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Jian Mo asked, "Why did they have to eat fish when they were little? Was it because they couldn't catch any other animals that year?"

Jiang Xing, standing in front of Jian Mo, nodded. "Yes. My dad said it was especially cold that year, and there was nothing else to eat in the tribe, so they had to eat fish."

Jiang Xing was the oldest of the children and spoke the most clearly.

Jian Mo looked at the little sub-beastman. "The fish I make will be different. It'll taste good."

Jiang Xing still disagreed, and the other children looked equally unable to accept it.

Jian Mo changed what he was saying. "I'll catch some fish to feed the Flying-Winged Beasts. They haven't had enough to eat these past two days, and they've nearly eaten all the grass."

The children accepted that explanation.

Jiang Xing's eyes sparkled as they suggested, "Brother Jian Mo, can we go catch fish with you?"

The other children cheered, all saying they wanted to go fishing too.

Jian Mo tried to refuse, but couldn't turn them down. At a loss whether to laugh or cry, he said, "The really little ones can't go. You older kids can come along."

Jiang Xing readily said, "He Feng, take the others and play in the tribe. Once we've caught some fish, we'll all go feed the Flying-Winged Beasts together."

Little He Feng was a little reluctant at being singled out, but had to respect Jiang Xing's authority and agreed with a pout.

With so many children coming along to catch fish, Jian Mo took them home and found a few more broken baskets. He cut the bottoms off with a knife, gave each child a basket, and took them to a stretch of the river where the current was gentle and the water was shallow.

It was hard to bend down and catch a swimming fish with bare hands, but with a basket, all one had to do was spot a fish, plunge the basket down over it, and catch it once it was trapped. That was much easier.

With the basket, Jian Mo's fishing efficiency improved considerably. He caught one every time he tried.

The children had excellent reflexes and eyesight, and they caught fish even faster than he did. Before long, they had caught several big, lively fish.

Jian Mo threaded a rope through the fishes' gills and tied them together.

He stared at the long string of plump fish, filled with a sense of accomplishment.

The children didn't much like eating fish, but they were excited by their catch nonetheless.

They caught fish as they walked upstream, and before the sun had set, they had used up all the rope they had brought.

Jian Mo called out to the children, "That's enough. Stop catching them, and let's go back."

The children weren't ready to stop:

"Let's catch a few more, Brother Jian Mo. There are still fish up ahead."

"Yeah! It's not dark yet. When people go hunting, they don't come back until dark."

"Brother Jian Mo, if you're tired, rest on a rock. We'll catch them!"

Seeing how hooked they were, Jian Mo said, "Even if we catch more, we won't be able to eat them all. Let's come back another time. We shouldn't waste them."

Jiang Xing stared at the fish. "I can help eat a little."

The other children, one after another, reluctantly said they could eat a little too.

Jian Mo couldn't help laughing. "If you like it, we can come back and catch more next time."

It was getting late, and the water was turning cool. The wind whistled through the valley, and it was cold too.

Staying in cold water too long was bad for their health, and they had caught most of the fish nearby. To catch more, they would have to go somewhere with a stronger current and deeper water.

Jian Mo gently but firmly insisted that they go back.

The children were a little afraid of adults after all. Though reluctant, they washed their feet, came ashore, and followed him back.

When they returned to the tribe, Jian Mo gave the children the fish they had caught and told them to feed the Flying-Winged Beasts.

Jiang Xing held a long string of fish and hesitated. "Brother Jian Mo, are you really going to eat this fish?"

Jian Mo smiled. "Yes. It won't taste bad once it's cooked."

Jiang Xing thrust the fish into his hands. "Then you can have them. My dad said food has to go to people first before it can be used for anything else."

The other children also thrust their fish at him. "Brother Jian Mo, you eat them."

Jian Mo looked at the children, and his heart warmed. "Then I'll feed the scraps to the Flying-Winged Beasts, and we'll eat the plump parts ourselves. I should be able to finish making the fish after I get back from gathering tomorrow afternoon. Remember to come over and eat some then."

Jiang Xing shook their head without hesitation. "Thank you, Brother Jian Mo, but we won't eat any!"

The other children shook their heads too.

Jian Mo smiled and said to them, "You can come take a look tomorrow. You might change your minds and want some."

The children hesitated.

Jian Mo coaxed them, "Come on. You caught the fish yourselves, after all. You might as well see how I prepare them."

Only then did the children agree.

Jian Mo asked the children to help carry the fish back to Wu Jiong's house, then brought out a shell knife and a large basin to clean the fish in the courtyard.

He only sliced the flesh off both sides of each fish, throwing the heads, tails, and guts into the basin. Once he had finished preparing them, he would take them to the Flying-Winged Beasts for a snack.

Given how the Flying-Winged Beasts even dug up grass roots to eat, they probably wouldn't mind the scraps.

When Wu Jiong returned, he saw Jian Mo sitting on a little stool, cleaning fish while a large group of children watched.

His first reaction upon seeing the fish was also to frown. "Why did you catch fish? They don't taste good."

It was rare to see this fellow frown. Jian Mo smiled and looked up. "They won't taste bad. The fish I make is different."

Wu Jiong was still frowning. "I have beast meat here."

Jian Mo said, "I know, but fish has a completely different flavor. You'll know when you taste it after I've made it."

Wu Jiong stared at the fish for quite a while. He said nothing more and came over to help slice them instead.

Seeing him work with a frown, Jian Mo nudged him gently with his elbow. "I can do it myself."

Wu Jiong said, "It'll be faster if I help."

Jian Mo smiled and told him to go away. "Don't you dislike the fishy smell?"

Wu Jiong said, "I'll put up with it."

Jian Mo said, "How about sharpening the shell knives for me instead? They've been used for so long that they're getting a little dull."

Only then did Wu Jiong put the shell knives in a basin and take them to the river to sharpen them.

They had caught a great many fish that day, and Jian Mo prepared them in a particularly rough-and-ready way, simply scraping off the scales and cutting out two pieces of belly meat. As a result, he worked quickly and finished before dark.