tkworld Chapter 199 Fishing Rod
Chapter 199 Fishing Rod
This absurd idea made her pause for a moment, then she shook her head with amusement, dismissing the strange thought. "What am I thinking? Safety first. Lock it up if you want." She took a deep breath, then gripped the trolley handle tightly. "Squeak—squeak—" The supermarket trolley wheels rolled slowly forward over the frozen, hard snow.
When Xu Xiaoyan pushed her "unique" modified shopping cart to the east gate of the fourth city, she could see two figures wrapped up tightly under the dim yellow streetlights inside the city gate, with a simple flatbed trailer parked next to them.
Wang Xiao was shuffling his feet, trying to move his almost frozen legs, when he saw Xu Xiaoyan appear. He immediately came over, and when he noticed Xu Xiaoyan's unusually "professional" modified shopping cart, he circled it, making "tsk tsk" sounds, his tone full of undisguised envy. "Hey! Xiaoyan, your cart is so much better! You can tell you put a lot of effort into it! Things can be put inside without the wind blowing or the snow covering them. It's both hidden and practical! It's much better than our bare flatbed trailer! I wish I had gotten one too!" He patted his own trailer, which was simply tied and reinforced with ropes, and it did look crude and clumsy in comparison.
Xu Xiaoyan smiled, but before she could speak, Wang Xiao volunteered, patting his thickly wrapped chest and saying boldly, "I'll help you push this cart! I'm strong, it'll be no problem for me! You rest!"
When someone offered to share the physical labor, especially in such harsh conditions, Xu Xiaoyan was naturally happy to take it easy. She readily gave up her position on the pushcart handle and sincerely said, "Thank you so much, this cart is a bit heavy."
"No problem!" Wang Xiao took the armrest, tested its weight, adjusted his posture, and prepared to exert force.
Xie Yingtang watched their interaction silently, without saying anything. He simply moved the handle of their trailer closer to himself and adjusted the shoulder straps, clearly preparing to bear the weight of the trailer alone. Although their trailer was simple, it was piled with a lot of supplies and was quite heavy.
Without further delay, the three verified their identities and successfully exited the north gate of the fourth city. Outside the gate lay a desolate snowfield. They then turned east and proceeded along a road that could be vaguely identified as the embankment of an old highway.
As dawn broke, the trees on both sides of the road had already lost all their leaves, leaving only bare branches. The snow underfoot was ankle-deep in the shallowest parts and even reached the calves in the deepest.
Wang Xiao pushed Xu Xiaoyan's shopping cart, its small wheels making it particularly difficult in the deep snow. He often had to stop to clear the snow piled up in front of the wheels or push hard to get over obstacles. Xie Yingtang pulled the flatbed trailer, which had larger wheels, but it was still a bumpy ride. The three of them were breathing heavily, and this stretch of road was proving to be more physically demanding than they had anticipated.
After walking for more than half an hour, a wide river stretched across the vast snowfield, its opposite bank invisible! The ice surface was not completely flat; in some places, snowdrifts blown by the wind had accumulated, while in others, the sunlight reflected off the ice. As far as the eye could see, the glacier extended endlessly upstream and downstream, disappearing into the hazy horizon—a breathtaking sight.
The most conspicuous thing along the riverbank is a row of simple buildings made up of three dark green shipping containers pieced together. The containers have obviously been modified, with doors, windows and chimneys installed. At this moment, wisps of smoke are rising from the chimneys and quickly dissipating in the cold wind.
The leftmost container had a prominent, handwritten sign that read "Fishing Gear Rental/Sales," next to which was a simple but lifelike fish bait icon painted in red. The middle container had a platform scale with an electronic display screen at its entrance, next to which was an even larger sign that read "Fish Catching Center - On-site Settlement," with a purchase price list written in bold on the sign. The rightmost container was labeled "Ice Hole Service/Heating Supplies," and at the entrance were piles of coal sacks and several rusty but sturdy simple tin braziers.
Some figures, bundled up tightly, were already busy on the ice. Some were moving around looking for a spot, some were squatting down and operating something, and several staff members wearing bright orange or blue vests were walking across the ice.
The three of them exchanged glances, and each saw a mixture of shock and excitement in the other's eyes.
"Let's solve the equipment problem first," Xie Yingtang said succinctly, pointing to the fishing gear container on the far left.
The three of them crunched through the snow as they walked toward the fishing gear display case. Pushing open the iron door with its rubber seal, a whiff of air mixed with the smells of rust, engine oil, and tobacco, along with a hint of warmth, rushed out, a stark contrast to the biting cold outside.
The space inside was not large. Various fishing rods, reels, and toolboxes were displayed on the shelves against the wall, while bait boxes and miscellaneous items were piled on the floor. A young woman wearing a dark blue cotton uniform issued by the base was sitting behind the counter, looking down at a worn magazine. She looked up when she heard the door open.
Upon seeing the guests, she quickly switched to a formulaic smile and asked, "What would you three like? Our fishing rods are mainly divided into three categories." She expertly pointed to the shelf, "These on the far left are ordinary fishing rods, more basic, suitable for beginners, priced at 2 points each; these in the middle are all-purpose rods, more adaptable, and can handle most situations, 5 points each; those on the far right," she pointed to several fishing rods that looked shorter and more refined, "are professional ice fishing rods, short and sensitive, designed specifically for ice fishing environments, and can more clearly transmit bites from fish under the ice, 15 points each."
She paused, observed the three people's reactions, and continued, "If you don't want to buy, you can rent. The rental fee is half the price, calculated by the day. For example, renting an ice fishing rod costs 1.5 points per day. The minimum rental period is five days. If you exceed five days, you will need to pay 1 point for each additional day. If you decide to rent, you need to pay the full amount first. After returning the equipment and confirming that it is undamaged, half of the points will be refunded."
She then pointed to two transparent plastic boxes next to the counter. "There are currently two types of bait: live earthworms (1 point for 100 grams) and mixed feed (1 point for 300 grams). It depends on which one you need."
After listening to the long introduction, Xu Xiaoyan subconsciously turned her head, wanting to ask Wang Xiao, the "fishing expert" who had boasted so much before the trip, for his opinion. However, when she turned her head, she saw that Wang Xiao did not immediately offer his opinion as usual. Instead, his eyes were a little blank, and his face had a bewildered and dazed expression, as if he thought, "This is not quite what I expected." His gaze wandered between the price tags and the unfamiliar fishing rods.