Chapter 97 The Big Catfish

Chapter 97 The Giant Catfish (Seeking First Subscription)

In the countryside in the 1980s, there were almost no asphalt roads or cement roads.

The so-called "good road" is just a compacted dirt road, so dusty that your mouth will be full when the wind blows.

The surface was full of potholes, and in many places there were tire tracks left by large vehicles, with a raised ridge in the middle.

You need to be careful to avoid it.

Once you reach the less traveled paths, cycling becomes even more challenging, as there aren't many places to go, and occasionally rocks will pop out.

"Squeak!"

As the brakes were applied, the old bicycle emitted a piercing screech and came to a steady stop on the side of the road.

"Ptooey! Ptooey! Ptooey!"

Zhang Wenshan supported himself on one leg and spat out several mouthfuls of saliva before he felt his mouth was clean. His face was stinging from the wind.

"Why isn't it running?"

He noticed that Lang Qiuping, who was holding tools behind him, was not moving, and he couldn't help but feel a little puzzled.

"Brother Shanzi, wait a minute, my leg is numb."

Voices rang out, followed by a rustling sound behind them, and then—

thump!

As soon as Lang Qiuping got out of the car, he immediately knelt on the ground.

"I thought bicycles were great!"

"It's not very comfortable either."

"The road is bad, it'll be better for cyclists." Zhang Wenshan rubbed his buttocks, which were also a bit numb, but it was still better than for those riding in cars.

After all, the car seat is quite soft.

The rear seat of the 28-inch motorcycle was just a hollow iron frame. To make it easier to carry things, the captain didn't put a cushion on it.

I suffered terribly along the way.

"It's fast, that's for sure." Lang Qiuping got up from the ground, first checked the fishing gear he was protecting and found nothing wrong, then turned his attention to the bicycle.

It's about ten miles, and it only takes about half an hour to get there.

I'd only ever heard people say that bicycles were fast, but today I finally experienced it for myself.

"Indeed, once we buy the bicycle, it will be much more convenient for us to deliver goods back and forth to town," Zhang Wenshan nodded and said.

A hint of anticipation rose in Lang Qiuping's eyes as he tentatively asked, "Brother Shanzi, can I learn to ride?"

"It's a must-learn."

"what!"

"Otherwise, should I deliver it every day?" Zhang Wenshan didn't think anything of it and simply picked up the car and walked forward.

These days, bicycles aren't just things left lying on the roadside untouched.

If you're not careful, you might lose even the wheels, even at the foot of a remote mountain.

"Brother Shanzi, let me do it!" Lang Qiuping stood there stunned for a moment, then quickly ran forward and rushed to carry the cart.

The system indicates that the fish are active not in rivers, but in ponds.

Located at the foot of a steep mountain, with no upstream or downstream, it looks like a giant cauldron.

From a distance, it appears pitch black and dark green; upon closer inspection, you can smell a cool, fishy odor. Sunlight doesn't reflect off it, making it quite frightening to look at.

"Brother Shanzi, are you trying to fall into that rotten pond and become a fish god?"

Lang Qiuping looked at the three-meter square pool in front of him and spoke weakly.

"Do you know this place?"

"Yes, I heard my grandpa say that someone once saw a big fish. Later, the fishing team tried to catch it a few times, but the nets broke and they couldn't catch it. Someone even almost got into trouble when they went into the water."

Lang Qiuping said with lingering fear.

"After that, everyone started saying that there was a divine fish inside."

"How big is the legend?" Zhang Wenshan immediately became interested.

He knew as soon as he arrived that there must be a big catch in the pool.

The smell in the air indicated that the bottom of the pool contained abundant black mud, moss, and decaying vegetation, and it did not smell like stagnant water.

This suggests that there is likely a spring or underground river below.

With the system's annotations, there might be more than one fish inside, and it might be larger than five pounds.

"There are many. Some say it weighs ten pounds, some say it weighs over a hundred pounds, and some say it can fly."

