Reborn in 1984, fishing and hunting in Jiangnan

Chapter 38

Old Chen took the pipe out of his mouth and tapped the ashes on the threshold.

The cigarette ash fell to the ground and was scattered by the wind.

He neither said yes nor no.

After a long silence, he tucked the pipe back into his waistband, stood up, and patted the dirt off his knees.

"Your grandfather once told me something."

He looked at the jujube tree in the yard. His father had planted it himself decades ago; its trunk was thicker than his thigh.

He said that whoever fishes out the things in Baiyang Lake owns them.

But one thing is certain: when dividing things, one's heart must be upright.

Chen Zheng squatted there.

"Your grandfather said that when he was young, he partnered with someone to fish. Once, he caught a big grass carp in Dongwan, weighing more than 40 jin, and sold it for eight yuan."

He gave four pieces to his helper and kept four for himself.

The worker complained that it wasn't enough, saying that the net and the boat belonged to his family, and since he had contributed his labor, the profits should be divided into three parts: one part for him and two parts for me.

Your grandfather said no.

Strength is strength, a boat is a boat, and a net is a net.

The strength comes from me; the boat and net are family heirlooms, not something to be counted as.

Chen Laosan turned around and looked at Chen Zheng: "Your grandfather said that later that guy turned against him and never worked with him again."

But your grandfather doesn't regret it.

He said, "When your heart is at peace, you can sleep well at night."

Chen Zheng kept these words in mind.

Chen Zheng squatted in the yard, the moonlight shining on him.

The black cat jumped down from the edge of the jar at some point, rubbed against his trouser leg, and meowed.

He stroked the cat's head, and the cat squinted its eyes and made a purring sound in its throat.

The next morning, Chen Zheng went to Zhang Jian's house.

Zhang Jianguo was squatting in the yard repairing fishing nets, the net spread on his knees, and he was mending them stitch by stitch with a net needle in his hand.

His mending skills were far inferior to his father's; the stitches were crooked and uneven, like a centipede crawling.

"Jianguo, stop patching it. Call Jiawang and bring him to my house."

Zhang Jianguo looked up, saw Chen Zheng's expression, and was stunned for a moment.

He tossed the fishing net aside, stood up, and patted the fishy smell off his hands: "What's up?"

"Distribute the items."

Zhang Jianguo's eyes lit up immediately.

He swallowed hard and lowered his voice: "In that box?"

"Um."

Zhang Jianguo turned and ran outside, but after a few steps he came back, picked up the fishing net, folded it, and put it inside the house. He called out to his mother, "Mom, I'm going to A-Zheng's house," and then followed Chen Zheng.

The two men went to Liu the Bald's house to call Liu Jiawang.

Liu the Bald was chopping firewood in the yard, while Liu Jiawang was squatting on the threshold reading a book, "Romance of the Three Kingdoms," the cover of which was worn out and held together with adhesive tape.

He heard Chen Zheng call him, closed his book, pushed up his glasses, stood up and walked out.

"Dad, I'm going to A-Zheng's house."

Baldy Liu held his axe in mid-air, paused for a moment, then brought it down with a crack, splitting the firewood in two.

"Come back early! I still need to water the vegetables this afternoon!"

Liu Jiawang had already run out of the courtyard.

When the three of them arrived at Chen Zheng's house, Chen Rong was already waiting in the yard.

He closed the door to the main room, then moved a chair to block the door, making sure no one could see inside from the outside before returning.

Four people stood around the stone platform.

Chen Zheng took a cloth bag out of the house, placed it on the stone platform, and opened it.

The cloth bag contained five silver ingots, thirteen Yuan Shikai dollars, a dozen or so copper coins, and a snuff bottle with a chipped rim.

The silver ingots gleamed with a dull light in the sunlight, and the Yuan Shikai silver dollars were stacked together, their edges worn smooth.

The copper coins were rusted into clumps, and the landscape pattern on the snuff bottle appeared exceptionally clear in the light.

