The skill of angling (basic level) would increase the host’s probability of catching a fish.
The fish baits were the ordinary kind, but the Seven Star Fish seemed to love them.
“Seven Star Fish!”
At the sight of the bait’s introduction, Ning Fei was overjoyed.
There was a small river near the temple. The river came from the top of the mountains, and there wasn’t any pollution. Its water was exceedingly clear.
Thus, a fish like the Seven Star Fish, which demanded a certain high quality of water, could survive.
The Seven Star Fish was a freshwater fish, which had a high economic value. It held the title of “a gem among fishes” as it was highly nutritious, and its flesh was tender and fresh.
It was also high in protein and low in fat. It was a good tonic as it could dispel internal heat and detoxify toxins.
And most importantly, it was valuable.
However, it was hard to catch a Seven Star Fish in the river. There were many kinds of fishes in the river, and all of them were exceptionally smart. None would fall for a bait so easily.
“Today I’m going to eat fish for lunch. And in the afternoon, we’ll go fishing! Let me show you my skills!” Ning Fei waved at the screen to his viewers.
He took out the last fish from the refrigerator.
He cleaned it properly before he marinated it with salt. Then he steamed the fish and drenched it with a sauce and some garlic. Finally, he stewed it.
All of his viewers were simply stunned for words.
‘Wow! Priest, you are skilled!’
‘I’m hungry!’
‘The way you cooked was simply too yummy!’
‘Unparalleled!’
‘Priest, can you eat meat? Or kill a living thing?’
Many viewers were asking.
Ning Fei would occasionally glance at the screen while he cooked. When he saw someone asking the question, he explained.
“Priests do eat meat just like all of you. We do kill chickens, ducks, fish, pigs, and other livestock.”
“However, we do have our four commandments. The four animals we can’t eat are ox, dog, snake-head fish, and swan goose.
“We can’t eat cows because the mount of the founder of Taoism, Lao-tze, was an ox. Oxen work for humans willingly, so we don’t eat them out of benevolence and righteousness.
Dogs represent loyalty, so I shall not explain further.
“After laying eggs, a female snake-head fish is very weak. The little fish fry would swim to their mommy snake-head fish’s mouth so that she could alleviate her hunger. This is filial piety, so we can’t eat them.
“As for the swan goose, it represents steadfast love. Everyone knows that they have to thrive in pairs, and if one dies, the other will stay lonely till its death. So we can’t eat swan goose either.”
Ning Fei explained patiently, and everyone had a newfound respect for him.
‘Priest, I’ve been enlightened!’
‘This webcaster is awesome!’
‘Wow. So touching!’
‘I shall never eat beef again!’
Ning Fei continued to talk.
“Taoism emphasizes blending in with nature and respecting life. So we don’t interfere with life, and we have an indifferent attitude towards life and death.”
Someone interrupted at this moment.
‘Yeah! Many other religions keep talking about what happens after death. But only Taoism promotes what we should do while we are alive. That should be the right thing!’
‘Excuse me, can such a long comment be posted?’ one of the viewers asked.
‘Time to pump in more money!’
‘Damn it! I thought I was at another livestream!’
Another wave of comments rushed in.
After Ning Fei had finished cooking the fish and rice, he took out a plate of pickled vegetables and began to eat.
He ate in a graceful manner.
He wasn’t like those people who munched on their food heartily. Neither was his eating style like those who ate without a care for their appearance. The way he ate made everyone feel that the fish was delicious.
Because the fish was indeed delicious…
Ning Fei had learned to cook since he was a boy. Although he had never learned professionally from a chef, nonetheless, he had understood the essence of cooking.
The viewers’ stomachs began to rumble at the sight of him eating.
Someone commented in surprise asking why the outdoor webcast had suddenly turned into an eating show?
Regardless of the theme, most importantly, the viewers had enjoyed themselves.
Ning Fei raised his head and noticed a huge white cloud overhead. It was indeed a cloudy day.
He tried to use his fingers to predict the weather but to no avail. So, he used his phone to check the weather forecast. It would be a cloudy day with no rain.
Good.
If it was a sunny day in the mountains, it would be very hot in the afternoon, so it wouldn’t be wise to fish then. Otherwise, he would have had to fish early in the morning or later in the evening after the sun had set.
But today was a cloudy day, and it was perfect for fishing.
“Let’s go fishing today, and I’ll show everyone!” Ning Fei spoke to his viewers.
‘Fishing? Are there fish on the mountain?’ one of the viewers asked out of curiosity.
Ning Fei noticed that comment and replied, “Of course! There is a small river in the mountain, and the water that we use comes from there.”
“We have to thank the government for their help. Last year, there was a project to render assistance to the poor. The management from the water conservancy and the electricity company came over. They helped the village to solve the long-term problem of having accessible drinking water.”
Ning Fei began to pack his fishing equipment as he talked.
The fishing rod was ancient, but the quality was good. It was passed down from his master, and he had been using it for at least seven years. A decade ago, he had received a sum of money from an entrepreneur who wanted to fulfill a promise to the Gods. And he finally made up his mind to get a fishing rod.
He had no choice as the temple was truly poor.
As a matter of fact, all Taoists were.
Since ancient times, Taoist priests would live in seclusion in the mountains when times were peaceful. Only in times of turmoil would they appear to help and save people.
It was after mid-afternoon when Ning Fei had finished getting ready. He put on a straw hat with a pail slung over his shoulder. Next, he locked the door before he traipsed toward the river.
The drone flew behind him, taking in the scenery as well.
He had around 30,000 viewers currently.
‘Priest, do you know how to fish?’
‘We hardly see anyone who begins a webcast right from the start. He truly knows how to fish.’
‘Yeah. Most of the outdoor webcasters are frauds. They simply prepared the fish beforehand.’
‘Let’s see how good this priest is at fishing.’
‘My wife is very strict, so I can only stay at home and watch others fish!’
‘There is no need to say more! If he manages to catch ten fishes, I shall send him a gift!’
The screen kept refreshing with comments.
“Woof!”
At this time, a loud deafening bark sounded behind Ning Fei. All the viewers got a shock.
‘What dog is that? It’s so loud!’
Everyone was curious.
The drone turned to capture both Ning Fei and the dog in the same frame. At the sight of them, most of the viewers’ jaws dropped.
Behind Ning Fei was a brownish-yellow mongrel, but it was unlike any common mongrel. Its muscles were all bulged together, and it resembled a huge bulldog.
Visually speaking, its size resembled the gray British bulldog in the cartoon, “Tom and Jerry”.
‘Oh my. Did this dog eat steroids?’
‘Damn it. Is that even a dog?’
‘Did this dog undergo any training? Or someone trained it?’
‘What the…? I’ve never seen muscles on a mongrel before.’
‘Fabulous! Master Dog is formidable!’
‘I shall give Master Dog 1,000 bird pellets! Amazing!’
The comments exploded once again.
This webcaster was indeed unique. First, there was a wild panda who ate his bamboo. Next, a mongrel with muscles appeared. This was the day where everyone had seen something new!
