My 1995 Small Farm.

Chapter 139 Fish Fun
After seeing Liang Hongyu's family off, the young couple returned home, gave the little white cow some water, let it rest for a while, and then continued grinding flour.

Chen Ling sifted the flour, and Wang Susu swept and ground it. They ground two more bushels of wheat, mixed them well, and then took them to the west room where the grain was stored. They spread them out in bamboo baskets to dry. Freshly ground flour should not be stored directly without being dried, otherwise it will not taste good.

However, it was getting dark, so I left it open to dry for now. Weasels often roam around at night, so there's no need to worry about mice in the house.

Chen Ling couldn't have fish for lunch, so after grinding the flour, he went to the reservoir and caught a few. For dinner, he had steamed white rice with fish soup. The next morning, he ate steamed buns made with fresh flour. Although the flour ground by farmers is not as white as that ground by machines, the noodles made from it are very chewy.

It has a strong "whole grain flavor" when you eat it, and the more you chew it, the sweeter it becomes. The lingering fragrance and long-lasting aftertaste make it a real treat.

Wang Zhenzhen ate half a piece more than usual, and even brought freshly steamed buns to school for lunch.

It's clear that it's really delicious.

……

In early autumn, the sun shines brightly, the sky is a clear pale blue, and wispy clouds drift lazily by. In late August of the lunar calendar, the charm of autumn becomes increasingly rich.

"Wow."

A bright red mullet suddenly leaped out of the water and bit a small flying insect perched on a lotus seedpod.

However, just as it was about to bite, two sparrows started chirping and fighting, flapping their wings from the branch to the ground. The small flying insects were startled and flew away, and the fish missed its bite. Unwilling to give up, it flicked its tail on the surface of the water, turned around and swam back into the water, its tail swaying and creating a splash.

Chen Ling walked to the edge of the pond and plucked some of the dense lotus leaves to prevent them from becoming too thick.

Because of the water, the two sections of lotus root grew exceptionally robustly, with lotus leaves covering the entire pond, which was quite annoying. They were indeed beautiful when they bloomed, but over time they were not very friendly to the fish in the pond, because the surface of the water was crowded with lotus leaves, and slightly larger fish could easily have their scales scratched by the thorns on the lotus root stems.

Therefore, whenever Chen Ling had free time, he would pluck some lotus leaves and stems off the water to leave some space on the surface so that the fish could have room to move around.

Today is August 20th.

The couple ground about 30 kilograms of flour in the morning, and after cleaning it up, they laid it out in the yard along with a piece of flour they had ground yesterday to dry. After finishing all that, while they were picking lotus leaves, they harvested some lotus pods that had grown plump and mature.

Peel open a plump one and taste it with Wang Susu.

Lotus seeds are sweet, tender, and delicious.

"These lotus seeds are delicious. I'll cook some red date and lotus seed porridge tonight."

Wang Susu smiled sweetly and glanced at Chen Ling. She still remembered the first breakfast Chen Ling made for her, which was lotus seed porridge. She remembered the taste of that porridge very clearly.

Perhaps I'll never forget it in this lifetime.

For Susu, it wasn't just a bowl of porridge; it represented something more important.

"Okay, you can cook dinner."

“When Zhenzhen comes to our house, I, as her brother-in-law, always cook. My sister has to show off her skills too.”

"Are you right?"

Chen Ling was mixing wheat bran with water to feed the fish when he heard this, and replied without looking up.

After a while of silence from Wang Susu, he looked up and saw his wife puffing out her fair cheeks and pouting her rosy lips, looking at him with a slightly resentful expression: "You still have to cook, but I want to eat scrambled eggs and peanuts..."

Chen Ling was taken aback upon hearing this.

Then he immediately realized what was going on.

He smiled knowingly, stood up, and reached out to gently hook his wife's nose.

He slowly moved closer and gently bit her delicate, smooth cheek, then whispered something.

The voice was too soft, and I couldn't hear what it said.

In an instant, Wang Susu blushed to the roots of her ears. Overwhelmed with shyness, she glared at Chen Ling with her bright, watery eyes before turning and hurrying back into the house.

……

This batch of wheat was grown by Chen Ling in the cave.

After grinding the wheat, the fresh wheat bran tasted really good. When mixed with fish food, the fish in the pond would fight over it.

The longer these fish are kept, the more ferocious and exceptionally strong they become. They swim incredibly fast, and when they fight for food, they splash water everywhere on the surface.

Some even leaped out of the water to snatch the fish food before he could even throw it down.

However, most of them overexert themselves and often fall onto the edge of the pool after leaping out, slapping their tails on the ground and trying to jump back into the pool.

