With the child in tow, and it being early spring, going into the water was out of the question.
So we used the same method as before: we tied two long willow branches to the large basket that had just been emptied out, tied one end to a tree on the bank, and then lowered the basket downhill with the opening facing upstream.
I vaguely remember there were quite a few fish here. Last time, I used a basket to scoop them up from the water and almost caught them all. Today, I guess the two dogs scared away all the fish in the vicinity.
After setting down the basket and simply herding the two dogs downstream, he heard a sound behind him.
"Xin Xin, what are you doing?"
The little girl was squatting down, watching intently, when she heard the sound and suddenly turned around, only to plop down on her bottom again.
"...Brother Lin, Sister is catching fish."
Upon hearing the sound, he simply turned around.
"Hey? You guys are back?"
Lin Dongfang was followed by Ling Weidong, Qian Cheng, Yuan Ye, and Chen Jianguo, but it seemed that they all had something to gain.
With men present, this kind of work naturally couldn't be done by women; they would wait and see.
Whether it's male chauvinism or manners, they simply can't do this kind of thing.
Ling Weidong handed the pheasant in his hand to Yuan Ye beside him, and then came over to take the basket from him.
"You come up here, I'll do it."
Without any hesitation, Jian Dan got ashore.
She was carrying the basket on her back like that because she didn't want to get soaked. It wasn't summer, and it was still a bit chilly. It wasn't worth it just to get wet just to eat fish. She was happy to have someone take it from her.
"You guys have had a good haul, huh?"
Yuan Ye and Qian Cheng were cleaning up their game downstream from Ling Weidong. After a quick glance, they saw that the four of them had caught four pheasants and two rabbits. They had only been up here for a short time, so it was pretty good.
"Why did you guys suddenly decide to catch fish?"
Simply lift your chin.
"Since we're already here, it would be a shame not to have a meal. They're over there, they'll be here in a bit."
"Alright, then let's roast this chicken too?"
Chen Jianguo's eyes lit up immediately.
"Simple, shall we grill it? Did you bring any seasonings?"
Lin Dongfang also remembered a simple skill, or rather, the skill of making seasonings.
"I brought it, I brought it."
Lin Dongfang clapped his hands,
"Then I'll trouble you to prepare the seasonings later, and leave the rest to us."
"Yes, yes, don't move, Xin Xin. Play with your sister for a while, and you'll get something delicious to eat later."
Chen Jianguo clearly agreed, and after saying that, he turned around and followed to collect firewood.
As soon as the pheasants were cleaned, Ling Weidong started throwing fish onto the shore. Qian Cheng seamlessly followed suit, putting the pheasants back down and picking up the fish without even pausing.
Jian Xin was stunned.
Seeing the big fish thrown up, I happily went over to play with it. But the big fish I just touched disappeared before I could even touch it a second time.
Ling Weidong watched the whole thing from the water's edge, utterly speechless at Qian Cheng's idiot behavior. Why hadn't he been this diligent before?
Qian Cheng felt a chill run down his spine, shivered, and muttered to himself,
"Is it getting windy? Why do I suddenly feel so cold?"
Yuan Ye looked up at the sun, then looked around. His gaze lingered on Ling Weidong's dark face and the little girl's pouting lips for a moment, then returned to look at the simple-minded man beside him, and seemed to understand.
"Hey, boss, you've fished it up again? I'll go get it."
Yuan Ye pressed him down directly.
"I'll go, you take a rest."
Qian Cheng didn't think much of it.
"Oh, you're the one who cares about me the most."
Yuan Ye sighed inwardly. If I don't take care of you, do you think the boss will trip you up? Do you think you'll get beaten up? The boss's intentions are so obvious, but this idiot hasn't seen through them at all. If you're not going to help, don't you at least drag him down.
That's quite something—the child was upset from the very first meeting.
Yuan Ye walked over steadily, found a long willow twig, picked out two still lively little fish, threaded them together, and naturally handed it to Jian Xin.
"Xin Xin, do you want to see the little fish playing in the water?"
However, the tone of his voice sounded quite like someone trying to abduct a child. The little girl tilted her head, thinking, "This older brother... we don't know each other very well."
I couldn't help but look at Jian Dan.
Yuan Ye never expected that the reason for his unsuccessful start was actually here.
Although Jian Dan hadn't had much contact with Ling Weidong and the others, he could tell they were all quite capable, so he couldn't help but smile.
"This is Brother Yuan Ye. Go play, but listen to your brother and don't go into the water."
"Why!"
Holding onto willow branches, the little fish squatted on the bank, watching the small fish swim around in the water, unable to escape, and giggled happily.
Soon, the wood-gatherer returned, and two fires were set up.
The last time they had fish left a deep impression on them. Lin Dongfang and Chen Jianguo didn't need to be urged; they quickly finished the preparations and readily handed over the seasonings.
Before long, the open space was filled with an enticing aroma again.
Not far below, Li Yan and the others also smelled it.
"This is... simple grilled fish flavor? Isn't it? Isn't it?"
The others also strained to identify it; it smelled so good!
"It really is true!"
"Hurry up, hurry up, they're all grilled."
Ignoring the wild vegetables underfoot, the group of people, carrying baskets on their backs, hurried towards the direction of the aroma.
As soon as the aroma wafted out, Jian Xin was already squatting near the fire, watching eagerly, looking very obedient.
"Brother Lin, this grilled fish, slurp, when can we eat it?"
Lin Dongfang kept turning it over and over, very patiently.
"This is only one batch baked so far, the fish isn't fully cooked yet. Sprinkling on the seasoning will make it more flavorful and taste even better later."
You have to wait until the fish is fully cooked. Look here, this is the fish's belly. The skin in this part needs to be grilled until it's a little charred before you can eat it.
And this, the fish tail, all roasted until golden brown, then it'll be ready soon.
What's wrong, are you craving something?
The little girl nodded seriously.
"It smells so good!"
Lin Dongfang did not take credit for it.
"The fish is delicious, but your sister's seasoning is even more fragrant, isn't it?"
Ling Weidong was watching the shelf next to him, listening to the conversation between the two people, and he would occasionally look up at the person opposite him.
Qian Cheng, standing nearby, looked at this and that, utterly puzzled.
She simply sat down next to the little girl, occasionally poking at the fire without saying a word. She could feel Ling Weidong's occasional glances from in front of her, but he meant no harm, so she didn't care. Let him look, it's not like it'll hurt her.
Originally, the boys intended to roast the chicken as well, but Ling Weidong caught quite a few fish, so it became a truly pure roasted fish dish. To be honest, just the aroma alone was enough to tempt the boys.
"How about it? I wasn't lying to you, was I? Was it good enough?"
Ling Weidong nodded, that's true.
"It really does smell good. At first, I thought you were exaggerating. How could there be such a fragrance? But it really is. It's spicy, fragrant, and has an indescribable flavor that makes your mouth water."
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