On the forty-sixth day, Fishing (Part Two), an extra chapter dedicated to Leader Gu Yi Huo

"This..."
The net was entirely empty, not a single thing inside...
But hanging on the outer edge of the cast net was a seashell...
"Well, I suppose it's better than nothing," I sighed, taking a deep breath and swiftly pulling out the net.
Crunchy sashimi made from sea snails seemed like a good option, and I tried hard to convince myself, soothing my frustration.
Finally, I hauled the cast net onto shore. Just as I was about to pluck the seashell hanging from it, I suddenly caught sight of something that filled me with terror...
I staggered back several steps before I managed to stop, sweat breaking out on my forehead and back, my bare arms covered in goosebumps.
I never imagined I'd catch this thing!!
Perhaps sensing discomfort, the little creature tangled in the net loosened itself and dropped to the ground.
Last time, I witnessed this tiny thing instantly kill a moray eel several times its size. This blue-ringed little octopus is not only aggressive but incredibly lethal. Luckily, I spotted it in time.
Had I not noticed it and touched it directly... I dare not imagine the consequences.
At that moment, it was writhing, stretching its legs, desperately trying to return to the embrace of the sea.
Already frustrated, I rushed forward and kicked it, sending it flying through the air...
Then I picked up the seashell from the ground—only to find it was empty, which made me even angrier. I threw the shell out to sea. It was as if fate were mocking me!
...
I cast the net again. After so much practice, my technique was now quite refined.
Soon, the net reached the bottom, and I quickly pulled it up. This time, I truly felt great resistance: the vine was stretched taut, swaying from side to side.
Because the water was deep, the resistance was tremendous, and I struggled to pull it in. I thought I must have caught a big fish.
We began to tussle. My left hand couldn't muster any strength, so I needed to pause.
But just then, the vine jerked downward forcefully, catching me off guard and nearly pulling me forward onto my face.
Thankfully, I managed to thrust out my right leg, stopping myself as I lost balance and pitched forward.
"Phew, that was close..." By now, I'd forgotten all about the pain in my left hand and gripped the vine with both hands, rhythmically and forcefully hauling it in.

The vine was coming up inch by inch, but the higher it got, the more violently it swung. I knew full well that the prey inside the net was struggling desperately.
Finally, after battling for what must have been more than thirty minutes, I dragged it out of the water.
"Hiss." Seeing what was inside the net, I let out a long breath, unable to contain my excitement and elation!
Look! So many fish!
One, two, three... at least six!
My god, I finally succeeded!
I began pulling the vine even faster, adrenaline fueling my strength—my speed had more than doubled compared to before.
"Plop, plop." The fish, once dragged onto the shore, were still brimming with energy, fiercely struggling.
During the ebb tide, I'd never seen this kind of fish. Each one was over two pounds, big and hefty!
Most importantly, they looked fat, with plenty of meat. I thought I could try making dried fish...
After this success, I was filled with exhilaration and cast the net again and again, as if injected with boundless energy.
The sun climbed overhead, the weather grew sweltering, and my catches accumulated—not just a few, but many.
I had to admit, making this cast net was absolutely worth it. Since morning, I'd caught eighteen fish of various kinds, though unfortunately, I knew none of them.
There was also a colorful sea snake; luckily, when I pulled it out of the water, it fled on its own. I guessed it had been hoping to prey on the fish in the net, but when I hauled it out and it felt threatened, it escaped immediately.
Other catches included a crab and two sea snails—these ones had meat inside...
Everyone knows that fresh seafood is the most delicious.
So I didn't wait; right there by the seaside, I cleaned several fish.
On the way home, I divided the seafood.
Two ugly-looking fish would be boiled into soup for Little Black; one plump fish would be made into sashimi; the rest would be dried for future meals.
The sea snails should be blanched in boiling water, then sliced and dipped in soy sauce.
All the way back, my mind was filled only with thoughts of delicious food...
I hung the cast net under the eaves to dry, and then saw that Little Black was still in the yard chasing butterflies.

This made me a bit anxious—not because I feared it might trample the wildflowers in the garden, since there were plenty outside and I could always transplant more.
What worried me was that Little Black might step on the potato seedlings and the unknown sprouting seed.
I hurried to the vegetable plot and, after a glance, breathed a sigh of relief—it hadn't been here.
The two wild piglets, apparently well fed, were nestled together, sleeping soundly.
It was time to prepare lunch!
Once the water in the pot was boiling, I tossed in the sea snails. Five to ten minutes later, I fished them out, extracted the snail meat, and sliced it thin.
Little Black had no interest in this food—after a quick look, it ran outside again.
That was just as well; next, I put the sliced snail meat in a bowl of cold water.
This needed a bit of time.
I used to be quite the foodie; for things I liked, I enjoyed learning how to prepare them. I always believed in this saying: if you want to win a woman's heart, you must first win her stomach!
Yes, I always did that. Though my skills can't compare to a chef's, I was adept at home cooking and dishes my ex-girlfriend liked, such as sashimi.
I put the soup fish in the pot as well. Worried that Little Black wouldn't get enough to eat, I added some rice to make fish porridge. I figured Little Black wouldn't mind.
As for myself, a bit of fish porridge was enough, since my grain stores were limited and had to be rationed.
The rest of the fish were already hanging in the sun to dry.
Soon, after slicing the sashimi, the snail meat, stimulated by cold water, became even firmer!
I picked up a slice and tasted it. A satisfying crunch filled my mouth, crisp texture, fresh aroma, an unforgettable flavor!
But the sashimi was a failure—the fish was very fishy and the flesh was dry...not at all what I had imagined.
In the end, the fish meat could only be tossed into the pot...