Chapter 113: The Big Fish!

The next day, Zhou Sinian got up early and heated breakfast. Standing outside the door, he called for Ming Dai to wake up, his loud voice successfully bringing out her usual morning grumpiness.

After breakfast, the two of them started waiting.

It didn’t take long before Zhou Sinian became impatient. He frequently stepped outside, looking around as if he could stare a hole through the wall.

“Ming Dai! Did they forget to call us?”

Zhou Sinian was seriously suspicious.

Ming Dai shook her head. “That’s impossible. Just knit for a while. They’ll call us soon.”

With no other choice, Zhou Sinian handed the ball of yarn to Ming Dai—she unraveled the thread while he knitted. However, his ears remained sharp, constantly listening for any movement outside. At the slightest noise, he was ready to rush out and check.

Ming Dai understood Zhou Sinian’s eagerness. After all, winters in Hei Province were unbearably dull!

Once the heavy snow sealed the doors, every household stayed inside, huddled for warmth. Except for restless children, people rarely stepped outside. Even the educated youths in the front yard had been unusually well-behaved, causing fewer disturbances. It had been a long time since there was any commotion from them.

This made any sort of group activity even rarer. Zhou Sinian had been in the countryside for three years, yet he had never participated in one.

Finally, around 10 a.m., Aunt Huang came to call them.

Zhou Sinian could barely wait any longer. He snatched the yarn from Ming Dai’s hands, tossed it into the basket, and jumped off the heated brick bed. At the same time, he pulled Ming Dai down with him.

By the time Ming Dai realized what had happened, her cotton shoes were already on.

Oh well.

She put on her thick cotton coat, while Zhou Sinian threw on his military overcoat. Both of them strapped on the sheepskin knee pads that Ming Dai had sewn, layering an extra pair of pants on top—keeping warm while remaining inconspicuous.

Worried about the strong winds on the ice, Ming Dai put on a woolen hat and wrapped her face tightly with a scarf.

Zhou Sinian wore a hat with earflaps, secured with his red headscarf on the outside. However, he was still unwilling to give up and held up the new red silk scarf he had just received, confirming with Ming Dai, “Can’t I wear this? Just like you.”

Ming Dai shook her head firmly. “No. That’s a silk scarf, not a winter scarf. It’s too thin—it won’t keep you warm. Just wear the mask I made for you.”

Zhou Sinian reluctantly put the silk scarf back into the heated brick bed’s storage cabinet and picked up a black cotton mask, fastening it around his ears.

“I want a floral one. This one is ugly!”

Ming Dai rolled her eyes. “Then sew one yourself!”

Zhou Sinian huffed softly and muttered, “Fine, I’ll sew it myself! Dazheng knows how! I’ll ask him to teach me! And once I learn, I’ll make you the ugliest one!!”

Ming Dai didn’t hear him, but if she had, she probably would have been even more speechless.

She handed him the basket while she carefully carried a lidded bamboo container.

This was something Ming Dai had come up with, and Zhou Sinian and Liu Dazheng had made it together. Inside was a fire-resistant porcelain jar, wrapped in woven bamboo, designed as a hand-carry basket to provide warmth.

Ming Dai had placed burning charcoal inside, along with some extra pieces in the basket, to prevent the cold on the ice from becoming unbearable for them.

After much urging from Zhou Sinian, the two locked the door and headed out. At the alley entrance, they saw the Liu family waiting for them.

Since this was a rare chance for entertainment, nearly everyone had come along. The sled was packed with people.

Although both the horses and sleds were communal property, every year, they were used for free to transport villagers to Yudai River for ice fishing.

Because Liu Dazhu was the brigade leader, the Liu family was always the first to leave—an unspoken privilege.

Ming Dai and Zhou Sinian were simply tagging along.

On the way, Ming Dai noticed quite a few people riding dog sleds to follow them. Nowadays, most families only kept one dog, so these sled dogs were usually gathered from multiple households. They weren’t as fast as the horse-drawn sleds, but they were still convenient.

