Everyone in the village knew about the Rice Flower Fish he raised in his paddy field. The reason they hadn't followed suit was that they were unsure of the outcome. Now, as Zheng Long harvested, the yield of rice would be known soon enough, and everyone was quite eager to see the results.
It was now time to harvest the rice, but there was still enough water in the fields for the fish to survive. The most pressing matter was to get the fish out first.
As Zheng Long, dressed in leather trousers and carrying a bucket, went down to the fields to catch fish, everyone came to watch the excitement, wondering how he could possibly eat all of those fish and asking if he should sell a couple to them.
Among the villagers, he was only familiar with the people from his own team. Since everyone wanted some fish, he felt embarrassed to charge them, so he gave two or three fish to each family, as a gesture of thanks for their regular care and attention to his family.