Unfortunately, after the new courtyard was completed, the area around the pool was raised with various stones, so the stones, covered in mud, could not return to the pool.

Seeing this, Chen Ling shook his head, thinking to himself that the pond was still too small and the fish were a bit thin.

It has never produced any fish roe.

Otherwise, there would be no need to put those two red-lipped fish back; we could have another fish meal.

Think so.

He did indeed have his eye on it.

He bent down to pick up the fish, put them in the water, quickly washed his hands, grabbed his fishing rod and fish basket, and went out the door.

He's going fishing for a while.

This fishing rod cost him forty dollars, but he's only used it a few times since he bought it.

If you happen to have some free time, going to the reservoir to fish for a few fish is a good idea.

He wasn't fishing for food; he just wanted to enjoy the pleasure of fishing since he hadn't fished in a long time.

On the other hand, he wanted to taste the red eels in the cave, so he used this as an excuse to catch them and cook a couple of dishes when his wife wasn't looking, just to satisfy their cravings.

Although this thing is rare, once it's sold out, it's hard to sell it a second time. It's better to just eat it.

Actually, the fish in Dongtian have always been eaten.

Especially when there are no outsiders, just the two of them at home, Chen Ling would take the opportunity to go out fishing under the guise of catching fish and bring out a couple of fish, big and small.

While you can enjoy delicious food and nourish your body this way, you miss out on the fun of fishing yourself.

After finishing grinding the flour, there wasn't much to do at home, so I naturally had an idea.

He would fish during the day and then patrol the night with a hunting rifle.

It's all just for fun.

I was lucky to go out today.

Wang Jusheng worked the night shift last weekend, and since he had a couple of days off, he and Zhang Qiaoling took advantage of the time to work in the cornfield for half a day.

Chen Ling had just returned from the fields when he bumped into the family halfway there.

Seeing his posture, Wang Jusheng knew exactly what he was up to. He didn't even care about his wife and children, so he hurriedly ran home, threw down his hoe, grabbed a bamboo fishing rod, and followed him.

Taking advantage of the bright sunshine of early autumn, standing on the reservoir dam, with a gentle breeze blowing and the water rippling in the sunlight, one's heart expands. Taking a few simple deep breaths, one feels extremely refreshed and invigorated.

Relying on mountains to eat mountains, relying on water to draft water.

Chenwangzhuang is near a large reservoir, and the villagers are all incredibly skilled at catching and fishing. Whether they like to eat fish or not is secondary, so we won't go into that.

When we were little, who hasn't been in the water? Who hasn't caught fish? Especially boys, almost none of them have.

Like Wang Jusheng, the fishing rod in his hand can be considered an antique...

He learned how to make this from his older cousin when he was bored at home before he got married. In order to find good materials, he crossed several mountains before finally finding a suitable hard bamboo.

Despite its unappealing appearance, he claims that catching a fish weighing ten pounds or more is no problem at all.

However, after getting married, I lost interest in having fun and haven't done anything for a long time.

This year I also made a good friend, Chen Ling. Seeing him having fun in different ways every day has really piqued my interest.

He was quite talkative in front of Chen Ling, chatting about everything under the sun, from the East to the West, without any restraint, and his mouth was never shut.

However, fishing wasn't going very well.

Chen Ling caught several small fish in a row, and although he released them all, at least he caught something. He didn't even see the tail of a single fish.

It was really a downer.

"Damn it, how come all the fish are on your hook? I need to stay away from you."

Wang Jusheng shouted angrily, standing about five or six meters away from Chen Ling.

"Haha, I'm just lucky today."

Chen Ling laughed, moved a few stones, and piled them under his buttocks.

He plans to stay in this place for a long time and not move his stall easily.

Who knew that in that short time, the fishing line would suddenly jerk.

what's going on?
He reacted quickly and hurriedly lifted the pole.

Splash! Water splashes everywhere, and a large, golden crucian carp emerges from the water.

That's really giving me face!
Chen Ling didn't expect that such a large catch would come so quickly.

When luck comes, you can't stop it.

Wang Jusheng's eyes lit up with envy. He couldn't bother with any more small talk and just stared intently at the spot where the hook had been cast, afraid of scaring the fish away.

Chen Ling had just put the crucian carp into the bamboo basket and cast his line, less than two minutes later...

Another big crucian carp has been caught...

This looks like they've stirred up a fishpond!

Even with Chen Ling's increasingly indifferent nature, he couldn't help but get excited.

As frequent anglers know, natural aquatic environments are complex and ever-changing, and fish in the water will swim in groups according to the terrain, currents, and other conditions.

and so……

The ability to find fish nests and fish paths has a significant impact on fishing trips.

Moreover, the locations where fish gather vary depending on the season.