Zhang Jianguo's breathing became heavy.

Liu Jiawang took off his glasses, wiped them clean, put them back on, and stared at the object on the stone platform without moving.

Chen Rong squatted down beside him, his hands gripping his knees.

Chen Zheng sat down and laid out the items one by one.

"Five silver ingots, thirteen Yuan Shikai silver dollars, sixteen copper coins, and one snuff bottle."

These things were retrieved by the four of us together.

"Jianguo holds the rope, Jiawang listens to the water, Rongzi probes the bottom, and I go into the water. If any one of them is missing, this job can't be done."

He paused for a moment, then continued, "Five silver ingots. I'll take one, Rongzi will take one, Jianguo will take one, and Jiawang will take one."

"Keep the last ingot for emergencies. If anyone has an urgent matter later, this money will come in handy."

Zhang Jianguo opened his mouth as if to say something, but then swallowed it back.

"Thirteen silver dollars. Three dollars each, and keep the last dollar for emergencies."

"Sixteen copper coins, not worth much, but they are old items. Four coins per person."

"It's a snuff bottle, chipped and in poor condition, so it won't fetch a good price. Give this one to Rongzi. He's the one who's done the most searching underwater and put in the most effort."

After Chen Zheng finished speaking, the courtyard became quiet.

Zhang Jianguo squatted there, rubbing his hands together, his lips moving several times before finally managing to utter a sentence:

"Ah Zheng, what do you mean by 'emergency use' for the remaining silver ingot and Yuan Shikai silver dollar?"

"They're just kept here with me for safekeeping."

When any of the four of us has a major event in our family, such as illness, schooling, marriage, or building a house.

Use it only when absolutely necessary, after discussion. No one is allowed to touch it under normal circumstances.

Liu Jiawang adjusted his glasses: "The Book of Rites says, 'When the Great Way prevails, the world is for all.' Ah Zheng's method has the spirit of the ancients. I agree."

Zhang Jianguo scratched his head: "You're being pretentious again. Anyway, I'll listen to Azheng."

Chen Rong remained silent.

He squatted there, staring at the silver ingots on the stone platform, his eyes shining.

After a while, he looked up and said, "Brother, please keep my share of silver ingots for me."

"OK."

Chen Zheng divided the silver ingots and Yuan Shikai silver dollars.

When Zhang Jianguo took his share, his hands trembled so badly that the silver ingot almost slipped from his grasp.

He quickly held it in both hands, carefully put it into his inner pocket, patted it repeatedly to make sure it was there, and then breathed a sigh of relief.

Liu Jiawang took the silver ingot, turned it over to look at the stamp on the bottom, nodded, wrapped it in a handkerchief, and stuffed it into his pocket.

The handkerchief was white with blue stripes and folded neatly into a square.

Chen Rong took the snuff bottle and examined it from all angles in his palm.

The white background with blue floral patterns of mountains and water appears exceptionally clear in the sunlight. Near the water, there is a crooked pine tree, and beneath the tree is a small pavilion where two people sit facing each other.

He put the snuff bottle in his pocket and smirked.

"Rongzi, if you don't want to keep this snuff bottle, I can help you take it to the county to ask about its price," Chen Zheng said.

"Keep it. I'll keep it myself." Chen Rong's voice was soft, but firm.

Chen Zheng nodded and said nothing more.

The four people dispersed.

When Zhang Jianguo left, his steps were unsteady, and he almost tripped over the threshold when he went out.

Liu Jiawang, clutching his handkerchief, walked quickly with his head down, as if he were hiding from someone.

Chen Rong squatted in the courtyard and took out the snuff bottle again to examine it.

Then he carefully placed it into the wooden box by his bedside.

Chen Zheng carefully put away the emergency silver ingot and the Yuan Shikai silver dollar, separating them from the previous land deed, family genealogy, and small yellow croaker.

