A small plot of land in a mountain village

Chapter 74 Surface

Early in the morning, Zhang Niu took his grass-cutting knife and went to the duck shed to cut the tall grass. The grass, planted by the pond only two weeks ago, had already grown quite a bit, about half a person's height. It was a lush, green expanse, a truly delightful sight.

The grass is growing really fast. Looks like I'll have to come over and lie here every week or so, otherwise it'll get too old and hard to cut with my axe. Even though I sharpen it on the whetstone every time, it still chip easily. Zhang Niu muttered to himself, clutching the grass.

The first time he cut long grass, he realized that the leaves and even the entire stem were covered in fine white hairs. Touching them caused them to fall onto his skin, making Zhang Niu feel uncomfortable all over, and leaving red spots on his hands. This grass is damn hard to cut! Looks like next time he'll have to be fully armed. It's so uncomfortable. Unable to resist, Zhang Niu roughly scratched the itchy areas a few times, which brought him some relief.

Fortunately, the grass grows back in batches, so as long as there's enough fertilizer, it'll be fine. Zhang Niu has a lot of duck droppings.

Looking at the pile of tall grass behind him, he thought, "I'll just cut this little bit for today!" He wiped the sweat from his brow; in just one hour, Zhang Niu was already drenched in sweat.

He tossed the long grass, the thicker end facing inwards and the pointed end outwards, into the pond. In just a short while, Zhang Niu, standing by the pond, saw grass carp dragging the long grass, bobbing up and down. They were clearly nibbling on the grass underwater; by evening, they'd usually devour even the stems. Besides the grass carp munching below, several large white ducks scurried over from a distance, quacking loudly. The lush green grass was a delicious treat for the ducks too.

The sun hadn't yet risen high. A gentle breeze blew, and Zhang Niu, standing by the pond, felt very comfortable. He took a deep breath... and exhaled...

Seeing that it was still early, Zhang Niu took out a shovel from home, intending to clean up the thick layer of duck droppings that had accumulated over the past six months in the duck shed.

Upon entering the house, he herded all the large white ducks into the water. However, a few big, clumsy ducks still ran around aimlessly in the duck shed. Zhang Niu shook his head, looking at them. "Sigh! These ducks are so stupid! Can't they just follow the flock?"

Several large, clumsy ducks roamed freely in the shed. Zhang Niu, however, got busy first. The duck shed, which hadn't been cleaned for over half a year, felt spongy underfoot. Straw and duck droppings were mixed together, forming a thick, continuous layer, which saved Zhang Niu a lot of effort. Some of the strands were too long, so Zhang Niu had to tear them apart by hand.

Fortunately, there wasn't much of a stench in the duck shed. Otherwise, Zhang Niu himself wouldn't have been able to stand it. He piled up all the duck droppings into a small heap, put them in a large burlap sack, and dragged it to the pond. The villagers all say that the worst thing about raising fish is not having enough fertilizer. Although there are now more than 3,000 large white ducks in the pond, the water still looks very clear, which means that the water is still not very fertile.

Zhang Niu hadn't done much work, yet he was already exhausted, standing there panting. He needed to run around more every day from now on. He quickly set a goal for himself, but he wasn't sure if he could achieve it.

I went back inside and gulped down several bowls of boiled water before I could finally catch my breath. A short rest wasn't enough; I had to keep going. There was still quite a bit of duck droppings in the shed.

He works hard during the day, but at night Zhang Niu sleeps like a pig; he probably wouldn't even hear thunder outside.

Everyone says that working hard makes you sleep well at night, and Zhang Niu now agrees. He wakes up on his own at six in the morning. His energy is amazing! Sitting on the edge of the bed, unable to sleep, Zhang Niu exclaims.

"Zhang Wa, are you home?" The voice of a loudspeaker rang out from outside.

"Who is it?" Zhang Niu replied simply. He didn't know who would be here so early. He muttered to himself, but still quickly got dressed and got out of bed.

As soon as he opened the door, he saw Shengming pacing anxiously back and forth in the front yard. When he saw Zhang Niu come out, he said in a very worried tone, "You still don't have the whole bag of industrial salt from last time?"

Zhang Niu thought for a moment, "Oh, and another thing. You're not floating on the surface of the pond, are you?" Zhang Niu quickly remembered the use of salt.

Upon hearing Zhang Niu say there was more, Shengming's face was no longer clouded with gloom. "It's floating salt. Last time I passed by your place, I saw a lot of salt bags at your house and rushed over."

