Beauty and the Beasts

Catching Fish in the Ice-Covered River

“Okay.” Parker was full of energy when talking about food. “We haven’t eaten fish in so long. I can go down to the river and catch a large fish.”

Bai Qingqing’s appetite for fish was aroused. Her mouth watered when she thought about spicy fish hotpot.

Bai Qingqing had a newfound understanding of Parker’s ability to resist the cold after he bathed in the ice-covered river. She swallowed her saliva and said, “If you’re not afraid of the cold, then go ahead.”

“I won’t need to enter the water,” Parker said mysteriously.

Bai Qingqing looked at Parker curiously. “Then how are you going to catch it?” She hadn’t heard of anyone angling for fish in this world. Not only that, how was he going to do that when there weren’t any fishing hooks or fishing lines?

“Just watch,” Parker said confidently. He helped Bai Qingqing to put on a few animal skin coats before striding out.

Bai Qingqing followed closely behind him. As she watched him step on the ice-covered river with his bare feet, she shivered and vaguely felt her feet hurt from the cold.

Parker stood in the center of the river and observed the layer of ice on top.

“How do you plan on catching the fish?” Bai Qingqing asked. She was as curious as a cat as Parker hadn’t brought any tools with him.

Parker enjoyed her reaction very much. He reached out and pushed her away. “Stand further away. I’m going to make a hole.”

“Okay.” Bai Qingqing cooperatively moved away from the river.

With a thump, Parker punched the surface of the ice. The ice cracked in the form of a chrysanthemum flower and made cracking sounds as the cracks deepened. Parker stepped backward, then stepped on the ice. The layer of ice finally collapsed into the water with a splash, revealing the crystal clear water underneath.

Bai Qingqing carefully stepped on the surface of the river and looked towards the water.

The rippling water reflected the clear azure sky and broke up the warm light of the sun into thin flecks, which danced happily on people’s faces. A few eagle beastmen swept past the sky, then instantly disappeared at the edge of the hole in the ice.

“It’s so clear,” Bai Qingqing exclaimed. “It looks like it’ll taste really nice. We should bring back a few basins of the water later.”

“Okay.” Parker stopped beside the hole in the ice and stared at the water intently.

Bai Qingqing glanced at the water as well. Seeing that Parker hadn’t moved at all, she urged him. “Catch the fish.”

“Shh.” Parker brought a finger to his lips and lowered his head, not looking at her.

Bai Qingqing looked at him in confusion. Were the fishes going to jump out of the water themselves?

Just as she mentally criticized Parker, she saw something speedily swim through the water. Parker plunged his hand into the water with a splash, the muscles in his arm bulging as he did so.

Bai Qingqing held her breath.

“Splash!”

Parker caught a fish half the size of his arm.

Bai Qingqing’s eyes widened. She covered her mouth and said in disbelief, “How did you…”

“Hur hur…” Parker smiled proudly while holding the fish. “Aren’t I amazing?”

“Yes, you are.” Bai Qingqing nodded her head vigorously.

As they were talking, another fish jumped straight out of the water. Before it could fall back into the water, Parker caught it with one hand.

“Oh my god!” Bai Qingqing was amazed. Is this some magical power that beastmen have?

“Winston, help us get a basin!” Bai Qingqing shouted towards the house.

Fleshy fish continued to jump out of the water. The splashes they made caused the river to sound like a pot of boiling water. Some fishes didn’t even need to be caught—they jumped straight onto the surface of the ice. Bai Qingqing also caught a medium-sized fish on the surface of the ice, her hands becoming red from the cold.

Before long, the stone basin Winston gave them was filled to the brim with fish.