Chapter 006: The Small Figure in My Memories

Holding the five hundred yuan in her hand, his mother was overjoyed, though there was still a trace of disbelief on her face. "Are softshell turtles really worth that much?"

"It's true, absolutely. Why would I lie to you?" Wang Qiang answered, his tone certain.

His mother showed a hint of regret. "If I'd known they were so valuable, I would have caught those two turtles I saw at Xigou Shoal a couple of days ago."

Wang Qiang's eyes lit up. "Xigou Shoal? The one by the river west of our house?"

She tucked the money into her pocket. "Yes, that's the one. I saw them the other day, but they darted back into the water in a flash. Who knows where they've swum off to now."

Indeed, whether turtles or other river creatures, they never linger in one place. Today they might be at Xigou Shoal by his house; tomorrow, who knows, they might drift all the way to the big river.

Still, he made a mental note of it.

The crayfish were quickly trimmed and ready. Wang Qiang started the fire. There was no gas stove in the countryside; everyone still used earthen stoves. Of course, each region was a little different, but their family’s earthen stove had two pots and, in the middle, a stainless steel pot meant for simmering broth. But their family was poor, and that pot was almost never used for soup—just for boiling water.

He grabbed some straw and struck a match. Wang Qiang was careful; he let the straw catch fire for a while before pushing it into the stove, adding two more handfuls until the flames were strong enough to switch to dried rapeseed stalks.

The weather was stifling. After only a short while tending the fire, sweat was streaming down his face.

His mother poured oil into the pot, and when it was hot, she tossed in the spices. With a loud sizzle, she followed with the cleaned crayfish, stir-frying them until they turned red, then added water to boil.

Not long after, the crayfish were done.

There was some cold rice left from breakfast. Now, in summer, there was little risk of getting sick from it.

Mother and son sat at the square table, each taking a place on the long bench, and began to eat.

"Mmm, this tastes really good." His mother took a crayfish and was very satisfied.

Wang Qiang smiled. "Eat as much as you like." These days, only poor families ate crayfish; it wasn’t like later, when crayfish would cost dozens of yuan per pound. Seeing his mother happy, he felt a sense of calm. He resolved to find a way to earn more money before the New Year, help the family pay off their debts, and not let things end up as they had in his memory—his parents cooking fish and meat for the holiday, saving it untouched for guests during the Lantern Festival.

During the meal, his mother chattered on about how poor they were, how Wang Qiang had suffered, and told him to focus on studying at home instead of catching turtles and crayfish by the river.

"Alright, that's enough. Meal's over." She swept the crayfish shells into a big bowl and reminded him, "Your father and I will take care of your tuition. Don't go to the river—it's not safe."

Wang Qiang said nothing. He understood her worries, but having decided to give his parents a better life, how could he not try? Glancing at the red clay walls around him, his eyes grew distant, and he began to long for his wife and son again.

His wife's name was Yu Meili, lively by nature.

She was not a stunning beauty, but rather delicately pretty. Wang Qiang still remembered how her bobbed hair had caught his eye the first time they met—in those days, when every woman wore her hair long, it was rare to see someone with a bob.

He had to admit that her oval face suited the bob perfectly, and with her large, expressive eyes, she seemed to possess a special kind of spirit.

But over the years, as time passed, wrinkles began to appear on her face, her hands grew rough from endless housework, and her once lively energy was gradually replaced by a gentle warmth.

He hadn’t only dated pretty girls before; in fact, he still cherished memories of that one girl who made his heart race to this day. But in comparison, Meili was the one best suited to be a wife.

Perhaps it was as people said: in life, you are destined to meet two kinds of people—one who takes your breath away, and one who gently shapes your years.

Wang Qiang clenched his fist. He would find his wife again. They were married in their past life; naturally, in this one, they would be as well.

At this moment, he made up his mind about several things: to ensure his parents lived well, to find his wife, to let his son be born into wealth, and, of course, to make something of himself.

As he was pondering these things, his mother came out dressed in old clothes. "I'm heading to the fields. Don't wander off."

"Okay," Wang Qiang replied, though in his mind he thought, Stay put? Impossible. He still had to buy fishing traps this afternoon and set them in the river.

Shortly after his mother left, Wang Qiang wheeled out his bicycle, locked the door, and set off toward the neighboring Siyi Town.

Minqiang Town was small and didn't have a fishing gear shop. Because of its size, it would soon be merged into Siyi Town in a few years.

…

Siyi Town.

