Traveling back to 1977

Chapter 462 Old Rules

Unlike the large, natural lake in Bailanghu Production Team, the small ponds in Lujiawan were mostly formed by transforming low-lying areas, with the terrain even lower than that of paddy fields.

A pond, the largest is only a little over an acre in area, and the smallest is less than three-tenths of an acre. Such small ponds are very common in Lujiawan and the other three production brigades. Almost every brigade has more than a dozen such ponds, but all of them together cover no more than ten acres of water surface.

Then, in the context of large-scale production, all these ponds were transformed into fish farms, and the output of the fish farms became one of the important sources of income for the production teams.

Unfortunately, Nanhu Commune also has Bailang Lake, and when it comes to selling fish, no one can compete with them, after all, they are professionals.

Therefore, very few of the fish raised in the fishponds of Lujiawan can actually be sold. Apart from the supply and marketing cooperative purchasing some large fish as a favor, the smaller ones are basically distributed to the cooperative members as welfare items.

In the past, these fish were also the most common meat in the commune members' families, because most of the pigs they raised would be sold, with only a few pounds kept for the New Year. The fish that couldn't be sold would be salted and dried, and when the children in the family had a craving or when guests came, they would take one and cook it.

Therefore, these fishponds also embodied the villagers' desire for meat.

Although life has been much better in Lujiawan this year, the habit of craving fish has remained.

In the pond below, the water pumps had stopped roaring, and more than thirty strong laborers stepped into the pond, which still had a lot of water, and diligently used landing nets to scoop up fish.

This landing net isn't the small landing net used for fishing. Instead, it's made by using two bamboo poles to lift a fishing net. The two ends of the net are tied to the top of the bamboo poles, with a sinker on one side and a float on the other. When the bamboo poles are pushed into the water, they sink and rise at the same time, creating a large opening that can swallow all the fish into the net.

Because it resembles a crescent moon when lifted up, it is also called a moon net.

(MoonNet)

The moon net is the most commonly used tool by fishermen here. Even without draining the water, as long as they can find schools of fish, they can have a great harvest with just one cast.

Of course, the technical difficulty is even lower after drying out; to put it simply, "anyone with hands can do it."

Otherwise, so many people wouldn't have gone into the water to fish together.

By this time, most of the water in the pond had been drained, and most of the fish were concentrated in the puddles at the bottom of the pond. Once the net was scooped up, it would be full of fish, and then the fish and mud would be dragged vigorously onto the shore.

Chen Fan looked down with curiosity.

He wasn't looking at the fishing, but at the waterlogged clothes on the villagers' clothes.

These water-resistant garments are quite different from those of later generations.

As we all know, waterproof bags are made of rubber, just like rain boots, and their main function is to provide waterproofing.

But rubber was expensive at that time, and was even listed as a strategic material. Even the most common rain boots were quite expensive.

So these days, only the bottom part of the shoes is made of rubber; from the shoes upwards, it's made of oilcloth, which is also waterproof but extremely bulky.

Yes, it's the kind commonly used on cargo ships and Liberation trucks.

Wearing such a large sheet of oilcloth on one's body, one can imagine how heavy it must have been.

Even so, such a water-resistant garment is not cheap.

Chen Fan saw more than thirty sets of water suits and couldn't help but ask, "When did our team buy so many water suits?"

The old Lujiawan No. 6 team definitely couldn't afford it, but now that they can, there's no need to buy so many!
Secretary Yang was watching the situation below when he heard Chen Fan's words. He was stunned for a moment, but when he came to his senses, he waved his hand and said with a smile, "These water tanks were all bought last month, but not all of them were bought by our team. Instead, all the teams ordered them from the supply and marketing cooperative together."

Each team bought 3 items, for a total of 36 items. Our team was the first to dry the pond today, so we borrowed the water aprons from the other teams.

Accountant Liu, smoking a cigarette, chuckled softly, "It's only because everyone has made money this year that we can afford a water jacket that costs 3 or 40 yuan apiece. In the past, there was no such thing as a water jacket. People would just take off their pants and go into the water with bare legs."

