bookbashuk Chapter 78 Pig Liver Fishing King 8
Chapter 78 Pig Liver Fishing King 8
Drunk and slurring his words, Zhang Niu had no idea how he got back to Happy Abode and ended up in bed. He woke up with a sore forehead. It seemed he really shouldn't drink too much; he always woke up like this, all because of that guy Hai Yong. Shaking his head, he couldn't help but recall how he'd forced Hai Yong to drink so much the night before.
I walked to the table and poured myself a glass of water. "Glug!" I gulped it down. It's always good to have a glass of water in the morning. I walked to the front yard and sat on the small gazebo. Although my head still ached a little, the gentle morning breeze felt quite comforting.
After resting for a while, Zhang Niu started jogging around the orchard. This was something he thought of—a way to exercise and observe the changes in the orchard. The peach blossoms were gradually blooming, which reminded him of Zhang Niu's song, "Peach Blossoms in Full Bloom."
Waiting for you to come back.
Pick those flowers.
Peach blossoms are in full bloom.
Zhang Niu also started humming this off-key tune.
He stopped running after a lap around the orchard, his back drenched in sweat. Running made Zhang Niu feel much lighter. "I need to run more often," he muttered to himself.
As I slowly walked back to the pond, I saw Fatty Qian's car parked by the pond.
Why is that kid here so early? Is something wrong again? I should go check on him first! Lost in thought, I started walking towards the pond.
Fatty Qian sat on the pavilion, legs crossed, a cigarette dangling from his lips, puffing out smoke rings. He kept glancing at his gold watch. Seemingly in a hurry, he looked at it for a moment, then looked towards the door. Where had that kid gone? He always stayed up late. Had he gone out to find money today?
While Fatty Qian was lost in thought, Zhang Niu stepped through the door and said, "Fatty Qian, what brings you here so early in the morning?"
Just as he exhaled a puff of smoke, Fatty Qian heard the sound and sprang to his feet. "I came all morning to get back here, but you weren't here. I've been waiting for ages!"
"What's wrong? Why did I make you wait here?" he said, already sitting down on a stone bench.
He threw the cigarette he was holding on the ground and stomped on it a few times. "Today, Boss Wang and his team went to that little bay by the Hao River to fish for turtles, that's why they came to find you early this morning."
"Fishing for turtles?" Zhang Niu had heard of Haoxi River; it was no exaggeration to say it was the mother river of Zhangjia Village. There was a small bend in the middle of the river called Sanbaiwan (Three Hundred Bends). Strange rocks lined the area, and many fishing enthusiasts, undeterred by the hardship, went there.
"I told you to join in the fun. Don't just stand there, hurry up and take your military vehicle with you." He took out a cigarette from the cigarette case and lit it.
Zhang Niu figured he had nothing else to do today. Fishing for turtles was still quite interesting, so he figured he might as well go check it out. "Well, you should at least tidy up your messy hair and put on some clean clothes."
"Look at me. I'm in such a hurry." Only then did he notice Zhang Niu's unique appearance.
Leaving Fatty Qian outside, he went back inside, quickly changed his clothes, and combed his hair. He found the military vehicle in the corner of the kitchen, put it in a sack, and then came out carrying the sack.
Watching Fatty Qian so leisurely, I chuckled. This guy was talking so enthusiastically just now, and now he's just sitting there looking at orchids. What's the meaning of this? "Stop looking, it won't bloom no matter how much you look, just leave!"
Fatty Qian chuckled a few times. "Your orchid is growing quite well! Several new shoots are sprouting from under the tender green leaves. When can I dig one up and take it home?"
Zhang Niu inwardly scoffed, "Why didn't you just say so? There are plenty of orchids in the deep mountains; I've only watered them with my own spatial water. If you want them, dig them up now! I'm just afraid you might sneak in at night and steal them."
Fatty Qian was delighted to hear this. "Ha, then I won't stand on ceremony. I wouldn't have dared to speak up if you hadn't brought it up."
In no time at all, I dug up a tender green wild orchid and put it in a plastic bag.
The car headed towards the 300 bends of Haoxi. The thick fog on the dirt road in the morning forced Fatty Qian to slow down.
To get to the Three Hundred Bends of Haoxi, you have to travel along a long dirt road before you can connect to the main road.
The road is still long, let's take a nap first.
One was driving, and the other was sleeping in the back.
Once on the highway, the fog cleared considerably, and Fatty Qian immediately sped up. He figured Old Wang and the others must be getting impatient waiting there!
