Reborn in 1984, fishing and hunting in Jiangnan

Chapter 15 Fishing

Baldy Liu took the toothpick out of his mouth and smiled:

"Zhengwa, you're quick-witted! Okay, I have a hook set, haven't used it in ages, need to look for it."

He stood up and went into the inner room.

The inner room was dimly lit and smelled of stale tobacco.

Last year's newspapers were pasted on the wall, the edges of which were yellowed and curled.

After rummaging through boxes and cabinets for a while, Baldy Liu dragged out a long wooden box.

It was covered in dust, and a faded agricultural slogan, "Learn from Dazhai in Agriculture," was still stuck to the lid.

"This is it." Baldy Liu opened the box.

Inside was a long rope, made of nylon, as thick as a finger, at least several tens of meters long.

A fishhook is tied to the rope every foot. The hooks are quite large, the kind specifically for catching big fish.

"This hook was used by my father when he was alive, many years ago."

Back in the 1960s, these hooks were incredibly useful, catching over 30 pounds of fish in one night.

Take it and see if it still works.

Chen Zheng took out the hook and inspected it carefully.

The rope is fine; it's nylon, so it's waterproof and hasn't rotted.

The hooks are a bit rusty; they need to be sanded.

He took a piece of sandpaper out of his pocket.

I got it from Teacher Zhao last time.

"Uncle Liu, it works. Thank you, Uncle Liu."

Then, Chen Zheng squatted down and rubbed his hair one by one.

"No need to thank me. Take it and use it, just return it to me when you're done."

Baldy Liu dusted off his hands, took a bunch of keys from his belt, and lit a cigarette.

"Zhengwa, you're a very enterprising kid. Unlike my son, who just talks about ancient sayings all day long."

Hearing this from the yard, Liu Jiawang shouted indignantly, "Dad, what did I do now? I was cleaning fish!"

"You can spend half a day reciting the Analects while killing a fish; who are you reciting it to?"

"I read it to myself, so what?"

Confucius, standing by a river, said, “Time flows on like this river, never ceasing.”

"Once these fish are killed, their lives are gone, like flowing water. Shouldn't I say something?"

"Alright, alright, you read it, you read it. After you're done, wash the fish so the whole yard doesn't smell fishy."

Baldy Liu turned his head and whispered to Chen Zheng,

"This kid has gone crazy from studying too much."

What's the use of studying so many books these days?

It's better to learn a trade.

Look at those self-employed individuals, the ones who trade in clothing, they earn several hundred a month.

Chen Zheng smiled but didn't reply.

It's your own kid, you can scold him a few times or give him a couple of slaps, but you can't let others interfere.

Without lingering any longer, he turned around, picked up the hook, stepped over the threshold, and left the house.

By then, it was completely dark.

The moon hadn't risen yet, and the roads in the village were full of potholes.

The sound of a radio drifted from afar, crackling and sputtering intermittently.

"Our hometown lies on the fields of hope..."

The sound fluctuated in volume, as if scattered by the night wind.

Chen Zheng carried the hooks home, and the kerosene lamp in the kitchen shone through the crack in the door.

Zhang Cuihua was cooking in the kitchen, Chen Feng was tending the fire, and Chen Rong was chopping firewood in the yard.

"Brother, you're back!"

Chen Feng ran out of the kitchen, still holding a fire poker, his face smeared with soot.

"How is Teacher Zhao?"

"Much better. Have you finished your homework?"

Chen Feng's face fell: "I've finished writing...most of it..."

"How much is the majority?"

"Well... I've finished my Chinese homework, but I still have a few math problems left."

It's too difficult, I can't do it.

There was a problem about a pool with two water pipes, one for inlet and one for outlet, and I couldn't figure it out after trying for a long time.

Why would you fill and drain a perfectly good pool at the same time? Isn't that just wasting water?

Chen Zheng laughed: "If you don't know how to do it, ask Teacher Zhao tomorrow."

"Teacher Zhao is sick, how should I ask?"

"Teacher Zhao can still teach you even when he's sick. His mind works perfectly, whether he's sick or not."

Chen Feng thought for a moment and nodded: "That's true."

