Reborn in 1984, fishing and hunting in Jiangnan

Chapter 23 Fish Pond

Just remember that.

Chen Zheng patted Chen Rong on the shoulder.

"The art of selling fish, when you put it simply, boils down to four words: put yourself in someone else's shoes."

If you treat the people buying fish like family, they'll naturally be more willing to buy from you.

Chen Rong nodded, keeping those words in mind.

The three of them arrived at the bus station.

The old man at the luggage storage was dozing off at the door, his head nodding off, and drool was almost dripping down his collar.

Chen Zheng called out twice before the old man woke up with a start, wiped his mouth, and...

He squinted at the storage slip and pushed the cart out.

"Young man, you've sold quite a lot today, haven't you?" the old man asked, helping to push the cart onto the car.

"Not bad." Chen Zheng smiled, secured the cart, and helped Chen Rong onto it.

The shuttle bus was sparsely populated.

Chen Zheng found a seat by the window and placed the fish basket at his feet.

Chen Rong sat quietly next to him, her hands on her knees and her back ramrod straight.

Zhang Jianguo sat on the other side of the aisle, leaning back in his chair, and soon began to doze off.

His head was nodding little by little, and he was even snoring.

Chen Zheng looked out the window.

The streets of the county town slowly receded outside the car window, and the leaves of the sycamore trees drifted backward one by one.

As he passed by the entrance of the county's No. 1 Middle School, he saw several students carrying schoolbags coming out of the school gate, chatting and laughing.

One of the girls was wearing a white dress with a floral print, her hair loose and draped over her shoulders, glossy black in the sunlight.

He remembered Lin Xiaoyun standing at the entrance of the building.

Sunlight filtered through the leaves, falling on her and scattering golden fragments across her white floral dress.

She stood there, her hands behind her back, her fingers twisting the hem of her skirt, her face slightly flushed.

"Brother, what are you looking at?" Chen Rong followed his gaze.

"It's nothing." Chen Zheng withdrew his gaze, leaned back in his chair, and closed his eyes.

The bus swayed and rattled along, and the wind blowing in from the window carried a faint scent of grass, like corn leaves from a field.

Chen Zheng dozed off for a while, his mind replaying Lin Xiaoyun's father's words.

Location, technology, and sales channels are all indispensable.

He has the land, a low-lying field of more than three acres by Baiyang Lake. It's in a good location, close to the water, and easy to get water.

He needs to learn the technology; reading books alone isn't enough, he needs to consult with others.

He had a clue about the sales channels. He couldn't let Master Qian's supply chain go out, and he also had to keep going to the seafood company.

As I was thinking, the car arrived at Baiyang Town.

The three people got off the cart and pushed it into the village.

The sun was already setting in the west, and the clouds on the horizon were burning red.

The cornfields on both sides of the road rustled with the leaves.

It was almost dark when we entered the village.

Smoke curled from chimneys as every household prepared dinner.

Whose radio is playing? It's a storytelling performance.

In Shan Tianfang's "The Three Heroes and Five Gallants," the story was about Bai Yutang's third visit to Chongxiao Tower when the voice became a little intermittent.

Chen Zheng first helped Zhang Jianguo push the cart back to his house.

Li Guixiang came out of the house, carrying a bowl of mung bean soup, and handed it to Chen Zheng:

"Zhengwa, have a bowl of mung bean soup to cool down."

"Thank you, Auntie."

Chen Zheng took it and took a sip.

The mung bean soup was cooked until thick, with rock sugar added. It was sweet and cool, cooling you from your throat all the way down to your stomach.

"Did Jian Guo cause you any trouble today?"

Li Guixiang asked, while taking a towel to wipe the sweat off Zhang Jianguo's face.

Zhang Jianguo tried to dodge, but failed and was then pinned down and beaten by his mother.

"No, Jianguo is a hard worker and helped me a lot."

Chen Zheng handed the bowl back, "Auntie, I won't be going to the county for the fish tomorrow; the trade fair is over."

"I'm cleaning up the fishpond at home. Have Jianguo come over tomorrow to help me dig it."

"Fine, let him go. He's just idle at home anyway, eating and sleeping, like a pig being raised."

