Chapter 134 - 119: Cause for Great Celebration
Chapter 134: Chapter 119: Cause for Great Celebration
He had gone fishing with him twice, so he knew the basic principles and methods of pole fishing. He had even caught a few fish and found it genuinely enjoyable.
However, fishing made it far too easy to get a tan. As a former beauty blogger, he ultimately had to give up on that path.
Being handsome has its own troubles, something most people can’t appreciate.
"Dad, when you go dig for earthworms today, just get ones about this big," Zhou Yan said, looking at Comrade Zhou. "Just a little bigger than the hook. Pinch them in half and thread them back and forth onto the hook. Then, swing by the rapeseed oil press and buy a pound of rapeseed cake. Grab a handful, soak it in water, squeeze it into a ball, and toss it into the spot where you plan to fish. Wait half an hour before you cast your line. If you still don’t catch anything, the money for any fish you buy today is on me."
Comrade Zhou was stunned. This method was quite different from what he had learned.
But seeing Zhou Yan’s confidence, he nodded and said, "Alright, I’ll do as you say."
The father and son pushed the cart out the door together.
For a fishing fanatic, getting to head out early was as good as a day off.
’If Comrade Zhou still can’t catch anything with this setup, it’ll just prove he’s a total amateur.’
’Later, I’ll go buy a pound of cheap white liquor and make him a bottle of wine-soaked rice bait. I’ll add something with a real kick.’
As soon as the weather turned cold, it was carp season.
’Carp is great. I’ll need it for Huo Xiang Carp.’
Wild carp also makes a delicious fish soup.
’What can I do? He’s my own father, I have to spoil him a little.’
Getting skunked every day wasn’t a solution; it was too demoralizing.
When Zhou Yan returned from buying groceries, Mrs. Zhao was sitting under the tree by the entrance, combing her hair.
Zhou Momo, for once, was up early too. With her hair down, she was squatting to the side, muttering to some ants that had come out to forage.
"Ants, oh ants, do you have names?"
"Have you eaten breakfast yet?"
"I’m so hungry. Are you guys hungry?"
Zhou Yan chuckled. "What are you muttering about?"
"Brother!" Zhou Momo shot up and scampered over. "I want noodles! I’m hungry!"
"We’re not having noodles this morning. I bought you guys some buns," Zhou Yan said, taking an oil-paper bag from his basket and handing it to Zhou Momo. "Hold it steady, now. Four big meat buns."
"Meat buns!" Zhou Momo was practically drooling.
Mrs. Zhao quickly tied up her hair and took the buns from her. "I’ll hold them for you, or you’ll drop them and be in for it," she said as she walked inside. "Go wash your face and hands first. I’ll comb your hair after you’ve eaten."
"Okay!" Zhou Momo happily trotted after her, climbed onto a stool by herself, and sat down obediently.
Mrs. Zhao placed the buns on the table, wrung out a hot towel, and scrubbed Zhou Momo’s face. After carefully wiping her hands, she plucked a bun from the paper bag and put it in the little girl’s hands.
The bun was so big that Zhou Momo couldn’t even cup it completely with both hands. The little one’s cheeks were flushed red.
She took a huge bite—CHOMP!—leaving a big hole, but there was no meat filling to be seen.
She chewed for a moment, then nodded her head. "It’s so yummy! And sweet!"
Then she took another big bite out of the same spot, but still no filling.
Now she was a little unhappy. She looked back at Zhou Yan, who was busy moving some meat. "Brother, where’s the meat?"
Zhou Yan glanced at the bun in her hands and couldn’t help but laugh. "Take one more bite. If you still don’t see any meat, I’ll take you to the shopkeeper to get a refund."
Buns from this era were large, with thick dough and very little filling. Their main purpose was to fill you up, not necessarily to taste good.
Zhou Momo took another bite. This time she hit the meat filling. Her eyes lit up, and she turned to grin at Zhou Yan. "I found it! Look, it’s meat!"
"Then go on and eat. Next time, Brother will make you buns with lots of meat," Zhou Yan said with a smile. He just didn’t know how to make the dough rise properly for buns; otherwise, he would have definitely made Zhou Momo a meat bun where you could find the filling in the very first bite.
Mrs. Zhao, being more experienced, dished out some sour radish and pickled ginger, savoring her bun with the pickled vegetables.
Back when they lived in the village, they usually couldn’t bear to spend money on buns. Breakfast was typically a pot of sweet potato congee served with pickled vegetables.
’No matter how little meat the bun has, it’s still meat. And the bun itself is so soft and a little sweet. It’s delicious!’
After eating half of her bun, Zhou Momo slid off the stool, ran to the doorway, and shared a tiny bit of the meat filling with the ants.
Mrs. Zhao Hong didn’t come in today. With only nine tables of guests and no Kneeling Beef or braised meat on the menu, the family could handle the workload themselves. They figured they’d let her rest for the day and save her the trip.
As noon approached, Comrade Zhou returned, wearing a straw hat, carrying his fishing rod, and holding a fish basket. The smile on his face was plain to see.
"Dad! Did you catch a fishy?" Zhou Momo asked.
Zhou Yan and Zhao Tieying also came out to have a look.
"I did! Three of them!" Comrade Zhou said with a grin, handing over the fish basket.
Zhou Yan peeked inside. ’Well, I’ll be,’ he thought. There was a small carp of just a few ounces, a yellow catfish, and a bleak.
[Three Small Wild Fish]
The system provided its Identification.
A cause for great celebration! The skunked fisherman had finally broken his dry spell!
Look at Comrade Zhou, so happy he couldn’t even close his mouth.
Mrs. Zhao also leaned in for a look and said with a laugh, "They’re so small! Seeing you beaming like that, I thought you’d caught a big one. They’re not as big as the two you caught last time."
Comrade Zhou’s smile vanished. He scratched his head in embarrassment. "They are a bit small. I’ll catch bigger ones next time."
He had been so proud of breaking his dry spell that he’d almost forgotten that part.
"It’s fine. You didn’t catch anything for the past few days, after all," Zhao Tieying said, taking the basket from him and heading toward the kitchen. "Let’s keep the carp and the yellow catfish alive for now. We can cook them when we have enough for a meal."
"Let me see! I want to see too!" Zhou Momo stood on her tiptoes, leaning forward, so eager she was practically bouncing.