The Domineering Cultivator Farmer

Chapter 8: The Two-Meter-Long Carp

Fang Yun lay in a rocking chair in the courtyard, taking a careful look at the home he had left six years ago. The house was an old one, built back when Fang Yun’s grandfather was still alive. It had two stories, with a central hall and two rooms on either side. Although it was an old house, it was warm in winter and cool in summer, making it very comfortable to live in. The walls were whitewashed, and the combination of white walls and gray tiles gave it a rather antique feel. At the far end of the courtyard stood some pigsties and chicken coops, and the yard was planted with vegetables, surrounded by a hedge of thorns to keep the chickens and ducks from escaping. It had been several days since Fang Yun returned home, and the villagers had gradually calmed down, no longer gathering around him every day as if he were a national treasure. However, on the second day after Fang Yun returned home, the village’s oldest elder, with tears streaming down his face, held Fang Yun’s hand and spoke to him at length. Finally, he led the entire village in opening the ancestral hall to pay respects to their ancestors, and Fang Yun’s promotion to general was recorded in the family genealogy. Still, Fang Yun had always asked everyone not to spread the news far and wide. “Uncle, let’s go fishing at the reservoir. Little Fat and the others are already there,” Yeyue said, running in from outside, covered in sweat, and shaking Fang Yun’s hand. It’s summer vacation right now, and a bunch of little brats are running amok in the village every day—digging for cicadas, swimming, fishing, and catching eels. Their parents have to drag them home by the ears just to get them to eat. Xiao Pang is Uncle Er’s son; the little guy is a master of mischief and has become the ringleader of the village’s gang of little brats. Fang Yun remembered there was a small path behind his house that wound around the mountain; not far along it, he could see a reservoir. When he was a kid, he used to run there every day to fish and swim, but he hadn’t been there since he started high school. Thinking about it now, he was actually quite tempted to go. “All right, all right, Uncle will take you there.” Fang Yun got up and fetched a fishing rod from the corner of the wall—it was a makeshift one fashioned from a piece of bamboo as thick as a thumb. He dug up a few stinky earthworms from the damp soil by the pigsty, then led the bouncing little guy out the door. As they rounded the small hill behind the house, the view suddenly opened up before them. Mountains rose in wave-like peaks, layer upon layer, and the reservoir nestled among them shone as pure as a gem. Above them was a blue sky dotted with white clouds; beneath their feet lay emerald-green water; and in the distance, a series of extraordinary peaks stood in array. In this scene, at this very moment, Fang Yun felt as if he had become one with nature—as if he were in paradise. In the distance, he could even see a few egrets skimming the water’s surface to snatch up a fish. “Big Brother Xiaopang, my uncle brought me here to go fishing too!” Yeyue spotted Xiaopang and his friends from a distance and ran toward them, shouting excitedly all the way. “Uncle Yun! The little ones stood up one after another as soon as they saw Fang Yun, calling out to him. They were still a bit in awe of him—the adults had told them that Uncle Yun was a very important person. “Let me see—how much have you all caught?” Fang Yun took a look. Wow, that’s quite a haul—everyone had caught a fish, especially Xiao Pang, who’d managed to reel in a grass carp weighing nearly two jin. “Xiao Pang, that’s pretty impressive,” Fang Yun said, patting Xiao Pang on the head. “Hehe,” Xiao Pang scratched his head shyly and grinned sheepishly at Fang Yun’s praise. “Uncle, Uncle, let’s hurry up and fish! Yeyue wants a big fish too!” Seeing that everyone else had caught fish, the little guy was getting a bit impatient. Fang Yun found a shady spot to sit down, baited his hook with earthworms, and started fishing. But nearly half an hour had passed without a single bite, while the little ones kept catching fish every now and then. Yeye looked at the fish in his friends’ buckets and pouted, “Uncle doesn’t even know how to fish.” Fang Yun blushed a little. He noticed the water plants along the shore were quite lush, and the spot was relatively cool, shaded by a large tree nearby. Logically, there should be plenty of fish here. Fang Yun reached his hand into the water, and a stream of spring water gushed out. After a moment, the water began to bubble and boil as countless fish leaped up, scrambling for the spring water. “Wow, so many fish!” Yeyue clapped her hands and jumped for joy. Xiaopang and the others nearby, forgetting all