Zhang Niu didn't say much. He and Shengming then took out two large bags of salt, each weighing a hundred pounds, from the big boxes in the house.

They rode the motorcycle with Shengming as a passenger and headed towards the village entrance.

Fish surfacing in the pond is a serious matter. If not handled properly, it can cause a complete upheaval, with all the fish in the pond huddled together in a dark mass. If they aren't surfacing too violently, they will slowly sink back to the bottom once the sun comes out. However, if they are surfacing too violently, they will be injured and exhausted, unable to swim back, and will eventually sink and die. The next day, the pond will be full of dead fish with white bellies, all because they started surfacing as the weather warmed up.

"Uncle Shengming, doesn't your pond have an aerator?"

Shengming said with a hint of frustration, "Don't even mention it. The aerator by the pond accidentally burned out this morning. And we were also short of salt bags at home. We were so anxious. We even called a lot of people to come and help this morning."

Zhang Niu in front also sped up.

A crowd had already gathered around Shengming's bamboo shed, and Uncle Ergou was standing by the water's edge, slapping the surface with a long bamboo pole. "Everyone, give it your all! Drive these fish back! Shengming will be back with the salt bag soon!" he shouted as he worked.

Before we had an aerator, this was a traditional method for raising fish: we would push the fish that surfaced back into the water to keep them away from the edge of the pond.

A group of people were standing around the pond, splashing water, while a number of children watched the spectacle.

Zhang Niu, not slow at all, carried a bag of salt to the pond. "Wife, go inside and get two buckets and a big bowl. Don't just stand there like an idiot," he called to his wife who was still standing there.

He hurriedly ran into the inner room and started searching for the water bucket.

The pond was teeming with tiny, dark fish fry. There were also many dead fish, belly up, so it seemed quite a few had died. Luckily, villagers were helping to swat them away. Otherwise, who knows how many fish would have perished.

He came out carrying two buckets and placed them on the ground. Zhang Niu had already poured the untied salt bags into the buckets, and the bright white salt grains fell into the water.

Zhang Niu grabbed a bucket and jumped into the pond, thinking that more people meant more help.

"Auntie, go and ask someone to bring more buckets. More people going into the water will speed things up." Zhang Niu, who had just gone into the water, realized that there were only two of them and they didn't know how long it would take to get the water.

Upon seeing Uncle Shengming come ashore, Zhang Niu shouted, "Take my bike. It'll be easier."

In early April, the pond water is still chilly in the morning. Submerging the bucket in the water helps dissolve the salt. Filling it halfway is enough; it will float perfectly without sinking.

As Zhang Niu walked along the pond, he would occasionally bump into fresh fish that had sunk into the water. He would bend down and scoop out a bighead carp fry with bright eyes and the size of his palm.

Uncle Shengming returned quickly. Several black buckets were strapped to the back seat. He hurriedly went into the water.

People in the pond were constantly sprinkling salt water onto the dense school of fish.

"Uncle Shengming, do you think we should get a few people to collect all these fish that just died? We can fill a few buckets while it's still early and take them to town to sell. Maybe we can make some money that way. Otherwise, once they rot, we won't have any left." He sprinkled salt water on the bucket, then remembered the fish in it and shouted into the distance.

Shengming was also confused by the fish surfacing. He never imagined it could be related to the recently dead fish. He slapped his forehead. Why hadn't he thought of that? He shouted to everyone to spread out and pick up the injured fish and those that had sunk to the edge of the water.

Most of the fish that were said to be dead weren't actually dead. They were just barely clinging to life. Most could still wriggle their tails, though they were injured or exhausted from swimming.

A plastic sheet has been laid out on the shore. Each time people come up to change the salt, they pour the fish from the buckets onto it.

Unlucky Zhang Niu was at the bend in the road. He was just thinking of picking up a few grass carp darting around under a thorny tree when he inadvertently bumped into a beehive the size of a fist. He got stung twice by the flying bees. Without picking up the fish, Zhang Niu ran off to another spot, luckily no one chased after him.

Zhang Niu was stung on the neck and hands, the pain almost making him cry out for his mother. He grabbed a handful of black pond mud from under his feet and smeared it on his hands and neck. The pain gradually disappeared as soon as he applied it. Zhang Niu only remembered this because he was in a hurry. It could also be used for bites from black ants; this was a folk remedy Zhang Niu had heard about in the village.

There were already quite a few fish piled up on the plastic sheet, forming a small hill. Zhang Niu came up and glanced at it; it should weigh at least 500 jin (250 kg).

