By the Little Qing River, Huai Zi and Liu Heizi were casting their nets. Even little Heipi was darting around beside them, waving a shrimp net.
A pair of buckets hung from a carrying pole on the grassy bank. Every time a net was hauled up, it was a clean sweep—whether big fish, small fry, shrimp, or loaches, everything was scooped up and kept alive in the buckets. Once they had collected enough, Liu Heizi would carry them off to release into the fish pond before returning to catch more.
Juhua, Aunt Liu, and Pu Pao sat on the grass, enjoying the spectacle. Each of them held a nursing baby in their arms.
In the distance, Qingmu was also out casting nets with Uncle Ma.
"Uncle Liu, we're not catching anything in this spot anymore. Let's move somewhere else," Huai Zi said to Liu Heizi as he dragged his dripping wet net ashore, finding only a few small minnows and carp inside.