Sometimes, even when the distance is only two or three meters and the same bait is used, some people can catch a lot of fish while others can't catch a single small fish.

Just like him and Wang Jusheng are now, exactly the same.

It's very mysterious.

……

Since the goal was to enjoy fishing, Chen Ling naturally didn't cheat.

Both of them used earthworms they had dug up as bait. As it turned out, Chen Ling was really lucky and found a fish nest right away.

As expected, not long after casting the third rod, another crucian carp took the bait.

Then came the fourth, the fifth... and so on, catching about ten fish in a row, each weighing three or four pounds.

For him, fishing had never gone so smoothly.

The fish seem to be in a rush; they bite as soon as you cast the hook, one after another, straight towards you—it's unbelievable.

Wang Jusheng was extremely depressed.

After trying two or three different spots without success, he finally gave up, took all his earthworms, and stood beside Chen Ling to watch him fish.

Damn it, I'm not fishing anymore.

After a while, someone from the dam came over...

"Fugui, Jusheng, what are you two doing fishing at the reservoir in the middle of the day?"

It was Chen Ze who brought his nephew over.

The little kid has a sweet tongue; it wasn't a waste of money to buy him candy. He called Chen Ling "uncle" as soon as he saw him and crowded around to look at the fish in the basket.

Fearing he was getting too close to the water, Chen Ze quickly followed behind.

However, upon closer inspection, the fish in the basket immediately caught my eye.

"Wow, Fugui caught quite a lot, probably four or five pounds."

"Brother Jusheng, you brought a rod too. Why aren't you fishing? Are you just standing here selling sweet potatoes?"

Upon hearing this, Wang Jusheng immediately glared and cursed, "You son of a bitch, you're even more talkative than a woman! I'm willing to stand here and not cast my line, what's it to you?"

It’s really a matter of which pot should not be opened.

"Hehe, if you ask me, you'll never catch a fish..."

Chen Ze raised an eyebrow, deliberately teasing him.

"So what if you can't catch fish? You try it! I don't believe it. I can't catch fish next to Fugui, but you can."

Wang Jusheng pushed the fishing rod in front of him, looking particularly indignant.

"Just come."

Chen Ze didn't hesitate. He asked the man to watch over his nephew, then baited the hook with earthworms and cast his line.

Chen Ling watched from the sidelines, thoroughly amused.

He had a great time fishing today.

He reached out and pinched the little boy's cheek: "Xiao Mao, you've stayed at your maternal grandfather's house long enough this time. Why don't you stay? We have food and toys here, and your uncles can take you to shoot guns in a couple of days."

"It's impossible not to leave, but I'll have to wait until after the New Year to go back. My brother-in-law is coming tomorrow too..."

Chen Ze turned his head and replied.

"Oh, the whole family is here? That's great, it'll be lively."

"So that's why you're all here with Brother Dajiang today, it turns out you're here to welcome your son-in-law."

Chen Ling didn't think too much about it. Chen Dajiang's family lived right next to the reservoir, and there were already quite a few people in the yard when he and Wang Jusheng arrived.

"What's so great about it? Come here to avoid the one-child policy."

Chen Ze smirked: "In a couple of years, if my wife gives birth to our second child, she'll probably have to stay with my sister for a while. There's nothing we can do about it. If you don't find somewhere to hide, won't you be coming home every day? It's so annoying."

As she spoke, perhaps feeling that the topic was a bit heavy, she smiled and said, "It just so happens that my dad's birthday is tomorrow, so I'm coming to my brother's place today to get ready. My brother-in-law is already an old son-in-law, why would I welcome him?"

"That's right, an old son-in-law is worthless. Fugui, you'd better behave yourself when you take your wife back to her parents' home this year. If you get beaten up there, we can't help you."

Wang Jusheng immediately chimed in.

"Nonsense, I'm being very honest now."

Chen Ling shook his head: "Besides, if they really want to be unreasonable and try to force me to fight back, I'm not afraid of three or five of them."

"Oh, you think you're so great? If you really dare to fight with your brother-in-law, I'll write my name backwards."

"That's right, do you dare to be rich and powerful? If you say you dare, I'll immediately tell Susu on you."

Upon hearing this, the two glanced at Chen Ling sideways, their eyes conveying a sense of provocation.

"Haha, no, no, no, I was just saying, why did you two take it seriously?"

"No good, Fugui. Why are you getting more and more afraid of your wife?"

"I won't tell you, you wouldn't understand..."

"I don't understand what you mean, you're just afraid of your wife."

"Okay, okay, I'm afraid of my wife? You make it sound like you're not?"

“I’m not afraid. I even beat her up last night. She screamed and cried.”

"Get lost! Are you sure that's what you call a beating?"