The fish that had been sprinkled with salt water gradually sank. It seems the salt water they sprinkled when Zhang Niu and his group arrived had an effect; the sun also came out. Shengming was lucky; if it had been a cloudy day, the fish that had just sunk would have resurfaced soon after. Now it seems safe.

Everyone started packing up their bamboo poles and buckets. As for the fish floating on the surface in the center of the pond, Shengming had already created a white foam mound and started scooping it out.

There was a pile of fish weighing nearly 600 pounds. Transporting it by motorcycle wouldn't be enough, so Er Gou went home and drove his tractor over.

After the last net of dead fish was hauled up, most of the dead fish that had floated to the surface in the pond had also been removed. As for how many had sunk to the bottom and died, we'll have to wait and see tomorrow.

The tractor roared in, and after it stopped, everyone rushed up to line the truck bed with plastic film.

The truck was full of fresh bighead carp, grass carp, and triangular carp, some of which were breeding stock left over from last year. It seemed they had suffered considerable losses this time. Most of the villagers were going back home. In the end, only Zhang Niu, Shengming, and Er Gou went to the county. They had originally planned to go to the town, but they couldn't possibly use up all the fish in this truck.

Zhang Niu checked his phone; it was only a little before seven o'clock, so it seemed there was still plenty of time.

After entrusting the household matters to his wife, the group set off. In the summer, the entire truckload of fish would have rotted by the time they reached the county town.

The tractor arrived in the county town just after eight o'clock. It stopped at the vegetable market. At the market's exit, several people spread out the plastic sheeting they had brought.

Zhang Niu shouted at the top of his lungs, "Fish for sale! Fresh, live fish! Cheaper prices!"

Zhang Niu shouted at the top of his lungs to the passersby. This was understandable; over time, the eyes of a dead fish would slowly turn white, indicating that the fish was no longer fresh. The uncles and aunties buying vegetables were shrewd; they could tell the quality of a fish at a glance.

Her loud voice attracted quite a few shoppers to come and take a look.

When Zhang Niu and his group arrived, they discussed it and decided to sell the fish for 1.3 yuan per jin (approximately 0.5 kg). Fish that have floated to the surface and died generally fetch around this price.

After the young man who was working bought four of them, more and more people gradually arrived. There will always be a shortage of people looking for bargains.

The news that live fish, which usually sell for four or five yuan, were now being sold at this price spread quickly. Zhang Niu was busy packing the fish, while Shengming was weighing them. Both were sweating profusely; Zhang Niu hadn't even changed his clothes when he arrived, and they were covered in fish scales. He looked every bit the fishmonger.

There were still quite a few middle-aged women nitpicking about the dead fish. Zhang Niu was incredibly annoyed listening to them. "Selling cheap. Why are you still nagging so much? If you can't pick the fish, only the bad ones will be left."

Most of the fish buyers were migrant workers from other places. They would buy several fish at a time. Zhang Niu could easily guess from the fish buyers that they were mostly from Hunan and Hubei, judging from the large bags of chili peppers they were carrying.

They sold nearly 600 fish and didn't finish until noon. The last few were given away for free—the smallest fish that everyone else had left over. The old man bargained for a long time before happily carrying the remaining fish home.

Lunch was served in a small corner of a tiny restaurant. Zhang Niu ate his bowl full of white rice with relish. He was starving because he hadn't eaten breakfast.

"Shengming, don't forget to buy some salt to take back at noon," Ergou said while they were eating.

"I understand. I'm starting to figure out what happened to that burnt-out aerator today," he said to them as they ate.

"What's the clue?" Zhang Niu asked, engrossed in his meal.

"The voltage is unstable; that's probably why the light bulbs here often flicker on and off."

Er Gou was right when he said, "It's all in the past now, so let it go. Just be more careful next time. The weather is unpredictable during this spring season. Be careful not to get caught up in something."

"I have to thank you all today, especially Zhang Wa. If it weren't for those two bags of salt, all my fish in the pond would have died," he said happily, raising his glass. For Shengming, it was already a blessing that not many fish had died; one can be content with what one has.

Zhang Niu waved his hand, "No. If we didn't have some at home, there's nothing we could do, right? Maybe I'll have to borrow it from you next time."

His words drew laughter from everyone. The people at the next few tables, thinking something was amiss, especially noticing the strong fishy smell emanating from Zhang Niu, frowned. Could someone like that really be allowed to eat here? But these were just their thoughts; they didn't voice them aloud.

After lunch, we bought about ten bags of salt, each weighing fifty pounds, from the veterinary shop and loaded them onto the tractor.

