Siheyuan: Relieve stress and relieve worries

Chapter 927 Unexpected Disaster
Sunday, March 24, 1957
Early in the morning, Xiao Si and Xiao Wu came to the door. Da Lao Tie had to go to the sports school and did not come. After they entered the house, they said hello and began to pack up the fishing rods and fishing gear as if they were in familiarity. They also wiped the tricycle and then waited for Wang Zhan and Wang Li in the main room with a cup of hot water each.

Wang Zhan didn't actually plan to go out today. He was thinking of tidying up his study. He and his sister often flipped through the books on the bookshelf, and now it was a bit messy.

But looking at Xiao Si and Xiao Wu who were sitting on the Diaoyutai, he shook his head helplessly, asked his sister to have breakfast, pack up, and then went out with these two wicked people.

We went to Yongding River again today. It’s not that we didn’t want to go to Shichahai, but it’s just that place is crowded during the weekends. There’s a fisherman every few steps, and it’s really hard to catch anything.

When they arrived at the Yongding River, they found a place they were familiar with and started to get busy. It’s no wonder that their luck was really good today. The three of them kept fishing and before noon, the wooden barrels they brought were full of fish.

Xiao Si looked at the fish in the bucket and said, "That's it for today. We're almost there now. We can go back and rest for half a day."

Xiao Wu asked, "How are we going to deal with so many fish?"

Wang Zhan didn't say anything before he pulled up the fishing rod. Looking at the float, Xiao Si said, "We can't eat so many. We'll keep two fish each and send the rest to the purchasing station."

Xiao Wu nodded, and Wang Zhan had no objection. At this time, Xiao Wu urged Wang Zhan to reel it in quickly. Wang Zhan also felt that it was almost time, so he planned to reel in the rod, but he didn't expect the float to sink suddenly.

Wang Zhan quickly began to reel in the rod, reeling in the fish bit by bit. He felt that the fish was very strong and it looked like it would not be small. Xiao Si and Xiao Wu were also stunned. Even Wang Li stopped playing by the river and ran to Wang Zhan's side.

After 20 minutes of struggle, the catch finally floated to the surface, and Xiao Si exclaimed, "What a big turtle!"

Wang Zhan laughed. This turtle was not really big. It looked to weigh only about 6 or 7 kilograms, but it was really strong. No wonder it was so hard to catch it.

Wang Zhan threw the turtle into the bucket and shouted, "It's a great success. Let's go home and eat the turtle."

These people had never eaten soft-shelled turtle since they were young. Only Wang Zhan had eaten it in the south. He knew that it was a very nutritious food, so he was extremely happy.

Wang Li kept asking, "Brother, can you eat something this ugly?"

"My lovely sister, can you eat it? It's delicious. I'll make it for you when I get home." Wang Zhan said.

When Xiao Si and Xiao Wu heard what Wang Zhan said, they knew that this must be a good thing, so they packed up their things and went home.

When they arrived at Nanluoguxiang, Wang Zhan and his sister parted ways with Xiaosi and Xiaowu. Wang Zhan took his sister back to make lunch, while Xiaosi and Xiaowu pushed the tricycle to the purchasing station to deliver the fish.

It was afternoon in Maoer Hutong. No matter whether people had eaten lunch or not, few people came out. Most people were resting at home. Wang Zhan was carrying a bucket and Wang Li next to him was holding a candied haws and walking home.

Just as he reached the entrance of his own alley, he met Sha Zhu and Jia Dongxu coming out of Yard No. 95. Wang Zhan saw them, and they also saw Wang Zhan and his sister. Sha Zhu avoided their gaze and didn't want to talk to Wang Zhan and his sister, but Jia Dongxu was different. He was staring at the bucket in Wang Zhan's hand.

Jia Dongxu walked a few steps quickly, greeted him with a smile, and said, "Hey, isn't this Wang Zhan from the East Cross Courtyard? Why did you go out fishing? You're back in the middle of the day. How did you catch anything?"

As he spoke, his eyes drifted towards the bucket. Floating on the top of the bucket was the giant turtle. Jia Dongxu's eyes suddenly widened.

Sha Zhu followed slowly from behind, also looked at Wang Zhan and said, "I'm out. Have you eaten?" This was a common greeting among the people in Old Sijiu City. Wang Zhan said, "No, I just got back. I haven't even entered the house yet. I'm out. Then you go and do your work. I'm back."

Wang Zhan did not answer Jia Dongxu's words. He just exchanged a few words with Sha Zhu and was about to take Wang Li into the alley where his home was.

Jia Dongxu shouted exaggeratedly: "Wow, what a big turtle! This is a very tonic food. Silly Zhu, take a look."

Only then did Sha Zhu look at the bucket. He also saw the turtle. As a chef, he was very sensitive about ingredients. Sha Zhu recognized at a glance that this was a wild turtle, and it was of a good age. It was indeed a rare ingredient.

Jia Dongxu pulled Sha Zhu's sleeves, turned around and asked, "Wang Zhan, you see, you are still young, this tonic should not be suitable for you to eat, how about this, you give this turtle to us brothers, and I will give you one dollar."

Wang Zhan chuckled. Jia Dongxu really thought he was a child. He wanted to buy his six-pound wild turtle for only one dollar. He was really crazy.

Wang Zhan ignored him and went straight into the alley, shouting, "Lili, go home to avoid running into scammers."

Wang Li was also happy and ran into the alley with the candied haws.

Sha Zhu also looked at Jia Dongxu as if he were a fool and asked, "Brother Dongxu, do you think Wang Zhan is easy to deceive?"

Jia Dongxu looked at Sha Zhu blankly, and thought of all the things that happened between Wang Zhan and his master. He slapped his head and said, "I, I forgot. I only remembered that he was a child."

"Let's go, Brother Dongxu. If we don't leave now, there will be nothing left in the market." Sha Zhu walked out of Maoer Hutong, and Jia Dongxu followed closely behind him.

Back at the east courtyard, Wang Zhan tidied up briefly and went to the kitchen to busy himself. Wang Li went back to the main room and teased Jinbao.

Xiao Si and Xiao Wu came back soon. Xiao Wu leaned against the kitchen door and said that he sold 45.6 yuan for the fish. He used 60 cents to buy a soda, and they split the 45 yuan. Wang Zhan nodded and said nothing. "Okay, go and wait. The food will be ready soon. The turtle will be out of the pot soon. Bring the bowl and chopsticks over."

Xiaowu also started to get busy. It was around two o'clock in the afternoon when several people had lunch. The staple food was still steamed buns made of two grains of flour. The dishes were richer. Wang Zhan made fried eggs with leeks and cabbage with vinegar. The main dish was braised soft-shelled turtle, and it was also served with two small cold dishes.

Several people were also hungry, so no one spoke. When the dishes were served, they all started to eat. Wang Zhan prepared Jinbao's lunch and then put it on the table.

Everyone felt a little full after this meal, partly because they had been hungry for too long and partly because the braised soft-shelled turtle made by Wang Zhan was really delicious. They finished the whole bowl of it cleanly without leaving any.

Several people sat in the main room chatting, drinking tea, and digesting their food.

Suddenly, there was a rapid and continuous sound of gongs in the yard next door. Xiao Si and Xiao Wu sat up instantly and asked, "What's wrong? Is there a fire?"

Wang Li burst out laughing and said, "Don't be afraid, my two brothers. There is a big meeting next door. The sound of gongs can be heard every now and then."

(End of this chapter)