60s: I have a store

Chapter 515 Fishing
In the early morning, the sunlight shines through the mottled window and falls on Zhou Yimin's face, feeling warm.

Zhou Yimin woke up slowly, stretched himself, and looked out of the window. The village was already full of life.

He lay on the bed for a while, wondering what to do today, but he was at a loss for ideas and felt bored.

Suddenly, the sparkling water of the river and the fish swimming freely in the water flashed through his mind, and he thought, why not go fishing in the river? Once this idea came up, he could no longer hold back.

Zhou Yimin got up quickly, washed up briefly, and went to the kitchen.

Grandma Zhou Yimin has already prepared breakfast. The steaming rice porridge, paired with homemade pickles, exudes a rustic aroma.

While eating breakfast, Zhou Yimin told his grandmother about his plan to go fishing.

Grandma Zhou Yimin smiled and said, "Go ahead, be careful, and come back early for lunch."

Zhou Yimin nodded in agreement, finished his breakfast, and began to look for his fishing gear.

He knew that the old man's fishing gear was placed in an old wooden box in the corner of the house. It had not been used for a long time and was covered with a thin layer of dust.

Zhou Yimin gently blew away the dust and opened the box. Inside was a slightly old but well-maintained fishing rod, as well as several rolls of fishing line, fish hooks, and some homemade baits.

He picked up the fishing rod and checked it carefully to make sure it was not damaged. He reorganized the fishing line, replaced it with a sharp fish hook, and put the bait into a small iron box.

Everything was ready. Zhou Yimin picked up his fishing rod, carried the small iron box, and walked out of the house with brisk steps.

Walking out of the house, Zhou Yimin took a deep breath of the fresh morning air, which was filled with the fragrance of soil and grass.

He walked slowly along the path in the village. The wild flowers on the roadside swayed gently in the breeze, as if nodding and greeting him.

When they passed by the well at the entrance of the village, Aunt Zhang and Uncle Li were still chatting there. Seeing Zhou Yimin carrying fishing gear, Aunt Zhang smiled and joked, "Yimin, how come you have time to go fishing today?"

Zhou Yimin smiled and replied: "Second Aunt, you are bored, let's go to the river and try your luck to see if you can catch a few fish to improve your food."

Uncle Li also said, "Yimin, you have to catch a few more fish so that everyone can share the benefits." Zhou Yimin laughed, greeted them and continued on his way.

After leaving the village, the scenery between the fields becomes more and more open.

The golden wheat waves rolled in the breeze, like a golden ocean. Zhou Yimin walked on the ridge of the field, and could hear the chirping of insects and birds from time to time, and occasionally saw a few wild rabbits shuttling through the fields.

His mood became more and more relaxed, and his pace unconsciously quickened. As he walked, he came to a path leading to the river.

The path was lined with lush reeds, which rustled in the wind, as if playing a beautiful symphony.

After a while, Zhou Yimin came to the river. The river water was crystal clear, and the sparkling water surface was shining with golden light under the sunlight.

Occasionally, ripples appear on the surface of the river, which are the fish swimming in the water.

The willow trees by the river hang down their slender branches, gently brushing the water surface like a girl's hair.

Zhou Yimin found a place with slow water flow and lush aquatic plants. He knew that fish liked to gather in such places.

He put down his fishing gear, pinched the bait into small balls and hung them on the hook.

The bait was carefully mixed with cornmeal, bean cake residue and some sesame oil. It exuded a rich fragrance and was very attractive to fish.

Only Zhou Yimin would be so generous as to make his own fish bait with grain and sesame oil. If it were other people, they would just want to improve the food and the most commonly used thing would be earthworms.

If you are a little more generous, you would just use a little corn at most and not be as wasteful as Zhou Yimin.

After hanging the bait, Zhou Yimin gripped the fishing rod tightly and swung it hard. The hook and the fishing line drew a beautiful arc in the air, and fell into the water with a "plop", splashing small water splashes.

Zhou Yimin sat on a rock by the river, holding the fishing rod in both hands, his eyes fixed on the float on the water.

The riverside was particularly quiet at this time, with only the sound of the breeze blowing across the water and the occasional bird calls.

Zhou Yimin's thoughts gradually drifted away. He remembered that it had been more than a year since he came to this period. However, it was not in vain that he came here, as he did leave something here.

Moreover, as long as we wait until the reform and opening up, becoming a billionaire will not be a problem at all for me.

Time passed by, but the float remained motionless. Zhou Yimin was not in a hurry, as fishing was a job that required patience.

He sat there quietly, enjoying the peace and comfort.

Suddenly, the float moved slightly, and Zhou Yimin's heart tightened suddenly. He knew that the fish might have taken the bait.

He held the fishing rod tightly, staring at the float without blinking. Then, the float suddenly sank down, Zhou Yimin was quick-witted and lifted the fishing rod with force. He felt his hand sink, and a fat crucian carp was pulled out of the water.

The crucian carp struggled desperately on the fishhook, splashing water.

