Chapter 12: Fishing Is Just This Easy

The next morning, Jiang Yi got up to check on the soap's solidification progress.

The soap hadn't fully solidified yet; it would take about two more days.

From solidification to complete saponification also required a month.

Making soap took a long time and was costly.

Jiang Yi wrote the production date on the bamboo tube so he would know when it could be given away or sold.

After breakfast with his wife, he took his fishing gear and headed out.

Shen Rong stayed home to make clothes for Jiang Yi and reminded him to be careful outside.

Jiang Yi went to Chang Youliang’s house and invited him to fish by the river.

“Brother Liang, are you free to go fishing with me today?”

“I have to deliver ice blocks to the prefect’s residence today, so I can’t go fishing with you,” Chang Youliang replied.

Though he wanted to fish with Jiang Yi, he still had to continue delivering ice blocks.

“By the way, about what I asked you to find out—any news?”

Chang Youliang shook his head slightly. “I asked the military instructor about borrowing two crossbows. He said military crossbows can’t be lent out.”

He also wrote to his father to see if they could borrow two crossbows from the Hanjiangguan garrison for Jiang Yi.

This outcome was expected by Jiang Yi; crossbows were strictly controlled by the government.

For someone like Jiang Yi, borrowing crossbows was impossible.

“That’s all right. I’m still very grateful for your help. Would you like to join me in making money? We can split the profits.”

“My father forbids me from going into business. But if you need my help, just say so.”

Chang Youliang was currently working for the Hanzhou prefecture; perhaps he could secure a minor official post in the future.

Jiang Chong understood that Chang Youliang had prospects ahead.

In Daliang, social status was divided into three, six, and nine ranks—scholars, farmers, artisans, and merchants—with merchants ranking low.

Merchants within three generations were prohibited from holding official positions or taking imperial exams.

“If I had other choices, I wouldn’t want to be a merchant either. Hunting isn’t a long-term plan, and I don’t have a farmer’s household registration.”

Jiang Yi didn’t intend to be a merchant forever; once he had enough capital, he would develop his own power base.

“If you go fishing, bring a knife with you. If you encounter a wild beast, you can defend yourself. This knife is yours.”

Since Jiang Yi warned the villagers about tigers around Niutou Mountain, many stayed home for the past two days, afraid to go out.

“Thank you for the knife. If you ever need my help, just say so.”

Jiang Yi noted Chang Youliang’s kindness and vowed to repay him in the future.

“We’re good friends; you don’t have to be so formal.”

“I’m off to fish now.”

Jiang Yi bade farewell and went alone to the riverbank.

When he arrived, only a few people were fishing.

There had been many more a few days ago, but after rumors of tigers nearby, no one dared to venture out.

The fishermen by the river looked at Jiang Yi with new respect because he had recently caught wild deer, boar, and rabbits.

Most people couldn’t do that. If it weren't for the tiger threat around Niutou Mountain, they would have gone hunting too.

Jiang Yi took a handful of bait from his fish basket and scattered it into the river. At the start of fishing, baiting the spot was basic procedure.

The other fishermen looked puzzled, thinking Jiang Yi didn’t know how to fish.

“Don’t you think it’s wasteful to scatter so much bait into the river?”

The man’s tone wasn’t mocking; he just didn’t want Jiang Yi to waste bait.

“I’m baiting the spot to attract fish; this makes it easier for them to bite.”

Jiang Yi scattered another handful, unwilling to skimp on bait if it meant no fish.

He noticed others only put tiny pieces of bait on their hooks—not enough even to fill the fish’s teeth.

“We never scatter bait like that. Where did you learn it?”

Jiang Yi was honest. “I just thought of it and wanted to see if it would attract fish.”

Since they wanted to catch fish, he shared his method openly.

After a while, many big fish swam toward Jiang Yi’s baited spot.

The other fishermen were shocked; they hadn’t expected so many fish just from two handfuls of bait.

That wasn’t all—soon, the fish would surface as if intoxicated.

A striped bass bit the hook, and after some struggle, Jiang Yi pulled it from the water.

He tied the fish into a bow shape with thin hemp rope to keep it alive longer.

After securing the fish, he put it into the fish basket and saw several fish still floating on the water’s surface.

The others were even more stunned, wondering what Jiang Yi had put in the bait.

Those fish were still alive but seemed drunk.

Jiang Yi used a net to scoop up the fish and tied each one into a bow shape.

“Don’t you know how to tie fish? Let me help,” one villager said, offering to tie the fish and seeking fishing tips.

“Tying fish like this keeps them alive longer. If you want to learn, I can teach you.”

The others watched as he used his bow-fish technique to tie the fish; if they wanted to learn, he was happy to show them.

He quickly tied all the scooped fish, ensuring each stayed fresh.

The villagers had been fishing for a while but hadn’t caught a single fish.

“Your bait looks similar to ours. Can we buy some from you?”

They wanted to ask what secret ingredient Jiang Yi added to make fish surface after eating the bait.

Jiang Yi naturally kept that to himself—it might be his exclusive formula.

“If you want to buy my bait, it’s three for a penny. I guarantee fish will bite.”

The villagers felt the price was reasonable and bought several packs.

If they caught a big fish, it would be quite profitable.

The fishermen around eagerly bought the bait and hooked it onto their lines.

Jiang Yi noticed only ten pieces of bait remained in his basket, so he decided to keep those for himself.

“That’s all I have left. I’ll keep them for my own fishing.”

Although the bait was running low, another basket was full of fish.

After using Jiang Yi’s bait, fish bit quickly, and the struggle on the line was much easier.

“The fish will recover after a while. Don’t worry about eating them. My bait isn’t toxic; the fish just get drunk.”

Everyone believed Jiang Yi’s words; the fish really looked intoxicated.

After some time, others caught fish too, and laughter filled the riverbank.

Though they hadn’t caught as many as Jiang Yi, at least they wouldn’t return empty-handed.

“Your bait is amazing! The fish struggle just a little and then get caught easily.”

The fishermen praised Jiang Yi, impressed by his cleverness.

Once regarded as the village’s failure, he now earned their respect.

“If you come fishing again tomorrow, bring more bait to sell us.”

“I’ll make more bait when I get back. Buy more tomorrow, and I’ll throw in extras.”

Selling bait was indeed profitable for Jiang Yi.

After a while, the bait was used up, and he had caught forty fish.

Each fish weighed about three to four pounds. He planned to sell them in Hanyang City that afternoon.

The others were shocked—Jiang Yi had caught more fish than any of them.

Their fishing methods were similar but clearly differed in subtle ways.

The villagers, joyful, gradually left the riverbank, happy to have fish for dinner.

Jiang Yi spotted a few roe deer in the distance to the west and wondered if he could catch one.

“Hunting roe deer is much easier than hunting wild deer. I’ll deliver the fish first, then come back to catch deer.”

He carried the fish home and fetched some tools to trap the roe deer.

Roe deer were worth much more than fish; perhaps these deer had been scared down from the mountains by wild beasts.

There’s a saying: “Beat the roe deer with a stick, scoop fish with a ladle, and let the wild chicken fly into the cooking pot.”

If he could catch a few more, he and his wife could enjoy venison that night and improve their meals.

The rest could be sold to the Zhao family for a good price.