I have few friends, but many childhood sweethearts.

Chapter 11.11. Crayfish

Around 10 o'clock, my maternal grandfather, my maternal uncle, and my father returned home carrying a small basket of fish.

"Greetings, Father-in-law. Greetings, Uncle."

"it is good!"

"Fanfan is so tall already."

Xu Qingfan looked at Yao Jianjun, a man in his forties with half-gray hair. The two of them looked more like brothers than father and son.

In his past life, he was quite puzzled. His uncle was such a handsome man when he was young, why didn't he remarry? Was that wicked woman surnamed Chen really that good?
They're no longer sixteen or seventeen years old, thinking pure love is invincible. By wooing Xia Xiaoxiao, he at least improved himself. What did his uncle get? Half a head of white hair? Or that child he'd never met?

"How old are you? Still going to fish like that." Xu's mother gave her father a reproachful look, took the basket from his hand, and carried it into the kitchen.

“He’s got a strong backbone!” Yao’s father said in a loud voice.

Xu Qingfan had no interest in listening to the three old men comment on international affairs, so he followed his mother and grandmother into the kitchen.

A chicken has already been butchered on the stove, and a clay pot next to it is simmering a delicious soup over a low flame.

As a true foodie, he could guess from the aroma wafting from the kitchen that it was chicken stewed with five-finger peach.

It seems his idea of ​​having fish soup will have to wait until tomorrow.

Xu Qingfan squatted down to look at the fish that had just been raised in the water: three crucian carp (one large and two small), a bunch of small miscellaneous fish, and river shrimp that he estimated to weigh more than half a pound.

None of this is the point.

A red figure in the plastic basin caught his attention.

crayfish!
Xu Qingfan picked it up; it was quite plump, and he estimated it weighed about one or two ounces.

"Honestly, why did you bring this thing back!" Grandma complained when she saw the crayfish in Xu Qingfan's hand.

Xu Qingfan: ? ? ?

"Grandma, can't we eat this?"

"I don't know where they came from. Nobody dares to eat them. They're everywhere along the riverbank and have even overflowed into the fields." Grandma snatched the crayfish from his hand and threw it out the window.

[flood!!!]
"Ah, no!" Xu Qingfan tried to stop him, but it was too late.

"All you ever think about is eating! Those things are poisonous, aren't you afraid of going to the hospital?" Xu's mother had no idea whether crayfish were poisonous or not, but that didn't stop her from scaring her son.

Even if it's rampant, no one dares to eat it. It's probably either because it tastes bad or because it contains parasites!

Grandma picked up a dry branch and smacked her daughter's bottom: "How dare you talk like that! Fanfan, be good, Grandma will fry some river shrimp for you."

Xu Qingfan knew his voice carried little weight, but he still tried, unwilling to give up: "Grandma, that thing is called crayfish. I've seen it on TV, and it's edible!"

"Oh."

"Okay, okay, Xiao Fan, go outside and enjoy the fan. It's hot inside, and Grandma needs to burn firewood to cook."

Xu Qingfan was rendered speechless by his mother's "Oh," and could only leave awkwardly to think of another way.

This is crayfish! It's the perfect match for late-night snacks and beer. With the World Cup in full swing, it's bound to become a hit!

"Father-in-law, I'd like to go for a walk outside."

"Where are you going? The sun is so strong outside!" Mr. Xu immediately rejected the idea.

Xu Qingfan looked at his grandfather pitifully.

"What do you know? It's good for kids to get some sun. Remember to come back for dinner." Old Mr. Yao glared at Xu Aiguo, then took out a red one-yuan note from his pocket with a kind look and told him to buy an ice pop to cool down if he got hot.

Xu Qingfan took the money and slipped out of the house without incident.

The place where Grandpa fished was called Chuxi River, more than 800 meters away from here. Xu Qingfan walked and looked around, and soon arrived at his destination.

The last time he came here was during his first year of graduate school. When he saw the overgrown weeds on both sides of the river, he knew that there were no more swordsmen in this village.

Returning to the old place, looking at the bare dirt roads on both sides, Xu Qingfan couldn't help but sigh: those wildly growing things are not weeds, but shackles that bind the young man.

[The overgrown weeds don't mean there are no swordsmen left, but rather that autumn dusk has arrived, bringing nighttime travel to the martial world.]
The river water was slightly murky, but the large red army moving underwater could still be vaguely seen.

He then went to the rice paddies to observe, and sure enough, he saw many crayfish there as well.

