My 1995 Small Farm.

"Yes, yes, yes! Let all the children know!"

“Our Chenwangzhuang village has a long and distinguished history; it’s not some random, unknown village!”

"I knew it! We people with the surname Chen are definitely not ordinary people!"

The villagers with the surname Chen stood tall with pride.

As a result, that's how he started speaking.

Other people with the surname Wang also began to show their strength.

Chen Guowang and several others, as well as Wang Laishun's uncle Wang Dagui and others, all stepped forward.

“Your Chen family has a distinguished background, but our Wang family isn’t without roots either!”

"Our ancestors were the first to come here and reclaim the wasteland. That's why it's called Chenwangzhuang."

"Chen came first, Wang came later, that came later!"

"Alright, alright, Uncle Gui, don't take it so seriously. Chen and Wang, Wang and Chen, we're all family."

Wang Laishun quickly tried to smooth things over.

Chen Gannian waved his hand with a smile: "Da Gui is right. The Wang surname did come first, and then the Chen surname became more common. But after hundreds of years of intermarriage, it's hard to tell us apart anymore."

As everyone was chatting animatedly, someone suddenly blurted out, "Hey, since our village has such an impressive history, why don't we just change the village name!"

These words immediately drew a chorus of agreement.

"Yes, yes, yes! Let's change the name!"

"The name sounds friendly now, but it's too common! There are plenty of villages and hamlets in the surrounding area with names like Zhuang or Tun!"

"Our village now has dinosaur fossils, ancient tombs, and so many birds; it needs a catchy name!"

Wang Laishun frowned: "Change the village name? This is a big deal, it needs to be reported and approved."

"Hey, go ahead and report it! What kind of trouble haven't we seen in our village these days?"

Chen Guoping chimed in, "Let's come up with a good name first!"

The crowd began to discuss it amongst themselves.

A young man suddenly pointed in the direction of the reservoir: "Look! Those red-crowned cranes are flying again!"

Everyone looked in that direction.

The flock of red-crowned cranes were seen soaring and circling in mid-air.

Its slender neck gleamed in the sunlight, its posture as elegant as a celestial bird that had stepped out of a painting.

"Hey! Just for that reason, let's call it Crane Village!"

"Crane Village" sounds nice! It's auspicious!

"Yes, yes, cranes, that sounds pleasing to the ear, so majestic!"

Someone immediately objected: "Cranes are cranes, but we have more than just cranes here. There are swans, egrets, geese, and many more. Why should we call it Crane Village?"

"Then let's call it Hundred Birds Village!"

"The Hundred Birds Village is too tacky; it's like a chicken farm."

"Then what do you suggest we call it?"

Just then, someone pointed towards the reservoir and exclaimed, "Hey, the Turtle King! The Turtle King has surfaced again!"

In the middle of the reservoir, the large, round, table-like shell of a garlic bulb slowly floated to the surface.

Several smaller turtles followed in a row on the water, creating a rather spectacular scene.

"Yes, yes, yes! We still have the Turtle Prince!"

"How about we call it Divine Turtle Village?"

"Pah! Pah! Pah! Shenbie Village, do you listen to this? Is this swearing?"

"Then let's call it Dragon King Village! Old Turtle is a subordinate of the Dragon King, so calling it Dragon King Village sounds much more impressive!"

"Dragon King Village sounds good! This one's great!"

“No way, Dragon King Village sounds like a prayer for rain, we don’t lack water here.”

Chen Guowang thought for a moment, then suddenly slapped his thigh: "Hey, I have an idea! Our village has dinosaur fossils now. Dinosaurs are dragons, and turtles are also dragon offspring. Why not call it Double Dragon Village!"

"Shuanglong Village? This one seems alright..."

Wang Laishun was at his wits' end and quickly waved his hand, "Stop arguing! This matter needs to be discussed slowly, not stirred up trouble."

He turned to look at Chen Ling, who hadn't said a word: "Fugui, what do you say? You're the backbone of our village now."

All eyes turned to Chen Ling.

Chen Ling was staring blankly at the flock of red-crowned cranes when he was called out, which brought him back to his senses.