Li Guixiang glared at Zhang Jianguo.

Zhang Jianguo retorted, "Mom, how have I been idle? I've been pushing a cart all day; my arms are sore!"

"It's sour, that's good. Let's keep it sour tomorrow. Work more, eat less, and save food."

As Li Guixiang spoke, she turned and went inside.

Zhang Jianguo grinned at Chen Zheng and whispered:

"That's just how my mother is; she's sharp-tongued, but she's actually very caring."

"Didn't you see her wiping my sweat just now? That towel was brand new; she wouldn't even use it herself."

Chen Zheng smiled but didn't reply.

Afterwards, Chen Zheng and his companion returned to their own courtyard.

The light from the kitchen leaked through the crack in the door, casting a long strip of light across the yard.

The black cat was perched on the edge of the jar. When it saw him return, it meowed and jumped off the edge.

"Zhengwa is back?"

Zhang Cuihua poked her head out of the kitchen, her apron covered in flour and her hands still sticky with dough.

She saw the lunchbox in Chen Zheng's arms, paused for a moment, and asked, "What's this?"

"Braised pork. Lin Xiaoyun's mother gave it to me."

Chen Zheng placed the lunchbox on the table and opened the lid.

The aroma of braised pork spread instantly, rich and dark in sauce, with alternating layers of fat and lean meat, glistening under the light.

Zhang Cuihua leaned over to take a look, and clicked her tongue twice:

"City people are so particular about their cooking. This stewed meat looks delicious."

Chen Feng ran out of the house, barefoot on the ground, without even putting on shoes.

He leaned over the table, brought his nose close to the lunchbox, sniffed it, and his eyes lit up: "Mom! We're having braised pork tonight!"

"What are you eating? Your brother hasn't eaten yet." Zhang Cuihua smacked Chen Feng on the head.

"I've already eaten; I had steamed buns at the market."

Chen Zheng pushed the lunchbox in front of Chen Feng, "You guys eat. Mom, you should try some too."

Zhang Cuihua picked up a piece of meat, put it in her mouth, chewed it, and nodded:

"Delicious. The meat is stewed until it's so tender it melts in your mouth."

She picked up another piece and handed it to Chen Laosan, saying, "Laosan, you should try it."

Chen Laosan squatted on the threshold, took the meat, and didn't eat it right away. He looked at it first, then put it in his mouth, chewed it a couple of times, and swallowed it.

"Zhengwa, did you go to the Lin family today?" Chen Laosan asked.

"I'm going. I'll pay you back."

"Did you see her dad?"

"Yes, I met her. Her father works at the county agricultural bureau, in charge of aquaculture."

Chen Laosan lit a cigarette, took a puff, and the cigarette butt glowed and dimmed in the darkness.

"What did he say?"

He said the county has support projects and that loans are available.

Let me first measure the location of the fishpond, draw a rough sketch, and write an application report.

Chen Laosan nodded and flicked the cigarette ash onto the ground.

"Okay. You measure that piece of land tomorrow. I'll go with you."

Chen Zheng was stunned for a moment.

His father usually didn't care about these things. After returning from fishing, he would squat in the yard mending nets, eating, and sleeping.

Zhang Cuihua takes care of everything at home.

This is the first time I've ever seen someone offer to go measure the land with me today.

"Father, aren't you going to the lake tomorrow?"

"No, it won't rain. One more day won't make a difference in fishing."

Chen Laosan stubbed out his cigarette, stood up, and went into the kitchen.

Zhang Cuihua brought the food to the table.

A plate of stir-fried greens, a plate of cucumber salad, a dish of pickled vegetable shreds, and a bowl of cornmeal porridge.

She heated up the braised pork, poured it into a large bowl, and placed it in the middle of the table.

"Eat. Zhengwa, you should eat some more too. You've been running around all day, you can't just eat steamed buns."

Chen Zheng sat down, picked up a piece of green vegetable with his chopsticks, and put it in his mouth.

The greens were grown in our own garden, stir-fried with minced garlic; they were crisp and had a sweet flavor.

Chen Feng ate with his mouth full of oil, his cheeks bulging high, and mumbled:

"Brother, this braised pork is delicious! It's even better than the one we make for Chinese New Year!"

