Apocalyptic Hoarding Diary

Chapter 205 Advice

Mentioning this, the excitement that had just risen on Wang Xiao's face from seeing the fish catch quickly faded, replaced by a deep sense of frustration and dissatisfaction. He pouted, plopped down on the empty sleeping bag seat opposite Xu Xiaoyan, and began to complain in a frustrated tone:

"Hey! Don't even mention it! It was great at first, really!" He tried to emphasize, "Old Xie and I were lucky. We probably chose a spot right next to the fish's nest, and we quickly caught more than half a bucket. We were so happy, thinking we had it all figured out!" A look of joy flashed across his face as he recalled the moment, but it was quickly replaced by a deeper sense of regret.

"But then, I don't know what happened, I guess they saw that we were catching fish and got jealous!" Wang Xiao's tone became indignant. "Several groups of people came to our area one after another! They started digging new ice holes right next to us! Good heavens, those gasoline ice drills were as loud as thunder! Puff puff puff, you could feel the ice surface vibrating! If you were close by, ice shards could fly into your face!" He exaggeratedly gestured, imitating the roar and vibration of the ice drills.

"Well, it's all over!" Wang Xiao spread his hands, making a "completely ruined" gesture. "From then on, the fish seemed to have vanished or moved away! The floats didn't budge an inch, like they were anchored to the sea! Lao Xie and I sat there for almost two hours, our hands and feet were numb from the cold, and we barely managed to catch one tiny finger-sized fry! Not even enough to fill a tooth gap! And those guys who started digging holes later, I watched them bang around like a ping-pong ball for ages, digging so many holes, and they didn't catch anything themselves. Their faces were all grumpy! Wasn't that just hurting others without benefiting themselves? They scared all the fish away and couldn't catch anything themselves, what was the point? It's so annoying! It makes me so angry!"

Hearing Wang Xiao's complaints filled with resentment, Xu Xiaoyan wasn't too surprised. The shallow water area was already crowded with people, and the fish population was relatively limited and concentrated. Once a certain area experienced intensive drilling operations and human activity in a short period of time, the noise, vibration, and disturbance to the water would be enough to scatter that relatively stable fish population, and it would indeed be difficult to recover in a short time.

She thought for a moment and, instead of echoing Wang Xiao's complaints, gave a relatively pragmatic suggestion based on observation and reasoning: "Since there are no bites over there for the time being, and the fish have obviously been scattered, instead of wasting your energy and heat in the cold wind, you might as well take the opportunity to rest. Fish also have habits. After making such a fuss for so long, they will instinctively hide in quieter waters or sink to deeper, safer places to lie in wait."

She paused, looking at Wang Xiao's thoughtful face, and continued, "After you sleep for a few hours, it will be completely quiet up there, with no new noise interference. The fish will feel that the danger has passed and the environment has returned to 'safety,' and they may slowly swim back and start foraging again. You can rest up and recover your strength, just in time to catch the next possible window of opportunity. It's better than enduring the cold and not catching anything now."

As Wang Xiao listened, his eyes gradually brightened, and the frustration on his face was replaced by a sudden realization that "so that's how it can be done." He thoughtfully slapped his thigh. "That's right! How could I have been so busy getting angry that I didn't think of this! Waiting around with them is a waste of time; it's better to conserve our energy and strength! Xiao Yan, you're right! That makes sense!"

The frustration and depression he felt upon arrival had lessened considerably. Wang Xiao stood up briskly. "Then I'll go back and tell Lao Xie first! Let's get some rest! Recharge our energy for the next battle! Thanks, Xiao Yan!" Before he finished speaking, he had already crawled out of the tent.

After Wang Xiao left, the tent returned to silence, with only the female announcer steadily broadcasting on the radio about "energy conservation initiatives" and "water pipe antifreeze reminders for a certain area." It was then that Xu Xiaoyan noticed the obvious "gurgling" sound in her stomach. The intense focus on fishing had consumed a lot of energy, and now that she was relaxing, hunger surged up.

She decided to put down her fishing rod for the time being and replenish her energy. With a thought, she took out a large steaming bun from her spatial storage! The warm, even slightly hot, bun in her cold palm instantly dispelled the lingering chill on her fingertips. The warm touch of the bun, unique to wheat and carrying a fermented aroma, was incredibly comforting.

Xu Xiaoyan carefully took a bite. Inside was a savory and delicious cabbage and pork filling. With the warm water from the thermos, she ate three large buns in one go before feeling at ease and her body warmed up from the inside out.

After eating and drinking her fill, she looked at the nearly full bucket of fish she had caught, then at the ice hole beneath her feet, and the thought of striking while the iron was hot completely took over.

The fish have been biting non-stop on my side, although the frequency may not be as high as during the morning peak, but there are still good bites, which is rare good luck in ice fishing. Moreover, the shallow water area has been severely disturbed by dense drilling and it will be difficult to recover in a short time. Therefore, the advantage of the relatively stable deep water area where I am is even more obvious. It is tiring, but I think such fishing can't last forever. Every bit I can catch is a bit more. These are real points, so it's worth enduring a little longer.

She rallied her spirits and picked up her ice fishing rod again. Time passed quietly as she focused on fishing. Around four o'clock in the afternoon, Xu Xiaoyan, who remained focused, keenly noticed that the frequency of fish biting the hook had obviously slowed down.

She often had to wait a long time for a decent bite, and she judged that this wave of active fish might have temporarily passed, or that the fish's activity patterns and areas had shifted due to changes in light and water temperature.

Finally, she put down the ice fishing rod that had been with her for almost the entire day. Then, she stood up with some difficulty. Sitting curled up for so long made her joints make slight "clicking" sounds. She felt a clear soreness and stiffness in her back and shoulders. She stretched and moved her neck and arms to get her blood circulation back on track.

Lifting the curtain, she first cautiously scanned the surrounding ice surface. In the shallow water in the distance, there were still some figures moving about, but in the deep water area where she was, each tent was a distance apart. She carefully checked the shopping cart and all the securing ropes outside the tent.

After almost a whole day of continuous low temperatures, a thick, uneven layer of white frost had formed on the metal frame and plastic basket of the shopping cart, making it look like it had grown a rough layer of burrs in the dim light.

The ropes, which were originally only partially frozen, were now frozen even more tightly to the ice and metal wheels. They were pulled hard but did not budge. The ice around the ropes expanded and bulged, forming irregular protrusions that felt hard and cold to the touch.