Under the fist

Chapter 17 The Great Winter Fishing, Yan Lingyun

In Northeast China, especially in areas rich in water resources, winter fishing around the end of the year is a top priority, usually lasting two to three months.

In this era of scarcity and the harsh winter of food shortages, a grand winter fishing event was especially important because it could not only solve the famine problem by catching a large number of fish, but also mobilize people's enthusiasm for a better life.

Tarim River, bordering Huma County to the east and Mohe to the west, is separated from Russia only by the Heilongjiang River, making it exceptionally rich in water resources. Following the principle of shared ownership, the heads of several nearby farms, villages, and fishing grounds took the lead, with the district committee organizing the effort. With the cooperation of all parties, planning for fishing and hunting began as early as around the first month of the lunar calendar.

Since it's a grand occasion, it's bound to be lively.

Many farmers and villagers from more remote areas would often set off early in the morning in a line of mule carts and donkey carts, carrying the able-bodied young men and educated youth who had been sent to the countryside, shouting slogans of not being afraid of the severe cold, and brave the wind and snow to enter the city, both to buy New Year's goods and to select sections of the river to drill ice holes for winter fishing.

Qin Yuhu, as the director of the forest farm, left home fully armed before dawn.

Seeing that his uncle had gotten up early, Lian Youming finally closed his tired eyes as if relieved.

Last night, the two of them squeezed into one bed, and their snoring was as loud as if they were in an enemy bombing zone. Lian Youming had no idea how Shen Qinghong and her daughter had managed to get through all these years.

But after only a short while of sleeping with his head covered, Lian Youming felt the blanket being pulled off his body.

Thankfully it was cold here, so he slept in cotton pants and a sweater, but looking at Qin Hongxiu by the bedside still gave him a headache. "How could you be so reckless? You can't just tear this off like that."

Qin Hongxiu said nonchalantly, "What's the big deal? It's not like I haven't seen you naked before."

Lian Youming's face darkened. "I was only five or six years old back then."

"Come on, I already have someone I like."

Qin Hongxiu rolled her eyes, then showed off the watch on her wrist.

This was given to Shen Qinghong by Lian Youming last night, but before Aunt Shen could even enjoy it, this chubby girl pestered her relentlessly and took it away.

"Still sleeping? My mom said we should go to the post office to call Aunt Zhao and Uncle Lian. It's almost Chinese New Year, don't you miss home?"

Upon hearing this, Lian Youming lost all desire to stay in bed. He quickly dressed, washed up, and then left the house after receiving instructions from Shen Qinghong.

Lian Youming rode his bicycle with Shen Qinghong sitting behind him, heading towards the post office amidst the lively atmosphere and laughter of the neighborhood.

Unlike later generations, making a phone call is quite difficult nowadays. Kaoshantun does have a hand-cranked telephone, but it's limited to a certain area; to call other provinces, you have to go to the post office.

As the year draws to a close, the streets are bustling with activity. Under the azure sky, rows of mud-brick and brick houses stand out, with only two large buildings standing out like cranes among chickens, forlornly shivering in the cold wind.

The two of them played and rushed along the way, even having breakfast on the way. When they arrived at the post office building, they found it full of people waiting in line, and most of them were educated youth who wanted to call home.

When it was Lian Youming's turn, he was already number fifty-six.

Coincidentally, Wu Kui was also in the crowd, and immediately approached Lian Youming after seeing him.

More than a month had passed since I last saw him. He had become dark and thin, his cheeks were red from the cold, and he had become much more lively. It seemed that he had been staying in Tahe for a long time. He also spoke with a bit of a Northeastern accent, complaining that he was feeding livestock every day in another village and even sleeping in the pen.

Lian Youming found it amusing, introduced Qin Hongxiu, and then took a handful of roasted melon seeds from his pocket and stuffed them into her mouth.

The three of them huddled together, chatting idly while waiting for their number to be called.

As they were chatting, Lian Youming glanced over and saw a female educated youth walk out of the phone booth. She had a mournful face, was wiping away tears, and didn't say a word. She then turned around and silently joined the last line of the queue.

