My cousin-in-law helped me achieve my ambitions.

Su Ming locked his motorcycle next to the utility pole at the entrance of the building, took off his helmet and hung it on the handlebars, then followed Dr. Hou to a silver-gray Toyota SUV in front. Dr. Hou pressed the remote key, and the trunk automatically popped open, revealing a fishing tackle bag, a folding chair, a cooler, and a small oxygen pump neatly arranged inside—fully equipped as if ready for a mission. Su Ming tossed his backpack onto the back seat, sat in the passenger seat, fastened his seatbelt, and the SUV started, its deep, powerful engine roaring in the morning silence. The headlights pierced the thin mist as it headed towards Jixi Mountain.

As the car left the city, the road narrowed, changing from asphalt to concrete, then to gravel and dirt. The scenery on either side changed from buildings to farmland, then to forests. Dr. Hou drove steadily, one hand on the steering wheel, the other occasionally adjusting the radio, which played the morning news; the female anchor's voice was soft and gentle. Su Ming leaned back in his seat, watching the cedar forest and bamboo grove rushing past the window. Morning light filtered through the treetops, casting dappled shadows on the car window.

After driving for about an hour, the car turned onto a narrower dirt road, with waist-high weeds on both sides. The tires crunched over the gravel. Finally, the car stopped in an open area, and the view opened up before us. A clear stream meandered from the foot of the mountain. The water was shallow, and we could see the pebbles on the bottom and the small fish swimming around. Dense bushes and a few crooked willow trees lined the banks. Birdsong came from deep in the forest, and the air was filled with the fresh scent of earth and grass.

Dr. Hou turned off the engine, opened the car door, took a deep breath, and a satisfied smile appeared on his face: "We're here. This is the place. I scouted this place last time. The water is good, there are many fish, and not many people know about it."

The two got out of the car, unloaded the equipment from the trunk, and found a flat grassy spot by the stream. Dr. Hou opened his fishing tackle bag, took out two folding deck chairs, unfolded them, and placed them on the ground. The chairs had thick Oxford cloth seats, adjustable backrests, and cup holders on the armrests. Sitting in them, one could sink into them, feeling as comfortable as lying on a sofa. He then pulled out two carbon fiber fishing rods from his rod bag, handing one to Su Ming and keeping one for himself. The fishing rod was entirely black, light in the hand, slender yet incredibly resilient, sending the fishing line far with a gentle flick.

Su Ming gripped the fishing rod, feeling its smooth texture in his palm, then glanced at the incredibly comfortable recliner beneath him and couldn't help but ask curiously, "Brother-in-law, this fishing rod and recliner must have cost a fortune, right?"

Dr. Hou was baiting the fishing hooks without looking up, and replied casually, "It's not expensive, a set only costs about ten thousand yuan."

Su Ming's hand trembled, almost dropping the fishing rod. He stared wide-eyed at the rod in his hand, then at the deck chair, his Adam's apple bobbing as he swallowed back a gasp. A set of fishing gear cost over ten thousand yuan, and he'd just casually given it to him. This adopted brother-in-law was really something! He toiled away in the warehouse for a month, earning only a thousand or so yuan a month, while this guy's fishing rod was almost a year's salary. The world of the rich is truly incomprehensible. And the worst part is, he said it wasn't expensive! It's just so unfair!

As Su Ming was marveling at this, something even more impressive happened next. Dr. Hou didn't sit down in the comfortable recliner; instead, he took a small folding stool from his fishing tackle bag, unfolded it, placed it on the muddy ground by the stream, and plopped down on it. It was the cheapest kind, with a canvas cover and an iron frame; you could only rest your buttocks on it halfway, and Su Ming felt it would be uncomfortable to look at. Dr. Hou, however, sat steadily, resting his fishing rod on his knees, casting the line into the stream, and then remained motionless, just sitting there.

Su Ming sat in the recliner, initially feeling quite comfortable. But ten minutes passed, and the buoy on the stream remained motionless. Dr. Hou also remained silent, sitting there like a statue. Twenty more minutes passed, and still nothing happened. Su Ming began to get restless. He shifted positions several times in the recliner, crossing his left leg over his right, then his right leg over his left, finally stretching his legs out completely. His eyes were fixed on the buoy, but his eyelids grew heavier and heavier. By the time an hour had passed, Su Ming had completely lost patience.

He cleared his throat every now and then, looking for an opportunity to strike up a conversation with Dr. Hou: "Brother-in-law, are there really fish in this stream? Have we come to the wrong place? Should we try another spot?"

Dr. Hou turned to look at him, raised a finger to his lips to signal for silence, then turned his gaze back to the buoy, his voice extremely low: "Don't speak, the fish can hear you."

Su Ming swallowed back all the complaints that were on the tip of his tongue, obediently slumped in the recliner, staring at that damned bobber, feeling like a fool. Half an hour later, he couldn't stand it anymore. He secretly took his phone out of his pocket, put it on silent, and called Yang Tian. The phone rang twice before she answered. Yang Tian's voice came through the receiver, sounding tired, but noticeably more alert upon hearing Su Ming's voice. Su Ming lowered his voice and asked how she was doing. Yang Tian said she was still at the hospital with her sister-in-law. Her sister-in-law had just finished her checkup, her condition was stable, and the doctor said she could be discharged after a few more days of observation. They chatted for a while, and Yang Tian asked why he was speaking so softly. Su Ming said he was fishing and couldn't speak loudly. Yang Tian chuckled and said, "Then I won't bother you anymore. Enjoy your fishing, and remember to take pictures when you catch a big fish." Su Ming agreed, hung up, put his phone back in his pocket, and sat up straight again.

Just then, Dr. Hou's eyes lit up, his lips curled up slightly, and he whispered, "It's on the hook." With that, he flicked his wrist and swung the fishing rod. The fishing line drew a silver arc in the air, and the stream water burst open with a splash. A grass carp weighing two or three pounds was pulled out of the water. Its body shimmered silver-white in the sunlight, and its tail thrashed wildly, splashing water droplets everywhere.

Dr. Hou quickly called out to Su Ming, "Quick, bring the bucket over!"

Su Ming sprang up from the deck chair with a start, grabbed the bucket, and ran to the stream, crouching down to hand it to Dr. Hou. Dr. Hou, one hand controlling the fishing rod, skillfully pinched the fish's gills with the other, removing the hook from its mouth. He placed the lively grass carp into the bucket, clapped his hands, glanced at the contents with a chuckle, and nodded with satisfaction: "Finally, I don't have to go home empty-handed."

After saying that, he turned to look at Su Ming beside him, his gaze sweeping over Su Ming's empty bucket. He couldn't help but laugh, his tone laced with mockery: "How come you didn't even catch a single fish? I've been sitting here for two and a half hours, and you've been sitting here for two and a half hours. I caught one, but you didn't even see a scale. That's quite a difference!"