Fishing and Hunting 82, Starting with Three Sisters Who Overprotect Their Brothers

Everyone hurriedly peered over their shoulders.

There were many crucian carp hidden under the leaves beneath the toad.

Zhang Fengxia eagerly scooped one out, weighed it in her hand, and said, "It's quite big, each weighs over two ounces."

"The fourth brother is really good at this job, he's got good luck." Zhang Jianshe stroked his chin and couldn't help but sigh.

You can catch crucian carp while catching frogs.

Gee!

"That's right, when my son does something worthwhile, even God has to lend a hand." Xu Xiulian raised her head, her face full of pride.

"Let's get it back first; it's a shame if the fish dies," Zhang Wenshan said with a smile.

Without pollution, the fish density is high.

It must have been yesterday's rain that caused the mountain stream to swell, and the crucian carp, following the scent of earthworms, slithered into the toad pit, only to find they couldn't swim back.

If there are any unexpected discoveries, it might be worthwhile to visit the town beforehand and do some research.

As he thought this, he began to work, untying the ropes used to secure the netting.

"Little brother, what are you doing?" Zhang Fengxia asked hurriedly upon seeing this. "Aren't you catching frogs anymore?"

"The frogs aren't active when it doesn't rain, so it'll be fine for a while. We can dig out the pond now," Zhang Wenshan said without looking up. "It's more practical to exchange these crucian carp for money first."

The original owner was completely clueless about current policies and prices.

I don't know how much of my own memory matches up, so I have to investigate it myself.

A dozen or so crucian carp—just the right amount for scouting the area.

"I can get two cents. I sold them on my way to school." Zhang Wenhui squatted down to help and quoted a price skillfully.

Zhang Wenshan shook his head and said, "That won't do."

"What, you think I'm after your money?" Zhang Wenhui raised an eyebrow. "Don't believe me? Ask your parents, that's the price!"

Xu Xiulian nodded: "The supply and marketing cooperative's seafood store buys them at a fair price. They can give 25 cents for fish weighing a little over two ounces. In the market, they'll only give 30 cents at most. If it's a dead fish, cutting the price in half is considered good!"

"How about we bring a bucket of water?" Zhang Fengxia suggested.

It takes an hour to get to the town.

They'll be pretty much dead by then!

Someone has tried it before.

"What nonsense are you spouting?" Old Man Zhang Jianshe said irritably. "Fourth Brother can't carry the goods to town by himself, and Third Brother has to go to school. Anyone who goes with him will miss half a day of work."

"There are plenty of fish vendors in town, but we only have a few small fish, and the quantity isn't much. We might not be able to sell any all day."

Zhang Wenhui delivered a precise finishing blow.

"Some people wait until the fish are almost done for in the afternoon before they try to snag a bargain."

"Actually, fish can live without water!"

Zhang Wenshan finally seized the opportunity to interrupt.

"Place a layer of damp grass at the bottom of the basket, sprinkle water twice during the process to cover it up, and it can survive for two or three hours."

"And there's the bow-fishing method."

As he spoke, he untied the thin hemp rope, tied one end to the upper lip of the crucian carp, and the other end to the hard bone of its tail, then gently pulled it tight.

The entire fish immediately arched.

He then put the crucian carp back into the water, and within a minute, the air and mud in the fish's gills were expelled.

"If you do it this way, as long as you don't expose them to direct sunlight, they can still be lively and energetic even after being out of the water for eight hours."

"Are you telling the truth?" Xu Xiulian looked at the fish in her son's hand, her voice trembling slightly, her eyes almost popping out of their sockets.

"Is that even possible?"

"Oh, what a pity, what a pity."

Xu Xiulian slapped her thigh repeatedly, her father Zhang Jianshe's hand, which was lighting a cigarette, froze in mid-air, and her brother-in-law stared blankly at the stream.

Even the most active eldest sister fell silent at this moment.

Zhang Wenshan couldn't help but feel puzzled.

Is it a good thing to make more money?

