Reborn in 1984, fishing and hunting in Jiangnan

Chapter 5 Regret

The yard was piled with fishing nets and oars, as well as a large water vat.

A black cat was perched on the edge of the jar, licking its paws.

The cat was a stray, often wandering around the village. When it saw Chen Zheng, it stared at him.

Light shone from the kitchen, a dim, yellowish glow from a kerosene lamp.

And there was the sound of his mother cooking.

The sound of the spatula hitting the bottom of the pot.

Sizzle sizzle!

The fish is in the pot.

The crackling of the firewood, and his mother humming a little tune—I couldn't make out what she was singing, but it sounded nice.

It's a lot like when I was a child, lying in bed listening to the rain outside.

Chen Zheng walked into the courtyard.

The black cat looked up at him.

Meow!

It jumped off the edge of the tank and ran away.

The kitchen door was open, and Chen Zheng's mother, Zhang Cuihua, was busy at the stove with her back to the door.

She wore an apron with the sleeves rolled up high, revealing a section of her strong arms.

Steam rose from the stove, wafting the aroma of food.

There's also the aroma of crispy flatbread and the smell of scallions stir-frying in a pan, all mixed together, making you feel warm just by smelling it.

"daughter."

Zhang Cuihua turned around.

She was in her forties, with a round face, big eyes, and two dimples when she smiled.

His hair was a little gray, tied in a bun at the back of his head, and beads of sweat hung on his forehead.

She paused for a moment when she saw her son standing at the door holding a large fish head, then smiled.

"You're back? Come in quickly, let your mother see you."

Chen Zheng went in and placed the fish head on the cutting board.

The cutting board was made of willow wood and had been used for many years. The middle of it was dented and covered with knife marks.

Zhang Cuihua leaned over to take a look, marveling, "Wow, this fish head is huge! Bigger than our pot!"

She reached out and touched the fish's head, a smile in her eyes: "Zhengwa, I heard you guys took this fish?"

Chen Zheng nodded.

Zhang Cuihua said, "I heard it from your father. He said you did a good job cleaning the fish, making the cuts precisely so you didn't hurt the intestines."

Chen Zheng was stunned for a moment.

Did his father say that?

His father didn't say a word in the yard just now; it turns out he saw everything.

Zhang Cuihua said with a smile, "Your father may not say it, but he knows what he's doing."

He just came back and told me that Zhengwa has grown up and knows what's what.

He said this with a smile on his face; I hadn't seen him smile like that in many years.

Chen Zheng lowered his head and remained silent.

Zhang Cuihua looked at the fish head again and said, "What should we do with this fish head? Should we stew it today?"

"OK."

Zhang Cuihua nodded and started working.

She washed the fish head first, then picked it up and looked at it.

"This fish head is too big to fit in our pot, so we have to cut it in half."

As he spoke, he picked up the cleaver, aimed it at the middle of the fish head, and made a cut.

click!

The fish head was split in two.

The white fish meat and brain were exposed, trembling like tofu.

The fish meat was like garlic cloves, layer upon layer, and looked very tender.

Zhang Cuihua put half of the fish head into the pot, added water, covered the pot, and started the fire.

The firewood in the stove was burning brightly, crackling and popping, and the firelight reflected off my face, creating a play of light and shadow.

While tending the fire, Mother said, "Zhengwa, your father was so worried about you going to the lake today."

He wandered around the lake all afternoon, but didn't even bother to catch any fish.

I was picking green beans in the field when I saw his boat bobbing on the lake in the distance.

He kept going east and west; you could tell he was looking for you.

"Mother, I know."

Zhang Cuihua said, "It's good that you know."

Your dad, though he may not say it, is always thinking about everything.

In the future, tell him before you do anything, so he doesn't have to worry.

His health hasn't been as good as it used to be these past few years. Last month, he caught a chill on the lake and coughed for half a month before recovering.

"Um."

Zhang Cuihua then said, "Jianguo's mother has been coughing badly these past two days. Could you take some fish soup to her?"

She was the kind of person who wouldn't say anything even when she was sick, she would just tough it out until she couldn't take it anymore before lying down.

"It's already been delivered. The fish has been divided; Jianguo took half a fish back with him."

Zhang Cuihua nodded: "That's good. Shuisheng's mother is also in poor health, did you send her some?"

"I gave it to him. Shuisheng took back half a fish, the kind with the backbone. I told him to make soup with the backbone, it's good for your health."

Zhang Cuihua smiled: "Zhengwa, you've grown up, you know how to care for others now."

Gudu Gudu!

The water in the pot has boiled.

The aroma of fish head wafted out, mixed with the smell of firewood, which was very pleasant to smell.

That was the aroma of white broth, so fresh, filling the whole room.

Zhang Cuihua lifted the pot lid, skimmed off the foam with a spoon, and then put the lid back on. She turned to look at Chen Zheng and said:

"Zhengwa, tell your mother the truth, was it your idea to go down to the lake today, or was it Jianguo's?"

