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墨書 Inktalez
However, the black awning boat is not propelled by just one oar, but by two—one is a pedal oar operated with the feet, and the other is a hand oar used for rowing and steering.
While rowing, one lies at the stern, pedaling with one foot while using both hands to row on the other side. The type you see in Shaoxing is made of plastic, equipped with a small electric motor underneath, and only requires one oar at the back to control direction.
Black awning boats frequently appear in the writings of Wen Ren from Shaoxing. Lu Xun once rode in one during a performance, and Zhou Zuoren described it in detail in his letters because, during that era, black awning boats were essential for transportation in Shaoxing.
However, Lu Xun came from a wealthy background; he rode in a larger white awning boat designed for official use, which was grander than private black awning boats. This certainly added to Lu Xun's sense of superiority during his childhood.
Fishing at Taihu involves using a rod, line, and hook, but one cannot fish from a boat on the lake. Any fish caught cannot be sold; they must either be eaten or released.
"That won't do; it's too ugly. Let's get a boat with just one oar and set up a small charcoal stove on board. We can row around the lake to brew tea or cook peanuts. What kind of beans did Lu Xun cook? We should plant some too."
Before finishing his sentence, Kang Ziyu lifted his rod and caught a silverfish about ten centimeters long—slender and transparent, with no bones at all.
"It's a silverfish! Look at what Kang Ziyu has caught!" Shi Tian exclaimed with surprise as he glanced at the fish on Kang Ziyu's hook.
Shi Tian recognized this fish well; he had seen someone catch it while fishing with Shi Chui in Shandong before. At that time, he had bought two kilograms of them for quite a price—around five or six ten dollars per kilogram.
Generally speaking, fishermen rarely catch these fish because they are too small; they usually weigh no more than ten grams. To catch them, one needs to use a size one sleeve hook. Even then, Shi Tian had never seen anyone catch a silverfish that was properly hooked.
Not being able to catch them doesn't mean they can't be caught; their scarcity also plays a role. These fish have high water quality requirements and will die at the slightest pollution.
Silverfish are attracted to light; those who catch them often use lights to lure them in. When a net is lowered and the light is turned on, silverfish within dozens of meters can be drawn over.
Then, gradually dimming the lights until only one small attracting fish light remains in the center of the net allows for gathering enough fish—often around ten or eight kilograms.
"This fish is so beautiful! Can it be kept in an aquarium?" Looking at the silverfish in his hand, Kang Ziyu immediately thought about raising it in an aquarium.
It truly is quite beautiful; this species appears transparent underwater rather than the white ones commonly seen on the market.
Shi Tian also wanted to keep it in an aquarium, but these fish are notoriously difficult to care for—they usually die as soon as they are out of water.
While they may not be easy to keep alive, they are quite delicious. "Let's put it in the fish bucket; frying it would make for a great snack!" With that thought, he removed the hook and tossed the silverfish into the fish bucket before returning to his fishing spot.
This silverfish would not survive if released back into the water; let it contribute its flesh to this world one last time!
Thinking about raising silverfish seemed too troublesome. Digging a fish pond in the yard and laying down pipes to draw water from Taihu would surely keep them alive, but maintaining an aquarium was far too challenging—Shi Tian lacked that skill.
As for Kang Ziyu, he had already lost half of his sea anemones in his aquarium. Thankfully, the remaining half had survived and were now thriving strongly.
Kang Ziyu reeled up his line and replaced it with a kernel of corn—having fished all night for meat eaters, now he was ready to try catching some vegetarians at his fishing spot.
The float sank steadily.
With a quick lift of the rod, I felt a slight tug; the fish was small, and the sound of it cutting through the water had vanished, not to mention the absence of a strong bend in the rod.
As the fish broke the surface, it thrashed about, splashing water everywhere. It was quite a sight; while it might not weigh two pounds, it was close enough.
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