Chen Fan's eyes widened. "Huh? In this cold weather, you're going into the water with bare legs?"

"is not that right."

Suddenly, the custodian Huang pointed in another direction and said, "Look over there, that's how we used to catch fish."

Chen Fan looked in the direction he was pointing and saw several people standing by the pond, tidying up a large fishing net. The length of the net was exactly the same as the width of the pond.

Captain Yang also looked in that direction and said softly, "We never had water pumps before. Fishing in drained ponds was all done manually. Let's assign two skilled net handlers first..."

As he spoke, he turned to look at Chen Fan and explained with a smile, "Using a net is different from using a landing net here. It requires a higher level of skill and experience, especially in sinking the net to the bottom without pressing it into the mud. So, it's not something that just anyone can do; it requires experienced fishermen."

Then he pointed to the less crowded area, "Look, they've set up the nets and are about to go into the water. Now that they have water aprons, they can go into the water wearing cotton pants. Even if a little water gets in and they get wet, it doesn't matter. It's a hundred times better than taking off your pants."

The two worked together, one on each side, pulling the net along the edge of the pond. Once the net was pulled from the bottom to the other side, it would catch most of the fish.

(Netting)
Captain Yang flicked his cigarette ash, watching the two experienced fishermen slowly walk through the water with their fishing nets, and then looking at the other pond where dozens of people were using landing nets to catch fish, laughing and chatting as if it were a festival. He couldn't help but feel a little lost in thought.

After a moment of stunned silence, he came to his senses and continued, “Once the fishing net is set up, it’s time to haul it in. Trapping the net is a troublesome task. It’s impossible for one or two people to pull it. It takes at least ten people to pull it together and drag the entire net to one location.”

Even so, it's impossible to haul all the fish up at once. People have to go into the water, using buckets and basins to continuously pick the fish out and lift them ashore, so that the weight in the net doesn't increase too much.

The catch wasn't complete until the net was finally hauled ashore.

(The operation is over)
After he finished speaking, Chen Fan asked curiously, "Didn't you say you were going to drain the pond? If you're fishing like this, there's no such thing as a drained pond, and there should still be plenty of fish in the water, right?"

He still remembers his first day here, when he picked up more than a dozen large turtles in the pond. At that time, the pond was dry, with only a few puddles of water in the small pit in the very center.

Back then, there were no water pumps, so how did they pump the water?

Accountant Liu, who was standing nearby, immediately laughed and said, "Raising fish is not easy, so we certainly won't miss any of the fish at the bottom of the water."

He pointed to the ditch next to the pond and said, "See that ditch? Although the pond is lower than the paddy field, it is still slightly higher than the bottom of the ditch. As long as we dig away the embankment that serves as the bank and block the outlet with a net, the water in the pond can flow into the ditch. Then we can fill the soil back in."

When it's time to store water next year, we'll draw water from the river to fill the ditches, and then divert water from the ditches to the ponds.

He gestured with his hands, "Use a thick water pipe, first put it into the ditch and fill it with water, then throw one end into the pond, and the water can flow into the pond continuously."

Upon hearing this, Chen Fan nodded in realization, "I understand, the siphon effect."

Captain Yang and his two companions were immediately stunned. What was that?

Siphon effect?

Is there such a saying about filling up water?
Captain Yang shook his head and then said, "Actually, this method was taught to us by one of the first group of educated youth when they came here. Before that, we used small waterwheels to fill the ponds. It would take more than half a month just to fill these dozen or so ponds. Now it's much more convenient."

As the group talked, basket after basket of fish was carried to the edge of the field, and fish kept jumping out of buckets and baskets, eliciting cheers from the children. The adults, ignoring the mud on the fish, went to catch them with their bare hands.

These fish were then picked out.

After all that fuss, the original fishpond had been completely drained, leaving only a few small fish in the mud. The adjacent pond had also been mostly drained, with countless fish of all sizes struggling in the remaining water.