"We discussed it together."

Zhang Cuihua said, "I know you two are good friends. But some things can't be done according to his whims."

Jianguo is a hothead; you're older than him, so you need to keep an eye on him.

His father passed away early, and his mother raised him alone; it wasn't easy for her.

Chen Zheng agreed.

Zhang Cuihua tended the fire for a while, then remembered something and said, "Oh, right, your eldest sister wrote a letter today."

Chen Zheng was taken aback.

Miss?

His older sister, Chen Fang, was six years older than him and had married into a neighboring county.

My brother-in-law is an honest man who works at the town's supply and marketing cooperative and rarely comes home throughout the year.

In his past life, his eldest sister was the person he felt most sorry for.

When his mother passed away, his eldest sister came back to help with the funeral arrangements, and she lost weight from exhaustion.

When his father passed away, it was his eldest sister who came back to take care of things.

He works in the city and can't come back. His older sister didn't say anything, just told him to work hard and that she would take care of things at home.

Later, when he had an accident, it was his eldest sister who identified his body and buried him.

He remembers when he was a child, his older sister would carry him to school on her back, walking several miles of mountain road.

When he couldn't walk anymore, his older sister carried him on her back, telling him stories as they went.

It tells of the fish in the lake, the foxes in the mountains, and the stars in the sky.

At that time, he thought his older sister knew everything and understood everything.

"What did the letter say?" Chen Zheng asked.

Zhang Cuihua said, "She said she wanted to come back and visit, but then said she was too busy at the factory to leave."

She told me to visit her sometime, saying the county town is more lively than the village, with a movie theater and a department store.

Chen Zheng remained silent.

Zhang Cuihua sighed: "Your eldest sister has a hard life. She married far away and we only see her a few times a year."

She always wrote to say she was doing well, but I know that things weren't easy for her either.

Your brother-in-law's salary is low, and she works in a local factory, working long hours from dawn till dusk.

As soon as he finished speaking, footsteps came from outside; his father had returned.

Chen Laosan entered the kitchen carrying a bottle of bulk liquor in a glass bottle with a corncob stopper.

He placed the wine on the table, glanced at Chen Zheng, said nothing, and sat down at the table.

Zhang Cuihua turned around and glanced at her, then smiled: "What? Feeling like drinking today?"

"Yes, I'm happy."

Zhang Cuihua looked at her son, and her smile deepened.

"Bang!"

Old Chen slammed the enamel mug onto the table, the bottom of the mug hitting the table with a dull thud.

That jar has been used for quite a few years.

Most of the white porcelain paint had peeled off, revealing the dark iron underneath, and there was a chip on the rim of the tank.

He glanced at the dishes on the table.

A dish of pickled mustard tubers, shredded and tossed with a few drops of sesame oil.

A bowl of fish head soup, stewed until milky white, with scallions floating on top.

There were also a few cornbread pancakes, golden brown, with a crispy crust on the side next to the pan.

The aroma of fish head soup wafted into his nose, and Chen Laosan's Adam's apple bobbed, but he didn't rush to pick up his chopsticks.

"Zhengwa, go and call your two younger brothers back for dinner."

Chen Zheng responded and turned to leave.

I have two younger brothers, one named Chen Rong, who is fourteen years old this year.

The other one is named Chen Feng, and he is twelve years old this year.

In his past life, his two younger brothers also suffered a lot alongside him.

When he went south to work, Chen Rong stayed in the village and fished with his father.

After his father passed away, Chen Rong single-handedly supported the family, acting as both an older brother and a father to Chen Feng.

Later, Chen Rong broke his leg at a construction site. He couldn't afford treatment and became disabled.

Chen Feng was admitted to the county's high school, but he couldn't afford to attend, so he dropped out and went to work in the south.

Chen Zheng never wants these things to happen again in his lifetime.

While pondering, he left the courtyard and headed towards the west end of the village.

Lutang Village is small; it only takes the time it takes to smoke a pipe to walk from one end to the other.

The roads in the village are muddy, and it had rained a couple of days ago, so they were uneven, with one foot sinking deep and the other sinking shallow.

Plantain and foxtail grass grew on both sides of the road, and the dew on the leaves was still wet, making them feel cool on my trouser legs.

There is a big locust tree at the west end of the village. No one knows how many years it has been growing. Its trunk is so thick that two people cannot wrap their arms around it.

The tree canopy spread out, blocking out half the sky, and the leaves were dense and rustling in the wind.

There was a stone mill under the tree, the millstone was worn smooth, and you could see the depth of the groove in the middle.

This was made by the villagers grinding grain for generations.

Right now, a group of teenagers were gathered around the stone mill, chattering away.

As Chen Zheng approached, he heard someone say, "Really? Brother Zheng and the others really caught a big fish?"

"How could it be fake? I saw it with my own eyes!"

Another voice said it was high-pitched and bright, with a childlike, boisterous quality.

