My 1995 Small Farm.

Chapter 1002

In short, the incessant rain that had lasted for nearly two months finally came to a complete halt.

The leaden clouds dispersed, revealing the long-lost azure sky, a sight that instantly brightened one's spirit.

Previously, the sun was merely a hazy halo.

Now that the dark clouds have dispersed, the sun has become blazing and dazzling again.

The warm sunshine shone brightly.

The dampness and gloom brought by the rain were swept away.

A refreshing scent filled the air.

That's caused by rainwater in the soil evaporating due to the sun.

Mixed with the fresh, youthful fragrance of wildly growing vegetation, it inevitably lifts one's spirits.

The annoying dripping sound under the eaves is no longer heard; instead, the cheerful and melodious chirping of birds fills the air.

This unusually long rainy season, while bringing worries and busyness, also felt like a generous gift.

Just as Chen Ling had predicted, when the floodwaters receded, the mountains and rivers, which had been thoroughly irrigated, burst forth with astonishing vitality.

The mountains and forests were the first to feel the changes.

As soon as the rain stopped, adults and children in the village couldn't wait to carry their baskets and head up the mountain.

Sure enough, in the clearings in the forest, beside the rotten wood, and under the pine needles, all kinds of mushrooms sprouted up densely, as if vying to attend a grand feast.

The plump porcini mushrooms, with their brownish-red caps, stand out in clusters of orange-yellow chanterelles, while the precious matsutake mushrooms are discreetly hidden deep within the tree roots, requiring a keen eye to spot.

The children's laughter echoed through the valley, each bend filled with surprise. Soon, strings of dried mushrooms hung under the eaves of every house, filling the air with the unique aroma of mushrooms.

The riverbed and low-lying areas have become a treasure trove.

After its turbulent roar, the Jinshui River receded gently back into its channel, leaving behind vast stretches of moist and fertile mudflats.

Water celery, wild bamboo shoots, arrowhead, and other aquatic wild vegetables grow tender and plump, taking advantage of the fertile soil and abundant water, and cover the riverbanks with lush green leaves.

Wang Jusheng, along with several young men, rowed their repaired wooden boat through the river bends. With each cast of their net, they could catch not only plump crucian carp and grass carp, but also a considerable number of river crabs and shrimp brought down from upstream.

"Fugui, look at these fish! They're much fatter than at this time of year!" Wang Jusheng said to Chen Ling, who had come to check the water conditions, with a beaming smile, as he held up a string of silvery-white crucian carp strung on willow branches.

The crucian carp was indeed quite large, gleaming with a healthy silver sheen in the sunlight, its tail swishing powerfully.

“With fertile water, the fish will naturally grow faster.” Chen Ling nodded with a smile, his gaze turning to the more open water surface.

What he was most concerned about was the situation in the reservoir.

After the rain stopped, the reservoir's water level began to drop steadily, but the water quality became exceptionally clear due to the replenishment and sedimentation of the rainwater over the past few days.

The sunlight shines directly underwater, resulting in extremely high visibility.

Even more surprising is that the aquatic resources in the reservoir seem to have undergone a complete reshuffling and expansion.

Almost every day, groups of finless porpoises can be seen frolicking in the middle of the reservoir.

They seemed more active than before the rain, often leaping out of the water in groups of three or five, drawing graceful arcs and chirping merrily, creating ripples on the calm, mirror-like surface.

Those Chinese sturgeon that Chen Ling had rescued and which have now grown to a great size can often be seen slowly swimming underwater, their long and majestic figures, their dark blue dorsal fins resembling ancient battle flags.

What the villagers talk about most is the giant softshell turtle garlic head, which is revered as "Lord Turtle".

After the weather cleared up, its frequency of occurrence increased significantly.

Often at dusk, its millstone-sized form appears in the deep waters near the dam of the reservoir, quietly bathed in the golden glow of the setting sun, as if inspecting its territory.

Sometimes it is accompanied by a few smaller turtles, like loyal subjects.

Whenever it appears, villagers working or strolling on the shore will stop and watch respectfully from a distance, whispering among themselves, but no one dares to approach and disturb it.

In the hearts of the villagers, the appearance of this "Turtle King" is an auspicious sign of favorable weather and peaceful waters.

Standing atop the reinforced and even more magnificent reservoir dam, Chen Ling gazed at the vibrant scene of the expansive waters teeming with life, his heart filled with satisfaction.

His spiritual waters subtly improved the ecology of this area, and this heavy rain acted as a catalyst, causing the vitality here to fully erupt.

Just as the rain stopped and everything was coming back to life, Chen Ling's cell phone rang in his pocket.

He took it out and saw that it was an unfamiliar area code from the provincial capital.

"Hello, who is this?" Chen Ling answered the phone.

"Excuse me, is this Mr. Chen Ling from Chenwangzhuang?" A middle-aged man's polite, smiling voice came from the other end of the phone.

"It's me. Who are you?"

"Hello Mr. Chen! I am Yang, the production manager of the sequel to 'Journey to the West' produced by CCTV."

