Chapter 98: Every team has fish in the top ranks!

"Alright, alright, can't you just calm down for a bit? Instead of wasting your energy making a scene here, you should save it for when you go down to the river and collect some small fish and shrimp."

Mo Wenpei swept his threatening gaze over the two brothers who were making a ruckus, and the two brothers immediately quieted down.

"Yes, this time we must catch more small fish so Grandma can fry them into dried fish for us." Qiao Hai excitedly echoed as he walked, carrying a crooked, flat iron bucket.

Every time the Four Seasons River is pumped out and the pond is drained, the adults catch the big fish in front, while the village children follow behind to pick up the small fish and shrimp.

The big fish need to be divided according to the households, while the small fish and shrimp belong to whoever picks them up.

The Qiao family boys loved this activity immensely; it wasn't just about the thrill of catching fish in the river.

Furthermore, the small fish that are found can be gutted and dried in a large, hot pot on the stove, allowing them to be preserved for a long time.

When you want to eat it, Grandma Qiao frys it in oil made from rapeseed oil she presses herself, then stir-fries it with some chili peppers, and it becomes a rare delicacy.

It's fine to eat as a snack normally, and if you take it to school, you can store it in an empty can and use it as a side dish; it will keep for up to a week without spoiling.

Moreover, because they are fried in rapeseed oil, the fried dried fish will not freeze even in the coldest winter.

Unlike other dishes brought to school, which need to be warmed up with cooked rice, resulting in a bowl of lukewarm rice that you might end up eating.

Clearly, the other children who came with them thought the same thing, and each of them had an expectant smile on their face.

We arrived at the banks of the Four Seasons River.

There was already a large crowd gathered there. With winter approaching, there wasn't much farm work to do, so most people were staying home and were just there to join in the fun.

Qiao Qiao was being held by Qiao Jing and stood on the riverbank. She immediately saw Qiao Changdong, who had already put on his waist-high overshoes and gone into the river.

"Daddy! Daddy!" she called, waving her little hands.

Qiao Changdong held a semi-circular bamboo frame in one hand and used the other hand to fish through the entrance at the top of the frame.

Hearing her beloved daughter's voice, she smiled and looked over.

He grabbed the fish from the cage and threw them into the burlap sack that Qiao Changhong was holding. Then he got up and walked a few steps toward Qiao Qiao.

Then he rummaged in the pocket of his smock, which he used for working in the fields, and pulled out a round object, which he threw at Qiao Jing's feet, who was holding her.

"Little sister, it's a turtle! Uncle is a turtle king!" Meng Zihuan bent down, picked it up, and held it up for Qiao Qiao to see, shouting excitedly.

He meant to say that his uncle threw a turtle, but he accidentally said that his uncle was a turtle.

As soon as he said this, the villagers watching the commotion on the shore fell silent for a moment, and then burst into laughter.

"Meng Zihuan, you want to eat stir-fried bamboo shoots with meat, don't you?" Qiao Changdong glanced over with a cold look.

Meng Zihuan was so frightened that he quickly covered his mouth with his other chubby little hand and shook his head repeatedly.

Except for the time when the river in Qiaojia Village dries up near the end of the year, private fishing is generally not allowed. Of course, occasionally catching one or two fish is permitted.

So this time, after draining the pond, a total of more than 5,000 catties of fish were caught in the Four Seasons River.

According to the number of households, there are a total of 34 households in Qiaojia Village, and each household can get about 150 catties of fish.

Each household then distributes the fish to each family. For example, in the Qiao family's fourth branch, each family could receive more than 40 catties of fish.

These fish will allow the villagers to have a good New Year.

So when everyone received their share of fish from the village chief and carried them home, their faces were filled with joyful smiles.

The Qiao family was also very happy.

The boys worked together and collected about two buckets of small fish and shrimp. After cleaning them and drying them in a large pot, they could get more than half a bucket of dried fish.

"Second Aunt, I want to eat pickled cabbage fish slices and chopped chili fish head today." Looking at so many fish, Meng Zihuan happily told Mo Wenpei the menu.

Steamed fish head with chopped chili is a specialty dish in Hongfeng Town.

The people of Hongfeng Town love spicy food; they can almost say they can't live without it.

The method for making this chopped chili fish head is also simple. Generally, a relatively large fish head is selected and cooked with chopped chili unique to Hongfeng Town. The taste will be exceptionally delicious, and the meat will be tender and refreshing, without any fishy smell.

After finishing the fish head, add a handful of sweet potato noodles made from sweet potatoes grown in Hongfeng Town.

That taste...

The boys couldn't help but swallow hard just thinking about it.

Mo Wenpei, carrying a metal bucket of small fish and shrimp, laughed upon hearing this and said, "Okay, I'll make it for you. I'll make it for you at noon."

As she spoke, she looked at Qiao Qiao and asked gently and affectionately, "What would you like to eat, my darling? There are several blackfish among the fish we were given today. Would you like your second aunt to make you some fish porridge?"

"We'll have chopped chili fish head for lunch today, fish cakes for dinner, fish porridge for breakfast tomorrow, and pickled cabbage fish for lunch," Qiao Qiao replied with a smile, clearly outlining today's and tomorrow's meals.

Fish cakes are also a popular dish in Qiaojia Village. The fish is chopped into small square pieces, marinated in salt for half a day, and then fried in oil. It is served with chili, fermented black beans, and other seasonings and is especially good with rice.

This is a different kind of deliciousness compared to dried fish pieces.

"Hahaha, okay, you'll do everything for us obediently. We'll have chopped chili fish head for lunch, fish cakes for dinner, and fish porridge for breakfast tomorrow!" Mo Wenpei laughed heartily at Qiao Qiao's words.

The boys grinned foolishly. They wouldn't have dared to make such a request if it were them, but since their sister had, they knew they could have all of these things!

My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!