mtl008 Chapter 249 I'm afraid he'll forget the pain once the wound heals.
Chapter 249 I'm afraid he'll forget the pain once the wound heals.
After the two boiled the reeds, Li Xiangyang took out nylon thread from his basket and skillfully tied knots on each clip.
"Leave this line long, the fish will struggle when it's hooked," Li Xiangyang instructed Wang Ergou as he tied the line.
Once the reeds had cooled down enough, the two cut them into small sections and attached them to the branches.
Li Xiangyang took a handful of corn kernels out of his bag and put them into the reed trap as bait.
“We’ll lower it downstream, following the current,” Li Xiangyang said, pointing to the river bend. “The water is deep here, and the aquatic plants are dense; the fish will definitely like to rest here.”
The two of them, one in front and one behind, carefully placed the strung clips into the water.
Li Xiangyang walked ahead, carefully observing the water flow and choosing a suitable position; Wang Ergou followed behind, making sure the line wouldn't get tangled.
By the time the clips were released, the sun was already setting in the west.
The two found a large rock on the shore and sat down to rest.
"How long will it take?" Wang Ergou asked.
“It’ll take at least an hour,” Li Xiangyang said, gazing at the calm water. “This method depends on the fish’s behavior; if they come to feed, they’re sure to take the bait.”
The waiting time always feels long.
Wang Ergou couldn't help but stand up and walk around, glancing into the water every now and then.
Li Xiangyang, however, appeared very calm, tidying up the remaining branches while sharing his various fishing experiences.
Suddenly, the main storyline trembled slightly.
"There's fish!" Wang Ergou's eyes lit up.
Li Xiangyang gestured for silence: "Don't rush, let it bite firmly."
After waiting a while, Li Xiangyang got up and slowly reeled in the line with Wang Ergou.
As the line tightened, the water surface suddenly burst open, and a large carp struggled desperately, but the clip was already firmly stuck in its mouth.
"Good heavens, it must weigh at least seven or eight pounds!" Wang Ergou exclaimed excitedly.
This is just the beginning.
What followed was even more surprising.
Besides several large carp, there were also two catfish, and even a rare slender salmon was caught.
By the time it was completely dark, their wooden buckets were full of fish.
Li Xiangyang quickly counted them and found that there were more than a dozen large fish, not to mention countless small ones.
"Brother Xiangyang, this method is brilliant!" Wang Ergou wiped the sweat from his brow. "It's much better than casting a net."
Li Xiangyang smiled and nodded: "This is just an experiment. Tomorrow we'll make more clips and find a better spot..."
Just then, footsteps came from the path on the bank, and Li Daqiang came from upstream carrying a wooden bucket.
"Xiangyang, Ergou, fishing? Did you strike it rich today?"
Upon seeing Li Xiangyang and Wang Ergou, Li Daqiang strode over, his gaze fixed on their wooden tubs with envy.
"Yeah, you're lucky. Did Brother Daqiang go to collect snails?" Li Xiangyang pointed to the bucket in Li Daqiang's hand.
"Well, work in the fields hasn't been too busy lately, so I was thinking of catching some snails for a treat. Unlike you guys, catching so many fish."
After all, they were relatives and usually looked after each other. Seeing how envious he was, Li Xiangyang thought it wouldn't hurt to include him in his efforts to make money while slacking off.
"Brother Daqiang, if you're interested, how about we come together tomorrow?" Li Xiangyang said. "I use a southern method, a 'catch' fishing technique. It's simple, easy to learn, and works quite well."
"Really?" Li Daqiang's eyes lit up. "That's great! I'll come find you first thing tomorrow morning."
“Okay.” Li Xiangyang nodded. “Take some of these fish home with you today.”
"I can't possibly accept that," Li Daqiang said, waving his hands repeatedly.
"No need for formalities between relatives." Li Xiangyang bent down and scooped two large carp from the bucket. "Oh, and by the way, lend me some of your bucket of snails too. I'll stir-fry them to have with my drinks."
"Look at that, Brother Xiangyang, that's real skill!" Wang Ergou glanced at Li Daqiang and said sarcastically, "Unlike some people who brag about how good their marksmanship is, but almost didn't make it back from a trip into the mountains."
Upon hearing this, Li Daqiang's face immediately darkened.
This incident is definitely the biggest stain on his life. If someone else brought it up, he would definitely get angry with them. But since the person in front of him was Wang Ergou, he couldn't afford to offend him. He felt extremely aggrieved.
"Alright, we're all family," Li Xiangyang quickly smoothed things over. "It's just slacking off, it's not difficult. If Brother Daqiang wants to learn, I guarantee he'll get the hang of it in two days."
Li Daqiang wiped his face and forced a smile.
He ignored Wang Ergou's sarcastic remarks, deftly poured half a bucket of snails into the bucket for Li Xiangyang, and then took the two large carp.
"Then... I'll come find you tomorrow." After saying that, Li Daqiang picked up his things and turned to leave.
"Ergou," Li Xiangyang said after Li Daqiang had walked a distance, "that matter is all in the past, thankfully no one's hurt. We're from the same village, we see each other all the time, you should give me some face when you speak."
Wang Ergou curled his lip: "I'm afraid he'll forget the pain once the wound heals. He'll get arrogant again after learning, and won't know who he is anymore."
“What you say makes sense, but in front of outsiders, you should at least save him some face in the future.” Li Xiangyang nodded, scooping out another half of the snails from the bucket and giving it to Wang Ergou. “Here, take it back and stir-fry it.”
"Alright, Xiangyang. I'll give him some face when there are outsiders in the future. But I won't stand on ceremony here." Wang Ergou took the snail. "See you tomorrow."
After they parted ways, Li Xiangyang carried the wooden bucket home. Before he even entered the yard, he could smell the aroma of food.
"You're back?" Li Xiaoyun asked, peeking out from the kitchen when she heard the noise. "How was the harvest?"
"I tried a new method today, and it worked well." Li Xiangyang put down the wooden bucket and showed it to his wife. "See? Not bad, right?"
Li Xiaoyun looked at the bucket of fish with delight: "So many! Not just good, they're fantastic!"
She crouched down and reached out to examine the fish, asking, "What kind of fish is this?"
"This is a fine-scaled salmon, it's not very common, and the meat is delicious. Let's grill some and try it later," Li Xiangyang said with a smile. "Oh, and there are also snails. I ran into Brother Daqiang on the way back; he gave them to me. Do you know how to cook them?"
“Of course.” Li Xiaoyun rolled up her sleeves. “You wait, I’ll show you something.”
"Okay, then you stir-fry the snails, and I'll grill the fish."
After Li Xiangyang finished speaking, he set up a bonfire in the yard and put a wire mesh over it.
He sliced the fine-scaled salmon, marinated it thoroughly, and then slowly grilled it on a wire rack.
On the other side, Li Xiaoyun first soaked the snails in salt water for about half an hour before washing them clean, putting them in a pot, adding ginger slices, minced garlic and chili, and stir-frying them to release a fragrant aroma.
"Here, have a taste."
After Li Xiaoyun finished cooking, she ladled out a bowl of snails and handed it to Li Xiangyang.
At this moment, Li Xiangyang's fish was also grilled.
The two ate grilled fish and snails while drinking coarse tea.
A gentle night breeze dispelled the summer heat.
"These days are truly wonderful."
Looking at his wife's face, reddened by the firelight, Li Xiangyang felt a surge of warmth in his heart.