"Picking up" may have different names in different regions, but in any locality with fish ponds, there is a process of "picking up" before cleaning the pond and draining the water. Essentially, it involves catching shrimp and fish from the owner's pond after they have finished harvesting. However, in Thuong Nghia village, "picking up" has unique characteristics compared to many other localities.
Buyers weigh the fish themselves to pay the pond owner - Photo: MT
Because the village of Thuong Nghia is low-lying and prone to flooding, fish are usually harvested in September each year to avoid the ponds being submerged. The village has more than 10 fish ponds owned by individual households and groups of households.
Around this time of year, every morning my nephews would bang loudly on the gate, shouting: "Uncle! Let's go 'steal' fish for good luck!" I'd throw open the gate and see everyone heading towards the fish ponds at the end of the village. "Hurry up, Uncle, it's so much fun!" the impatient children would urge. Joining in the villagers' "stealing" atmosphere, I felt the same excitement as I did in my childhood. My own childhood was filled with countless muddy "stealing" fish.
Typically, during each fish harvest, the pond owner hires people to catch fish in a sweeping manner. This means that as the water drains away, the owner's team lines up in a row to catch all the fish. The "scavengers" will follow behind, gradually advancing in the footsteps of the owner's team.
We kids always remembered our mother's warning: "Remember, when 'catching thieves,' always stay two paces behind them, don't climb to the front, or the homeowner will break your legs, understand?"
Even "scavengers" had to know how to "negotiate" with the host's troops, figuring out how to make them take pity and leave a few small fish in the grass, or how to hide fish right under footprints and signal for the "scavengers" to reach down and catch them.
Back then, I had a friend who, whenever we plunged into the mud, scrambling and fighting over small fish, would just sit on the shore and watch. Even after everyone else had left, he would still be there, his eyes fixed on the muddy, cracked surface of the lake under the scorching midday sun.
After a while, my friend laboriously carried back a sack full of huge snakehead fish. It turned out he'd been observing where the mud was thickest in the lake; the big snakehead fish usually burrowed deep into the mud at the bottom, lying still while waiting for the water to rise. At midday, unable to withstand the suffocating heat, they would surface. These fish were usually very big and fat.
But the "looting" in Thuong Nghia village is very different.
No family harvesting fish needs to hire help; villagers voluntarily come to "scavenge." The fish caught are a gift from nature to the "scavengers," but whenever they catch a satisfactory fish, they weigh it themselves and pay the homeowner fairly.
The host would also generously give a few extra fish or shrimp to the grandparents or the children. Whenever they caught a satisfactory fish, cheers would erupt, creating a lively atmosphere throughout the countryside.
According to the elders, this kind of "scavenging" has existed for a long time and has become a cultural feature of the people of Thuong Nghia village, reflecting the community spirit and noble deeds, as the village's name suggests.
'The pond owners also divide the fish harvesting time so that the "fish-catching" festival season lasts longer, allowing villagers to enjoy more blessings and avoid being exploited by traders.'
The fish here are fed entirely on natural ingredients like rice, bran, vegetables, bananas, and snails, which is why the fish meat is so famously delicious. During fish harvests, people from all over flock to the area, but only villagers are allowed to enjoy the "catch by scavenging" for the catch.
Even from a distance, you can easily recognize the villagers by their... uniforms. Because after spending some time in the lake, their red, yellow, or green shirts are eventually stained with mud—the uniform of the fields.
If you want to find moments of tranquility after all the worries and hardships, head north, cross the Dong Ha bridge, and turn onto Thanh Nien road. Here, you will encounter vast rice fields in their prime and enjoy the aroma of ripening rice in a peaceful, nostalgic setting. If you want to learn more about the historical value of this land, at the end of those fields, behind a row of green bamboo, lies the ancient village of Thuong Nghia, which has existed for hundreds of years alongside the country. And if you want to participate in the village's "hunting festival," visit around September each year.
Thuong Nghia village, located in Quarter 4, Dong Giang Ward, Dong Ha City, has approximately 160 households and nearly 660 inhabitants. The village was established at the end of the 15th century. During the reign of King Le Thanh Tong, a group of people from the North Central region migrated south to cultivate the land and establish villages. Thuong Nghia village was founded during that period. Its initial name was Thuong Do. According to Duong Van An's book "O Chau Can Luc," Thuong Do village was one of 59 villages/communes belonging to Vu Xuong district, Trieu Phong prefecture. During the Nguyen dynasty, Thuong Do village belonged to An Lac commune, Dang Xuong district, Trieu Phong prefecture. During the Nguyen dynasty, Thuong Do village was renamed Thuong Nghia, belonging to An Lac commune, Dang Xuong district.
Minh Anh
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