A day later, A-Mian promised to make more zongzi this time, but when she got to the river, she was dumbfounded.
The villagers have picked all the reed leaves.
There was no other way, so she could only fly a kite. The kite was very big, and she couldn't get it up after several attempts. Ah Mian had no choice but to run around frantically for a while, and finally she saw the kite swaying and flying into the sky.
"How impressive!"
She played for most of the day, covered in sweat, before happily returning home.
As soon as he entered, he saw his second brother and sister-in-law there, talking about something. Meng Chijian, with his sharp eyes, grabbed the little brat and pulled her in front of him, saying, "Count her in this time too."
Ah Mian, not knowing what was going on, blinked and looked left and right.
"Won't she be scared? This job requires quick eyes and hands, otherwise it'll be a waste of time."
"I can!"
Meng Chijian said, "Don't worry, she can even catch fish."
He then took a clean handkerchief, soaked it in water, wrung it out, and used it to wipe Ah Mian's face and hands. He also removed the bits of grass from her hair before letting her go and sending someone to the backyard.
After having dinner and washing up, Ah Mian counted the stars in the backyard for a while before getting sleepy.
She didn't know what they were going to do.
It's all very mysterious.
In the middle of the night, Meng Chijian pinched her cheek and said, "You've earned some copper coins, get up quickly."
Ah Mian, still half asleep, made a soft "hmm" and turned over.
"If you don't get up, I'm not taking you."
"I want to go!" A-Mian struggled to open her eyes. A set of short-sleeved shirts that were easy to move in was already placed next to her. It was Meng Chijian's old clothes, but it was very clean.
After changing, the two set off under the moonlight.
Ah Mian held her breath and followed silently behind.
"Few people know about this job; it's like panning for gold. It doesn't fetch a high price in the Jiangdong area, but here, 'rarity makes it valuable.' There aren't many families farming paddy fields here... and most people don't even know how to do it. Don't be afraid when you see it."
Ah Mian's face was serious, indicating that she would definitely not hold anyone back.
When they arrived at Meng Er's family's land, there happened to be a paddy field. Meng Er gave a torch to Meng Chijian, and also gave A Mian a small basket that could be hung on her waist and a pair of fire tongs.
"Watch me do it, those things are very cunning—"
It turns out they were trying to catch eels.
“We can’t raise these things ourselves; they’re all wild.” Meng Er led the way, though he was quite puzzled. Usually, Meng San would dress Ah Mian up so neatly that she was a clean and tidy young lady. Why was he calling Ah Mian to walk on this muddy ground, making her all dirty?
How much money can we get for catching this one?
Meng Er said, "It depends on the size. Only when this is present at a banquet of nobles can it be called a 'full banquet'. A small one can sell for tens of coins, while a large one can sell for fifty coins, or even a hundred coins."
Ah Mian's eyes lit up as she listened, and she looked around unsteadily.
"This job is no easy task; whoever catches it gets the money." Meng Er slowed his pace.
Meng Chijian, holding a torch, pointed to a hole and said, "See that? That's an eel's nest. Eels eat earthworms, so you can use earthworms to catch them. But for now, we just need to wait for them to come out for some fresh air..."
Ah Mian quickly used the fire tongs to grab a slippery eel, but she didn't control her strength well, causing the eel to twist and escape.
"After you pick it up, you should quickly put it in the basket."
"Um."
Ah Mian kept trying, "Got it!"
In no time, she had caught three or four. Meng Chijian also caught some, using his hands to catch them and then tossing them into A Mian's basket.
"Eels look like snakes."
Yes, it's also called 'little snake'.
Ah Mian's eyes were sharp as she held her breath, waiting for a hole that had yielded no results. At the slightest movement, she struck swiftly and caught a large, fat eel, which could be called the king of eels.
After working for half the night, Ah Mian had filled her basket with about twenty fish, but she could no longer catch any more.
Everyone then went ashore, and Second Sister-in-law greeted them with a yawn and a smile, "Have a meal at home, you've been busy all night."
Meng Er asked, "Did the kids cause you any trouble?"
"They're all sleeping soundly. We won't take them with us tonight; we'll have a special meal." Meng Er's basket was also full of eels; tonight's harvest was quite bountiful.
"Let the men kill the eels," the second sister-in-law said, surprisingly willing to do some work. "I've boiled some water, you go and wash up first, I need to cook some rice."
Amian asked in confusion, "Aren't you going to sell it?"
"That's right, the big ones are picked out and sold, and the small ones are for us to enjoy. Are only the rich and powerful allowed to eat them? Ah Mian, you've never eaten eel before, have you?"
"Is it really that delicious?"
Second Sister-in-law said, "In my opinion, it's the most delicious food in the world."
Ah Mian was still thinking that she had earned at least two hundred coins in one night, which would make up a total of three hundred coins and half a tael of silver that she had saved up.
Now she is Ah Mian, whose net worth is as high as one tael of silver.
On the other side, Meng Er was butchering an eel. He glanced into the house and said, "What are you thinking? Why don't you go and catch it yourself?"
Meng Chijian remained silent and quickly used a kitchen knife to debone the bones.
After a while, she said, "She's very capable and learns everything very quickly, but she just hasn't had the chance. I can still teach her some things now, and even if I'm gone one day, she'll still be able to live a good life."
Meng Er said, "Why say such things? Just live your life well."
"Is it done yet?" Second Sister-in-law urged, "Don't dawdle, the rice is almost cooked!"
The second sister-in-law claimed to have a family secret recipe, so she forbade anyone else from entering the kitchen. She first marinated the eel with salt and sauce, then heated oil in a pan and fried the eel pieces until golden brown on both sides. Only then did she place the fried eel on top of the rice and cook it together until the rice was thoroughly cooked.
When Ah Mian finished washing up and came out, there was a plate of eel rice in front of her!
She picked up her chopsticks, took a piece, and put it in her mouth. The boneless and thornless yet surprisingly springy texture amazed her. "There's such fish meat! So tender and bouncy..."
Then, pair it with a mouthful of perfectly cooked rice—
"You're right, this is truly the most delicious food in the world!"
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