With seven people and two flashlights, they simply divided into two teams.
Cicada monkeys are very easy to catch at night. When you shine a flashlight on the tree trunks, you will see them everywhere, but they are located too low and too close to the ground.
Maybe it was just getting dark and they had just crawled out of the soil along the tree trunk.
Seven people were squatting there to catch it. It was so easy to catch it that they moved to another position in a short while.
"Fuck, I killed another stinky mosquito!"
"Damn, I should have worn long sleeves and long pants!"
Listening to them complaining, Ye Yaodong and A Guang were glad that they had not yet taken a shower and were still wearing their work long-sleeved shirts and long pants.
They gave up catching mosquitoes only after their legs became numb from squatting and their bodies were bitten by mosquitoes.
"I can't stand it anymore. There are too many mosquitoes. Let's go. There are enough for drinks."
"Go, go, go, my head is almost full of lumps."
"I have to be prepared next time."
"I've just taken a shower and am wearing a singlet, but I'm still going out with you guys to act crazy. I must be too full!"
Ye Yaodong lifted the bag and felt it. "It should be about 4-5 kilograms. When we get back, each of us can take a little home. A Guang can take more and leave some for tomorrow's drinking. It's a good opportunity to catch some fish from the river, so we don't have to go to the dock to buy seafood. It's also nice to eat local products from the river occasionally."
"Sure. I'm about to throw up after eating all those shellfish recently. I dug too much and have to eat them every day! I even dried them and eat them! I must not dig so much next time."
"Let's go down the mountain first and talk about this later."
They were scratching here and there, and were really bitten by mosquitoes. Ye Yaodong only felt a slight itch on his neck.
"Go to the river and try to pull the trap to see how much has been put in. Then go back. There's nothing to put in there anyway. I'll come back tomorrow morning to collect it. Don't bother with that."
"Dongzi has been working for a few days and seems to have matured a lot." Haozi has been busy recently and has not seen Ye Yaodong for a while. When they met tonight, he felt that he was a little different. He looked much more mature and stable than before. He used to be sloppy and unruly all day long.
"As a human being, you will eventually grow up. Working... ah... it really is a training. Can't you see that I have become several shades darker?"
"Indeed, it was only after my father took me to Yujing Wharf to carry goods for a few days that I realized that life was not easy for him and my mother."
Ye Yaodong patted his shoulder and said, "It's not too late to work hard and earn money. Only one-third of your life has passed."
"What if I die young?"
"Fuck, you're cursing yourself. Are you tired of living? I want to live to be 80 years old..."
"Did you hear any noise?"
"Isn't it just the sound of us talking?"
"Fuck you, don't scare me in the middle of the night. My hair is standing on end. Go away."
"Coward, it's not even eight o'clock now, wait until midnight before you get nervous."
Ye Yaodong admires the train of thought of these people. They have gone off topic before saying a few serious words. And they are quite imaginative, talking about this and that...
Several people were chattering and pushing and shoving as they hurried down the mountain and headed towards the ditch.
"I haven't done this kind of thing for a few years. I feel like I can't stand the mosquito bites anymore. I used to be happy when I got a lot of bites on my head."
“It means you’re old!”
"It's a pity that the grapefruits around here are not ripe yet, otherwise we could steal a few."
"Come back in two months!"
"How about your own back garden?"
"You talk as if you haven't stolen any!"
…
In the summer fields, the evening breeze carries the fresh scent of earth, and the surrounding fields are filled with the sounds of frogs. There is none of the noise of the city, and the only sounds on the path are the chattering and laughing of their group of people.
When they reached the river, they untied the rope tied to the big rock and slowly pulled the cage up.
Two flashlights were pointed at the trap at the same time. As they were slowly pulled up, everyone saw several crayfish crawling on the grid inside the cage. Ye Yaodong was delighted, knowing that there must be crayfish in the river.
By the time he pulled up the entire net, the fish bag underneath was already filled with many crayfish, loaches, and small fish.
Everyone was very happy. They didn't expect that after just a short while, there would be something quite interesting.
"We don't have anything to pack it with. I'll let them go first. Leave it there overnight and there will definitely be more tomorrow. It won't kill anyone after just one night."
The sack he brought before was used to hold the cicada monkeys. Anyway, he would have to put it away and cook it tomorrow if he took it back.
Ah Guang also pulled up another trap and took a look. He said excitedly, "I'll get up early with you tomorrow to collect them. There are quite a lot of crayfish here, and they are quite big."
"Come over when you can. I get up early every day anyway."
"Okay, let's go back."
After putting the cage back, the group of people walked back in a mighty procession.
After going out, at least they didn't return empty-handed. A Guang's house was quite close to the village entrance, so everyone went directly to his house first. There were no adults at home anyway, so they could take the things from his house and everyone could take some home.
Ye Yaodong waited until they had all taken out before pouring it for A Guang. He then shook the little bit left at the bottom of the sack and saw that it was almost enough.
"Pour more over and save some for tomorrow's drinking. There aren't many people in my family, and my two sisters don't eat this stuff. You have a big family."
"Okay, I do have a lot of family members!" He didn't bother to be polite with A Guang.
When he returned home in the dark, the house was quiet. He locked the door with his own hands and feet, tied up the sack and threw it into the pile of firewood next to the earthen stove. If his mother saw it tomorrow, she would naturally deal with it.
For fear of waking up his wife and children, he did not go into the house to get clothes. Instead, he went directly to the backyard, stripped naked in his shorts and took a shower. Then he went into the house, dripping wet, to get a towel to wipe himself.
Lin Xiuqing was not asleep. She sat up when she heard the sound of the door being bolted. She waited for a long time before the door was opened.
"Didn't you say you were going to set up a trap by the river? Why are you so late?"
"I went to catch cicada monkeys by the way. I brought some back and asked mom to fry some tomorrow."
"Will the trap disappear if it's left in the river overnight?"
"Not really. I'll go get them tomorrow morning. Are you worried about this and that's why you didn't sleep?"
"No, I just put the two kids to sleep and I'm ready to go to bed."
After Ye Yaodong changed into clean shorts, he walked to the bed, propped his hands on the bed, leaned over and put his forehead against hers, "Is it because I'm not back that you can't sleep?"
"Nonsense, it would be better if you didn't come back. The bed would be more empty and it wouldn't be crowded when sleeping." She moved her butt back and was about to lie down, but he kissed her secretly.
"You say one thing and mean another! If I hadn't come back, you would have cried!"
Lin Xiuqing rolled her eyes at him and lay down.
Ye Yaodong was in a very good mood. He had worked very hard during the day, so he only felt relaxed when he went out to play with friends at night and came back to tease his wife.