My 1995 Small Farm.

The appearance of Afu and Ashou made the two Bengal tigers visibly nervous.

The difference in body size is just too great.

Afu and Ashou are over one meter tall at the shoulder and over three meters long, making them larger than ordinary Siberian tigers.

Standing there, they looked like two fuzzy little hills.

While Raja was a robust individual among Bengal tigers, his shoulder height was only about 90 centimeters, making Maya appear even smaller.

This visual overwhelming force caused Raja to instinctively lower his body and let out a low growl.

It serves as both a deterrent and a hint of unease.

"Relax, relax..." Chen Ling gently soothed his two tigers, patting their necks.

Afu's amber eyes quietly observed the two "little ones" inside the fence, his gaze filled with curiosity.

When I saw the Bengal tiger, I even felt a hint of human-like disgust.

Its nostrils twitched slightly as it sniffed the air, then it turned its head away.

It rubbed its big head against Chen Ling's hand, as if to say: Is that all?

Ah Shou's reaction was different.

It first cautiously observed Raja, its gaze lingering on him for a moment before turning to Maya.

Maya seemed intimidated by Ashou's enormous size, taking two steps back and pressing her ears back.

But those amber eyes couldn't help but look over curiously.

Ah Shou's tail swayed slightly.

It took two steps forward, approaching the fence, and lowered its massive head.

I carefully sniffed the direction of the Maya through the barbed wire fence.

Maya was initially a little scared, but seeing that Ashou did not make any aggressive moves, she cautiously moved closer.

They looked each other up and down through the fence.

"Hey, this looks promising!"

The lynx winked: "Shou is interested in this tigress!"

Charles quickly jotted down in his notebook: "The male tiger Ashou showed curiosity towards the female tiger Maya, was relaxed, and showed no signs of aggression."

Anderson snapped photos repeatedly, saying, "This is such a precious sight—the first peaceful encounter between different subspecies of tigers!"

However, the scene on the other side was somewhat awkward.

Raja seemed somewhat anxious as he watched Maya interact with Ashou.

It paced inside the enclosure, growling louder in an attempt to attract Afu's attention.

But Afu only glanced at it indifferently before turning his gaze away with little interest.

It even yawned, revealing two small, dagger-like fangs.

It then lay down, resting its chin on its front paws, looking like it was "too lazy to pay attention".

“Ah Fu… doesn’t like Raja?” Zhang Lihua realized.

Chen Ling couldn't help but chuckle and patted Afu's big head: "Our Afu has high standards. Raja is considered a handsome young man among Bengal tigers, but compared to our Ashou, he's a whole size smaller. Afu probably thinks he's not majestic enough."

This remark made everyone laugh.

Charles also shook his head with a smile: "It's understandable. In the tiger world, size and strength are important indicators of attractiveness. Ms. Afu is used to companions like Mr. Shou and has little interest in smaller males, which is reasonable from an animal behavior perspective."

Anderson joked, "It seems this cross-border blind date is a case of 'the man is interested, but the woman is not.' But Ah Shou and Maya have made a good start."

Chen Ling observed for a while and saw that the interaction between Ashou and Maya remained gentle, and although Raja was anxious, he did not show excessive aggression.

Afu, on the other hand, remained completely detached and relaxed, which told me that the first contact had been basically successful.

That's all for today.

Chen Ling said, "Ten minutes is enough for a first meeting. Any longer might make them nervous."

He called out to Afu and Ashou, and the two tigers obediently turned around and followed him out of the enclosure.

Before leaving, Ashou looked back at Maya, who stood there watching them go.

Back in the observation room, Charles excitedly flipped through the records: "Mr. Chen, this contact was a great success! Especially between Ashou and Maya, there has been some initial positive interaction. We can continue these 'meetings' through the fence for the next few days as planned, allowing them to gradually become familiar with each other."

Chen Ling nodded: "What about Afu..."

"I won't force it."

Charles was very open-minded: "Animals have their own preferences, and we respect their wishes. If Afu never shows any interest in Raja, that's fine too."

"If Ashou and Maya can establish a friendship, or even have the potential to develop it further in the future, it will already be a huge success."

Anderson chuckled, “Maybe Ah Shou likes a ‘little wife.’ Maya may be small in stature, but she’s very pretty and has a gentle personality.”

The group chatted and laughed as they left the quarantine area and returned to the farm.

Zhang Lihua was still savoring the scene of the tigers meeting on the way back, and exclaimed, "I've only ever seen tigers on TV before. Seeing this 'matchmaking' scene in person today is truly an eye-opener. Ah Fu and Ah Shou's aura, wow, no wonder they're kings of the mountains."