"There are plenty of crucian carp in the rivers around the village. After the collective big net is used to catch them, no one cares if people take some privately."

Zhang Wenhui's voice grew increasingly low.

"Everyone thought it wasn't worth it to bring it to town; at most, they'd just have a small feast. But who knew..."

Before she finished speaking, Zhang Wenshan understood everything.

In those days, flour cost less than 15 cents a pound, cornmeal about 10 cents, and pork 80 or 90 cents.

Thinking back on all these years, I realize I've missed out on such an easy opportunity to make money.

Everyone is feeling bad.

"They weren't allowed to do business before."

Zhang Wenshan stood up, patted the mud off his hands, and spoke in a loud voice.

"Besides, it's not too late to find out now. Things will only get better from now on."

"That makes sense, the past is the past."

"My little brother is old enough to understand things now, our family has hope for the future."

"Yes, it's not too late to know now."

Old Man Zhang Jianshe waved his hand and said, "Third and fourth sons, go to town together. At home, hurry up and dig ditches to fill them with water."

"Well," Zhang Wenshan said a little embarrassedly, "you need change to sell fish."

The lively atmosphere from just moments ago instantly froze.

The crowd looked at each other and fell silent.

Zhang Wenshan understands.

Now we have to be very careful with every penny we have.

As I said before, the original owner left behind too many pitfalls, and they were too deep.

"Let the eldest go with him." Zhang Jianshe pondered for a long time before finally making a decision through gritted teeth.

Chishongtun is about five or six miles away from the town.

In those days, there were no shuttle buses, and bicycles were a rarity. It would take more than an hour to walk with your belongings on your back.

His home is relatively close; many places are seven or eight miles, or even ten miles away.

"No wonder business is tough, but it's also an opportunity. It seems the town is quite open-minded now."

As Zhang Wenshan watched the constant flow of people on the street and saw many breakfast stalls already set up along the roadside, his thoughts gradually became clearer.

"The market is over there, big sister, keep an eye on it, I'm going to be late for class!" Zhang Wenhui hurriedly pointed in a direction and ran off.

"What would you like to eat, little brother?"

Zhang Fengxia noticed the fourth brother's pleading gaze and leaned closer, lowering her voice.

"I secretly saved up one yuan and five taels of grain coupons. Don't tell anyone when you get back."

"I'm not eating, let's go."

Zhang Wenshan couldn't help but chuckle. He never expected that in his second life, he would still be treated like a brother-supporting demon.

Surprisingly, it felt pretty good.

If I had these conditions in my past life, I would have just lay down and done with it.

Pity!

"Third brother said the market is over there?" Zhang Fengxia stopped nervously after taking a few steps. "Let's not wander off, what if we get lost?"

Her voice became even softer in the unfamiliar environment, revealing her unease.

"It's okay, browsing around isn't illegal. I'll learn about the market before I start doing business in the future."

Zhang Wenshan smiled reassuringly, his eyes constantly scanning the surroundings.

"I've been in town for at least half a year."

He understood his older sister's fears and worries.

My first time in the city in my past life wasn't much better; looking at the cars darting around the streets, my legs went weak.

Passing by the glittering storefronts, I didn't dare to lift my head when I heard the greeters.

By comparing his memory with his own, Zhang Wenshan quickly grasped the basic situation of the town. His gaze swept around and soon locked onto a large courtyard.

Time to sell the fish!

"Auntie, are you busy? Sorry to bother you."

"Who is it? What do you want?"

"Could you please call Zhang Yaqin? My sister isn't producing enough milk after giving birth, so I'm bringing some crucian carp. Look how fresh they are, just caught this morning!"

"We don't have anyone with that name in our department."

"Huh? Wrong place? Oh dear, the fish will go bad soon, what should we do?"

Watching his younger brother barge into the unfamiliar courtyard and chat and laugh with the unfamiliar aunt, he soon exchanged two fish for 15 cents.

Zhang Fengxia stood frozen in the alley, completely dumbfounded.

Her mind was buzzing, she was almost unable to think, and only one thought remained.

Isn't this a lie?