Chapter 156
The Li River Scenic Area now has a two-story sightseeing yacht. The ticket costs 2 yuan and you can tour the Li River for two hours.
But Su Miao and his group chose another more exciting way, taking a bamboo raft.
The rain has stopped and there are many raftsmen soliciting passengers at the dock. There are only two fixed bamboo chairs on a raft. The raftsman holds a long bamboo pole to support the raft from the back. It only costs one dollar to enjoy an hour's ride.
They chartered three bamboo rafts and drifted slowly in the picturesque mountains and waters. The raftsmen explained the scenic spots of each section to them from time to time.
A small bamboo raft floats in the middle of the river, the water is clear and transparent. Compared with more than ten years ago, the Li River today is free of man-made pollution and garbage, and the scattered magazines are just some fallen leaves and branches.
Su Miao put her hand into the river, feeling the clean freshness, when suddenly, her hand seemed to be hit by something, and she quickly withdrew her hand in fright.
The raftsman behind saw it and said with a smile, "Don't be afraid! It's a big fish! Our water is good and there are many fish. Usually we can easily catch a big one."
Shi Hongmei and Ye Jiayin, who were on the bamboo raft nearby, were eager to try after hearing that there were so many fish here that they could be caught easily, and they kept an eye on the situation on the water.
Seeing that they were interested, the raftman gave them the fish bag on his waist. Just after the raft went around a rocky mountain, they seemed to encounter a school of fish.
Ye Jiayin said: "I saw it, I saw it, wait for me to catch it."
Ye Han looked at his excited daughter and said worriedly, "Jiayin, take it easy, or you might overturn the raft!"
"Don't worry, Mom! Just leave it to me."
Ye Jiayin hunched his back and prepared himself. When the school of fish passed by, he quickly scooped the fish basket in his hand into the water. Hey! He actually caught a big carp.
However, when Ye Jiayin threw the big carp onto the bamboo raft, it suddenly jumped up and leaped high, drawing an arc in the air.
Everyone exclaimed in regret, thinking that the big fish had escaped, but it hit Su Miao right at his feet.
Seeing such a big white fish, Su Miao had no time to be afraid. He quickly used both hands to hold down the struggling carp.
"Dad! Come help! This fish is so strong!"
The father and daughter tried their best to control the fish. Finally, an experienced bamboo raft worker came over and passed a piece of fishing line through the gills and mouth of the big carp and tied it firmly to the bamboo chair so that the fish could not escape.
Su Miao looked at this method in surprise and said, "Uncle, you still have a fishing line with you?"
"Haha~ You're not the only ones who caught fish. We weren't prepared before, so the tourists would run away with the fish they caught, which really spoiled their fun. So I just brought some fishing line for you to tie up. You're staying at the hotel, right? I'll ask the kitchen to make you some beer-baked fish when you get home. It's delicious!"
This was indeed their plan. After getting ashore, they took a special sightseeing bus back to the point where they boarded the boat to pick up their car. They also bought a plastic bucket from a small shop, filled it half with Li River water, and put the big carp in it to ensure that it would still be alive when they returned to the guesthouse.
Just as they were about to leave, Su Miao saw a man dressed as a fisherman selling fish on the roadside.
Many people went over to ask, and then walked away, as if they thought the price was a bit expensive.
Su Miao pulled Ye Jiayin over to take a look, and saw that the fisherman's bucket was filled with a kind of fish they had never seen on the market.
Su Miao said in surprise: "Uncle! Is this the sesame sword?"
"Hmm? You're quite knowledgeable, little girl! This is the sesame sword! It's hard to catch, and it's incredibly delicious!"
The sesame sword, scientifically known as the spotted swordtail, is an extremely precious freshwater fish. This fish has no scales and has sharp sword-like fins. It is named after the sesame-like spots on its body. It can be artificially bred but not artificially reproduced. It has extremely strong vitality and is considered a specialty of the waters here.
The current number should be relatively large. In his previous life, Su Miao followed a wealthy family and had the opportunity to eat it once. At that time, due to changes in water quality and overfishing, the number had dropped sharply. In 1997, it was sold for more than ten yuan per catty in a restaurant.
Sesame swordfish has no scales, high fat content, tender and delicious meat, and is a treasure from head to toe. Su Miao decided to buy some to try.
"Uncle, how much is this fish?"
The fisherman had just been sitting on the curb. He stood up, stamped his numb legs, and said, "How much do you want? The more you buy, the cheaper it is. It's getting late now, and I want to pack up and go home."
Su Miao saw that the fish in the bucket were not big, only about two pounds, and said, "I want two."
"Then I'll give you two yuan each. You see, each one weighs over two kilograms, which is less than one yuan per kilogram. This is the price I get if I catch them myself. You won't be able to buy them at the market."
Compared to the deliciousness of the sesame sword, the price is indeed not expensive. Su Miao picked two of the most vigorous ones and asked the fishermen to help catch them and put them in their buckets.
He saw the carp blowing bubbles in the bucket and said with a smile, "Wow! You caught a big carp! You can have a fish feast tonight!"
After returning to the guesthouse, they took the fish to the restaurant kitchen and asked the chef to cook it for them according to authentic methods.
Originally, they wanted to give the chef some processing fees, after all, they had troubled him and used other people's seasonings and side dishes, but the chef knew that they were distinguished guests and waved his hands repeatedly. Ye Han could only decide to buy some gifts for the staff who entertained them when they left.
The big carp was made into beer fish, and two sesame fish were made, one into sour soup and the other into steamed food.
I had the beer fish yesterday, and it was delicious, needless to say, but the sesame swords really surprised everyone.
When the dish was served, the waiter said that the ancients described it as: "The meat is like solidified fat, tender and plump, the freshest in the world."
After eating, Su Miao and his group felt that this description was not an exaggeration at all.
In the years that followed, with the booming tourism industry, this delicacy became increasingly well-known to tourists.
The soaring prices made fishermen more enthusiastic about fishing, and for a period of time, fishermen used electric nets to overfish sesame swordfish.
The power of the electric grid leaves the fish with no place to hide. Wherever the electric pulses reach, no matter the size or species of the fish, they will die. Even if they escape by chance, they will not be able to reproduce the next generation.
During this period, the development of tourism and industry caused sewage to flow into rivers, polluting the water quality. The number of fish has decreased sharply year by year, especially large individuals, which are rare to see. Because they cannot be artificially bred, the entire production area cannot catch even 10 tons a year.
There are few fish and the price is high, so the price is high and more fish are caught. This vicious cycle has put the population of sesame swordfish in jeopardy.
Finally, in 2022, the sesame sword was listed in the second level of the "List of Key Protected Wild Animals in China", and was finally able to say goodbye to the dining tables of ordinary people and recuperate.
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