"That's because they're good cooks. Your mother's cooking is delicious too, but it has a different flavor."

Zhang Cuihua laughed from the side: "You just know how to say nice things."

"You know my braised pork is incredibly salty."

"It's saltier so it goes better with rice," Chen Zheng said.

The whole family laughed.

After dinner, Chen Zheng helped Zhang Cuihua clear the dishes and wiped the stove.

Chen Rong was chopping firewood in the yard. When the axe fell, the firewood split in two with a crack.

Chen Feng was doing his homework, lying on the table, the pencil stub making a scratching sound on the paper, his brows furrowed.

Chen Zheng took out the book "Freshwater Fish Farming Technology" from his pocket, turned to Chapter 5, and began to read it under the kerosene lamp.

Chapter Five discusses the water quality management of fishponds.

"To raise fish, first raise good water; good water means good fish."

The very first sentence was underlined by Zhao Deming in red pen, with the words "Important" written next to it.

Chen Zheng read slowly, one word at a time.

If there are parts I don't quite understand, I read them several times or write them down and ask Teacher Zhao about them tomorrow.

"Brother, I don't know how to do this problem." Chen Feng handed over his workbook.

Chen Zheng took it and saw that it was a math word problem.

"A pool has one inlet pipe and one outlet pipe."

It takes 5 hours to fill the pool with a single inlet pipe and 8 hours to empty the pool with a single outlet pipe.

If both the inlet and outlet pipes are turned on simultaneously, how many hours will it take to fill the tank?

Chen Zheng glanced at the question and calculated the answer in his mind.

"This is an elementary school question, and you can't even answer it?"

"No. Why would you fill and drain a perfectly good pool at the same time? Isn't that just wasting water?"

Chen Feng pouted, looking unconvinced.

Chen Zheng smiled, picked up a pencil, and started scribbling in the notebook:

"First, calculate how much water can enter through the inlet pipe in one hour, and then calculate how much water can exit through the outlet pipe in one hour."

Subtracting the two from one gives you the net amount of water entering the water in one hour.

Then divide the total amount by this number to get the time required.

Chen Feng stared at the notebook for a long time, then suddenly realized:

"Oh—I get it! It means first calculate how much comes in per hour, then calculate how much goes out per hour, and then..."

"Yes. You do the math."

Chen Feng hunched over the table and calculated for a long time, almost biting off the pencil tip, before finally figuring out the answer.

He handed over the notebook, looking at Chen Zheng expectantly: "Brother, right?"

Chen Zheng glanced at it and nodded: "Yes. Okay, go to sleep."

Chen Feng put away his homework, yawned, rubbed his eyes, and went into the inner room.

Soon after, his even breathing could be heard.

After chopping firewood, Chen Rong leaned the axe against the wall, walked in, and squatted down next to Chen Zheng.

"Brother, I'm going to dig the pond tomorrow too."

"Okay. Get up early tomorrow and help me stretch the ruler."

Chen Rong nodded, stood up, and went into the inner room.

Chen Zheng closed the book, tucked it under his pillow, and blew out the kerosene lamp.

In the darkness, he heard Chen Laosan turn over and cough twice.

The crickets outside the window were chirping merrily, one long chirp followed by another short one.

Chen Zheng got up as soon as it was light the next day.

He took out the old measuring tape from behind the door; it was made of metal and covered in rust.

The cloth surface of the measuring tape is worn so badly that the markings are no longer visible in some places, but it's still usable.

Chen Rong had already gotten up and was squatting in the yard waiting for him, holding a sickle in his hand with the blade gleaming.

Chen Laosan also got up, wearing a coat, canvas shoes, and carrying a hoe.

"Dad, are you really going?" Chen Zheng asked.

"I said I'd go, so I'll go. Let's go." Old Chen slung his hoe over his shoulder and was the first to leave the courtyard.

The three people went out the door and headed towards the east end of the village.

That low-lying field is located on the east side of the village, near Baiyang Lake, and it covers more than three acres.

The land is low-lying, and it floods as soon as it rains, so nothing grows there, and it has been abandoned for several years.

The villagers all said that the land was wasteland and could not be used to grow crops.

