Uncle Mumu

Tong Haojing walked straight towards Tangdu. As soon as he reached the mountain pass, he saw the Tangdu River, like a jade belt, flowing into the distance. It was a clear water river that had accompanied him throughout his growth. Tong Haojing's mind wandered, and some childhood memories were involuntarily evoked. Tong Haojing chuckled twice, as if mocking himself, How could I have been so ignorant and naive as a child!

During the Spring Festival when he was ten, Tong Haojing and Mei Tingyu, Uncle Mumu's daughter, were playing by the river. They witnessed Uncle Mumu catch a carp weighing over ten catties. The two children cheered with joy. Mei Tingyu said her father would make fish at home and invited Tongtong to come over in the evening. Tongtong actually went. When it was time to eat, no one paid attention to him. Tong Haojing secretly slipped to Mei Tingyu's doorstep. The door was ajar, leaving a small gap. He dared not go in, but he could smell the aroma of fish wafting into his nostrils, so fragrant that he couldn't help but swallow. His mouth was watering. He really wanted to eat the fish Uncle Mumu made.

Wang Xiyue called Tong Haojing for dinner, but he was nowhere to be found. Wang Xiyue went out to look for him and found Tong Haojing squatting, his backside sticking out, with half his head peeking through the ajar door. Wang Xiyue was furious. How could such a shameful, gluttonous act of going uninvited happen to her family? She felt she had failed as a mother and wished she could disappear into the ground. Her face flushed red to her ears. Enraged, she hurriedly pulled Tong Haojing out from Uncle Mumu's door and, for the first time ever, pinched his bottom hard with her hand. Tong Haojing cried out in pain and burst into tears.

This was the first time Wang Xiyue had ever hit Tong Haojing.

The sound startled the people inside. Uncle Mumu came out, his mouth greasy and his breath smelling of fish. Seeing Wang Xiyue and her son, he said sheepishly, "Sister Wang, the child is just being childish. Come in, have some fish!" Uncle Mumu's eyes darted around, as if deliberately trying to conceal something from Wang Xiyue.

In fact, Wang Xiyue had seen Cadre Liu from town walking towards Uncle Mumu's house as dusk fell. She knew Uncle Mumu had guests and suspected he had some business to attend to. Wang Xiyue politely declined Uncle Mumu's invitation. However, Tong Haojing threw himself on the ground and rolled around, refusing to give up. Wang Xiyue resorted to force, grabbed Tong Haojing's hand, and dragged him home, his cloth shoes leaving deep scratches on the ground. Tong Haojing was locked in a small room by his mother. No matter how much he shouted and banged on the door, it wouldn't open. A few days later, Tong Haojing heard from Mei Tingyu that her father had become the village chief.

More than ten years had passed in the blink of an eye, and Uncle Mumu had been the village chief for over a decade.

The Tangdu River meandered westward, and the stories by its banks continued.

Returning to his hometown this time, Tong Haojing intended to recuperate. Before being assigned a job, he really wanted to learn fishing from Uncle Mumu. Not only was Uncle Mumu a renowned fishing expert, but he also had a beautiful daughter, Mei Tingyu, who was his classmate and the former class beauty. However, due to his shyness, he harbored secret desires but dared not express them. His departure from home back then had caused him to miss his chance, or perhaps there were other reasons. Now, returning after his military service, he wanted to learn fishing from Uncle Mumu, which was essentially a way to get closer to Mei Tingyu and see what she was like now. He hadn't seen Mei Tingyu for several years, yet her enchanting and captivating figure remained etched in his mind.

Tong Haojing's feet seemed to have a mind of their own, changing direction from heading into town. Suddenly looking up, he realized he was walking down the familiar dirt road towards Uncle Mumu's house. He suddenly remembered he wanted to visit Uncle Mumu. Tong Haojing turned a corner and, far to the east behind his own house, he saw Uncle Mumu. He was bent over, sitting in front of an antique-looking building, wearing his black-rimmed glasses, meticulously preparing his fishing rod and threading the line, puffing on a pipe filled with dried leaves.

Uncle Mumu, in his forties, was the village chief of Dafang Village. His surname was Mei. He was not tall, with a full head of black hair, and wore a black cotton shirt. Tong Haojing recognized him from afar; that shirt was still the most striking thing. A small yellow dog barked in the direction Tong Haojing had come from. The bark was full of hostility. Uncle Mumu couldn't control it and yelled loudly, scaring the little yellow dog away. It hid in the bushes but continued to bark, clearly not recognizing Tong Haojing anymore.

Uncle Mumu looked up, saw Tong Haojing arrive, and stood up to greet him, "A rare visitor, a rare visitor! Please, sit!"

