Siheyuan: Big City, Small Love

In the following week, everyone started looking for badgers. The He and Wu families spent the entire day in the mountains, searching everywhere. He Lai also joined in the fun, as everything was more fun when there were more people around.

However, the badgers did not find many nests, but more of a series of mice and rabbits. They began to compete with the rabbits, but the probability of being run away was greater because the rabbits were too agile. Fortunately, He Lai reminded them that they could use a bag to block the hole, and they reacted.

In this way, another wave of rabbits were killed, and the He and Wu families pickled rabbit meat again. Fortunately, rabbits reproduce quickly, with several litters a year, and it is impossible to catch them all. They will run out again if they are not seen for half a year.

"Grandpa, I see the weather is good these days. Has the river thawed?" He Lai saw that Grandpa He was about to go out again, and hurriedly pulled him back.

"Hey, I totally forgot about digging the hole." Mr. He slapped his forehead.

"It must have melted. I'll go outside and buy some fish hooks and lines."

"And the fishing rope, it can be as thick as chopsticks." He Lai added immediately.

Mr. He hurried out to buy materials. He Lai also watched the old man rushing around all day long, not feeling tired at all.

"Your grandfather just can't sit still. After he got the land, he wanted to sleep in the fields at night. He was tired of being poor and hungry." Old Mrs. He was sitting on a small stool, also sighing. The two times He came, her old man was like a chicken with blood injected.

"Grandma, it's good to let grandpa be busy, just don't let him get tired. You'd better stop him when the time comes." He Lai ran to Grandma He and massaged her shoulders.

In recent years, she has gotten a little better and gained some weight. I remember my grandmother in her original memory was just a bunch of ribs. She left most of the food for her children.

"Grandma, seeing you are healthy, I hope your dad can come back soon. I am content with this life." Grandma He patted He Lai's hand as he was massaging it.

……

At noon, He Lai was helping Old Lady He to make a fire when Old Man He came back with a bunch of ingredients.

Two people, one big and one small, started to work. Fortunately, the hook arrangement was not complicated and only needed to be fixed.

Mrs. He’s meal is ready, and this one is half done too.

"Grandpa, is your boat ready?" He Lai asked Grandpa He casually while tying the fishing hook.

"There seems to be one in the village. We can borrow it when the time comes. It's just gathering dust there anyway." Grandpa He said indifferently.

"Grandpa, remember to keep it a secret. Otherwise, if everyone goes there, it will be easy to cause trouble. Don't get too many fish, it will be too conspicuous. Contact the people in the town and sell them. It's best to find restaurants, factories and the like. They will definitely take them. It's best to give some to the village, otherwise it will be difficult to explain."

He Lai started to worry about his mission again. There was no other way, and later he thought that taking Sijiu City would be too conspicuous, and it would be bad if he was accused of something.

"Okay, Grandpa got it. I'll let your uncle, second uncle Da Hu and others take turns guarding it. Grandpa knows a few people in town, so it should be easy to sell." Grandpa He also thought it made sense.

"Let's eat. The food has been ready for a long time. It won't taste good if it gets cold." Seeing that the two were unwilling to put down their work, Old Mrs. He finally spoke.

"Okay, okay, okay, Xiao Laizi, eat first. Grandpa will finish this job in no time." Grandpa He also stood up to eat. He Lai followed immediately.

"Grandpa, use some corn, earthworms, and pig liver as bait. This is very effective in catching soft-shelled turtles." He Lai ordered again.

"Okay, Xiao Laizi is really my eldest grandson. From now on, our family will have to eat meat." Grandpa He laughed while eating rabbit meat, feeling like the fish was already in his hands.

"Eat quickly. Look at the way you're smiling. You don't look like a grandfather at all." Grandma He happily picked up food for the grandfather and grandson.

……

"Grandpa, go borrow the boat and I'll hang the baits." He Lai started to hang them up one by one. If he didn't have pig liver, badger liver would be fine.

"Okay, I'll go now. By the way, call Dahu and the others back." Old Master He stood up, patted his legs and left.

After a while, everything was hung up, stacked and put into bags. I just waited for grandpa and his family.

……

"Uncle, Dahu, can you row a boat?" He Lai asked.

"will not."

"So, can you swim?"

"will not."

"Alright, alright, you two are just eating for nothing, let grandpa do it." Grandpa He couldn't bear it anymore.

"Then Dahu and I will go up, and uncle will watch over us from the side." He Lai took the bag of fishing hooks and jumped onto the boat, and Dahu followed immediately.

Grandpa He rowed the boat to the center. He Lai immediately threw one end of the stone down, then placed the hooks one by one, and finally threw the fixed wooden block in.

"Okay, come back tomorrow morning and see if Xiao Hu is simple."

He Lai saw that Da Hu was still a little nervous on the boat, probably because he was afraid of falling off. It was probably because northerners didn't swim very much, so they were naturally averse to water.

"Just take the boat a few more times." He Lai continued.

Soon, after tying up the fishing boat, the three of them went back.

The next day, Dahu seemed to have overcome a lot, and the four of them set off. Grandpa He rowed the boat, and He Lai gave Dahu the proof.

When the boat was close to the wood, he asked Mr. He to stop so that he could collect the fish. Mr. He quickly rowed twice in the direction to stop the boat. He Lai grabbed the wood along the river surface and started fishing today.

He Lai moved very slowly. While talking to Da Hu, he picked up the stone at one end of the fishing line and began the real process of catching the fish.

Tell Dahu that generally, small cargoes cannot be thrown directly onto the boat. If they are bigger, use a scoop net. Even if you are not skilled, you can use a scoop net.

They pulled slowly and caught quite a few fish. They let Da Hu try again. He was a little nervous at the beginning, but after pulling for a long time and catching a fish, he forgot his fear and slowly let go. He Lai reminded him to remember to use the scoop net.

After a while, we had a good harvest of 22 fish, big and small, but no turtles, black carps or the like.

Mr. He and the others were very excited. If they came every day, they could earn a lot of money.

"Grandpa, you guys must be careful. Although there is no rule that the fish caught in the river belong to the collective, if you bring them all back to the village, someone will definitely be jealous and it will be bad if you get reported. It's better to take them directly to the town and sell them."

"When the time comes, it shouldn't be a big problem to take a few back home to eat. You don't have to go every day, just enough to eat, go once every three or four days. I guess others won't have any objections.

Anyway, Grandpa, you can handle it yourself, or you can just tell the villagers about it and let them decide for themselves."

He Lai was also afraid that his grandfather and his men would be reported. The situation in the countryside was much stricter than in the city. It was still okay now, but when collectivization came, it would be difficult to deal with it because everything was collective. He was afraid of being accused of digging into the corners of socialism.

"Okay, Grandpa got it. Then Dahu, you follow your father to the town to sell fish. I'll take two fish back." Grandpa He thought about it and felt that it made sense. If you are not greedy, you will not be afraid.

Just like that, the four of them separated, Da Hu and He Zhong went to the town, and He Lai and Old Man He returned to the village.