The little otter was stared at menacingly by all the civil and military officials. Timidly, it gobbled up all the fish slices. Its bean-sized eyes darted around furtively. Finally, it seemed to decide that only Li Ying was approachable, and looked at her as if for help.
Li Ying was smiling and said, "Don't worry. His Majesty is kind - hearted and will not harm your life without distinguishing right from wrong."
The little otter half - understood and half - didn't, and hid a bit more behind Li Ying. A dexterous paw like that of a puppy gently patted Li Ying's trouser leg.
Li Ying cleared her throat and said in a solemn voice, "Taming otters for fishing has a long history. It's even no less remarkable than taming cormorants for fishing. With just one otter, one can catch dozens of pounds of fish, which is enough to support a family."
Dozens of pounds of fish?
As soon as these words were spoken, an uproar arose among the crowd.
The magistrate of Dongshan still looked skeptical. He whispered, "Miss, you're insisting that this otter can be useful to us. But in our Dongshan, there were people who were curious and tried to keep this beast as a pet. However, it would start to make a ruckus and screech before dawn every day, disturbing people's peace... How can it be tamed?"
Li Ying smiled faintly and replied unhurriedly, "Your Honor, wild otters that haven't been tamed have extremely strong wild instincts and are naturally restless. But if you train them patiently according to their habits, in time, otters can become good friends with fishermen."
As she gently stroked the little otter's shiny head, she explained softly.
Every afternoon, before sunset, the little otter should be led to the fine sand by the river and allowed to move freely.
During this time, fine sand should be evenly rubbed on the otter's fur three times a day, each time for about the time it takes to burn an incense stick, without interruption.
In this way, on one hand, the wild habits of the little otter are preserved so that it won't be overly stressed due to the sudden change of environment. On the other hand, the otter's energy is worn out. After playing until it's exhausted, it will naturally have no energy to make noise at night.
At the beginning of the taming process, the little otter is unruly, and one must never touch it casually.
Li Ying dared to be so affectionate with it only because the little spirit cat Maomao was secretly helping, and she knew that the little otter wouldn't attack. Ordinary farmers, at the beginning of taming, should choose a stick of the right thickness and use it to scratch the otter's itch every day.
When the otter gets used to it and no longer bites the stick and its temperament becomes milder, one can try to scratch its itch with hands to strengthen the bond. In about four months, the little otter will be as docile as a puppy, getting close to people and rubbing around their knees.
When it comes to fishing, one just needs to cast a net first, leave an opening at the top of the net, and then let the otter tied with a rope into the water.
The little otter's flexible fingers make it the most agile hunter underwater. Before long, it will catch the fish and bring them onto the boat.
At this time, just reward the little otter with a piece of fresh fish. Before long, it will go back into the water to fish again.
It's precisely because otters are naturally fond of catching fish and prefer fishing to eating fish. They fish tirelessly every day without getting bored. It's a win - win situation for both sides.
In the cold winter months when the river freezes, fishermen can drill holes in the ice to fish in winter. However, most fish are afraid of the cold and hide in the caves at the bottom of the river, refusing to come out. So the winter fishing harvest is often disappointing.
But at this time, the little otter can really show its prowess. One doesn't even need to cast a net. Just put the otter into the river, and it will effortlessly drag the fish hiding in the rock crevices onto the shore.
Li Ying roughly calculated that as long as an otter is tamed properly, it can catch at least fifty or sixty pounds of live fish every day, which is more than enough to support an ordinary rural family.
She explained everything clearly and in detail. On the faces of the magistrate of Dongshan and the common people, a glimmer of hope appeared simultaneously.
If the fishermen had otters to help them fish, they could save a lot of manpower at home. Some could farm or weave, and some could go to the city to work to supplement their family income. Their lives would surely be more prosperous than before!
Dongshan Prefecture had suffered from a hurricane. Fortunately, with the "blessing of the Son of Heaven", there hadn't been any major chaos. However, it was inevitable that the crops had failed completely.
The people of the Eastern Han Dynasty were already extremely grateful to have survived. They never expected that they could actually turn misfortune into fortune and gain a livelihood that was stable regardless of the weather. Everyone was flushed with excitement and eager to try.
Li Ying smiled and then carefully told everyone the many details that needed attention when taming the little otter.
For example, young otters should not be fed loaches or turtle meat, but adult otters are fine.
Another example is that there must be no oil stains near the otter's cage, otherwise, the otter's fur will get sticky and it will be inconvenient for the otter to swim.
Also, after the otter reaches adulthood, it should be arranged to reproduce as soon as possible. Otherwise, the otter will be restless all day and have no interest in fishing...
She gave repeated instructions and covered every detail, determined to teach all the people in Dongshan the way to tame otters.
The people were deeply touched when they saw her working so hard.
"His Majesty truly has the common people in his heart!"
"That's right! Even the precious and noble princess has sent her most capable maid to personally teach us how to raise otters!"
The people sang praises, not hiding their admiration for the Son of Heaven and Princess Yongning at all.
A ruler who wins the hearts of the people is naturally very satisfied.
He sized up Li Ying, who was busy among the common people, and lowered his voice to discuss with Empress Pei.
"This Li Ying seems to have an endless supply of strange ideas in her head."
Admiration flashed in his eyes, and then he said, "I really want to see what unexpected things she can do next."
Empress Pei saw the burning fire in the Son of Heaven's eyes. Her mind stirred, and she said softly with a smile, "Your Majesty, I don't quite agree."
"After all, A Ying is just a woman. Even though her current ideas are numerous and diverse, there will always come a time when her inspiration runs out... When that day comes..."
She deliberately paused and didn't continue.
But the Son of Heaven, looking at Li Ying's back, murmured.
"When that day comes, when all her ideas have been used for me and for the common people of the world, she will have dedicated herself completely. I'm not a pedantic person who adheres to old rules. At that time, I will surely give her a good opportunity to retire in glory."
Empress Pei smiled and said, "Your Majesty is wise."
She finally let out a sigh of relief - Just like a bow is put away when all the birds are shot and a dog is killed when all the rabbits are caught, the royal family is the most heartless.
A Ying had done her best to plan for her and the Pei family. All she could do was to take advantage of the fact that the Son of Heaven valued his reputation and get a guarantee of a safe retirement for Li Ying.
Li Ying, who was busy introducing the habits of the little otter to the people of Dongshan, was completely unaware at this moment. Seeing that the people were getting closer to the otter, and even some bold children were eager to touch the otter's smooth fur, a thought suddenly flashed through her mind.