A happy smile appeared on Zhou Yimin's face. He carefully took the fish off the hook and put it into the bucket beside him.

With the harvest of his first fish, Zhou Yimin’s confidence increased greatly. He did not expect that fishing was quite simple. He did not understand why in later generations, there were so many people who came up empty-handed.

He re-baited and threw the hook into the water again.

This time, he didn't have to wait long, and soon the float began to move again.

This time, the fish that took the hook seemed to be more cunning. The float first nodded lightly a few times, then slowly sank, and then suddenly floated up.

Zhou Yimin suppressed his excitement and did not lift the rod immediately. Instead, he waited until the float sank again and stabilized before he lifted the rod with all his strength.

With this cast, he actually caught a carp weighing more than one pound.

The carp was flapping its wings in the bucket, and the splashing water wet Zhou Yimin's trouser legs, but he didn't care at all, with a satisfied smile on his face.

Just as Zhou Yimin was about to continue fishing, a noise came from not far away.

He turned his head and saw several young people coming to the river. They were Aqiang and others who were going to the river to catch fish.

When Ah Qiang saw Zhou Yimin, he greeted him excitedly: "Uncle Sixteen! You're here to fish too!"

Zhou Yimin responded with a smile: "Yes, are you here to catch fish again today?"

Ah Qiang nodded, shook the fishing net in his hand, and said, "Yes, we had a good catch yesterday, let's try our luck again today."

As they talked, they found a place, went down to the river and started catching fish.

However, they still had some sense and stayed some distance away from where Zhou Yimin was fishing, for fear of disturbing Zhou Yimin's fishing.

Aqiang and his friends were laughing and playing in the river, splashing water.

Zhou Yimin looked at them and couldn't help but think of himself when he was young, also full of energy and passion for life.

He smiled and shook his head, retracted his gaze and continued to concentrate on his fishing.

In the following time, Zhou Yimin caught a few more fish, and in this way, there were more and more fish in the bucket.

Before I knew it, the sun had risen above my head and the sunlight became somewhat scorching.

Zhou Yimin felt a little hungry, so he packed up his fishing gear and prepared to go home.

He was walking home carrying a bucket full of fish.

When passing by Aqiang and his friends, Aqiang saw the fish in Zhou Yimin's bucket and said enviously, "Uncle Sixteen, you have caught a lot of fish."

Zhou Yimin smiled and said, "You guys are not bad either. I see you caught quite a few fish."

Ah Qiang chuckled and said, "Uncle Sixteen, come to my house tonight to eat fish. Let's have some fun together."

Zhou Yimin waved his hand and said, "No, I have something else to do at home today. You guys can eat by yourselves. We'll get together again next time if we have the chance."

After saying that, Zhou Yimin said goodbye to them and continued walking home.

When Zhou Yimin returned to the village, his grandmother came out to greet him as soon as he entered the house. Seeing the fish in the bucket, she said in surprise: "Wow, we caught so many fish. I'm going to have a good meal for lunch today."

Zhou Yimin smiled and handed the fish to his grandmother, then sat in the yard to rest.

After a while, the smell of fish wafted from the kitchen.

Grandma Zhou Yimin skillfully washed and cut the fish into pieces, then fried it in a pan until both sides were golden brown, then added onions, ginger, garlic, soy sauce and other seasonings, and stewed it with water.

After a while, a pot of fragrant braised fish was ready.

The family sat around the dinner table, enjoying the delicious braised fish.

Maybe it was the result of his own labor, Zhou Yimin felt that this braised fish seemed to be much more delicious than any braised fish he had eaten before!

The news that Zhou Yimin returned to the village with a full bucket of fish spread quickly in Zhoujiazhuang like a gust of wind.

When the villagers heard that Zhou Yimin had made a great harvest, they were moved.

In that era of relative scarcity, being able to eat a meal of fish was a rare enjoyment.

Especially for some families who have just given birth, improving meals becomes even more important.

At Wang's house, she was talking to her husband, Brother Zhao: "Look, Yimin has caught so many fish, we can't fall behind. After you finish work, go to the river and try your luck. If you can catch a few crucian carps, bring them back to me to replenish my body. Only when I have enough milk can the baby be well fed."

Mrs. Wang looked at her husband expectantly, her eyes full of desire for the fresh fish.

She had just given birth and was weak. Inadequate nutrition led to insufficient milk supply, which was a common problem faced by many mothers at the time.

Brother Zhao scratched his head and said hesitantly, "I haven't fished much either, will this work?"

Mrs. Wang patted his shoulder and encouraged him, "Give it a try. Maybe you'll get lucky. If Yimin can catch it, so can we."

There are many cases like Wang Sao's. For a time, many people in the village wanted to go fishing.

The riverside, which usually had few people going there, suddenly became lively.

In the evening, after finishing work, the villagers came to the river carrying their homemade fishing gear.

Zhou Yimin also came over. He felt that fishing was really addictive. If the sun wasn't too strong in the afternoon, he would probably have come out to fish.

