Chapter 913: The Peasant Girl’s Splendid Manor
Chapter 913: Revenge and the Arrival of a Stranger (3)
“It should be, the net is heavy!”
“Two hundred pounds in one go, if we do this ten more times, won’t that be two thousand pounds?”
“Not with just one acre of pond, there’s no way there are that many fish. But these fish grow fast. In just a little over a year, they’ve grown to two or three pounds.”
“Yeah, they grow quickly. The water quality is good, and there’s plenty of food from the mountain fields, which helps them fatten up.”
As the large fish leapt out of the water, the villagers discussed happily. Following Old Master Ding’s orders, they quickly sped up the process of pulling the nets. Soon, all six nets were hauled to the shore.
In the bright sunlight, the plump fish thrashed their tails, trying to escape the nets and return to the water. But the nets were strong, and even the fish’s tails couldn’t break free.
Other villagers brought over large wooden tubs and basins filled with clean water to transfer the fish from the nets.
Seeing a few fish with large bellies, clearly gravid females about to lay eggs, Mo Yan quickly said, “Throw the ones with big bellies back in. We won’t need to worry about gathering fry from the river with them around.”
“That makes sense!” the villagers agreed, tossing back the pregnant fish and also releasing some of the smaller fish.
When all the fish had been cleaned from the nets, several large tubs and basins were filled to the brim. Worried the fish might die in the heat, Old Master Ding quickly ordered them to transport the fish to the small Qing River in the nets for temporary storage.
While everyone was distracted, Mo Yan secretly poured a few drops of the spring water from her water pouch into each of the tubs and basins.
The fish could easily be raised at home, but the fact that they had grown so large in just over a year was surprising. If they could survive a full day and night in the heat of summer, it raised suspicions.
After several rounds of hauling, aside from the pregnant and small fish, each round yielded nearly two hundred pounds. By the end, they had already gathered about nine hundred pounds of fish.
As noon approached, the heat grew unbearable. Even standing by the water, everyone was starting to feel faint.
Worried about heatstroke, Mo Yan suggested, “Let’s stop for today. We can finish the rest once the fish are sold.”
Old Master Ding, the oldest and least tolerant of the heat, agreed and called for the others, “Let’s head back for now. We’ll finish the rest in a few days; it should only take two more rounds.”
Everyone had no objections and began carrying the nets, tubs, and basins back toward the village.
Once back at Mo's house, Mo Yan gave each of the villagers who helped with the fishing two large fish as thanks. Compared to a small payment of a few dozen coins, two fish were worth much more. They could either eat them or sell them in the village or at the market.
Old Master Ding and the others were very pleased. After thanking Mo Yan, they left with the large fish.
Mo Yan kept two fish for herself, planning to make boiled fish slices and fish meatballs for lunch. The remaining fish, about several dozen pounds, were carried by Li Xiu and her niece to be returned to the Qing River.
By the river, two large, muscular local dogs stood guard. No one dared steal the fish.
There were only six people in the family, and the two fish together weighed nearly five pounds, enough for a hearty meal. When the fiery, red boiled fish slices and the round, delicate fish meatballs were served on the table, everyone’s mouths watered. The smell was simply irresistible!
The fish, already fresh by nature, tasted even better because they had been raised in a pond enriched with spring water. The meat was tender and smooth, with a noticeably lighter fishy smell, making even people who didn’t like fish fall in love with it.
The fish meatballs were devoured in no time, and the boiled fish slices were even more flavorful. However, they were so spicy that everyone had to eat slowly, sweating profusely and soaking their clothes halfway through the meal.
[End of Chapter]
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