Transmigrated as a Stepmother: Time to Bring the Family to Prosper!-Chapter 36 - 35: Fishing

Chapter 36: Chapter 35: Fishing
The idea was beautiful, but the execution was less than satisfactory.
When Qin Yao got up, what was on the table was neither steamed buns nor noodles.
Instead, it was a bowl of plain dough ball soup.
She took a sip, unbearably salty!
The good mood she had painstakingly gathered last night instantly shattered.
If it weren’t for seeing that Da Lang Brothers and Sisters had finished their portions, Qin Yao would have definitely grabbed Liu Ji by the collar and asked him, "Do you even know how to cook?!"
Liu Ji struggled to swallow the failed dough balls he made, bowed his head, trying to convey through his pitiful demeanor that he had really tried his best.
The helpers had already arrived, so Qin Yao let him off the hook for now, greeted Uncle Jiu and the others, and started her busy day.
Perhaps trying to make up for something, Liu Ji stewed all the fish Qin Yao caught yesterday.
Before stewing, he almost threw the whole fish into the pot, but Da Lang noticed in time and told him the fish had to be cleaned, unintentionally saving him.
Fish soup is naturally delicious, and it turned out well without much effort. For lunch, the porridge with fish soup was served, with each person getting two or three pieces of fish.
Uncle Jiu was especially satisfied and even praised Liu Ji, "San’er, your cooking skills have improved so quickly. Keep it up, and you might become a head chef at the town’s restaurant!"
Liu Ji smirked and went out with an empty basket to see which household he could borrow some vegetables from to make dinner.
After a half-hour lunch break, everyone gathered at the construction site for a chat.
A few children ran over to call Qin Yao, and upon looking up, she saw Liu Jinbao and Liu Fei watching her anxiously and expectantly.
These lads were waiting for her to teach them how to catch fish.
Qin Yao locked up her house, informed Uncle Jiu, then surrounded by a crowd of children, took a machete and headed to the river.
"Third Sister-in-law," Liu Fei awkwardly called Qin Yao.
He really disliked Liu Ji, but had great respect for Qin Yao, his third sister-in-law, which is why he was willing to come and help this time.
Old Liu said their own family didn’t fuss over these things, and they didn’t need the two-coins-a-day payment for their help.
Liu Fei also didn’t eat lunch at his third sister-in-law’s house because he couldn’t stand eating Liu Ji’s cooking, so he went straight home to eat randomly at his own house at lunchtime.
As a result, his eldest sister-in-law complained a bit, but knowing his temper, she left him half a bowl of breakfast to heat up for lunch.
Eating three meals a day was a luxury for ordinary folks; they usually only had two.
Qin Yao had to prepare lunch for the helpers because of the physical labor involved, as Old Liu requested.
Apparently, Liu Fei wasn’t full, so he was eagerly waiting for Qin Yao to teach him how to catch extra food.
Once he took fish home, his eldest sister-in-law wouldn’t complain anymore. After all, fish is all meat and is valuable!
There are many methods to catch fish: using fishing rods, nets, spears, traps, and bare hands.
But regardless of the method, the key principles remain: stability, accuracy, and speed.
Qin Yao looked around, walked into the small forest by the river, and cut three forks from trees, sharpening one end to make fish spears.
Liu Fei, Jinbao, and Da Lang were eager to try, so Qin Yao handed them the fish spears.
"The first step is to find the prey. The place where I caught fish yesterday had plenty. And how did I make my judgment? Come over and take a look..."
When Qin Yao said she would teach, she genuinely did it with no reservations, starting with finding the fish.
After teaching the theory, she led the kids to practice.
The younger ones were only allowed to watch from the riverbank. Second Lang led his younger siblings, seeing their older brother and little uncle wade into the water, filled with envy.
They just hoped they’d catch fish quickly so they could have their turn.
The stepmother said she would teach them too.
"Once you’ve spotted the prey, the next step is to approach carefully. This step is crucial; you have to be steady. Steady heart, steady hands, steady breathing. Blend in with the surroundings..."
"Alright, little uncle, you’re up first. Use the techniques I just taught you on the bank to spear a fish."
Qin Yao gestured, and Liu Fei, grasping the sharpened branch, took a deep breath and fixed his eyes on a fish in the water, less than a meter away. Holding the forked branch with both hands, he raised it, aimed, and thrust it down forcefully!
With a "thud," water splashed everywhere as all of Liu Fei’s strength channeled into the branch, he leaned forward and almost lost his balance.
He exclaimed in surprise, "Got it!"
Da Lang and Jinbao, excited, looked over. The water had calmed, revealing only a branch stabbed into the riverbed and a few fish scales — no fish in sight.
Not only did they not catch a fish, but the others hidden in the water plants had fled in fright.
Jinbao immediately complained, "Fourth Uncle, you shouted too loudly and scared all the fish away. How are we supposed to spear any now?"
While they complained, Qin Yao, who had been standing behind them, swiftly raised her branch and thrust it diagonally into the water with a "whoosh."
The fish that escaped from Liu Fei’s spear was struck by hers, floating on the river’s surface.
Da Lang and the others let out amazed whispers, watching Qin Yao with admiration.
Qin Yao picked up the branch, with the fish still attached, and tossed it onto the shore, where Second Lang and the other two rushed over to take the fish away, overjoyed.
Turning back to look at the defeated Liu Fei, Qin Yao’s tone remained calm, "Remember one word, stability. Hunting is inherently a task that requires patience; there’s no rushing it."
Seeing the workers in front of the house start working, Qin Yao shared another tip with them.
Think like the prey to anticipate what they might do next, then prepare accordingly.
The same logic applies to facing adversaries in combat.
Still, that last part she left unsaid to avoid scaring the children.
The three of them watched Qin Yao leave, exchanged encouraging glances, then split up to practice further.
Both Liu Fei and Jinbao resolved that they must catch a fish before going home, or they wouldn’t return at all.
Da Lang watched the duo go off in search of fish, but he remained still, replaying Qin Yao’s words in his mind.
Hunting requires patience and no rush because if you miss an opportunity due to impatience, the next opportunity might be a long time coming.
Also, you have to put yourself in the prey’s mindset.
Da Lang found himself staring blankly at the river’s waves, imagining what it would be like to be a fish...
Qin Yao didn’t need to pick up stones today; she planned to buy timber.
Uncle Jiu mentioned that the wall foundation could be finished today. Once the foundation for the new house is ready tomorrow, construction can start the day after.
A mud house comes together quickly, so Qin Yao needed to fetch all the timber in the next couple of days.
Old Liu previously mentioned that a household in the village had timber, so Qin Yao brought money to the owner and bought the necessary beams for four taels of silver.
The owners were willing to help carry the timber back, and together, they finished hauling all the beams back in one afternoon, stacking them neatly in the empty space in front of the house.
As the sun set and the helpers left, Liu Ji had already prepared dinner. Qin Yao called the children to eat, only to find that Da Lang was missing.