It turns out that long-distance calls not only require manual transfer, but also may not go through if the signal is bad, requiring you to queue up and get a number again.

Lian Youming felt that this person looked familiar, but he couldn't remember where he had seen him before. It wasn't until the other person took off his scarf and angrily took a big bite of the meat bun in his hand, with his cheeks bulging out as he ate, that he suddenly remembered.

Isn't this the female educated youth whose face was covered in soot and who was secretly eating roasted corn on the way here?

Wu Kui craned his neck and asked the female educated youth, "Lingyun, you still can't get through?"

The female educated youth looked up, then shook her head dejectedly, "No."

Lian Youming asked, "Do you know them?"

Wu Kui said with great enthusiasm, “He’s from the same village as us, and he’s also temporarily come down from the mountain to avoid the winter. He’s from Wuzhou, Guangxi. Don’t let his quiet demeanor fool you; he’s a true descendant of a family of traditional Chinese medicine practitioners. He’s especially skilled in treating illnesses; he’s a real gem in our village.”

Lian Youming raised an eyebrow. "A family of traditional Chinese medicine practitioners? Are they that impressive?"

"She's amazing." Wu Kui nodded repeatedly. "This girl can cure all the illnesses that the local folk doctor can't, and she's especially good at acupuncture. She's not only beautiful and kind-hearted, but also smart. She just loves to eat."

Lian Youming suddenly whispered a reminder: "Quick, you're drooling, wipe it off."

Upon hearing this, Wu Kui instinctively reached to wipe his mouth, but only realized halfway through before saying, "Go to hell."

Wu Kui suddenly sighed again: "This guy was just unlucky. He came to queue up yesterday and queued up nine times, but he couldn't get through even once. In the end, he had to go back when the post office closed."

Qin Hongxiu echoed with some sympathy, "That's really unlucky. Their home is in the south, but they're in the north. That's too far apart."

Wu Kui hummed in agreement. "When asked why she came all this way to cut in line, guess what she said? She said she believed a saying: 'You can beat a roe deer with a stick, scoop up fish with a ladle, and pheasants fly into your cooking pot.'"

"Look at their awareness."

Lian Youming's expression was strange. Looking at the pitiful appearance of the educated youth, he felt both amused and somewhat admiring. For a young girl to travel thousands of miles from Guangxi to this remote corner of Northeast China to be sent to the countryside was truly extraordinary. And coming from a family of traditional Chinese medicine practitioners, these days, anyone with a skill would be hoping to be recruited back to the city for a stable job, but this person…

"Huh, a family of traditional Chinese medicine practitioners? Then you must be familiar with the meridians and muscles of the human body."

Suddenly, an idea struck him, and he began to secretly plan.

Coincidentally, the female educated youth also kept glancing over here. At first, she looked confused, but after a while, her big eyes suddenly lit up, as if she had also recognized Lian Youming.

"My name is Yan Lingyun. What's your name, classmate?"

Just then, Lian Youming heard someone speak beside him, their pure Northeastern accent leaving him stunned.

Turning my head, I saw it was the female educated youth.

"Didn't you say she was from Guangxi? Why has her accent changed?" Lian Youming subconsciously looked at Wu Kui.

Unexpectedly, the female educated youth blushed upon hearing this and said somewhat weakly, "What's wrong with people from Guangxi? Can't people from Guangxi speak Northeastern dialect? I think this accent is cute."

Lian Youming carefully examined the other party and found that this girl was really tall, at least 1.7 meters tall. When she stood there, even Wu Kui was half a head shorter.

"You two know each other?" Now it was Wu Kui's turn to be dumbfounded.

Lian Youming said, "How could I not recognize you? We came on the same train."

Number 42.

Just then, someone in the phone booth called Wu Kui's number.

The kid immediately ran inside excitedly.

"Hello, classmate, my name is Lian Youming."

Lian Youming smiled and replied, about to say something more, when the female educated youth in front of him suddenly said something surprising: "You're injured."

