When the tractor reached Reed Gully, the driver turned and told the young woman that the Fourth Team was just ahead. She asked him to stop, climbed out of the trailer, and told him to wait there while she went to take care of something.
Li Qiang finished school before Li Juan. Walking home with his classmates, he reached the ditch before Reed Gully and saw other children catching fish. They immediately took off their shoes and joined in.
The water here seeped down from Little Haizi above, bringing along young crucian carp that then grew bigger.
When no water seeped down from Little Haizi for a while, the pool here shrank, exposing the fish.
The children did not necessarily catch fish to eat them; they did it for fun. The Fourth Team's children had no shortage of fish to eat. Every so often, the Team released water from Little Haizi into the canals at the settlements to irrigate their vegetable plots.
The canal water carried fish with it, so every so often, families could catch fish right in their vegetable plots.
Occasionally, they even caught big, broad crucian carp.
The children's fishing methods were simple. Some waded in and felt around with their hands, while others scooped water out of the pool with their hands, catching fish as they went.
They did not toss the fish straight onto the ground. Instead, they dug a hole the size of a small basin beside the pool, scooped water into it, then put their fish inside.
Everyone had a place like that for their fish. Though Li Qiang arrived later, he soon caught up. Having caught fish with his family so often, he had sharp eyes and quick hands, and caught several in no time.
"Children, could I ask you a few