“We had previously contacted you through Mr. Zhou Weijun, and we have been wanting to discuss borrowing some of your... uh, special 'actors'.”

Chen Ling immediately remembered that last year or the year before, a film crew had indeed contacted Yu Qi'an and Zhou Weijun, saying they wanted to film the giant turtle in his reservoir and the magnificent eagle in the sky, which was also known as Er Tuzi.

They couldn't make it at the time due to various reasons, but they never gave up.

"Hello, Director Yang, I remember now. What's wrong? Is the production crew available now?"

"Yeah!"

Director Yang's attitude became enthusiastic, "We've almost finished preparations here, just missing a few key shots. Especially the scenes of encountering the old turtle demon at the 'Tongtian River,' and the Golden-Winged Roc. We heard from Lao Zhou and the others that you have a giant soft-shelled turtle that can be called the 'King of Turtles,' and an extremely majestic eagle with an amazing wingspan, both of which perfectly match the characters in our play! I wonder if it's convenient for you now?"

Chen Ling glanced at the rippling reservoir, then looked up at Er Tu Zi, who had become a tiny black dot soaring high in the azure sky, and smiled:
“The turtles and falcons are indeed there. But Director Yang, I must make it clear first that they are all wild and intelligent, but they don’t completely obey human commands. Filming is fine, but we must prioritize their condition and not force them. We must also absolutely ensure their safety and prevent them from being frightened.”

"Don't worry about that!" Director Yang quickly assured him, "Our crew has a professional team of animal actors, and we will definitely use the gentlest methods, with animal protection as our top priority! We can pay the corresponding fees, and we hope to take this opportunity to showcase our country's amazing wild animals to audiences across the country."

Chen Ling didn't care much about the cost, but he thought it was indeed an interesting thing and would also allow Chenwangzhuang to gain some prestige.

He thought for a moment and said, "The cost is negotiable. The main issue is that the weather has just cleared up. We're fine here, but I heard it's still raining in other places. Can you guarantee the schedule for your film crew coming over?"

“We’ve already considered that,” Director Yang explained. “Our plan is to send a small team over first to scout locations and make preparations, getting familiar with the giant turtles and falcons. Once the weather is completely stable, the main team will come to film. What do you think?”

“That’s a good arrangement,” Chen Ling nodded. “You can send someone over anytime. Call me when you arrive in the county and I’ll come pick you up.”

"That's wonderful! Thank you so much, Mr. Chen! We'll send someone over around the day after tomorrow! We'll contact you then!" Director Yang's voice was full of joy.

After hanging up the phone, Chen Ling had a slight smile on his lips.

The Journey to the West crew is coming to film the story of the old turtle and Baldy? If this gets out, it'll probably cause quite a stir. He imagined Garlic playing the old turtle of the Tongtian River and Baldy playing the Golden-Winged Roc, and found it both novel and interesting.

He turned and walked towards the farm, intending to tell his family the news.

As soon as I entered the courtyard, I saw Wang Susu holding a small baby bottle, feeding the two increasingly plump clouded leopard cubs in the woodshed.

The female clouded leopard lay quietly to one side, looking at Wang Susu with gentle eyes, occasionally licking her fur, which had regained its luster.

Afu and Ashou lay dozing in the shade outside the woodshed, their tails occasionally twitching leisurely.

"Susu, I just got an interesting phone call." Chen Ling walked over with a smile.

"What call? You look so happy." Wang Susu looked up and asked gently.

"The Journey to the West crew wants to film here, and they specifically asked to borrow Garlic Head and Baldy as actors."

"Huh? Really?" Wang Susu's eyes widened in surprise, even temporarily forgetting the two clouded leopard cubs suckling their bottles. "Filming for TV? That...that's not feasible, is it? What about Er Tuzi and the others..."

"They said they'd use a gentle approach, sending someone over to familiarize themselves with the place first. I think it's a good thing; it'll let us get on TV too." Chen Ling bent down and stroked the fluffy head of a little clouded leopard. The little guy whimpered in dissatisfaction and continued to suckle vigorously.

“That’s true.” Wang Susu smiled as well. “If it’s really filmed, Rui Rui and the others will be overjoyed.”

Just then, Rui Rui and Xiao Ming rushed in from outside like a gust of wind, their little faces flushed from the sun, and they were holding several freshly picked, brightly colored mushrooms in their hands.

"Dad! Mom! Look at the mushrooms we picked! We'll have Grandma stir-fry them with meat tonight!"

"Uncle, is the Journey to the West film crew coming to our village? We heard Grandpa Wu say that at the village entrance!" Xiao Ming shouted excitedly.

Chen Ling and Wang Susu exchanged a smile; the news had spread incredibly fast.

The news that the Journey to the West film crew was coming spread like wildfire throughout every corner of Chenwangzhuang.

Compared to previous flood control commendations, this event clearly ignited the villagers' enthusiasm even more, especially the children, who were practically bursting with excitement.

"What? They're going to film 'Journey to the West'? Sun Wukong is coming to our village?"