Emergency supplies belong to everyone and should be kept in a place that everyone knows about.

He thought for a moment, then put the silver ingots and Yuan Shikai coins into an iron box and buried it under the water vat in the kitchen.

The water tank is heavy and cannot be moved easily, so burying it there is safe.

After finishing all that, he squatted in the yard and washed his hands. The water was freshly drawn from the well and felt cool to the touch.

He rubbed the mud off his hands, scrubbing it carefully, even cleaning his fingernails.

In the days that followed, Chen Zheng devoted all his attention to the fishpond.

He gets up before dawn every day, and the first thing he does is run to the fishpond.

The fishpond is quietest in the early morning, with a thin mist covering the water and the occasional call of wild ducks coming from the reeds.

He squatted on the bank of the pond, watching the movement on the water's surface by the first light of dawn.

The first three days after stocking the fish fry are crucial. Whether the fry can adapt to the new environment and water quality depends entirely on these few days.

On the first morning, he saw several fish fry floating on the surface of the water, their small, silvery bodies turned over, belly up, and motionless.

His heart sank. He scooped the fish up with a net and saw that its gills were white; it was already dead.

There are seven tails in total.

He buried the dead fish fry in the soil by the pond bank and squatted down to continue observing.

The remaining fry swam well, darting around the water plants. Occasionally, a few would float to the surface, open and close their mouths, flip over, and dive back down.

The next morning, another five tailed beasts died.

The third day, three tails.

On the fourth day, there were none left.

Chen Zheng squatted on the bank of the pond, looking at the water, and let out a long breath.

Fine ripples spread across the water's surface, one circle after another, caused by the movement of fish fry.

Dragonflies flitted about on the water's surface, their wings shimmering in the sunlight. The water had calmed down.

"Brother, how much feed should we put in today?" Chen Rong asked, carrying a wooden bucket.

The bucket contains soybean cake powder mixed with wheat bran. It was soaked last night and left overnight until it was soft and had a fermented, sweet and sour smell.

"Two pounds. Sprinkle in four spots, don't sprinkle in one place."

Chen Rong nodded and walked along the pond embankment, scattering a handful of feed from the wooden bucket as he went.

The feed falls on the water's surface, floats at first, and then slowly sinks.

Fish fry surged in from all directions, their silvery-white bodies churning beneath the surface, splashing up tiny droplets as they scrambled for food.

Chen Zheng nodded as he watched Chen Rong scatter the feed.

This kid learns quickly, and he sprinkles it evenly, not too thick or too thin, just right.

After scattering the feed, Chen Rong squatted on the bank of the pond, his hands supporting his knees, his eyes fixed on the water.

After watching for a while, he suddenly asked, "Brother, how big do you think these fish fry will grow by the end of the year?"

"If raised well, silver carp can weigh over a pound, grass carp a pound and a half, and black carp two pounds."

Chen Rong counted on his fingers: "A little over a pound, 1,200 tails, that's over a thousand pounds. Seven cents a pound, that's..."

"Seven hundred dollars and up."

Chen Rong gasped, his eyes widening. After a moment, he asked again, "Brother, what about next year?"

"We'll expand next year. There are two low-lying fields next to our land that are also abandoned; we can dig two more ponds there."

Three ponds, totaling five or six acres of water surface, can raise four or five thousand fish. We'll expand that area the year after next.

Chen Rong kept these words in mind.

With the fishpond stabilized, Chen Zheng's thoughts turned to other matters.

Master Qian from Dongfeng Hotel mentioned a trade fair, which is on the eighth day of next month, less than twenty days away. Master Qian said it's bigger than the last trade fair, with people even coming from the provincial capital. This is an opportunity.

But the fish caught in Baiyang Lake alone cannot support a stall.

During the three days of the trade fair, he sold all the fish he had saved at home, earning less than two hundred yuan.

The trade fair is larger in scale and attracts more buyers. If we still have the same few goods, it's not worth taking up a booth for nothing.

