B5SB -Chapter 11 Catching Fish

Gu Yihan was eating steamed buns while waiting for Uncle Gu and her so-called “cheap dad” to come over.

Not long after she finished eating, she saw Gu Hao approaching. She ran over, held his hand, and said, “I’ve been waiting for so long. I’m so bored.”

Gu Hao sniffed the air. “Why do I smell meat?”

Gu Yihan pretended to sniff hard too and said guiltily, “Why don’t I smell anything? Did you smell wrong? I only smell pig manure.”

When Gu Hao thought of pig manure, he stopped talking.

Seeing his expression, Gu Yihan turned her face aside and tried hard not to laugh.

Soon, Uncle Gu and her so-called father arrived. Uncle Gu first asked worriedly, “Hanhhan, weren’t you scared staying on the mountain alone?”

Gu Yihan replied in her childish voice, “Uncle, I wasn’t scared.”

She then glanced at her “cheap dad.” His eyes were only on the wild boar, and he didn’t even look at her once. He probably didn’t even care whether she was safe.

Gu Yihan didn’t mind. Whoever cared about her, she would be good to. Whoever didn’t, she wouldn’t care about either.

The three of them quickly loaded the wild boar and dry branches onto the cart.

When they reached the river, Gu Yihan suddenly remembered the fish traps in the water. “Big Brother, let’s go collect the fish traps. Let Uncle and my dad go back first.”

Gu Hao looked at the river and felt worried. He didn’t agree easily, and he wasn’t at ease letting his cousin go alone. “Alright, I’ll go pull up the traps.”

They walked to the riverbank. Gu Hao told Gu Yihan to stand by the shore while he went down to pull the traps. They were very heavy, and it took him a long time to haul one up.

When he looked inside, it was full of fish. On closer inspection, they were all snakeheads and catfish, and not small ones either. He quickly put the trap back into the water.

He hurried to Gu Yihan’s side and whispered, “Let’s go home first. Tonight I’ll bring my dad and Second Uncle to get them. Three traps are too heavy—we can’t carry them back ourselves.”

Gu Yihan said excitedly, “So many?”

Gu Hao nodded. “Quite a lot. I didn’t expect fish to eat meat.”

Lowering her voice, Gu Yihan said, “Then wouldn’t the wild boar’s leftover organs catch lots of fish?”

Gu Hao’s heart wasn’t calm either. He didn’t say anything, just picked her up and started walking home.

When Grandma Gu saw Gu Hao carrying his little sister back, she hurried over to check if she was hurt.

Gu Yihan held her grandma’s rough hands and said softly, “Grandma, I’m fine. I’m not hurt. I’m just hungry and really sleepy.”

She had been busy all day, and children didn’t have much stamina to begin with.

Grandma Gu quickly brought over the egg custard and rice porridge she had prepared specially for her. “Eat first. After that, go to sleep.”

After eating, Gu Yihan could barely keep her eyes open. She went back to her room and fell asleep.

After dark, Gu Aiguo and Gu Aidang hurriedly slaughtered the wild boar under cover of night. Gu Hao told Grandma Gu about the fishing.

“Don’t throw away the pig organs,” Grandma Gu said anxiously.

Then she turned to Grandpa Gu, who was sitting at the door. “Old man, weave more fish traps.”

Grandpa Gu didn’t ask why and agreed directly. “Alright, dear.”

Then Grandma Gu said, “Eldest, Second, don’t go to your wives’ parents’ homes these days to pick up your wives and daughters.” After that, she repeated what Gu Hao had said to the three of them.

This shocked them all.

Gu Hao immediately led his father and Second Uncle to pull up the fish traps.

Seeing the traps full of fish, the three of them were so excited they couldn’t speak. They hurried home in the dark.

When Grandma Gu saw so many fish, she was so happy that she cried. She said their Hanhhan was a lucky star, sent to repay kindness, because the family had been starving for too long.

Gu Aidang didn’t feel much when he heard this. His mother had always raised this daughter, and she wasn’t close to him. He didn’t feel any “good fortune” at all. He thought his mother was just being superstitious.

Grandma Gu said, “Eldest, Second, use the pig organs to catch more fish. Dry some and pickle some.”

Both sons agreed. Over the next few days, they caught a lot of fish. The river in Gu Village didn’t even have that many, so they secretly went to other villages and caught more.

Looking at the cellar full of stored food, Grandma Gu warned them, “You two better keep your mouths shut. If you tell your wives, I won’t let you off.”