My 1995 Small Farm.

With a wealth of experiences and many surprises along the way, the group prepared to descend the mountain and return home.

The children were still excitedly discussing what they had just seen and heard.

Such a large flock of beautiful parrots, the brave performance of Afu and Ashou, and a basket full of wild fruit.

Their little faces flushed with excitement.

Ah Fu and Ah Shou, having eaten and drunk their fill, exuded a kind of adorable yet dignified air.

However, it remained alert, its ears twitching and its nose sniffing around.

Its enormous body moved silently through the forest, which was quite astonishing.

As they rounded the last mountain ridge, their view suddenly opened up.

The path leads eastward along the old river bend at the foot of the mountain.

The heightened and reinforced dikes and the shimmering reservoir came into view.

"Look! Look over at the reservoir!" Liu Yinhuan was the first to exclaim in surprise.

Countless birds were densely packed in the shallow waters and mudflats on the side of the reservoir near Chenwangzhuang, as well as in the treetops and reed beds nearby!

White, gray, black, brown...

Various colors and sizes, like a grand bird expo.

"It's a crane! And an egret! Over there, are those swans?"

Qin Rongxian also looked over.

Sure enough, in the relatively calm waters of the center of the reservoir, several graceful swans with long necks were swimming leisurely.

The pure white feathers seemed to be edged with gold in the sunlight, making them look noble and holy.

In the shallow water near the shore, a flock of egrets stood on one leg, patiently waiting for the small fish and shrimp to swim by.

Most of them are various kinds of cranes.

Grey cranes and white cranes, some are looking down to forage for food, while others are preening their feathers.

Others stretch their necks and let out a long, clear, and melodious cry that can be heard from afar.

"Good heavens, speak of the devil and he appears! I was just thinking about the red-crowned cranes, and here they are."

Chen Ling looked over and saw those familiar figures.

The flock of red-crowned cranes at Lake Yamanaka!
During the period of continuous rainfall, I had no idea where they were.

Chen Ling didn't even have time to go to the mountain lake to visit them.

I don't know where they flew back from.

But they are all fine.

She seemed more composed and elegant than before.

What's even more delightful is that there are several young cranes, almost the size of adult red-crowned cranes, around them.

To be precise, these are sub-adult red-crowned cranes with a grayish-yellow tinge in their plumage and a much lighter crown color.

They are clumsily imitating their parents' postures.

Strolling along the water's edge, occasionally nibbling curiously at the small fish and shrimp in the water.

"It's always like this in the fall."

"But this year seems especially lively."

"The dam has been newly built, the reservoir is storing more and more water, and with the abundant rainfall, there are now many more birds in the water."

"Yes, yes, that must be it. Wow, there are so many geese. These geese don't seem to be the same breed as the geese we raise at home."

"They are definitely not the same variety."

The group gazed at the birds around the reservoir and began to discuss them.

Then Zhao Dahai asked Chen Ling, "Fugui, now that the geese you raised have grown wings, won't they fly away with you?"

He knew that the flock of geese at Chen Ling's farm were well-fed and healthy by Chen Ling, and even more magnificent than wild geese.

Upon hearing this, Chen Ling smiled and said, "Brother Dahai, don't worry. With the food I give them, it's no wonder they'd be reluctant to leave. They're well-fed and content every day, much more comfortable than having to endure wind and rain and fly thousands of miles south. These creatures are very intelligent; they know exactly where they feel comfortable and where their home is."

"Besides, look at the weather this year, it's much warmer. In previous years, we would have had to wear padded jackets in the mornings and evenings at this time, but now we can still wear a single layer of clothing under the midday sun. I reckon this year will be a mild winter, and many migratory birds may be too lazy to travel south anymore. Our reservoir here is large, with abundant aquatic plants, fish, and shrimp, and no one is harming them, so it's a ready-made overwintering ground for them."

"Oh, now that you say that, I feel much more at ease."

Zhao Dahai laughed along, "That's right. We eat and drink well here, and with Afu, Ashou, and Ertuzi guarding us, no birds of prey dare to cause trouble. It truly is a paradise for birds."

Qin Rongxian exclaimed, "Fugui, your reservoir has become a bird paradise! It will probably be like this every year, attracting more and more people!"

Liang Hongyu nodded repeatedly, snapping photos with her small camera: "That's right! You can't even see such a complete collection of live animals in the city zoo! Red-crowned cranes, swans, egrets, and so many others I can't name... It's truly an eye-opener!"

As the adults talked, the children, unable to contain their excitement, grabbed Wang Susu and Liu Yinhuan's hands and tried to run towards the reservoir dam.