Lian Youming's eyes narrowed slightly. "How did you know?"

The female educated youth who called herself "Yan Lingyun" wore a dog-skin hat and a mink scarf. She had big, watery eyes, but was somewhat timid and shy. She said cautiously, "Your breathing is shallow, your complexion is poor, and your steps are unsteady. You have clearly suffered internal injuries, and your heart and lungs have also been damaged. But there is still a very strange medicinal smell on you. You must have used some kind of old medicine."

The more the man spoke, the softer his voice became, and the lower his head drooped.

Lian Youming was genuinely surprised. "You know about the old medicine?" The night before last and last night, he followed Gong Wuer's method, dissolved the old medicine in strong liquor, and massaged it on his chest. His complexion did indeed visibly improve.

Yan Lingyun hesitated for a long time before saying softly, "I once saw a prescription for an old medicine in a medical book and secretly prepared it."

"Hmm? You can even concoct old medicines?"

Good heavens, Lian Youming almost popped his eyes out when he heard that.

Yan Lingyun seemed to be frightened and quickly shrank behind Qin Hongxiu.

Qin Hongxiu, who was listening intently to the story, saw the little girl hiding behind her. Instinctively, like a mother hen protecting her chicks, she spread her arms and shouted at Lian Youming, "What? Are you looking at me like that?"

Yan Lingyun peeked out and whispered, "I've prepared this a few times, but I was missing two main ingredients, so the effects were all strange. I didn't come to the Northeast for food; I just wanted to look for some. I heard there are many rare medicinal herbs in the mountains here."

Qin Hongxiu was completely bewildered. "What kind of herbs and old medicine are you two trying to make elixirs? Take my advice, feudal superstition is not advisable."

Lian Youming took a deep breath to calm himself down, and after a while, he softened his tone and asked gently, "Classmate, do you still have that prescription?"

Yan Lingyun shook her head. "They were all burned."

Lian Youming immediately fell silent.

Just as he was sighing inwardly, the little girl suddenly changed her tone, saying, "But I remember everything."

Lian Youming's eyes twitched, and after a while he asked, "Isn't the old medicine supposed to be more effective the longer it's stored? What effect can a freshly prepared medicine have?"

The girl shook her head, "That's not entirely true. These old medicines are often only passed down through prescriptions. Many of the people who prepared them may not even understand pharmacology. Plus, since it's passed down orally from generation to generation, people naturally believe it to be true. Some old medicines may have had some toxicity when they were first prepared, and they were left to stand for many years to dilute the toxicity and enhance their medicinal properties. But now it's a new era. I've studied Western medicine methods, and we can completely remove the toxicity by sacrificing a small portion of the medicine's potency."

Lian Youming's expression grew increasingly strange as he listened; it turned out this was a heretical cultivator who combined Chinese and Western practices.

Yan Lingyun seemed to see through his thoughts, "Those old medicines seem precious, but they often need to be stored and treasured for several years, ten years, or even decades before they can be used. If I were to prepare the medicine, although a small portion of the medicinal power would be lost, there would be no time limit."

Lian Youming seemed to be deep in thought, and was about to ask a couple more questions when he saw a female educated youth running up from not far away, panting heavily.

"Lingyun, come quick, your brother is here to see you. The Party Secretary wants you to come back to the village immediately."

"I was sent to work in the countryside at Qingshan Forest Farm. If you have any other questions, you can come and find me."

Upon learning that her family had come looking for her, Yan Lingyun hurriedly left a message and turned to run back.

Watching the girl's departing figure, Lian Youming's eyes burned with intensity.

Wu Kui was right, this really is a treasure.

If those powerful figures like Gong Wu'er knew that someone could concoct the old medicine without any time limit, I wonder if they would fight tooth and nail to get it.

He had already experienced the effects of that old medicine. Not to mention his injuries, even Qin Yuhu's old injuries improved after trying it. The medicine's effects were truly miraculous.

To say it so bluntly, I don't know if it's naivety or ignorance.

