Volume One, Chapter Ten: The Troublemaker

Looking at the sizable silver carp, Gaoyuan quickly lost his smile. Suddenly, he realized a frustrating fact—he had forgotten to bring a bucket. Where on earth was he supposed to put this fish?

Although Houhai was not too far from Xinkailu Alley—if he entered Yangfang Alley from here, passed through Xiaoshibei Alley, walked along Donganmen East Street for 460 meters, then straight onto Dongdan North Street, Xinkailu Alley was just a short distance west—it would still take nearly two hours to walk back and forth. That was quite a hassle.

A careless mistake.

Gaoyuan felt a headache coming on; he really did not want to go back just to get a bucket for the fish. Glancing around, he noticed that on this cold day, there were hardly any winter fishermen nearby, so borrowing a bucket was out of the question.

Not far off, a few playful souls dressed warmly were gliding across the ice. Just last night, his father had warned him to keep his distance from these people.

The playful types in Beijing were serious about their mischief—they needed to be skillful, creative, and dedicated. These folks made a living mostly from petty theft and causing trouble; their secondary activities included bickering, playing tricks, and hassling women. They were the laziest group in the city.

Although being a playful type was not necessarily linked to one’s family background, spoiled heirs were more likely to evolve into such troublemakers, as play required financial backing.

The most notorious of these was undoubtedly the Little Scoundrel. His stories need not be retold here; for the next forty years, his legend circulated through various whispers among the people.

Gaoyuan’s father warned him to stay away from them, afraid his son might pick up bad habits. But Gaoyuan saw it differently—not all of these idlers were uneducated.

For instance, right now, he needed their help with the fish, since he had nowhere to put it.

An idea struck him. He carefully threaded the bamboo rod through the fish’s mouth, hoisted it onto his shoulder, and cautiously moved across the ice.

As he approached the group, he counted four people—three men and one woman. The men looked barely in their twenties, and the young woman was around the same age, quite attractive. In old Beijing slang, she was a “sharp fruit,” meaning a pretty young lady. Conversely, an unattractive young woman was called a “sour fruit.”

When these playful types went out, bringing a beautiful girl was standard; otherwise, they’d lose face.

Gaoyuan deliberately slowed his pace, exaggerating his upper body swing so the still barely alive carp flopped against his coat. The slapping sound caught the sharp fruit’s attention.

“Hey, look! What a big fish!” she exclaimed, stopping her glide and grabbing the arm of a young man beside her.

The three young men also turned to look. One said, “Whoa! That’s no small catch. Hold on, brother.”

He was hooked.

Gaoyuan’s heart leapt with joy, but he masked it with a nervous expression, stopping and turning his head anxiously.

“Big brother, do you need something?” he asked timidly.

The four glided closer. The one who had called out to him was a bit familiar—he patted Gaoyuan’s shoulder with a grin.

“What are you afraid of? We don’t bite,” he chuckled, making the others burst into laughter.

Gaoyuan chuckled shyly, scratching his head. “Not afraid. You guys don’t look like troublemakers; you wouldn’t steal my fish. I have nothing to fear.”

In his mind, he thought, I’m not scared if you bite me—I can handle a fight. But if you snatch my fish, there’s no way I can win against you three.

“Oh ho, did you hear that, brothers? This kid’s trying to shut us up,” said the tall, thin leader, winking at the other two.

They joined in with teasing laughter. “You’re sharp, young man. You even give us a warning ahead of time.”

“Listen, brother, don’t think of us playful types as hooligans. You haven’t been through what we have, so you can’t understand our passion.”

That was a bit convoluted.

But Gaoyuan understood: including the sharp fruit, all four were children of prominent households. He recognized a familiar aura unique to those of similar backgrounds.

“Big brother, you’re mistaken,” Gaoyuan said. “I’m from a big household too. My father is still under organizational scrutiny.”

A flicker of sadness appeared in his eyes.

The four exchanged glances.

The leader’s gaze deepened as he looked at Gaoyuan. “Let me introduce myself. I’m Li Hongjun. The big guy is Gu Lei, that one is Fang Jianshe, and the lady is Xiao Weihong. What’s your name, little brother? Which household are you from?”

“Hello, Brother Li, Brother Gu, Brother Fang, Sister Wei. I’m Gaoyuan, from the Steel Institute on Xueyuan Road. But my uncle lives in Courtyard Number Three, and I lived with him for two years as a child.”

Handsome and smooth-talking, Gaoyuan quickly won their favor.