"Never mind, we'll know once it's up here."

Zhang Wenshan shook his head and walked towards the pool first.

Because there was no outlet, the surrounding ground had long been soaked and softened, and the fallen leaves and other decaying vegetation had turned into silt, leaving only a few large rocks exposed.

"Be careful, scout ahead before you step, follow me."

As Zhang Wenshan spoke, he slowly approached and soon found a good spot, standing on the rock to observe carefully.

"Fill the fish trap with bait."

"Brother Shanzi, is it okay?"

Lang Qiuping took out the earth cage, and then took out the oil paper package that the substitute had placed in his pocket. When he opened it, he was shocked to find that it contained chicken intestines and other internal organs.

Brother Shanzi specifically instructed the fishing and hunting team to get it from the state-run restaurant.

"I heard this place is full of rocks, tree roots, and rotten stumps; it's impossible to get down here, right?"

"Okay, you know all the precautions for setting up fish traps."

"It's all thanks to Brother Shanzi's excellent teaching."

"Then I'll teach you something else today."

"Okay."

Lang Qiuping deftly placed the bait into the trap, respectfully handed it over, and prepared to listen attentively.

In his view, becoming an apprentice is no easy task.

Leaving aside the formal apprenticeship ceremony, if you want to learn a craft, you first have to work for your master. After you've mastered the craft, you still have to help your master. It takes three or four years to truly graduate from your apprenticeship.

This is still under the circumstances.

There's no one like Zhang Wenshan who teaches everything.

"There are three main things to look at on the water surface: the color of the water, the ripples, and the bubbles."

"The water is dark and uniform in color, with a greenish tinge, indicating that the underground is soft mud or silt, and it won't stick to the bottom."

"If one area is deep and another is shallow, especially if there are patterns at the boundary, there are likely stones or tree roots underneath."

"Also, you can judge by whether the ripples are uniform, quiet, and the thickness of the lines —"

"Finally, there are the bubbles. These are used to identify springs and fish passages. If the bubbles are continuous, small, and uniform, it indicates that it is a spring."

"If the bubbles are large and appear slowly but continuously, then there are fish on the ground."

After Zhang Wenshan finished speaking, he turned around and said, "Let's pick a place."

"I...I can't do it." Lang Qiuping hurriedly shook his head.

"You get to choose, it's not like you can just place an order directly."

"Then, is that one okay?"

"The water looks fine, but that crooked tree on the bank is clearly growing into the water."

Lang Qiuping glanced at it and immediately lowered his head in annoyance.

"Don't be discouraged, you'll get the hang of it after a few more tries." Zhang Wenshan finished teaching and threw the fish trap into the water.

With a bang.

Water splashed everywhere in the deep pool, and the fish trap quickly disappeared.

Without even glancing at it, Zhang Wenshan cut the chicken intestines into small sections about five centimeters long, hung them on the fishing hook, completely covering the hook, and then gently cast it out.

Pfft!

The fishhook, wrapped with chicken intestines, plunged into the water and quickly disappeared.

Standing beside him, Lang Qiuping couldn't help but ask, "Brother Shanzi, the fishing line is so thick and long, and there's so much stuff in the pond, how are we going to pull it up later?"

"Stand the rod upright," Zhang Wenshan said, pointing to the fishing rod. "Use skillful force to pull the fish and slowly reel it in."

"That fishing line must be hard to reel in, right?" Lang Qiuping continued to ask.

"Yes, I'll need your help then. Stabilize the rod, and use your hand to pull it down section by section from the tip, wrapping it around once to secure it to the rod —"

Zhang Wenshan explained in detail, and Lang Qiuping listened attentively, remembering every word.

In his eyes, this skill would be a closely guarded secret elsewhere.

Suddenly, the float moved and sank a little.

Lang Qiuping was instantly excited and was about to help when he found Zhang Wenshan sitting calmly, not even lifting his eyelids.

"Don't worry, it's just small fish swarming around the bait. Big fish won't bite so easily."

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