Reborn in 1977

Before long, they arrived at the riverbank. Chen Fan walked a short distance upstream from the water-fetching pier until he spotted a lush clump of aquatic plants, then stopped.

He first used his fishing rod to test the water depth. Near the bank, it was very shallow, but a little over a meter out, it suddenly dropped off, and the rod couldn't reach the bottom.

Alright, this is the spot.

He threaded a piece of shredded meat onto the hook, adjusted the float to about three meters above the hook, tossed in a handful of fish bait mixed with white rice and cooked rice to create a feeding spot, and with a whoosh, cast the fishing rod.

Then, he squatted down to wait.

One minute, two minutes…

Five minutes, ten minutes…

Chen Fan's legs were going numb from squatting, but he hadn't even caught a small fish.

This wasn't right.

He lifted the rod to check, and the shredded meat was already gone, instantly darkening his face.

Eating my bait but not taking the hook, the fish here have no manners.

Indignantly, he re-baited the hook with a piece of shredded meat and was about to cast it out when he suddenly spotted a palm-sized fish swimming in the water. His eyes twinkled, and he called out to the fish, "Hey, little fishy, come here."

However, the fish ignored him and continued swimming in the water.

Chen Fan frowned. Could it be that his ability to speak to animals didn't include fish?

Or was his level not high enough, or did fish not have brains?

But fish do have brains, and they're quite delicious.

Chen Fan silently squatted by the river, stroking his chin as he pondered winter fishing techniques.

Oh, that's right.

He suddenly remembered that, during winter, the water temperature drops, and most fish sink to the bottom. So, in this case…

Chen Fan turned his gaze to the distance.

Could they be in the middle of the river?

The area near the riverbank was a shallow zone, where you could see the bottom at a glance. It seemed like the little fish he saw earlier had swum up from the deep-water zone, so the fish were probably mostly there.

Chen Fan's entire face scrunched up. But how was he going to get there?

His eyes darted around twice, then suddenly lit up. He placed the fishing rod on the ground, turned, and ran back.

Zhang Wenliang and Warden Huang were chatting, while Jiang Lili was washing vegetables at the kitchen door. A large wooden basin was filled with water, soaking all the vegetables. A few shakes would clean them, and a final rinse would do.

Then, the three of them saw Chen Fan rush in, dash into a room.

A few minutes later, he suddenly ran out again, wearing a washbasin on his head, a basket hanging in front, and grabbing a five-meter-long thick bamboo pole as he left.

Zhang Wenliang looked blankly at Warden Huang. "What's he doing?"

Warden Huang thought for a moment. "Could he be going to fish in the middle of the river?"

Why else would he bring a washbasin?

"Going to fish in the river?"

Zhang Wenliang's eyes flickered. "Let's go take a look."

They might as well watch the fun, since they had nothing else to do.

The two of them got up and walked outside.

The two of them walked unhurriedly to the river embankment and saw Chen Fan already sitting in the washbasin, legs stretched out, basket on his lap, fishing rod placed straight, and using the bamboo pole to paddle the water from side to side, soon reaching the middle of the river.

He then stood the bamboo pole up and stuck it into the bottom, with about a meter still visible above the water, indicating that the water was only about four meters deep here.

The water flow in winter was very slow, almost imperceptible. Chen Fan, holding onto the bamboo pole, could ensure he wouldn't drift away.

Next was the moment to witness a miracle!

Creating a feeding spot and casting the line were done in one go.

Chen Fan was just about to catch his breath when suddenly the fishing rod tightened, startling him.

Damn, it took the bait?

He immediately gripped the rod tightly, slowly pulling it up.

Wow, it's heavy, definitely a big fish.

Unfortunately, this fishing rod was too old-fashioned, without a reel to wind the line. Moreover, he was sitting in the washbasin, making it difficult to exert force, and he didn't dare use too much strength, fearing he might break the rod.

To prevent capsizing, he leaned back, bracing his feet against the edge of the basin and his back against the edge, trying to maintain balance while also holding tightly to the bamboo pole stuck in the water to prevent the boat from being swept away.

Even so, the little boat was being dragged from side to side, and he could only grip the fishing rod firmly with both hands, not struggling with the big fish but letting it run to avoid losing it.

Zhang Wenliang and Warden Huang were originally watching the fun on the river embankment. Seeing this, they exchanged a glance.

Warden Huang immediately said, "You watch here, I'll go get a rope."

If this were his own son, would he be looking for a rope? He'd be more likely to take off his shoe and hit him!

As they were talking, the situation in the river changed.

Zhang Wenliang pulled him back. "Wait, look."

They saw that after Chen Fan stabilized himself, he clamped the fishing rod between his legs, pressing it down with his buttocks, freeing one hand to grab the bamboo pole. After pulling it up, he used it to push himself towards the shore.

Zhang Wenliang and Warden Huang immediately ran down the river embankment.

By the time they reached the water's edge, Chen Fan was almost there. Zhang Wenliang called out, "Pass me the bamboo pole."

Chen Fan handed over the bamboo pole, and the two of them pulled him to the shore.

Warden Huang grabbed the washbasin, and Zhang Wenliang took the fishing rod from his hand, gripping it tightly the next second, his eyes almost popping out. "You've caught a big one!"

Panting, Chen Fan climbed ashore from the washbasin, then dragged the wooden basin up as well. He then picked up the basket and said to Zhang Wenliang, "Brother Sanhu, lead the fish to the edge, and I'll use this to scoop it up."

Zhang Wenliang finally understood why he had brought the basket and immediately laughed heartily. "Your idea is good."

He then slowly reeled in the line, moving his feet back little by little.

After several minutes of leading, a huge black shadow appeared before the three of them, even surprising Warden Huang. "What a big blackfish."

Chen Fan stood guard on the shore, with one foot almost in the water. When the blackfish was pulled closer, he aimed and scooped it up with the basket.

The blackfish was successfully caught and lifted up.

The river water quickly drained away, and the unwilling blackfish leaped around inside. Chen Fan felt like he was holding a monster, almost unable to hold onto the basket.

Warden Huang quickly helped him take it, steadily lifting the basket and weighing it a couple of times, grinning as he said, "Good heavens, it's probably about twenty pounds."

With its head at the bottom of the basket and its tail sticking out, twenty pounds was indeed possible.

Having caught a big fish, they returned triumphantly.

Warden Huang carried the basket ahead, while Chen Fan and Zhang Wenliang put the other items in the washbasin, carried the basin together, and then, one with the fishing rod and one with the bamboo pole, strutted back.

Just then, Yang Ju had also called Captain Yang and Accountant Liu back. Once everyone gathered, they began to discuss the big blackfish.

Captain Yang: "Braise the fish body, stew the fish head and tail with white radish for soup."

Accountant Liu: "We can also make quick-fried fish slices."

Warden Huang: "Cut some fish slices, marinate them with ginger, salt, and wine, then steam them, and finally sprinkle some scallions. So fragrant."

Zhang Wenliang grinned. "If we had a casserole, we could also braise it in a casserole, add some chili peppers and peppercorns. The gravy is best for eating with rice."

Chen Fan blinked, then looked at the big blackfish. According to their plans, this one fish might not be enough?