Chapter 36: The Peach Blossoms in the Heart Have Already Bloomed

On the morning of the third day of the Lunar New Year, before the sky had even brightened, a knock echoed at the courtyard gate.

"Xiangyang, Xiangyang!" Li Daqiang’s voice was laced with urgency. "You promised to take me fishing!"

Li Xiangyang opened the door to find his cousin already fully dressed, holding a wooden bucket in his hand.

"You’re certainly eager," Li Xiangyang said with a smile. "Wait for me to get ready."

The black panther cat watched Li Daqiang warily, its tail swaying gently. Li Xiangyang gave it a reassuring pat on the head. "Stay home and be good."

Back inside to change into his thick cotton-padded jacket, Li Xiangyang retrieved his tools from the woodshed: a spade, an iron rod, and two scoop nets. These had belonged to his late father and were rarely used these days.

"Cousin Daqiang, you take this." Li Xiangyang handed the spade to Daqiang and shouldered the iron rod himself.

Hearing the commotion, Mother Li came out from the inner room. "Heading out so early?"

"Mom, I’m taking Cousin Daqiang to the river to catch some fish. We’ll be back by noon."

"You two be careful," she cautioned. "The ice is slippery."

Amidst the biting wind, the two walked toward the river at the east end of the village.

"With this weather, there should be plenty of fish," Li Xiangyang explained as they walked. "In winter, the river freezes, and the fish gather in the deeper parts. If you find the right spot, one cast of the net is sure to yield a catch."

Li Daqiang nodded repeatedly. "Xiangyang, where did you learn all this?"

"My father taught me," Li Xiangyang said, his tone deepening. "When he was alive, he often brought me to this river to fish."

Upon reaching the riverbank, Li Xiangyang used the iron rod to test the thickness of the ice.

"This spot is fine; the ice is a good three inches thick." He drew a circle on the surface with the rod. "Cousin Daqiang, let’s break the ice hole here."

Li Daqiang raised the spade, ready to smash the ice.

"Don't!" Li Xiangyang quickly stopped him. "Smashing it like that will scare the fish away. We have to take it slow. First, use the rod to chisel a small opening, then slowly widen it along the circle."

Under Li Xiangyang’s guidance, the two worked together to break the ice. Li Daqiang was responsible for clearing the shards with the spade, while Li Xiangyang focused on chiseling with the rod.

"Tired?" Li Xiangyang asked, noticing Daqiang panting.

"I’m fine," Daqiang replied, wiping away sweat. "I just didn’t expect breaking an ice hole to be this much work."

"This is nothing," Li Xiangyang laughed. "Wait until we cast the nets; that’s the true test of skill."

After much effort, they finished a square, foot-wide hole. The clear river water steamed in the cold air.

"See that?" Li Xiangyang pointed at the surface. "Bubbles are drifting this way, which means there’s a school of fish downstream. Let’s make another hole ten steps further down."

After more labor, the second hole was ready.

"Now we wait for the fish to come to us." Li Xiangyang pulled a bag of cornmeal from his coat and sprinkled it into the upstream hole. "This is to lure them."

They crouched on the ice to wait, Daqiang rubbing his hands together for warmth from time to time.

"Are you cold? Do you want to head back?" Li Xiangyang asked.

"I'm not cold!" Daqiang gritted his teeth. "I want to see how you catch these fish."

About the time it takes to burn a stick of incense, the upstream hole suddenly showed movement.

"Here they come!" Li Xiangyang whispered. "See the ripples on the water? That’s them feeding."

He gestured for Daqiang to hold the scoop net ready while he gripped the other, positioning himself at the downstream hole.

"When I say 'go,' put your net down. Remember, keep it pressed against the bottom of the ice and push it forward."

Daqiang nodded nervously.

"Go!"

They lowered their nets simultaneously. Daqiang’s movements were clumsy, but thanks to Li Xiangyang’s experience, they quickly netted several large fish in the downstream hole.