Teacher Zhao knows everything; there's no problem he can't solve.

Last time he told me that once he recovered, he would teach me how to solve quadratic equations.

Chen Zheng placed the hooks in the yard, squatted down, took out sandpaper from his pocket, and began to polish the hooks.

They were polished one by one until they were shiny, and the hooks were so sharp that you could pick out a thorn from under your fingernail.

After Chen Rong finished chopping firewood, he squatted down to help.

The two of them squatted in the yard, busy for a long time by the light coming from the kitchen.

The smells of cooking oil, firewood, and porridge mingled together in the kitchen, drifting over on the breeze.

The black cat squatted on the edge of the water tank, squinting as it watched them sharpen the hook.

It meows occasionally.

After sharpening the hook, Chen Zheng checked the rope again, tying knots in several worn areas to reinforce it.

The rope is an old rope.

In some places, it's moldy.

He singed the rough edges with a match and then rubbed them with a piece of wax.

The candle wax was a half-burnt red candle left over from the Lunar New Year, which came in handy now.

"Brother, how do you use this hook?" Chen Rong asked.

I'll teach you tomorrow.

You can't just drop the hook anywhere; you have to find a deep spot and watch the current.

Just like people, some fish prefer deep water, while others prefer shallow water; you have to figure out their habits.

Chen Zheng put away the hooks, rolled them into a disc, tied them tightly with a thin rope, and placed them behind the door.

Upon entering the kitchen, Zhang Cuihua had already set out the food.

"Zhengwa, do you have enough money with Teacher Zhao?"

Zhang Cuihua asked.

As she spoke, she wiped her hands with her apron, which had two patches on it, the stitches fine and neat, a testament to her skill.

"That's enough. I sold crabs today for a little over twelve yuan."

At the seafood company's trade fair, I plan to use a multi-hook rig to catch some good fish and sell them for a good price.

"I can earn enough to pay for my mother's medicine and Teacher Zhao's medical expenses."

Zhang Cuihua looked at him, and after a long while, she said:

"Zhengwa, you're only nineteen, yet you're already worrying about things at home, and you're even worrying about Teacher Zhao's affairs... You..."

"Mom, I've grown up. It's time for you to worry about me."

Chen Zheng picked up the bowl of porridge and took a sip.

The cornmeal porridge was thick and slightly sweet.

The bowl is a large, coarse porcelain bowl with a chip on the rim, which it broke two years ago.

Chen Feng chimed in from the side, "Brother, I'm all grown up now! I'm twelve! I can help!"

"How can you help?" Chen Zheng asked him.

"I can... I can start a fire! I can chop wood! I can even feed the chickens!"

"Okay, you can feed the chickens for me tomorrow. Once they're fed, take the eggs they lay to Teacher Zhao; he's weak and needs some nourishment."

By the way, has our speckled hen laid any eggs yet?

"They've got two today!" Chen Feng's eyes lit up. "I'll save them for Teacher Zhao!"

After finishing his meal, Chen Zheng washed the dishes and tidied up the yard again.

Chen Feng went to do his homework, lying on the table, biting the end of his pencil, his brows furrowed.

The pencil was a Zhonghua brand, and it had been sharpened to only three inches long, with teeth marks all over the handle.

A copy of the People's Daily was laid out on the table, dated June 15, 1984.

There was an editorial at the top titled "Further Revitalize the Rural Economy".

As for Chen Rong, he sat on the threshold and, by the light from the kitchen, continued to trim the fishing float.

The fishing float is made of sorghum stalks and is almost finished. It is round with a groove in the middle to hold the fishing line.

He took sandpaper and polished it, blowing away the powder as he did so.

Chen Zheng sat next to him, and the two of them looked at the moonlight in the courtyard.

The moon rose, looking like a sickle.

"Brother," Chen Rong suddenly spoke.

"Um."

"Isn't that Sister Lin...very pretty?"

Chen Zheng paused for a moment and looked at Chen Rong.

Chen Rong kept his head down and continued trimming the fishing float, but his ears turned a little red.

"Why are you asking this?" Chen Zheng said.

