Wang Guifen’s hands were quick, precise, and fearless as they reached into the river.
The people on the riverbank stared intently at her.
“Could there really be fish in the river?” one aunt asked, puzzled.
“Impossible. I think Wang Guifen is just pretending. If there were fish, the men in the brigade would have already caught them,” another replied.
“True, fish are nourishing. If there were any left, they’d already be gone,” said Wang Qiulan, a smile tugging at her lips as she watched Wang Guifen in the water.
Splash!
Wang Guifen held up a lively grass carp weighing over two jin (about 1 kg). “Bucket,” she called.
Su Yi was about to wade in.
“I’ll get it,” Sun Meili said, handing over a wooden bucket.
Wang Guifen dropped the fish in, bent down again, her eyes scanning the river.
Splash! Another fish.
The women on the bank were now visibly agitated. “There really are fish! There really are fish!”
Zhang Qian was anxious. “Mom…”
Wang Qiulan bent down, took off her shoes, and said, “I’ll go in. You come down too.”
Zhang Qian glanced at the cleanly dressed Su Yi standing on the bank.
She pursed her lips. Su Yi wasn’t going in, so she wouldn’t either. “Mom, my shoes are new today. I can’t get them dirty.”
Following her gaze to Su Yi, Wang Qiulan understood immediately. “Then you stay here and wait,” she said, and stepped into the river.
Soon, one by one, people on the bank started wading into the river like dumplings dropping into boiling water.
Wang Guifen stood up, rummaged through the bucket, and found it already held seven large fish.
“That’s enough. Let’s go home,” she said.
Sun Meili stared at the fish, swallowing nervously. “Auntie, I haven’t caught a single one yet.”
Wang Guifen carried the bucket with one hand and pulled Sun Meili along with the other. “There’s too much for just the two of us to eat. When you want some later, I’ll come back. You can take some home for your family now.”
Sun Meili was astonished. Even if she bought fish of that size, it would cost more than a yuan each, and none would be this large. She had come to fish to avoid facing her mother-in-law, yet Auntie Wang had actually caught so many—and even wanted to give some to her.
“Wang Guifen is sharing fish with Sun Meili? Is this still the old Wang Guifen?”
Zhang Qian approached, smiling. “Auntie, you gave Meili some. Can you give me one too?”
She had seen the fish in the bucket—large enough for three meals, especially for fish soup, which would be delicious.
Wang Guifen was stunned by Zhang Qian’s shamelessness. How could she dare assume she could forget Zhang Qian’s past misdeeds against Su Yi and expect to be handed a fish?
“If you want it, catch it yourself. We’re not that close for me to hand out fish,” Wang Guifen said bluntly.
Zhang Qian’s face flushed red. “You—”
“Zhang Qian, you’re shameless! Just a few days ago you incited Wang Ergou to harm someone. And now you have the face to ask for fish? Your nerve’s thicker than the hundred-year-old banyan tree in the village,” Sun Meili scolded.
Ignoring Zhang Qian’s protests, Wang Guifen said to Su Yi, “Yiyi, let’s go home and make fish soup to nourish you.”
She led Su Yi and Sun Meili back home.
Meanwhile, the people in Tanghe River all turned to watch Wang Qiulan. Flustered, she gritted her teeth. “It’s just a fish! What’s there to be proud of? I’ll catch one myself!”
She bent down to reach into the river.
An hour later, no one else had caught a single fish.
“Why can’t we catch any? Did Wang Guifen take all the fish?”
“She caught seven at once, all big ones. She must have taken them all,” an older aunt said.
One elder, frustrated, said, “There were never many fish in Tanghe River to begin with. If you’re capable, catch some yourselves. Don’t blame Wang Guifen just because you lack the skill.”
The few women who had been complaining blushed and bent down to continue fishing.
At home, Wang Guifen didn’t know all this had happened after they left.
She divided the fish in the bucket, giving Sun Meili a portion. At first, Sun Meili hesitated, saying one fish was enough to taste, but Su Yi immediately placed the fish in her hands.
“You have a big family. One fish isn’t enough. Take it to nourish yourself properly,” Su Yi said.
Sun Meili’s eyes turned red. “Thank you, Yiyi. Thank you, Auntie Wang.”
Wang Guifen smiled. “Go on, then.”
After Sun Meili left, the two returned to the courtyard.
Su Yi grabbed a basin from the kitchen, scooped water, and put the fish in it.
Wang Guifen sat on a small stool in the yard, pulling out a fish to clean and scale.
“Yiyi, you mustn’t scare me like that again,” she said.
Su Yi smiled. “Mom, you want to protect me, and I want to protect you. Besides, I’m not done living yet. How could I actually die?”
“Pah! Don’t say death! Bad luck! Pah, pah!” Wang Guifen now got goosebumps whenever she heard the word “death.”
Su Yi obediently spat a few times, and Wang Guifen finally looked satisfied.
Her daughter-in-law speaking this way warmed Wang Guifen’s heart.
“Hey, Auntie,” came Zhang Auntie’s voice from next door.
Wang Guifen turned to see her entering with a bamboo basket.
“What’s this? You’re returning the fish already?”
Su Yi handed her a small stool. “Sit, Auntie Zhang.”
Zhang Auntie smiled and sat. “Guifen, here are fifteen eggs. I’m not returning your things—I’m thanking you. Last night, Meili had a grievance with me. I watched her leave upset, but today she returned the thirty yuan she took last night. I didn’t take it back. I just want to thank you for helping me. I couldn’t have stopped her myself.”
Wang Guifen raised her eyebrows. “You accepted it?”
“I didn’t. How could I? Taking back something given—my face would be gone. You told me, so thank you,” Zhang Auntie said, smiling.
Wang Guifen, still working on the fish, said, “Where did you learn such polite words? Meili is a smart girl, hardworking—she’s no worse than the others. And the money, since Er Zhu has to take care of Xu Dong, isn’t really appropriate for you to keep.”
Zhang Auntie handed Wang Guifen a small basin. Wang Guifen put the cleaned fish inside.
To Su Yi, sweeping nearby, she said, “Yiyi, take Auntie Zhang’s eggs inside.”