Fishing Trap

There was a large area of flat land in front of the stone mountain and bamboo forest. The terrain was low lying and damp. In particular, where the stream flowed, there were almost only bushes and weeds growing. There were fewer tall trees.

Jiang Xuan planned to choose a low-lying area near a stream and dig a pool to verify a fishing method that he had in mind.

"Sister, come with me to set a trap."

This world was too dangerous. Even though it was not far from the bamboo forest, Jiang Xuan decided to bring Chi Shao with him for protection.

"Set what kind of trap?" Chi Shao asked curiously.

"A fishing trap."

"You can use traps to catch fish?" asked a surprised Chi Shao.

The people of the Deer Tribe ate fish because the Southern Wilderness was very rich in water resources. Mountain springs and streams were everywhere, and natural resources like fish were abundant. The tribe would not let go of any meat that could be obtained.

However, they were usually in the stream. They used wooden sticks to smash, grab with their bare hands, or stab fish with spears. They did not even have a harpoon.

As for places with deep water, such as small rivers, they would not approach them.

This was because in the past, many people were dragged into the water by terrifying big fish and could not be saved.

"You'll understand if you come with me." As the saying went, seeing was believing. Jiang Xuan did not explain too much.

"Okay, I'll go with you."

Chi Shao trusted Jiang Xuan very much because he was her younger brother. Moreover, Jiang Xuan had proven his ability by building bamboo houses and making bone plows.

"I'm coming too!"

Hook Vine quickly picked up another bone plow. "I can help you dig a trap. I'm very strong and especially fast at digging!"

"And me. If we encounter wild beasts, I can help hunt them."

Stone Loach immediately brought his bamboo bow and bone spear. He did not want to stay in the bamboo house.

The youngest South Star hugged his wooden spear and looked at Jiang Xuan eagerly. "If all of you go, you can't leave me behind, right? What if a ferocious beast breaks in? I'm so young…"

Jiang Xuan said helplessly, "Okay, okay, okay. Everyone, go."

After getting Jiang Xuan's reply, the three youths immediately beamed with joy. They brought their weapons and prepared to leave.

"Since everyone is out, there's no one to look after the fire pit. Let's put a few fire logs in first, in case we have to start a new fire when we come back."

Behind the bamboo forest was a stone mountain with forests on both sides. Because the withered bamboo could not withstand the heat, they picked up many withered trees and piled them under the eaves for firewood.

Chi Shao carried two thick pieces of dead tree from outside the bamboo house and placed them in the fire pit. This kind of log burned slowly and could burn for a long time.

After closing the door, Jiang Xuan brought along the bone plows and some bamboo tubes before leaving with the others.

"Chirp chirp chirp…"

"Ji ji, Ji…"

Jiang Xuan and the others walked along the stream. They could hear all kinds of birds and insects chirping. It had been autumn for a while now, and the vegetation was gradually turning yellow. This should be the last celebration of the insects.

The deeper they went, the flatter the terrain became. The stream became deeper, and the fish swimming in the water were larger.

Chi Shao gripped her short spear, listening warily for any sign of movement. As the only warrior among the five who had entered the hunting ground, she knew better than to let her guard down anywhere.

When the stream looked very deep, Jiang Xuan stopped walking forward. At this moment, they were more than 200 meters away from the bamboo house.

One should not underestimate these 200 meters. It was not easy to make a path by walking more than 200 meters in a place with dense vegetation.

Of course, after they had walked a few more times in the future and completely suppressed or even eliminated the vegetation along the way, this path would be easier to walk.

Jiang Xuan looked around and finally chose a low-lying area with sparse weeds beside the stream. He said, "Let's dig here."

"Alright, I'll get rid of this grass first."

Hook Vine picked up the bone plow and swept across the area, cutting off the weeds along the way. Then he used the bone plow to shovel the grass. This way, it would be much more convenient when he worked.

Hook Vine caused such a huge commotion that the fish in the stream fled and temporarily went into hiding.

But there was no need to worry. When the commotion died down, they would reappear.

Jiang Xuan and Hook Vine used the bone plows to weed the grass while Chi Shao used a stone knife, Stone Loach used a bone spear, and South Star used a wooden spear. Everyone was trying their best to remove the grass.

Soon the larger weeds on the ground were basically cleared.

Hook Vine did not find it tiring at all. He asked enthusiastically, "Xuan, what do we do next?"

"There's no need to dig too deep a pool. This big should suffice"

Jiang Xuan used the bone plow to draw a circle on the ground. It was about two meters in diameter.

"Okay, let's get started."

The five of them used their respective tools to dig up the soil.

Jiang Xuan and Hook Vine were the fastest at digging. This was because they had bone plows. As long as they stepped on the horizontal pole of the bone plow, the bone plow would sink into the moist soil easily. When they lifted it up, they could dig up a large mass of soil.

With the five of them working together, a pool about two meters in diameter and forty centimeters deep was dug an hour later.

In the process of digging, they also dug out a lot of fat earthworms. There were dozens of them and Jiang Xuan packed them all in bamboo tubes.

"The next step is to draw the stream water into this pool."