Turning into a fork in the road leads to Sanbaiwan, where a large bay appears before you. Tall, strangely shaped rocks stand all around. Water platforms occasionally emerge from the surface of the water.
Quite a few cars were already parked on the roadside. Looks like everyone got up pretty early. I found a spot to pull over. Squeak, the car stopped.
"Get up! We're here." The loud voice immediately woke Zhang Niu up.
Arrived? Looking back outside, it really is Sanbaiwan. I stretched and yawned as I got out of the car—it felt so good.
"Let's go ahead, Old Wang and the others are probably over there. Don't forget to pick up the military vehicle." With that, Fatty Qian opened the trunk and took out the fishing gear.
Zhang Niu pulled out a sack, picked it up, and followed behind.
Zhang Niu, who was behind, heard cars getting off every now and then. It seemed this place was quite lively today. It was just a bit far, otherwise it would be nice to come here more often to fish.
I walked along the path strewn with pebbles. On the platform over the water, many people sat fishing. Rows of military vehicles were parked in front of them. They held fishing rods in their hands.
Following Fatty Qian, they arrived at a large platform by the water, where Old Wang and several other people Zhang Niu didn't recognize were standing.
The platform was only a meter or so away from the water's edge. This was tough on Fatty Qian; being heavy, he struggled to jump and it took him a lot of effort. Once he was across, Zhang Niu realized how nice the platform was; from there, he could see the entire Three Hundred Bays. They must have been there early in the morning to secure this spot.
"You're only just arriving? We've been waiting for ages. Are you hungry? Why don't you eat something first!" Old Wang pulled out two small bags of steamed buns from a red bag and handed them to Fatty Qian and Zhang Niu after Fatty Qian arrived.
"Then you're welcome." Zhang Niu hadn't expected there to be food here; his stomach had been protesting. He pulled out a piece and took a big bite.
Old Wang, who was standing next to him, began to introduce them, "This is Old Qian, no need to introduce him, right? That young man is involved in contracting mountain forests." He then whispered a few words to the others. Upon hearing this, the two men's faces lit up with joy.
He led the two men to Zhang Niu and said, "Don't just eat!" Pointing to a middle-aged man in his forties who was about the same age as Lao Qian, he said, "This is Mr. Li, the big fruit vendor in the county, and this is Mr. Jiang, the canned food vendor. Let's get to know each other."
Zhang Niu then realized that the two men in front of him were both in business. He swallowed a steamed bun and said, "I just raise some ducks in the mountains. It's nice to meet you." Zhang Niu didn't know what else to say.
"Young and promising." Both of them took out white business cards and handed them to Zhang Niu.
Zhang Niu was a little embarrassed by this man's words. It's easy for these self-proclaimed experts to talk nonsense. It's almost become their catchphrase, "You flatter me; our small business needs your patronage."
"Stop rambling and come help prepare for fishing! Now is the perfect time." Fatty Qian, who had just finished a whole bag of steamed buns, got to work.
"They're here."
Everyone brought out entire boxes of fishing gear. Zhang Niu sighed inwardly at how much fishing gear the city people had. Nets, fishing nets, stools, parasols—they had everything they needed. Compared to that, he had only brought a military vehicle; the difference was stark.
Old Wang stood on the water platform. It was a bit windy today, and occasionally a few waves splashed onto the platform. The water surface shimmered.
After scattering a lot of rice grains on the water's surface, everyone started baiting their hooks and fishing.
"I seem to remember you know how to fish for turtles, right?" Old Wang, who was baiting his hook, suddenly looked up and asked.
Zhang Niu, who was still busy loading military vehicles, paused for a moment. He then remembered the last time he drank with them, he boasted that he was great at catching turtles, and he didn't expect Old Wang to take it so seriously.
"Well, it's hard to say whether we'll be able to catch anything."
Mr. Li, who was fishing nearby, chimed in when he heard this, "I heard that you can catch about ten turtles a month in these three hundred bays. I wonder if it's true."
Zhang Niu knew that Sanbaiwan was still considered a good place for turtle fishing, and many people came there early in the morning just to try their luck. However, there were only a few each month; you had to be extremely lucky. He remembered asking the older villagers before, who said that turtles used to be easy to find in the paddy fields. That shows how many there were back then. Now, it's hard to even find one, let alone pick one up.
Putting aside my thoughts, I wondered, "Did you bring the fishing gear for catching turtles?"
"I brought it here, take a look." Fatty Qian took a small red bag out of his fishing gear and placed it on the stone platform. "Come and take a look, it should be right, right?"
