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

Seeing Jiang Xiaobo's naive and unsophisticated demeanor, Jiang Xia shook her head: "This is nothing, just a few tens of thousands of yuan invested, a small matter."

"Huh? This is just a small scene. What would be considered a big scene?" Jiang Xiaobo was somewhat surprised. In his mind, the scene in front of him was already quite impressive. He didn't think much of the tens of thousands of yuan, but the reservoir covered a huge area, and those rows of fishing spots were indeed very intimidating.

Jiang Xia smiled, offered a cigarette to Jiang Jianjun and his son Jiang Xiaobo, and said, "When you see investments of hundreds of millions or even hundreds of millions, you'll know what a big deal is."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Jianjun laughed and slapped Jiang Xiaobo on the head: "Hahaha, did you hear that? Just wait and see how your brother pulls off a show worth hundreds of millions."

In front of Jiang Jianjun, Jiang Xia didn't boast, but humbly said, "Second Uncle, this scene was only set up with my father's help. I wouldn't even dare to think about hundreds of millions right now."

Jiang Jianjun disagreed with Jiang Xia's modesty:

"You're being modest, kid. I've known you're capable since you were a kid. You quit your job and came back home to manage this mess. You're much better than your brother."

The three men, uncle and nephew, looked around the construction site of the fishing area by the reservoir.

Along the way, they also encountered Jiang Jianguo, who was inspecting the aerator on the east side of the reservoir.

After going around the area, Jiangxia found that the cement hardening of the fishing spots was almost complete, and he could start thinking about opening for business in the next couple of days.

Because Wang Guifen called to say that dinner was ready at home, the group didn't linger around; they took a quick look around and then went home.

……

When I got home, my grandfather Jiang Dahu was already there.

The old man was overjoyed to see his favorite grandson and kept saying that he had gained weight again.

These words made Wang Guifen and Li Guifang laugh heartily.

The old man was right; Jiang Xia had indeed gained a lot of weight while staying at home doing nothing.

The dishes were already on the table, and after exchanging pleasantries, the group took their seats.

Because it was summer, apart from the old man Jiang Dahu, all the men in the Jiang family drank beer.

After pouring the old man a glass of the medicinal wine his father had brewed, Jiang Xia brought out two cases of beer.

The beer is Yinmai Beer, a local product from Linjiang. It has a light malt aroma, but it's not very strong; its main feature is its refreshing taste.

He handed a bottle to his father and second uncle, and then asked his mother and second aunt if they wanted some.

It was indeed hot in the middle of summer. My mom and second aunt both said they were happy to get together and had a bottle of wine.

Jiang Xia quickly took out two more bottles of beer and handed them to the two of them.

Finally, it was just me and Jiang Xiaobo. The two young men each had a bottle.

And just like that, a case of 12 bottles of beer was reduced to half after being divided up.

This is just the beginning. The whole family hasn't gotten together since the Lunar New Year. Jiang Xia estimates that even three cases of beer might not be enough tonight.

After the wine was finished, the old man started urging everyone to eat the dishes first.

As soon as he finished speaking, the whole family's eyes fell on the big blue carp.

The way this grass carp was cooked was nothing special; it was just ordinary braising.

But it was so big that Wang Guifen chopped it into several pieces before serving one of them on a plate.

Our whole family has never eaten such a big bluefish before.

With the elders taking the lead, everyone picked up pieces of fish.

Jiang Xia picked up the belly of the fish; he glanced at it and saw there were no bones, so he put it directly into his mouth.

As soon as the fish entered his mouth, Jiang Xia felt that the fish had lived up to his expectations.

He discovered that although the fish had slightly coarse fibers, it was quite high in fat, making it not only tender but also slightly chewy, giving it a springy and refreshing texture overall.

Moreover, Jiang Xia also discovered that this fish had a very mild muddy taste, unlike grass carp and common carp, which have a very strong muddy taste if not cooked properly.

After finishing the fish, the family all said it tasted good, but Grandpa Jiang Dahu only took one bite and didn't take any more.

After all, he's getting old, and the meat of the grass carp is still quite chewy, so it's a bit difficult for the old man to chew it because of his bad teeth.

Halfway through the meal, the conversation at the table began to revolve around the brothers Jiang Xia and Jiang Xiaobo.

As for Jiangxia, without even thinking about it, it's bound to be full of praise and compliments.

After all, Jiang Xia had always been an excellent student, excelling in both character and academics.

As for Jiang Xiaobo, things aren't so good.

After a few bottles of beer, the second uncle got angry at his son. He pointed at Jiang Xiaobo and said, "You brat, you don't learn anything from your brother. I tell you to go to work, but you don't. All you do is go to the city to play all day."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Xia realized that Jiang Xiaobo had resigned just like him and was now wandering around the city all day.

However, Jiang Xia didn't think Jiang Xiaobo was bad because of this; in his eyes, the kid was still quite good.

After graduating from junior high school, he went to work with a construction team, doing odd jobs everywhere. No matter how hard or arduous the work was, he could persevere, unlike many of his peers who spent their days either fighting or going to internet cafes.

Moreover, in Jiang Xia's memory, this kid did quite well in his previous life. He was in Shanghai and couldn't take care of his parents, so the old couple relied on Jiang Xiaobo's help with many things.

After his second uncle counted Jiang Xiaobo for a while, Jiang Xia poured him a glass of wine and said:

"Second Uncle, Second Aunt, I think Xiao Bo is a pretty good kid. If he doesn't have anything to do lately, he can stay with me for now."

"My fishing spot will be opening soon, and my dad and I can't handle it all on our own. I'll have him help me with odd jobs, and I'll pay him a salary so he won't be idle."

Jiang Jianjun's eyes widened when he heard this. "What are you talking about? I'm helping you and paying him a salary. I'll just feed him."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Xia refused, saying, "That won't do. He's such a big young man; how can I let him help for nothing?"

Jiang Jianjun was about to say something when Jiang Jianguo, who had been silent until now, spoke up: "Alright, let Xiaxia decide this matter. Let the two brothers discuss the salary and such. You, as their father, don't worry about it so much."

Jiang Jianjun didn't say much since it was his older brother speaking, but Jiang Xiaobo's eyes lit up when he heard that he could help Jiang Xia, and he seemed eager to try.

After discussing the two brothers, they had almost finished their meal.

By this time, the large bluefish on the table was already empty, and the other meat dishes were almost finished as well. As for the wine, Jiang Xia had finished both cases he brought over, and later he opened the case that Jiang Xiaobo had brought over in the afternoon and drank more than half of it as well.

After dinner, Li Chunhua helped Wang Guifen clean up the table, and the family sat together to drink tea.

The habit of drinking tea after drinking alcohol is still quite common in Shandong Province.

At this point, the men began to talk about national affairs.

Meanwhile, Wang Guifen and Li Chunhua, two women, held hands and chatted about everyday matters.

Jiang Xia didn't say anything, just sat quietly to the side and listened. He only picked up the kettle to refill the elders' teacups when they were empty.

Looking at this scene, Jiang Xia felt that this was the true taste of life.