"Mommy, Mommy, come quick to see the swans!"

"Grandma, there are lots of long-legged birds over there!"

Rui Rui and Xiao Ming took the lead, while Kang Kang and Le Le pointed at the flock of birds, their little faces full of surprise.

"Okay, okay, go see, go see, slow down and watch your step!"

Wang Susu smiled and gave instructions, and she and Liu Yinhuan each carried one of the children, then followed the excited children toward the reservoir.

Chen Ling and Zhao Dahai followed behind, dragging a sled loaded with mountain goods and game.

The group walked along the newly paved asphalt road to the reservoir dam, where the view became even more expansive.

The view before us is even more spectacular than when viewed from the mountainside.

Near the shore, in the shallow water, the water ripples and various water birds frolic and forage, their calls rising and falling.

Besides the large birds we just saw, there are other birds here as well.

More numerous were wild ducks, mandarin ducks, and other water birds whose names I didn't know, gathered together in dense clusters, creating a lively and bustling scene.

A large number of people have already gathered on the dam.

People rushed over after hearing the news.

There are also people from other places fishing here.

Everyone was very considerate, watching from a distance, and no one went up to disturb the flock of birds, only occasionally letting out soft exclamations of surprise.

"Hey, Fugui's here!"

"Uncle Fugui, look at these birds this year, they're so much older than last year!"

"My goodness, this swan is so white!"

"Look over there, there are a few more gray cranes!"

Upon seeing Chen Ling, people greeted him with pride in their voices.

Everyone knows that Chenwangzhuang's current prosperity is inseparable from Chen Ling's efforts.

Several tourists who looked like city dwellers were taking pictures with telephoto lenses.

Upon seeing Chen Ling and his group, especially the two incredibly fierce yet unusually quiet tigers behind them, they all showed expressions of surprise and curiosity.

One of the bolder ones came over and asked, "Brother, excuse me... what are those two tigers?"

Zhao Dahai puffed out his chest and proudly introduced, "This is raised by Chen Fugui from Chenwangzhuang. It's very intelligent and doesn't hurt people. It even chased away a big wild boar in the mountains just now!" He pointed to the huge wild boar on the sled.

Tourists followed the gaze and gasped when they saw the enormous creature.

Looking at Afu and Ashou, their eyes were filled with awe and disbelief.

Someone quickly turned their camera around, wanting to photograph the tiger, but also feeling a bit scared.

Chen Ling nodded kindly to the tourists and explained, "Don't worry, they are very quiet and won't attack people. Please keep your distance when watching the birds and don't frighten them, so they can spend the winter here in peace."

"sure!"

"Don't worry, brother, we understand!"

The tourists readily agreed, their eyes filled with admiration as they looked at Chen Ling.

"So this is Chen Fugui. He really does keep tigers. I thought he was just bragging."

"I never expected this tiger to be so big, it's terrifying."

To be able to raise tigers and make them so obedient is no ordinary feat.

Moreover, it can also gain official recognition.

This person is indeed extraordinary.

At this moment, Professor Zhong, who had been carefully observing the flock of birds, seemed to have made a new discovery.

He pointed to the reed beds across the reservoir, near the mountains, and said excitedly, "Fugui, look over there! Aren't those... Chinese Mergansers?!"

"I heard my third brother and Lao Han mention this before, and they even asked me to draw it. I think it looks like this?"

Chen Ling looked in the direction he pointed.

Several ducks, similar in size to wild ducks, with flattened beaks, prominent crests on their heads, and scaly markings on their bodies, were visible.

It stood out quite well among the flock of wild ducks.

With his sharp eyes, he carefully examined it and nodded confidently: "Uncle Zhong, you have a good eye! Judging from the features, it's almost certainly a Chinese Merganser! I heard it's already listed as a national protected animal, like the giant panda! I didn't expect them to be here too!"

These words caused a stir among the people around.

Nationally protected animals!

They're pretty much the same size as giant pandas!

This trip was definitely worthwhile.

"Dad, these ducks are so beautiful and plump, can we eat them?"

"Should we get one?"

The children didn't understand about protection levels; they just thought the ducks looked funny, like they had flowers on their heads, and they watched them with great interest.

Rui Rui, Xiao Ming, and a group of children were so excited that their faces turned red as they ran around on the dam.

Pointing at various birds and chattering excitedly to identify them, although they mostly called them by the wrong names, their joy was infectious.

Afu and Ashou weren't interested in the waterbirds. They went to the shady spot on the back slope of the dam and lay down, lazily licking their claws and cleaning the bloodstains from their hunt.