The two men, Mr. Li and his companion, were confused. Mr. Wang nudged Mr. Wang, who was grinning, and asked, "There are special tools for fishing for turtles?"
Looking at Zhang Niu walking past, he said, "Heh. That's what you don't understand. Wait a minute, you'll see. This is a traditional method."
These words immediately piqued the interest of Boss Li and his group. They really had to see what was going on with this turtle fishing, since even Old Wang was being so secretive.
The bag was opened. What was inside surprised everyone. The bag contained a whole bag of pig liver. This immediately became everyone's question.
Zhang Niu squatted there, picked up a few pieces and examined them. "Not bad. Not cut too thick." Several shiny sewing needles were stuck in the pig liver.
Are we going to use this needle and thread to catch turtles? This question arose in everyone's mind.
Zhang Niu didn't offer any explanation; the preliminary work for fishing for turtles still needed to be done well.
Everyone in the village knows that turtles love to eat pig liver. The pig liver is sliced thinly and cut into long strips. It doesn't need to be very long, just the size of a sewing needle is fine.
Take out the fishing rod and cut off the hook. Carefully tie the fishing line to the center of the sewing needle. This is important; it's best to tie it evenly on both sides. Gently trim off the excess line. Those turtles are cunning, even if they're not the sharpest. They'll sneak a bite of the pork liver next to them if they see any excess line.
Do this well. Select a relatively thin piece of pork liver from the bag. Hold the elongated piece of liver in your hand and insert the sewing needle vertically into it. It's difficult to notice the needle inside when viewed from the outside.
He stood up and wiped the sweat from his brow. "Who wants to fish for turtles?"
Before anyone could react, Fatty Qian had already taken the fishing rod. He was incredibly fast.
After watching from the sidelines, Boss Li and his companions realized that there were indeed many tricks to fishing. It seemed they could only catch stream fish, and they burst into laughter.
"You're missing a few ingredients for your turtle fishing trip, you're missing a potion to mask your scent," Zhang Niu said as he walked over.
"Still not enough? Then there's no problem, right?"
"It's just that it's a difficult spot to fish, but the medicinal herbs used in that potion are now rare, and we don't have them around here anymore," he said, shaking his head with a hint of regret.
Fatty Qian had already moved a small blue stool and sat in front of the water platform, casting bait into the water.
"Fatty Qian, you should tug on the fishing rod every now and then when you're fishing for turtles," he shouted, remembering something trivial.
Still excited, Fatty Qian, upon hearing this, also pulled a few times as Zhang Niu had suggested. This was another little trick to attract the turtles.
The baiting attempt felt pretty good, but I'm not sure if I'll catch anything. I'll keep baiting with sweet potato. There are quite a few carp in Sanbaiwan. The area is full of strange rocks. There are many caves beneath them, some bottomless, and many people have drowned there. A young man from Wangjia Village was a very good swimmer. He dived into Sanbaiwan. He later said that once inside, the water flow was completely disrupted, no longer flowing in one direction. He saw many large red-tailed carp swimming inside. He said he went in with a rope, but when he tried to get out, the rope broke. He crawled out for a long time, covered in injuries. Since then, word has spread that there are many carp in this area, and that young man has never dared to go into the water caves again.
Legend has it that carp that leap over the Dragon Gate become dragons, which is why they have whiskers around their mouths and two tendons on their bodies.
These were all rumors circulating in the village. Zhang Niu had heard them a lot, and after leaving the military vehicle, he sat on a small stool and watched them fish.
The sun hasn't come out yet, making it even better for fishing. The fish come out to feed in the morning. In this short time, all the platforms on the water are packed with people. Young and old alike are there, just standing by the water with their fishing rods in hand, fishing as they please.
People greeting him everywhere seemed to be old acquaintances. In the blink of an eye, Boss Li had already caught a small crucian carp weighing a few ounces.
After tossing the bait into the bucket, he laughed and said, "Today, I guess I've made my first sale. I wonder how many I'll catch today. It would be even better if I caught some grouper or bream."
"Keep dreaming," the fat man beside him sneered. "Those guys are too slippery; hardly anyone can catch them."
The military vehicle was parked there without any activity, so Zhang Niu wasn't worried. What's the point of being impatient? Fishing for carp is just a waste of time.
Several white ducks swam across the water in the distance, playing in the water.
Another one took the bait. A yellow tilapia hung from the hook, its body swaying. This guy was basically a smaller version of a forked-tailed fish. Impatient, Boss Li reached out to grab it. "Ah!" he cried, clutching his hand. "Will this guy sting?"
