Let's go back to 2008, starting with a recreational fishing park.

When Jiang Xia got home, he looked at the clock on the wall and realized it was already two o'clock in the afternoon.

I haven't even had lunch yet!

But it's good for kids to stay at home; you don't have to worry about their meals.

My mother, Wang Guifen, had already prepared lunch for me; all I had to do was heat it up and eat.

Jiang Xia glanced at it; this time it wasn't green beans and potatoes stew, but her favorite stir-fried green peppers and pork.

However, this stir-fried green peppers with pork is different from the way it is made in many places. It is made by first stewing the pork in a pot, and then stir-frying the green peppers in.

In fact, many dishes in Shandong Province are prepared this way: first, the meat is stir-fried with various spices until cooked, and then when needed, the cooked meat is added to various green vegetables and stir-fried briefly before serving.

This method may not sound unique, but because the meat is pre-braised, the stir-fried dish tastes quite good.

After wandering around outside for most of the day, Jiang Xia was indeed very hungry, so he ate his meal very quickly.

Because they had agreed to have dinner with family that evening, Jiang Xia didn't wander around after dinner. Instead, she helped her mother pack the ingredients needed for the dinner.

Apart from what I just bought from the city, my mom had already tidied up almost everything else in the house.

The big bluefish had already been gutted and pickled by my mother in a large basin with scallions and ginger.

When Jiang Xia saw this, he couldn't help but feel fortunate. If it weren't for the old-fashioned earthen stove in the countryside, there really wouldn't be anywhere to stew this fish.

"Have all the permits for the reservoir been obtained? Have there been any problems?"

After Jiang Xia helped him pick vegetables, his mother, Wang Guifen, asked him how his trip to the city had gone.

At this moment, Jiang Xia was sitting opposite his mother, holding a bunch of chives in his hand. He nodded when his mother asked him a question.

"No problem at all. We can open for business once the hardened cement floor dries in the next couple of days."

Hearing that there were no problems, Wang Guifen nodded in relief, but still said worriedly, "I don't know if this fishing park you set up will actually turn out well."

Seeing this, Jiang Xia gently took his mother's hand:

"Don't worry, it will definitely work."

Hearing her son say this, Wang Guifen nodded, but the worried expression on her face didn't improve much.

The closer she got, the more worried she became, fearing that her son's ambitious business ventures would fail.

Seeing the worry on her mother's face, Jiang Xia didn't say anything more.

That's how mothers are; she'll only be able to truly relax once the fishing trip is actually a success.

However, this also made Jiang Xia even more determined that he must never let his mother suffer again in this lifetime.

……

After the mother and son had almost finished cleaning up the dishes, Jiang Xiaobo, the younger brother whom they had just met that morning, arrived first.

He was carrying a case of beer when he entered the room and called out to Wang Guifen, "Auntie."

This is the local terminology used in southeastern Shandong. I've also seen people in Shanghai call their aunts "Auntie."

Then, Jiang Xiaobo placed the beer at the door and called out to Jiang Xia, "Brother!"

Jiang Xia nodded to him, and Wang Guifen quickly invited him to sit inside.

Jiang Xiaobo smiled shyly and said, "No need, Auntie, I'll talk to my brother outside for a bit."

Jiang Xia walked over and handed Jiang Xiaobo a cigarette, teasingly asking, "Did you send your little girlfriend back?"

Jiang Xiaobo took the cigarette and nodded: "I sent it back. Her home is in town, not far away."

Wang Guifen, Jiang Xiaobo's mother, who was not far away, was full of curiosity when she heard that Jiang Xiaobo had a girlfriend:

"Xiao Bo has a girlfriend? Why doesn't he bring her home to meet his aunt?"

As she spoke, she rolled her eyes at Jiang Xia: "Look, your brother already has a girlfriend, why don't you hurry up and find one to marry so I can hold my grandson?"

Upon hearing this, Jiang Xia stood there awkwardly, speechless.

Jiang Xiaobo then explained to Wang Guifen with a smile:

"Auntie, I've only been talking to her for a short time. I'll definitely bring her back for you to check her out once I've had more time."

Wang Guifen burst into laughter upon hearing this.

After chatting for a while, Uncle Jiang Jianjun and Aunt Li Chunhua arrived. Since it was a family gathering, they didn't bring much, only some fruit.

As soon as the two entered, Jiang Xia hurriedly greeted them:

"Second Uncle."

Second Aunt.

Second Uncle Jiang Jianjun nodded to Jiang Xia, while Second Aunt Li Chunhua smiled and shook Jiang Xia's hand:

"Oh my, our college student is even more handsome this time. I really don't know which girl will be good enough for him."

Faced with this scene, Jiang Xia inwardly praised his second aunt's good taste, but on the surface he only nodded shyly.

After greeting herself, the second aunt washed her hands and ran over to help Wang Guifen cook.

"Where's your dad?" Jiang Jianjun, the second uncle, asked after his aunt left.

He was a dark-skinned man who was somewhat stern and rarely smiled.

But don't let his appearance fool you, he is the legitimate village secretary of Qingshan Village, and to outsiders, he is a local tyrant.

It's just that his skin is dark because of farming; after all, no farmer is without dark skin.

But to look down on him because of this is truly a case of judging a person by their own standards.

In Jiang Xia's memory, her second uncle had been the village party secretary for his entire life, and even before her rebirth, he was still the village party secretary of Qingshan Village.

Although Jiang Jianjun was not one to smile easily, he treated me very well. Perhaps he felt that I was the most promising member of the Jiang family at present.

My second uncle is the village party secretary, which goes without saying, and my father is the captain of the village's construction team. Many of the village's able-bodied men have to work for him, so he has quite a lot of prestige.

It was precisely because of the two brothers' prestige in the village that Jiangxia chose to open a fishing pond.

In the village, if it weren't for this connection, Jiang Xia wouldn't want to say anything more; those who know, know.

"It should be at the reservoir." Faced with his second uncle's question, Jiang Xia didn't know where his father was at the moment, so he thought for a moment and answered.

"I heard from your dad that you're planning to turn the reservoir into some kind of fishing park?"

Jiang Jianjun had already heard from Jiang Jianguo about Jiangxia's plan to build a fishing park, but he didn't know the details. So when he met Jiangxia, he asked him directly.

Jiang Xia nodded and shared some of her thoughts with Jiang Jianjun.

Then, Jiang Xia looked up at the sky and, finding it was still early, invited, "Second Uncle, it's not too late yet. How about we take a stroll along the reservoir?"

"Alright, let's see how things are going with you, kid."

Upon hearing Jiang Xia's suggestion, Jiang Jianjun agreed without hesitation.

Before they left, the two of them also called Jiang Xiaobo along.

The reservoir was very close to their home, and they arrived in just a few minutes while chatting.

Upon arriving at the reservoir, one sees 200 completed fishing platforms neatly arranged around its perimeter, with fishing nets of all sizes covering the water's surface, and various fish farming equipment in operation.

Upon seeing this, Jiang Xiaobo was immediately shocked:

"Brother, you've gone this far!"