133: Pelteobagrus fulvidraco

There was a station in the small county town where Yang Qi's hometown was located. The bus they were on happened to stop there for a few minutes.

This made things much more convenient. After the family got off the bus in the county town and had lunch, Yang Qi rented a Volkswagen Tiguan for 300 yuan a day.

Then, he went to buy some tobacco, alcohol, and other gifts. When he got home, he would definitely visit a few close relatives. He had to go to the old Village Head's house in the Village!

By the time they drove home, it was already over an hour later. His mother started tidying up the room; after being away for more than ten days, even if it wasn't very dirty, there would certainly be a lot of dust.

Soon, the neighbor, Third Uncle, came over. He was his father's cousin and had a very good relationship with his father, so he was considered a close relative.

"Hello, Third Uncle!" Xiao Qi had been sweet-tongued since he was a child, always greeting elders first. He had always been well-liked by elders.

"Ah! Xiao Qi! Long time no see. This time, stay for a few more days with your dad!"

Third Uncle took the cigarette Yang Qi offered and smiled as he spoke to him.

"I can't stay too long. I'm still quite busy over there. This time, I mainly came back to pick up my dad and mom to live with me."

Yang Qi replied with a smile.

"Xiao Qi is doing well! He even bought a car."

Third Uncle had noticed the car at the entrance earlier.

"Not at all! Just average. This car is one I rented in the county town. I have my own car, but it was too far to drive over."

"You chat with my dad, I'll go out for a stroll first."

Yang Qi strolled away from home and started wandering around. He hadn't been back in over two years, and the small Village hadn't changed much.

The only difference was the lack of young people. The aging population in rural areas is a nationwide social issue.

He also met a few villagers on the road, all of whom were uncles, older brothers, or even grandfathers. The villagers greeted Yang Qi warmly, and he greeted each of them, offering cigarettes.

Unconsciously, he arrived at the river on the east side of the Village. This river was about 50 meters wide, and it was said to flow through several counties, though he hadn't specifically investigated its length.

He happened to see someone paddling a small boat to shore; it was probably for setting ground nets or sticky nets.

Yang Qi saw that it was someone from the Village, named Yang Liqiu. He was of the same generation as his father, seemingly a fellow villager outside the five degrees of kinship.

According to what Yang Qi understood, his family had relied on this river for generations. They were well-known local fishermen, fishing and shrimping year-round and selling their catch in the town.

Their family's living standard was definitely among the best in the Village.

Yang Qi was classmates with his family's youngest son. When they were little and went to school, his chubby son would eat meat buns for breakfast and constantly have snacks in his mouth.

Because Yang Qi's family had poor living conditions and he had nothing, that guy would always eat in front of him, making Yang Qi so hungry he'd swallow his saliva.

Damn it, if he hadn't been genuinely unable to beat him, he would have thrashed him long ago.

"Uncle Liqiu, fishing? How's the catch?"

Of course, Yang Qi wouldn't hold grudges about childhood matters; he greeted the man with a beaming smile.

"Oh! Yang Qi! Long time no see. The catch is just so-so. A few years ago, there were too many fishermen, and they overfished. Now, the fish catch isn't as much as before."

Yang Liqiu took the cigarette Yang Qi offered and replied.

Yang Qi felt a string of 'MMP' in his heart, thinking, 'Isn't it because your family caught too much?'

He could only think this to himself, not say it aloud. He said aloud:

"No matter how many people there are, no one's skill is as good as yours, Uncle. Do you have any good fish today? I'd like to buy some to take home and taste."

"You're still as good with words, kid. Other fish today are just average, but there are a few Yellow catfish that are quite big and very good! Do you want to see them?"

Yang Liqiu replied.

"Oh! Wild Yellow catfish! Then I definitely have to see them."

Yellow catfish, scientifically known as *Pelteobagrus fulvidraco*, can be found throughout China, from north to south, hence its many colloquial names in different regions: Huangciyu, Angciyu, Huangyaji, Huanglading, Huangcitou, Gayazi, and so on.

Its pectoral and dorsal fins each have a poisonous spine. If accidentally pricked, it will cause swelling and itching, making you question life from the pain.

When caught, it makes a sound similar to "ga ga." It is estimated that some places call it "Huangyaji" (Yellow Duck Call) because of this.

Yellow catfish are relatively small, with tender and delicate flesh, very delicious, and no small bones.

They have high edible and medicinal value, are rich in various nutrients, and can also be used in medicine, cooked, or prepared as medicinal meals. They are a famous and excellent freshwater aquaculture fish in China.

In recent years, due to the mature and perfected breeding technology of Yellow catfish, more citizens have been able to taste its deliciousness, while its price has also dropped significantly.

However, the price of purely wild Yellow catfish remains strong due to its scarcity.

In the local market, farmed Yellow catfish weighing three liang or more sell for 25 to 40 yuan per jin.

Whereas wild Yellow catfish of the same size sell for 60 to 80 yuan per jin.

Wild and farmed Yellow catfish are still easy to distinguish.

First, in terms of body shape, wild Yellow catfish are relatively slender due to unstable food sources and frequent swimming and foraging in larger bodies of water.

Farmed ones, on the other hand, are round and plump with bulging bellies due to ample feed and less swimming.

Another difference is in body color. Wild ones have natural body colors, leaning towards bluish-yellow or dark yellow, with light yellow bellies.

Farmed Yellow catfish may have added pigments in their feed, making their overall color bright yellow, with some even fading during cleaning.

Furthermore, there are differences in flesh texture and taste. Wild Yellow catfish have delicate, firm flesh with low fat content and a fresh, delicious taste.

Farmed Yellow catfish, however, have loose flesh with higher fat deposits and a somewhat earthy or muddy taste.

Yang Qi, of course, recognized wild Yellow catfish. As soon as he saw the Yellow catfish in one of the fish baskets lifted from the live fish tank, he knew they were wild. Each fish weighed three liang or more.

"Uncle Liqiu, these Yellow catfish of yours are really good, they're excellent quality. Sell them all to me!"

Yang Qi gave the uncle a thumbs-up.

"Let's see what other fish you have. If I like any, I'll buy more."

Yang Liqiu successively brought up several more fish baskets; it seemed he had already sorted them.

Yang Qi immediately spotted two golden Bighead Carp, each weighing seven or eight liang, which he absolutely had to get.

Yang Qi wasn't interested in the other fish like culter fish, thicklip fish, or small carp. However, he did take a liking to the minnow fish.

This type of fish held memories of Yang Qi's childhood. He often caught them when he was little, following older children in the Village. These small fish were the most common species in the river, and their flesh was incredibly delicious.

Minnow fish don't grow very big. In Yang Qi's memory, the biggest one, caught by the snot-nosed kid two years older than him in the Village, was about a hand-span long. At the time, he thought it was a huge fish! Now, he recalls it was probably at most one liang.

Dear readers, you might say, "Isn't this just one of the 'four scourges' of wild fishing, the whitefish?"

Actually, these are two different fish. Minnow fish have soft bones and tender flesh, making them very delicious. They can be stir-fried or braised.

Whitefish, on the other hand, have hard bones and firm flesh. Even when braised, they have an earthy taste. They are best when deep-fried.