"Yes, Huang Laci has a few bone spurs growing on his head and around his mouth. I was just about to say something when you reached out and grabbed it," Old Wang replied.
"Why don't you go back to the intersection and find some straw to smoke it a few times?" Zhang Niu added, sprinkling millet.
"Never mind, it's fine, no need to go to so much trouble," Boss Li said, ignoring Zhang Niu's words and continuing to fish.
Seeing that Boss Li wasn't listening to him, Zhang Niu thought, "Oh well, I'll see what happens if I don't go soon enough." He continued to stare at the military vehicle in front of him.
Only ten minutes later, Boss Li clutched his hand, his face contorted in pain.
Old Wang, seeing this, quickly spoke up, "What's wrong? That area isn't comfortable."
"It hurts, right here where Huang pulled the thorn." She loosened her hand from the spot, which was now a large, red, and swollen patch.
At this point, Old Wang and Boss Li remembered Zhang Niu's addition of the phrase "fumigate with straw." Only then did they understand what he meant. They quickly led Boss Li to the path ahead.
As soon as they left, Fatty Qian asked, "How did you know that would happen?"
Zhang Niu chuckled. "It's nothing serious. The first few bony spurs of that yellow thorn are poisonous, and the place where it pricks will become red and swollen. He went outside and fumigated it with straw as soon as he was pricked, and he's fine now, but he'll have to suffer a little more."
"Your village has a lot of tricks up its sleeve, this must be a traditional method!" said Boss Jiang, who had been silent on the side.
"Yes, back when we were kids, if we got pricked while catching these yellow thorns, we'd go to the edge of the field, find some straw, light it, and smoke it out for a bit, and we'd be fine. It was a small matter for us. People were still a bit anxious." He rattled off the whole story in one breath.
"Fatty Qian, look, your buoy is moving!" Zhang Niu said, keeping a close eye on the buoy on the water. "Don't even think about letting the turtle slowly pull you away like this."
Upon hearing Zhang Niu's words, Fatty Qian's heart skipped a beat. Although he knew how to fish, this was his first time catching a turtle.
The float slowly sank. The fishing line was taut. Zhang Niu, watching from the side, was worried that Fatty Qian would pull the line too early. Unlike other fish that swallow directly, the turtle bites at the edge and slowly drags itself down. If the hook is pulled up immediately, the turtle will release its grip and escape back into its hole, never to be seen again for a day.
While this is good, if there's no reaction for a long time, the turtle will swallow the whole pig liver. So it needs to be cut into strips so that the turtle can swallow it better. This is how we figure out the trick.
"When you hook the line, make sure to pull it up hard." He was still demonstrating the line-lifting motion on the side.
This hooking step is crucial because the turtle has just swallowed the pig liver, and the sewing needle is still straight. The pig liver is thin; a gentle pull will pull the needle out, placing it horizontally across its neck. The turtle can't spit it out.
Seeing Zhang Niu's movements, Fatty Qian also mustered all his strength. He counted in his mind, "One, two, three." On the third, he gripped the fishing rod with both hands and pulled upwards. The force was so great that he fell backwards.
This fat guy is quite strong. The needle pierced right through. It was clearly visible lying across the middle.
He stood up and patted himself on the back with one hand. "I used too much force just now; I didn't even stand up properly." But looking at the turtle in front of him, he thought, "That fall was worth it."
The saying "a thousand-year-old tortoise, a ten-thousand-year-old turtle" is truly accurate; this tortoise caught from three hundred bays is quite large, its shell a dark black. Judging from how long it's been in the water, one can't tell.
Zhang Niu caught a turtle on the platform, and many people saw it from afar, mainly because everyone knew how loudly Qian Pangzi shouted it. With Qian Pangzi catching one, the others also put in their best effort, hoping to catch one too.
The needle can't be removed now, so the fishing line has to be cut and thrown into the bucket. "What a great haul this time!" Boss Jiang's eyes lit up; he seemed to know his stuff.
"Well, we should thank Xiao Zhang. There are so many tricks to catching turtles. Otherwise, you wouldn't be able to hook them or reel them in," Fatty Qian praised proudly.
"How about we catch a few more?" Fatty Qian asked, having just had his fill of fishing, as he was about to catch another one.
Zhang Niu waved his hand. "Forget it. You can fish here all day and still not catch anything. They've already had no chance anyway. The moment you pulled it up, most of the cunning guys down there ran away. What's the point of fishing then?"
