Chapter 362 – The School of Fish

Zhou Darong walked ahead and spotted two animals lying on the ground. Upon closer inspection, he realized they were two badgers.

Badgers, also known as “cha,” “huan,” or “huanba gouzi,” are robust creatures shaped like wedges. Their backs and sides are covered in rough fur made up of long, coarse guard hairs and sparse, short underfur, usually a brownish-gray color. The fur on their sides is lighter than that on their backs, and their bellies are covered in short, fine hair. Their tails are thick and long, with the same coloration as their backs.

He picked up one badger in each hand and started walking toward Zhou Yimin and the others.

“Two badgers.”

When everyone saw what he had brought back, they were a little disappointed. They had expected some other kind of animal—not badgers.

But then again, badger meat is still meat. With that thought, their initial disappointment vanished.

Zhou Daming spoke up at that moment. “It’s getting late. Let’s set up the cages and traps, and head back to the village.”

Since it was winter, the days were shorter. By around five or six in the evening, it would already be dark, and staying in the mountains after dark was quite dangerous.

Especially now, in the freezing cold—if someone got hypothermia, they might not make it out at all.

Zhou Darong and the others had no objections.

Following Zhou Daming’s suggestion, they set up the cages and traps in suitable spots.

By the time everything was in place, it was already past three in the afternoon—time to leave.

The group left in an orderly fashion, and they weren’t returning empty-handed. At least they had caught something.

As they passed the reservoir behind the mountain, they saw quite a few children playing on the ice. The ice was thick—more than 20 centimeters—which was enough to support the weight of an adult. So, the adults in the village didn’t stop the kids from playing out there.

Otherwise, with kids so young, playing near water would be dangerous.

Zhou Yimin spotted the Laifu siblings. “It’s getting late. You all should head home soon!”

“And don’t forget—you’re coming to eat at our place tonight!”

Laifu and his siblings nodded enthusiastically. Every time they went to Zhou Yimin’s house, there was always plenty of meat. So the moment they heard they were invited, they didn’t hesitate to ditch their playmates.

No childhood friendship could beat the promise of a good meat-filled meal.

Everyone else saw how decisively the three siblings acted and were momentarily stunned. But mostly, they were jealous. Everyone in the village knew the food at Zhou Yimin’s house was the best.

Which household in the village didn’t want to be invited for a meal there? But Zhou Yimin didn’t invite just anyone, so they could only envy from afar.

If they had been invited, they’d probably act even more eager than the Laifu siblings.

The three kids hurried home to share the good news with their parents.

At that moment, Zhou Yimin, with his sharp eyes, seemed to spot something in the water.

“Look! I think there’s a school of fish.”

Upon hearing this, Zhou Daming and the others quickly looked in the direction Zhou Yimin was pointing. Sure enough, they caught a glimpse of a flash beneath the ice—it really was a school of fish, and they got excited.

“There really is a school of fish—and they’re not small either.”

“Darong, your eyes are really that sharp? You caught all that from just a glance?”

“Yeah, right! Sounds like you’re just bragging.”

After all, looking through the ice can be misleading.

Even though the ice was quite clear, its surface was far from perfectly smooth. Tiny bumps and irregularities caused the light to refract and scatter, which distorted their vision.

Objects seen through ice often appear smaller. This is due to a combination of factors, including uneven surfaces and the way light bends through ice—making it harder to judge size accurately.

“I agree with Zhou Darong. I also saw the school of fish—they really weren’t small,” Zhou Yimin said in support.

Hearing this, the others immediately changed their tune.

“No wonder you’re known for the best eyesight in the village. You’re almost on par with Uncle Sixteen.”

“Impressive!”

Zhou Darong hadn’t expected Zhou Yimin to confirm his observation like that. It helped clear his name.

“Uncle Sixteen, should we report this to the old village secretary?” Zhou Daming asked.

He hesitated to take the news himself. If it turned out there wasn’t a school of fish, people in the village might accuse him of lying or spreading rumors—saying he liked showing off without knowing the facts.

Zhou Yimin thought for a moment. “Let’s tell the old village secretary. Let him decide.”

If it were up to him, he would gather the villagers to organize a winter fishing event. At worst, they’d lose a bit of manpower—not a big deal.

Winter fishing first appeared during the Liao dynasty. It originated from the term nabo, a transliteration from Khitan, which referred to the Liao emperor’s mobile camp. The Liao emperors, maintaining their nomadic lifestyle, migrated and hunted throughout the seasons, and “nabo” came to mean seasonal encampments.

Winter fishing wasn’t just a traditional method of harvesting fish—it also symbolized the cultural practices of winter hunting and fishing in northern China. Chagan Lake’s winter fishing has been famous since the Liao and Jin dynasties and continues to draw many tourists today.

Its grand winter fishing scenes and unique ritual known as “Lake Sacrifice and Net Awakening” have earned it a spot among the Eight Great Sights of Jilin and recognition as an intangible cultural heritage of the province.

To preserve this ancient fishing tradition and boost tourism, the Chagan Lake Tourism Development Zone holds an annual ice and snow fishing festival.

Zhou Daming nodded in understanding and didn’t linger any longer. He went straight back to the village.

The Laifu siblings rushed home and saw their aunt preparing milk for Qianqian.

Laifu reported honestly, “Mom, big brother said we’re going to his place for dinner tonight.”

Their aunt originally wanted to refuse, but the three little “skeleton dragons” clung to her, begging to go, and she had no choice but to give in.

The three of them were overjoyed to get her approval. They had already decided that even if their parents didn’t go, the three of them would still go anyway.

Clearly, when it came to food, they were dead serious.

After preparing the milk, their aunt asked Laifu to help feed Qianqian—she wanted to head over early to help with dinner.

It was already awkward enough to go eat for free. If she didn’t help out a bit, she would feel guilty.

Laifu didn’t refuse. He carefully picked up Qianqian and imitated the way his aunt usually fed her.

He gently patted her bottom, then placed the bottle’s nipple into her mouth.

Qianqian took the bottle with practiced ease and started sucking away.

Their aunt was surprised to see how skillfully Laifu handled it. It looked like he had really learned well, so she left with peace of mind and headed to Zhou Yimin’s house.

“You guys wait here and go call your dad, alright?”

“Got it!” Laicai replied loudly.

(End of Chapter)