Chapter 9: Breaking Ice Requires Technique Too

As Li Long approached the Small Sea, he heard someone calling his name.

He turned to see Tao Daqiang, a giant of a young man from the village, one year his junior. Daqiang was a bit slow, and the other local youths didn’t really include him in their circles. When Li Long first arrived, they had been on good terms, but after he started hanging out with Gu Ermao, he had drifted away along with the crowd.

Yet, every time Tao Daqiang saw Li Long, he would greet him with a bright, genuine smile, as if they were still close friends.

In Li Long’s previous life, after the household responsibility system was implemented, Daqiang’s father had given the family land to his elder brother to farm. With no land of his own, Daqiang had gone into the mountains to dig fritillaria (a medicinal herb) as a side job. In the beginning, he returned once or twice a year and would always look up Li Long, bringing him gifts. Later, he stayed away for several years. Li Long eventually heard from his family that Daqiang had married in the mountains, had his leg crushed by a wild boar, and then… there was no news after that.

He was a simple, honest kid. Li Long felt he had truly failed to reciprocate Daqiang’s sincerity in the past.

“Daqiang, what are you doing here?”

“I heard you were back, so I came looking for you to hang out this morning. Your family said you came to the Small Sea to catch fish.” Tao Daqiang trotted up, out of breath, and grabbed the bag from Li Long’s hand. “Give me the bag. You’re a factory worker now; doing this kind of manual labor isn’t for you.”

Li Long smiled, punched Daqiang lightly on the shoulder, and said, “Alright, deal. We’ll split whatever we catch fifty-fifty.”

“Hehe.” Daqiang beamed.

With company, the walk to the Small Sea felt much easier.

“Look, rabbit tracks. And there are quite a few,” Daqiang said, pointing to prints in the tamarisk bushes.

“If we get some thin wire, we could set some snares. Might catch a few,” Li Long said after checking that the prints were fresh.

“You know how to set them?” Daqiang looked at him with surprise.

“When I was at the plant, a coworker from Qingshuihe was a hunter. He told me about it,” Li Long lied without batting an eye. “We’ll try it when we have time.”

With no pork at home, if he wanted meat, he had to find ways to get it. Fortunately, wild animals were abundant, and since most people in the village were farmers, few had the techniques to hunt efficiently. Unlike the future, where online videos taught everyone everything, people were still figuring it out on their own. The opportunities were endless.

When they reached the Small Sea, Li Long chose a flat patch of ice near the reeds. He and Daqiang cleared the snow first. As Daqiang shoveled, he asked, “Brother Long, why here?”

“Because the fish here are mostly carp and crucian carp. They’re timid and love the grass. In the deep winter, they huddle together for warmth near the reeds.”

“So that’s why!” Daqiang’s eyes widened, as if he had just learned a profound secret.

Li Long laughed and started striking the ice with his crowbar. The ice was incredibly thick; the rebar crowbar only left small, fist-sized divots, and the vibration made his hands ache.

“Let me!” Daqiang took over with the pickaxe, raising it high above his head and slamming it down into the mark.

Li Long noticed Daqiang subtly loosening his grip upon impact—a technique to protect his hands from the shock. He nodded to himself.

The pickaxe was much more effective. In one go, it gouged out a chunk of ice the size of a dinner plate. Li Long used the gap to strike again with the crowbar. Ten minutes of back-and-forth later, they had a pit about half a meter wide and twenty centimeters deep.

“Test the size,” Li Long said, setting aside his tool to check with the landing net. It was still a bit tight, so Daqiang kept at it with the pickaxe to widen the hole. In no time, steam rose from their heads and sweat broke out on their faces.

Seeing this, Li Long gathered a bundle of leftover “hairy reeds” (small, useless reeds) from the bank, piled them on the ice, and lit them with his lighter.

In this era, reeds were a valuable resource—used for mats, roofing, and selling to the paper mill. In winter, the village organized mass harvesting of the good reeds as a side income. Whatever was left behind—the thin, scraggly stuff—was discarded.

In the future, the reed marshes would disappear, and the neglected, decaying reeds would choke the growth of new ones. But for now, they were useful fuel. They warmed themselves, though they were soon back to work.

Less than an hour later, the hole was finished. Daqiang couldn’t wait to grab the landing net and sweep the water. He pulled it up, but aside from half a net of slush, it was empty.

Seeing Daqiang’s disappointment, Li Long laughed, “Don’t rush. The fish need a moment to react to the hole being opened.”

Daqiang said sheepishly, “Before winter, fish were easy to get. But once the ice set in, I haven’t tasted meat in ages…”

Li Long found this strange. Daqiang’s family raised pigs, so why no meat?

“Did your pig become a ‘superstitious pig’ too?” he couldn’t help but ask.

“No. My dad sold half the meat after we slaughtered it, and the rest is at my brother’s place. My dad said we’re waiting until the New Year to eat it…”

Well, every house has its own difficulties.

Seeing Daqiang’s head drop, Li Long shifted the topic. He pointed to a spot a dozen meters away. “While we’re at it, let’s open another hole.”

“Fine, you’re the boss.”

This time they were faster; forty minutes later, the second hole was ready.

“Daqiang, let’s go check if there are fish in the first one,” Li Long said, carrying the net.

“Alright!” Daqiang followed, filled with anticipation.

A thin layer of ice had already formed over the first hole. Li Long stepped down onto the ledge they had cleared in the ice, gently tapped through the thin layer with his fist, and saw the flash of fish scales in the dark water.

His heart raced. He lowered the landing net into the water, held it with both hands, leaned in, and gave a sharp, vigorous stir!

Feeling something thrashing in the net, Li Long braced his body against the ice and pulled upward with all his might!

“Fish! There’s fish! A big one! A huge crucian carp!” Daqiang’s voice cracked in excitement.

[End of Chapter]