143: Four major fish

During the meal, Yang Qi introduced two more friends to his family.

Liu Yao couldn't help but ask about fishing for big black carp again.

Yang Qi no longer kept them in suspense and talked about the resources in the nearby Village reservoir, confidently stating that he had definitely seen more than ten big black carps, weighing fifty to sixty catties each, surface.

After learning that Yang Dad and several Uncles were going to retrieve their turtle hooks, and then seeing the pile of 60-odd turtles in net bags that were brought back last night, the two decided to go check the turtle fishing first.

Finally, everyone split into groups: Uncle and Yang Qi took Zhang Jun and Liu Yao to the reservoir in the nearby Village. The Eldest Uncle, Second Uncle, and Dad went to a more distant reservoir.

After breakfast, they brought several Shangcheng International bags and net bags and headed straight for the reservoir. Arriving at the reservoir's edge, looking at the calm water, Liu Yao and Zhang Jun rubbed their palms together, eager to try.

However, they didn't know where to start. They could only follow behind Uncle and Yang Qi to assist.

When Uncle pulled up the first wild turtle, a look of surprise appeared on Liu Yao's face.

When Uncle grabbed the turtle's head and felt its neck to remove the straight hook, he was even more like a curious baby, asking questions left and right.

Uncle answered each question, explaining that the straight needle goes straight in and then gets horizontally caught in the turtle's neck. One end of the needle needs to be pushed out, and then pliers are used to grasp and pull out the entire thin needle.

When the second turtle was pulled, he was even allowed to feel it himself.

A strange pulling force came from the line in his hand, different from the feeling of catching a fish. It was a very peculiar sensation.

From then on, it became unstoppable; he completely took over the job of pulling up turtles. He even judged the size of the underwater turtles with great seriousness.

Several times during this, the pull was very strong, and he firmly believed he had caught an incredibly large turtle. However, what he eventually pulled up was a large snakehead fish.

A turtle's pull is not as strong as a fish's; the sensation when pulling it up feels a bit floaty. It's hard to describe.

Since they retrieved the hooks twice a day, the turtles caught were full of vitality. When Liu Yao saw Uncle release several turtles weighing less than half a catty back into the water, he was very appreciative.

"Releasing the small ones and keeping the large ones" has always been something that true fishing enthusiasts like them advocated and consistently practiced.

Zhang Jun and Yang Qi's side also had a bountiful harvest. Zhang Jun was seen grinning widely, pulling up a turtle, with Yang Qi helping him hold its head, while he carefully used pliers to pull out the straight needle himself.

The two novice youngsters were earnestly retrieving the turtle hooks, while Yang Qi and Uncle helplessly followed behind them, helping to film videos and take photos.

This could be considered a rare rural experience for the two young masters.

Liu Yao, in particular, dramatically shouted into his phone camera, "I love rural life!"

His dramatic behavior earned him eye-rolls and laughter from the others.

The group finished retrieving all the ground-inserted turtle hooks amidst their playful banter. Of course, they also conveniently re-baited them with pig liver and put them back into the water.

This reservoir currently had only 40 hooks set. With a stroke of luck, excluding the three small turtles returned to the water, a total of 22 turtles were caught. There were also three large snakehead fish weighing three to four catties each.

The hook-up rate reached an astonishing 70% or so. When fishing for turtles in the wild, using very smelly baits like pig liver, it's common for carnivorous fish like snakehead fish, catfish, and loaches to visit, and without someone present, it's very easy for fish to escape.

The harvest from the several ground cages was only mediocre, amounting to just a few catties of Yellow catfish and some miscellaneous fish and river prawns. The sticky nets haven't been set recently; they only catch small fish, which isn't very interesting.

Not long after they returned home, the Eldest Uncle and his group also came back. Although their journey was longer and they had more hooks, they didn't have the interference of novices like Zhang Jun and Liu Yao, so their speed was definitely much faster.

They brought back over 40 wild turtles, all contained in net bags, so there was no fear of them escaping or biting. There were also four large snakehead fish and three loaches weighing three to four taels each.

Looking at over a hundred wild turtles and several large snakehead fish, everyone felt a surge of emotions.

The Eldest Uncle picked up the two largest turtles and two large snakehead fish and placed them in the basin with the loaches. Everyone understood what that meant; they were preparing them for lunch.

The family now knew the identities of Zhang Jun and Liu Yao and were happy that their nephew could make such friends, especially given Zhang Jun's consistent care for Yang Qi. He was practically his benefactor.

They also learned that of the cars they drove, the new, unlicensed BMW was brought for Yang Qi, and it was given to Yang Qi at a very significant discount.

The family tacitly decided to treat the guests as well as possible.

While the Second Uncle called Boss Ding, Yang Qi and the two others drove three cars towards the county town. Since there was a new car, the rented one should be returned.

After all, it cost rent, 300 yuan a day. Wouldn't it be better to sell yellow beef and eat that instead?

After completing the car return procedures and getting the deposit back, the three headed straight for the farmers' market.

This wasn't just to buy yellow beef; more importantly, it was to buy river snails and field snails.

Of course, this wasn't for them to eat; it was for fishing for big black carp.

Black carp, also known as Wuhun, Qingbang, Luoshishi Qing, etc., is a large fish species in freshwater systems. Its body is thick and somewhat cylindrical, with a head slightly smaller than its body.

Its back and the upper half of its sides are dark blue-green, its belly is grey-white, and all its fins are black. The black carp is named "Qingyu" (blue fish) because its body is blue-green.

"Qing, Cao, Lian, Yong" are known as China's Four Major Domestic Fish.

And the black carp, with its individual weight, market price, nutritional value, etc., firmly holds the top position among the "Four Major Domestic Fish."

Apart from the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, it is widely distributed across China, from north to south, in all major water systems.

The largest known individual reached 190 centimeters and weighed up to 150 catties, meaning it was taller than an average person. Its lifespan can reach 8 to 9 years, or even longer.

Black carp are bottom-dwelling fish and generally do not swim in the middle or upper water layers, especially not on the surface.

They prefer to live at the bottom of large tributaries and large bodies of water, especially in waters with abundant river snails on the bottom.

Black carp are carnivorous fish, primarily feeding on benthic mollusks, especially river snails, clams, mussels, shrimp, and aquatic insects, hence they are also called Luoshishi Qing.

In addition to its firm, rich, and delicious flesh, black carp also has high medicinal value.

Its medicinal value lies in its gallbladder, and all parts of the fish body except for the internal organs.

Its fish meat can nourish the liver and improve eyesight, replenish qi and resolve dampness, slow down aging, nourish the stomach, and treat malaria, among other effects.

It also significantly helps children who are not growing tall or have wounds that are difficult to heal.

Its bile is bitter and cold, primarily used to treat swollen and painful eyes and tonsillitis. It can also be applied externally to treat carbuncles and tinea capitis. In combination with other medicines, it can also treat red, swollen eyes and trachoma.

However, black carp bile is toxic and should be used with caution for internal consumption, requiring guidance from a professional.

Large black carp weighing over thirty catties have a piece of keratin (black carp stone) in their throat, which is traditionally believed to have calming, vision-improving, and diuretic effects.