The men who had been busy hauling fish with nets were now quite tired. They took off their swimsuits and handed them to another group, but they didn't rest. Instead, they rolled up their trousers, grabbed a basket in one hand and a small net in the other, and, along with the women and young children, waded into the mud to scoop up any fish that had slipped through the net. (Picking up the leftovers)
On the other side, in the pond where "traditional fishing" was still being used, they had already hauled in one net and moved on to other ponds to continue.

Before they left, several people began digging the ridges of the field, preparing to fill the pond with water.

Chen Fan's curiosity was piqued again. "Captain, if we can just release the water directly, why do we need to pump it? It's such a waste of oil!"

Captain Yang hummed twice and said with a smile, "Using a water pump to drain the water will at most cause a few small fish to escape, and it won't damage the paddy field ridges. Although the ridges can be dug up and then backfilled, if we encounter the spring floods and a few more heavy rains, the soil won't be compacted enough and it might be washed away, and then the paddy fields will be flooded as well."

In addition, digging pits and releasing water directly not only makes the paddy field ridges unstable, but if the fishing nets are not tied tightly, they will be washed away by the water. That would be terrible, as half the fish in the pond would escape, and even if they could be found, it would take a lot of effort.

Therefore, the most suitable method for draining the pond for fishing is to directly pump out the water.

Chen Fan blinked. There are so many rules to digging a hole?

After Captain Yang finished speaking, he suddenly stood up, pointed at the pond, and started laughing and cursing, "San Gouzi, didn't you see the big guy behind you?"

A boy of about fifteen or sixteen standing in the mud immediately stopped moving his legs, turned 180 degrees on the spot, and saw a big carp diving into the mud. He immediately rushed over with excitement.

But that carp was not to be trifled with. It flicked its tail and did a somersault, splashing up a lot of mud that covered San Gouzi. Then it leaped into another puddle.

Before it could even celebrate its leap out of the sky, a basket descended from above and scooped it up precisely. A second later, it could only swish its tail and lash out at a few small crucian carp and loaches inside the basket, unable to jump out any further.

Seeing this, everyone around burst into laughter. Captain Yang slapped his thigh on the high embankment and said, "Useless goods."

A man in his thirties threw a silver carp into a basket and shouted, "San Gouzi, you're no good! You can't even catch it when it's right in front of you!"

The boy named San Gouzi wiped his face, shook off the mud from his hands, and looked at himself. He couldn't help but curse, "Since I'm already all dirty, I'm going to fight these fish to the death today."

After saying that, he didn't care whether he would get splashed with mud or not, and lunged at a bream not far away, kicking up countless mud splatters, which made the people not far away laugh and curse.

Basket after basket of fish were carried away. Chen Fan got a little tired of watching, so he followed the people transporting the fish upstairs.

After passing through the woods on the slope and then a house, you reach the village's "main road".

Walking down the dirt road, you'll find the livestock shed, which has the largest open space in the entire village.

At this time, baskets of fish were delivered here and then dumped directly on the ground. The people carrying the fish then hurried back to the pond without stopping.

On the open ground, twenty or thirty women were squatting on the ground, busy picking up fish.

They first picked out the big fish and threw them into several large wooden buckets filled with water. Each bucket contained the same type of fish, so that it would be convenient to sell them when the supply and marketing cooperative came to buy them.

Other fish are not thrown away randomly either; they are also sorted. However, these fish do not receive such good treatment. They are simply thrown on the ground, with each type of fish in a separate pile. If a fish jumps out, it is immediately kicked back.

It's snowing today, the weather is cold, and there's no water. Before long, these fish will lie still and won't move anymore.

After a while, custodian Huang was the first to arrive.

He held a notebook and directed people to weigh the fish on the ground.

Upon seeing this, Chen Fan ran over excitedly.