The older children, including Liu Nier, ran up to Chen Ling and asked, "Uncle Fugui, since the Chinese Merganser is a protected animal, why is it with the wild ducks?"

"That's right, Uncle Fugui, why is that? They're so pretty, why are they mixed up with wild ducks?" Xizi asked as well.

Hearing the children's questions, Chen Ling smiled and patiently explained:

"This Chinese Merganser, despite its name containing 'Chinese', which makes it seem special, is actually still a type of duck, a waterbird."

"Think about it, wild ducks are also water birds. They all need to find food in the water, such as small fish, shrimp, aquatic plants, and insects."

"They all need to rest and sleep near water to protect themselves from predators." Given their similar habits, if they happen to fly to the same place, they'll naturally tend to congregate together.

He pointed to the birds across the reservoir: "It's just like us humans. When we're out and about, don't we like to find a companion? Birds are the same."

"They fly from a great distance, and they may encounter eagles or bad weather along the way. There is strength in numbers, so when they gather together, you help me watch the sky, I help you keep an eye on the water, and we can look out for each other, which makes it safer."

"This is called the 'swarm effect.' When there are more birds, the chances of them spotting danger are greater, and they are less likely to be ambushed."

Rui Rui, who loves to join in the fun, ran over and nodded as if she understood: "Just like when we play with Brother Xiaoming and Brother Liu Nier, bad guys won't dare to bully us?"

“That’s right, Rui Rui is so smart, that makes sense.”

Chen Ling patted his son's head approvingly and continued, "Secondly, it's convenient to find food. Look, there are small fish, shrimp, and water insects in that reed bed."

"When there are many birds, they stir up the water and drive the little creatures hidden in the mud out. One family gets a fish, another catches a shrimp, so they help each other find more food. It's like when we go beachcombing or hunting together in our village, it's very efficient."

"Oh..." Liu Nier suddenly realized, "I understand!"

"There's a third point, which is also very important. These Chinese Mergansers may be relatively few in number. When they blend into the large flock of wild ducks, it's like... well, like we're wearing clothes that are similar to everyone else's, making it harder for predators to spot us at a glance."

"When a wicked eagle flies in the sky and sees a sea of ​​white ducks below, it might get confused and not be able to focus on catching those few particularly precious ducks."

"This is called 'confusing the public,' and it's a good way to protect yourself."

At this point, Chen Ling added, "Actually, this phenomenon is quite common in the animal kingdom. Think about it, don't wild pheasants in the mountains sometimes sneak into our flock of chickens to steal food?"

"Also, if someone's pigs run into the mountains and stay there for a long time, is it possible that they might be accepted by a herd of wild boars and become wild boars themselves?"

"Animal species that look similar and have similar habits are likely to gradually gravitate towards each other in order to survive."

"The Chinese Merganser and these wild ducks are all ducks, they find food in the water and have similar living habits, so it's not surprising that they can play together."

Chen Ling's explanation used simple metaphors that children could understand, and also included some basic knowledge of animal behavior, which made the adults nod frequently.

"So that's how it is! Mr. Chen knows a lot!"

A tourist with a camera said admiringly, "Not only do they know how to raise tigers and raise livestock to treat diseases, but they also know everything about birds!"

Xiao Ming proudly puffed out his chest and said, "Uncle really knows a lot!"

This made Chen Ling feel embarrassed: "Xiao Ming, we should be humble and low-key..."

A group of people laughed when they heard this: "With such a big reputation as Mr. Chen, it's impossible for him to keep a low profile. Many of us have never met you in person, but your name is mentioned in the news and on TV every day."

These words made the villagers feel proud.

The waterside was bustling with activity when suddenly a series of 'cawing' sounds came from the sky.

Everyone looked up and saw a flock of geese flying in from the north in a V-shape, heading straight for the reservoir.

"Hey, another flock of geese!"

"There are so many flocks of geese this year!"

The flock of geese flew lower and lower, preparing to land in the reservoir.

Just then, something unexpected happened.

Suddenly, a large flock of geese took flight from the direction of Chen Ling's farm!

They are noticeably more robust than wild geese, and their feathers have a better sheen.

However, their flight maneuvers and speed were clearly not as pleasing to the eye as those of the wild geese in the sky; instead, they appeared somewhat languid.

The flock of domesticated geese did not fly far, but circled twice over the farm.

Then, emitting loud "caw caws," as if greeting the flock of wild geese that had come from afar, they flew over.

Seeing this, Xiao Ming stamped his feet anxiously: "Uncle, are our geese really going to run away with the wild geese?" (End of Chapter)