He smiled, not rushing to express his opinion, but instead asked Rui Rui, "You little rascal, do you like the name Chenwangzhuang?"

Rui Rui was squatting on the ground playing with Xiao Tie Dan when she heard this. She looked up and blinked her eyes: "I like it. Chenwangzhuang is the name of our village."

"Why do you like it?" Chen Ling asked again.

Rui Rui thought for a moment and answered very seriously: "Because it sounds nice. When I tell the kids in the city that my name is Chen Jingrui and I live in Chenwangzhuang, they all say that the name sounds like the village where an ancient general lived."

This made everyone laugh.

Xiao Ming chimed in from the side, "That's right! I told my mom that Chenwangzhuang sounds like the 'Chen Wang' in the story of 'Chen Sheng and Wu Guang'!"

"Hey, these two kids know pretty much."

Chen Ling smiled and patted the two children's heads before standing up and looking at everyone:

“Uncles and aunts, I understand what you’re thinking. Our village is famous now, with dinosaur fossils, ancient tombs, and so many rare birds. You all feel proud and want to change to a more resounding name. I understand your feelings.”

Everyone nodded in agreement; that was indeed the case.

Chen Ling changed the subject: "But how many years have we been calling it Chenwangzhuang? We've been calling it that since my great-great-grandfather's generation, haven't we?"

“That’s for sure, it’s been at least a hundred or two hundred years.” Chen Gannian nodded.

Chen Ling continued, "Is our village what it is today because of the name change? No. It's because our ancestors have shed sweat and blood on this land for generations, and because everyone has worked together in recent years."

He pointed to the red-crowned cranes: "These cranes come because our reservoir has good water and lots of fish, not because of our name."

He then pointed to Donggang in the distance: "Those ancient tombs and dinosaur fossils were buried there hundreds of millions of years ago. Back then, our village wasn't called by that name."

"The three characters 'Chenwangzhuang' may seem ordinary, but they carry the memories of generations of people."

"Our grandfathers and great-grandfathers all had this name. Our children and grandchildren will also have this name in the future."

"This is a fundamental issue; it can't be changed just like that."

As Chen Ling spoke, his voice softened:
"Besides, Chenwangzhuang, whether Chen comes first and Wang comes last, or Wang comes first and Chen comes last, the two major surnames in our village have been intermarrying for hundreds of years and are already one family. This name is proof that we are one family."

“If we were to change it to something like Crane Village or Dragon King Village, it would sound novel, but the warmth and old-fashioned charm would be gone.”

His words silenced everyone.

Chen Gannian was the first to nod: "Fugui's words make sense. We're used to calling him by that name, and we've developed an attachment to it. It's like an old neighbor; we've known each other for decades, and it feels awkward to suddenly have to call someone by a new name."

Wang Laishun chimed in, "That makes sense. I'm surnamed Wang, but hearing the name Chenwangzhuang makes me feel at ease. This is my home, my roots."

Chen Guowang scratched his head: "Now that Fugui mentions it, I also think it's weird to change the name to Crane Village. If my grandpa knew I changed the village name, he'd crawl out of his grave and beat me up."

Everyone burst into laughter.

The young man who had first suggested changing the name smiled sheepishly: "Uncle Fugui is right, I didn't think it through. Chenwangzhuang does sound nice." Professor Zhou, listening nearby, nodded in agreement: "Mr. Chen's words are very well said. A place name is not just a symbol; it carries history, emotions, and cultural identity. It cannot be changed casually."

Wang Laishun waved his hand and said, "Alright! It's settled then, no changes! Keep the name as it is!"

"Yes! We won't change it!"

Everyone agreed, and that's how the matter was settled.

Just then, a gasp suddenly came from the reservoir.

"Look! That flock of red-crowned cranes is flying over!"

Everyone looked up and saw that the dozen or so red-crowned cranes were flying towards Donggang in a V-formation.

They flew very low, close enough to see their black necks and wingtips, as well as the bright crimson on their heads.

The crane's cry was clear, melodious, and long, echoing through the valley.

"Goodness, they've come to join the fun!"

"Good fortune! Great good fortune!"

Everyone looked up in amazement.

The flock of red-crowned cranes circled twice above the crowd before slowly landing on a shallow beach not far from Donggang.