He could understand it a little bit now, seeing in the short videos of later generations that so many people like fishing, and some people have even reached the point of obsession for fishing.

Some villagers in Zhoujiazhuang held fishing rods with simple bamboo poles tied with lines and hooks. Some even prepared baits improvised. Some broke steamed buns into small pieces, and some dug up some earthworms.

Brother Zhao was also among them. He stood by the river and imitated Zhou Yimin, throwing the fishing hook into the water.

He held the fishing rod tightly, staring at the water without blinking, praying silently in his heart that the fish would take the bait.

Uncle Sun next to him was also fishing seriously. He had been sitting by the river for more than two hours but hadn't seen a single fish.

Uncle Sun said to himself in annoyance: "Where have all these fish gone? Why won't they take the bait?"

When Brother Zhao heard this, he consoled him: "Uncle Sun, don't be impatient. Fishing is a job that requires patience."

Having said that, Brother Zhao himself was not sure, after all, it was his first time to go fishing seriously.

On the other side, Brother Li and several young men were also busy by the river.

While hanging the bait, Brother Li said to his friend next to him: "We must catch some good fish today and bring them back to make our family happy."

The guys nodded in agreement, full of enthusiasm. After throwing the hooks into the water, they began to chatter and discuss. Some said they would definitely catch big fish, while others shared fishing techniques they had heard about.

However, as time passed, their hooks remained motionless.

At this time, Zhou Yimin also came to the river again.

He was a little surprised to see so many people suddenly appearing by the river.

However, he still found a place, put down his fishing gear, and started fishing.

Zhou Yimin skillfully put the bait on and threw it hard, and the hook fell steadily into the water. He sat there, quietly waiting for the fish to take the bait.

After a while, the float moved, and Zhou Yimin quickly focused his attention. Then, the float sank suddenly. He was quick-eyed and quick-handed, and he lifted the fishing rod hard, and a crucian carp was pulled out of the water.

When the villagers around saw that Zhou Yimin had caught fish again, they all looked at him with envy.

Brother Zhao couldn't help but walk over and asked, "Yimin, how come you are so good at catching fish one after another? We have been fishing for several hours and haven't even caught a single fish."

Zhou Yimin smiled and said, "Brother Zhao, I don't have any special tricks, I just have good luck."

Uncle Sun also came over and said, "Yimin, don't be so modest. You must have some tricks. Just tell us."

Seeing everyone so enthusiastic, Zhou Yimin thought for a moment and said, "Actually, there's nothing special about it. For fishing, you first have to find the right place. Fish like to gather in places like this where the water flow is gentle and there are a lot of aquatic plants.

The other thing is the bait. My bait is made of cornmeal, bean cake residue and sesame oil, which may be more attractive to fish. The other thing is to be patient and not rush. "

After listening to Zhou Yimin's words, the villagers nodded and began to try to adjust their fishing methods.

However, no one is willing to use sesame oil to make fish bait, so they can only use earthworms or steamed bread crumbs.

Brother Zhao returned to his position and found a place with lush aquatic plants. He followed Zhou Yimin's instructions and made bait with the steamed bread crumbs he brought with him.

He threw the fishing hook into the water again, waiting silently in his heart.

Brother Li and the guys are also trying to change. They no longer make loud noises, but wait quietly for the fish to take the bait.

However, even though everyone did what Zhou Yimin said, their luck did not seem to change.

Another hour passed and most of the villagers still found nothing.

Only Zhou Yimin could catch a fish from time to time, and there were more and more fish in the bucket.

Uncle Sun said with some frustration: "It seems that fishing is really not an easy task. The same method has different results."

Brother Zhao also sighed and said, "Yeah, maybe it's just like what Yimin said, it depends on luck."

Just when everyone was feeling discouraged, Brother Li suddenly shouted, "I think I caught a fish!"

I saw that the fishing rod in his hand was bent into an arc, and the fishing line was stretched taut.

Brother Li excitedly pulled up the rod, and a medium-sized carp was pulled out of the water. "Wow, Brother Li, you are awesome!"

The guys nearby cheered.

Brother Li had a proud smile on his face and said, "It seems that following Yimin's method is really useful."

Inspired by Brother Li, other villagers also rekindled their hope.

They fished more attentively, constantly adjusting their positions and baits.

Time passed slowly and the sky gradually darkened.
Although most of the villagers still didn't catch any fish, they were not discouraged.

While packing up their fishing gear, everyone was sharing their experiences of fishing today.

When Brother Zhao got home, although there was no fish in the bucket, he still smiled and said to Sister Wang: "Although I didn't catch any fish today, I learned a lot of fishing methods. I will try again tomorrow."

Mrs. Wang looked at her husband. Although she was a little disappointed, she still encouraged him: "Okay, go again tomorrow. I believe you will definitely catch it."

Most other villagers also had the same mood, looking forward to a good harvest next time.

(End of this chapter)