"What's Xiao Zhang saying so excitedly?" Old Wang asked, leading Boss Li back from behind.
"It's nothing. I caught a turtle not long after you left."
"You guys are really lucky! You caught one after only being out for a short while." He gave Zhang Niu a thumbs up. "Your old-fashioned method is actually quite effective!"
Mr. Li, who was behind him, looked much better, so it seemed there was nothing wrong. "I didn't listen to you earlier. I misunderstood your good intentions."
Zhang Niu didn't expect Boss Li to say that upon his return: "It's nothing. I didn't explain myself clearly earlier, did I? Is everything alright now?"
"It's alright now. The pain was intense just now, but it's subsiding now that I've used the straw fumigation. Look," the redness and swelling on my hand have returned to normal. "Your folk remedy is really effective."
Old Wang, still excited, lifted the turtle out of the water. "This thing is heavy! It's definitely going to make turtle soup for lunch."
"Be careful, don't put your hands too close to your head, or the turtle might suddenly pop its head out and bite you and won't let go," Zhang Niu warned as soon as he saw Old Wang holding the turtle.
Old Wang slapped his forehead. "You almost forgot. Turtle is the most vengeful of creatures." He quickly threw the turtle into the bucket.
The sun peeked out. I put on my parasol and continued fishing.
Mr. Li's dream of catching grouper and bream has also been shattered. He only catches yellowtail catfish every time, and these are the only ones that are plentiful near the rocks. But they still taste pretty good, since they have no scales and are easy to cook.
Zhang Niu reeled in sweet potatoes several times, only to have them eaten by the fish. After replacing them with fresh sweet potatoes, he finally caught a red-tailed carp, weighing only two or three pounds. It wasn't very tasty, with many head bones. But Old Wang and the others were still happy. "Fish are edible, that's all that matters," they said. This really surprised Zhang Niu. Had this guy started imitating the old men in the village?
Zhang Niu didn't know that city dwellers only cared about freshwater fish; pond fish were considered too muddy. Freshwater fish didn't have that, which is why they were so expensive.
This morning I caught a turtle, a few small crucian carp, and some carp and yellowtail—a pretty good catch. Time to pack up my fishing gear and head home to enjoy this delicious meal.
As soon as the platform emerged from the water, a number of people rushed over to grab a spot, probably envious of seeing turtles being caught. Zhang Niu chuckled, "If you guys manage to catch one, that would be truly extraordinary. Good things don't just keep coming one after another."
Once in the car, Zhang Niu asked, "Are we taking this to cook, or to a hotel, or...?"
In return, Fatty laughed heartily, "Why did you go to those places when there are plenty of other places to go?"
"What place is that? Don't exaggerate."
"To be honest, I'm going to your place. The environment is so quiet, isn't this a good place?"
So it's my place. Is that considered a good place? At best, it's just "a little nice." "Enough with the nonsense. You might as well say we're going to Happy Cottage. That would be much simpler."
"Hehe. Doesn't this add a touch of mystery?"
The car quickly drove up to Happy House and stopped in front of the pond.
Xiao Hua and Hai Yong, who were in the small bamboo pavilion, also noticed the car driving in. "Who are these people? They all drive in here."
As soon as Zhang Niu came out, he saw Hai Yong and the others and immediately called out, "Come here!"
"Stinky Cow is really with them, let's go check it out!!"
"Hmm," Haiyong also noticed that those people all looked ruddy-faced, indicating they were all in business.
"You stinky cow! Where did you run off to so early in the morning? I've been waiting here all morning for nothing." She pouted, looking unhappy.
When Zhang Niu came out, he had no idea that Xiao Hua would come up. "Didn't they ask me to go turtle fishing this morning? Fatty Qian, right?"
When the fat man's name was called, he saw the girl with the stubborn little mouth in front of him and knew what was going on. "Haha. Yeah, there are turtles in the bucket too, you can take a look."
Upon hearing what Fatty Qian said, Xiao Hua exclaimed with delight, "A turtle? You caught it?"
"It's still thanks to the traditional fishing methods in your village. Those three hundred bends."
The more Zhang Niu looked at this Fatty Qian, the more he felt that he resembled a strange uncle, and his appearance was also quite similar.
Sorry for the late update. I've changed the opening; if you have time, you can check it out—it's more concise than before. Regarding the book reviews, I'm now preparing to revise them daily. There were many problems when I first started writing. Thank you for your continued support. Thank you in advance.