"It's not Sun Wukong, it's the old turtle spirit! The turtle king from our reservoir!"

"And there's the Roc! It's the falcon that Uncle Fugui owns!"

"My God, does that mean we'll be able to see our village on TV?"

At the village entrances and alleyways, in the fields, everyone was discussing it enthusiastically.

The children kept pestering Chen Ling with questions, wishing the film crew would arrive the next day.

Chen Ling remained calm and continued doing what he was doing.

He still goes to the forest farm every day to check on the growing livestock herd and dog farm.

Nourished by rain and with ample feed, the cattle, sheep, and deer are all plump and strong, with glossy fur.

The newly added litters of puppies in the dog kennel have already started to walk, huddled together in a fluffy ball, their tender barks rising and falling. Erhei, like a patriarch, sternly patrols the area, making sure no mother dog bullies any other puppy.

He also did not forget his research on leeches.

The blue donkey belonging to Yao Dazhu in Yaowangzhai had long since recovered from its leg injury and was now lively and energetic, becoming a living advertisement for the success of leech therapy.

Several livestock in the village suffered minor injuries due to the slippery roads after the rain. Chen Ling tried it out, and the results were quite good.

He meticulously recorded the dosage, absorption time, and herbal remedies used in different situations, gradually developing a preliminary plan in his mind.

On the afternoon of the third day, Chen Ling indeed received a call from Director Yang, saying that the three members of the pre-production team had arrived in the county town and would take a car to Chenwangzhuang early the next morning.

The team was led by an assistant director from the film crew, surnamed Xu, along with an animal trainer and a cameraman.

The next morning the sun was shining brightly.

Chen Ling got up early, mounted his little blue horse, and slowly headed to the village entrance to pick up the person.

Not long after arriving at the village entrance, a slightly worn jeep came bumping along and stopped in front of Chen Ling.

Two men and one woman got out of the car.

The man leading the group was a middle-aged man in his forties, wearing glasses and slightly overweight. He had a friendly expression and was probably Assistant Director Xu.

Behind him was a man in his thirties with dark skin and sharp eyes, presumably an animal trainer.

The last person to get off the bus was a young woman in her early twenties, with a ponytail and carrying a heavy camera bag; she looked very capable.

"You must be Mr. Chen Ling? Hello, hello! I'm Xu Ming, this is our animal trainer, Mr. Liu, and this is cameraman Xiao Zhang." Assistant Director Xu warmly extended his hand.

"Director Xu, Master Liu, Reporter Zhang, welcome, welcome!" Chen Ling shook hands with them one by one. "You must have had a long journey. The road must have been difficult."

"It's alright, it's just that the last stretch of dirt road is a bit bumpy." Xu Ming smiled as he looked around, taking a deep breath. "But the air is really fresh! The beautiful scenery is truly remarkable!"

After exchanging a few pleasantries, Chen Ling led the three of them into the village.

Along the way, Xu Ming kept praising the scenery of Chenwangzhuang, especially the distant mountains shrouded in mist and the neat farmhouses and sparkling reservoir nearby. He was amazed and said that the place had a fairy-like atmosphere and was very suitable for taking pictures.

Cameraman Zhang, driven by professional habit, couldn't help but start framing and composing the shot, muttering, "Director Xu, the lighting effects here are amazing, the footage will definitely look great!"

Upon arriving at the farm, Wang Susu had already prepared tea.

When Gao Xiulan and Wang Cunye saw that guests had arrived, they also came out to greet them.

Rui Rui and Xiao Ming hid behind the door, curiously peeking at these "people from the city filming TV shows".

After taking their seats, Xu Ming stated his purpose directly: "Mr. Chen, the main reason we came here is to see the giant turtle and the falcon you mentioned on the phone in person, to establish some initial contact with them, and to see the feasibility of filming. After all, animal actors are different from human actors; they require time and patience."

"I understand." Chen Ling nodded. "So, should we look at the turtles first, or the eagles and falcons?"

“Let’s look at the turtle first!” Xu Ming was clearly more interested in the “Turtle King”. “To be honest, in all my years in this business, I’ve never seen a turtle that can truly be called a ‘monster’.”

"Okay, let's go to the reservoir then."

Chen Ling led the three to the reservoir dam. It was morning, and the water was as smooth as a mirror, reflecting the blue sky and white clouds.

Xu Ming and his two companions stood on the dam, gazing at the vast expanse of water, and were all awestruck by the beautiful scenery.

"Mr. Chen, where do those giant turtles usually appear?" Xu Ming asked.

Chen Ling pointed to the deeper area in the center of the reservoir: "It's usually in that area. But it's elusive, and whether you see it or not depends on luck. I'll give it a try."

As he spoke, Chen Ling walked to the water's edge, squatted down, and put his hand into the cool water. He seemed to be casually stroking the surface of the water, but in reality, he secretly drew out a very faint spiritual water aura from his cave, mixed it with his thoughts, and spread it into the water.

This is a way he recently discovered to communicate with garlic; although they cannot communicate verbally, they can convey a benevolent call.