My 1995 Small Farm.

Chapter 1 95 years

Sharpening scissors and knives!

Sharpening scissors and knives!

At dawn, the red sun rises, and the golden sunlight shines through the clouds, scattering like broken gold.

In the quiet little mountain village, the sounds of vendors' calls, melodious and rhythmic, rose and fell.

Chen Ling sat cross-legged on the bed, staring blankly at the calendar in his hand, speechless for a long time.

"March 6, 1995, the sixth day of the second lunar month, the day of Jingzhe (Awakening of Insects)... 1995..."

"The ancients spoke of a dream of wealth and glory, but I never imagined I would have such a long dream."

Chen Ling muttered to himself.

Although he still found it hard to believe, deep down he gradually accepted this incredible experience.

Who could have imagined that in the short three days he was in a coma, he had already lived another long life...

Aside from their different birthplaces and life experiences, they share a 99% similarity in the development of the times, and this similarity is genuine and without any falsehood.

In modern parlance, after he fell into a coma, he coincidentally traveled through time and space to a parallel world, where he lived for decades.

Looking back now, it feels like a very, very long dream.

When he woke up, he found himself transformed from an ordinary rural youth in the 1990s into someone with memories that spanned more than twenty years of development ahead of his time…

It's nothing short of bizarre.

Looking at the familiar blue brick and tile house, Chen Ling's gaze slowly swept over the rafters, beams, and a basket of eggs hanging from the beams.

Beneath her was an old-fashioned but new-looking wooden bed, covered with a thin silk quilt with a blue background and plum blossom patterns.

On the south side of the bed are two pairs of small square wooden windows, each pair consisting of four panels covered with white window paper.

Against the wall to the north of the bed are two bulky, old-fashioned wardrobes, right next to the bed, each about two meters tall.

The wardrobe in the corner is quite wide; it's a combination cabinet.

The outdoor wardrobe, as a standalone unit, has mirrored doors.

He got out of bed, looked at his younger self in the mirror, and at everything familiar in the room, which brought a smile to his face.

"This time is still the best, a time of innocence, and a time when I was young."

only……

When his gaze fell on another small photograph on the mirror, and he saw the pretty little woman in the photo, his smile faded, and his emotions became complicated again.

That was his current wife.

The original wife who married into the family was gentle, caring, respectful to elders, and considerate to her husband, yet she never had a single happy day.

I've lived so many years in my dream and experienced so much, but now that I've opened my eyes and woken up, I feel unable to face her.

This is a hurdle in his heart.

The Chen Ling of today is not the one from my dream who went to university, served in the military, and made a name for himself.

He's still a rascal with lofty ambitions but little ability.

Although we've been married for two years, he doesn't act like a typical married man.

He always felt that he was destined for great things and was always thinking about leaving this poor mountain village.

He was educated, had attended high school, and had a respectable academic background. He was unwilling to spend his whole life toiling in the land as a farmer, nor did he want to spend his life with a "rustic" wife.

Because at that time, in his eyes, his wife was a country bumpkin, dressed in a rustic way, and looked rustic in every way. He disliked her very much.

He dreamed day and night of making big money in a big city and marrying a woman like Joey Wong, so that his life would not have been in vain.

He was instantly captivated by that charming Hong Kong actress, and even after getting married, he remained madly infatuated with Joey Wong, fantasizing that one day she would marry him.

Every year, I would ask someone to buy posters of the goddess from the city, and the walls and headboard of my house would be covered with them.

Of course.

The posters on the wall are all gone now.

It was because his brother-in-law, who lived deep in the mountains, came by a few days ago, beat him up, and also tore down all the 'demons' on the wall and burned them.

The reason was that she heard that her brother-in-law, Chen Ling, often beat and scolded his sister, and that he would take his anger out on her for the sake of the female celebrities on the wall. That's why she couldn't help but come over to teach him a lesson.

Actually.

Chen Ling never hit his wife after they got married.

However, some of the things he did were, in the eyes of modern people, even more excessive than physical violence.

There is a specific term for this: "passive-aggressive behavior".

This refers to Chen Ling's behavior.

At that moment, his mind was filled with images of fashionable, beautiful, and charming Hong Kong goddesses.

He doesn't even give his own wife a second glance.

