Go back to the prosperous days and become a layman

Chapter 947 Night Fishing
Zhang Guifang was both happy and worried when she heard that a friend with a son was coming to host a dinner party the day after tomorrow.

I'm happy that my child is growing up and making more friends, but I'm worried that we don't have enough meat and other food at home, so what will we use to entertain guests?
"Mom, don't worry, I'll take care of it. I'll go to the old house after get off work, pick some fish, and catch a few more tonight. That should be enough for a few dishes," Tang Zhitong reassured her mother.

"Okay." Zhang Guifang nodded in agreement, but she didn't take it too seriously, especially her son's suggestion of fishing. Are fish so easy to catch? Do they just come out of nowhere?
In the evening, Ms. Wang and her husband found out in detail who would be coming over on Sunday. After learning that Mr. and Mrs. Yan Xiongfei were coming, they started planning how to entertain them, especially little Yan Ningning.

Seeing how much his mother and classmate Xiao Wang cared, Tang Zhitong became even more determined to go fishing the next day.

Saturday, October 7.

Tang Zhitong did his usual routine in the morning, and he didn't cut corners when cooking lunch because of tomorrow's potluck. All guests are guests, and Xiao Gu's status in his heart is no less than that of tomorrow's guests.

After getting off work in the afternoon, Tang Zhitong deliberately stayed a little later, allowing time to take a detour to Tieluguba.

On his way home, Tang Zhitong hummed a little tune.

"Grandpa's chickens have their coop, I want my brother with knives and forks, I'll summon thunder from the heavens, he'll steal my ducks and sell them to Wang Zhiyong at the village entrance..."

Some people say that the same song sounds better when sung in Cantonese.

Tang Zhitong felt that this statement was not entirely accurate, as it depended on the type of music and the singer.

Just like the song "Sheng Sheng Man", the most charming version has to be the one with Han Qing's soft Wu dialect. Other versions just don't feel quite right.

After humming a song, Tang Zhitong sighed. Some Cantonese songs do sound nice and are catchy, but it's not appropriate to write them down right now. Firstly, the style is more pop, and secondly, the economy in Southeast China hasn't developed yet, so Cantonese has a weak voice and its audience needs to be expanded.

When Tang Zhitong arrived home, he not only had some tomatoes, cucumbers, and loofahs in his bag, but also several sections of lotus root in a net bag.

"The iron wheel over there... they really kept it?" Zhang Guifang was overjoyed to see her son carrying the big and small wheelchairs.

"Yes, they left some, but they said they plan to level the yard to make it easier to store things, so I guess there won't be any left." Although Tang Zhitong had previously assured her mother that all the vegetables produced in the old house were from their own farm, she changed her mind at this moment.

She had said that before to dispel her mother's doubts, and it was based on the premise that she wouldn't go out. But now Tang Zhitong has decided to make a trip to Guangxi Province soon...

This was a bit of a problem. Tang Zhitong was afraid that his mother would go to the iron well alone to pick vegetables while he was away.

"Sigh, there's nothing we can do about it. We have to listen to the government. Where did these lotus roots come from? They look so fresh and clean." Zhang Guifang didn't think much of it, since the yard was already full when she came to look at the house.

“We have an old relationship. I might have to go on a business trip in a while, and I’ll also be going out for military training next month. I’ll buy some lotus roots and put them in the cellar then. If we run out of vegetables, we can eat lotus roots. They’ll keep for a while anyway.” Tang Zhitong winked at her mother, racking her brains to prepare food reserves for the family.

It's the height of summer now, and other vegetables don't keep well, but lotus root is an exception. As long as you soak lotus root in water and put it in a cellar, it won't spoil even after ten days to half a month.

"Okay, whatever you say. Let me know when you're going on a business trip, and I'll get you some cornbread and pancakes in advance," Zhang Guifang muttered as she helped her son carry the groceries to the east wing.

"Okay, I'll tell you when it's settled. You stay upstairs, I'll come down by myself." Tang Zhitong put down his things, intending to get his mother to leave first.

Carrying a half-bucket of water down to the cellar was quite heavy, and with Zhang Guifang here, it wasn't convenient for him to cheat.

Tang Zhitong set aside two sections of lotus root for dinner, and put the rest into the cellar. After putting the vegetables away, he came out of the cellar and realized that the yard was unusually quiet today.

"Where are the little ones?" Tang Zhitong saw the popsicle box under the door as soon as he entered, which meant that the popsicles were sold out, but the vendor was nowhere to be seen.

“Wenwen is watching them read.” Zhang Guifang said with a smile. When had her own child ever read a book before? It was only after her son got married that he gradually developed the habit of reading.

Zhang Guifang's mother-in-law used to say that the family tradition of farming and studying should be passed down through generations, but the family didn't have the means back then. Now things are better, and Zhang Guifang feels that her mother-in-law's expectations can be realized in her own hands.