"Haha, we got them!" Daqiang shouted excitedly.

"Keep it down," Li Xiangyang said with a smile. "You’ll scare the rest away."

That single catch yielded three large carp, each weighing three or four pounds.

"Again?" Daqiang was eager for more.

"Sure, but this time you take the downstream hole."

And so, they rotated positions, catching seven or eight large fish throughout the morning, along with a fair number of smaller ones, filling the bucket to the brim.

"That’s enough. We’ve made quite a racket; we won’t catch any more now."

With such a commotion, adding more bait would be futile, so Li Xiangyang decided it was time to return.

Daqiang was reluctant. "Is that it?"

"Cousin Daqiang, look at the sun." Li Xiangyang pointed at the sky. "It’s nearly noon. If we’re any later, the fish won’t sell well."

"Sell?" Daqiang paused, his eyes suddenly lighting up. "How much can these fish sell for?"

Li Xiangyang smiled inwardly, knowing he had guessed his cousin’s true motivation. He feigned contemplation for a moment before answering.

"At current market rates, large carp go for forty cents a pound. These big ones add up to about twenty pounds, so we should get at least eight yuan. The small ones are hard to sell, so we’ll split those and eat them ourselves."

Daqiang gasped. Eight yuan was nearly half a month’s worth of work points for him.

Seeing the undisguised greed in his cousin’s eyes, Li Xiangyang smiled. "Cousin Daqiang, you’ve been a huge help today, so we’ll split the money fifty-fifty."

"Really?" Daqiang stood up so abruptly he nearly slipped.

"Of course," Li Xiangyang said with a straight face. "I couldn't have managed it alone. If you hadn't helped, we wouldn't have caught so many. Besides, these need to be sold quickly. It’s the New Year, and every household wants to improve their meals—it’s the perfect time."

Daqiang’s smile broadened. "Xiangyang, you’ve become a lot more sensible than you used to be."

Li Xiangyang found it amusing but kept his expression neutral. "Naturally, I’m learning from you, Cousin."

"Haha, that’s right, that’s right." Daqiang laughed even more heartily and took the initiative to carry the bucket. "Let’s head back. I know someone who buys fish; I’ll make sure we get a good price."

Watching his cousin’s jubilant figure, Li Xiangyang sighed to himself. It was hard to tell if people were driven by profit, or if profit drove them.

On the way back, Daqiang’s joy never faded. "Xiangyang... can I come with you again in the future?"

"Of course," Li Xiangyang patted his cousin’s shoulder. "But you have to listen to me and not just go at it blindly."

As they walked back to the village, Daqiang was busy calculating how he would spend his share of the money. Li Xiangyang noticed, and he had his own plans. His cousin might be a bit snobbish, but he was family after all. Taking him fishing would allow him to earn some money while strengthening their bond—why not?

Daqiang led Li Xiangyang to Auntie Zhao’s house at the entrance of the village. She bought fish year-round to supply the town’s restaurants.

"Oh? If it isn't Daqiang and Xiangyang!" Auntie Zhao’s eyes brightened when she saw the fish. "These are some fine-looking carp."

After some haggling, Auntie Zhao paid them seven yuan and sixty cents. Though it was slightly less than expected, Daqiang was already quite satisfied.

After splitting the money, Li Xiangyang asked, "Cousin Daqiang, are you going tomorrow? The next two days are prime time."

Daqiang rubbed his hands, looking a bit embarrassed. "Well... I actually need to head into town tomorrow."

"What for?" Li Xiangyang asked, knowing exactly why.

"It’s just... well... isn't Xiaofang working at the supply and marketing cooperative?" Daqiang’s face flushed red. "I want to go see her."

Watching his cousin’s bashful expression, Li Xiangyang couldn't help but shake his head. That’s youth for you—spring hadn't even arrived yet, but the peach blossoms in his heart were already in full bloom.