"What a huge bluefish! It's longer than me! Brother Zheng carried it back!"

The fish's tail dragged on the ground, kicking up dust as it went!

Chen Zheng recognized the voice; it belonged to Wang Tiedan, the son of Wang Laonian from the village.

Wang Laonian is a man of few words; you won't get a word out of him even if you beat him three times.

But his son is a chatterbox, and he's only ten years old.

He runs around the village all day long, and he knows everything that happens in everyone's family. Once he knows something, he tells everyone about it.

Its mouth is as loose as a cotton waistband.

"Brother Zheng!"

A sharp-eyed young man spotted Chen Zheng and shouted at the top of his lungs.

Everyone turned around at once, seven or eight pairs of eyes sparkling in the dim light.

Wang Tiedan squeezed to the front, looked up and asked, "Brother Zheng, Brother Zheng, did you really get a big fish? Forty pounds?"

Chen Zheng nodded: "Take it."

"Wow!"

The group of boys were in an uproar.

"Zheng-ge, you're amazing!"

"My dad says grass carp are the hardest to catch, they're incredibly strong! Last time he caught one in East Bay, and it tore his net to shreds!"

"Brother Zheng, can you teach me? I want to catch a big fish too!"

Chen Zheng smiled and waved his hand, not responding to the question.

He glanced into the crowd and saw Chen Rong and Chen Feng squatting behind the stone roller.

Chen Feng was drawing something on the ground with his head down, poking at it with a twig, and muttering to himself.

Chen Rong squatted down next to him, watching quietly without saying a word.

"Chen Rong! Chen Feng! Come home for dinner!"

Teng!

Chen Feng stood up abruptly, threw the branch he was holding on the ground, dusted himself off, and ran over.

He ran up to Chen Zheng, tilted his head back, and his eyes shone brightly: "Brother, you really caught the big fish?"

"Take it."

How big?

"More than forty pounds."

Chen Feng's mouth was wide open, big enough to fit an egg, and there was a clod of mud stuck to his chin, it was unclear where he had gotten it from.

After a moment of stunned silence, he suddenly jumped up: "Wow! Bro, you're amazing! I want to eat fish! I want to eat a big fish!"

Chen Zheng laughed and patted him on the head: "Come home and eat, your mother made fish head soup."

"Yay!"

Chen Feng jumped three feet high, turned around and ran, swinging his arms like a windmill, kicking up a trail of dust.

Chen Rong walked behind, at a slower pace.

He was fourteen years old, tall and thin, and as dark-skinned as his father. Standing there, he looked like a dried hemp stalk.

Her face was thin, her cheekbones were high, and her eyes were small, always squinting slightly when she looked at people.

He was wearing a blue cloth shirt with the sleeves rolled up twice, revealing his slender wrists.

The wrist bones protrude, resembling two abacus beads.

He walked up to Chen Zheng without saying a word, and they walked side by side.

After taking a few steps, he turned his head to look at Chen Zheng, his lips moved as if he wanted to say something but then swallowed it back.

Chen Zheng knew about his second brother.

Chen Rong has been like this since he was a child; like his father, he doesn't talk much, but he's very perceptive.

In his past life, after his father passed away, Chen Rong single-handedly managed the village and never complained to him.

When he went south to work and sent money back home, Chen Rong always said that it was enough and told him not to send any more, and to keep the money for himself.

But he knew that Chen Rong hadn't spent a single penny of that money; she had saved it all for Chen Feng's schooling.

"Rongzi".

Chen Rong turned his head to look at him.

Chen Zheng said, "Come with me to the lake tomorrow."

Chen Rong paused for a moment, then followed.

He didn't speak, he just nodded.

But when walking, the steps were noticeably lighter.

When the three of them returned home, Zhang Cuihua had already set out the dishes.

The fish head soup was placed in the center of the table in a large, rough earthenware bowl with a crack on the rim, which was reinforced with wire.

The soup was simmered until it turned milky white, with a layer of fine oil floating on top, and bright green scallions swirling in the soup.

The flatbreads were golden brown, with a crispy, golden-brown crust on the side that was touching the pan.

The other side was soft and steaming, arranged on a chipped enamel plate.

The pickled vegetables are cut into thin strips, mixed with sesame oil and vinegar, and placed in a small dish. The aroma alone is enough to whet your appetite.

Chen Laosan was already seated.

He sat there cross-legged, his back straight, his hands resting on his knees.

An enamel mug was placed in front of him, filled with wine.

The liquor was bulk sorghum liquor, bought from the supply and marketing cooperative, costing seven cents a pound.

The liquor was cloudy, and you could see unfiltered grain residue at the bottom of the jar, settling there.

"Have a seat," said Chen Laosan.

The four people sat down around the table.

Chen Feng couldn't wait any longer. As soon as his butt touched the stool, he reached out and headed straight for the flatbread.

"Snapped!"

Zhang Cuihua slapped the back of his hand.