Chapter 8

Well, to eat fish, I first need to catch them. Even if they are in a trap, fish can swim away quickly, making them hard to catch. I thought about how to catch them in such a situation.

What about throwing stones? Not just one, but many stones to hit the fish and knock them out. If that doesn't work, I could try herding them into a basket. That sounds like a good plan, doesn't it?

Yeah, I think it could work. I immediately gathered a lot of suitable stones from around. The amount I could carry in both arms was very heavy, making me wobble. I approached the trap with unsteady steps.

When I got close, I observed the fish's movements. I would throw the stones when they came this way, come here. As I waited silently, a fish swam right up to me and stopped. Now!

"There!"

I lifted both arms and scattered the stones inside the trap. The stones fell forcefully, splashing water. As ripples spread across the water, a fish floated up.

"Ah, it worked."

I hurriedly approached and grabbed the fish. It didn't move at all and fit into my hand. It was over 20 cm long and plump. It looked like it would be satisfying to eat.

Looking down at the fish in my hand, I couldn't help but smile with joy. I skipped happily, thinking about eating the fish, and walked to the fire.

"Well, let's cook it."

I picked up a suitable branch and inserted it into the fish's mouth. I pushed it in firmly to secure the fish. When the end of the branch came out, the preparation was complete.

I sat down and stuck the branch into the ground, roasting the fish a little away from the fire. I hugged my knees and stared at the fish. It was so exciting that I couldn't help but stare.

To make sure it didn't burn, I stared at the fish intently. When the surface was nicely cooked, I turned the branch to cook the other side. It would take some more time.

Since it would take time anyway, I decided to try to catch more fish. I stood up, rolled up my pants, and headed to the river again. I entered the water upstream with a long branch and struck the surface of the river.

I struck and moved forward, striking and moving forward, herding the fish. When I reached the trap, I went back upstream and started herding the fish again from the beginning.

"Let's see, how many have gathered?"

When I reached the trap, I was curious about the results. Peering into the trap, I saw more fish, which made me happy. Let's see, the number... there were six in total. It seemed like I could gather about ten by tomorrow, which made me even happier.

"Fish soup for tomorrow... I'm looking forward to it."

Just thinking about it made my mouth water. Ah, I wonder if the fish is done.

I went up to the shore and put the branch down. Then I scattered some worms into the trap as fish bait and hurried back to the fire.

When I checked the fish, it was perfectly cooked, and a good smell filled the air. Phew, I'm glad the moles didn't find it. I had completely forgotten about them, but it seems they were okay. Maybe they were afraid of the fire and didn't come close?

Well, let's put that aside. My stomach growled in front of the long-awaited grilled fish. Even though I had just eaten crabs and mushrooms, my stomach is so greedy.

I sat down and took the branch with the fish. Bringing it close to my face, the fragrant smell of the fish made my mouth water.

"Hehe, itadakimasu."

I blew on it to cool it down thoroughly and then took a big bite from the back of the fish. The flesh crumbled softly, and steam rose from inside.

"Mm, mm, mm, delicious!"

It was so delicious that my cheeks almost fell off! The fish was mild but had just the right amount of oil, and I could taste a faint sweetness when I chewed. The flesh crumbled and melted in my mouth.

I swallowed and immediately took another bite. Biting, chewing, and swallowing—it was a very happy and sinful act.

I ate the fish carefully from head to tail, leaving almost no edible parts. In front of me was a fish with a clean skeleton. Yes, I'm very satisfied.

I usually go to bed with an empty stomach at night, but today I'll go to bed with a full stomach. It's been a long time since I've experienced such bliss, and I can't help but smile.

I hope I can eat my fill and not be hungry at night soon.

◇

The next morning, I went to the river. My goal, of course, was fish. I was determined to get them included in today's lunch ration. I had made a new basket to hold the fish yesterday, which was three times the size of the one I usually use. This way, I could carry a lot of fish.

When I looked into the trap... there they were, a lot of them! It seemed there were more than ten. I was so happy that I jumped up and down.

I immediately scattered stones to knock the fish out. I caught the ones that floated up and put them in the new basket. I was surprised to catch so many. There must be a lot of fish because no one else is catching them.

When I counted the fish, there were twelve in total. A great catch! It was proven that fish would enter the trap even without herding, so from now on, I can catch fish without hesitation.

I hurried back to the village.

After a 30-minute walk, I returned to the village, where the women were starting to gather in the square. They were about to start preparing the lunch ration, and I made it just in time!

"Excuse me, sorry."

"Hmm, what's the matter? I don't think it's your turn to help today."

"Please use these for today's lunch."

"Hmm, let's see... Fish! What's going on, so many of them?"

When I offered the basket of fish, the women gathered around, and everyone looked surprised. Hehe, that's right, that's right. No one can help but be surprised by such rare ingredients.

"I caught them with a trap I made."

"Wow, a trap. We'll use them without hesitation."

"Riru has really changed recently. I have a new respect for you."

"Bring more if you catch a lot again."

Even the women who usually avoided me praised me happily. It's really nice to see everyone smiling and happy. The fish plan was a huge success!

I immediately started helping the women. It's better to help when I can. As usual, I started by boiling the potatoes. While they were cooking, I cut the vegetables and prepared the soup. I couldn't clean the fish myself, so another woman did it efficiently.

When the potatoes were cooked, it was time to make the soup. After boiling the water and adding the vegetables, I added the chopped fish. Then I added salt for seasoning and let it boil to complete the soup.

The refugees gathered, attracted by the smell of the soup. Everyone sensed a different smell and looked at the pot with interest.

"Today, Riru caught fish for us. Let's all enjoy the taste of fish, which we haven't had in a long time."

The woman who said this filled a bowl with soup and handed it to me.

"Thank you today. Please have some first."

When I looked at the soup, I saw a piece of fish. I felt that today's soup was more delicious than usual, not just because of the fish.