When he returned, many dead fish began to float to the surface of the pond, indicating that Shengming would have to work hard again at noon. Especially since he also raises ducks. A few rotting dead fish in the pond wouldn't be a big deal. But if many died, the water quality would deteriorate significantly, with layers of green scum floating on the surface, even sticking to the bellies of the ducks. This water would be practically unsuitable for raising fish.

Zhang Niu, having picked up two bags of salt, rode his bike back to take a shower, as he was now covered in the smell of fish.

Just as I rode back to Happy House, I saw a figure swaying in the small bamboo pavilion.

The figure inside seemed to have noticed Zhang Niu entering as well.

"You stinky cow, why do you smell like fish? Where did you go? I've been waiting for you for ages!" Little Flower covered her nose and launched into a long tirade.

"Oh, it's Hua Hua." He moved closer to Hua Hua, actually wanting to use the fishy smell to fumigate her.

Hua Hua's outfit today is rather rustic. However, in Zhang Niu's eyes, she still looks very pretty. It suits a young woman's style perfectly.

"I just got back from Uncle Shengming's. A lot of fish died in his pond today. He was busy all morning," Zhang Niu, carrying a bag of salt, added. "Come on, don't stay outside, come inside and sit down."

Hua Hua, following behind, was clearly very curious about this place, especially about the wild boar piglets in the yard. There were even a few large white ducks there. In the middle of the path, a few playful little turtles and snails were slowly crawling forward.

After tossing down a bag of salt, Zhang Niu ran to the duck shed to prepare for a bath. "You stay here, I'll be right back."

Without needing to say more, it was obvious she was going to take a shower. The fishy smell on her body was really strong. For a girl, that's unacceptable.

After Zhang Niu carried a pile of clothes over there, Hua Hua, who was standing inside the house, looked around the small room. Clothes were scattered everywhere, and even the leftover bowls and chopsticks on the table had a few flies buzzing around them.

"That stinky cow, he can't even clean the house properly. What a lazy bum," he muttered under his breath.

A small, black-feathered ball of flesh appeared at Hua Hua's feet, hopping and skipping along. Hua Hua was captivated by the little creature.

This cow's family has quite a few animals. They used to seem to enjoy abusing animals. Why would they keep pets now? I don't quite understand. I bent down and scooped up the little ball of flesh that was walking in my hands. I realized it was an owl. Its bright, big eyes stared at the person holding it. It tilted its head, wondering who this was. It flapped its wings, trying to fly away.

Looking at the owl in her hand, she felt a little silly. "The little guy wants to fly, right?" she thought, gently tossing it into the air to try and make it take flight. But the result left her stunned. The owl flapped its large wings in mid-air, but unfortunately, it didn't take off. It plummeted straight down.

The moment it hit the ground, a strong, powerful hand scooped the little creature up.

Hua Hua then realized it was Zhang Niu who had returned; his hair was still wet and hadn't been dried. He also smelled of soap. "Stinky Niu, why didn't you bark when you came back? You were so quiet, you scared me half to death!"

"Kitty. Why are you running around again?" The kitten in his hand pecked at Zhang Niu's clothes with its sharp beak and looked at Zhang Niu with its big eyes.

"This is your cat," he said, pointing to the owl in Zhang Niu's hand. "It's just that the name is too funny." He covered his mouth and laughed, revealing his white teeth.

"What's so funny? It's just a name." He put the cat back in its bed.

"Let's sit in the gazebo outside. Look, the house isn't even tidied up yet," Zhang Niu said, realizing his house was still a mess in his haste.

"What a lazy person." He said, and walked into the house.

Zhang Niu, who was a bit thick-skinned, followed along, thinking he'd clean up after they left. He'd already completely forgotten about the chopsticks and bowls.

The cat in its den jumped out again. Zhang Niu's doorway had no threshold; it was perfectly flat. The little turtle, who had just climbed inside, was in trouble again. It landed upside down, unable to roll over.

Hua Hua, who was sitting in the pavilion, saw the cat bullying the little turtle.

"Your cat is really interesting, it's so big but can't fly." Thinking about this makes Xiaohua laugh a little. If she goes back and tells her friends, no one will believe her.

"Don't mention that guy, he's a glutton. He just keeps getting fatter. He can't fly, can you believe it? And he's always running around. The best he can do is flap a few times." Zhang Niu seemed a little puzzled, wondering if his food was so good that he didn't want to fly?

"You stinky cow. This place is really nice, especially that bamboo house. It's the first time I've ever seen one. How did you come up with the idea to build this?" He rolled his small eyes.

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