We need to get some valuable stuff.

The most valuable item in Baiyang Lake is the soft-shelled turtle.

The two turtles I sold last time cost fifty-five yuan. Master Qian said that people from the provincial capital recognize these.

Especially old soft-shelled turtles, with their thick skirts, are highly nutritious when stewed in soup, and wealthy people are willing to pay a high price for them.

The second item is mandarin fish.

Mandarin fish are fierce and difficult to catch, but their flesh is firm and has few bones, making them a top-quality ingredient for fish balls.

At the last trade fair, a four-pound mandarin fish sold for more than nine yuan, several times more expensive than a carp.

The third item is the eel. There are plenty of eels in the rice paddies and irrigation ditches around Baiyang Lake.

City dwellers recognize this stuff, especially those from the provincial capital. Braised eel and stir-fried eel with hot oil are both considered presentable dishes.

However, eels are difficult to catch because they are slippery, so you need to use a special eel trap.

Chen Zheng squatted in the yard, going over all these things in his mind.

He decided to spend a few days before the trade fair to gather a batch of these three types of goods.

"Rongzi, starting tomorrow, we're not casting nets anymore. Instead, we'll use turtle hooks and mandarin fish hooks, and we'll also make a few eel traps."

Chen Rong squatted to the side, sharpening the thin bamboo stick in his hand, without even looking up:

"We still have five turtle hooks left, but we need to buy some mandarin fish hooks. We don't have any eel traps at home, so we'll have to make some."

"I'll buy the mandarin fish hooks in town. Your dad knows how to make eel traps; have him teach us."

Old Chen was squatting on the doorstep smoking when he heard this, so he took the pipe out of his mouth:

"Eel traps? You want to catch eels?"

"Yes. At next month's trade fair, eels will fetch a good price."

Old Chen took a puff of his cigarette but didn't say anything. After a while, he stood up, tucked his pipe back into his waistband, and went into the kitchen.

When he came out again, he was carrying a bundle of bamboo strips. The bamboo strips were made from bamboo cut last winter and dried for more than half a year, so they were just the right amount of toughness.

He squatted in the yard, pulled out a bamboo strip, and bent it in his hand. The bamboo strip bent into an arc, without breaking or snapping.

He nodded, placed the bamboo strips on his lap, and began to weave.

Chen Zheng and Chen Rong squatted down and watched.

Chen Laosan's hands were large and rough, with calluses all over his knuckles, but he was very skillful at weaving bamboo strips.

The bamboo strips flew up and down in his hands, pressing and lifting, threading and pulling, and the bottom of an eel trap was ready.

The eel trap is shaped like a long trumpet, with a wide mouth and a narrow bottom. There is a funnel with barbs at the mouth, and once the eel goes in, it can't get out.

He wove for about half an hour, and the eel cage was finished.

He lifted the eel trap and looked at it against the sun. The gaps between the bamboo strips were even, and the barbs of the funnel were woven with sharp edges.

He nodded in satisfaction and handed the eel cage to Chen Zheng.

"Your grandfather taught me. He said there's a technique to weaving eel traps."

The opening should be large, the bottom small, and the barbs on the funnel should be sharp. Eels burrow in with their bodies straight, making it easy for them to enter.

When it tried to get out, the barbs were stuck in its gills, and the more it struggled, the tighter it struggled.

Chen Zheng took the eel basket and examined it from all angles.

The bamboo strips are woven tightly, and the barbs of the funnel stand upright. When you put your finger in and pull it out, the barbs prick your fingertip and hurt.

"Dad, where is this eel trap placed?"

"In the irrigation ditch beside the rice paddies, in the shallow water area of ​​the reeds."

Eels hide in their burrows during the day and come out to hunt for food at night.

Place the eel trap where they frequent, put some earthworms or small fish inside, and collect it the next morning. You should be able to catch several eels in one trap.