Back to my 1980s

Zhao Ru quietly walked up to him and whispered with a smile, "They caught so few fish. Luckily, we have a boat to go out of the river and fish for them."

"Yeah, there's only a small area on the shore. Further out, there are all kinds of strange weeds and rocks. Nobody goes there yet, so it's normal that there aren't many fish since everyone is crowding into this small area."

"If they catch fish for too long, will they still dare to come back? Won't they be unable to catch any in the future?" Zhao Ru asked with a slight smile, her curiosity piqued.

"Pretty much, but after they tasted success selling their fish today, nothing can stop them anymore, not even the weeds, the strange rocks, or the ditches."

The two walked along the river for a while. He satisfied his curiosity and turned to look at the opposite bank. A light rain was falling, the water was flowing gently, raindrops were pattering on the river, and a thin mist was spreading across the river. The sky was gradually darkening. Zhao Hua stood quietly on the riverbank and gazed into the distance.

Seeing that he remained silent, his gaze fixed on the opposite bank, Zhao Ru stepped forward and stood beside him, holding her breath as she followed his gaze to the misty, rain-shrouded opposite bank.

He gazed at the twilight river before him, a thousand thoughts flooding his mind.

Even after being back for so long, he still sometimes feels anxious and uneasy, and has a sense of urgency, afraid that one day he will wake up to find himself lying on a construction site or in a hospital.

But every time he goes to the riverbank, looking at the mountains and rivers, his family and relatives, and feeling his own real touch, all the unease in his heart disappears. Even if it is just a dream, he just wants to cherish the days he has now.

He took a deep breath, the faint sound of flowing water lingering at the tip of his nose, and turned to Zhao Ru, saying, "Let's go! Let's go home!"

Zhao Ru didn't know what was wrong with him. Hearing this, she glanced at the river and nodded, saying, "Okay, Mother should have dinner ready soon."

The two returned to the courtyard. As soon as they entered the house, Zhao's mother came out of the kitchen. Seeing them, she asked in bewilderment, "What have you two been doing? The fish are all hanging in the yard. I looked left and right but couldn't find you. The little fish you picked out are just piled up in the yard. You didn't even bother with them. I had to come back and clean them up!"

"There's nowhere to put them. I had to go to my older brothers' houses to get baskets to hold all these fish. I was thinking of asking you what to do with them when you got back. I just went to the river to check. Is dinner ready yet?" He pointed to the baskets of fish hanging in the yard.

"What's so interesting about the riverbank? You go there every day and haven't you had enough? Then go and clear the table, dinner's almost ready." Zhao's mother glanced at them and went back to the kitchen.

The two men pursed their lips, exchanged a glance, went inside, tidied up the table and chairs, and sat down with Zhao's father in the main room to prepare for dinner.

The family finished their simple dinner under the dim light of an electric lamp, chatted for a while, and then washed up and went to bed.

The rain outside the window pattered on and on all night long.

The next morning, before dawn, the sound of water being splashed came from inside the house. Zhao Hua opened his eyes and jumped out of bed.

He didn't sleep well that night; with so many fish hanging in the yard, he would get up every now and then to check on them.

He walked into the yard, lifted the water plants covering the fish, and saw that the fish looked much the same as last night after being washed by the rain all night. He breathed a slight sigh of relief.

He cleared away all the weeds in the yard, went inside, and had a simple breakfast with his family. Zhao's mother guessed they would be busy for a long time today, so she boiled an egg for each of them.

After finishing his meal, Zhao Hua spread the burlap sacks on the cart and put all the fish on it. Today was the market day, so he didn't have to walk a long way to sell his fish in other villages, but he still had to share the profits.

A moment later, the three girls arrived in the courtyard, still dressed as they were yesterday: raincoats and rain boots. It was likely that their family hadn't gone fishing, otherwise it would have been difficult for them to wear raincoats out this morning.

The three girls were all taken aback when they saw the fish in the cart. After sorting them yesterday, they had more than 300 jin of fish that could be sold, and they all asked Zhao Ru how she had caught so many fish.

Zhao Ru briefly explained it to them, and the three girls listened with shining eyes and envy.

They went along to sell fish for a few days, which gave them a more direct understanding of the value of these fish. These fish were all money! How much were so many fish worth? You know, in the countryside these days, a proper and respectable marriage only costs a maximum of three hundred yuan.

These fish are enough to cover their dowry when they get married. The three of them looked at each other. Although they knew that catching fish was quite profitable, they still felt a sense of unreality.

Zhao Hua didn't have time to greet them. He quickly prepared everything. There were too many fish today, and it would be difficult for him and Zhao Ru to sell them all by themselves. He had already arranged with his parents early in the morning to ask them to help set up a stall.

At this moment, Zhao's mother was checking whether the doors and windows were closed properly, preparing to go to the market with Zhao Hua. Zhao's father went out to help find rain boots, raincoats, and a scale.

When Zhao's father returned home, Zhao Hua had already pulled the cart out the door. After Zhao's father handed the raincoat and rain boots to Zhao's mother, and she was dressed and the courtyard gate was closed, the group set off and pushed the cart to the path behind the house.

Zhao's mother followed beside the car and complained to Zhao Hua in a low voice, "You even invited me. Why didn't you invite your older brothers? They feed you and clean up your messes every day."

Zhao Hua ignored her when he heard this. Since they were already there, why did she have to say anything? Zhao's father and Zhao Ru, who were standing nearby, also ignored her. Zhao Ru walked with the three girls.

The other girl is named Meng Qinghe. She is said to be seventeen years old. Her family is the only one in the village with the surname Meng. Her father seems to be a former educated youth who was sent to the countryside. He looks quiet and gentle, which is out of place with the rough and tough rural men.

Meng Qinghe was usually quiet and reserved. When Zhao Ru and the others spoke, she would mostly agree softly. Zhao Hua felt that the families of educated youth should value education, so she wondered why they hadn't gone to school. Zhao Hua rarely paid attention to her and didn't know how Zhao Ru had become friends with them.

The group arrived at an alley next to the market. It was a rainy day, and the vendors were all crammed into their stalls, with few empty spaces left. He was a little speechless; these people really got up very early.

After discussing it with Zhao's father, they decided to let Zhao Ru stay with her friends, while Zhao's father and Zhao Hua would be separated at one end of the market and the other at the other, since there were residents on both sides anyway, and the middle would be left for Zhao's mother.

The group roughly divided the fish on the cart. Zhao Ru was experienced and had proof of her identity, and there were more people around, so she got a larger share of the fish. After the fish were divided, Zhao Ru's friends helped her carry the fish to the stall, while he helped Zhao's mother carry the fish to the shed in the middle of the market.

Afterwards, everyone went their separate ways. He carried his fish, walked to the market street, and stood in the rain waiting for customers to come to him.

It was raining, so it wasn't a good time to light a cigarette. With people coming and going all around, he didn't dare leave the fish there and went to a corner to sneak a smoke. Just as he was feeling bored, he suddenly heard a panicked and frightened scream.

Zhao Hua looked in the direction of the voice and saw the girl who had been the first to buy his fish in the crowd. The person who made the voice was the girl who had been with him last time.