“Sunny!”
Ning Fei squatted as he rubbed Sunny’s head. Sunny raised its head and shut its eyes, seemingly enjoying his touch.
“I don’t have food for you. I’ll feed you when I get back tonight.”
Ning Fei flashed it a grin, and Sunny acted as though it had understood. It turned around and trod away lightly.
Ning Fei glanced at his phone’s screen and realized that everyone seemed very interested in the dog.
So he explained, “The dog’s name is Sunny, and it has no owner. But everyone in the village knows it, and it has a very important status.
There is a huge difference between a city and a village. A dog is a pet in the city, and it needs to be leashed. But over here, a dog is more of a companion who lives with us. However, every family has a dog, and these dogs will inevitably give birth to many wild dogs. The villagers are very friendly towards the wild dogs even though they are not theirs. The villagers will also feed these wild dogs.”
“Sunny is rather special. Its father held the previous title of ‘King of the Dogs’. All the dogs in the village listened to Sunny’s father, and it had also protected the village. Once, there was a ferocious wolf that had entered one of the houses. There was a child alone inside. The King of the Dogs rushed in and battled with the wild wolf. So, it saved the child’s life although it sustained serious injuries too.”
“When Sunny was a puppy, it always shadowed its father. Now that its father has passed on, Sunny became the leader of the wild dogs in the village. It has no home and would usually roam around the vicinity. I wanted to adopt it, but it refused to step into the temple. Because of that, the other wild dogs would never step inside the temple either.”
As Ning Fei strolled leisurely, he chatted with the drone flying ahead of him.
All of his viewers were touched by the story.
‘Is there such an amazing dog in the village?’
‘Wow, I’ve always assumed that wild dogs were stupid.’
‘Excuse me, the commenter above me. Are you despising Chinese mongrels?’
‘Host, I’m sending you a rocket! Buy some food for Sunny!’
‘Me too! This gift is for Sunny!’
And true enough, many viewers had bestowed rewards.
At the sight of the rewards, Ning Fei was amused. After doing a broadcast for hours, he had received nothing much. Sunny had merely made a brief appearance, and it had since received so many gifts.
A dog was more valuable than a human!
Certainly, Ning Fei’s story had also touched the viewers’ hearts.
The city had too much noise and too many people. Thus, they were easily moved by simple stories like this.
Ning Fei talked about and introduced the surroundings as he walked for half an hour.
The mountain air was crisp and fresh, and the trees and grass were lush and green. Walking on the mountain path was a refreshing journey.
Viewers who were watching the broadcast felt relaxed and content.
Not long after that, the babbling sounds of the river sounded ahead. Ning Fei continued walking, and in no time, a wide river materialized before his eyes.
The river flowed downward from the mountain, and the riverbed and riverbank were both naturally formed. There was no trace of any modern structure. The water in the river flowed slowly. Several gigantic natural rocks in the river had been polished by the water until they became smooth.
The grass that lined the river was lush and green, and the entire scenery was like a painting.
‘Oh my god, this place is too beautiful!’
‘Where is this place? I want to go.’
‘It seems comfortable and relaxing, but I don’t think I would go!’
Everyone began to discuss again.
Ning Fei ambled to the river and spotted someone.
“Uncle Zhang, why are you so early?” Ning Fei waved with a warm smile. He placed his stool and his bucket on the grass and began to unpack his equipment.
“Ning Fei, you’re here to fish again? If you still can’t catch a fish after a whole day like usual, just tell me. I’ll give you two fishes,” Zhang Sen said warmly.
Ning Fei shrugged, looking helpless. He pointed to the drone and said, “Uncle Zhang, I’m doing a livestream, so don’t reveal this to others.”
Zhang Sen glanced at the drone above, but he wasn’t too surprised. Young people these days liked electronic gadgets, and he had spotted several people using them in the village.
The viewers all cracked up with laughter when they heard him.
