CHAPTER 129: CHAPTER 129: THE NUMBER ONE FAMILY IN TOWN

After five or six days, once the seedlings have taken root, you can release the fish that have been caught.

Usually, fish like grass carp, crucian carp, and common carp are preferred as they are easy to care for and grow quickly.

The fish can eat grass, small insects floating in the water, and even knock insects off the seedlings to eat.

By the time of harvest, the fish have almost grown up; whether for personal consumption or selling them in town, both are great choices.

Not to mention, they’re all nurtured with the Spiritual Spring water used by Xiaomi.

Initially, she pretended to catch loaches in each field and secretly added the Spiritual Spring water.

Later, she found this method too slow and feared getting caught.

Then she discovered everyone diverted water from the canal into their fields and decided to pour a large amount of Spiritual Spring water into the canal.

The canal water diluted it first, then they diverted it into their fields.

With the Spiritual Spring water, whether it’s rice, fish, or loaches in the fields, everything thrives beautifully.

The fish waste also acts as a nutrient for the rice, increasing their yield.

Their family raised fish this way last year, and they’re doing the same this year.

As for others, some learned and followed, while others didn’t – Xiaomi didn’t mind either way.

Jiang Hu hadn’t been to the field for a long time, and when Xiaomi mentioned the fish, he was pleasantly surprised: "Really? How big are they?"

He quickly stepped down from a high embankment, and as he passed by Liu Ze, who was sitting under a tree wearing two layers of clothing, he paused.

"Xiao Ze, aren’t you cold?"

He was wearing even more clothes yesterday, it seemed.

Liu Ze shook his head: "Not cold, Uncle Jiang, you go ahead."

Although in the shade, the sun was quite strong today; perhaps because he was finally full and comfortable, he didn’t feel the chill.

Tie Dan was already urging: "Dad, come quickly, there’s such big fish!"

Last year, Tie Dan was still young and didn’t recall, so now he was thrilled to see so many fish in the field.

"I see them," Jiang Hu walked over with big strides.

At this moment, standing by his family’s field, he indeed saw them already. As people approached, dark fish backs darted away.

The biggest seemed to be almost as long as an elbow.

Jiang Hu reached the three siblings and saw each holding an eel trap, with a bamboo basket next to them.

"Caught any eels? If not, we can come back tonight."

Daytime eels are hard to catch as they’re usually asleep.

However, Xiaomi grinned instantly: "Caught three and also an old softshell turtle. Dad, can we eat eel tonight?"

Her elder brother would return tonight to join them for dinner!

"Really? So impressive!"

Jiang Hu was amazed; softshell turtles were valuable, and he had never caught one himself. In the whole Fu’an Village, only two families had ever caught one.

"Uncle Jiang, the turtle is right here, didn’t you see it just now?"

Liu Ze suddenly joked, pointing at the spot beside him.

"Really? Let me see." Jiang Hu quickly stepped back over.

He hadn’t noticed it earlier, but now he saw it right next to Liu Ze.

"Wow! It’s huge!" Jiang Hu’s eyes widened, "How did you guys manage to get it up here?"

It was nearly as large as a washbasin.

This old softshell turtle wasn’t like a regular turtle; its neck was quite long. Even if you grabbed its back, it could stretch its neck to bite.

Such a large softshell turtle, if it bit, it could take a chunk of flesh!

But judging by the kids’ looks, they hadn’t been bitten.

Liu Ze explained: "Tie Dan found it, then Xiaomi teased it with the eel trap, and once the turtle bit, she pulled it out."

Jiang Hu was even more surprised: "Xiaomi is so clever!"

Once a softshell turtle bites something, it rarely lets go voluntarily.

And now, the turtle was tied up by ropes made of thatch, binding its neck to a nearby tree trunk.

Liu Ze nodded: "Yes, Tie Dan found the turtle, Xiaomi caught it, and Xiao Xue made the rope."

He was responsible for keeping watch in case the turtle tried to escape, so he could alert others.

Little Xue said: "Dad, why don’t you take it home first? One of the ropes is already half bitten through."

Such a big softshell turtle, Brother Ze said, could sell for a lot of money.

Xiao Xue knew the family was going to build a house and needed money for it.

Jiang Hu nodded: "Alright, I’ll get the basket, and you guys can come back with me; we’ll ride the ox cart back."

It was getting late, and the day was heating up.

The children quickly ran over with a basket, and Jiang Hu helped Liu Ze.

The ox cart was just by the roadside, only a few steps away.

Then he took a large basket used for vegetables and loaded the turtle into it.

Just as they were about to leave, Liu Yang jogged over: "Brother Jiang, I was planning to go to your place to find you. Didn’t expect you’d still be here."

He had just seen Jiang Hu’s ox cart entering the village and remembered the syrup, so he hurried back.

Unexpectedly, he met him halfway.

Jiang Hu had already put the turtle in the ox cart and was about to drive it home.

Seeing Liu Yang, he paused: "I talked to Shopkeeper Liu. He asked me to bring some tomorrow for him to check out before he decides whether to take it."

"Just in time, you can come back with me and pack a pound each first. I’ll bring it all tomorrow."

"Alright, I also want to taste the syrup we made," Liu Yang promptly moved to sit next to Jiang Hu.

The ox cart ambled forward, and Liu Yang patted the cart’s edge: "Brother Jiang, why does this cart feel pretty heavy?"

He then lifted the curtain and, before he could peek inside, a little head popped out: "Uncle Liu, there are people inside."

Liu Yang stumbled backward in shock, then realized it was Xiaomi, and after a closer look, there were several others.

Seeing Liu Ze, Liu Yang paused: "Brother Jiang, is this your relative?"

He had slept all day yesterday, and today, although he heard talk of a carriage arriving at Jiang’s house yesterday, he wasn’t aware of Liu Ze staying there.

The others didn’t know either.

"No," Xiaomi answered cheerfully on her father’s behalf: "Brother Ze is from the Liu family in town but will be staying at our house now."

Although she didn’t know about the Liu family, it seemed they were quite wealthy; the town’s big families were generally not to be messed with by the villagers.

In some sense, it was a shield for their family.

Now that Liu Yang knew, the whole village would soon know, which was beneficial for their family.

That was Xiaomi’s little plan.

Liu Yang didn’t know this but was still quite surprised. He turned to Jiang Hu: "Brother Jiang?"

Jiang Hu nodded: "Xiaomi’s right."

He then briefly explained why Liu Ze was staying at his house.

Liu Yang blinked, his mouth agape: "Brother Jiang, the Liu family you mentioned, wouldn’t it be the biggest family in the town?"

Jiang Hu looked at him cluelessly: "Is it? I’m not sure."

Liu Yang swallowed hard and nodded with difficulty: "Brother Jiang, you go to town every day; do you really only focus on delivering vegetables and nothing else?"

Jiang Hu felt a bit embarrassed; it seemed that was indeed the case.