About Thuong Nghia "catching the thief"

“Catching stink” in each region may have different names, but any locality with fish ponds will have the “catching stink” step before cleaning the pond and draining the water again. This essentially means catching shrimp and fish in the owner’s pond after they have finished harvesting. However, in Thuong Nghia village, “catching stink” has its own characteristics compared to many other localities.

About Thuong Nghia

Buyers weigh the fish themselves to pay the lake owner - Photo: MT

Thuong Nghia village is flooded so fish are usually harvested in September every year to avoid flooding the lake. In the village there are more than 10 fish ponds owned by households and groups of households.

On this occasion, every early morning, the children banged on the gate loudly, shouting: Uncle! Let's go "catch stinky" fish for good luck. I opened the gate wide and saw people flocking to the fish ponds at the end of the village. "Hurry up, uncle, it's so much fun!", the children impatiently urged. Joining the "catch stinky" atmosphere of the villagers, I felt excited like when I was a child. My childhood was filled with times of "catch stinky" fish covered in mud.

Normally, each time the fish are harvested, the pond owner will hire people to catch fish in a rolling manner. That is, as the water level drops, the owner’s troops will line up horizontally to catch all the fish. The “stealer” group will stay behind and gradually move forward following the footsteps of the owner’s troops.

We children always remember what our mother told us: "Remember to always walk two strides behind the thief, don't climb forward, or the landlord will beat your legs."

The "fish catcher" must also know how to "deal" with the host's troops, how to make them compassionately leave a few small fish in the grass, or put the fish right under the footprints they have passed and signal the "fish catcher" to put his hand down to catch them.

Back then I had a friend who, every time we jumped down to dig up the mud and fight over the small fish, would just sit on the shore and watch. When everyone had gone home, he would still sit there, staring out at the lake's muddy, cracked surface under the scorching midday sun.

Then a while later, my friend slowly brought back a bag full of big snakehead fish. It turned out that he was observing where the mud layer was thickest in the lake. Big snakehead fish often burrowed deep into the mud and lay still, waiting for water. At noon, when the hot sun could not bear it, they would rise to the surface of the mud. These fish were usually very big and fat.

But "catching pilferage" in Thuong Nghia village is very different.

Any family that harvests fish does not need to hire people, but the villagers volunteer to come and “catch fish”. The fish caught is a gift from heaven for the “catch fish” but every time they catch a fish they like, the “catch fish” weighs it themselves and pays the owner fairly.

The homeowner also generously added a few fish and shrimps to give to grandparents or grandchildren. Every time a satisfactory fish was caught, cheers would resound throughout the countryside.

According to the elders, this type of "stealing" has existed for a long time and has become a cultural feature of the people of Thuong Nghia village, demonstrating neighborly love and a noble gesture like the name of the village.

'The lake owners also divide the time to harvest fish so that the "fishing" season lasts longer and the villagers can enjoy more benefits without being forced to lower prices by traders.

The fish food here is all natural, such as rice, bran, vegetables, bananas, snails, etc., so the fish meat is famously delicious. During the fish harvest, people from all over flock to the fish, but only the villagers get to enjoy the "stealth catch".

Standing from afar, one can easily recognize the villagers by their uniforms. Because after a while in the lake, the red, yellow, or blue shirts will be stained with mud, the uniform of the rice fields.

If you want to have moments of relaxation after all the worries and hardships, then go north, cross Dong Ha bridge, turn onto Thanh Nien street. Here, you will see immense rice fields in their maiden stage and enjoy the aroma of ripe rice in the quiet, nostalgic space. If you want to learn more about the historical value of this land, right at the end of that field, behind the green bamboo grove, there is an ancient village of Thuong Nghia that has existed for hundreds of years with the country. And if you want to join the village's "catch-the-steal" festival, visit around September every year.

Thuong Nghia village is located in Quarter 4, Dong Giang Ward, Dong Ha City, with about 160 households and approximately 660 people. The village was established at the end of the 15th century. Under King Le Thanh Tong's policy of migrating to the South, a part of the residents from the North Central region came to reclaim land and establish villages and communes. Thuong Nghia village was born during that period. The name of the newly established village was Thuong Do. According to the book "O Chau Can Luc" by Duong Van An, Thuong Do village was one of 59 villages/communes in Vu Xuong district, Trieu Phong prefecture. During the Nguyen lords' time, Thuong Do village belonged to An Lac commune, Dang Xuong district, Trieu Phong prefecture. During the Nguyen dynasty, Thuong Do village was changed to Thuong Nghia, belonging to An Lac commune, Dang Xuong district.

Minh Anh

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