Chapter 138: Spearing Fish

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Since she was already at it, Shen Baoying used some leftover fabric scraps to make a little hat and a pair of tiny boots for the monkeys.

Da Hei and Xiao Hei thought the clothes were for them. They jumped around happily, only to see Shen Baoying hand them to the monkeys instead.

When No. 1 and No. 2 put on their custom-made coats and boots, they looked just like two chubby little toddlers.

Jiang Si couldn’t help but chuckle. “They really are adorable.”

Fluffy clothes wrapped around their fluffy fur—like black sesame coated with white sesame.

Da Hei and Xiao Hei grew jealous, baring their teeth at No. 1 and No. 2.

The two monkeys scurried up Shen Baoying’s body, casting smug, teasing glances.

Da Hei and Xiao Hei were so mad they nearly pounced on them.

Jiang Si comforted them, “Even though No. 1 and No. 2 are wearing clothes, shoes, and hats, there’s one thing they don’t have.” She pointed to the goggles on the dogs’ heads. “See? You guys have goggles, and they don’t. Isn’t that sad for them?”

Jiang Si really knew how to soothe dogs. Their droopy ears perked up instantly. They puffed out their chests and proudly wagged their tails, clearly showing off their special goggles.

What they didn’t know was that snow monkeys had long adapted to snowy environments and didn’t need eye protection at all.

Shen Baoying even brought out a camera and snapped several cute photos of the monkeys.

Soon after, they set out to catch fish.

Just after putting on their new boots and clothes, No. 1 and No. 2 could barely walk.

But since they were wrapped up warmly, they quickly adapted to the sensation of wearing clothes and started running joyfully through the snow.

Whenever Shen Baoying called them, they’d immediately come back.

From a distance, Jiang Si watched them and suddenly felt like she’d gained two younger brothers competing for attention.

Still, as long as Shen Baoying was happy, that was enough.

When they reached the frozen lake, No. 1 and No. 2 ran too fast and slipped, falling flat on their backs in a ridiculous sprawl. They sat up looking confused about life.

Niuniu, already on the ice fishing with her gear, giggled. “They’re so cute!”

Shen Baoying agreed.

But no matter how cute they were, it was time to teach them how to fish.

If the ice had air holes, even without bait, schools of fish would still gather quickly.

Shen Baoying smiled and asked Niuniu, “Fishing again today?”

This kid had been fishing for several days straight. Lu Zhifeng kept teasing that she was obsessed.

Not many girls loved fishing, but Niuniu liked the feeling of reeling in a big fish and the sense of achievement from filling a basket.

Really, it stemmed from the early days of the apocalypse, when she and her father constantly worried about food shortages, leaving her with a need to hoard supplies.

Niuniu was curious why Shen Baoying had brought the monkeys. “Aunt Shen, are you going fishing too?”

Shen Baoying glanced at No. 1 and No. 2 playing on the ice like children. “No, I’m spearing fish. I’m going to teach them. That way, if they ever decide to leave, they’ll know how to fend for themselves.”

Niuniu’s eyes lit up—teaching monkeys how to spear fish? She definitely had to watch.

“Do you need my help?” she asked.

Shen Baoying shook her head. “Not yet. Just watch for now.”

No. 1 and No. 2 were smart and good at imitation. After observing a few times, they’d probably understand that this was a way to catch fish—and then figure it out on their own.

Shen Baoying grabbed a big hammer from the supply truck and asked Niuniu to step back. She planned to break the ice the old-fashioned way.

The hammer came down on the thick ice—it barely cracked the surface.

Realizing brute force wasn’t enough, Shen Baoying switched tactics. She used a steel spike like a nail and started pounding it into the ice with the hammer, aiming for depth.

To make the experience more hands-on for the monkeys, she even asked Niuniu to grab a few large nails and two small hammers from the icebreaker for No. 1 and No. 2.

The monkeys looked at the tools, then at Shen Baoying’s motions, and immediately began to mimic her.

But on their very first try, they hit their own paws.

The next second, they threw the hammer and nail away in frustration.

Shen Baoying instantly put on a stern face. “Pick it up!”

Jiang Si had warned her earlier not to spoil them too much. If she treated them like kids, they still needed to understand their place—otherwise, they’d grow unruly and stop listening.

So even though she adored them, Shen Baoying knew when to be strict.

Her cold expression made the monkeys hesitate. When they saw she wasn’t softening, they tentatively picked up the tools again.

As soon as they did, Shen Baoying rewarded them with a candy each.

The power of sugar! They became instantly more obedient.

While Shen Baoying slowly pounded at the ice, the monkeys also started to patiently tap at the surface with their little hammers.

After a while, she finally cracked through.

Her hands were sore. She turned to Niuniu and said, “A power drill really is easier.”

She glanced over—No. 1 and No. 2 hadn’t broken through, but they’d managed to make small dents in the ice.

Jiang Si had said: In a couple of days, if you don’t feed them and bring them back out here, they’ll start thinking hard about how to catch fish on their own.

Once the ice was broken, it was time to patiently wait for fish.

But by then, Shen Baoying was already feeling cold.

Luckily, she had heat patches in her pocket.

She handed one to Niuniu. “Want one?”

Niuniu shook her head and smiled. “I already have them stuck all over. I’m perfectly warm.”

Shen Baoying stuck hers on her cuffs and the back of her neck. Once she felt warmer, she pulled out a sharpened stick, ready to spear fish.

Niuniu had never tried spearfishing and thought it looked fun.

“Can I try too, Aunt Shen?” she asked.

Shen Baoying handed her the stick. “You’re just like your big sister. Always liked these kinds of things since you were little.”

Otherwise, Jiang Si wouldn’t have joined an extreme sports club back in college.

Niuniu beamed—if she was like Jiang Si, maybe one day she’d be just as capable.

After Shen Baoying taught her the technique, Niuniu waited patiently for a fish to appear.

Her serious expression was so focused, it even influenced No. 1 and No. 2, who stared motionless at the water.

Soon, a red sea fish surfaced.

“Splash~”

With lightning speed and a sharp thrust, Niuniu struck the fish cleanly.

The fish flailed around, but it was too late.

Shen Baoying exclaimed, “Amazing! You caught one on your first try!”

Niuniu modestly replied, “Guess the fish was just dumb.”

No. 1 and No. 2 smelled the blood and came over to sniff around the red fish, hopping excitedly—it seemed they recognized it as the same kind of fish they were usually fed.

But Shen Baoying didn’t let them eat it, so they just stared at it, anxious and adorable.

Not long after, two more fish came up, competing for a breath of fresh air at the hole.

Niuniu speared both with perfect accuracy until her arms gave out.

After watching for a while, the monkeys finally understood: the fish came from this hole in the ice.

With Shen Baoying’s permission, they used no tools—just reached in with lightning-fast claws, gripping a fish fin and yanking it out.