"I'll go take a look." Tang Zhitong felt a little guilty after hearing this. The money that Xiao Wang had saved up was originally intended to buy books for his younger siblings during the holidays, but it was all spent on replacing the yard and renovating the house.

Upon arriving at the west wing, not only were the four children engrossed in reading a book, but even Xiao Wang was setting a good example by reading intently.

Two people were sitting at the desk, while the rest sat on the bedside. There was a stack of books on the desk.

Seeing all this, Tang Zhitong was somewhat moved. It must not have been easy to borrow these books, because the library has a rule that each person can only borrow a maximum of four books at a time.

Xiao Wang borrowed so many books at once, so he had to ask for favors and use other people's borrowing slots.

"Brother! Sister-in-law took us to the library to borrow books today!" Fengzhi, who was engrossed in her reading, turned around from her chair after hearing the commotion to take credit for her classmate, Xiao Wang.

"Oh? They issued you library cards?" Tang Zhitong was taken aback, then realized what was going on.

"Hmm! We each have a library card, and we can borrow two books at a time! The library is huge, I almost got overwhelmed by all the choices." It was Fengzhi's first time at the library, and she was showing off her knowledge to her brother.

“Before, it was inconvenient to borrow books because I lived far away. Now that I live closer, I got them library cards.” Xiao Wang closed the book, stood up, and greeted her husband.

"That's good, that's good. It's better to get a library card. Books can only be read when borrowed, and borrowing books will help with learning." Tang Zhitong smiled and affirmed Xiao Wang's decision.

There's definitely something to know about books. Some people like to buy books, but most of them end up gathering dust on the shelf. On the other hand, they always feel a rush to finish reading the ones they borrow.

Tang Zhitong had done this kind of thing quite a lot before. Looking back, he read the most books when he was in college, either spending time in the library or in book rental stores. After starting work, he only had his phone with him.

"My sister-in-law even brought me some algae!" Fengzhi continued, taking credit for Xiao Wang's actions. She then showed off to Jingmin, saying, "Hmph, I don't want yours anymore, my sister-in-law gave me even more!"

“Your stuff is impure, it’s full of impurities!” Jingmin argued, his face flushed red.

“My sister-in-law said it will get better with time. Anyway, it’s more than yours, it’ll make you so angry, so angry.” Fengzhi wasn’t fooled, she put down her book and made a face at Jingmin.

"Focus on your book, and don't argue." Tang Zhitong flicked her sister on the forehead and asked Xiao Wang, "Where did you get this algae? You didn't go and collect it yourself, did you?"

"The company organized people to collect these from Beihai Park. We distributed some to everyone so we can take them home and cultivate them." Xiao Wang flashed her dimples at her husband. She knew he wasn't fond of algae, so she gave them directly to Fengzhi, considering it her summer homework. "Being close to the water tower gives you an advantage. Your company is pretty good." Tang Zhitong nodded in agreement. As long as Xiao Wang didn't go and collect them herself, it would be fine. Riverbanks and lakeshores are slippery and dangerous.

"Brother-in-law, we sold several bottles of soda today. I saved the bottle caps for you." Seeing his friend's disappointment, Jingmin happily took out the bottle caps from his pocket and told Tang Zhitong the good news.

"Okay, thank you for your thoughtfulness." Tang Zhitong took the bottle cap from his brother-in-law, patted his head, and planned to make a fish-scraping tool later.

In the days to come, whenever I'm at home, I'll probably rely on fish as a source of protein for my family.

Although you can use a kitchen knife to remove scales, the blade makes it less convenient. A fish scraper is much safer, and even Fengzhi and Jingmin can use it without any danger.

Jingmin, flattered by the praise, raised his head proudly at Fengzhi, as if to say: Look at me getting praised, aren't you envious? I'll make you so mad!
Then he successfully got slapped by Xiao Wang: "Study your book properly."

While Xiao Wang was guarding the mythical beasts, Tang Zhitong returned to the courtyard and pretended to pull a thin piece of wood from the firewood and chop it with an axe. In reality, he used a hook to process a wooden strip and made a fish-scraping tool.

Now that we have the fish-scraping tool, we need to catch some fish, but we need to eat first before we start fishing.

Tang Zhitong stir-fried lotus root strips; the method is simple and easy to learn.

The first step is to peel the lotus root. If this step were done before the side dishes were tightened, Tang Zhitong would definitely have to use a peeling tool.

But we can't waste the side dishes right now, so we have to use chopsticks to peel them.

Tang Zhitong stubbornly believes that chopsticks are an important symbol of whether a nation possesses a civilized diet.

The chopsticks are cleverly designed with a round top and bottom, ensuring hygiene, ease of use, and other uses, such as peeling lotus root or loofah.

Hold the chopsticks by the bottom and use the edges to scrape the surface of the lotus root. The light brown skin on the surface of the lotus root will slowly peel off, revealing the white lotus root flesh.