Moreover, in order to build relationships with some so-called glamorous and respectable people, he would go to the county town every day to hang out with them. Gradually, he also learned to be as carefree as those young people in the county town, spending his days in arcades and video arcades.

That's how he squandered the family's money.

And so, when the money ran out, he searched high and low at home.

He couldn't find her and assumed she was hiding, so he threw a tantrum.

Although he doesn't hit people, how can a woman endure a man's scolding and cursing?
There was also the temple fair in the county town during the first month of the lunar calendar this year.

He'd spent all the money at home, but still wanted to hang out with his cronies. When his wife refused to give him money, he shoved her and wouldn't let her sleep in his bed at night.

What respectable family lives like this?
Over time, his wife would often hide outside and cry secretly.

When the villagers saw the young woman like this, they assumed she had been beaten by Chen Ling, and the rumors spread.

As a result, his brother-in-law, who lived deep in the mountains, somehow heard about the incident, came over, and gave him a severe beating. He warned him that if he bullied his sister again, he would rather let his sister become a widow than let him die.

Chen Ling was badly beaten and threatened by her brother-in-law, so she developed a high fever and remained unconscious in bed for three days...

"The past is too painful to recall."

Shaking his head in anguish, Chen Ling's heart was once again filled with guilt and regret.

Now, he has the life experience of decades beyond.

I've also witnessed enough of the coldness and warmth of human relationships.

How could one not understand what is good and what is bad?
Daughter-in-law, father, elders...

How many people who were good to me have I let down, and how many loved ones have I disappointed?

Fortunately, God was on their side.

It not only gave him a chance to rediscover himself and start anew, but also helped him dispel the fog of the times and no longer feel lost.

...After putting the calendar back, Chen Ling lifted the curtain, stepped out of the room, and looked around. The spring branches were still crisp, and under the lazy red sun, wisps of smoke rose from the chimneys of each household in the village.

His own courtyard was just a simple mountain village courtyard, with a hand pump, grape trellis, pear trees, peach trees, chicken coop...

I slowly walked out of the courtyard, strolled along the bluestone path, and wandered around the familiar little mountain village.

I glanced at the pigsty, livestock shed, village committee, threshing ground, and old stage in a cursory manner.

He encountered many villagers along the way, but even when they met, not many were willing to talk to him.

Because in the eyes of the villagers, he was a good-for-nothing, lazy bum, and spendthrift.

Moreover, his reputation as a lazybones had already spread far and wide; everyone in the surrounding villages knew him.
After dropping out of high school, he also went out to work with others.

I've worked as a security guard, waiter, and porter, but I haven't stayed in any of those jobs for long.

It's because he's too lazy and can't endure hardship.

He's always picky about work, doesn't want to do heavy or tiring tasks, doesn't want to work night shifts, and often slacks off. If he keeps doing this, what boss would want to hire him?
At first, his fellow villagers spoke well of him, but he refused to listen to their advice several times, causing several people to lose their jobs. Eventually, no one wanted to talk to him anymore.

And so, after less than two months of struggling outside, he realized he was no good at anything and slunk back to the village.

He was the only son in his family. After his mother went missing when he was ten, he and his father depended on each other for survival.

The old man doted on him and couldn't bear to hit or scold him. Apart from sighing, he wouldn't even say a harsh word.

This emboldened him to act even more recklessly, and his reputation suffered further and further.

Normally, a man like that wouldn't be able to find a wife in the countryside.

However, his father was a rural postman in the county, responsible for mailing mail and letters to two townships. Once, when he was delivering letters to a village deep in the mountains, he rescued a herbalist from the mountains.

Due to the nature of my work, I have to go to the deep mountains several times every six months.

As they got to know each other better, the herb farmer felt that Chen Ling's father was of good character and that his family must be of good character, so he wanted to marry his daughter to him.

At that time, Chen Ling's father was worried about his son's marriage. When he heard this, he was overjoyed and had no reason not to agree.
Actually, their village is even more remote than Chenwangzhuang, where Chen Ling lives, located in a more remote mountain area. I wonder what kind of person Chen Ling is.

Otherwise, I'd probably have to think about it carefully.

……

When Chen Ling went out in the morning, he lingered in the mountains, reservoirs, and wheat fields, greedily enjoying the beautiful scenery of his hometown.

