Liu Tiezhu reacted swiftly, grabbing the steel fork and thrusting it upward, flipping the softshell turtle along with it.
With a loud boom, a massive wave surged from the riverbed, mud churning up with sand and gravel.
"Uncle, grab the net and roll it up."
Hearing Liu Tiezhu's words, his uncle immediately seized the net and rolled it into a ball, making the mesh tougher.
Liu Tieshan and Er Gouzi snapped to attention, helping the uncle haul it up rapidly.
The net was already completely ruined, so none of them felt any regret.
With a tearing sound, the fishing net snapped in two, and everyone saw only a massive dark shadow sink into the water.
"What was that?" Liu Tiezhu asked.
His uncle sighed and said, "The water's too murky; I didn't get a clear look."
"One thing's for sure—that wasn't a fish."
"Let's pull up the rest of the net and see if there's anything left."
The remaining net was about thirty meters long. The four of them worked together for seven or eight minutes before hauling it all up.
This catch was all big ones: a black carp weighing nearly twenty jin, eight mandarin fish around seven jin each, and over twenty crucian carp at two-plus jin apiece.
Besides the fish, there were also six softshell turtles, each about ten jin.
This kind of haul was an unexpected bonus.
Er Gouzi said regretfully, "I wonder what that big one that got away was."
"I'm sure it was at least fifty jin; nothing less could have that much strength."
"Probably a water fox or something, or maybe a giant catfish," his uncle said.
"Whatever it was, it's getting late—let's head back."
Liu Tiezhu called out, and everyone started moving the fish.
By the time they got home, it was getting dark, and his sister-in-law began cooking dinner.
His uncle and the other men, including Liu Tiezhu, busied themselves with processing the muntjac meat and cleaning the fish.
Liu Tiezhu suggested keeping the biggest softshell turtle and one mandarin fish for the big day tomorrow, and tonight they'd kill one turtle to stew with chicken soup.
Naturally, no one objected to that idea.
Two hours later, his sister-in-law had prepared a lavish dinner.
Stewed softshell turtle with chicken soup, steamed mandarin fish, braised muntjac meat, boletus mushrooms stewed with wild boar meat, and bamboo shoots stir-fried with muntjac tripe.
The steaming aroma made the men's stomachs growl.
Huang Xiumei set down the last dish and said to Liu Tiezhu, "Tiezhu, take two turtles and some muntjac meat over to Haitian, and invite them to come eat."
Liu Tiezhu nodded, picked out two turtles and a few pieces of muntjac meat, and headed toward Yang Family Village.
Arriving at the Yangs', he happened to find Yang Yulan preparing to cook.
Liu Tiezhu set down the turtles and muntjac meat and said, "Yulan, don't bother cooking. My sister-in-law said to come over with your brother for dinner."
"We caught seven muntjacs today and several wild softshell turtles."
Seeing the nearly ten-jin wild softshell turtles, Yang Haitian and his sister were stunned.
"Wild turtles this big are hard to come by. Tiezhu, how did you catch them?"
Yang Haitian swallowed his saliva and asked in surprise.
Liu Tiezhu said, "Lucky break—caught them at the deserted river sluice gate."
"It's getting late; let's head over."
The three returned to the Liu home, where his sister-in-law and uncle had just set the table.
"Sister Yulan, come over here."
His sister-in-law pulled Yang Yulan to sit beside her.
Little Yaoyao excitedly called out "Auntie."
Yang Haitian was seated next to the eldest brother.
Liu Tiezhu brought out the bamboo-green liquor he'd gotten from Yang Haitian and filled everyone's cups.
His uncle raised his glass and said, "Tiezhu, tomorrow is your and Yulan's big day."
"Your uncle wishes you many children and a long life together."
"Thanks, Uncle," Liu Tiezhu replied, raising his glass.
The others also lifted their cups, clinked them together, and drank it all in one go.
After dinner, his uncle and the others helped decorate Liu Tiezhu's wedding room.
Huang Xiumei brought out the prepared wedding clothes and a jade bracelet.
"Sister, tomorrow we'll truly be one family."
"I don't have anything fancy, but this jade bracelet and wedding clothes are my heartfelt gift—don't turn them down."
Yang Yulan accepted the wedding clothes but pushed the jade bracelet back.
"Sister, I can't take the jade bracelet."
Seeing Yang Yulan refuse, Huang Xiumei put on a mock-angry expression.
"Sister Yulan, if you do that, you're not treating me like family."
Hearing this, Yang Yulan quickly took it.
They chatted for nearly an hour, and when Huang Xiumei saw it was late, she had Liu Tiezhu escort the siblings home.
After Liu Tiezhu saw them back, he returned to find the room already decorated.
It didn't need much—just red paper cut with "double happiness" characters pasted everywhere.
His eldest brother brought out new clothes bought from the town and handed them to Liu Tiezhu.
He told him to wear this outfit for the wedding procession tomorrow.
The next day, Er Gouzi and his uncle got up early and bought several hundred-meter strings of firecrackers.
Huang Xiumei also rose early and went into the kitchen to prepare the wedding feast.
His eldest brother drove the mule cart, pulling Tiezhu toward Yang Family Village.
At the Yangs', Yang Yulan had put on her red wedding dress, tied her hair with a red ribbon, and sat on the bed in her room, waiting for Liu Tiezhu to come for her.
Yang Haitian sat in the main hall, also dressed in new clothes, a smile on his face.
His sister marrying Liu Tiezhu was no loss.
Not to mention anything else, just those thousands of jin of wild chicken meat alone was a huge sum.
Besides, Liu Tiezhu had given a generous betrothal gift.
Though he wouldn't accept those gifts, it showed that Liu Tiezhu's family valued him and his sister highly.
Setting that aside, Liu Tiezhu's character was reliable—that was the key reason he felt at ease.
Just then, the courtyard gate made a sound.
Yang Haitian knew it was Liu Tieshan and his brother coming for the bride, so he quickly lit the firecrackers.
Liu Tieshan and Yang Haitian exchanged some auspicious words, then let Liu Tiezhu go into the room to fetch the bride.
In no time, Liu Tiezhu came out carrying Yang Yulan in her red dress on his back.
The four returned to the Liu home, and Yang Yulan stepped over the threshold, officially becoming a member of the Liu family.
His uncle lit the firecrackers, and his sister-in-law set out the wine and dishes.
The whole family gathered around warmly, celebrating this joyous day.
After the meal, according to local custom, it was time for the newlyweds to enter the bridal chamber.
Liu Tiezhu took Yang Yulan's hand and led her back to the room.
On a day like this, you couldn't let the opportunity slip by.
Inside the room, Yang Yulan blushed, her hands clutching the hem of her clothes, her heart pounding wildly.
Though she had mentally prepared herself, actually doing this still made her nervous.
Liu Tiezhu sat down beside her, gently taking her hand. "Yulan, are you nervous?"
"Mm!"
Yang Yulan's voice was soft, and she bit her lip as she nodded.
This gesture instantly stirred Liu Tiezhu's desire, and his hand reached for her inner garment.
Yang Yulan's whole body trembled, but she didn't pull back.
Liu Tiezhu's hand was shaking too, but he didn't stop.
After the third button was undone, the thin undergarment barely covering her pale skin made Liu Tiezhu's breath quicken.
"Yulan..."
Liu Tiezhu called out softly, burying his head down.
Yang Yulan's trembling hands wrapped around Liu Tiezhu's head, letting out a soft moan.
Liu Tiezhu lifted his head and pressed his lips to Yang Yulan's.
He pushed her top up completely, pressing his body tightly against hers...