bookrebus Chapter 248 Sun Weimin is getting married, so he needs to give a large wedding gift.
Chapter 248 Sun Weimin is getting married, so he needs to give a large wedding gift.
A two-kilometer-long fishing net was launched into the river through an ice hole. The surrounding crowd cheered, celebrating the successful launch.
Winter on the Huma River is bustling. On the frozen surface of the river, fishermen and villagers are busy preparing for their fishing trips. Living off the river, each time they cast their nets, the fishing foreman and villagers feel a deep respect for the mighty river. Some elderly people even clasp their hands together and pray to the heavens for a bountiful harvest when they haul in their nets.
The fishing village is simple and full of life, brimming with the flavor of that era.
The fishing nets used are very large, with mesh sizes large enough for an adult's hand to pass through; the mesh is about 6 inches in diameter. This is to release the baby fish, allowing for a "keep the big ones and leave the small ones" fishing method, ensuring a bountiful harvest year after year. Finally, the net is pulled out, a very traditional method, using a horse-drawn winch to haul it out. The fish, still carrying the chill from beneath the ice, create a spectacular scene of fish leaping from the frozen lake.
The first step is to cut the opening for the nets. A rectangular opening is cut into the ice, through which two large fishing nets are lowered into the water.
He Shangguo stood at the front, directing everyone to lower the net.
Setting up the net was quite interesting; Li Ju'an thought it was like threading a needle. He followed He Shangguo, the foreman, using a 10-meter-long wooden pole that looked just like a needle, with a line attached to the end. The line was a rope attached to the end of the pole, and that rope was then attached to the huge fishing net.
Behind him stood Song Desheng, while the Lu brothers on the other side each held the same wooden pole, launching them into the water from opposite ends of the net's opening. Then, both groups, pole in hand, gripped the poles tightly, their arm muscles bulging, and strained under the guidance and shouts of the fishing foreman. With their effort, the poles slowly moved beneath the ice towards the ice holes on either side.
Before Song Desheng could figure out what use the ice hole was, he strained to move the wooden pole, his face turning red and veins bulging on his neck. He shouted at Li Ju'an, "What's the use of this ice hole? We've been chiseling for ages to get this thing out, and it's not even going to be of any use. We're going to be in big trouble."
Li Ju'an shouted, "What's the rush? Look, Chief He has already used Ice Eye."
He Shangguo directed the group to cast their nets. He led the fishermen, relatives of the He family, using tools to control the direction of the wooden poles at each ice hole. More than 20 fishing and hunting tools were laid out on the ice, all of them embodying the collective wisdom passed down from the ancestors of the fishing village.
Below the wooden pole held by Li Ju'an were ropes and fishing nets. As the He family members used tools to poke holes in the ice, each hole became a point of relay baton passing.
Guided by two wooden poles, the two fishing nets moved slowly, and then were gradually peeled apart by a tool inserted into the ice hole, which controlled their direction. Finally, the two fishing nets came together at the outlet.
A line of people cheered on the ice, their shouts deafening.
Children laughed and chattered as they gathered around to look at the net. An old man plucked a handful of tobacco, put it in his pipe, lit it, squinted, and exhaled a smoke ring, saying, "Today we're sure to have a big harvest."
He Shangguo knew the location for setting the net on the ice was excellent. The two-kilometer-long net required the combined efforts of almost half the village's fishermen. But setting the net wasn't the most strenuous part; the most difficult, and also the most anticipated, was retrieving it.
This is the busiest season for winter fishing on the Huma River.
After casting the net, they had to wait until the fish gathered before they could haul it in. During this time, Li Ju'an led the Lu brothers and several others back to the He family home with He Shangguo to prepare the tools.
He Shangguo showed him a new fishing net that the He family had half-finished making. It was the perfect size, with a 6-inch mesh, large enough to catch big fish but also allowing baby fish to escape. He explained, “Connect the bottom and top of this net to bamboo poles with iron hooks. You’ll need about a dozen hooks. Then, put the net into the ice ditch, let the fish float down with the water, and pull it up through the ice hole.” Each end of the net required about fifteen or sixteen people to pull it.
Song Desheng was surprised to hear this, his eyes widening in astonishment. He said, "So many people are needed! This is much more strenuous than hunting in the mountains."
Second Grandpa, puffing on his pipe, grinned and said, "That's for sure. Fishing requires half the village to work and contribute. It's nothing like being a hunter."
Song Desheng had originally planned to stay in the fishing village and learn more fishing and hunting skills, but upon hearing this, he stuck out his tongue and laughed at Li Ju'an, "Goodness, how many households are there in the family village? Even if you invited all your relatives from your hometown village, it probably wouldn't be enough people."
The fishing village is comprised of dozens of interconnected hamlets. Whenever help is needed during fishing or hunting, each household sends out fishermen or able-bodied men. If your family needs help today, our sons or nephews will go to assist. If my family needs fishermen tomorrow, your family will also contribute. There's no calculating rivalry among neighbors; instead, there's a warm and friendly atmosphere.
Li Ju'an turned his head and saw Sun Weimin grinning widely, leaning against the window looking out. He patted Sun Weimin on the shoulder, and Sun Weimin was startled, shouting, "What are you doing! I'm not going to go online, I'm too tired."
Li Ju'an glanced in the direction Sun Weimin was looking, and what he saw made him laugh. It turned out that Lu Zhiqiang had gone on another date with Yang Tingting. The two of them had also chosen an unfortunate place for their date—right behind the snow shelter.
Inside the snow shelter were old men playing cards and drinking. There weren't many quiet places in the village; the young people were all skateboarding on the ice. Lu Zhiqiang, being shrewd, knew that the ice was mostly populated by young people, so he pulled Yang Tingting to a secluded spot—behind the snow shelter. Inside the snow shelter, the old men were shouting and making a lot of noise, but this corner behind the shelter was truly deserted. Their whispers were drowned out by the old men's voices.
Lu Zhiqiang stroked Yang Tingting's small hand, and before he knew it, he kissed her.
Sun Weimin covered his mouth and laughed heartily. Suddenly, Li Ju'an said, "What are you laughing at? Do you have a girlfriend? Why are you just standing there grinning like an idiot?"
These words struck a nerve with Sun Weimin, who retorted, "Mind your own business. Didn't you break up with that woman from the city's supply and marketing cooperative? What, she's married to the driver now, and you're not happy about it?"
This whole thing was completely fabricated; it was a misunderstanding caused by a few people in the village. Li Ju'an wasn't angry; he and Jiang Man hadn't really gotten along. He said, "My sister is waiting for me to come home. You're all alone, yet you're always bragging and watching other people go on dates, sneaking around without daring to say a word."
Sun Weimin retorted, "You want your sister back? You'd better stay single with us. Whoever gets a girlfriend first is a dog."
"Pah! You're the only single dog here."
"What, you're planning to get married this year? Li Ju'an, if you're that capable, let alone this year, if you can hold your wedding banquet by the end of the year, I'll give you a big gift!"
Upon hearing this, Li Ju'an perked up and shouted, "You said it yourself, remember it! How much is the gift? Don't be stingy, or you'll be letting down the enthusiasm you had just displayed."