Chen Ling laughed and said, "Brother Hua, if you take good care of your Tibetan mastiffs, their aura won't be weak either. By the way, Little Iron Egg has grown quite fast recently. You haven't seen what it looks like now, have you?"

"Little Iron Egg?"

Zhang Lihua's eyes lit up: "Wow, the last time I saw it it was a puppy, it's been almost half a year, right? It must be so strong now!"

“Strong and robust.”

Chen Ling kept everyone in suspense: "It's just... it might be a little different from what you're thinking."

Zhang Lihua asked curiously, "Why is it different?"

"You'll know when you get home."

It was already evening when we returned to the farm.

Wang Susu and Gao Xiulan are preparing dinner in the kitchen.

Rui Rui and Xiao Ming were playing shuttlecock in the yard, while Kang Kang and Le Le wobbled as they chased after it, giggling incessantly.

As soon as Afu and Ashou entered the courtyard, they skillfully lay down in their usual spot under the eaves for a nap.

Hearing the commotion, Little Iron Egg burst out from beside the woodshed with a "whoosh" and headed straight for Chen Ling.

Zhang Lihua stared intently, then froze.

The dog in front of me... is indeed a Tibetan Mastiff.

With a large frame, sturdy limbs, broad head, and thick fur, this dog is over six months old and already has a shoulder height of nearly sixty centimeters, making it a size larger than other Tibetan Mastiffs of the same age.

Judging solely from its shape and structure, it is absolutely a top-notch embryo.

But look at its expression and behavior—

Little Iron Egg rushed to Chen Ling's feet, but instead of roaring, it whimpered softly.

It stood upright, placed its two front paws on Chen Ling's legs, and rubbed its big head against Chen Ling's palm. Its tail wagged wildly.

Seeing Chen Ling smiling as he rubbed its head, it excitedly spun around twice, then "plop" lay down, exposing its soft belly, its four paws in the air, its eyes squinting, waiting for its owner to tickle it.

Zhang Lihua: "..."

With its adorable, playful, and affectionate behavior, where is the fierce and majestic demeanor that a Tibetan Mastiff should have?

It's clearly an oversized pet dog!
Chen Ling squatted down and skillfully scratched Xiao Tiedan's belly. The little guy made a "gurgling" sound in his throat and kicked his hind legs.

"This...this is Little Iron Egg?" Zhang Lihua asked in disbelief.

"Genuine or genuine."

Chen Ling laughed and said, "The Lion King and Lion Queen's biological son, you handed him to me with your own hands back then."

Zhang Lihua took a few steps closer and examined it carefully.

Little Iron Egg sensed the stranger approaching, turned over and stood up, looking at Zhang Lihua curiously and sniffing the air.

Seemingly remembering something, he slowly approached and touched Zhang Lihua's hand with his nose.

There was no shouting, no wariness, just simple, gentle curiosity.

"It recognizes me?" Zhang Lihua asked in surprise.

"Tibetan mastiffs have good memories, especially of people they came into contact with during their childhood."

Chen Ling said, "However, its temperament has indeed been 'distorted' by me, and it's unlikely to be as fierce as Heiwa and Xiaojin."

In other words, this personality is basically like a large Golden Retriever.

Zhang Lihua squatted down and stroked Xiao Tiedan's thick neck hair.

The little guy enjoyed it so much that he sat down, tilted his head back and let him touch him, and even stuck out his tongue to lick his hand.

"The Tibetan Mastiff I raised on Hong Kong Island was already barking at strangers and protecting its food and territory when it was only six months old."

Zhang Lihua smiled wryly: "Little Tiedan is... too docile. But he's really good-looking, with such good bone structure and fur color, his foundation is excellent."

Chen Ling explained, "The environment on the farm is too peaceful. Afu and Ashou keep the place in check, there are no enemies, the family dotes on them, they eat and drink well every day, and Rui Rui and the others treat them as playmates, playing and frolicking with them all day long. They have never experienced fighting or been wronged since they were young, so naturally they can't be fierce."

Just then, Rui Rui ran over and hugged Xiao Tie Dan's neck: "Tie Dan! Let's play hide-and-seek!"

Little Iron Egg immediately got excited, barked twice, and ran after Rui Rui.

Zhang Lihua watched the child and the dog chasing and playing in the yard. Little Tiedan ran with light steps and didn't get angry even when Rui Rui pulled its tail hard.

Instead, it rolled over and licked Rui Rui's face, making the child laugh out loud.

"This isn't a Tibetan Mastiff, it's a golden retriever dressed as a mastiff."

Zhang Lihua couldn't help but complain, but a smile played on her lips: "However, this is for the best. Tibetan mastiffs are too ferocious, sometimes hurting others and themselves. Little Tiedan can live a long life if he's happy like this."