Li Hongjun immediately laughed. “So you’re one of us! Gaoyuan, is your uncle High Leap?” (Note: Name rendered as High Leap to keep the meaning.)

Gaoyuan nodded. “Yes, my uncle is High Leap.”

Gu Lei slapped his forehead. “No wonder you look familiar! We were neighbors in the same courtyard. My father is Gu Haidong, an old comrade of your uncle from the Fifth Brigade. Hey, brother, is Uncle High still not out?”

Just like that, their relationship shifted from acquaintances to brothers.

Gaoyuan nodded, dejected. “No, he’s still under investigation.”

Fang Jianshe came over and patted Gaoyuan’s shoulder. “Brother, I take back what I said earlier. You’ve been through the same hardships we have. We’re all in the same boat; our fathers are still suffering, but things will get better soon.”

The optimistic Xiao Weihong smiled brightly. “That’s right, everything will improve.”

Li Hongjun asked Gaoyuan, “Why come fishing here in this bitter cold?”

Finally, the topic returned to the matter at hand.

Gaoyuan smiled wryly. “It’s the hunger pangs. My stomach’s empty, so I have to find a way to fill it. Otherwise, I wouldn’t be out here on the ice in this freezing weather.”

Li Hongjun patted the now-dead silver carp and laughed. “These days, not having enough to eat is normal. Everyone’s belly is empty. But someone like you, so determined to fill it up, is rare.”

“You’ve got guts and brains,” he added. “That fish is a good catch — stew it with tofu, and it’s enough to feed a family well.”

Seeing Li Hongjun unconsciously swallow, Gaoyuan was delighted. He lowered the bamboo rod from his shoulder and handed the fish over.

“If I hadn’t forgotten my bucket, I could have caught more. Since I ran into you brothers and sisters here, and we’re all familiar, I don’t have any gifts prepared. Brother Hongjun, don’t mind taking this fish home to stew.”

Li Hongjun, feeling embarrassed, declined politely. “No, no, I was about to ask if you wanted to sell it. If you give it to me, how could I take it for free? I appreciate the kindness, but really, we’re family. Gaoyuan, you should keep it.”

Gaoyuan understood their pride as playful types.

When Li Hongjun refused, the other three, though tempted, also waved their hands to firmly decline.

Gaoyuan said, “How about this: Brother Hongjun, can you get a bucket or basin? If you can, I could catch quite a few fish. Then we can split the haul.”

Li Hongjun laughed heartily. “Getting some buckets or basins is easy. After my father was purged, our family was relocated to live here by Houhai’s south shore. My home’s nearby. Wait here; I’ll bike home and bring some buckets and basins back.”

With that, he swiftly glided away.

Gu Lei, Fang Jianshe, and Xiao Weihong grew interested in fishing and followed Gaoyuan back to the ice hole.

In no time, a thin layer of ice crystals formed over the hole.

Gaoyuan picked up a shovel and broke the ice, then tapped it against his leg. From his inner jacket pocket, he pulled out a plastic medicine bottle, unscrewed the cap, and shook out a worm. Holding it in his palm, he gently tapped it with the other hand. The wriggling worm immediately went limp.

Xiao Weihong’s eyes widened. “Wow! Just one tap and it’s soft?”

Gaoyuan glanced at her. Despite her coat, her slender figure was apparent. With a mischievous grin, he said, “Yes, just one tap. Sister Wei, want to try?”

“Ugh, you little devil. You’re no good,” she replied, clever enough to catch his innuendo.

Fang Jianshe laughed. “Brother, how many women have you ‘troubled’ with that experience of yours?”

Gaoyuan feigned ignorance. “What are you talking about? Women? I’m young—I don’t get it.” He quickly hooked the worm onto the fishing line and lowered it into the water.

Fang Jianshe and Gu Lei exchanged knowing smiles only men understood.

This kid’s tricky; he’s got plenty of schemes.

Suddenly, Gaoyuan felt a tug—the fishing line tightened.

“Hey, a bite!” he exclaimed.

Gu Lei and Fang Jianshe stared intently at the ice hole, holding their breath, anticipation clear on their faces.

Gaoyuan stood, gripping the bamboo rod tightly, letting the fish thrash underwater before sharply pulling up.

A black fish leapt from the water.

Fang Jianshe’s eyes widened. “That’s got to weigh five or six pounds, right?”

The fish flopped on the ice, slapping loudly.

Gaoyuan bent down, picked it up, and weighed it in his hand. Smiling, he said, “Definitely over six pounds.”