xymnovel Chapter 52 Wang Zhihuan's Self-Deprecation
Chapter 52 Wang Zhihuan's Self-Deprecation
Chang Le gazed at the ever-flowing stream and sighed softly, "My lord, you cultivate the land and have come to understand the principles of investigating things and following the seasons."
By focusing on brewing wine, one can grasp the art of controlling the heat; by gathering herbs in the mountains, one can discover the principles of health preservation in accordance with the seasons.
It seemed that nothing in the world could trouble the young man.
She paused briefly, then looked up at Wang Zhihuan with earnest admiration in her eyes: "I have been well-versed in poetry and literature since childhood and have memorized the teachings of sages. However, the obscure words in the books can only be clearly understood and resonate with when spoken by you, my lord."
"I dare not accept such praise." Wang Zhihuan quickly waved his hand gently, his expression still calm. "The great principles of the world originate from all things in the universe. Books are merely records and preserve them in words."
Farmers in the countryside work hard and know the four seasons well. They can cultivate the land in accordance with the seasons without having to study the calendar.
Blacksmiths, skilled in hammering and forging iron, possess a deep understanding of the changes in heat and temperature, and can forge fine tools without needing to read extensively in classical texts.
Although they could not utter phrases like "investigating things to attain knowledge," their actions were all about investigating things and understanding the Way.
"I merely happen to have both personally engaged in farming and labor, and also read some books, which is why I was able to string together the scattered principles of life into a coherent whole; it's nothing more than picking up scraps from others."
Looking into his slightly narrowed eyes in the warm sunlight, Chang Le suddenly felt that these simple words touched the depths of her heart far more than the poems and songs of literary figures.
She unconsciously clenched the handkerchief slightly, then slowly loosened it, composed herself, and regained the dignified demeanor of a royal lady.
She spoke softly: "My lord, there is no need to be modest. Although I may not be well-read, this is the first time I have heard of such a principle. How could I be merely repeating what others have said?!"
In my humble opinion, the ability to synthesize and integrate scattered principles is already a great wisdom that is difficult for ordinary people to attain.
"Big sister!" Si Zi, seemingly understanding but not quite, suddenly stood up from the grass, grabbed Chang Le's sleeve and shook it repeatedly. "It's almost time! We should go check the fish traps. Si Zi thinks they've probably caught a lot of small fish already!"
Chang Le looked at Wang Zhihuan, and seeing him nod in agreement, they got up together and walked towards the deeper part of the stream where the fish traps were placed.
Reaching the stream, Wang Zhi steadied himself on the bluestone in the stream, bent down and reached out to slowly lift the fish trap that had sunk into the water.
A few strands of water plants hung from the barbs of the bamboo strips, and the wine lees packet inside the cage remained intact, its rich aroma drifting downstream with the stream.
He skillfully pried open the wooden wedge at the mouth of the cage, turned the fish cage upside down into the wooden bucket, and splashed water, with seven or eight stream fish of varying sizes falling to the bottom of the bucket.
The smaller ones were only the length of an index finger, while the larger ones were as wide as a palm, their silver scales shimmering as they tumbled and struggled incessantly at the bottom of the bucket.
"You caught a little fish! You really caught so many little fish! Handsome brother, you're amazing!"
Sizi quickly approached the wooden tub, holding onto the rim with both hands and peering inside. She nearly fell into the tub, but fortunately, Chang Le reacted quickly and pulled her back in time.
The stream fish in the bucket were still lively and jumping around, water droplets splashing on Sizi's face. She reached out to wipe her face while giggling non-stop, full of joy.
Wang Zhi glanced down at the catch in the bucket and nodded slightly: "Such a good catch on the first basket, a good start. Let's move to another spot and put in another basket."
He chose a shady backwater in the lower reaches of the stream and repositioned the fish trap.
The three returned to the edge of the pool and sat quietly to wait. They then retrieved their cages several more times, and their catch gradually increased.
In just over an hour, the wooden bucket was already half full of stream fish.
Most of them were finger-length rockfish and goby, a few palm-width chub, and even a half-pound fat crucian carp was caught.
Sizi squatted by the bucket, her hands supporting her chin, her eyes fixed on the swimming fish. Her little mouth kept chattering, giving each fish a novel name and making up all sorts of interesting little stories. She chattered away, making a lively scene.
Chang Le sat to the side with a smile, took out a handkerchief, and occasionally wiped the water stains off her face. She listened quietly to her innocent and carefree ramblings, her eyes full of gentle smiles.
By the time the last cage of fish was collected, the sun was already setting in the west. The warm sunlight filtered through the gaps in the trees, reflecting on the stream and creating shimmering golden waves—a truly beautiful sight.
The bucket already contained seven or eight pounds of stream fish, several of which were quite large, weighing one or two pounds each. They were jumping and leaping around in the bucket, their silvery scales shimmering in the setting sun.
"That's enough for dinner." Wang Zhi glanced at the catch, then casually pulled some straw from the edge of the field, skillfully woven it into rope, and strung the large fish together.
"It's getting late. We should head back now to prepare dinner. If you're not in a hurry to return to the city, Madam Li, why don't you stay at the farm and have a simple meal before you leave?" Wang Zhihuan casually invited, carrying a string of fish.
"Thank you for your hospitality, sir. I would be impolite to refuse." Chang Le bowed slightly in thanks, then took Si Zi's hand, who was still gazing longingly at the wooden bucket, and followed behind him as they slowly walked back to the farm.
Back at the farm, it was still dark.
Wang Zhi carried the fish bucket to the well, took out a small copper knife from the kitchen, and squatted down by the well to start processing the stream fish.
He scooped up a palm-sized mandarin fish, held it firmly with his thumb, and then cut along the midline of its abdomen with the tip of his knife from its anus. The cut was clean and precise, neither too deep nor too shallow, just enough to break through the peritoneum without damaging the internal organs.
With a finger inserted under the gills, hooking the gill root and gently twisting, the entire gills are pulled out intact, along with the gallbladder. The black membrane inside the fish's belly is also peeled off smoothly. The technique is skillful and done in one go.
Sizi squatted to the side, watching intently as he cleaned a fish with nimble fingers, her little mouth agape in amazement.
"Wow, this handsome guy is so fast! He's amazing!"
"It's just a matter of practice makes perfect. With more practice, you'll be able to do it easily." Wang Zhihuan lowered his head and focused on scraping the scales, gently pushing the fish's body with the blade in the opposite direction, causing scales to fly off.
He used extremely light force with his knife, removing the scales cleanly while leaving the skin intact. After scaling, he rinsed the fish briefly with clean water, and the entire fish became clean, bright, and free of impurities.
In a short while, all the large fish were processed and neatly arranged on a wooden platter.
He carried the cleaned stream fish into the kitchen, took out the earthenware jar of lard that had been stored up from the winter. The jar was tightly sealed, and when he opened it, the snow-white lard had a faint salty aroma, rich and tempting.
The fire was already lit in the stove, the iron pot was heated, and a large spoonful of lard was ladled into it. The snow-white fat slowly melted under the high temperature, turning into a pool of clear oil, bubbling with fine oil droplets.
Wang Zhi also picked up a bamboo chopstick and dipped it into the oil. Tiny bubbles instantly appeared around the tip of the chopstick, indicating that the oil was at 70% hot, which is perfect for frying fish.
He picked up a stream fish, rolled it lightly in coarse flour, and the fish was evenly coated with a thin layer of flour, neither too thick nor too thin.
Then, holding the fish by the tail, gently slide it into the oil along the edge of the pan. With a sizzling sound, the hot oil boils and bubbles, and the fish quickly sets in shape in the waves of oil.