The newly dug pool was less than half a meter away from the stream. Jiang Xuan used the bone plow to dig a water inlet that was about 20 centimeters wide. The stream immediately flowed into the pool with a splash, and soon filled the pool.

Jiang Xuan found another wooden stick and smashed all the earthworms in the bamboo tubes. Then he grabbed a few stones and stuffed them into the bamboo tubes.

Finally, he placed the bamboo tubes in the center of the newly dug pool.

Because of the rocks and the water, the bamboo tubes quickly sank to the bottom.

"Alright, let's take a break."

Jiang Xuan washed his hands and cleaned the bone plows before sitting down on a rock.

That's it?

Chi Shao and the three youths were a little confused. Is digging a pit, filling it with water, and putting in some mashed earthworms the so-called fishing trap?

Jiang Xuan explained with a smile, "Fishing is different from beast-catching. The wild beasts in the mountain have feet and can run around, but fish don't have feet. They can only move around in places with water and can't go ashore."

Jiang Xuan pointed at the newly dug pool and said, "This pool is connected to the stream. The earthworms in the pool are bait. In order to let the smell of the earthworms spread faster in the water, I specially smashed them.

When the fish in the stream smell the earthworms, they will swim to the pool we dug through that inlet.

When the fish come in, we just have to move a big rock to block the inlet. The fish inside won't be able to get out.

When the time comes, we can easily catch the fish in such a small pool with such shallow water!"

After hearing Jiang Xuan's explanation, the four of them were dumbfounded. They felt that what Jiang Xuan said made sense, but they did not dare to believe it because it was too simple.

They were resting on the grass at the side skeptically, looking into the pool from time to time.

Time passed, bit by bit. After the surroundings quietened down, the fish that were hiding swam in the stream again.

Not long after, some fish with a sharp sense of smell smelled the stench of earthworms. They swam in the direction of the smell and entered the pool without hesitation. They circled the bamboo tubes, wanting to eat the food inside.

"The fish really came in!"

Hook Vine, who had been staring at the pool, stood up excitedly. He lowered his voice because he was afraid of scaring the fish away.

Chi Shao, Stone Loach, and South Star also stood up and looked over. They realized that there were many fish in the pool, big and small fish.

They finally believed that the fishing trap set up by Jiang Xuan was really useful.

Chi Shao asked Jiang Xuan in a low voice, "Should we go over and block the water inlet now?"

Jiang Xuan looked at the fish in the pool and said, "The big fish haven't come in yet. Let's wait a little longer. These fish can't get to the earthworms. Before the smell disappears, they won't go away."

"Okay."

They waited patiently for a while. Not long after, a few big fish swam into the water. Jiang Xuan estimated that these big fish weighed more than ten kilograms each.

"Sister, go block the inlet."

As soon as Jiang Xuan finished speaking, Chi Shao, who could not wait any longer, rushed over in a few steps. She picked up a huge rock beside the stream and blocked the entrance with a bang.

Afraid that it was not safe, she picked up some smaller stones to block the gap.

"Crash…"

The fish in the pool panicked and swam quickly in the water, wanting to escape. However, the pool was only so big. Where could they swim to?

Jiang Xuan and the three youths immediately ran over excitedly and wanted to catch the fish.

However, at this moment, two fish suddenly jumped out of the water and opened their wing-shaped fins in the air. They flapped and flew for a few meters and landed in the stream. They splashed in the water twice and disappeared in the blink of an eye.

This change happened so quickly that even Chi Shao did not react in time. This was because she had never seen such a strange fish with wings.

"Why are there flying fish!"

Jiang Xuan held the bone plow and was stunned. The fish that was about to reach his mouth actually flew away just like that?

The others were also stunned. If not for their fear of water, the three youths would have jumped into the water to catch the fish.

Chi Shao held the short spear and comforted him. "It's okay. There are still many fish here. With me watching, they can't escape!"

Jiang Xuan nodded. "I'll muddy the water first. When the fish heads to the surface, knock them out."

Chi Shao and the three youths rubbed their palms together. They would not let these fish have another chance to escape.

Jiang Xuan stuck the bone plow into the water and stirred it desperately. Soon the water in the pool became extremely turbid. The fish in the water could not hold on anymore and soon floated to the surface.

"Hurry up and knock these fish unconscious before fishing them out!"

Jiang Xuan took the opportunity to hit the head of a big fish with his broad bone plow. The big fish struggled violently a few times before its belly floated up.

Jiang Xuan quickly took this fish to the shore and continued to slap the other fish.

Chi Shao and the three youths also took action. Not long after, except for some small fish, more than a dozen fish in the pool were knocked unconscious or killed before being scooped ashore.

"Good harvest!"

Jiang Xuan looked at the dozen or so fish on the ground and was very happy. This fishing trap was very effective. His train of thought was right.

Moreover, this fishing trap could be used continuously. It could be said to be a once-and-for-all solution.

The only pity was that the two flying fish had escaped.

"Let's go back and roast fish."

Jiang Xuan moved the stone away from the water inlet so that other fish would enter.

Then he found two vines and skewered these fish. He and Hook Vine carried one each and brought them back to the bamboo house.

This trip was fruitful. When they returned, everyone was in a very good mood and their footsteps were much lighter.