stjorthotic Chapter 4 While parents are alive, one should not travel far; if one must travel, one should have a
Chapter 4 While parents are alive, one should not travel far; if one must travel, one should have a
Old Chen was short and stocky, with a dark face and small but bright eyes.
When he looks at people, it's like he's eyeing a fish, sizing them up from head to toe.
Just like looking at a school of fish in a lake, you can tell at a glance which ones are carp and which ones are just grasshoppers.
With a paddle slung over his shoulder and wearing wet fishing clothes clinging to his body, his muscular physique was on full display.
The meat was toughened by years of exposure to the wind and sun on the lake, unlike the fair-skinned meat of city dwellers.
Following behind was Baldy Liu, whose name perfectly matched his appearance; his head was completely bald, without a single hair.
It gleamed brightly under the oil lamp, like a freshly peeled boiled egg.
He was short and thin, wearing a drab gray shirt.
His sleeves were rolled up, revealing two arms as thin as hemp stalks; he looked like a scholar who hadn't been to the lake many times.
Shui Sheng's mother, Zhou Guifang, was the last to walk.
The woman was in her early forties, with a sallow complexion, the result of years of malnutrition.
Her eyes were beautifully formed, clear and bright, and she looked at people with a gentle gaze.
She clutched the apron in her hand, rubbing it back and forth.
The apron was pieced together from old scraps of cloth, faded from washing, and the edges were frayed.
The three people entered the courtyard, and none of them uttered a sound.
The courtyard was very quiet.
Quack quack quack!
The croaking of frogs in the distant lake continued one after another.
Chen Laosan stood there, his eyes scanning the yard before finally settling on his son.
Chen Zheng looked at his father as well, without looking away.
The father and son just stared at each other like that.
Li Guixiang poked her head out of the kitchen, her apron covered in flour and her hands still sticky with dough.
Seeing this, he quickly wiped his hands on his apron and stepped in to smooth things over:
"Third brother is here? Please sit down, please sit down. I'll get you some water. It's so hot, you're all sweaty from walking around."
Chen Laosan didn't move or make a sound.
Baldy Liu, with his hands behind his back, circled the fish once, muttering to himself:
"This is incredible! This fish must weigh over forty pounds."
Such a large grass carp won't grow to its full size in less than ten or eight years.
In my forty-odd years of life, I've never seen anyone in the village receive something this big.
He speaks in a very formal, literary style, just like Liu Jiawang, except that his throat is narrow, as if he's speaking through a choke.
Zhou Guifang stood at the back, her eyes fixed on Shui Sheng.
Shuisheng kept his head down and didn't say anything, his fingers digging into the rim of the basin until his fingernails turned white.
The basin was enamel, and several pieces of paint had chipped off the side, revealing the dark iron inside.
"Zhengwazi".
Chen Zheng responded, "Father."
Chen Laosan took two steps forward, walked up to the fish, squatted down, and reached out to touch the fish's spine.
He ran his fingers from the fish's head to its tail, then turned it over to look at the incision on its belly and the cleaned-out cavity.
Then he stood up, looked at his son, and asked, "Did you kill this fish?"
"I killed him."
Chen Laosan didn't speak, then looked at Zhang Jianguo: "Jianguo, did you spear the fish?"
Zhang Jianguo grinned, revealing a set of white teeth: "Third Uncle, I did it!"
I stabbed the fish right in the spine with my fork!
Just then, the fish was about to dive into deeper water, and in a moment of panic, I stabbed it with the fork!
Chen Laosan then looked at Shui Sheng and Liu Jiawang: "Did you two row the boat?"
Shui Sheng nodded without saying a word.
Liu Jiawang puffed out his chest and straightened his clothes:
"Third Uncle, that's right!"
As the ancients said, "When two people are of one mind, their strength can break metal."
Shuisheng and I worked together seamlessly, and that's how we did it.
"Alright, alright."
Baldy Liu interrupted his son and glared at him.
