Chapter 2: The Crab Tiger Fish, Oh the Crab Tiger Fish

Lin Yu sat back down on the rocky reef.

To care for his younger sister, their mother had already returned home ahead of him, waiting anxiously for good news. He could not let his mother down; he had to catch enough crab-eating gobies before three o’clock to sell them at the dock or the cooperative supply center, fetching a good price to buy medicine for his sister.

As dusk approached, the fishing boats would return to shore, and at that time, the market would be flooded with fish, causing prices to plummet. He had to seize the opportunity.

Raising his fishing rod, he was puzzled to find the crab bait still hooked after such a long time. Reflecting carefully, he realized the problem must lie in the choice of fishing spot.

Selecting the right fishing spot was crucial.

Crab-eating gobies preferred slow-moving waters with greater depth and had a fondness for bottoms composed of sand, mud, or scattered rocks—places that offered shelter. These areas provided a safe habitat and abundant food sources.

Slow currents allowed the gobies to swim and forage easily without being swept away. Deeper waters gave them more space to survive and the ability to seek food across different layers. Furthermore, the sandy, muddy, or rocky bottoms were vital for the gobies to hide from predators and to find comfort. For instance, crevices between rocks served as hiding places, while sand and mud offered a soft substrate for digging burrows and hunting.

Soon, Lin Yu’s eyes gleamed as he pinpointed a likely hiding place among the black stone reefs.

There, the jagged reef rocks jutted sharply from the seabed, their edges honed to a cold sheen by the relentless wear of time and sea. The reef surfaces were riddled with countless holes and crevices—large enough for nimble crab-eating gobies to dart through, small enough to hide remnants of their prey.

The surrounding seawater was tinged with a coolness, appearing especially deep and mysterious beneath the reef’s shadow. Seaweed swayed gently, its slender leaves sometimes entwining around the rocks, sometimes stretching freely in the water’s flow.

In this area, the sandy seabed mixed with fragments of shells, with small crabs scurrying hurriedly across the terrain.

There was no doubt—this was the crab-eating goby’s favored haunt. If they weren’t here, they would be nowhere else.

Lin Yu adjusted his angle, skillfully casting his simple fishing rod to this prime spot, careful not to startle any hidden gobies. Without a float, he relied solely on experience and keen eyesight to gauge the depth of his line.

Now, Lin Yu sat quietly on the black reef, focused intently.

A few coastal fishermen passing by glanced over, shaking their heads helplessly.

“Isn’t that the wild kid from the Lin family? His sister’s nearly dying, and he still has the nerve to fish?”

“What’s he expecting to catch? Fooling around like this—better off picking some clams to bring home. His mother’s suffering so much raising those two. Doesn’t he want to help at all? Tsk tsk… this kid’s hopeless.”

Lin Yu’s eyes remained fixed, expression unreadable, the faint sneers falling on deaf ears.

Patience was the greatest secret to fishing.

He watched the water’s surface and the depths below, wary of missing any sign of the goby biting. Suddenly, the tip of his rod plunged sharply, the fishing line tightened taut, and a powerful force surged up from beneath.

Lin Yu’s expression shifted; he knew he had hooked a big fish.

But it wasn’t yet time to pull. The fish was still strong, and if he tried to reel in now, the line might snap under the strain.

Without a float, and with the line made from worn fishing net fibers, he couldn’t afford a prolonged struggle. The choice of when to pull was where his seasoned sea-fishing experience came into play.

After the crab-eating goby initially fought fiercely, it would tire and pause briefly—this was the perfect moment to act.

“Now!”

Seizing the moment, he gave a sharp lift, and a plump crab-eating goby was instantly hoisted from the water.

It thrashed wildly, its tail and fins flicking rapidly, scattering sparkling droplets that shattered shafts of light. The water spray, shimmering like shattered diamonds, seemed to dance midair alongside the fish.

In that instant, it was breathtakingly beautiful.

The dazzling light merged with the lively fish body, and as this small creature broke free from the sea, it became the most striking “star” along the coastline, frozen briefly in a vivid scene brimming with vitality and wild beauty.

This crab-eating goby weighed a full two pounds.

Lin Yu had never seen one so large.

In his previous life, small crab-eating gobies fetched little to no price, with three- or four-ounce specimens scarce but more valuable, and half-pounders even rarer, commanding double the price. Those over a pound were even more prized but exceedingly rare.

“I wonder what such a two-pound goby would sell for in this era,” Lin Yu muttered to himself, a victorious smile spreading across his face, hope swelling in his heart.

This first catch was a promising start.

But just one fish wouldn’t be enough to treat his sister.

He dared not waste time; time was money and, more importantly, his sister’s life.

After placing the fish into his basket, he repeated the process, casting the line slowly back into the water, his gaze sharp as an eagle’s, his mind calm as a meditating monk.

Minutes ticked by, and more crab-eating gobies filled his basket. When he finally looked up at the sun, sensing the time was nearly up, his basket brimmed with over twenty fish—most weighing more than two pounds, the smallest about half a pound.

Lin Yu couldn’t help but reflect on how, despite the scarcity of goods in this era, the variety of species was rich.

He glanced satisfiedly at the fish in his basket. “This should be enough. I need to hurry to the dock to sell them—can’t let my sister suffer.”

As he lifted the basket to leave, a crab-eating goby suddenly leapt from the water. Its streamlined body traced a silver arc through the air, sunlight glinting off its wet scales in dazzling flashes.

Its fins stretched powerfully, as if dueling with the invisible air; its tail whipped fiercely, showering Lin Yu with sparkling droplets like pearls. With a splash, it plunged victoriously back into the sea, leaving ripples that testified to its thrilling leap.

Lin Yu fixed his gaze on the water. The fish didn’t swim away but moved lazily, twisting and turning slowly.

This was a challenge.

As a seasoned sea angler, how could he tolerate this?

Lin Yu sat down again, eyes locked on the boldly taunting goby. Calmly, he baited his hook anew—the crab bait shimmering enticingly in the sunlight.

He gently lowered the bait into the water, placing it just before the goby, which remained indifferent at first.

A sly smile touched Lin Yu’s lips, full of amusement. He slowly twitched the line, making the bait mimic a wounded crab struggling to swim.

At once, the goby’s interest piqued. It watched the bait intently, circling cautiously, sometimes darting closer, then abruptly turning away, as if testing whether this “delicacy” was safe.

Lin Yu had all the patience he needed.

He controlled the line carefully, maintaining the bait’s allure. Finally, unable to resist, the goby burst forth like a bolt of lightning, snapping its jaws onto the bait.

Lin Yu flicked his wrist gently; the line snapped tight, the sharp hook embedding firmly in the goby’s mouth. The fish thrashed violently, splashing water everywhere, but it was powerless to escape and was swiftly hauled ashore.

“No pain, no gain,” Lin Yu muttered playfully, flicking the fish’s head before tossing it into the basket.

He glanced at the horizon, preparing to head straight to the dock. “I just hope these crab-eating gobies fetch a good price in this era. Otherwise, at this hour, I really don’t know how I’ll manage to get money for my sister’s medicine.”