the room.
Ye Chen smiled, "I’m going back tomorrow, I came over tonight to bring you a gift!"
"What kind of gift?" Liao Xuexue’s eyes sparkled.
"Guess!" Ye Chen acted mysteriously, then took out a thumb-sized bead from his pocket and handed it to Liao Xuexue.
"What is this?" Liao Xuexue asked curiously.
Ye Chen explained, "This is a Dragon Carp Pearl I stumbled upon. It’s flawless and immensely beneficial for girls."
"Really, a Dragon Carp Pearl?"
Hearing this, Liao Xuexue was immediately overwhelmed with surprise and examined the Dragon Carp Pearl without delay.
The Dragon Carp Pearl was emerald green, crystal clear on the surface, and emitted a faint luminescence, making it extremely beautiful.
Seeing the bead, Liao Xuexue was amazed, "This pearl is so beautiful."
"Of course it’s real." Ye Chen chuckled, "I met an old man when I was traveling with friends to Hainan, and he gave me this Dragon Carp Pearl."
Liao Xuexue suddenly understood, her face full of astonishment, "Your friend must have some really good stuff, he can’t be an ordinary person, right?"
"That’s not the case." Ye Chen waved his hand and laughed, "Anyway, take good care of this Dragon Carp Pearl, it’s great for your skin."
"Thank you, Brother Ye Chen!" Liao Xuexue smiled sweetly, then reached out her slender, fair hand to touch Ye Chen’s face, soft and boneless, "Why is your face so hot? You’re not running a fever, are you?"
"Uh... no, I’m fine, probably just tired from fishing earlier, I’ll rest up in a bit. You should go to bed early," Ye Chen quickly dodged, retreating two steps with a bit of embarrassment.
Liao Xuexue pouted, muttering, "That’s no fun, I thought you would take the chance to make a move on me! Hmph!"
"Uh..." Ye Chen cleared his throat and changed the topic, "Well, I’m leaving then. I’ll come to get you early tomorrow, make sure you wake up early and don’t oversleep."
After leaving those words, Ye Chen ran off as if escaping.
Liao Xuexue made a face at Ye Chen’s retreating back, then went back inside to sleep.
Early the next day, Ye Chen said goodbye to Liao Xuexue and the others and returned to Jiangling City.
Upon arriving in Jiangling City, Ye Chen began to prepare for his own fishing gear store, an idea he had since long before.