Eels

Lu Ao drawled, "Nimble hands and feet, sharp eyes."

Those words came right after Lin Gongshang's remark, and everyone burst out laughing.

Lin Man Zhang patted Lin Gongshang. "You're so young. Clear all that filthy crap out of your head."

Lu Ao could not be bothered with them. Once he had eaten his fill, he went back to scooping squid.

He scooped squid while eating, putting away at least ten kilos of squid over the course of the night.

Lin Gongshang and the others were so stuffed they could barely move, yet Lu Ao calmly finished the remaining half-pot of squid and drained the beer to wash it down.

He could eat, and he could catch squid.

They fished for squid from after eleven until past three in the morning. All three live wells were packed full. More than half of that had been caught by Lu Ao alone, while the remaining portion had been caught by Lin Man Zhang and the other four together.

Once they had caught enough squid, Lin Man Zhang called for them to steer the boat back.

By the time they finally reached shore, everyone was full and sleepy, yawning as they prepared to divide up the squid and head home.

Lu Ao said, "You don't need to give me any. Take them home and eat them yourselves."

Lin Man Zhang immediately said, "How can we do that? We caught so much squid today. Everyone can get at least ten kilos!"

Lu Ao waved a hand. "It's not often we get to come out. Save more for the children."

Lin Man Zhang and Tan Junhao both had families. Lin Gongshang and Lin Guixiao also lived with large families, and even Lin Qi Yan had a grandmother at home.

They had caught plenty of squid today. They should bring some home for their families to try.

Eels

After going squid fishing with Lin Qi Yan once, Lu Ao and Lin Qi Yan were considered acquainted.

Around noon the next day, Lin Qi Yan eagerly rode his motorcycle to Lu Ao's house and asked, "Lu Ao, do you want to come shine for eels with us tonight?"

Eels came out at night. A flashlight would reveal them clearly, and once spotted, all one had to do was catch them.

Lu Ao looked at Lin Qi Yan.

Standing at Lu Ao's door, soaked in sweat, his eyes gleamed. "Come on. The eels are really fat right now. If we catch any, I'll make garlic eels and treat you guys. If you're not used to being on camera, I won't film your face."

Lu Ao asked, "Who's going?"

"It was just going to be me. If you come, I'll call Lin Gongshang too."

Lu Ao considered it briefly, then agreed.

Lin Qi Yan was delighted. "Then it's settled. We'll meet at Lin Gongshang's house at eight tonight. It might rain this afternoon, but even if it doesn't, it'll be cool tonight. We should get a good haul."

Lu Ao nodded.

Lin Qi Yan reminded him, "Remember to bring a bucket and some metal tongs. Eels are too slippery. You might not be able to hold them if you grab them directly with your hands."

Lu Ao agreed.

Lin Qi Yan then roared off on his motorcycle.

At eight that night, Lu Ao arrived at Lin Gongshang's house on time after dinner.

Hearing him, Lin Gongshang rushed out with a flashlight. "We've been waiting for you."

"Lin Qi Yan isn't here?"

"He should be here soon. Come on, let's go find him."

They had barely stepped out of the yard when they saw Lin Qi Yan walking over with a bucket.

Lin Gongshang shouted, "You invited us to shine for eels, but you're the last one here."

"Something came up and delayed me for a bit." Lin Qi Yan checked his phone. It was not yet eight, so he said nothing more. He merely set up his phone and smiled. "Then I'll start filming."

Neither Lu Ao nor Lin Gongshang had any objections.

Lin Family Village was a large village, and many people still lived there.

Unlike Lu Family Village, which became deserted and quiet as soon as night fell, Lin Family Village was far livelier. As they walked out along the village's main road, they could hear televisions playing in homes on both sides.

They were going to the rice paddies to shine for eels.

It was already late May, and the early rice had been planted for quite some time.

The rice plants stood tall and the paddies were full of water. It was the perfect time to shine for eels.

Eels liked to move about at night, but they were not particularly sensitive to human voices or light. To catch them, all one had to do was shine a light into the water. One beam, one target.

The three walked along the ridges between the fields, with Lin Gongshang in front, Lin Qi Yan in the middle, and Lu Ao at the back. Their footsteps rustled through the fine grass, while their flashlights cast patches of light across the paddies.

Before long, Lin Gongshang spotted something and quietly called to the other two, "Over there!"

Lin Qi Yan quickly aimed the camera at the paddy.

Sure enough, beneath the bright beam of the flashlight, a large eel lay lurking in the water. Its back was dark yellow and evenly speckled with black spots.

It was an old eel!

All three perked up.

Holding his breath, Lin Gongshang raised his metal tongs and slammed them down.

His eyes were quick and his hands even quicker. In a single move, he clamped the eel.

The thick eel still refused to give up after being caught. Its rounded body writhed desperately beneath the tongs like a rope, but it could not break free no matter how hard it struggled.

The eel was quite plump, about two fingers thick, and felt heavy when lifted.

Lin Gongshang showed it off from every angle, grinning as he said, "First one in the bag."

Lin Qi Yan urged him, "Come on, come on. Let's keep going and find the next one."

Lin Gongshang stuffed the eel into the bucket he was carrying and continued eagerly along the ridge.

This season really was ideal for shining for eels. After another five minutes of walking, they found three or four more, each of them catching something.

Lu Ao followed at the back. He had fewer chances to spot eels than the other two, but his success rate was the highest. As long as he saw one, it could not escape his grasp.

After catching them this way for half an hour, Lu Ao narrowed his eyes at the heavy darkness and suggested, "Let's split up. It'll be more efficient."

Lin Gongshang was having the time of his life catching eels. "Sure. The three of us can split into three directions: left, right, and middle."

Lin Qi Yan had mainly come out to film a video today. Hearing that, he immediately said, "Then I'll go with Lu Ao? I'm still short on footage."

Lin Gongshang was a little dejected. "Then we might as well not split up. It's no fun by myself."

The two looked at Lu Ao. Helpless, Lu Ao nodded. "Let's stay together."

Lin Qi Yan carried his bucket and slipped in behind him, chuckling. "Then let's switch positions. You walk in front!"