"Nothing. Just asking casually." Chen Rong's voice sounded like it was coming from his nose.

After a while, Chen Rong asked again, "Brother, can we raise enough money for Teacher Zhao's medical expenses?"

"Sure. Tomorrow I'll go set up a fishing line and catch a few big fish, that should be enough."

"Can a multi-hook rig catch big fish?"

"Yes, the fish caught with the multi-hook rig are all big fish; the small ones won't bite."

Just you wait and see.

My father once caught a grass carp weighing over 20 pounds using these hooks.

"Pulled ashore, its tail swept across, soaking Dad's trouser leg."

"Um."

Chen Rong responded and continued trimming the fishing float.

Chen Zheng got up before dawn the next day.

He pulled the old Shanghai watch out of under his pillow and looked at it.

This was a gift from Teacher Zhao. The fluorescent dots on the dial are not very bright anymore; it's 4:30.

It was still dark outside, and the rooster crowed for the first time.

He put the hooks into the bucket and prepared the bait.

The earthworms were dug up from the vegetable garden in the backyard and put in a tin can.

The label on the canned luncheon meat was so rusted that the words were illegible.

The snails were caught by Chen Feng in the ditch yesterday afternoon and left in a basin of water overnight to expel the mud.

There were also a few small fish, cut into sections, and salted so they wouldn't fall off the hook easily.

Chen Rong also got up, rubbing his eyes, and helped carry the bucket.

The two walked towards the lake in the dark.

The dew was heavy, and the grass blades were covered in water droplets. After walking for a while, my trouser legs were mostly wet.

My shoes got wet, and they squelched with every step.

The foxtail grass by the roadside was rubbing against my trouser leg.

rustling.

A dog barked twice in the distance, then fell silent.

Upon reaching the lake, Chen Zheng untied the boat.

The boat was made of wood, and the bottom was coated with tung oil, the smell of which had not yet dissipated.

The character "Chen" was carved on the side of the boat. It was carved by his father, Chen Laosan, with a chisel. The strokes were thick and crooked.

"Brother, where are we going?" Chen Rong asked.

"East Bay. The water there is deep, and the fish are big."

I asked Uncle Zhang about it when I came back yesterday.

He said that big fish have been caught in the area recently, and some people have seen mandarin fish splashing water.

The boat reached East Bay just as dawn was breaking.

A thin mist covered the lake, and the reed beds in the distance were faintly visible in the mist.

There were sounds of water birds calling inside.

Gurgle, gurgle.

The eastern horizon was tinged with a pale white, gradually turning a light red, like a rouge smeared on.

Chen Zheng moored the boat in a deep area and began to lower the fishing line.

"Watch closely, hook it down like this."

He tied one end of the hook to a stake at the stern of the boat and made a sailor's knot.

Then, rowing the famous boat forward, the grappling hooks were slowly released.

The rope was released from the wooden bucket, loop by loop.

"Sizzle!"

Every few meters, hang a piece of bait on the hook—earthworm, snail, small fish piece, etc., in rotation.

Different fish prefer different bait.

Carp love to eat earthworms, crucian carp love to eat snails, and bream love to eat small fish.

Whatever you put on your hook, that's the kind of fish you'll catch.

It's like people eating; some people like noodles, some like rice, so you have to cater to different tastes.

Chen Rong squatted at the stern of the boat, watching his brother cast his line without blinking.

He put his hand in the water to test the temperature and said, "Brother, the water is a bit cold."

"It's cool enough. Fish like to stay in deep water when the water is cool, and our hook is deep enough, which is just right."

The grappling hooks were all lowered, the ropes sank to the bottom of the water, and dozens of hooks were scattered in the water.

Chen Zheng rowed the boat to the side, stopped the oars, and placed them horizontally on the gunwale, waiting.

"Brother, how long will it take?"

"You'll have to wait a while. The line will move once the fish bites. You see."

The two people stared at the water.

The fog gradually dissipated, and occasionally a fish would leap out of the lake, splashing water that would ripple outwards in concentric circles.

About half an hour later, the rope suddenly moved, tightened, and then loosened.

