Old Tang jumped out of the car, smiling all over his face, and shouted fussily: "Boss Cheng, didn't you go to Yiyang? Why did you come to the provincial party committee?"
Old Tang always called Cheng Zihua "Boss". It is said that this is the most popular name in official circles. Everyone calls their leaders "boss" to appear down-to-earth.
This kind of nondescript appellation has been stopped by the above. But everyone still calls it that in private.
It seems unreasonable for Old Tang to call Cheng Zihua like that. After all, there is no relationship between the two of them as superiors and subordinates, and they can't fight together.
But Old Tang still insisted on calling it that way, it was nothing more than deliberately highlighting that Cheng Zihua's identity was different.
Cheng Zihua smiled and said: "Brother Tang, don't make a fuss. I was supposed to go to Yiyang today, but I was temporarily arranged to come to the provincial party committee. Is it strange?"
"It's not surprising. It's not surprising at all." Old Tang said with a smile: "The big boss has received you?"
Cheng Zihua hummed, and asked him: "You said last time that there is a place where the fish is delicious. Yishan and I haven't eaten yet, so take us to eat fish."
Old Tang readily agreed: "Okay, okay. I'll make a phone call first to see if they have the goods at home. If they don't have them, it's a waste of time to go."
Old Tang went to the side to make a phone call, Xu Yishan whispered to Cheng Zihua: "Mayor Cheng, why not, let's find some place to eat. Tomorrow morning we have to go to Yiyang City to gather."
Cheng Zihua said carelessly: "Don't worry, we won't delay the matter." He said in a low voice, "Yishan, this fish is not an ordinary fish. It is commonly known as 'river tiger', definitely a wild river fish. It grows up by eating other small fish. Yes, the meat is delicious, a rare delicacy in the world."
Of course Xu Yishan knows what kind of fish the "river tiger" is, but it is actually a native wild catfish.
In the barefoot era of his father Xu, this kind of catfish was found all over the rivers, ponds, weirs and valleys, and it was regarded as a wild fish. Unwelcome. It is not much different from an Egyptian pond fish that was introduced later with a very similar appearance. It's just that the Egyptian pond fish grows up by eating all kinds of decayed animal carcasses, while the river tiger only eats live food and never eats carrion.
The biggest difference between the two is that the Egyptian pond fish has eight beards, commonly known as octopus. The river tiger has only one beard, and each beard represents its soul.
In the 28 reservoirs of Maoshan, there are shadows of river tigers. Xu Yishan once saw the largest river tiger in Wuxiu Reservoir, weighing more than two hundred catties. Just two beards alone can hold two big sea bowls.
It is difficult to verify when the river tiger became a rare delicacy. But now it is not easy to eat real river tigers.
The Perfume River crosses Hengyue City, and the downstream is Jucheng City, where the provincial capital of the central province is located. There are river tigers in the Perfume River, but it takes experienced fishermen to have a chance to catch them.
The place that Old Tang took them to was not a luxury restaurant, not even a professional place to eat. But a wooden boat.
After finishing the phone call, Old Tang turned around excitedly, and said in a low voice, "Brother, it's good food, it's in stock, and it's still a big one."
Xu Yishan didn't want to spoil the fun of the two of them, so he got into Lao Tang's car.
Old Tang parked his car in a parking lot by the river, and greeted them, "Come on, let's wait by the river, and he will pick us up by boat."
After waiting for almost an hour, I saw a fishing boat tearing through the water in the Perfume River and chug over.
When the boat docked, a man on the boat put up a plank and greeted them to get on the boat.
Old Tang led the way, Cheng Zihua followed, and Xu Yishan walked last, boarding a small fishing boat that looked like a sampan.
This kind of boat can be seen everywhere in the Perfume River in the past. It is a basic tool for fishermen along the coast to find a living. After the ban on fishing in the Perfume River, the small boats were put under centralized management and chained to the river to prevent them from fishing.
