My 1995 Small Farm.

"Look at what you're saying! I'm just worried about Rui Rui, how could I possibly want to lead him astray?"

“Our Rui Rui is so well-behaved, obedient and sensible, he can’t be taught to go astray.”

Liang Hongyu's words were full of doting affection. She bent down to pull Rui Rui out from behind Chen Ling and comfort her.

Rui Rui clung tightly to Chen Ling's clothes, burying her face even deeper.

Only the tip of her bright red ear was visible, clearly showing that she was both shy and regretful.

Liu Yinhuan quickly pulled her mother-in-law back, smiling helplessly, "Mom, please don't make things worse. Fugui and Susu have their own methods for raising children. Look, Rui Rui knows he was wrong now, doesn't he? That's much more effective than beating him."

Qin Rongxian also smiled and smoothed things over, leaning down to Rui Rui and saying gently, "Rui Rui, it's good that you know you're wrong. Look, even Brother Xiaoming isn't angry with you, is he?"

As he spoke, he gently pushed Xiaoming forward.

Although Xiaoming was a little upset when Rui Rui pushed him a few days ago, he is honest and kind by nature, and he has a deep bond with Rui Rui because they spend a lot of time together. He has long forgotten about that unpleasantness.

He took Rui Rui's hand and whispered, "Rui Rui, I won't leave. I'll wait for you to play together. Let's not lie to each other next time."

Rui Rui then timidly raised her head, her eyes still a little red, looked at Xiao Ming, and nodded vigorously: "Yes! Brother Xiao Ming, I will never lie or cheat again. I will share all the good things with you."

Children's worries come and go quickly.

The two little heads huddled together, whispered a few words, and then smiles appeared on their faces again, as if the little incident from before had vanished in an instant.

The adults smiled with relief as they watched the scene of reconciliation.

Taking the opportunity, Chen Ling said, "Uncle, Aunt, Sister-in-law, since you're here, don't rush to leave today. The weather is nice today, so I'll prepare some fresh food, and we can have a good get-together tonight."

Wang Susu also warmly invited them to stay: "Yes, it's not easy for you to come all this way, please stay a couple more days. Xiaoming also wants to play with Ruirui for a few more days."

Liang Hongyu had been longing for her grandson, so she readily agreed.

The atmosphere became lively again.

Looking at the two lively children, Qin Rongxian sighed to Chen Ling and Wang Susu, "Educating children is a profound subject, and you two are doing a great job. You know when to be kind and when to be strict, and you've got the balance just right. If you guide Rui Rui's intelligence well, he'll be extraordinary in the future."

Wang Susu smiled a little shyly: "Uncle Qin, you flatter us. We are just feeling our way across the river, and we are afraid that we will not teach well."

"I think the teaching is quite good."

Liang Hongyu picked up the conversation, looking at Kang Kang and Lele chasing after Xiao Tiedan in the yard.

"With so many intelligent animals at home, the children learn to cherish living beings from a young age, and they can't be bad-hearted."

The children didn't care about the adults' conversations.

Rui Rui and Xiao Ming had already opened the snack box that Liang Hongyu had brought; inside were beautifully packaged animal crackers and sponge cakes.

Rui Rui carefully gave Kang Kang and Le Le each a piece first, then gave Xiao Ming a piece, and only then did she pick up the smallest piece for herself, savoring it in small bites, her face beaming with satisfaction and appreciation.

Chen Ling and Wang Susu exchanged a glance, both seeing reassurance in each other's eyes.

This incident seems to have truly taught Rui Rui a lesson.

Now that autumn has arrived, the sky is high and the clouds are light, and the sunlight is golden but no longer harsh.

It feels warm and comfortable when the sun shines on your skin.

The buckwheat flowers in the field attracted many bees, and their buzzing was incessant.

The cabbages and radishes are growing well, covering the ridges of the field in lush green.

Since Liang Hongyu and Qin Rongxian rarely come to visit, they decided to stay a few more days at the urging of Wang Susu and Chen Ling.

Liu Yinhuan also took leave to accompany her parents-in-law and enjoy this rare moment of rural tranquility.

This morning, the sun was shining brightly, and Wang Susu discussed with Liu Yinhuan about making some persimmon cakes.

The old persimmon trees in the farm's backyard are bearing an exceptionally dense load of fruit this year, with orange-red persimmons resembling small lanterns, bending the branches under their weight.

Some ripe, soft persimmons are perfect for making dried persimmons, which kids love.

"Rui Rui, Xiao Ming, bring your younger siblings, let's go pick persimmons!"

At Wang Susu's call, the children immediately responded enthusiastically.

Rui Rui volunteered, holding a long bamboo pole with a net attached. This was specially made for him by Chen Ling to pick fruit from high places safely and conveniently.

Xiao Ming carried a small bamboo basket, while Kang Kang and Le Le followed behind, wobbling like two little tails.