"A fish has taken the bait!" Chen Rong shouted.

"Don't rush. Wait until it kills you before you collect it."

Fish are clever too; some will test the waters first, and before you can get them fully in their mouths, they'll pull and escape.

Chen Zheng stared at the rope, watching it loosen and tighten repeatedly.

The fish struggled underwater, and the rope twisted like a snake.

The wooden boat swayed slightly as the ropes were pulled.

After a while, the rope stopped moving.

"Alright." Chen Zheng picked up the oar, rowed the boat to the hook end, and began to reel in the rope.

He put on a pair of cotton gloves, which were made from socks, and the fingertips were worn with holes.

The rope was pulled up little by little, and the hooks emerged from the water one by one.

Water droplets slid off the rope, creating tiny ripples on the lake's surface.

The first hook is empty.

Most of the bait had been eaten away, leaving only a piece of the earthworm's skin.

The second hook is empty.

The third hook had a large crucian carp, about the size of a palm.

It weighed at least a pound, and as it swung its tail on the hook, its silvery-white scales flashed.

Chen Zheng removed the fish and put it into the cabin at the bow of the boat. The cabin was lined with a layer of aquatic plants beforehand, so the fish wouldn't jump around.

The fourth hook is empty.

The fifth hook held a bream, flat and with half an earthworm in its mouth.

The sixth hook held a large carp with a red tail.

It weighed at least two pounds, struggled fiercely, and its tail whipped around, splashing water everywhere; it almost came off the hook.

Chen Zheng reacted quickly, grabbing the fish's body, wedging its gills with his thumb, removing the hook, and throwing it into the hold.

The carp jumped twice in the hold, splashing water plants all over the hold.

"Brother, this one is big!" Chen Rong's eyes lit up, and he swallowed hard.

"The bigger one is at the back."

The rope continued to be pulled up.

The seventh hook is empty.

A few water plants were hanging on the hook.

The eighth hook had a blackfish on it.

Its mouth was open, revealing its fine teeth.

The blackfish is very strong; it kept wriggling even after being taken out of the water.

Chen Zheng carefully removed the hook, and the blackfish thrashed about in the hold.

"Bang! Bang!"

Its tail slapped loudly against the deck.

Along the way, they collected dozens of hooks and caught more than a dozen fish.

The fish included crucian carp, bream, carp, and snakehead, of varying sizes, and weighed at least twenty pounds in total.

The most surprising part was the last hook.

At the end of the rope was a large hook, the biggest one, with a whole small fish caught on it.

A large mandarin fish, weighing about five or six pounds, was hooked.

Its body is shaped like a shuttle, long and round, with a pointed mouth and teeth like a row of fine needles.

The mandarin fish is the king of the water; even the snakehead fish fears it. It eats small fish like it's cutting vegetables with a knife.

But now, it's stuck on the hook, and no matter how much it struggles, it can't break free.

Its mouth was hooked, its gill covers opened and closed, its eyes widened, revealing a fierce glint.

"Bro! Mandarin fish! Is this thing valuable?"

Chen Rong's voice changed with excitement. He squatted at the stern, his hand on the gunwale, leaning half his body out to look.

"It's valuable. The flesh of the mandarin fish is firm and delicious; city people love it."

Last time I heard from someone at the seafood company that mandarin fish can sell for 2.5 yuan per pound in restaurants in the provincial capital.

"If we take it to a trade fair, we can get a good price for it."

Chen Zheng carefully removed the mandarin fish from his hands, holding the fish's body tightly. The fish nearly slipped from his grasp when it flicked its tail.

He quickly used his knee to brace against the gunwale and pushed the fish into the hold.

The mandarin fish thrashed about in the hold for a couple of moments, then stopped moving, its gill covers opening and closing, a trickle of blood flowing from its mouth.

The two men looked at the fish in the hold and both laughed.

By then, the morning light had fully illuminated the scene.

The sun peeked out from behind the eastern mountain ridge, turning the entire lake surface orange-red.

In the distance, a fisherman was singing. His voice drifted over, but it was faint and indistinct.

"Brother, how much money can we make this morning?"

Let's do the math.