HCB Chapter 200 Eel
Chapter 200 Eel
Zheng Sisi was walking on the ridge of the field when she suddenly heard someone shouting, "Erniu, hurry up, there's a snake here, kill it quickly."
Zheng Sisi was stunned. What had happened? Why did he need to be beaten to death? She hurried towards the source of the voice.
Village chiefs Liu and Yao, who were following behind, looked at each other and knew what everyone was shouting about. Seeing the county lady walking so fast, they were afraid that she would fall, so they hurried to catch up.
Village Chief Liu said, "County Lady, please go slowly. The ridge is narrow and slippery. Don't fall."
Zheng Sisi said without even turning her head: "I'm fine, I don't know what happened before."
Liu Cun said, "County Lady, they are talking about a kind of insect that looks like a small snake. It is too cunning and hard to catch. There are many of them every year. They make holes in the ridges of the fields and all the water flows away."
After hearing what Village Chief Liu said, Zheng Sisi realized that this was eel, also known as yellow eel.
In modern times, there used to be a lot of loaches and eels in the fields, but with the increased use of pesticides and chemical fertilizers, these creatures have become very rare. Those sold on the market are all artificially bred. What about wild loaches and eels, which cost dozens of yuan per kilogram?
Zheng Sisi asked, "Village Chief Liu, are you talking about a yellow-skinned, slippery bug?"
Village Chief Liu replied: "Yes! County Lord, you know this kind of insect."
Zheng Sisi: "I know! This is eel, a food ingredient that is delicious when cooked."
Village Chief Yao said: "No way, we have eaten it before, it is very slippery and fishy, we can't eat it."
Zheng Sisi said: "Eel is very nutritious and is a tonic dish. If it doesn't taste good, it may be because you don't know how to cook it. Let's go and take a look first."
Several people walked very quickly on the ridge of the field. Rose and Lily followed behind them, fearing that the county lady would fall.
When we arrived at the source, we did see a few dead eels on the edge of the field.
Zheng Sisi held her forehead with her hand. It was such a waste of natural resources. Didn't they know that eels were very expensive? Of course, in this era, no one eats them. No one would know about them no matter how expensive they are.
Zheng Sisi asked the villagers who were working the fields: "Are there many insects in the fields?"
The man who was tilling the field saw that it was the county lady and answered honestly, "These insects have become more and more numerous in recent years. Now all of them have been dug up when the soil is plowed. We can't catch them all. We killed about three or four pounds of them yesterday."
Zheng Sisi blamed herself for not coming to check yesterday and lost several kilograms of eels in vain.
Zheng Sisi said: "Let me tell you, this kind of insect is called eel, it is very nutritious and is a natural food supplement. If you are injured and lose too much blood, you can eat eel to replenish your blood. It is also good for women to eat more eels.
From now on, if you find any of these eels or smaller loaches, keep them. I will buy them at ten cents per pound. I will buy as many as you can get."
Zheng Sisi turned around and said to Lily, "Lily, go back and get a wooden barrel to hold the eels."
When Lily heard that it was edible, the county lord asked her to go back and get the wooden barrel. She agreed and ran away quickly.
The loud "boom" like a thunder shocked everyone working in the field.
What did the county lord say just now? Ten cents per pound. They have lost dozens or even hundreds of cents in the past few days. They don’t know how many fish have been killed in the past few years. No one can calculate how much money has been lost. The villagers are all shocked.
Village Chief Yao stepped forward and asked, "County Master, ten cents a pound, are you really willing to accept it?"
Zheng Sisi nodded affirmatively: "Yes, eels and loaches, all of them."
Village Chief Yao asked again: "Aren't we collecting the ones from our village as well?"
Zheng Sisi: "It doesn't matter where they come from. I'll buy any eels or loaches. If you have any, you can send them to the compound. Even if I go back to Beijing, I'll arrange for someone to buy them here."
Village Chief Yao said excitedly: "Most people in Qingshui County are so poor that they can't even afford to eat. If the county lord collects eels and loaches, it will help so many people! A few kilograms of eels caught a day can buy food for a few days. I will go back and tell everyone and let the villagers spread the news."