For over a month now, rain or shine, every morning at around 4am, Ms. Nguyen Thi Loi (Thuong Thoi Hau A commune, Hong Ngu district, Dong Thap province) along with her younger brother Nguyen Van Cau and her two sons have been present in the vast water fields of Thuong Thoi Hau A commune to catch all kinds of freshwater fish.
The family of Mrs. Nguyen Thi Loi and Mr. Nguyen Van Cau pull the net in the field of Thuong Thoi Hau A commune, Hong Ngu district, Dong Thap province. Dong Thap province has a special natural geographical location: on one side it is the downstream of the Mekong River, on the other side it is the upstream of the Tien and Hau rivers of the Mekong Delta region...
After a hard working day from 4am to about 2pm, Mrs. Loi and Mr. Cau's family harvested about 100kg of various types of freshwater and river fish.
In the 100 kg of freshwater fish that Mrs. Loi and Mr. Cau caught, the most were linh fish, freshwater silver carp, sesame fish, climbing fish, thieu fish, long tong fish...
Flood season fish from Dong Thap are carefully classified by Mrs. Loi's family. Specialty fish (delicious fish, rare fish) will be re-packed (stored alive) in net bags.
In particular, bait fish (trash fish, cheap fish) used to ferment fish sauce is stored separately in foam boxes containing ice to sell to fermenting fish sauce and fermenting linh fish sauce facilities.
Close-up of freshwater anchovy - one of the specialty fish species in the upper Tien River in Dong Thap and also a popular product of the flood season.
On average, after about 10 hours of pulling the net back and forth in the flooded fields every day, Mrs. Loi and Mr. Cau's family earns about 800,000 - 1,000,000 VND.
Although the job of "fishing" in the fields during the flood season is hard, for people in the upstream area, this is the most anticipated season of the year.
Mr. Nguyen Van Cau confided: “Every year, around the beginning of the seventh lunar month, when the red flood water from upstream flows down, the water begins to rise near the fields, my sisters and I invite each other to go to the fields to “eat fish”.
After many years of working in this profession, we have become accustomed to the rhythm of life flowing with the tide. Although the rain and sunshine are unpredictable and life is difficult, the joy of pulling in a net full of fish is always the motivation that motivates us to stick with this profession.
People are excited with the results of catching fish in flooded fields after a day in the fields of Thuong Thoi Hau A commune, Hong Ngu district, Dong Thap province.
For the residents who make a living by “eating fish” during the red water season, their joy is extremely simple. She still remembers the happiness when she pulled the net with two heavy climbing fish.
“That day, the whole family was as happy as if they had found gold. Seeing the two fish climbing in the net, our joy was indescribable. The two fish weighed more than 6kg and were sold for nearly 1 million VND, enough for the whole family to buy rice for the whole month,” Mrs. Loi shared with a smile.
Along with Mrs. Nguyen Thi Loi's family, dozens of other households in the fields of Thuong Thoi Hau A commune, Hong Ngu district (Dong Thap province) are also busy making a living during the flood season.
Each family travels together on a small boat, weaving through the fields. Each person has a job, some spread nets, some take on the task of setting traps... creating a warm, urgent working atmosphere.
After a busy working day, near noon, many fishing boats anchor and rest. Some families take the opportunity to have a quick meal cooked in the fields.
Clip: People upstream of Tien River, Hong Ngu district, Dong Thap province are busy making a living, fishing in the fields during the flood season.
A simple meal of the four brothers of Mr. Truong Van Linh (left cover) after hours of fishing in the flooded fields of Hong Ngu district, Dong Thap province.
Taking on the role of “cook” for four brothers after a day of working hard in the fields, Mr. Truong Van Linh (residing in Thuong Phuoc 1 commune, Hong Ngu district, Dong Thap province) laughed heartily and said: “We don’t cook anything fancy, with a bunch of fresh fish caught in the early morning, braised with a bit of water spinach that was just picked, we have a “sumptuous” lunch. Eating rice in the fields, although simple and frugal, is full of love.”
Like Mrs. Loi and Mr. Cau's family, Mr. Linh's four brothers do not have agricultural land.
During the dry season, they go to work for hire to earn a living. During the flood season, they meet up to go to the fields to catch fish.
On average, each day of fishing, they earn about 200,000 - 300,000 VND/person. Although hard work, the flood season brings a lot of fish, shrimp and products to help their families earn more income and cover their daily life.
The flood season is not only the time when nature bestows upon the upstream land many products and abundant aquatic resources, but also an opportunity for the local community to become more connected.
Small boats weave through flooded rice fields, people diligently working to create a colorful picture of labor.
The flood season in Dong Thap will eventually pass, but the values it brings will forever be engraved in the minds of the people in the upstream area, becoming an indispensable part of their lives.
Source: https://danviet.vn/song-tien-o-dong-thap-nuoc-do-nhu-son-dan-di-bat-loai-ca-khoai-nuoc-ngot-nghe-quen-trong-la-lam-20241022135719525.htm
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