"You think you're so capable! You've been spouting off about the ancients for ages, but did you even bring the fish up?"
Liu Jiawang shrank back and remained silent.
Chen Laosan looked at his son again and asked, "Whose idea was this?"
Chen Zheng said, "Mine."
Chen Laosan nodded.
The courtyard fell silent again.
The toads are still croaking.
The sound of someone's dog barking came from afar.
Wang Wang Wang!
One sound after another.
Li Guixiang brought out several bowls of water and handed them to a few people.
The bowl was a coarse porcelain bowl, with several chips on the rim.
The water was freshly drawn from the well, and it was cool to the touch.
"Have some water, have some water. It's so hot, don't get a sore throat."
Chen Laosan took the bowl and held it in his hands.
He looked at the fish for a long while before saying:
"Zhengwa, do you even realize how close things got to today?"
"clear."
Chen Laosan said, "Knowing that, why did you still do it?"
"Father, I know what I'm doing."
Chen Laosan was stunned for a moment.
Chen Zheng continued, "These fish are in the shallow bay, where the water is no more than ten feet deep."
When the fish dived into deeper water, Jianguo and I would take turns, one on each side, and drive it into the net.
Jiawang and Shuisheng rowed the boat, one covering the front and the other the back, using a ladle.
You can't catch the whole fish in a scoop, but you can catch its head and tail.
The head and tail of a fish are vulnerable areas, especially the gills. Once they get stuck in the gills, they can't escape.
He speaks slowly and deliberately, one sentence at a time.
It looks just like his dad casting his net when he's fishing—very steady.
As Chen Laosan listened, the light in his eyes changed.
Chen Zheng added, "The scales on the back of this fish are thick, so you can't stab it in."
The fork that Jianguo made didn't actually go deep; it was just meant to scare him.
When it hurts, its body arches and its tail wags more slowly.
Taking advantage of that moment, I lifted the fish up and caught its gills.
Jiawang caught the fish by the tail, and the two boats moved closer together, leaving the fish suspended on the surface of the water.
No matter how hard it struggled, it couldn't muster any strength.
Chen Laosan listened silently until the end before asking, "Where did you learn all this?"
"You taught me, Father."
Chen Laosan was taken aback: "When did I ever teach you this?"
Chen Zheng said, "I was watching you when you were getting big fish from other people, and I remember everything you said."
Upon hearing this, Chen Laosan picked up his bowl and took a sip of water.
Baldy Liu came over and said with a smile, "Third brother, your son is quite something!"
You've become even more successful than you were back then!
"When you were catching fish, you capsized the boat and fell into the lake, drinking your fill!"
Chen Laosan did not respond.
Liu the Bald didn't care, and went closer to the fish, squatting down to examine it closely.
He kept marveling as he looked at it: "The incision was made well, not too deep or too shallow."
It was just right to cut open the stomach without damaging the intestines.
"Zhengwa, who taught you this skill?"
"With my dad."
Baldy Liu glanced back at Old Man Chen and chuckled:
"Third son, your son is even better at talking than you are."
Chen Laosan still didn't respond.
Zhou Guifang spoke up at this moment.
She walked up to Shuisheng, squatted down, and reached out to touch her son's face.
Those hands were very rough, with cracks all over the fingers.
Shuisheng raised his head and called out, "Mother."
Zhou Guifang just looked at him and asked, "Did you choke?"
Shui Sheng shook his head: "No. A Zheng asked me to row the boat, but I didn't go into the water."
Zhou Guifang nodded, then looked at Chen Zheng and said:
"Zhengwa, thank you so much for today."
"Auntie, don't say that."
Shuisheng was a great help; he rowed the boat steadily. Without him, I wouldn't have been able to catch any fish heads in the sea.
Zhou Guifang shook her head and said softly, "I know."
Shuisheng is a quiet child, slow-moving, and not as good as others at anything.
"He's lucky to be able to help today, he's fortunate to have you guys as his brothers."