‘So our webcaster can’t fish? I thought he was an expert.’
‘He didn’t catch a single fish after an entire day? Our host is such an amateur!’
‘Host, you can do it! I’m cheering you on.’
‘I used to dislike watching others fish. I just realized that fishing isn’t the issue, but the person instead. Little brother, you’re so handsome!’
‘Yeah, you’re too good-looking. This scene has satisfied my desire of watching a young man in the olden times.’
Ning Fei was still arranging his fishing equipment. He had no intention of using the special fish bait he had won from the lucky draw. He wanted to test his luck first. He had created this other fish bait himself after several experiments and trials. He had used barley, beans, corn, yeast, and fish protein and made a mixture.
After putting the bait on his hook, he swung the rod violently, and it landed right in the middle of the river before it sank in. Judging from the distance, Ning Fei had thrown the bait at least ten meters away.
The way he had cast the fishing rod was full of explosive charm. And the level of precision was high, garnering praise from the viewers.
‘Wow, look at his movement and precision. Who was the one who was mocking our host earlier?’
‘Indeed. I’ve been fishing for seven to eight years, and I’m very experienced. The host’s skills and the position he has chosen is good. He is an expert indeed!’
‘Priest is the best! I’m waiting for you to land a huge fish!’
‘It looks so relaxing.’
‘He is so much more professional than the rest of the outdoor hosts. And most importantly, he is so handsome!’
‘The environment looks real and legit.’
Everyone was heaping praise at him.
Ning Fei had already received the skill of angling, so his movements were professional.
Zhang Sen laughed in amusement and said, “Ning Fei, your fishing skills have improved since you came back from university.”
Ning Fei only grinned sheepishly.
It was peaceful for the next 15 minutes…
Some of the viewers got bored, and the number of viewers fell by several thousand.
‘Here it comes!”
At this time, the fishing rod began to move violently.
The fish was here!
But, it was Zhang Sen’s rod. Zhang Sen hastily spun to reel in the fish, and with one final pull, a fish as big as his palm flew out of the water. He then pulled his rod out of the water and caught it agilely with a hand.
It was a commonly seen carp.
Zhang Sen pried the fish away from the hook and threw it into the bucket. Feeling pleased, he glanced inside the bucket and admired the other seven fishes he had caught.
“Haha, Ning Fei, don’t despair.” Zhang Sen didn’t forget to tease Ning Fei.
Zhang Sen grew up next to a river, and he had spent decades fishing. There was no questioning his skills.
The viewers were all gloating at Ning Fei’s misery.
‘Host, look at him.’
‘Host, you’ve lost to a villager. What a webcast tragedy!’
‘My heart is aching for the host.’
At this time, Ning Fei’s fishing rod began to move too. And it was moving even more violently!
Shock and surprise flashed past Zhang Sen’s face.
Ning Fei hurriedly reeled the fish in but almost toppled forward due to the huge force pulling the fishing rod. Fortunately, he had always been training and was strong and fit.
He held on to the rod tightly and pulled back by adding force. The fish then appeared above the surface.
It thrashed wildly in the water, and droplets splashed everywhere. The sun shone on the fish as its scales reflected a pale silver.
Ning Fei pulled the fishing rod once more, and the fish appeared on the screen.
The fish was as long as Ning Fei’s arm, and it was struggling wildly.
The comments poured in like rain.
‘What the heck?! The host has actually caught a fish!’
‘Congratulations!’
‘Awesome!’
Zhang Sen was astonished and shocked.
And that was because it was a priceless and rare fish!
It was a deep-bodied herring!
This particular fish had a title as the king of the fishes. It was a gem, and in ancient times, it was presented as a tribute. This species of fish was highly valuable and precious.
This fish was so valuable that it could be used in transactions for people to buy and sell.
Ning Fei had caught a deep-bodied herring!
Zhang Sen gave him a thumbs up.
Ning Fei put the fish into the bucket and grinned in satisfaction.