Chen Mo had been to Qu County before. There's a river there that's a tributary of the Yellow River, but since Qu County is at a high altitude with flat terrain, the river becomes calmer when it reaches Qu Shui. The river is named Qu Shui, which is how the county town got its name.
Every year after winter sets in, Qu Shui freezes over with thick ice, solid as can be, and it won't completely melt until May of the following year.
Some joke that Qu County has only two seasons a year: winter and spring. Even in summer, the highest temperatures don't exceed twenty-five degrees, truly a summer retreat.
Thus, there's an interesting situation at play here.
Current regulations state that fishing is prohibited on the Yellow River from early April to the end of July, but Qu Shui doesn't melt until May. Additionally, Qu County has built a large reservoir, which means this river falls outside the fishing ban!