about fishing, gathered around to watch and cheer. Fang Yun was a bit taken aback—he hadn’t expected the spring water to be such a huge draw for the fish. Suddenly, Fang Yun felt a heavy tug on his line. “A big fish!” he exclaimed with delight, hurriedly reeling it in. “Uncle, pull it up quick! Yeyue wants to see the big fish!” As soon as Yeyue heard there was a big fish, she almost threw herself right into the water. Fang Yun didn’t dare pull too hard—the fish was probably quite large, and a sudden, forceful tug would surely snap the line. After more than half an hour of tugging and releasing the line, the fish’s head finally broke the surface. It was a red carp, nearly two meters long, still thrashing about and flicking its tail. “Wow, what a huge fish!” the group of kids exclaimed in unison. Fang Yun called out to Xiao Pang and a few others to help hold the fishing rod. Without even taking the time to take off his clothes, he jumped into the water with a “splash” and wrapped his arms around the huge red carp. Once held, the carp—which had already been barely moving—began to struggle violently, but it was all in vain against Fang Yun. “Yeye, let’s go home,” Fang Yun called out to Yeye while holding the giant carp. He had a plan for the fish—fearing it might die if left out of the water too long, he had even infused it with some Yuan Energy. Back home, Fang Yun quickly released the large carp into the pond in front of his house. Thankfully—perhaps due to the Yuan Energy—the carp was as lively as ever the moment it hit the water. As soon as Xiaopang and the others returned to the village and spread the news, many villagers rushed over to see the spectacle. Fortunately, the pond wasn’t deep, so they could clearly see the carp flickering in and out of view beneath the lotus leaves. “My goodness, it’s huge! It must weigh at least a hundred jin. I can’t believe there’s a fish this big in the reservoir,” many people exclaimed, somewhat taken aback. “This reservoir has been here for over fifty years, and the water has never run dry. It’s not surprising to find a fish this big—it’s just very rare. Fang Yun really has some luck,” said Uncle Fang Zhong, the village chief. He was in his sixties and had participated in the construction of the reservoir, so he knew the situation well. “Hehe, the kid’s just a bit lucky. Everyone, come inside and have a glass of water,” Fang Changsheng said with a smile, inviting everyone in. Over the past few days, Fang Yun had used spring water and some medicinal herbs to help his parents restore their health. Now, more than half of Fang Changsheng’s white hair had turned black again, and he looked much younger. Even the family’s old yellow dog had benefited from the treatment and had started flirting with the village’s female dogs every day. After a lively gathering, the villagers gradually dispersed; after all, they all had work to do in the fields and little time for idle chatter. Wang Jiu looked at the big carp in the pond with a hint of worry. “A fish this big is going to be a hassle to prepare. Maybe we should just find someone to buy it.” “Mom, I plan to keep this fish. Who knows, it might attract people to come see it,” Fang Yun explained to his mother with a smile. “We’re way out here in the mountains—who’s going to come see your fish? Besides, even if people do come, you won’t get anything out of it. Why are you smiling so happily?” his mother asked, completely baffled. “Since Uncle Fang is here anyway, let’s go inside and talk,” Fang Yun said, pulling his uncle into the house. Fang Yun poured a glass of cold tea and handed it to Fang Zhong. “Uncle, I’m planning to lease the mountain behind my house. Could you tell me how much it would cost?” “There’s nothing on that mountain. The terrain is rugged, with steep slopes on all sides, and only one narrow path leading up. Why would you want to lease it?” Fang Zhong was thoroughly baffled. “Isn’t there a spring up there? I plan to gather some medicinal herbs, prepare them for herbal baths, and build a health resort to attract people to come here for treatment. That way, the village can earn some extra income,” Fang Yun explained. The mountains behind Fang Yun’s house consisted of three peaks connected in a row, each higher than the last. The villagers called them “Sanfengzhai.” The terrain was rugged, with only a single narrow path leading up, but the mountaintop was surprisingly wide and level. Before the Liberation, it had been a stronghold for bandits in the surrounding area. Halfway up the mountain was a small spring with excellent water quality—it tasted sweet. In the past, villagers would climb the mountain specifically to fetch water for making liquor. “Really? You know how to prepare herbal baths? That’s great! But will anyone actually come?” Fang Zhong was overjoyed.