[This must weigh tens of thousands of kilograms!]
In 2002, pork cost three yuan per jin (500g), but these are crayfish! Selling them for five yuan per jin isn't unreasonable!
Xu Qingfan was determined to find a way to persuade his parents and uncle to seize this unprecedented fortune.

After inspecting the market, he was drenched in sweat under the scorching sun.

He was afraid of getting his penis pinched by so many crayfish, and he could have just stripped naked and jumped in to swim.

Ten minutes later, Xu Qingfan returned home, drenched in sweat, and took a long, cold shower after a scolding from his mother.

Although he was 26 or 27 years old at heart, Xu Qingfan felt quite awkward taking a bath under the guidance of his mother.

Lunch was especially plentiful, featuring chicken stewed with five-finger peach, chicken braised with phoenix eye fruit, pan-fried small mixed fish, and stir-fried late-season bok choy with chicken oil. The whole family sat together in a round and neat circle to eat, and the food seemed to taste extra delicious. We ate two bowls of food that we usually only ate one bowl of.

After lunch, Grandpa spread the old bamboo mat on the floor, and he lay down with Grandpa.

I don't know why, but the floors in the countryside are always ice-cold, and it's especially comfortable to sleep on them in the summer.

The large fan overhead was spinning loudly. Xu Qingfan stared at it, and gradually, drowsiness crept in, and he fell asleep without realizing it.

Feeling this familiar sensation, Xu Qingfan slept for a long time.

He didn't wake up until he heard shouts of "Buying scrap metal" coming from outside.

Xu Qingfan sat up and stretched. The door was closed and the room was empty.

I looked at the clock; it was already 5:10 PM.

Xu Qingfan guessed that his parents had gone to work in the fields. Thinking of the crayfish in Chuxi River, he quickly put on his shoes, grabbed an empty bucket, and ran out.

Unlike what I saw in the morning, the Chuxi River was already crowded with people by evening.

The older folks stripped off their clothes and jumped into the river, while younger folks like Xu Qingfan took off their shoes and put their feet into the icy water.

The village is only so big. Although Xu Qingfan doesn't live in the countryside, many people have seen him fight water battles with other villages during the Spring Festival.

"You're that guy surnamed Xu, right?" Someone quickly recognized Xu Qingfan.

"Xu Xian!"

"Hahahahaha." A group of children burst into laughter.

He took off his shoes and sat down, dipping his legs into the river. At first, they felt icy cold, but slowly his legs began to warm up.

“My name is Xu Qingfan,” he said.

"Yes, yes, we're going to roast sweet potatoes tomorrow, are you coming?" the one who first called him by his surname Xu invited.

Xu Qingfan was indifferent. "Sure, when?"

"We'll come to your house tomorrow afternoon."

"Hey! You there, do you live in the city?" A primary school student of eleven or twelve years old swam up to Xu Qingfan and called out.

"I guess so, why?" Even though it's just the suburbs, he's technically a Hong Kong resident and a Hong Kong native.

Have you ever been to an internet cafe?

Upon hearing the word "internet cafe," the people who were swimming gathered around.

Xu Qingfan was equally intrigued; was Chuxi Village really this trendy?
It was only 2002, and eleven or twelve-year-old kids already knew about internet cafes!
"I've never been, but I had computer classes in kindergarten and played a few times." He dared not say that he had been to an internet cafe, or his parents would beat him so badly that they would break his belt.

Have you ever played Legend of Mir?

"I haven't played it, but I've seen people play it."

The man perked up immediately and quickly asked, "Is it fun? I heard this game can make money, is that true?"

"Yes, I also heard it from my cousin from my third uncle's family!"

"Yes, yes, I heard that my cousin's classmate made over a million yuan playing this game!"

"."

Everyone started talking at once, and the scene quickly became chaotic.

After a long while, Xu Qingfan finally managed to speak: "I heard it really can make money. There's an item in it called the Dragon Slayer Sword, and I heard from other gamers that it can sell for over a million!"

"Wow!!!" A group of children cheered enthusiastically, their mouths agape.

"One million? That's so much money! How many packs of Spicy Hot Pot could that buy?"

"We could buy so many that your house wouldn't be able to hold them all!"

"What's so great about Spicy Hot Ice Cream? Wuyang Ice Cream is the best!"

"Bullshit! McDonald's ice cream is the best!"

"You're talking nonsense! KFC tastes better than McDonald's!"

"My grandma's roast chicken is the best!"

"."

The situation became chaotic again, and the children engaged in a heated discussion about the question of "what tastes best".

Xu Qingfan: ? ? ?

[No, I came here to catch crayfish!]
(End of this chapter)