17 Let’s Go Fishing [Part 2]

"Introduce yourself to everyone." Mark patted the shoulder of his grandson.

"My name is Ethan Kerr. Thirteen years old, just call me Ethan." Ethan smiled and nodded his head. "It's a pleasure to meet all of you."

Kate observed the young man in front of her. ''We're of the same age.'

Ethan had above average looks. Although he was not as good looking as Ciel, he would still be a promising young man when he grew older. Kate felt that she could get along with this person because she didn't feel anything malicious coming from him. In fact, Ethan gave off the feeling of someone you could depend on.

His short light-brown hair had a vibrant color and his playful brown eyes were clear. The smile on his face was friendly as he reached out his hand for a handshake.

Ciel smiled and returned his handshake. "Ciel Summers, it's a pleasure to meet you Ethan."

"Likewise, Ciel. I've heard many things about you from Grandfather."

"I hope Grandpa Mark didn't say anything bad about me."

"Not at all," Ethan's eyes turned into crescents. "He was always full of praise whenever he spoke your name. Now that I've seen you, I can understand why he felt that way about you."

Ethan glanced at the ladies beside Ciel and blushed a bit. "Um, can you introduce me to these beautiful girls?"

Ciel nodded his head and glanced at Kate. "This is Kate Williams. She's a very close friend of mine. Both of you are of the same age. I hope that you two get along."

Kate smiled at Ethan which made him feel at ease. "Just call me Kate."

"You're very pretty Kate."

"I know right!"

Ethan blanked out for a few seconds before bursting in laughter. His initial anxiousness disappeared and he felt that Kate was a very interesting girl. Most of the girls he met were shy and he couldn't have a proper conversation with them.

The only girls that he could talk to were his older cousins. Seeing Kate being so direct and open gave him a very refreshing feeling. For the first time in his life, he genuinely felt that having this girl as his friend would be a good thing.

"I hope that we can be friends, Kate."

"Alright. Let's be friends!"

"Good."

Ciel then introduced Chloe and Claire to Ethan. The two girls greeted him properly and Ethan also had a good impression of them. Chloe was a bit timid, but Claire was easy going. In time, some of the other children at the lake joined them as well.

"It's been a while since all of us had a get-together," Arthur beamed as he embraced his close friends. "I'll try to attend the other gatherings from now on."

"You should!" An old man with balding hair reprimanded Arthur. "Make sure to bring Alice the next time you come here."

"Henry, you bastard! You still have a crush on my wife?!" Arthur cursed. "You're already a foot in the grave and you still couldn't let go? How about I send you off to meet your maker?"

"Nonsense!" Henry denied vehemently. "Although I admit that I loved Alice in the past, I am very happy with my wife Heidi. Don't get any wrong ideas old man!"

The two were about to have a go with each other when their friends pulled them apart. They had a feeling that this was going to happen when they invited the two, but they hoped that they could forget about past grudges and move on with their lives. After all, they were already old. It would be best to make peace with each other before they kicked the bucket.

Mark sighed from the side. "Hah~ Here they go again. These two just can't get along whenever they meet."

For some reason, Arthur always got annoyed whenever he saw Henry. He was one of Alice's suitors before they got married. Arthur had fought Henry with words and fists countless times in the past until he got the approval of Alice's parents. Ironically, Arthur and Henry were best friends in the past. They fell in love with the same girl which caused a rift in their friendship.

Who would have thought that the one Henry would marry was Alice's best friend Heidi. Lady Fate was truly fickle and an unexpected happy ending landed in Henry's life. He was telling the truth when he said that he was very happy with his marriage with Heidi. They were blessed with a son and two daughters and lived a very happy life in the countryside.

"Do any of you know how to fish?" Mark decided to ignore the two stupid old men and teach the kids how to fish instead.

Ciel, Kate, Claire, and Chloe shook their heads. Ethan just stood by their side. He was taught by his Grandfather how to fish two years ago and was now quite proficient in fishing.

"Alright, follow me." Mark waved at them. "Ignore these dumb old men."

Ciel glanced at his grandfather who was still glaring at Henry. He knew that it would take some time before his Grandpa calmed down.

"Alright, let's go Grandpa Mark."

"Good!"

Ciel's group followed Grandpa Mark to the wooden pier. The other children also followed behind them. Some of the boys in the group were very interested in Kate, and Claire. They ignored Chloe when they learned that she was partially blind. They had no interest in disabled girls.

The only reason why they were not moving in too close was because Ciel, Ethan, and Grandpa Mark, flanked the girls on both sides. Kate and Claire also ignored these bunch of teens who were sixteen years old and below.

They had no interest in mingling with them. Even Claire who was outgoing felt that this group had some ulterior motives in trying to get close to them. She didn't know why, but she instinctively felt that staying with them was not a good idea.

It was quite unfortunate that they were the only girls among the group. Because of this, It was only natural for the others to look at them with interest and curiosity. The girls chose to ignore these people and focused their attention on Grandpa Mark.

Mark taught the girls how to use the fishing rod. He showed them the proper way to assemble it, thread the fishing pole, and attach the lures they were going to use.

The three girls comprehended the steps easily and assembled their fishing rods in no time at all. Ciel and Ethan positioned themselves behind the girls as they assembled their own. The group who followed them took out their own fishing rods. They already knew how to do it properly because they had been introduced to fishing when they were younger.

Mark decided to give the girls sweet corn as their lure. He wanted to show them the basics of fishing and not use any fancy lures that professionals use when they fish. When everything was ready, he taught them how to use the two methods for casting their fishing line.

The first one was the overhead cast, and the second was the pitching cast. Chloe used the pitching cast, while Kate and Claire used the overhead cast. Their fishing hooks landed on the water without any problems.

Heinz appeared behind them and brought small chairs for the girls to use. He knew that they might get tired from standing, so he prepared these chairs in advance. Of course, he also gave one to Ciel, which the latter accepted gratefully.

The other men looked at him in disdain, but Ciel didn't mind. He was still feeling lethargic and didn't care what other people think of him. While they were waiting for the fish to bite their baits, the group of old men finally arrived on the small pier.