Chapter 31: Teach Him to Be a Person Again

"Sister Sangsang, where did you get all this stuff?" Song Shiye spoke while taking the items from Sang Ning's hands. "You're a girl, carrying so much is too heavy—let me take it instead."

[Brother Shi Ye is really so sweet, even more dependable than a real brother. How can one get a brother like him?]

[First, you'd need to become Sang Ning. Brother Shi Ye really likes this sister of his.]

Sang Ning wanted to say it wasn't heavy at all, but she couldn't resist Song Shiye's enthusiasm.

"I got it from the mountain; it should be enough for all of us to eat," Sang Ning replied casually.

The three men on the shore simultaneously cast astonished looks.

"All of this—this, this, and this—you caught all of it yourself?"

Sang Chuan pointed at the wild yams, raspberries, and free-range chickens one by one, his high-pitched voice filled with disbelief.

"Yep." Sang Ning nodded slightly.

"I don't believe it." Sang Chuan crossed his arms, lifting his chin high with a look that screamed, "Keep bragging."

He knew how hard it was to catch free-range chickens. Sang Ning might know a bit of martial arts, but fighting people and catching chickens were two entirely different things. The Chu Family might have paid for her to learn self-defense, but surely, they wouldn't have spent money teaching her how to catch chickens.

"Believe it or not, free-range chickens and wild fruits don't grow in the sky. Is getting a few really that difficult?"

Sang Ning's tone remained calm and unhurried, showing no emotional reaction to Sang Chuan's doubts.

Such things didn't require much explanation—as long as everyone could eat to their fill, the goal was achieved.

"By the way, what were you guys doing earlier? How did you end up soaking wet?" Sang Ning's gaze fell on Shen Yi and Song Shiye.

The two fell silent at the same time, and Song Shiye even pouted.

Sang Ning had gathered so much from the mountain by herself, while the two of them hadn't caught a single fish. On top of that, one spectacular pole jump had sent them straight into the river.

It was utterly embarrassing!

"We were trying to spear a few fish to roast, look—this fish right here, I speared it myself." Sang Chuan pointed at the ground with one hand and gave himself a thumbs-up with the other, his tone full of pride.

Sang Chuan wasn't some useless person who only knew how to play video games!

Sang Ning glanced at the fish on the ground thoughtfully, and Sang Chuan's chin lifted even higher.

Surely she was impressed by him. Finally, he could reclaim some dignity in the fishing domain after losing repeatedly in gaming.

Sang Ning looked up at Sang Chuan, whose lips curled into an arrogant smirk.

Go ahead, praise me, big sister—Sang Chuan was the undisputed king of spearfishing!

"These river fish are so small, and there are so many of us. Spearing them one by one—don't you think that's kind of slow?"

Sang Ning voiced her doubts, and Sang Chuan's expression instantly darkened.

"Don't you know my nickname? Spearfishing Prince, at your service. To be frank, everyone here is trash—nobody can be faster than me!"

[Feeling bad for Sang Chuan for one second—look at that pouty little face; it's clearly waiting for his sister's admiration.]

Sang Ning glanced toward the horizon—the sky was slowly darkening, and they needed to get dinner prepped quickly.

"This spearfishing really wastes too much time. Today, let me handle the fish-catching instead; hurry and get the ingredients ready so we can start cooking."

"Fine, you can you up!"

Sang Chuan stepped aside to make room for Sang Ning. He wanted to see just how quick she could be. If she couldn't catch even one, it'd be humiliating.

Sang Ning asked Shen Yi and Song Shiye to place the chickens and wild fruits into the yard while also bringing back some rattan baskets for her.

By the time Shen Yi and Song Shiye returned to the river with the empty rattan baskets, Sang Ning had already gathered some suitably sized stones from the shore.

She tied the rattan baskets with rattan strips, added a few stones inside, and tossed them into the river. The baskets floated, half-sinking in the water.

Sang Chuan, chewing on a stalk of grass, looked at the water's surface and sneered, "Sister, are you planning to have the river fish obediently swim into the baskets by themselves?"

"You're pretty clever—spot on," Sang Ning replied absentmindedly, adjusting the basket's position without even raising her head.

Sang Chuan slowly turned his head to look at her, letting out a long sigh of disbelief.

[Sang Chuan's inner monologue: My sister couldn't really be… an idiot, right?]

Once the baskets were in place, Sang Ning instructed Shen Yi and Song Shiye to hold onto the rattan strips.

She walked a few steps toward the shore, picked up some stones, and turned back to remind them, "Hold on tight—I'm about to start now."

Sang Chuan shrugged his shoulders, waiting to watch her fail, even letting out a chuckle. "Dear sister, be careful not to fall into the river."

Just as he finished speaking, Sang Ning grabbed a stone and hurled it into the water. Several small whirlpools rose on either side of the rattan basket.

The fish that had been swimming normally abruptly changed direction, darting straight into the basket.

Sang Chuan's smile froze immediately.

"They're in! They're in! The fish are really in!" Song Shiye shouted excitedly.

The sudden increase in weight caught Shen Yi and Song Shiye off guard, causing them to stumble along the riverbank.

"Hold tight—you can start pulling the baskets to the shore!"

At Sang Ning's command, Shen Yi and Song Shiye quickly pulled the baskets toward the shore.

The baskets were lifted onto the land, brimming with lively river fish, which kept jumping around. Several even bounced onto Shen Yi and Song Shiye's faces.

The two quickly turned their heads to dodge the fish, which then landed on the ground. Sang Ning stepped forward to collect them back into the baskets.

"That's enough—any more and we'll disrupt the river's ecological balance."

[My eyes are glued to the screen—could Sang Ning be a modern-day river fish assassin? Can someone kindly explain what technique she just used?]

[Don't call her a river fish assassin—she's clearly a champion of ecological preservation.]

Sang Chuan stared blankly at the two baskets of fish on the shore, spiraling into existential crisis.

Could someone please explain what just happened?

[Quick, look at Sang Chuan—there's no light in that boy's eyes anymore.]

[He wanted to show off to his sister, but ended up embarrassing himself instead.]

[Sister Sang is truly Sister Sang. Sang Chuan has no choice but to bow down.]

Song Shiye was so impressed that he couldn't stop pouring compliments onto her. "Sister Sangsang, you're amazing—so amazing that words can't even describe it!"

The fish in the baskets were still flopping around energetically, and Shen Yi felt his heart flutter with joy. He picked up one slippery fish, a smile unknowingly creeping onto his lips.

To think that playing around with friends could be this much fun.

He had always been reserved, rarely speaking, and his aloof looks had prevented anyone from wanting to befriend him.

After entering the entertainment industry and becoming a top star, many people suddenly wanted to be his friend. But most of the time, it was only when they needed something—that's when he became their friend.

No one knew that, despite his towering status in the industry, he suffered from mild depression and insomnia.

He joined this variety show because he hoped rural life could heal him.

But now, it seemed like something strange was quietly taking root and beginning to grow.

He looked up and saw the golden glow of dusk lighting up his companions' faces, while the cool river breeze gently drifted past.

Sang Ning remained as serene and composed as ever. Song Shiye was gleefully showering her with praises, while Sang Chuan sat there sulking, glaring at the fish in the baskets.

His smile deepened. This summer, he encountered the countryside—and found friends, too.