Farmer’s Street, at the general store near the east end.

Wang Qiang stopped his bicycle, walked in, and called out, "Anyone here?"

"Wait a moment, I'll go get my dad," came a girl's voice from inside.

Wang Qiang stood in the doorway, glancing at the fishing nets hanging there. Unfortunately, he knew nothing about using nets; he’d have to settle for buying some traps instead.

Footsteps approached, and a burly, shirtless middle-aged man emerged, his voice booming, "What do you need?"

A girl followed behind him, with delicate features. Wang Qiang glanced at her and felt she looked familiar, but thought nothing of it. "Boss, do you have any fish traps?"

No sooner had he finished speaking than the girl asked, "Wang Qiang, what do you want fish traps for?"

She knows me? Wang Qiang looked at her in surprise—she did look familiar, but honestly, he couldn’t remember. He smiled, "Nothing much, just catching some fish at home."

The girl gave a brief "oh" and said nothing more, only gazing at him.

"Lijuan, you know him?" the man laughed.

She nodded. "He’s my classmate."

Hearing their exchange, Wang Qiang suddenly remembered who she was—Jiang Lijuan, his classmate from three years of middle school. But they’d had little contact back then; no wonder he hadn’t recognized her.

Jiang’s father said, "Since you’re classmates, I’ll give you a discount."

"Thank you," Wang Qiang replied. People here were still honest; if someone promised you a discount, they usually meant it, unlike later on when businessfolk would just overcharge acquaintances.

Jiang’s father bent down to rummage through the stock. "I have two types of fish traps. Which kind do you want?"

"Let me take a look," Wang Qiang said.

With Jiang Lijuan’s help, her father quickly found two kinds: one shaped like a food cover, but with a nylon mesh bottom and seven or eight barbed holes around the sides so that fish could swim in but not out. The second was a ground trap, which needed no explanation—its power was infamous, and eventually it was banned by national fisheries law.

"How much is the ground trap?" Wang Qiang asked.

"Thirty," Jiang’s father replied.

"And this one?" Wang Qiang pointed to the other.

"Ten," came the answer.

Wang Qiang thought for a moment. "Give me two ground traps and four round ones." Then he bargained, "How about ninety for all of them?"

Jiang’s father waved him off. "No, no, there’s not much profit in these."

Wang Qiang grinned, unfazed. "Not much profit? You make at least ten yuan on each ground trap, and two or three on each round one. I’m buying a bunch here—knock off ten yuan, and I'll come back again." He was no shy youngster; with the soul of a man in his thirties or forties, he felt no embarrassment about bargaining.

Jiang Lijuan blinked at him, as if she barely recognized this former classmate—he wasn’t quite how she remembered him from school.

Having his profit margin exposed, Jiang’s father didn’t seem embarrassed, only protested, "It’s not as much as you think, honestly. But since you’re my daughter’s classmate, ninety it is."

If there’s no profit, why sell them at all? Wang Qiang thought, amused. But since he’d gotten what he wanted, he cheerfully handed over a hundred yuan.

Jiang’s father gave him two five-yuan bills as change.

When it came time to collect the traps, Jiang Lijuan had already bent down to help, handing him two of the round ones. "Let me help you."

Wang Qiang paused, "Thank you."

They carried the traps outside, where he put them on the back of his bicycle. Jiang Lijuan brought out some plastic twine.

"I heard you got into Siyi High School?" she asked, making conversation.

As he tied the traps, Wang Qiang answered with a noncommittal "Mm," then added, "What about you?"

Jiang Lijuan sighed. "I didn’t do well. My dad signed me up for the Open University."

"You’ll be going to school in the county, then?" Wang Qiang asked.

"What else?" She looked troubled. "I hear there are a lot of bad apples at the Open University. I really don’t want to go."

Wang Qiang comforted her, "It’s the same everywhere."

She pouted. "I’m just worried about my future."

Wang Qiang, in good spirits, teased her, "Well, just marry a rich man and you’ll have all the prospects you want."

"Bah! I didn’t expect you to become so slick. I have no intention of relying on any man," Jiang Lijuan retorted, but her eyes curved into crescent moons.

Wang Qiang laughed and didn’t say more. He still had to prepare bait, and time was tight. "I have to get going now."

Jiang Lijuan nodded and said nothing more.

Wang Qiang turned his bike around and pushed off with a strong pedal.

Suddenly, Jiang Lijuan’s voice called from behind, "Come visit me at the Open University when you have time—I’ll introduce you to someone!"