Going home for the New Year during the winter break, I encountered a cool school girl on the high-sp

Chen Chen smiled and comforted her:
"It's alright, eels are naturally very wary, this is normal. Let's look again, we'll definitely catch one next time."

As he spoke, he gently patted Lin Muxi's shoulder to encourage her.

Lin Muxi nodded, regained her composure, and continued to carefully search the paddy field.

A moment later, she spotted another target and excitedly whispered, "Senior, look, there's another one over there!"

Chen Chen looked in the direction she pointed and gently reminded her, "This time, be careful to approach it slowly from the side first, don't reach out directly at it."

Lin Muxi pursed her lips, nervously and attentively doing as Chen Chen instructed.

Her hand slowly approached the eel, every movement incredibly gentle, her eyes fixed on the eel, afraid it might escape again.

Just as her fingers were about to touch the eel, the eel suddenly swung its tail, stirring up a cloud of muddy water.

Lin Muxi was startled, but this time she did not back down. Instead, she acted decisively and grabbed the eel's body.

"Gotcha! Gotcha!" Lin Muxi shouted excitedly, her face beaming with the joy of victory.

Mud splashed onto her face and body, but she didn't care at all, her mind filled with excitement at catching the eel.

Chen Chen also smiled broadly and praised:
"Great job! You learn so fast. Quickly put it in the bamboo basket."

As soon as Chen Chen finished speaking, as if understanding the command, the eel in Lin Muxi's hand suddenly moved.

Its slender body twisted nimbly and slipped from Lin Muxi's palm in an instant.

Before Lin Muxi could react, the cunning creature darted into the mud and disappeared without a trace.

"Oh dear, how did it get away again!" Lin Muxi couldn't help but exclaim softly, her tone full of frustration.

She pouted slightly, a hint of discouragement appearing on her face, and her eyes, which had been sparkling with excitement, dimmed a little.

Seeing this, Chen Chen quickly patted Lin Muxi's shoulder gently and comforted her:

"Don't be discouraged. These eels are slippery and very difficult to catch. It's normal for them to get away."

"Let's keep searching; we're sure we'll catch more."

His eyes were full of encouragement, and a gentle smile played on his lips, trying to dispel the disappointment in Lin Muxi's heart.

Lin Muxi looked up and saw Chen Chen's warm smile, which eased her frustration a little.

She took a deep breath, rallied her spirits, and nodded vigorously, saying, "Okay, I'll try again!"

The two continued their careful search in the paddy fields.

While keeping an eye on the activity around the mud cave, Chen Chen also kept a close eye on Lin Muxi's movements, ready to offer assistance at any time.

Not long after, Chen Chen's keen eyes caught a slight movement near a mud hole.

He approached cautiously, gesturing for Lin Muxi to follow quietly as well.

"Look over here, there might be eels," Chen Chen said in a low voice.

Lin Muxi's eyes lit up instantly. She held her breath and slowly squatted down.

Following the method Chen Chen had taught her before, she slowly reached her hand towards the mud hole.

Recalling how the eels had slipped through her fingers twice, Lin Muxi felt filled with resentment and helplessness.

She gently bit her lip, straightened her body again, raised her head, and looked at Chen Chen with a gaze that was both coquettish and trusting. She said softly, "Senior, it seems that I am not very good at this. You should do it."

Looking at Lin Muxi's adorable expression of being both angry and anxious, Chen Chen couldn't help but chuckle and comfort her:
"It's okay. Catching eels isn't something you can learn all at once. Just keep trying. But since you've said that, I'll demonstrate once first."

As he spoke, Chen Chen bent down, his eyes carefully searching the paddy field. Soon, he spotted an eel lurking beside a mud hole.

He slowly extended his hand, his movements light and steady. The moment he got close to the eel, he exerted force and accurately pinched the eel's seven-inch spot.

The eel struggled desperately, but it couldn't break free from Chen Chen's control.

"Look, like this, to catch an eel, you have to be quick, accurate, and ruthless. If you pinch its key parts, it will be hard for it to escape."

As Chen Chen spoke, he stretched out his hand, which was holding the eel, to show Lin Muxi.

Lin Muxi stared wide-eyed at the scene with a look of curiosity, muttering to herself:

"Wow, there really is a technique! Senior, you're amazing!"

"Look! There seems to be an eel hiding here! Senior, come and catch it!"

Lin Muxi's eyes widened, revealing undisguised excitement. She pointed eagerly at a mud hole and called out loudly to Chen Chen.

After several attempts, Lin Muxi knew that Chen Chen was very good at catching eels.

So he secretly made up his mind that he would be responsible for finding the mud burrows where the eels were hiding, and he would leave the task of catching them to Chen Chen.

Given her string of failures just now, if she had to rely entirely on herself, everyone would probably have to go home empty-handed tonight.

At this moment, Lin Muxi's bright eyes, illuminated by the dim light of the flashlight, sparkled with a lively light, as if they held a sky full of stars.

She tilted her head slightly, looked at Chen Chen with curiosity, and asked:
"Senior, what are these little things? I've seen a lot of them around here."

Chen Chen leaned down slightly, took a closer look, then straightened up, explaining with a gentle smile:

"Let me see... Oh, this is a snail."

Lin Muxi blinked, her face full of curiosity:
"Snails? I've heard of them, but this is the first time I've seen live ones in a field. They look round and cute."

As she spoke, she gently squatted down and carefully reached out her hand, wanting to touch the snail.

Chen Chen reminded him from the side, "Be careful, don't slip."

As he spoke, he kept an eye on Lin Muxi's movements, ready to reach out and support her at any moment.

Lin Muxi gently touched the snail, feeling its hard shell, and couldn't help but smile:

"That's interesting. Senior, are snails edible?" Chen Chen smiled and nodded.
"Of course you can eat them! Just wash the snails clean, cut off the tails, and stir-fry them with chili peppers, garlic, and other seasonings. They taste delicious!"

"Wow, that sounds so tempting." Lin Muxi stood up, her eyes sparkling with anticipation.
"Let's pick some up and take them home later, so that your uncle and aunt can cook them for us."

“Okay,” Chen Chen replied, then turned his attention back to the mud hole that Lin Muxi had discovered earlier.

"Let's not talk about snails for now. You just said there were eels here, so I've come to take a look."

As he spoke, he rolled up his sleeves and slowly reached his hand into the mud hole.

Lin Muxi watched Chen Chen's hand with a mixture of nervousness and excitement, barely daring to breathe. (End of Chapter)