As for his personal character and moral conduct, we'll hold off on judging that for now. But when it cos to his fishing skills and standing in the community, he definitely deserves the title of Teacher Ma in front of the public.
"Yeah, that's right! His top apprentice, Liu Xiaodong, was just spotted around the corner by the restroom! The rest of the crew should be here soon; they're already at the Zhiyuan Road intersection!"
"Wow, today's going to be lively! Why don't we wait a bit for everyone to gather?"
Brother Da is soone who enjoys a good show and thinks the more, the rrier when it cos to fishing gatherings.
Though Ma Yuhua is personally very experienced in fishing, the group of disciples he leads aren't particularly impressive in Brother Da's eyes; they're like bringers of luck.
Not saying much more, if five more people join the fishing battle, we'll have a 15-person team.
A twenty-minute fishing battle brings a prize of three hundred bucks, performing well for several rounds in a day could be better than a regular job.
"I'm good with anything! If you say we wait, then let's wait. The more people, the rrier!" Zhang Yang grinned, already feeling a hint of anticipation.
"Everyone, should we wait a bit? Teacher Ma and the others will be here soon. Once they arrive, we can all start together!" Brother Da shouted, and very quickly, everyone responded positively.
Anglers have quite an interesting mindset. Apart from those accredited by the state as competitive fishing masters, most others, no matter how well or poorly they fish, are generally not easily impressed by others.
Fishing is a sport that requires both skill and luck, so as long as your skills aren't as poor as Xiaobao's, most people can win a few rounds in a day's fishing battle, with varying amounts of wins and losses.
After waiting patiently for less than five minutes, they saw Ma Yuhua and several apprentices drive into the yard, and soon a group of people carried their fishing boxes and rod bags out of the trunk and into the heated tent.
Not long ago, Liu Xiaodong, who had hurled insults at Xiaobao, was now trailing obediently half a step behind his master, Ma Yuhua.
On the other side of Ma Yuhua was a young kid, seemingly around 20, around the sa age as Xiaobao, happily carrying the fishing box for his master.
As for Ma Yuhua, once he entered the heated tent, he clasped his hands behind his back, looking around like a leader inspecting the countryside.
One can't deny that, in terms of deanor, Old Ma is definitely spot on.
"Teacher Ma is here!" Zhang Yang called out a greeting to Ma Yuhua from a distance.
Zhang Yang doesn't have the best impression of this pretentious guy, but considering he wants to take his money today, Zhang Yang tactically gave a greeting.
"Teacher Ma!" Brother Da also waved at Ma Yuhua.
Seeing familiar faces greeting him, Ma Yuhua slowly walked over to the south bank where the fishing was about to start.
Once they got closer, Zhang Yang and Brother Da exchanged so pleasantries with Ma Yuhua.
Just the usual, asking what ti he arrived or how the fishing spots were.
After a brief chat, Brother Da tily extended an invitation.
"Teacher Ma, with so many of us here, why don't we all fish together?"
Ma Yuhua scanned the group with his slightly cloudy eyes and nodded, "Sure, since we're all just waiting around, let's have a fishing battle for fun! What are the rules you've co up with?"
"Twenty-one rounds, each twenty minutes! We have fifteen people in total. First place wins one hundred twenty, second place seventy, third place thirty, and positions four to seven get a base prize, the rest fill the pot! How about it?"
Brother Da, thinking quickly, ca up with a prize distribution based on the number of participants.
"Only twenty per round? That's a bit underwhelming! How about we play for bigger stakes?" At this, the wealthy Liu Xiaodong spoke up.
"Let's stick to twenty for now and play a few rounds to get a feel for the fish! Xiaodong, don't be so cocky!" Zhang Yang hadn't said anything, but Old Ma interjected first.
"Alright, alright, let's go with what the master said!" Liu Xiaodong nodded repeatedly.
With the rules and participants settled, things beca straightforward. Brother Da added five playing cards, then everyone drew lots to determine the fishing spots.
With fifteen participants, it's quite a spectacle lining up for fishing. There are only eighteen spots on the spacious south bank, and after accounting for the side positions on both ends, there are just 16 available spots.
Before this, when Zhang Yang and Brother Da were fishing, they chose spots further from the heated tent's exit, more towards the interior. With more people now, there's less choice, and they ended up near the entrance.
Why emphasize this seating area issue? It's quite simple; fish are cold-blooded and highly sensitive to water temperature changes.
The closer you are to the heated tent entrance, the more noise and air turbulence, leading to slightly lower water temperatures. If you draw a spot in this area, your catch won't be as good as in the middle or southwest corner.
This ti, Zhang Yang's luck was just so-so, drawing the fifth spot, counting from the southeast corner, which happens to be a slightly less promising area for fishing.
On the other hand, Old Ma started out quite lucky, pulling the 10th spot without much effort and gaining an advantage even before the fishing began.
When Zhang Yang leisurely carried his fishing box to spot five and set down his gear, he saw Han Mocheng approaching with his rod bag, promptly taking a seat at the adjacent sixth spot.
"Oh no, right next to you! This round's dood!" Han Mocheng glanced at Zhang Yang, unable to resist complaining.
"Co on, you did fine last round! We're in this together, aren't we?" Zhang Yang shot back his own complaint.
"Oh, right! We're in it together!" Han Mocheng, a bit sheepishly, scratched his head.
"Geez, I'm telling you, it's best to switch your bobber to number two. The fish bite over here won't be as good as last round!" Zhang Yang couldn't help but advise.
"Alright! You say switch, so I'll switch! What's the deal with that old man looking so important? You all seem to respect him a lot?" Han Mocheng started gossiping while changing out his tackle and corresponding lead sheet.
"He runs a fishing gear store on the old side of town, Ma Yuhua, Teacher Ma, disciple of Hua Shaoxin, and our City Fishing Association's vice president! He was among the early adopters of platform fishing, with quite a few apprentices!
The one who loudly insisted on adding prize money is his top disciple, and supposedly he runs a fleet, hauling earth and stuff around construction sites!"
Zhang Yang bent slightly to one side, speaking in a low voice to introduce Han Mocheng to the so-called 'figures' in W City's fishing community.
"Wow, he seed so flashy, thought he was so big shot, turns out to be just a construction site guy, huh? Was it him who busted Xiaobao's lip?" Han Mocheng asked dismissively.
"Xiaobao brought that on himself. We should be fair on this! But on another note, Liu Xiaodong does have a foul mouth, having had quite a go at Xiaobao before I stopped him!"
"Are these guys really skilled?"
Zhang Yang's lips curved into a slight smile as he gave a fair evaluation: "Generally speaking, slightly better than average people. But in terms of dedication to fishing, they might not even match so of you!
They may have a ntor, but they co from an unconventional background, focusing more on entering competitions and socializing rather than diligently practicing their craft!"
"Sheesh, sounds like a ragtag band from the way you put it! So why are they treated so politely? I thought they were so big shots!" Han Mocheng remarked with a smirk.
Hearing this, Zhang Yang's lips curled into a satisfied smile: "Well, if we aren't polite, how can we earn their money?
You think bringing you guys to the heated tent is just about practice?
Winter fishing in a heated tent is no different from friends asking you to play mahjong just to make up the numbers for a ga! If you don't spice things up with a little prize money, is it fair for you guys to spend ten hours in intense practice?"
With the conversation reaching this point, even Han Mocheng couldn't help but smacking his head, suddenly seeing everything clearly!
User Comments
0 comments from readers