But when I think about Wu Kui saying that the other person came to the Northeast to work in the countryside for the food, it's clear that this was just an excuse the girl made up on purpose.

"Tsk, looks like they're trying to lure me in. Do they need something from me?"

Qin Hongxiu then came over and said with a smile, "What, you've already taken a fancy to him?"

Lian Youming curled his lip, "Come on, you should take care of yourself first. You're actually dating behind Uncle Qin's back, don't expect me to stop you later."

Inside the post office, Wu Kui had finished his phone call and came running out excitedly.

"Hey, why did she leave? Isn't she going to call anymore?"

After a brief chat, the three of them finally got through to number 56 in the phone booth.

Even though Lian Youming had lived two lives, his eyes still welled up with tears when he picked up the phone and heard his parents' voices coming from the other end.

The two elderly people must have run to the neighborhood office; they were slightly out of breath, and you could hear their younger siblings calling out to them.

There was no extra small talk, only his parents' repeated instructions. After the phone call, Lian Youming was too busy saying "uh-huh" to say anything.

He finally managed to open his mouth, but before he could say anything, his mother on the other end of the phone said rapidly, "Everything is fine at home. Take good care of yourself over there. Remember to eat well. If you need anything, call your Uncle Qin. It's almost two minutes. If you're even a second late, it'll be counted as three minutes. I won't say anything more. I'm hanging up now."

Lian Youming opened his mouth, then smiled bitterly as he listened to the disconnection notification from the phone.

Exactly two minutes, no more, no less, for two yuan and forty cents.

After leaving the phone booth, Lian Youming said goodbye to Wu Kui again, then rode his bicycle around the Tahe River twice with Qin Hongxiu on the back.

On the frozen river, some people were already chiseling holes for winter fishing, and many others were scattered around, pulling on glistening fishing lines and dragging fishing nets through small holes. Their taut fingers looked red and swollen from a distance, just like carrots.

In the distance, the sound of drums could be heard.

……

A few days have passed in the blink of an eye.

That night, when all was quiet.

With the winter fishing season approaching, Qin Yuhu was busy with affairs and did not sleep at home, allowing Lian Youming a rare moment of peace and quiet.

The moonlight outside the window was like silver, shining brightly on the earth.

By the moonlight, Lian Youming poured himself a glass of Moutai liquor and took out an old medicine from a small blue-and-white porcelain bottle.

Unlike those round pills, this old medicine is like a dried longan, with an uneven, wrinkled surface and a layer of wax on the outside.

After warming the wine on the bed, Lian Youming put the old medicine in.

As the wax seal melted, an indescribable medicinal smell immediately wafted along with the aroma of the wine, and the wine in the glass turned reddish-brown.

It's a pity that this is the last one left, as I'm practicing the Mind-Body-Heart method.

These days, besides playing wildly with Qin Hongxiu outside, he spends his spare time reading under Shen Qinghong's supervision, and his mind gradually calms down and settles down.

As for his injuries, they were gradually improving under the old medicine's treatment, and his complexion was completely renewed.

Sitting cross-legged in the moonlight, Lian Youming was shirtless. He rubbed his palms together, and the wine was already on them. He then pressed them against his chest.

I was kicked by Xie Laosan before. I thought it was just a casual blow, but I didn't expect there to be such a thing as internal force. The bruises left behind are all under the skin and flesh, and can't be seen with the naked eye at all.

"That old bastard, I'll get my revenge someday."

Lian Youming was so angry he wanted to grind his teeth.

He subtly channeled his energy into his palm, slowly kneading the medicinal wine. The force sent a chill through his chest, which quickly transformed into a burning heat. Once his energy and spirit were restored, and spring arrived when the earth's energy rose and the mountains warmed, he would prepare those nourishing recipes.

However, before that, Lian Youming felt he still needed to find Yan Lingyun.

Since this person comes from a family of traditional Chinese medicine practitioners, he might recognize some of the rare and exotic herbs on the recipe. Once you understand the recipe thoroughly, everything will fall into place naturally.

"Since no one will guide me, I'll do it myself..."

(End of this chapter)