The warehouse keeper, Huang, glanced at him and offered to explain, "The big fish are all going to be sold to the supply and marketing cooperative, so there's no rush. We can weigh them when they come to buy them later."

These small fish are to be distributed to each household, so we need to count the number of each type of fish and then distribute them according to the number of people and work points.

He pointed to a basket of bream that had just been weighed and said, "Bream and carp are the best fish. In the past, during the New Year, supplies were scarce, but when guests came, we couldn't serve them a few good dishes, so every household would prepare a plate of 'fish for guests to enjoy.'"

Chen Fan blinked. "Looking at fish? You can only look but not eat them?"

The warehouse keeper, Mr. Huang, chuckled and nodded. “Yes, it’s all about looking at the fish, not eating it. A fish weighing about a pound is pan-fried until golden brown on both sides, then braised in soy sauce. It’s presented on a large plate, and it has to look nice.”

Then, starting from New Year's Eve, the family eats their reunion dinner. After that, every time guests come over, this plate of fish must be served. It can only be eaten after the Lantern Festival (the fifteenth day of the first lunar month).

Chen Fan's eyes widened. Wouldn't a fish spoil after being left out for half a month?
Before he could even ask, he realized, "That's right, the temperature is low at this time of year. If it's raining, snowing, or cloudy, the temperature will hover below 0 degrees Celsius. Only when the sun is shining brightly will it rise to around 15 degrees Celsius."

But even when the sun is shining brightly, the temperature inside the house is not high, usually around 7 or 8 degrees Celsius.

In this kind of weather, it is indeed possible to preserve it for half a month.

Then another question popped into his head, "What if the guests eat it?"

While keeping the books, the storekeeper Huang laughed and said, "No, I don't know."

He turned to look at Chen Fan and said, "Any local knows this rule: 'looking at the fish' is a matter of the host's reputation and the guest's 'morality.' Under normal circumstances, guests will never touch the fish while looking at it."

At this point, he gave a wry smile, "If someone really doesn't know any better and accidentally punctures the fish, then we'll just have to eat the fish beforehand and make a new one."

Upon hearing this, Chen Fan raised his head and tried hard to recall whether he had touched the fish on other people's tables during last year's Spring Festival.
Then I heard custodian Huang say, "But this rule doesn't apply to you."

Chen Fan looked at him blankly, "Why?"

The custodian, Huang, suppressed a laugh and said, "Everyone in Lujiawan knows that you only half-understand the old rules. They say ignorance is no excuse, so no one will hold this against you."

Besides, you fish all year round, you're probably tired of eating fish by now. If there's fish on the table and you're willing to take a bite, it means you're giving the host face, which is completely different from the old custom.

Looking at the custodian Huang, Chen Fan fell silent.

Could this be the infamous double standard?
After a two-second silence, Chen Fan said, "Lujiawan isn't short of money this year, so they won't continue with the old rules, will they?"

The warehouse keeper nodded, watching the women weigh the fish, and said, "The old rules still need to be followed, but we can be flexible. In addition to watching the fish, you can also prepare one or two other fish dishes. Otherwise, if you bring a plate of fish to the table, the guests won't know whether to eat it or not."

Chen Fan nodded and smiled, "That is indeed a solution."

Fish were being delivered continuously from one side, while here they were being sorted and weighed incessantly.

Chen Fan watched for a while, but got a little bored, so he said goodbye to the custodian Huang and prepared to go back.

At this moment, the warehouse keeper, Huang, waved his hand and called out, "Bring over two catties of miscellaneous fish."

Huang Ying's mother immediately rushed over with a basket, smiling as she handed it to Chen Fan, "Teacher Chen, here you go."

Chen Fan was still in a daze when he saw Huang, the storekeeper, say to him, "I know you don't lack fish to eat, but this fish is different; it's the collective achievement of the team."

As he spoke, he pointed to the basket and laughed, "Today, no one knows how to cook big fish, but everyone will definitely make a bowl of fish jelly with small fish. Huang Ying knows how to make it, so you can try it."

(End of this chapter)