Shui Sheng lowered his head, his fingers digging into the rim of the basin.
Chen Zheng said, "Auntie, Shui Sheng is better at rowing than me."
I'm okay in the water, but I get seasick on the boat. He's different; he seems to be permanently attached to the boat.
Among the young men in our village, none can beat Shui Sheng when it comes to rowing.
Zhou Guifang smiled, a very soft smile.
She stood up and looked at the fish.
"How do you plan to divide this fish?"
Chen Zheng said, "We'll divide it into four portions, one for each family."
For Shui Sheng's portion, I told him to take the fish body, the half with the backbone. The backbone can be used to make soup, which is good for health.
Zhou Guifang paused for a moment, looked at Chen Zheng, and her eyes were a little red.
At this moment, Baldy Liu stood up, dusted off his hands, and said:
"Zhengwa, you're so thoughtful. What did you give Jiawang?"
Chen Zheng said, "Fish tail. Jiawang said his father had back pain, and fish tail is the fleshy part, so he boiled it into soup to cure back pain."
I've heard that fish tail soup is the most effective cure for back pain; my dad used to say so too.
Liu the Bald was taken aback for a moment, then burst into laughter.
His head was bobbing back and forth, his bald head was shiny and bright, and he was almost in tears.
"Good! Good! Good!"
Baldy Liu patted Chen Zheng on the shoulder, making a loud slapping sound.
"Zhengwa, you're much better than my kid!"
My husband, all he ever does is talk about the ancients, it's giving me a headache!
Yesterday he was telling me something about "While parents are alive, one should not travel far." I asked him what it meant, and he gave me a long explanation, but I still didn't understand!
Liu Jiawang muttered to himself, "Dad, the words of the ancients are all profound truths."
"Profound truth my foot!"
Baldy Liu glared at him. "You've been spouting ancient tales for so long, haven't you even managed to come up with half a bowl of rice?"
Liu Jiawang remained silent.
Zhang Jianguo covered his mouth and laughed, his shoulders shaking with laughter.
Chen Laosan placed the bowl on the stone platform and said, "Zhengwa, come here."
Chen Zheng walked over and stood in front of his father.
Chen Laosan looked at him and asked, "Do you know what would happen if things went wrong today?"
"If Jianguo hadn't aimed properly, the fish would have gone berserk, capsized the boat, and all four of us would have had to go into the water."
Although the place is a shallow bay, there are many hidden ditches underwater.
Once you're dragged in by the fish, you won't be able to find them.
"Anything else?"
"When I'm scooping up the fish head, if I don't catch the gills while scooping the fish, the fish will turn around and bump into me, and I can't dodge it."
A fish weighing over forty pounds, if it bumps into something in the water, it's almost like being gored by a bull.
Chen Laosan asked, "Anything else?"
Chen Zheng said, "When Jiawang is scooping the fish by the tail, if he doesn't scoop it properly, the fish tail will sweep against him and he will faint."
The force of a fish's tail is greater than that of a slap.
Chen Laosan looked at his son for a while before patting Chen Zheng on the shoulder.
Snapped!
Chen Zheng felt a weight on his shoulder; the hand was rough and thick, and had a cold feel to it.
"Alright, let's go home."
Chen Zheng nodded and turned to get the fish head.
He had just picked up the fish head when he heard Chen Laosan say again, "Zhengwazi."
Chen Zheng turned around.
Chen Laosan stood there, his back to the kitchen light, so his face was not clearly visible.
Then I saw a pair of bright eyes.
"Your mother made your favorite dish today."
Chen Zheng was stunned by just that one sentence.
In his past life, his father rarely said such things.
Chen Laosan was a man of few words and a stubborn temper; all he knew how to do was fish his whole life.
When his mother was alive, his father was usually quiet and just kept to himself while working.
They go to the lake before dawn and don't return until it's completely dark at night.
He didn't say a word while eating, and after finishing, he lay down and fell asleep.
After his mother passed away, his father became even quieter and spent all his time drinking.