Afu and Ashou had no interest in picking fruit and remained lazily dozing against the courtyard wall, but their ears would occasionally twitch, keeping an eye on the children's direction.

Little Iron Egg ran around excitedly, thinking that some fun game was about to begin.

Wang Susu and Gao Xiulan carried a ladder and a larger bamboo basket to the persimmon tree.

"Mom, I want to pick the reddest one!" Rui Rui pointed to a particularly brightly colored persimmon on the treetop.

"Okay, be careful. Put it in a net and twist it off gently."

Wang Susu held the ladder from below, gently giving instructions.

Rui Rui is much more nimble now. She carefully manipulated the bamboo pole and successfully picked the big persimmon, placing it steadily into Xiao Ming's basket.

"Rui Rui is so amazing! My mom said I'm your age and I don't even remember anything!" Xiao Ming exclaimed sincerely.

Kang Kang and Lele also tilted their little faces up and clapped their little hands, making little noises.

Encouraged, Rui Rui worked even harder.

Working with my mom and grandma, we carefully picked the persimmons that were just the right ripeness. These persimmons were soft, sweet, and delicious, making them perfect for making dried persimmons.

The firmer ones are kept for fresh consumption or ripened artificially.

Soon, several bamboo baskets were filled with plump, orange-red persimmons, and the air was filled with a sweet fruity aroma.

Back in the courtyard, Wang Susu drew water from the well and washed the persimmons with the children.

Gao Xiulan then brought out several large winnowing baskets, preparing to dry the food.

The process of making dried persimmons is not complicated, but it requires patience.

Peel the washed persimmons, then tie the stems with hemp rope, string them together, and hang them under the eaves in a well-ventilated and sunny place to dry.

"Mommy, why do we peel off the skin?" Rui Rui asked curiously.

"Because the skin is peeled, the sugar in the persimmon is more easily released during the sun drying process, resulting in sweet and sticky dried persimmons."

Wang Susu explained as she skillfully peeled the skin.

Xiao Ming also picked up a peeled persimmon and, imitating Wang Susu, carefully tied it with a hemp rope. Although his movements were clumsy, he was very serious.

Kang Kang and Lele also tried to help, grabbing a persimmon with their little hands and stuffing it into their mouths, getting persimmon juice all over their faces, which made everyone laugh.

Liang Hongyu and Liu Yinhuan joined in, and everyone worked together, chatting as they went, filling the courtyard with laughter.

Even Qin Rongxian couldn't help but pick up a persimmon and examine it closely, marveling at the joys of rural life.

The persimmons, strung together, hang under the eaves. Under the autumn sun, they gradually lose moisture, their color slowly darkens, and white sugar frost begins to form on their surface, making them look very tempting.

"These dried persimmons need to be sun-dried for about half a month until the sugar coating is fully developed and they are just the right firmness to taste best."

Gao Xiu said with a smile, "When the time comes, Rui Rui, Xiao Ming, Kang Kang, and Le Le will all get a share!"

"And there's Heiwa, Xiaojin, and Xiaotiedan!" Rui Rui quickly added, making everyone laugh again.

For the next few days, the first thing Rui Rui did every morning was to run to the eaves to check on his dried persimmons, watching them change day by day, his heart filled with anticipation. He also took on more proactive tasks such as cleaning the yard and feeding the chickens and ducks, seemingly trying to make up for his previous mistakes with his actions.

Chen Ling and Wang Susu saw this and were delighted.

That day, Zhao Dahai came to the farm and mentioned that the wild chestnuts and hazelnuts in the valleys of Laohewan were ripe, as well as a lot of late-ripening wild grapes. He asked Chen Ling if he was free to go pick some together.

"Go! Of course we'll go!" Before Chen Ling could even speak, Rui Rui and Xiao Ming jumped up.

Going into the mountains to pick wild fruits is the most attractive thing for children.

Chen Ling smiled and nodded: "Okay, I'm free tomorrow, let's go together. Let's invite Liu Ni'er and Xi Zi too, it'll be more fun with more people."

The autumn forests are the richest treasure trove of the year.

Although the continuous rain brought disaster, it also nourished everything in the mountains, and the wild fruits this year are growing exceptionally plump.

The next morning, a small "exploration team" set off.

Chen Ling brought Rui Rui and Xiao Ming, Zhao Dahai brought Liu Ni'er and Xi Zi, and A Fu and Ashou naturally followed as well, serving as both bodyguards and the best trailblazers.

We walked along the newly built road to the foot of the mountain, and then turned onto the familiar mountain path.

After the rain, the air in the mountains and forests is intoxicatingly fresh. The leaves are beginning to turn yellow, adding a splash of green to the pines and cypresses, creating a colorful scene.

Not far along, we saw clumps of low shrubs covered with fuzzy chestnut pods, some of which had already split open, revealing the shiny chestnuts inside.