Chen Ling nodded: "That's what I think too. Mastiffs are brave in their bones, and they won't back down when something really happens. Usually, they're just good as a source of joy."

Just then, Wang Susu came out carrying a pot of stewed bones and called out, "Little Iron Egg, time to eat!"

Just moments ago, Little Iron Egg was playing with Rui Rui. Suddenly, its ears perked up, and it turned around instantly, rushing to the food bowl. But instead of eating right away, it sat down, looked up at Wang Susu, and wagged its tail, waiting for instructions.

"Eat up." Wang Susu patted its head.

Little Iron Egg then lowered his head and began to chew heartily, making smacking noises as he ate, but his manners were not uncouth; in fact, they were rather refined.

Zhang Lihua watched with amazement: "They've taught the rules so well."

"Susu taught me; she's very meticulous."

Chen Ling laughed and said, "By the way, Brother Hua, your mastiffs will start their medicated baths tomorrow, for three consecutive days. Come and take a look then, and spend more time with the Lion King and Queen. They're more affectionate towards me than towards you now."

"Of course, you saved their lives."

Zhang Lihua didn't mind at all: "I'll go there earlier tomorrow."

At dinner, everyone sat around a table, and the conversation naturally turned to the ancient tombs and coffins in Donggang.

Wang Cunye took a sip of his wine and said, "This afternoon, two more cars came from the province. I heard they're from some archaeological institute. The entourage is even bigger now. They've set up tents and turned on the lights around that black coffin. Looks like they're going to be working late into the night."

Gao Xiulan picked up a piece of chicken and gave it to Kang Kang, then continued, "Everyone in the village is going crazy, saying there must be treasure in the coffin, otherwise they wouldn't have made such a fuss. Some people are even guessing if it's some gold or silver scriptures that were hidden in the Taoist temple before."

Qin Rongxian shook his head and smiled, "If it's a Taoist coffin, the burial items would mostly be ritual implements, scriptures, and personal belongings; gold and silver are unlikely. Taoism emphasizes quiet cultivation and does not value elaborate burials."

Liang Hongyu asked curiously, "Is that coffin really as miraculous as your fourth grandfather said? Can the lacquer push aside the soil by itself?"

"We'll find out tomorrow."

Chen Ling took a bite of rice and said, "I'm more concerned about the origin of that Taoist temple and whether it has any connection with the early history of our village. I heard that our branch of the Chen family did not come from landlords."

Wang Susu said softly, "This afternoon, Fourth Grandfather came by and said he remembered something."

"Hmm?" Everyone looked at her.

"My fourth grandfather said that when he was a child, he heard an old Taoist priest mention that Qingxu Temple was not originally a local Taoist temple, but was moved from the south in the mid-Ming Dynasty."

"It seems that the original Taoist temple suffered a disaster. At that time, the abbot led his disciples and scriptures northward. When they passed by here, they saw that the mountains and rivers had spirits, so they settled down and built a temple."

Chen Ling pondered, "They migrated from the south? Then the lineage of this Taoist temple might be extraordinary. I'll go talk to my fourth grandfather about it in detail tomorrow."

Just then, footsteps sounded outside the courtyard gate, and Zhao Dahai walked in, his face beaming with excitement: "Fugui! The coffin has been opened over at Donggang!"

"So fast? Opening the coffin in the middle of the night??" Chen Ling put down his bowl.

Regarding ancient tombs, he was greatly influenced by suspense novels like Ghost Blows Out the Light.

Art originates from reality; much of it is not just made up on a whim.

I remember it said something like it was bad to open a coffin at night, especially in an open-air environment.

"The experts from the province couldn't wait any longer. They said it might rain tomorrow and they were worried about water getting into the coffin, so they opened the coffin tonight in the presence of the police and village officials."

Zhao Dahai took the water glass from Gao Xiulan and took a big gulp: "I just came back from over there, guess what?"

Everyone pricked up their ears.

Zhao Dahai lowered his voice, his tone mysterious: "There are no bones in the coffin!"

"What?"

Wang Cunye was stunned: "An empty coffin?"

"It's not completely empty."

Zhao Dahai gestured: "Inside, there was a set of Taoist robes, a pair of Taoist shoes, a whisk, and several scrolls wrapped tightly in oilcloth, which looked like books. Underneath the robes, there was a thick layer of lime and spices, which was very well preserved, and you could still see that the robes were dark blue."

"A cenotaph?" Qin Rongxian immediately realized.

"Experts say the same thing."

Zhao Dahai nodded: "There are no remains in the coffin, only clothes and commonly used items from the deceased's lifetime. This is called a 'cenotaph.' It is usually used when the deceased's body cannot be found, or in special circumstances."

Chen Ling pressed further, "Did you figure out anything about that Taoist robe and those things?" (End of Chapter)