Chapter 335 Willing to Accept the Loss after Gambling
Sima Roumei smiled lightly, looking so casual and effortless as if playing a game, nothing like gambling.
On the other hand, Pan Zhongdan, looking like a dashing young man, had sweat dripping from his face, not knowing whether it was due to nerves or the heat, and he was nowhere near calm enough to fan himself with a hand fan.
His hand holding the fishing rod trembled slightly, a sign of his nervousness, of which he was oblivious.
Because of his excessive nerves, the fishing rod in his hands vibrated slightly. The fish in the pond seemed keenly aware of it, and despite the excellent bait and the fine fishing rod, they wouldn't bite.
The classmate next door had already caught a big fish, looking relaxed, suggesting it wasn't a problem with the fishing rod. It seemed more like he wasn't skilled enough or just plain unlucky in fishing.
As the little girl next door began pulling in her rod, someone nearby started to make a fuss, "Wow, a big fish is coming up!"
Pan Zhongdan... No, I don't want to lose, I don't want to do the frog jump, please, this rod must have hooked a rock; listening to others saying how heavy the fishing rod felt, the little girl asked for help to pull it.
Pan Zhongdan... His face now dripped with even more sweat, his originally bronze skin turning darker, not from sun exposure but from his desperate prayers for the fish to bite.
He saw the little girl next door pulling out a fish over ten pounds, shaking his heart even more, while the classmates and bystander spectators were already laughing at him.
Pan Zhongdan... Can you all not be so enthusiastic? Are you not happy unless I make a fool of myself?
How could that little girl be so fierce? Could it be that his skills are really no match for hers? That shouldn't be the case; he was the best among his siblings at fishing.
Due to the Old Master often having him as a fishing companion, he had developed skillful hands. Why did his luck change upon coming here today?
Pan Zhongdan's fishing rod seemed to be moving. His heart filled with gratitude to heaven; it seemed the heavens had heard his call.
Overexcited, he tried to pull it up hard, but the fish fell back into the ditch.
Pan Zhongdan... He felt like cursing his ancestors. Heaven shouldn't play him like this, hearing the laughter of classmates and spectators and the loud whistling, his face darker than ink.
Then someone declared the little girl the winner.
Sima Roumei... She smiled sweetly, wasn't this expected? Only a fool would challenge, obviously unskilled yet daring to challenge, who else but him to torment?
"Hey hey hey, it's best of three in chess, can we really decide the winner in such a short time?"
Pan Zhongdan was like someone regretting a chess move, completely displeased throughout.
"Pan Zhongdan, let it go, man. What's the big deal in losing to a young girl?" a classmate said with a laugh.
Pan Zhongdan... It's not you who has to do the frog jump; of course, you think it's no big deal. It's not just about the frog jump; it's about face, but you wouldn't understand!
"Brother, let it go. As men, we win some, we lose some!" Zhong Xingwang patted his classmate on the arm, appearing very righteous, as if he had already warned him.
Pan Zhongdan... Brother, you should have said so earlier. How was I supposed to know this girl was fiercer than a boy? Saying it now is as good as not saying anything.
Why didn't you tell me about her history? Your casual remarks, of course, I wouldn't believe. It's all your fault, brother!
Zhong Xingwang... He touched his nose, realizing it's tough being kind; his good intentions were met with ingratitude; his warnings were ignored.
He himself wouldn't dare compete against this girl, who was both learned and valiant despite her young age, too formidable to challenge.
Sima Roumei cast her hook again, thinking that she had already sent two big fish back home for her family to enjoy as a midnight snack, breakfast, and lunch, and by now they must be starting on dinner.
Ever since coming here, every fish she caught was sent back home. Her family never tired of fish, which could be made into spicy boiled fish slices, sauerkraut fish, deep-fried fish bones which were both fragrant and crispy, including the fried fish heads.
They could also make soup, cook fish porridge, and come wintertime, there were even more ways to enjoy it, sitting together around a stove pot like how they were used to enjoying grilled mutton back in the grassland.
In her father's words, it was like enjoying the locally sourced delicious food of their vast grassland, like roasted mutton.
Although she also ate mutton and other meats here, she always missed the easy and carefree lifestyle of her hometown.