When he got drunk, he would sit on the doorstep, staring blankly at the lake for half a day.
Later, his father also passed away.
Chen Zheng still remembers that day when he received a phone call and rushed back to the village from the city.
After an overnight train ride and two bus transfers, it was already dark when we arrived in the village.
His father was already lying in the coffin, his face covered with yellow paper.
Liu the Bald told him, "Before your father passed away, he talked about you all night."
Why hasn't Zhengwazi come back yet? Why hasn't Zhengwazi come back yet?
As dawn approached, he regained his senses for a moment and told me, "Don't tell Zhengwa. He's busy. Tell him to live his life well."
He stood in front of the coffin, looking at that familiar face, unable to utter a single word.
Now, his father is standing right in front of him, talking to him.
"Your mother made your favorite dish today."
Chen Zheng took a deep breath and said, "Understood, Dad."
He carried the fish head and walked outside.
As I walked to the courtyard gate, I heard Zhou Guifang say behind me:
"Shuisheng, come home with your mother."
Shui Sheng responded, picked up the half-fish body, and followed behind.
The fish was tied with straw rope, and he held it tightly, as if it were a precious treasure.
Baldy Liu also called out to Liu Jiawang, "Let's go home!"
Show your mother, her son caught a big fish!
Tell her to release that little crucian carp; we won't eat it!
Liu Jiawang, clutching the fish tail, followed behind his father, muttering to himself:
As the ancients said, "While one's parents are alive, one should not travel far; if one must travel, one should have a fixed destination."
This fish is my recipe.
"Shut up!"
Without turning his head, Liu the Bald said, "As the ancients said, I'll sew your mouth shut!"
Your mouth is just like your grandfather's, it never stops!
Zhang Jianguo stood in the yard, watching them walk away, then turned back and grinned at his mother: "Mom, I'm hungry."
Li Guixiang glared at him, but her eyes were smiling:
"You won't starve! There are cornbreads in the pot, help yourself!"
"Yes!" Zhang Jianguo responded and turned to run towards the kitchen.
Here, Chen Zheng was carrying a fish head, walking on his way home.
His father walked very fast and soon disappeared from sight.
By this time, it was completely dark.
The moon hadn't risen yet, but the stars had already appeared, densely packed, like white rice scattered on the ground.
The poplar trees rustled along the village road, and the wind carried the fishy smell of the lake and the scent of grass from the fields.
The village was quiet, with only the occasional bark of a dog.
Whose radio is playing? It's a storytelling performance, Shan Tianfang's "Romance of the Three Kingdoms".
They were talking about Zhao Yun rescuing A Dou at Changban Slope.
"That thrust was incredibly precise and ruthless—"
The sound was intermittent, scattered by the wind.
Every household had its lights on, and the dim yellow light shone through the windows, spilling onto the road.
Some windows were covered with newspapers, others with plastic sheeting, and light leaked out from the gaps in the windows, in streaks.
Chen Zheng walked at a moderate pace, taking in the familiar sights as he went.
In his past life, when he was doing odd jobs in the city, he would sometimes wake up in the middle of the night and think about these things.
Thinking of the village roads, the reeds by the lake, and the meals his mother cooked...
And there was the image of his father sitting on the doorstep smoking.
At that time, he was carrying bricks on a construction site and lived in a prefabricated house, with more than a dozen people crammed into one room.
In summer, it's too hot to sleep; in winter, it's too cold to stay awake.
Sometimes I wake up in the middle of the night and hear my coworkers snoring.
He thought, how wonderful it would be to go back to the village, to go back to his childhood.
Now, he's back.
They're really back.
Chen Zheng stopped at his front door.
Three mud-brick houses, similar to those in Zhang Jianguo's house.
The wall was made of rammed earth, and over the years it had cracked in several places, which were then patched with mud.
The roof was covered with straw, some parts of which had collapsed, and a few foxtail grasses had grown out, swaying in the wind.