As they got closer to Yudai River, the atmosphere became livelier. There were already many people on the ice, drilling fishing holes.

“Let’s go a bit further. Better not mix with the crowd,” someone suggested.

In previous years, fights had broken out between villages over fishing holes.

After traveling a bit more, they finally arrived.

Liu Dazhu observed the area for a while, found a suitable spot, and called for everyone to get off.

Other dog sleds from Liujiawan also stopped behind the horse sled.

Liu Laosan remained seated on the sled, warming his hands inside his coat. He had no intention of getting down. As Liujiawan’s designated driver, he knew that no matter who caught fish, he would get a share. So why should he freeze out here?

Zhou Sinian was too impatient to wait. As soon as Ming Dai got off the sled, he grabbed her and slid down the icy slope with a whoosh, making her clutch the basket in her hands tightly in fear.

By the time they reached the bottom safely, Ming Dai was already drenched in sweat. Taking a deep breath, she turned to Zhou Sinian and scolded him relentlessly.

At last, she understood why, in her previous life, some parents had been so infuriated by their children that they ended up in the hospital!

Mischievous kids were simply impossible to handle!!

She was carrying a charcoal brazier! What if it had spilled and burned the both of them?!

Under Ming Dai’s fierce scolding, Zhou Sinian’s ears drooped. He repeatedly promised there wouldn’t be a next time, and only then did she let him off the hook.

Her frustration quickly dissipated as she focused on watching Liu Dazhu and the others drill fishing holes, her curiosity taking over.

Liu Dazhu chose a spot downstream, closer to the center of the river, and marked five holes, each spaced about ten meters apart.

Since he had staked out this area, others naturally avoided taking their spots.

Liu Dazhu and his three sons took turns using an ice chisel to break through the thick ice along the marked lines. Soon, the holes were opened, with crushed ice floating on the surface.

Using a skimmer, they scooped out the ice fragments, clearing the hole and making it ready for fishing.

Ming Dai looked at the freshly cleared hole with slight disappointment—she had thought that the oxygen-starved fish would immediately leap out of the water. But nothing happened.

However, at this time of year, most fish were in a semi-dormant state. As soon as they sensed an increase in oxygen in a certain part of the water, they would quickly gather there.

Due to oxygen deprivation, their alertness was also much lower, making it easier for them to take the bait.

Aunt Huang took out pre-boiled corn and hooked it onto the fishing lines.

In truth, worms and other meaty bait worked best, but unfortunately, they were hard to come by in the winter.

Liu Laifa and the children started fishing at the first hole.

Meanwhile, Liu Dazhu and his two other sons continued breaking open the remaining fishing holes.

Before Zhou Sinian and the others’ fishing spots were even ready, Liu Laifa’s side had already caught a fish.

It was on Goudan’s fishing line.

Goudan’s little face flushed with excitement as he eagerly pulled on the fishing line. With the help of his uncle, he managed to yank a fish out of the water.

It wasn’t very big, but it was enough to make Goudan proud—after all, this was the first fish he had ever caught in his life!

Seeing this, Zhou Sinian became even more impatient. He quickly grabbed the ice chisel from Liu Dazhu and slammed it against the ice a few times, breaking open his fishing hole.

This time, his hands were steady, and he didn’t accidentally crack the surrounding ice.

After scooping away the floating ice fragments, he took the fishing line that Aunt Huang handed him and cast it into the water, squatting down to wait patiently for the float to sink.

He had already learned the fishing process from Liu Laifa’s explanation to his little nephew just moments ago.

Ming Dai took the corn and fishing line that Aunt Huang had given them and squatted down as well.

With the fire basket beside them and their thick winter clothing, they didn’t feel cold—only the strong wind made it difficult to keep their eyes open.

Once Zhou Sinian had dropped his fishing hook into the water, he became extraordinarily patient.