Rinse briefly under running water, place on a cutting board and cut in half or three sections. Then cut into long strips along the direction of the lotus root holes, each about the thickness of a chopstick.

Heat oil in a wok, sauté chopped scallions until fragrant, add lotus root strips and stir-fry for three to five minutes, add a little salt, two spoonfuls of vinegar, and a pinch of MSG, mix well and remove from heat immediately.

It's crisp, sour, and salty, which kids love, but it's not very tooth-friendly for elderly people.

After dinner, Tang Zhitong still didn't have time to collaborate with Xiao Wang to rewrite "The Painter," because he was going fishing today to prepare for tomorrow's hot pot dinner.

There were no earthworms, but there was cornmeal at home. Tang Zhitong grabbed a small handful, mixed it with water to form a dough, and planned to use it as fish bait.

"Brother-in-law! I want to go too!" Jingmin saw his brother-in-law mix the bait and pick up the fishing rod. He stopped reading his book and risked being whipped by his older sister to run to Tang Zhitong's side. He grabbed Tang Zhitong's pants and wouldn't let go, as if he would pull Tang Zhitong's pants down if he wasn't taken along.

"Alright, let's go." Tang Zhitong held the fishing rod in one hand and grabbed the waistband of his pants with the other. The brat must weigh sixty or seventy pounds. His pants couldn't withstand the strain of the kid pulling so hard. Even if the belt was sturdy, the pants might not be sturdy. It wouldn't look good if they tore and exposed his flesh.

With Tang Zhitong's permission, Jingmin grew bolder and made a face at Xiao Wang, getting his wish in return for a slap.

"Where are we going fishing?" With her husband looking after her younger brother, Xiao Wang felt very at ease. However, she was very curious about her husband's fishing skills. After all, she had never heard of anyone catching more than forty fish in just one afternoon, and each of them could be sold for two yuan and fifty cents!

"Anywhere is fine, how about Tongzihe? It's close by, why don't you come along and take a look?" Tang Zhitong smiled, knowing that this was because of the huge shock that Xiao Wang had experienced last time. However, with the pendant on his person, he wasn't afraid of Xiao Wang watching. He took this opportunity to put her mind at ease.

"Okay." Xiao Wang had the same idea, so he readily agreed.

Just outside Dashizuo Hutong is the Tongzi River, making fishing incredibly convenient.

Previously, fishing was possible in both the Tongzi River and the Jinshui River. The Russian bear was seen fishing on the banks of the Jinshui River in a color documentary released at the beginning of the People's Republic of China.

When the camera was filming the scene of fishing in the Jinshui River, a translator lingered on it for a few seconds.

"Green hills everywhere bury loyal bones, why need a horsehide to wrap the corpse and return home?"

This may be one of the few color images of him that have survived to this day.

Some people now believe that fishing in the Jinshui River and Tongzi River poses safety hazards and suggest a ban, but ultimately only the Jinshui River was banned, not the Tongzi River.

Even so, it still caused some gossip: the railings on the Jinshui River are nothing to worry about safety; people just think they are unsightly and make the place look bad.

Although fishing is not prohibited in the Tongzi River, and it is located in a bustling area with many residents, there are not many people fishing here.

There are three reasons. First, there are indeed fewer fish here than in Shichahai. Second, there is a stone wall about half a person's height around the Tongzi River, so you have to stand while fishing, which is tiring. Third, due to insufficient food and non-staple food supplies, some citizens have developed night blindness.

Tang's family's diet has always been above average. Not only are there no night blindness problems in the family, but Fengzhen and Fengzhi's hair has also become thicker and smoother, and they are growing taller quickly.

Jingmin had grown taller, but he was still a bit short compared to the stone wall. He had to stand on tiptoe and lean against the wall to see a little bit of the Tongzi River. Even so, he kept begging Tang Zhitong, "Good brother-in-law, let me cast a couple of lines."

"What? Is there another bad brother-in-law?" Tang Zhitong laughed upon hearing this, handed the fishing rod to Xiao Wang, grabbed his brother-in-law, and made him straddle the stone wall.

"Come on, hold on tight to the fishing rod, I'll hold you." This posture looks dangerous, but it's actually not safe at all. If a big fish is hooked, Jingmin might be pulled down. So Tang Zhitong chose to lean against the stone wall and wrap his arm around Jingmin's waist to act as his human safety rope.

Even so, Jingmin's enthusiasm remained undiminished, and he showed no signs of the aftereffects of falling into the water.

Today is the 23rd day of the lunar calendar. The moon will not rise into the sky until late at night. Right now, the stars are shining brightly, and the visibility on the river is very low.

Before Tang Zhitong could even put the fish on the hook, Jingmin felt the pull from the hook, gripped the fishing rod tightly with both hands, and exclaimed with joy, "Brother-in-law, a fish has taken the bait!"

(End of this chapter)