Uncle Mumu brought out a long stool from the house, poured a cup of strong tea, and handed it to Tong Haojing. Tong Haojing's hand flinched as if he had received an electric shock. The thick tea stains made his skin crawl, but Uncle Mumu's warmth compelled him to accept the cup. He blew away the floating tea leaves and took a gentle sip.

Uncle Mumu said, "Tongtong, sit here, next to me. I want to soak up some of your good fortune!" Uncle Mumu also shifted his position and sat on the same long stool. His enthusiasm was almost overwhelming for Tong Haojing. This kind of reception was unprecedented for him in the village. He thought perhaps it was because he had become an officer in the army, and his status in the eyes of his neighbors had suddenly risen. This was to be expected.

Tong Haojing smiled, "Uncle Mumu, don't tease me. You watched me grow up!" They chatted back and forth with great understanding, which was also why Tong Haojing often went fishing with Uncle Mumu.

As Tong Haojing talked about his military experiences with Uncle Mumu, his eyes occasionally scanned the surroundings. Mei Tingyu, however, did not appear. Uncle Mumu observed this. The young man before him was a far cry from the "skinny monkey" of the past; he stood at 1.8 meters tall, a standard handsome man. Uncle Mumu secretly congratulated himself for not questioning Wang Xiyue back then and accusing her of wrongdoing, which would have only worsened the situation. Matters of the heart have their own destiny and cannot be forced. Thinking about it now, he mused, "Tong Haojing is a cadre about to be demobilized, while my daughter Mei Tingyu is working outside. Although she's an agent for a company, she's still essentially from a rural background. It's likely an impossible wish. But my daughter is doing reasonably well now; she sends money back to renovate the small Western-style house, and she's somewhat known outside. Uncle Mumu felt somewhat confident."

Uncle Mumu started to say something about Mei Tingyu but swallowed it back. Instead, he asked, "Tongtong, are you leaving again this time?"

Tong Haojing replied, "I'm not leaving. I'm waiting for the city to arrange a job for me!"

Uncle Mumu said, "That's good. Now you're a city person. Girls from the countryside won't be good enough for you anymore! I heard you're going to be a police officer?"

Tong Haojing caught the underlying meaning in Uncle Mumu's words and said with a slightly embarrassed smile, "Uncle Mumu, don't laugh at me. The job isn't confirmed yet. I'm still the same old Tongtong!"

Uncle Mumu said, "It's different, it's definitely different. Being a police officer is a good job, quite prestigious. We should celebrate! Come on, let's go fishing in the Tangdu River today. You loved the small green fish I caught when you were little." Uncle Mumu deliberately changed the subject.

Uncle Mumu knew that only fishing could bring them closer and provide common ground for conversation. Tong Haojing readily agreed, "Okay."

On the way, Tong Haojing finally uttered the words he had held back for a long time: "Thank you, Tingting. Thank you, Uncle Mumu. Without you, I wouldn't be where I am today!"

"It's your own capability!" Uncle Mumu was genuinely impressed with Tong Haojing, his gratitude, and his refusal to forget his roots, especially his expression of thanks to his daughter. These words had finally been spoken from the Tong family, and even though it wasn't Wang Xiyue, Uncle Mumu was happy.

The Tangdu River, a river with a swift current, flowed far into the distance. It had been Tong Haojing's playground in his childhood. He had watched the villagers fish in the river countless times, but Tong Haojing admired Uncle Mumu the most. Not only was Uncle Mumu Mei Tingyu's father, but he also caught the most fish and made the most delicious fish dishes. Tong Haojing and Uncle Mumu arrived at the riverbank. Uncle Mumu chose a spot and sat down, pointing in the direction of the current and saying, "There's a deep spot ahead, the water is a bit deep, and there's a lot of grass. It's definitely where crucian carp and grass carp gather."

Tong Haojing could tell that Uncle Mumu was imparting his fishing experience to him. He watched as Uncle Mumu skillfully handled the fishing rod, baited the hook, and cast the line to a specific spot. He muttered, "Location is crucial. You have to consider the fish's preferences. Choose a spot in a bend, about 1.5 meters deep. Clear water means no fish; murky water attracts fish!"

Tong Haojing took it all in, finding Uncle Mumu's fishing experience to be comprehensive and amusing, yet admirable. He couldn't help but chuckle.

Uncle Mumu truly lived up to his reputation as a renowned fishing expert. His fishing rod was bent with a catch, while Tong Haojing hadn't caught anything. However, with Uncle Mumu's catch, he felt as if he could already smell the aroma of Uncle Mumu's signature sour cabbage fish soup.