When men get together, how can they not boast a bit and say a few dirty jokes?
As they chatted and laughed, Chen Ling gave the fishing rod a slight twitch and immediately realized that something was wrong with the feel; it was as heavy as if it were stuck on a rock.

However, if you see the fishing line trembling and cutting through the water, it's definitely not a stone.

It's a big fish!
Splash... The water rippled, revealing a slightly reddish, shiny fish tail.

It's a carp.

It's definitely not small.

Chen Ling quickly stood up and started playing with the fish.

Wang Jusheng and Chen Zeli stared in disbelief.

They hurriedly moved the bamboo basket and stones aside so that Chen Ling could fish.

After a while, the carp emerged from the water, splashing up a spray of water.

Chen Ling lifted it up and estimated it to be about six or seven pounds.

The number of large fish in the reservoir has decreased in the past two years, so this one is definitely a big one.

With this big carp, we can call it a day.

Little Mao, watching from the side, seemed quite envious. He pinched two earthworms and handed them to Chen Ze, tilting his head back and saying, "Uncle, you can fish too."

"Okay, your uncle will catch you a big fish too."

Chen Ze took the earthworm, rolled up his sleeves, and cast the line again.

however……

A short while passed.

Chen Ze wiped the sweat from his forehead with his arm and couldn't help but mutter, "Damn it, this is so weird, how come we can't even catch a small one?"

Upon seeing this, Wang Jusheng immediately perked up.

"What did I say? What did I say?"

"You were just laughing at me, but now you can't either."

"Brother Jusheng, keep your voice down, I don't believe it."

Chen Ze frowned and switched to Chen Ling's side.

Ten more minutes passed...

Chen Ze pulled up the fishing rod and handed it to Wang Jusheng, saying, "You old bastard, I'm not fishing anymore."

Wang Jusheng finally breathed a sigh of relief and laughed triumphantly.

If one person is bad at cooking, it's fine; but if two people are bad at cooking, then it's no longer a good dish.

Fu Gui is lucky today.

"Let's go home. We'll have lunch and take a nap. We still have to patrol tonight."

Chen Ze picked up his little nephew and got up to walk home: "Fugui, I'll call you again tonight."

"it is good."

Chen Ling also packed up his fishing rod and prepared to go home with Wang Jusheng.

……

"Don't go yet, Fugui. I need to get some wood ear mushrooms to take back, otherwise your sister-in-law will start nagging."

Wang Jusheng handed him the bamboo fishing rod, then took his own bamboo basket and hurriedly walked to the side.

"fungus?"

Chen Ling was stunned for a moment, then followed him over.

"Yes, it grows on a goji berry tree."

On the west side of the reservoir, there are several large wild peach trees, each about the size of a washbasin. Their trunks have long been hollowed out by longhorn beetles and are mostly half-rotten. These trees are not very useful except for burning as firewood, but they do have one characteristic: they easily grow wood ear mushrooms. Because they are close to the reservoir and have plenty of moisture, if you don't check on them for a few days, large patches of wood ear mushrooms will grow.

Chen Ling followed Wang Jusheng to a few peach trees, and sure enough, they saw that the fallen tree trunks were covered with dense wood ear fungus. Wang Jusheng hadn't caught any fish and didn't want Chen Ling's, so he filled a bamboo basket with wood ear fungus.

That way, I won't go back empty-handed, and I'll have something to say to my wife.

Although Zhang Qiaoling wouldn't blame Chen Ling for having fun with him, a wife can be quite nagging.

"Hey, you should have said so earlier! Couldn't you have just taken two from my basket?"

"No, it won't taste good if I didn't catch it myself."

"..."

Chen Ling was speechless. Where did he learn this bad habit?
-

PS: This is 400,000 words, which is not easy for me, and even more so for the brothers and sisters who are waiting for updates. I really feel ashamed to have failed everyone's support, but I still want to thank you.

First, thank you to the book's operations manager, Dancha Beixiang. I took some time today to read the comments; thank you for your hard work, brother. Also, thank you to 08a and Saosaozhu for their generous donations, and to Zhishui, Shaibuhei, Zilong, Player K13, Tangguoyun, Yulu, Waqiangjiao, Shangshanrushui, Kongxu, Ruanruan, Fangguo Knight, Taishangdaoren, Bajiao, Hupeng, Zitong, and other brothers for their support, as well as to the opinions and corrections from the despicable ones—they were very helpful. I'll strive to update daily and create a group. (Simplified name, 177 characters, no charge)

I'd like to recommend a book by an older brother: "Rebirth in the 90s: From Selling Wine to Becoming the World's Richest Man." He's the one who got me to write it on Qidian. He's a real-life internet company owner, and he writes about business warfare very well.

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(End of this chapter)