Chapter 8 Lost and Selling Big Fish
"I'd like a popsicle. What flavors are available?" Zhang Ze asked.
"We have red fruits and red beans, three cents each." The popsicle seller parked his 28-inch bicycle, opened the foam box on the back seat, lifted the thermal quilt and began to introduce the popsicles.
"Give me a red bean popsicle!"
"Okay!"
I paid three cents and got a red bean popsicle.
This popsicle is made of red beans, similar to the red bean and mung bean popsicles of later generations.
As soon as I took a sip, I felt a chill all over my body, and the heat in my body was reduced a little bit immediately.
I ate popsicles to cool down while walking towards the station.
He had just taken two steps when he suddenly stopped, turned sharply back to look at the popsicle seller in the distance, and the joy on his face became more and more intense.
Maybe, if he got lost, he could sell the big fish? Rebirth could not shake the country's policies. In this era, even if he was reborn, it would be difficult for him to make a difference. Moreover, he was an ordinary farmer in his previous life and had no special skills.
If Zhang Ze wants to live a better life, he can only find other ways. The man selling popsicles everywhere gave him a very good inspiration.
It seems that in the next six months, he will not only be able to slowly upgrade his fishing space, but also provide his family with adequate food and clothing.
Zhang Ze returned to the state-owned restaurant and exchanged his cigarette with the waiter for a hemp rope as thick as his little finger.
Then he went to the corner, took the paper-wrapped pork out of the bucket and put it into the bamboo basket filled with rice. Then, he had an idea, and a big fish that was so big that even the bucket couldn't hold it appeared.
He passed the hemp rope through the fish's mouth and out through the right gill. Then he repeated the process, but this time through the left gill.
He tied a slipknot at both ends of the hemp rope and held the 11-pound mandarin fish in his hands.
The mandarin fish weakly moved its tail a few times, but it had no chance to resist.
Then, Zhang Ze, carrying the fish, got lost in the county town.
After walking around for a long time, hey, where is my home? An old man sat at the door of his house, fanning himself with a palm-leaf fan. A young man walked by and the old man nodded. The young man in Dayuewan looked energetic.
Wow, this fish is good! After a while, a young man carrying a fish passed by the door again. Why did you say again? After a while, "Hey, hey, hey, young man, stop, stop for a moment!"
"What's wrong, uncle?" Zhang Ze stopped and looked at the old man who lived in a new two-story building in front of him with a 'confused' look.
"You've passed by my house three times. What's wrong with you?" He Weiping pointed at him with the palm-leaf fan in his hand and asked directly.
"You've walked here three times? I was wondering why this place looks a little familiar!" Zhang Ze looked as if he had suddenly realized something, and then he gave him an embarrassed smile, "Well, I don't know the way, I must have lost my way again!"
Why again? He Weiping looked at Zhang Ze carefully. His clothes were a little worn and had a few patches. He suddenly realized that he was a young man from the surrounding countryside.
So he asked, "Are you visiting relatives?"
Zhang Ze nodded: "My uncle lives in Qiandong Street. He said he wanted to find a marriage for me. He likes to eat mandarin fish, so my mother asked me to catch a mandarin fish and send it to my uncle."
"Qiandong Street? Young man, this is West Street, and Qiandong Street is on the east side." He Weiping had a complicated expression. It was the first time he had seen someone so lost.
"Ah?" Zhang Ze was shocked. "It turns out I went to the wrong place. I was wondering why this place doesn't look like my uncle's house at all!"
Then he pretended to look at his fish casually and suddenly panicked: "Oh, I took too much time and the fish is dead. My uncle would not like it if it died."
He Weiping looked at the fish. In such a hot day, all the fish would become sluggish and die quickly if they were not put in water.
But when the fish was lifted up, its tail was still moving, so it was quite energetic and could stay in the water for some time.
His heart moved and he suddenly had an idea.
This mandarin fish is quite big, and he and his wife can't finish it in one meal. So, wouldn't it be an excuse to invite his son and daughter to come over and eat fish together?
Mainly because he misses his grandchildren!
They are all from the coastal area, and they have been eating fish since they were young. His wife is very good at cooking fish.
Compared to seafood with fishy smell (due to preservation, dead fish will have a fishy smell, which some people don’t like), mandarin fish has no fishy smell and no small bones.
Thinking of this, He Weiping immediately had an idea.
"Young man, it would be a pity if this fish died. I have a solution. Would you like to hear it?"
"Uncle, you say!"
"How about this, give me your mandarin fish and I'll give you something in exchange. You can go find the way and get familiar with the place first, then go back and get another mandarin fish and send it to your uncle, right?"
"This..." Zhang Ze showed a hesitant look, "Isn't this speculation?"
He Weiping glared at him and said, "Your fish is dying and I'm kind enough to give you something to replace it. Why are you saying that?"
"It's my fault, it's my fault. We country people are uneducated and dumb. Please don't mind it, uncle. I am willing to exchange the fish. Please give me something else. We country people are ignorant. We don't have a bite of meat, let alone sugar."
"Stop, stop, stop." He Weiping didn't know whether to laugh or cry. He pointed at him with the palm leaf fan in his hand again, "Little rascal, give me the fish. I'll go get you something."
"Okay, thank you uncle!" Zhang Ze handed the fish to him with a silly smile, choosing to be a simple country man with no knowledge and foolishly believed the other party.
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It's just a fish, and if the other party doesn't play tricks on him, he may get a long-term customer.
Because someone had schemingly stolen his fish, he dared to sneak over at night and smash his window. That's how bold people were in that era without surveillance.
He Weiping took the fish, and his hand suddenly felt heavy: "Oh, it's quite heavy. Wait."
As he said this, he walked slowly into the house. After more than ten minutes, he came out again.
But he didn't come to the door, instead he waved to Zhang Ze at the door: "Young man, come in."
"Okay!" Zhang Ze walked into the house without hesitation.
Then He Weiping took out five yuan and a lot of bills and handed them to him, saying unhappily, "Here, the meat and candy at home are all used to satisfy my grandchildren's cravings. You are a grown man, go buy some for yourself!"
Zhang Ze was not polite. He took the money and put it into his inner pocket and said with a smile, "Thank you, uncle. Now my brothers and sisters will have meat and candy to eat. And my mother, who usually lives frugally, can now have a good meal."
When He Weiping saw that the first thing he thought of was his family, and especially his elders, he knew that he was a filial child, and his expression improved a little.
"Go ahead. Turn left at the entrance and walk along the road, and you will reach the east side of the city. If you really can't find the way, you can ask someone on the road."
"Okay!" After leaving He Weiping's house, Zhang Ze felt somewhat guilty when thinking about how he had just tricked the old man.
Although his tactics are somewhat based on the other party's initiative and willingness, they also take advantage of the old man's kindness.
He took out the money and notes that the old man had given him from his pocket and counted them. There were five yuan each, as well as food tickets, meat tickets, and other miscellaneous tickets for non-staple foods.
The total value was about ten yuan, and the old man had no intention of taking advantage of him.
Seeing this, Zhang Ze realized that he had met a good person.
"Forget it. If you come across anything good in the future, give a portion to this kind old man!"
Then, he came to an empty corner, with another mandarin fish weighing about four pounds in his hand, and then went to another street to wander around, also specifically visiting new buildings.
However, compared to the situation here with the old man, some people in other places who feel that the conditions are good will directly ask if he wants to exchange the fish when they see it in his hand.
At first, Zhang Ze was surprised why someone was so proactive, but soon he met a colleague who was hanging around like him and selling cakes with a basket, and he understood the situation.
(End of this chapter)
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