Chapter 39: Even Dogs Won’t Eat This Fish

6 month.

Sunday morning.

In the west wing, Wang Mengde leaned over the table in the living room and wrote down a prescription he had thought of when he got up in a notebook. Then he checked it carefully, found no problems, and put the notebook into the space.

There are more than a dozen secret recipes recorded in this notebook, which are the foundation of his life and the wealth that can be passed down to his family in the future.

Wang Mengde put down the pen in his hand and shook his sore neck. He was not going to the countryside to treat patients today.

Since the beginning of June, the temperature has been getting higher day by day.

Especially at noon, when people are outside, they feel like they are in a steamer, with heat surrounding their bodies.

Even if he was in good health, he wouldn't dare walk in the sun for a long time, otherwise he would get heatstroke and dehydration sooner or later.

The relationship between him and He Shengnan, like the current weather, is getting warmer day by day. Not only do they often go shopping together on weekends, but after get off work, Wang Mengde will also go to Deshengmen bus stop to wait for her.

Drum Tower, Shichahai, Xizhimen and other places are all places where the two people left their laughter and beautiful memories.

Now we just have to wait for the right time to find a matchmaker to come and propose marriage.

Thinking that he would be getting married soon, Wang Mengde was full of strength. He stood up, took a stance, and started today's boxing practice.

Half an hour later, he was almost soaked. He exhaled, picked up the basin and prepared to wash up in the pool in the middle courtyard.

When I went out, beside the pool, besides a few housewives washing, I saw the third uncle Yan Bugui holding a small hoe, digging by the pool with his head down and his butt sticking out.

"Morning, uncle. What are you doing?"

"Meng De, I'm digging some earthworms and will go fishing in Shichahai later." Yan Bugui raised his head, pushed the frame of his glasses with his hand, and said with a smile.

"By the way, Meng De, why don't you go fishing with me? I have a fishing rod at home and I'll lend it to you."

When they heard him say that he wanted to lend something to Wang Mengde, several neighbors who were busy by the pool looked up at the third uncle in surprise, and then looked at the sun.

What happened today? The sun hasn’t even risen from the west. It’s so strange that Old Yan actually has to lend things to others.

Yan Bugui saw everyone's reactions and snorted in his heart. Although he was stingy, he did it differently according to the person.

Wang Mengde is a doctor. If you have a good relationship with him, when someone in your family has a headache or a fever in the future, you can ask him to treat the illness, and you will definitely feel embarrassed to charge him money.

"Okay, Uncle Third, I'll go fishing later too." Wang Mengde agreed readily.

I can feel it since the morning that today will be another scorching hot day. It’s too hot to stay at home, so I might as well go out to the river to cool down and feel the joy of fishing.

On the bank of the Shichahai River, Yan Bugui gave Wang Mengde some simple instructions, and then happily went to a nearby location to cast his hook.

Maybe it was because of the novice protection period, Wang Mengde soon had a harvest one after another. In less than an hour, he caught two crucian carp, three yellow croakers, and two small whitebait.

These were marked by pinching their tails and placed in the bucket brought by Yan Bugui.

Gradually, the sun got higher and higher, and the weather became hotter and hotter. Although he was under a big tree, sweat began to appear on his forehead.

Just when he was getting impatient and wanted to go back, the float suddenly sank downwards. He habitually tried to lift his hand up, but failed to pull it up.

This is a big guy taking the bait.

He didn't dare to pull hard, he could only use force diagonally. Fortunately, he had practiced martial arts for many years, and his hand strength and angle were very good. Otherwise, the force from underwater would have broken the fishing line and bamboo pole. Yan Bugui also saw the movement, dropped the fishing rod, and ran over excitedly.

"Uncle, please help me find a longer stick, as thick as a baby's arm." Wang Mengde said.

When the wooden stick was found, Wang Mengdra gradually pulled the fish to a nearby distance. He carefully took off his shoes, then walked into the river. He waited for the right moment and hit the fish with the stick. The fish wagged its tail and lay on its belly, not moving any more.

Carefully pulling the big fish to the shore, Wang Mengde picked it up and saw that it was a big carp, about 40 centimeters long and estimated to weigh about five kilograms.

Next to him, Yan Bugui was holding the leg of his glasses with his right hand. When he saw such a big carp, he exerted force on his hand and exclaimed, "Ouch, the leg of my glasses is broken."

He had no time to envy Wang Mengde. He was holding a pair of glasses with one leg broken in his hand, and his mouth twitched with heartache.

"Uncle, I'm giving you all those small fish I caught just now. By the way, I have some white medical tape at home. Why don't you come back with me and use it to wrap the legs of your glasses first?" Wang Mengde said in a good mood.

"Okay." Yan Bugui said with a frustrated look on his face.

I lost a lot today!

After packing up the fishing rod, Wang Mengde held the fish's gills with one hand, carried the fishing rod, and walked forward with big strides.

Behind him, Yan Bugui followed closely, carrying a bucket and a fishing rod.

Following Di'anmen Street, they soon arrived at Nanluoguxiang, but Wang Mengde did not stop. He just passed by his home without entering and continued walking towards Beixinqiao.

Along the way, whenever someone answered or even looked at him, Wang Mengde would stop and loudly say to the other person: "This fish weighs more than five kilograms. I just caught it from Shichahai."

The sun was scorching overhead, but he seemed not to feel it. He felt as good as if he had eaten some cold watermelon.

It was not until Yan Bugui stopped him and told him that in this kind of weather, the dead fish could not be kept for long that Wang Mengde turned around and walked towards Nanluoguxiang with a sense of unsatisfied desire.

Today he finally experienced the joy of a fisherman!
After lingering in the alley for a while, it was almost eleven o'clock when we arrived at the yard.

In the middle courtyard, Wang Mengde put the fish next to the pond and shouted to the He family, "Shazhu, Shazhu, come out quickly."

"I'm here. What do you want to talk to me about?" Sha Zhu came out of the house with his bare arms and a palm-leaf fan in one hand. When he saw the big carp by the pond, his eyes lit up and he asked, "Where did the fish come from?"

"Shazhu, this is what I just caught in Shichahai. Please clean it up and we will have a drink and eat fish at your house at noon."

"Just wait and see." Sha Zhu turned and went into the house, put down the palm-leaf fan, then walked out carrying a kitchen knife and a chopping board.

Jia family.

When Wang Mengde entered the middle courtyard just now, Jia Zhang saw the big carp in his hand. When she heard that it was caught in Shichahai, she turned around and looked at Jia Dongxu who was half lying on the side, and whispered:
"Dongxu, that damn Wang Mengde caught a big fish. Why don't you go fishing in Shichahai too?"

"Yes, Dongxu, with your ability, you will definitely be able to catch a big fish, and then we will have fish to eat." Qin Huairu also advised.

"Dad, I want to eat fish." Banggeng also shouted.

Jia Dongxu opened his eyes and said impatiently, "It's so hot outside, it would be torture for me to go outside now. I would rather starve to death than go fishing.

Besides, even dogs won’t eat the fish in Shichahai.”

After saying that, he closed his eyes and continued to doze off.

(End of this chapter)