Chapter 137: Chapter 78: The Blackfish of Tiaozi Pond (2)

Once the water was mostly drained, a fish-catching scene even more raucous than the morning’s unfolded, but it was a completely different spectacle.

If catching fish in the morning had been just for fun, it was fun filled with joy. But this afternoon’s fish-catching was like a battle, and a very tense one at that.

The people on the bank shouted, cheered, and roared with fervor. Some of the half-grown boys who hadn’t gone in at first watched for a while, but couldn’t resist any longer and finally charged down. Liu Xiaomei’s fourth brother was among them.

Why was it like a battle? Because the pond was full of blackfish! And how strong was a blackfish that weighed several pounds? When they started thrashing, they were simply impossible to hold onto. A few men dragged a large net back and forth through the water, sweeping it. They could catch carp and grass carp, but the blackfish were too cunning. They hid in the mud where the net couldn’t reach them, so the young men had to go in and catch them by hand.

In the pond, water splashed everywhere. The blackfish either remained undiscovered—hiding silently in the mud—or, if found, it meant a fight. They would leap, tumble, and thrash about, drenching people head to toe in water and mud. The fishers often gritted their teeth in frustration, vowing not to give up until they caught their prize.

Because they also had to clear out the pond mud, the men digging were often splattered by blackfish that shot out from the mire. In the winter, blackfish love to hide in the mud, making the afternoon’s activities of catching fish and clearing the pond far more difficult than the morning’s.

Due to the practice of catching the large ones and releasing the small, the blackfish had naturally grown strong and robust. And because of their diet of fish, shrimp, and frogs, the pond had become the blackfish’s domain—other types of fish were extremely rare.

A whole line of sturdy young men could be seen constantly chasing and grappling with the blackfish. There were Big Mouth Zhao, Li Changxing, the brothers Li Changming and Li Changliang, Sun Tiezhu, Qingmu, Zhang Huai, and the little fatty Liu Sanshun. There were also many other boys Juhua didn’t recognize. Even Zhao San had stopped clearing mud to join the hunt for blackfish.

Every time a blackfish was spotted, it would inevitably draw several people to surround and corner it until it was caught. The captured blackfish couldn’t be put in wooden buckets; they were all placed in tightly woven nets. Otherwise, they would have definitely flipped the buckets over.

Juhua was completely captivated by the chaotic scene. Plus, Qingmu was down there, and it wasn’t impossible for one of those nasty blackfish to give you a bite. So, every time she saw Qingmu bend down to catch a fish, she would shriek, half in excitement and half in terror. To make matters worse, Meizi was holding her left arm in a death grip, yanking it every time Juhua got excited. Her right arm was being clung to just as tightly by Little Shitou, so she couldn’t even jump up and down if she wanted to.

Moreover, the withered yellow shrubs were a real nuisance, constantly blocking the view of what was happening nearby. You could only see the other side of the pond clearly. If the fishers moved below the bushes on the near side, the people on the bank couldn’t see them at all—a classic case of not seeing what’s right under your nose.

Fortunately, Qingmu and Zhang Huai worked well together and could always corner the cunning and ferocious blackfish. As soon as they spotted a wriggling trace in the mud, or a gentle ripple in the water with a dark shadow lurking beneath, they would move in. One in front and one behind, they’d reach out in unison—one pinning the head, the other grabbing the tail—to get a firm grip on the nasty black creature. Only after they had it secured would they drag it out of the water. Even with all that caution, the fish nearly struggled free several times, a testament to just how powerful these blackfish were.

After catching a few fish, they looked as if they’d been dredged up from the mud. Juhua gritted her teeth. “That damn fish! I’m definitely going to chop it up and braise it in soy sauce!”

Liu Xiaomei stared blankly for a moment, then doubled over with laughter. It was a while before she caught her breath and said, “The grass carp at lunch didn’t do anything to you, and you still chopped it up and braised it, didn’t you?”

Li Jinxiang, Meizi, and Little Shitou also broke into wide smiles. Thinking of the grass carp that had ended up in their bellies, they eagerly anticipated the same fate for this blackfish: chopped and braised by Juhua.

Down below, Li Gengtian’s voice boomed, “You kids get out of here! Stop fooling around! Getting bitten by one of these blackfish is no joke. They’re vicious!”

But Liu Sixun and the other half-grown boys paid him no mind, having the time of their lives catching fish.

While wrestling with a four- or five-pound blackfish, Li Changming gloriously followed in the little fatty’s footsteps—he fell flat in the water. He had it even worse than the little fatty, though. This water was much murkier than the round pond’s in the morning; it was almost pure mud. He emerged a complete mud man. The sight was so pathetic you could hardly bear to look.

The people on the bank wanted to laugh but felt like they shouldn’t—the fall was just too pitiful, and laughing would seem unkind. But who could possibly hold it in? A wave of stifled laughter rippled through the crowd.

And so, he too made a glorious exit.

More than two hours later, the pond finally began to quiet down as fewer and fewer blackfish were found. People started to clear out the pond mud and gather Ni Qiu and Huang Shan. There were hardly any small fish, and even if there were, no one would catch them. Let them be food for the half-grown blackfish!

Zhang Huai’s sincerity must have moved the heavens, because he finally unearthed an old turtle from the mud, weighing three or four pounds. The boy, as if presenting a priceless treasure, held it up with a grin and brought it to Juhua. He wore the same expression as a young man from Juhua’s past life presenting roses to his beloved.

It hit the mark perfectly. Juhua’s eyes lit up, her attention completely captured by the old turtle—it was even bigger than the one Big Mouth Zhao had given her! Delighted, she and Meizi used straw to tie it up securely. Liu Xiaomei and Li Jinxiang gathered around, and after a brief discussion, they sealed the turtle’s fate: to be braised in soy sauce. The execution was scheduled for noon the next day at Meizi’s house, with the same group of young ladies as witnesses.

Huai Zi wasn’t the least bit angry that Juhua was ignoring him in favor of the turtle. He was thrilled. It was as if Juhua eating the turtle he caught would leave his, Huai Zi’s, brand on her.

And what was Juhua thinking? ’On one hand, Huai Zi is my brother’s good friend. On the other hand, my family has given his family plenty of pork offal and head meat. So what’s the big deal about eating one of his turtles?’ And so, she accepted it without the slightest hesitation.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep