Just then, the sound of rumbling trucks came from the entrance of the village.
“Is that a truck?”
“Why would a truck come to our village?”
“Who is it here for?”
Soon, two large trucks pulled up in front of the ten-acre field and came to a stop.
The doors swung open, and a young man jumped down from the driver’s seat.
He walked straight up to Gu Yunnan, reached out, and threw an arm around his shoulders. “Brother, I’m here to collect the fish!”
Gu Yunnan patted Zhao Feng’s shoulder in return. “Perfect timing—I was just about to start hauling them in.”
“Just about to start? Well, isn’t that lucky? Might as well lend a hand!” With that, Zhao Feng rolled up his pants.
After Gu Yunnan explained, the crowd finally understood—he had already arranged a buyer for the fish long ago.
The buyer was a big boss who had been thrilled when he first heard about Gu Yunnan’s rice-paddy fish farming. He had immediately promised to purchase all the fish if they turned out well.
As it turned out, this boss was in the fish trade and ran a sizable business. He had heard of rice-paddy fish farming before—rumor had it that fish raised this way were plumper and tastier. But over the years, he had never actually encountered anyone practicing it.
So when he learned that Gu Yunnan was experimenting with the method, he couldn’t contain his excitement. Even though Gu Yunnan was only in the planning stages at the time, the boss committed to buying all the fish from the ten acres once they were ready.
In the following months, the boss kept in touch with Gu Yunnan, checking on the progress of the fish. Finally, the rice-paddy fish farming project succeeded.
After Gu Yunnan called to inform him, the boss rushed to Huaihua Village to see for himself. Not only did he inspect the fish, but that very evening, Yao Chunhua caught one and steamed it for him to try.
One bite was all it took—the boss was utterly amazed.
He immediately confirmed that he would take all the fish from the ten acres within the next few days. He even paid a deposit on the spot.
As for Zhao Feng, he was Gu Yunnan’s former colleague from the grain store. After Gu Yunnan started his contracting business, he sold his job at the store.
Much like when Gu Yunting sold his job at the steel mill, the villagers had been full of regret when they heard the news. After all, it was an iron rice bowl—a stable job that could be passed down through generations.
It came with a fixed salary, holiday benefits, and who knew? Maybe even housing allocations in the future. How could anyone bear to give that up?
Back when Gu Yunzhou sold his job at the supply and marketing cooperative, it was unavoidable—he had been admitted to university, and not just any university, but Peking University. Of course, he had to go.
But Gu Yunting and Gu Yunnan hadn’t gotten into college. To sell such secure jobs seemed like such a waste.
Yet no matter how the villagers felt, there was no changing the decisions of the Gu brothers.
Not long after Gu Yunnan sold his job to focus on contracting, his colleague Zhao Feng did the same.
However, he didn’t return to the village to start contracting. Instead, he joined his uncle in the trucking business.
The uncle-nephew duo had put together a fleet of trucks and were running a transport operation.
Today, Zhao Feng had brought two large trucks precisely because Gu Yunnan had asked him in advance to come and haul the fish.
And so, here he was.
Soon, the lively work of harvesting the fish began.
One plump fish after another was scooped up. Sometimes, a single net cast would come up completely full, the fish inside thrashing and leaping.
Each one was impressively large—at least two jin each, with some even reaching three or four jin.
Not only were the fish big, but there were also plenty of them. A closer look at the field revealed fish packed tightly together, row upon row, a sight that filled everyone with joy.
The villagers watched with envy.
One by one, the fish were loaded onto the trucks.
The fish from ten acres of fields filled truck after truck.
It took an entire day, with the help of the villagers, to haul them all away.
“Look, the rice stalks are growing really well too!”
“Each one is thicker and sturdier than what we used to plant.”
“Absolutely! And the rice ears—so full and fragrant!”
“But how does this work?” someone wondered aloud.
After all, when people first heard about raising fish in rice paddies, many had doubted it.
Wouldn’t the fish nibble on the rice seedlings?
With this question in mind, they turned to Gu Yunnan for answers.
Gu Yunnan chuckled. “My little sister explained this to me—it’s something about material cycles and ecological balance…”
“You all thought the fish were eating the seedlings? Not at all! The fish feed on weeds and pests in the paddy. With the pests gone, the seedlings grow even better!”
The villagers murmured in realization—that did make sense.
Gu Yunnan continued, “And when the fish eat, they excrete waste, right? That waste becomes fertilizer for the rice, making the seedlings grow even stronger!”
“So, rice-fish farming creates a symbiotic relationship between the rice and the fish.”
“You could say they help each other out.”
“That’s why both the rice and the fish thrive.”
The villagers’ faces lit up with understanding. “Ah, so that’s how it works! It does sound logical.”
“Then maybe we should try rice-fish farming too?”
“That way, not only would our rice grow better, but we’d also get an extra harvest of fish!”
“Second Son Gu, if we try this later, can we come to you if we have questions?”
Gu Yunnan nodded. “Of course! But I’ll be upfront—rice-fish farming isn’t easy. There’s a lot to pay attention to. If you ask, I’ll share everything I know.”
“But if things don’t go well for you later, don’t blame me!” Though willing to help his fellow villagers, Gu Yunnan understood human nature well enough to set boundaries early.
The villagers quickly reassured him, “No, no, of course we wouldn’t blame you!”
“That’s right! Just sharing your knowledge is already a huge help.” In these times, many skills were closely guarded as family secrets.
Who would willingly teach others their livelihood?
“If we fail, it’ll be because our skills aren’t up to par, not because of you.”
“Exactly, exactly!”
Hearing this, Gu Yunnan finally relaxed.
Once all the fish were loaded, the big boss arrived to settle the final payment.
Gu Yunnan’s face broke into a wide grin as he accepted the thick stacks of cash.
Then, without hesitation, he handed it all to his wife, Su Miao, for safekeeping!
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