My hometown is in a low-lying saline-alkali land in the southeast corner of Beijing. After the land reform, poor middle peasants can only maintain food for half a year even if they can get a few acres of land. Looking back now, it is also very sad. Not to mention that after collectivization, everything belongs to the production team, which is just to make a living. If you can survive, burn high incense to the bodhisattva.

At that time, hometown, not everything was not worth nostalgia. At least the environment was not polluted at that time, and the water in the rivers and ponds outside the village was clean and beautiful. Where there is water, there are fish, and naturally there are shrimp, crab and lotus root. But what I still can't forget is the interest in catching fish and the delicious stew. Ouyang Xiu visited the Drunk Pavilion. Write down the famous sentence: "Fish is near the stream, and the stream is deep and fish is fat". I can also say that fishing in my hometown is clear and the fish is fat!

The water in my hometown is very clear, and the fish are very fat, because there are abundant aquatic plants. At that time, the river was still dotted with ponds outside the village. As soon as we arrived in the long summer, it was lively. There are dense aquatic plants near the water, mainly reeds, grass bulbs, barnyard grass and so on. There are many plants growing in the water, besides artificial lotus leaves, there are also self-generated duckweed flowers, river cotton (commonly known as toad hair), dragonflies flying and frogs chirping. For fish, this place is simply a paradise for eating and drinking. Why are fish not fat?

Compared with the fish sold on the fish beach today, the quality of fish in my hometown is much worse. Single page is not so monotonous. Besides common crucian carp and yellow croaker, there are also carp, snakehead, catfish, yellow croaker and loach? You know, these fish are spontaneous. Unlike fish ponds now. As the saying goes, "a thousand years of fish seeds, ten thousand years of grass seeds." In other words, fish and grass have strong vitality. As long as there is water in the pond, fish will naturally be born, grow and grow up. Grass will grow naturally only if there is soil on the ground. It belongs to "wildfire never completely devours them, and they grow taller in the spring breeze". This is also a gift from nature to mankind. People and humans should put their hands together and sincerely thank them for this gift. We must protect the environment. In recent decades, the environment in our hometown has been destroyed enough. So I especially cherish the water and fish in my hometown.

There are many ways to catch fish. The simplest and most commonly used method is fishing. Is to roll up your trouser legs and sleeves, drip water at the water's edge, bend down, stretch out your arms, open your hands, and slowly touch the roots of aquatic plants in the mud. When fishing, don't worry, be patient. If you touch it, you will touch a small one. Although crucian carp is not very enjoyable, it will also have a spiritual comfort. Perhaps, inadvertently, you will suddenly touch a big carp. At this point, of course, I'm surprised. I can't wait for a page. Hold it tightly until you throw it ashore and put it in the basket, then you can rest assured. If you don't pay attention, it's really a pity to let the big fish get away. As the saying goes, "it's good to walk the fish, but it's good for the daughter-in-law to run away." Two common sayings clearly show the regret of letting the big fish get away. At that time, fishing in my hometown, I think only crucian carp is the best to catch, crucian carp generally likes to stay in low-lying places, and there are often some at the bottom of the pit. When your hand doesn't touch it, it usually lies still. Only when it touches someone else's hand will it run, but it won't run far, and it may hide in another foot nest. If you hold it in time and hold it well, you can't escape your five fingers. Comparatively speaking, loach is the most difficult to catch. It usually drills around in the mud and has a layer of mucus on it. It's slippery and it's not easy to catch it. If you were not careful, it ran away with all its might. With experience, I know that I should pinch the gills and upper body of loach from the beginning. Misgurnus likes drilling holes. The more I hold him, the more he goes into your palm, which is equivalent to a trap. Catfish are rare and hard to meet. If you touch it, it will definitely make people overjoyed. First, it looks good, second, it tastes delicious, and third, it can be bought in restaurants, which is very valuable. Catfish can't see scales, and there is a layer of mucosa on its golden back, which seems to be shining with golden light. The best thing is its mouth. Beautiful flat lips. The long beard on the mouth sticks out to both sides, which is really chic. In 2008, I met a fresh meat. In Tongzhou, there is a restaurant in Xiaolou, one of which is called "Baked Catfish", which has been circulated for many years and has a good reputation. Many restaurants have this dish. If you buy catfish for a long time, the price is not low. If you sell it to a restaurant, you can buy more than a dozen steamed buns to relieve your hunger!

Fishing is a slow effort, it takes half a day, and it is only a small gain. Go home and stew a plate of fish to relieve your appetite. If there is a big harvest, you have to catch it with a net. One person casts a net, and several people use a big net. At that time, I just saw the elders do this and admired their great gains. Casting a net is like a cauldron at the bottom of a river. At the bottom of the net, tie a knot with lead. The net-spreader throws the net by hand, and the knot in the lead buckles the net in the mud like a pot. Then, slowly close the net, and all the big fish, small fish, shrimps, crabs and frogs in the net are caught. The biggest net is also called "mud sow" (I don't know the origin of this name, it's so strange! The net is several feet long and as wide as the river. Several people are pulling nets on both sides of the river. After walking for dozens of meters, I pulled the net ashore. Well, that's just a lot of fish. All the fish, big and small, are lying on the shore, wagging their tails and panting, and their scales are shining silver. It looks good.

At that time, my hometown was short of food, and there was a plate of fish, which was the most delicious dish. Although the fish in my hometown are fat, people in my hometown are not greedy. Fishing is usually on the days of vernal equinox and autumnal equinox. Moreover, they seldom use big nets. I think they are fishing, too At that time, they will understand that they can't exhaust their resources and fish. It's really not easy.

The past is not like smoke, so the rivers in the village and the ponds outside the village have mostly dried up because of the drought and lack of rain in recent years, and the remaining river in the village has also been polluted. Where there is the shadow of fish, it's a bit frustrating to think about it. I also think of the preciousness of catching fish as a child. So I wrote this article for readers and asked for correction.