Page 8

Yan Kexing said, "I know you."

As he spoke, Yan Kexing's gaze fell on Shi Wen's mud-spattered clothes and overalls.

Shi Wen looked down at himself. "I was just clearing the ranch's ditches, right over there. Would you like to come to my house for some tea? I just caught some fish, so why don't you stay for lunch? It looks like this gentleman-Gong Jiang-got a bit of a fright. Some tea might help him settle down."

Shi Wen looked expectantly at Yan Kexing. Just when he thought Yan Kexing wouldn't agree, he gave a slight nod. "Sorry for the trouble."

Leading their horses, the three went around to the main gate and into the ranch.

Shi Wen closed the fence behind them. "I only came back recently, and I haven't had time to tidy up the ranch. It's a little messy, but the grass has grown nicely. You can let the horses loose to graze here."

The ranch was so big that the horses could graze freely without getting in the lambs' way.

Shi Wen pointed to a large bucket up ahead. "I was clearing the ditch over there. The ditches on the ranch may be small, but there are quite a lot of fish in them."

Yan Kexing and Gong Jiang released their horses and followed Shi Wen over to the bucket.

He had worked for half the morning, and the bucket was half full. Seen from above, it was a dark mass of fish backs.

Yan Kexing took a look and said, "One first-class and one second-class. You've got quite the luck."

Shi Wen said, "Wh-what?!"

Shi Wen quickly realized what he meant. Now it was his turn to go green.

He hurriedly pulled out his phone and unlocked it. "I had a feeling something was wrong when I was catching the fish, and I was just about to look them up. See, I already opened the page—I just didn't get the chance!"

Right then, the page Shi Wen had opened came up, showing the fish he had photographed for identification: a flat-snouted fish, a nationally protected first-class animal.

Shi Wen said, "..."

What rotten luck!

Shi Wen hurriedly and carefully scooped out the flat-snouted fish and put it back in the ditch. "I'm very law-abiding!"

Gong Jiang was a beat behind and only then understood what they were talking about. He spoke up for Shi Wen. "Sometimes you really do catch one by accident. It's fine as long as you put it back."

Shi Wen nodded repeatedly. "I was planning to check them all before catching them anyway."

Yan Kexing had just taken out his phone and photographed the flat-snouted fish. Without looking up, he said, "I know. I was just reminding you."

"Thanks for the reminder." Shi Wen reached into the bucket and scooped out the other fish he didn't recognize. It was the least familiar of the lot, so it was the only other one that might be a problem.

Shi Wen put the fish in the water, then tilted the bucket halfway onto its side to show them. "The rest are definitely fine. They're all river perch, false carp, and swamp eels. I know them all."

Yan Kexing took another photo and said, "The fish you just took out is called a schizothoracin."

Shi Wen asked cautiously, "Is the schizothoracin a second-class protected animal?"

Yan Kexing looked up and smiled at Shi Wen.

So it was. Shi Wen felt his cheeks grow hot. He set the bucket upright. "So, will you have lunch here? You can help me check things too."

Yan Kexing said, "Sorry to intrude."

Shi Wen said, "Don't mention it! It's getting late, and it's about time to start cooking. What would you like for lunch? How about hot pot?"

Shi Wen was an average cook, but he couldn't go wrong with hot pot. The hot pot base and the sliced beef and mutton in the fridge were ready to go. All he had to do was prepare the fish, slice some potatoes, and wash some napa cabbage.

The three walked to Shi Wen's house.

Shi Wen had recently cleaned the house and disinfected it inside and out, so it looked spotless.

Shi Wen put the bucket by the well and took the two men to the living room for tea. "Have a seat. I'll go clean the fish."

After getting everything ready, Shi Wen awkwardly set himself up beside the well.

Whenever he had eaten fish before, he had always left the cleaning to the vendor. He had never tried doing it himself, and now, faced with the lively wild fish, he couldn't quite bring himself to get started.

He struggled beside the well for quite a while without managing to clean a single fish.

Yan Kexing came out of the house. "Let me do it."

Shi Wen held the knife but didn't dare hand it over. "Are you sure?"

Yan Kexing said, "We spend years doing fieldwork. I'm a little surer than you are."

Shi Wen said, "...Then I'll go chop vegetables in the kitchen."

Yan Kexing said, "Let Gong Jiang go with you. Gong Jiang-"

Gong Jiang hurriedly answered from inside the house, "Okay!"

With all three of them working together, the hot pot was soon on the table.

Looking at the plates of translucent fish, Shi Wen said to Yan Kexing, "Mr. Yan, you must cook at home often, right?"

Yan Kexing said, "Occasionally."

Shi Wen said, "Your family is so lucky to get to eat your cooking."

Yan Kexing's gaze lingered on Shi Wen for an extra second. "I live alone."

Shi Wen smiled. "I see. When you live alone, you have to do everything yourself."

The broth soon came to a boil, and the three of them stopped chatting and hurried to cook the meat.

The freshly sliced fish was thin and tender, cooking in just a few seconds in the fiery red broth.

Shi Wen didn't know whether it was because the fish was wild and came from cold water, but the flesh was exceptionally fresh and tender. He felt it melt with the slightest bite, filling his mouth with its sweet, delicate flavor.

He couldn't taste any fishiness at all, only the rich flavor of the flesh.

This fish is so delicious!

Before eating the fish, Shi Wen had devoted eighty percent of his attention to Yan Kexing. After tasting it, only twenty percent remained. He focused on eating the fish, feeling it was so delicious it nearly brought tears to his eyes.

Yan Kexing also dipped a piece of cooked, snow-white fish lightly into his dipping sauce. After tasting it, he said, "The fish here is good."

Shi Wen picked up the conversation. "Right? I think it's delicious too."

Gong Jiang said, "Of all the fish I've eaten, the fish here can rival the ones caught at sea."

Shi Wen turned to him. "You've been sea fishing too?"

Gong Jiang said, "Yeah, a long time ago."

With that, Gong Jiang began talking about the old days.

Everyone ate fish and chatted, while Shi Wen kept twenty percent of his attention on Yan Kexing.