He stared unblinkingly at the fishing float in the water. Ming Dai’s eyes started to hurt just watching him, yet he didn’t move an inch.

After waiting for more than ten minutes, there was finally some movement in the water.

When the float dipped twice, Zhou Sinian reacted instantly, pulling up the line at lightning speed. A large fish shot out of the water, landing with a heavy thud on the ice.

Compared to the fish Goudan had caught earlier, this one was much bigger and much more aggressive. Even after landing on the ice, it thrashed about violently.

Zhou Sinian quickly stepped forward, grabbed the fish by its gills, and lifted it up. Seeing the fish nearly as long as his own arm, he was ecstatic!

“Ming Dai! Look! My fish is bigger!”

He then ran over, picked up Goudan’s fish, and held them side by side for comparison.

One big, one small. One long, one short. The difference was obvious.

He shook the two fish slightly, then clicked his tongue at Goudan. “So tiny!”

Goudan looked back and forth between their fish, his eyes turning red. Then, with a loud wail, he burst into tears, startling Liu Laifa, who quickly rushed over to cover his little nephew’s mouth.

Satisfied after making the child cry, Zhou Sinian cheerfully returned to his spot, while Ming Dai didn’t even dare to look up at the Liu family.

Silenced by his uncle’s hand, Goudan clenched his little fists, secretly vowing to catch an even bigger fish!

After that, the two of them started competing against each other.

Zhou Sinian was patient, with steady hands and sharp eyes. He hardly ever let a fish get away once it bit the hook.

Goudan, on the other hand, was young and impulsive. He often pulled up the line too soon, before the fish had fully taken the bait, letting many escape. Every time it happened, he pouted, looking like he was about to cry again.

In the end, Liu Laifu comforted his youngest son, “Look, your big brother, that idiot, hasn’t even caught a single fish yet!”

Goudan glanced at his older brother, who was still standing there with an empty basket behind him, and immediately broke into laughter.

Tiedan: You really are my biological father!

Ming Dai wasn’t in a hurry. She had never caught a fish before in her previous life, and unsurprisingly, she had no luck this time either.

Despite sharing a fishing hole, the fish only seemed to bite Zhou Sinian’s hook, completely ignoring hers.

She simply handed her fishing rod to Zhou Sinian, letting him handle both.

Sure enough, not long after she passed it to him, a fish took the bait. When he pulled it up, it turned out to be a rather large pike.

Ming Dai sighed. Her curse of always coming up empty-handed had followed her into this life as well.

By midday, they still hadn’t returned home and stayed on the ice until around three in the afternoon.

From time to time, excited shouts echoed across the frozen river, signaling that people were having a good catch.

When it was finally time to wrap up, Zhou Sinian was reluctant to leave. With two fishing rods, he had caught nearly half a basket full of fish in various sizes—an impressive result.

The Liu family, with their four fishing holes, had caught the most fish, making the surrounding villagers envious.

Fortunately, everyone had made a decent catch, and with the weather still holding up, they happily headed home.

As soon as they arrived back, Ming Dai pulled Zhou Sinian into their storage space without delay.

They placed the fish in the warehouse and then took a long, hot bath. Only after that did they finally feel fully alive again.

Still worried about the cold, Ming Dai made ginger tea and made sure they both drank a full cup.

Zhou Sinian’s enthusiasm for the fish was so strong that it overpowered his dislike for the spicy ginger tea. He downed it in one gulp, then eagerly ran to the warehouse to fetch the biggest fish.

“Ming Dai! Let’s eat fish!”

Ming Dai looked at the fish and said, “The pot in the storage space is too small. Clean it up first, and we’ll go outside to cook it!”

Zhou Sinian, like an excited puppy, nodded enthusiastically. “Alright, alright, alright!”

After Ming Dai taught him how to clean the fish, she went off to start cooking the rice.

After all, what was fish without a steaming bowl of rice?