There were still nearly two hours before sunrise. Dawn was just breaking, and this was the coldest time of day.
Li Long wrapped his clothes tighter around himself, but still felt waves of cold seeping into his bones.
Early spring in Northern Xinjiang was still quite cold.
When they reached Little Haizi, Tao Daqiang asked Li Long:
"Brother Long, is there anything special I need to know about hauling in the nets?"
"Not really. Just haul each net in like you're gathering up a rope, then roll it up and put it in the sack," Li Long said. "The main thing is not to fall into the channel."
"Then don't get in the water, Brother Long. I'll haul the nets in myself. Otherwise, I'd feel guilty taking those five yuan," Tao Daqiang said earnestly.
Li Long thought for a moment and said, "All right."
Tao Daqiang smiled, took off his trousers, bent down to scoop up some water, and slipped his hand inside his clothes to pat his chest with it. Then he slowly entered the water at the same spot as yesterday.
After walking more than thirty meters out, he found the end of a net, bent down to untie the rope, and began gathering it in.
Li Long's sharp eyes soon spotted a fish caught in the net two or three meters from its end. It looked like a silver carp. Any silver carp caught in a four-finger-mesh net had to weigh at least a kilo or two. It was still alive, thrashing its tail and flopping in the net.
"Daqiang, untie each net as you haul it in and put it in the urea sack!" Li Long called from the bank.
"All right," Tao Daqiang answered. He took the urea sack off the belt at his waist,