But Chen Zheng knew that the land was perfect for digging fish ponds.

It is close to the lake, making water diversion convenient, and its low-lying location facilitates drainage.

With a water surface of more than three acres, raising several thousand fish is not a problem.

Upon reaching the edge of the field, Chen Zheng stopped and looked around.

The weeds in the field grew taller than a person; foxtail grass, lamb's quarters, tribulus, all tangled together in a messy tangle.

The dew was heavy; the grass blades were covered in water droplets, and when you rubbed your trouser legs against it, they became soaked.

Chen Laosan slammed the hoe into the ground, bent down, grabbed the grass roots, and pulled them up by the roots and soil.

"Clear the weeds first, otherwise we can't take measurements."

"Rongzi, you start cutting the grass from that side, and Dad and I will cut it from this side. We'll measure it after we're done."

Chen Zheng put the measuring tape on the ground, took the sickle from Chen Rong's hand, and bent down to cut.

The sickle fell, and with a snap, the grass was cleanly cut.

The fishy smell of grass juice mixed with the scent of earth hit me.

Chen Laosan didn't use a sickle; he was strong and just used his hands to pull it up.

With one swipe, a large clump of grass was uprooted and thrown onto the ridge of the field.

Chen Rong also bent down and cut grass handful by handful.

It took the three of them almost half an hour to finish cutting the grass in the field.

Chen Zheng straightened up and wiped the sweat from his forehead.

The sun has already risen, shining brightly and making people's foreheads feel hot.

The heat rising from the ground is like a steamer.

"Brother, have some water." Chen Rong handed over the water bottle.

Chen Zheng took the bottle, took two sips, and handed it to Chen Laosan.

Chen Laosan took the water bottle, tilted his head back and took a big gulp, wiped his mouth, and hung the water bottle on the hoe handle.

Chen Zheng squatted down, unrolled the measuring tape, and handed one end to Chen Rong:

"Rongzi, grab that head and pull it to the edge of the ground."

Chen Rong grabbed one end of the measuring tape and walked towards the edge of the ground.

The rolled-up measuring tape rustled in the grass.

"Is that enough?"

"A little more to the left. Yes, right there. Don't move."

Chen Laosan walked over, squatted down next to Chen Zheng, and squinted at the markings on the measuring tape.

How wide is it?

"A little over sixty meters. Rongzi, take two more steps over there, let me check north and south."

Chen Rong dragged the measuring tape in a north-south direction, and Chen Laosan stood up and followed to help straighten the tape.

The father and his two sons worked in the field for almost half an hour before they finished taking the measurements.

Chen Zheng squatted on the ground, took out a pencil and notebook from his pocket, and drew a sketch.

It is 60 meters wide from east to west, 35 meters long from north to south, and 2 meters deep.

The water inlet is located on the east side, near Baiyang Lake.

The outlet is located on the west side, in a low-lying area.

The inlet pipe is made of bricks, and the outlet pipe is made of cement.

He marked and drew on the sketch.

Old Chen squatted down beside him, pointing to the water inlet on the sketch:

"We need to put a net at the water inlet, otherwise wild fish will come in and steal our food."

"Okay, I've got it." Chen Zheng added a stroke to the sketch.

Chen Rong squatted quietly to the side, without saying a word.

"Brother, what are you drawing?" Chen Feng appeared out of nowhere.

He was barefoot, carrying his shoes in his hand, his trousers rolled up above his knees, and his calves were covered in mud.

"A sketch of the fishpond. It is 60 meters wide from east to west, 35 meters long from north to south, and 2 meters deep."

Chen Feng squatted down, stared at the sketch for a long time, and frowned:

"Brother, how much water will this fishpond hold?"

"The water surface is more than three acres, two meters deep, and contains more than 6,000 cubic meters of water."

"Over six thousand cubic meters!" Chen Feng's eyes widened. "How long would that take to dig?"

"If I dig by myself, it will take me several months. If I hire someone to help, it can be finished in a month or two if things go smoothly."

Chen Feng thought for a moment and said, "Brother, I'll help you dig! I'm very strong!"

"Put your shoes on first. There are thorns on the ground; what if you prick your feet?"