Chapter 35 Fishing
The idea is good, but the implementation process is not satisfactory.
When Qin Yao got up, there was neither steamed buns nor noodles on the dining table.
Instead, it was a bowl of watery noodle dumpling soup.
She took a sip and found it very salty!
The good mood that I had accumulated with great difficulty last night was instantly shattered.
If it weren't for the fact that the four brothers and sisters of Dalang had eaten up their own portions, Qin Yao would definitely grab Liu Ji's collar and ask him, "Do you know how to cook?!"
Liu Ji swallowed the dough he had ruined with difficulty, lowered his head, and tried to use this pitiful look to let Qin Yao know that he had been trying his best.
The helper had already arrived, so Qin Yao let him go for the time being, greeted Uncle Jiu and the others one by one, and started a busy day.
Perhaps in an attempt to salvage something, Liu Ji stewed all the fish that Qin Yao caught yesterday.
Before stewing, he almost threw the whole fish into the pot, but Dalang discovered it in time and said that the fish had to be killed, which invisibly saved his life.
Fish soup is fresh and delicious no matter how it is cooked. The porridge at noon is served with fish soup, and each person gets two or three pieces of fish.
Uncle Jiu was very satisfied with the meal and praised Liu Ji: "San'er, your cooking skills are improving very quickly. If you practice more, you may be able to be the head chef of a restaurant in town in the future!"
Liu Ji curled his lips and proudly went out with an empty basket. Let him see which restaurant he should go to to pick up some vegetables for dinner today.
We took a half-hour break at noon and everyone gathered around the construction site to chat.
Several children ran over and called Qin Yao. Qin Yao looked up and saw Liu Jinbao and Liu Fei looking at her anxiously and expectantly.
These boys are waiting for her to teach them how to catch fish.
Qin Yao locked all the doors, said something to Uncle Jiu, and went to the river with a hatchet in hand, surrounded by a group of children.
"Third sister-in-law." Liu Fei called Qin Yao somewhat awkwardly.
He hated Liu Ji, but he admired Qin Yao, his third sister-in-law, very much, so he took the initiative to come and help this time.
Old man Liu said that since his family members were helping him, they didn't care about these things and didn't want the two cents a day as wages.
Liu Fei didn't eat lunch at his third sister-in-law's house, because when he thought about eating the food Liu Ji cooked, he felt uncomfortable all over. At noon time, he ran straight home and had a quick bite at home.
The sister-in-law complained a few times about this, but she also knew his temper, so she left half a bowl of breakfast for him so that he could heat it up and eat it himself when he got home at noon.
Three meals a day is a luxury for ordinary people. The old man only eats two meals a day.
Qin Yao's work was very physically demanding, so Old Man Liu asked her to make lunch for the helpers to fill their stomachs.
Liu Fei was obviously not full, so he was waiting for Qin Yao to teach him how to fish for a snack.
When he gets the fish home, his sister-in-law won't complain anymore. Fish are all meat, and they are precious!
There are many ways to catch fish, including fishing with a hook, a net, a harpoon, a cage, and bare hands.
But no matter which one it is, it cannot escape one rule - stable, accurate and fast.
Qin Yao looked around, walked to the grove by the river, cut three branches, and sharpened one end to use as a harpoon.
Liu Fei, Jin Bao and Da Lang were all eager to try, so Qin Yao handed the harpoon to them.
"The first step is to find the prey. There were more fish in the place where I caught fish yesterday. What is the basis for my judgment? Come and see."
When Qin Yao said she would teach, she really meant it, without holding anything back. She started by teaching by finding fish.
After teaching the theory, I took these kids to practice.
The younger ones were only allowed to stand on the riverbank and watch. Erlang led his younger brothers and sisters, and they were filled with envy when they saw that his elder brother and uncle were able to go into the river.
I just hope they finish their fork quickly so it can be my turn.
The stepmother said she would teach him.
"Once you have found your prey, the next step is to get closer. This step is very important. You must be steady, with a steady mind, steady hands, steady breathing, and treat yourself as part of the surrounding environment."
"Okay, uncle, go first and use the technique I just taught you on the shore to spear the fish."
Qin Yao waved her hand, and Liu Fei held the sharpened branch, took a deep breath nervously, stared at the fish that was resting in the water plants less than a meter in front of him, held the branch with both hands, raised it high to gather strength, aimed in the direction, and stabbed it hard!
With a "plop" sound, water splashed everywhere. Because all Liu Fei's strength was concentrated on the branch, his whole body leaned forward and he almost lost his balance.
He shouted in surprise: "It's pierced!"
Dalang and Jinbao looked over excitedly, but the water had calmed down. There was only a branch stuck to the bottom of the water and two fish scales, but no fish at all.
Not only were there no fish, but the other fish that had just gathered in the water plants were also scared away.
Jin Bao immediately complained: "Uncle, you yelled too loudly and scared all the fish away. How can we catch them?"
As they were complaining, Qin Yao, who had been standing behind them, was quick-witted and raised a branch and thrust it diagonally into the water with a "whoosh".
The fish that had just escaped from under Liu Fei's tree branch was hit by the branch she flew out of and floated on the surface of the river.
Dalang and the other two immediately let out low exclamations of surprise and looked at Qin Yao with admiration.
Qin Yao picked up the branch and the fish together, and threw the still breathing fish onto the shore.
Erlang and his two companions immediately ran over and took the fish away, delighted.
Qin Yao looked back at the frustrated Liu Fei, her tone still calm, "Remember one word, steady. Hunting is something that requires patience, you can't rush it."
Seeing that the helpers in front of the door had already started working, Qin Yao told them another trick.
Use the prey's mindset to think about what they will do next when they encounter a hunter, so as to make plans in advance.
The same is true when fighting against the enemy.
However, Qin Yao did not say this to avoid scaring the children.
The three of them watched Qin Yao leave, looked at each other, encouraged each other, and then practiced separately.
Liu Fei and Jin Bao thought to themselves that they must catch a fish today, otherwise they would not go home.
Dalang looked at the two people who had already gone to look for traces of the fish, and did not move for a long time, recalling over and over again in his mind what Qin Yao had just said.
When hunting, you must be patient and not impatient, because once you miss an opportunity due to impatience, the time for the next opportunity to come will be infinitely extended.
Also, you need to put yourself in your prey's shoes.
Dalang stared blankly at the waves in the river, imagining what it would be like if he were a fish.
Qin Yao didn't have to pick stones today, she wanted to go buy wood.
Uncle Jiu said that the foundation of the wall can be dug today, and the foundation of the new house will be dug tomorrow, so we can start building the house the day after tomorrow.
The mud house was built very quickly, and Qin Yao would go and get all the wood in the next two days.
Old Man Liu had said before that there was a family in the village who had wood at home, so Qin Yao took the money and went to find the owner, spending four taels of silver to buy the wooden beams she needed.
The owner was willing to help her carry the wood back, and the two of them carried all the beams back in one afternoon and piled them neatly in the open space at the door.
The sun set and the helpers dispersed. Liu Ji had already prepared dinner. Qin Yao called the children to eat, only to find that Dalang was not there.
(End of this chapter)