Chapter 137 Chiseling Ice
The old bosses searched on the ice for more than an hour before they found the fishing spot. They chose a suitable place, cleared the snow on top, and called on the members to start digging.
Afterwards, the members worked in pairs. Some used ice picks to pierce holes in the ice, while others used iron hoes to pick up the ice. The ice picks were swung up and down, ice flowers splashed everywhere, and the "cracking" sound echoed in the air.
Crystal clear ice cubes and ice foam splashed everywhere, and under the sunlight, they sparkled in various colors, like the most wonderful gems.
Silly Cheng Rong curiously tried to catch it with her hands, but when she did, she found that it was just ordinary ice chips.
The young and strong members worked so hard in temperatures of minus 20 to 30 degrees Celsius that their dog-skin hats were soaked with sweat, but it took them an hour to chisel out a one-meter-wide hole in the ice.
Under the pressure, the water overflowed from the river, and several big and small fathead cold-water fish jumped out along the current with a "patter". The fish jumped a few times on the ice and soon stuck to the ice and did not move.
Such a good sign instantly made the atmosphere buzz.
“Oh wow~!”
“A good start!”
"Third uncle is still as skilled as ever!"
Several members who were going to chisel ice happily ran around the hole twice. A younger boy took off his dog-skin hat and threw it into the air. His father saw it and chased after him and scolded him.
Yubatou was older and calmer than them. He didn't circle around the hole like the young guys, but he couldn't hide the joy on his face.
The fish are in groups. As soon as the hole is opened, fish rush out, proving that there is a large school of fish below. This year is definitely going to be a bumper year!
The fish boss continued to choose a place and asked the members to chisel holes for the net. The newly-chived holes were soon covered with a thin layer of ice. Some members used scoops to scoop out the broken ice to prevent the lake water from freezing again.
The children dragged baskets and picked up the fish that were motionless on the ice. This first batch of fish was usually not handed over to the public. For the sake of a good omen, it was kept for the villagers to share.
In addition to the network inlet and outlet, many small holes had to be chiseled. The ice layer was very thick, so this was not an easy job. The members worked together to chisel the holes.
After the fishing net was launched into the water from the net entrance, the members hung the net on the mule. People on both sides simultaneously chased the mule and dragged the fishing net towards the net exit, finally forming a siege.
Next, apart from going to the ice hole regularly to pick up ice debris, all that remains is to wait.
People feel cold when they don't move.
While waiting, the members built a straw shed and lit a bonfire in a clay pot. They gathered in groups around the fire to keep warm. Digging so many holes in the ice was physically demanding, and everyone was already hungry.
The experienced ones took out the steamed buns that were still warm from their body temperature and had been hidden in their pockets, while the less experienced ones just ate the frozen hard cakes. While chewing on the dry food, everyone was thinking about how many fish they could get this year.
After nibbling on the dry biscuits for a while, they felt thirsty. The masters didn't care too much and asked the children who were sliding around to go to the ice hole and scoop a bowl of cool water for them. They filled their stomachs with the cool water while nibbling on the biscuits.
Seeing the captain holding an enamel jar of lake water, Xia Zhizhi thought that if this captain fell down, other captains might not be so easy to fool. She was kind and said, "Captain, you are an old man, don't drink cold water like young people. You might get diarrhea. I still have some in my jar..."
The team leader didn't even wait for Xia Zhizhi to finish her words. He started gulping down the jar, wiped his mouth after drinking, and started bragging: "I'm in good health. A few years ago, the team's cow was lost in the winter. I went out with a few members in the snow to look for the cow. We searched all night, but we couldn't sleep in the snow. Nothing happened. You can keep that hot water for yourself."
The male and female protagonists don't know where to go to fall in love, and Cheng Rong plays with the children vigorously.
The members gathered together to keep warm and brag.
Xia Zhizhi was not interested in their conversation, which was full of dirty jokes and chuckles.
She had nothing to do, so she wrapped herself in a towel and walked slowly on the lake.
The noisy voices gradually faded away behind me, and when I was alone on the ice, I felt a sense of wonder.
Desolation, emptiness, depth and silence surrounded the place like collapsing snowflakes, and the large and small ice holes on the vast ice surface also appeared mysterious.
Jingpo Lake is about 40 kilometers long. The two communes have an unwritten rule that when fishing, the two communes each occupy half of the upstream and downstream areas to avoid fighting among members over territory. As for how much the two communes can catch during the annual fishing season, that depends on fate.
She walked slowly upstream along the lake, occasionally encountering groups of children working hard to dig a small hole and let out a line to fish.
Those who are luckier will now have two or three fish in their baskets.
There were also those who were not so skilled that their snot was frozen into ice chips but they didn't even see any fish.
The fish in the lake are all public property. If adults come here to take them privately, they might be reported. But if children take some secretly, everyone usually pretends not to see it. This is an unwritten rule.
As they walked, they heard the sound of quarreling in front. Xia Zhizhi was facing the sunlight at this direction, so she used her hands to make a sunshade on her forehead and squinted her eyes to take a look.
They are a few children from their village, including Lin Beibei, Lin Yuanyuan and Lin Junjiang. The boy of their generation is called Lin Jun× and the girl is called Lin XX. If you think carefully, they are all cousins.
There was also an older girl, about sixteen or seventeen years old, who looked very heroic and pursed her lips without saying a word.
The girl's name was Lin Wenxi. She was the eldest daughter (the youngest daughter) of the village party secretary Lin Guorong and was somewhat of a celebrity in their village.
Why do I say that? This girl has never been very smart since she was young, but she is not mentally ill or stupid. She can understand what people say, but she can't speak. She is dull and slow in everything she does. But she is tall and strong, and she usually plays with other children.
Although this girl is not very smart, she is not usually bullied.
The son will suffer because of the incompetence of the father. Lin Guorong is the village party secretary. Everyone sees that the father respects his son. What they usually say is:
"Miss Wen Xi just doesn't say it, but she knows it in her heart."
These four were from their village. Xia Zhizhi didn't recognize the others, and they should be from the Hongqi Commune next door.
Judging from his appearance, he doesn't seem to be working in the fields for a long time. I guess he is an educated youth or a student studying in the village.
The two lesbians and three children among the four gays next door were arguing quite fiercely.
After listening for a while, Xia Zhizhi understood the general idea.
This ice hole was originally dug by the four educated youths from next door. They were halfway through but for some reason felt that there would be no fish in this place, so they gave up and chose another place to dig a hole.
Lin Beibei and the others came over and saw that Lin Wenxi was just standing there without moving, so they continued to beat him.
I don't know if it was luck or what, but after I cast the fishing line, I caught several fish in a row.