There is an arched awning on the boat, and bedding can be seen vaguely inside.
At the stern, a young woman with a delicate face is at the helm. She saw the guests get on the boat, she backed the boat a few meters, suddenly increased the motor, and the small fishing boat slashed away.
Old Tang obviously knew the captain very well. He handed the captain a cigarette and said with a smile, "brother, where is the goods? Let me see."
The owner of the boat is a man in his forties, looking strong and capable. He has been fishing in the Perfume River for a living all his life. He and Tang are old friends.
In the cabin, there is a strong stove, a few wooden benches, and a small round table, simple and crude.
Xu Yishan asked curiously: "Is it still possible to fish now?"
Cheng Zihua smiled and said: "Rules will only scare some timid people. Bold people, ignore the rules."Xu Yishan smiled wryly and said: "You mean to starve the bold to death and the timid to death?"
Cheng Zihua smiled, "You can't say that. This is just telling us a common sense, people must learn to survive in adversity. Look at Yu Xiaoer, his ancestors lived on this river. Suddenly they are not allowed to catch fish, ask them to go ashore. Do you know that these fishermen have no land on the shore, and some fishermen don¡¯t even have a place on the shore where they want to build a house. Tell me, what do they do for a living?¡±
Xu Yishan asked suspiciously: "Didn't the state provide subsidies during the fishing ban?"
"How much money can the subsidy have?" Cheng Zihua sighed: "If they have no other way of survival, relying on such subsidies alone, I am afraid they will all starve to death."
From Cheng Zihua's words, Xu Yishan knew that he was also acquainted with the owner of the fishing boat, and that the owner's name was Yu Xiaoer.
The twilight is getting thicker and thicker, and the lights on both sides of the river are reflected on the river surface, and the stars are dotted like a sky full of stars.
It's almost late autumn, the river wind is blowing, and it's starting to feel cool.
Yu Xiaoer stood at the bow of the boat against the wind, his open clothes rattled by the river wind.
Xu Yishan and Cheng Zihua sat on the wooden bench in the cabin, while Old Tang went to the stern, chatting and laughing with the boat lady who was sailing.
He occasionally took a look at the stern of the ship, and despite the dim light, he still found that Old Tang and the ship's wife were very close to each other, and their state seemed extremely intimate. I didn't read any more, and thought to myself, it seemed a little unreasonable for Old Tang to act like this in front of his husband.
Xu Yishan asked curiously: "Where are we going?"
Cheng Zihua pointed to the lights on both sides of the strait and smiled, "We can't moor the boat here to make a fire and cook, right? We have to go to a relatively secluded place."
Xu Yishan asked: "Have you been here?"
Cheng Zihua didn't hide anything, he smiled and said, "I've been here. All the foodies in Orange City should know where it is."
Xu Yishan groaned, but did not speak again. Eyes looking at the vast river, watching the sparkling waves being torn and crushed by the boat, sailing into the depths of the long night.
The fishing boat walked in the river for more than an hour, and the lights on both sides of the river had been left far behind, and only a few stars could be seen faintly. The roar of the motor finally subsided, and the fishing boat began to dock.
Xu Yishan looked around and knew that they had already left Jucheng.
Old Tang came over from the stern and said loudly, "Brothers, we're here."
Yu Xiaoer at the bow lightly tapped the long pole and guided the fishing boat to the shore.
The boat lady also came over, she glanced at Xu Yishan, smiled shyly, and said softly: "Is this the boss's first time here?"
Xu Yishan replied, "Yes, Boss Tang said, your family has delicious food in the world. I'm greedy, so I'm here."
The boat lady smiled like a flower, and directed her husband Yu Xiaoer: "Take out the battery."
Yu Xiaoer brought out a large battery, connected it to the electricity, and the whole area brightened up.
Xu Yishan never expected that if he ate a fish, he would get into trouble.