While Li Qingxia cast his net, Li Long did not stand idle. He wandered around nearby, hoping to see if he could find anything.
With so many reeds and aquatic plants in Little Haizi, there were plenty of waterbirds around at this time. Wild ducks and little grebes could all be seen in flocks, and far out on the water there were even large white waterbirds that looked like cormorants.
The birds did not fly away when they saw Li Long. They just swam slowly along. Occasionally, a wild duck plunged headfirst underwater, and when it came back up, its bill moved. It had probably already swallowed a fish.
Li Long thought he could actually find wild duck eggs in Little Haizi or the nearby marshes at this time, but then decided against it. He was not short of food. He would leave them be.
After walking most of the way around, he noticed what seemed to be more fishponds to the south. They connected to the upper reaches of Little Haizi, and water was being released from that direction. Li Long took a look, but there were a lot of reeds, so he did not go over.
He found no water rats. By the time he returned, Li Qingxia had cast several nets. There were some aquatic plants by his feet, a few crucian carp in the bucket, and a common carp weighing over a kilogram.
"Hey, Dad, not bad!" Li Long said with a smile as he looked at the red-tailed common carp. "It's not that big, but it really is a beauty!"
"Take it home and cook it," Li Qingxia said as he straightened out the cast net. "It's been living in running water, so it hasn't got a trace of muddy flavor. Stew it a little