"Be careful, step on it with your foot, then use a twig to peel the chestnuts out. Don't grab them directly with your hands, they'll prick you!" Chen Ling demonstrated.

The children learned very quickly, especially Liu Nier and Xizi, who grew up in the mountains and were very agile.

Before long, everyone's cloth bags were filled with plump chestnuts.

Then they found a few wild grapevines. The purplish-black grapes were small, but they had an extremely rich, sweet and sour flavor. The children ate so many that their lips turned purple.

What surprised Rui Rui the most was that on a sunny hillside, he found several shrubs covered with bright red berries, like strings of miniature lanterns, crystal clear.

"Daddy, what's this? Can we eat it?" Rui Rui asked, pointing to the red berries.

"This is called 'ground cherry' or 'blue lantern'. It's sweet when ripe and you can eat it."

Chen Ling picked one, peeled off the thin skin that resembled a lampshade, revealing the orange-red berry inside, and handed it to Rui Rui.

Rui Rui carefully put it in her mouth, and a sweet taste instantly melted in her mouth, with a flavor even more unique than grapes.

"good to eat!"

His eyes lit up, and he immediately shared it with Xiaoming, Liunier, and the others.

Afu and Ashou weren't interested in wild fruits, but their keen senses picked up on other things.

"Look, a squirrel!" Xizi pointed to a pine tree.

A gray squirrel was holding a pine cone, watching the passing line below warily, its little eyes darting around.

Upon seeing someone point at it, it darted up to the treetop in a flash.

"There are rabbits over there!" Liu Nier also spotted the target.

A grayish-brown hare poked its head out from the bushes, its long ears perked up. Hearing the noise, it hopped and leaped away, disappearing into the depths of the grass.

Afu and Ashou showed little interest in the small animals. They walked steadily ahead, stopping every now and then to raise their heads and sniff the air.

Tigers have an extremely keen sense of smell and can distinguish various information carried by the wind.

For example, the scent of other animals, the direction of water sources, and even changes in the weather.

After walking for about an hour, we arrived at a relatively open valley area.

The trees are sparse here, so more sunlight can shine through, and the ground is covered with lush grass and shrubs.

The sound of flowing water can be heard in the distance, so the mountain lake must be not far ahead.

"Let's all rest here for a bit."

Chen Ling chose a flat spot: "Let's have some water and something to eat."

The children were thirsty and took off their water bottles.

Liu Yinhuan breathed a sigh of relief, found a rock to sit on, and rubbed her slightly sore calves.

The mountain road was more difficult to walk than expected. Although Chen Ling chose a relatively gentle route, it was still a considerable challenge for him.

However, Qin Rongxian and his wife, having lived in the countryside for a long time, gradually adapted.

Just then, Afu, who was walking at the front, suddenly stopped.

Its massive body drooped slightly, its ears stood up, and the tip of its tail swayed gently.

This is a typical posture for felines when they spot their prey.

Ah Shou reacted in the same way, and the two tigers' eyes turned fierce as they stared intently at a dense thicket in front of them.

"Shh—" Chen Ling immediately signaled everyone to be quiet.

The children immediately fell silent, not even daring to drink water, and nervously stared ahead.

Qin Rongxian and Liang Hongyu also held their breath. Liu Yinhuan instinctively wanted to pull Rui Rui and Xiao Ming into her arms, but Chen Ling stopped her with a gesture, and she could not make any sound now.

Time seemed to stand still.

The only sounds were the rustling of the wind through the grass and the faint sound of water in the distance.

A few seconds later, the bushes moved.

The first thing to emerge was a pair of branching horns, which gleamed with a deep brown luster in the sunlight.

Then, an elegant head appeared.

It's a fully grown sika deer!
It has a well-proportioned body, brownish-red fur, and white spots on its body that are as clear as plum blossoms.

At this moment, it is looking around warily, clearly sensing some danger while foraging for food.

“It’s a deer…” Xiaoming said in a breathy voice, his eyes wide open.

The sika deer did not notice the tiger lurking to its side. It slowly walked out of the bushes and came to a relatively open grassland, where it lowered its head to nibble on the tender grass.

Its movements are light and graceful, each step taken with utmost care.

Afu and Ashou are like two sculptures, completely still.

Only their bodies pressed tightly against the ground and their muscles trembling slightly showed that they were gathering strength.

Chen Ling gestured for the children to step back and hide behind several large trees.

Liang Hongyu and the others followed suit.

From this angle, they can clearly see the scene ahead without being affected by the impending hunt.

Half a minute later, the sika deer seemed to relax its guard and began to concentrate on eating grass.

It was about 30 meters away from where Afu was hiding.

For a tiger, this is an excellent sprint distance.

Just then, Afu moved!
Without warning or a sound, the enormous, yellow and black figure shot out like an arrow released from a bow! (End of Chapter)