Over the years, my weary soul, worn down by years of work and constant travel, gradually found some relief.

He didn't return home until it was getting dark.

I found the light cord inside the house, turned on the light, and prepared to make some dinner.

I've been wandering around outside all day and haven't eaten lunch. I'm starving.

Just as we were about to prepare the food, the thick cloth curtain hanging at the door was lifted.

A slender young woman with braided hair and a long-handled bamboo basket slung over her arm walked in.

Chen Ling glanced at it; the bamboo basket contained charcoal blocks.

It's early February now, and the nighttime temperature is still quite low. We're keeping the tin stove burning in the house for warmth, otherwise it would be too cold to sleep at night.

So every day when she was making dinner, Wang Susu would take the opportunity of fetching vegetables from the cellar in the backyard to fill a bamboo basket with fresh charcoal for use at night.

This process needs to be repeated every day.

But as soon as she entered the room today, she saw Chen Ling standing in the middle of the room, staring at her.

The two locked eyes, and Chen Ling clearly saw the fear that flashed in Wang Susu's eyes. She trembled, and the bamboo basket fell to the ground with a thud, scattering charcoal pieces all over the place.

"You, you're back..." Wang Susu tensed up immediately, her expression filled with fear and panic.

Although her husband never physically hit her, his indifference and coldness were the most hurtful, making her always cautious, afraid of upsetting him.

After waiting a few seconds, seeing that Chen Ling was stunned and didn't move, with no extra expression on his face, Wang Susu became even more nervous.

He quickly squatted down and picked up the charcoal pieces one by one, putting them back into the bamboo basket.

While picking them up, she cautiously stole glances at Chen Ling, afraid he might suddenly lose his temper.

Chen Ling just stared at her blankly, his eyes filled with complex emotions.

After a long pause, he smiled faintly and said, "You went to the backyard to get some charcoal? I thought you had gone out!"

Whether it was psychological or not, he felt a sense of amazement when he saw his wife again.

With her delicate, fair face and bright, sparkling eyes, she stood gracefully before Chen Ling, as lovely and charming as a camellia, gentle yet serene.

Such a pure and innocent woman is extremely rare in later generations, when even fifteen or sixteen-year-old girls are starting to wear makeup.

However, seeing Wang Susu so afraid of him, cowering like a little rabbit, Chen Ling felt a pang of heartache, and his sense of guilt deepened.

Because of his past terrible behavior.

He longed to be close to her, but was also afraid of scaring her away.

But then he sighed softly, thinking, "I've already lived most of my life in another world, what's there to be afraid of?"

If you want to treat your wife well, do you have to hide it from her?
If you didn't cherish it before, why are you hesitating now?

He stepped forward to help her clean up the charcoal, but this action startled Wang Susu.

His body trembled, and his hands shook as well. His hands, covered in carbon black and cracked, came into Chen Ling's view at that moment.

This completely stunned him.

What was I thinking all along? Why did I treat such a good wife like that?
No wonder the brother-in-law was so angry.

If I had such a virtuous younger sister who was treated like this by my husband's family, I'd probably be ready to kill someone.

Looking at the young woman in front of him, Chen Ling felt a mix of emotions. He had a thousand words to say, but he couldn't utter a single one.

He mumbled a few times before saying softly, "I'll do it. You pour some hot water and wash your hands first."

His words stunned Wang Susu for a moment, her bright almond-shaped eyes widening slightly, clearly surprised.

Then, thinking about the past few days when he had a fever and was unconscious, he slowly came to his senses.

I guess his older brother's visit this time scared him. Otherwise, given his personality, why would he be willing to lower himself to his level?

He had always looked down on himself, this country bumpkin, silly girl.

Thinking of this, Wang Susu lowered her head with a dim look in her eyes and said very softly, "I didn't ask my brother to come. He saw that I hadn't been home for the past two years since we got married, and my family missed me very much, so he came to visit. I really didn't write to my brother to tell him..."

Wang Susu choked up as she spoke, squatting on the threshold, unable to continue.

"I……"

Chen Ling was speechless for a moment, not knowing how to explain, and felt increasingly suffocated.

Friendly reminder: This book focuses on rural life, primarily farming and hunting in a mountain village, not on becoming a business tycoon.

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(End of this chapter)