Chapter 178 - 133: Is It Your Nature Not to Smile?
"Whoa!" Zhou Momo cried out, startled. She clutched the fishing rod and stumbled backward, bumping right into Comrade Zhou’s arms. "A big fishy!" she exclaimed in delight. "Dad, look!!"
Comrade Zhou’s smile vanished. His eyes went wide with utter disbelief.
The smile hadn’t disappeared; it had just moved to Zhou Yan’s face.
"Hey, Old Man, why’d you stop smiling?" Zhou Yan teased. "Not a natural smiler, are you?"
Comrade Zhou was quick to react. Before the rod could be ripped from Zhou Momo’s hands, he wrapped one arm around her as she lurched forward and grabbed the pole with his other hand.
The vibrating rod sent a sensation through his hands unlike anything he’d ever felt before.
The straight rod bent into a deep arc, its tip trembling so violently it looked like it might snap at any moment.
This—
Wasn’t this the giant fish he had been dreaming of?!
He couldn’t believe it. The big fish he’d been waiting for all afternoon had eluded him, yet his little girl had hooked it with a single, casual cast.
’Where exactly did I go wrong?’
’Was it because I didn’t say the magic words?’
Comrade Zhou began to question his entire existence.
"You can do it! Go, Dad, go!" Zhou Momo shouted, straining along with him.
Comrade Zhou carefully played the fish. It took a full ten minutes before he tired it out. The big, golden-red carp finally flipped onto its back, choked on a couple of mouthfuls of water, completely exhausted.
Zhou Yan held out the fish basket and scooped the fish up.
Holy cow. A single fish filled the entire little basket, its golden-red tail fin sticking out the top.
One fish and the basket was full!
"Wow, wow, wow! What a big fishy!" Zhou Momo was overjoyed. She leaned in, poked its tail, and then looked back at Comrade Zhou with a huge grin. "Dad, am I amazing or what?"
"I guess you are..." Comrade Zhou said, nodding with a smile that held a trace of bitterness.
’A beginner catches a huge fish on her first cast... what does that make me?’
"Zhou Momo, you’re incredible," Zhou Yan said with a laugh. "Thanks to you, it looks like we’re having fresh wild-caught fish for dinner tonight."
"Brother, the big fishy is so cute," Zhou Momo said, looking up at Zhou Yan. "Are we going to steam it? Or braise it?"
"It’s a carp, so we should definitely braise it," Zhou Yan said. He took the fish out of the basket, removed the hook, and weighed it in his hand. ’This thing has to be at least five and a half pounds.’
It was a pure, wild carp from the Qingyi River, and its coloring was gorgeous. It had brilliant gold scales and a round, plump belly, clearly having fattened itself up for the winter.
’I’ll chop it into sections, fry them, and then braise them. That’s probably the best way to cook it with my current skills.’
’I won’t use patchouli this time. I’ll try that braised fish recipe I picked up from Zheng at Hao’s wedding banquet.’
’The fish is a bit too big. If I cook it whole, the flavors won’t soak in properly, and it’ll use way too much oil.’
After stuffing the fish back into the basket, Zhou Yan noticed Comrade Zhou had already folded up the small stools. "Hey, Old Man, calling it a day?" he asked with a smile.
"I’m done," Comrade Zhou nodded. "Suddenly not feeling so good..."
"In that case, you carry the fish, and I’ll get the rods," Zhou Yan said, holding out the basket with a grin. "After all, you’re the one who prepped the spot and baited the hook."
"You know, for some reason, my belt is suddenly feeling a little itchy," Comrade Zhou said, reaching for his waist.
"Let’s go, let’s go! Zhou Momo, we’re heading back to clean the fish! I’ll make you some fried fish bites!" Zhou Yan grabbed the basket, took Zhou Momo by the hand, and beat a hasty retreat.
"Okay!" Zhou Momo’s little legs pumped furiously to keep up.
Watching them go, Comrade Zhou couldn’t help but shake his head and smile.
’Even though I wasn’t the one who hooked it, at least I got to feel what it’s like to reel in a big one.’
’Besides, my youngest daughter caught it, which is basically the same as me catching it.’
’Tomorrow, I’ll have to go to the usual spot and share the feeling and technique of reeling in a big one with my old Air Force buddies.’
"Well, I’ll be! Old Zhou, you caught a fish that big!" Mrs. Zhao and Zhao Hong, who had been sitting by their door chatting, stood up in astonishment when they saw the massive tail sticking out of the basket Zhou Yan was carrying.
"With a tail that big, it must be huge!" Zhao Hong added, coming over for a closer look, her face full of awe.
"I caught it! It was me!" Zhou Momo shouted, jumping up and down with her hand in the air.
"You caught it?" Mrs. Zhao and Zhao Hong were both stunned for a moment. They glanced back at Comrade Zhou, who was walking up behind them carrying the fishing rods and stools.
"That’s right. She’s the one who caught it," Comrade Zhou nodded, his face flushing with a bit of embarrassment.
"Huh?"
"Wait, what?"
Mrs. Zhao and Zhao Hong were in shock.
"Little one, you’re really something else! Your dad has been fishing for more than ten years, and he’s never caught a fish this big!" Mrs. Zhao scooped Zhou Momo into her arms and planted a big smooch on her cheek. "You’re so incredible!"
The praise sent Zhou Momo into a fit of giggles, and she looked utterly pleased with herself.
Comrade Zhou’s face turned even redder with embarrassment.
"My husband has never caught one this big either," Zhao Hong added with a laugh. "The last time he caught a carp that was just over a pound, he invited enough people over to fill two tables, and there wasn’t even enough for everyone to get a single bite!"
Comrade Zhou felt much better hearing that. ’Her husband’s been fishing ten years longer than me, and he’s never caught a big one either.’
"So, how are you going to cook such a big fish?" Mrs. Zhao asked, turning to Zhou Yan.
These days, Zhou Yan was the family’s head chef, the undisputed king of the kitchen.
"With a carp this big, we should braise it. What do you think?" Zhou Yan suggested.
"Braising is perfect for it," Mrs. Zhao nodded.
"I’ll go clean the fish, then." Comrade Zhou put the rods and stools away and came back out with a boning knife. He looked at Zhou Yan and asked, "Should I leave it whole or cut it into pieces?"
"Cut it into pieces. Cut it in half first, then into sections about this wide," Zhou Yan said, using his hands to show the desired width. "The flesh is thick, so smaller pieces will absorb the flavor better." Since Comrade Zhou was taking on the delicate task of cleaning the fish, Zhou Yan could start prepping the other ingredients for the dish.
As if sensing the murderous intent in the air, the big carp suddenly thrashed with all its might, flipping out of Zhou Yan’s hands and flopping wildly on the ground.