They stroll along the water's edge with graceful steps, foraging for food, occasionally stretching their necks and letting out a long cry, their demeanor relaxed.

Most amazingly, two little cranes actually took a few steps toward the crowd, tilting their heads and curiously examining these two-legged creatures.

"Daddy, Daddy! Little Crane is watching us!" Rui Rui jumped up and down excitedly.

Xiao Ming also held Chen Ling's hand: "Uncle, uncle, aren't they afraid of people?"

Chen Ling smiled and said, "They've lived here for so long this year, they're used to it. As long as you don't hurt them, they're not afraid."

Just as things were getting lively, another commotion arose from the ancient tomb excavation area.

"Another discovery! Come and see!"

The crowd swarmed around them again.

Next to the stone tablet, the staff dug out several more items.

A rusty iron incense burner, two blue and white porcelain bowls, and a few copper coins.

The incense burner is small, with three legs and two handles. Its surface is heavily corroded, but cloud patterns are still faintly visible.

The blue and white porcelain bowl is relatively well preserved, and the bottom of the bowl has the mark "Made in the Wanli period of the Ming Dynasty".

The copper coins are "Wanli Tongbao" and "Chongzhen Tongbao", a total of seven.

Professor Zhou picked up the blue and white porcelain bowls and examined them closely, his hands trembling with excitement: "These are Wanli blue and white porcelain! Exquisite pieces from folk kilns! So well preserved, they are incredibly precious!"

He then looked at the few copper coins: "These copper coins should have been scattered around the coffin during burial, called 'back-laying money,' which is a burial custom of the Ming Dynasty."

"Incense burner, bowl, copper coins... what does this signify?"

He muttered to himself, then suddenly looked up: "This means there's more than just a cenotaph! There might be real tombs nearby!"

"What? A real tomb?"

The crowd erupted in uproar again.

Chen Gannian also took a closer look, and suddenly pointed to the rusty iron incense burner:

"This incense burner... I feel like I've seen it somewhere before."

"Fourth Grandfather, please think about it carefully," Chen Ling said.

Chen Gannian frowned and thought for a long time, then suddenly slapped his thigh: "I remember now! It's that incense burner of Old Zhang! It's exactly the same!"

"This is the incense burner that was enshrined in the main hall of Qingxu Temple back then! It has three legs, cloud patterns, and although it's not very big, it's incredibly heavy!"

"Old Zhang said that this was brought from the south by Abbot Lu, and it is one of the earliest items in the Taoist temple!"

Professor Zhou's eyes lit up: "Sir, are you sure?"

"Sure!"

Chen Gannian said firmly, "This furnace has a unique feature: there's a small dent on the bottom, from when it was moved. Turn it over and check if it's there."

The staff carefully turned the incense burner over, and sure enough, there was a noticeable dent at the bottom.

"Yes, yes, this is it!"

Chen Gannian became excited: "Back then, Old Zhang pointed to this pit and told me that this stove was with them during their escape, bumping and knocking along the way, almost breaking. This is a 'scar left from the escape'!"

Everyone was deeply moved by what they heard.

This small dent is actually a testament to a 400-year history of escape.

Professor Zhou solemnly put on white gloves, took the incense burner, and examined it carefully, his voice trembling slightly:

“Grandpa, your identification is of great value. This incense burner not only proves that Qingxu Temple did indeed migrate from the south, but also confirms the difficult inheritance during that war-torn era.”

Chen Gannian's eyes also welled up with tears: "Finding this furnace is a way of giving an account to our ancestors."

Wang Laishun whispered to Chen Ling, "Fugui, do you think there's a real tomb around here? Could it be that Abbot Lu is buried there?"

Chen Ling shook his head: "That's hard to say, it depends on the experts' further investigation."

Zhao Dahai leaned closer: "If we really dig up Abbot Lu's tomb, that'll be quite a show! The founder of a Taoist temple four hundred years ago, what level must he have been?"

Chen Ze chimed in from the side: "We don't know about the level or not, but if they really dig it up, it'll definitely be on the news! Our Chenwangzhuang is going to be famous again!"

Whether or not one becomes famous is secondary.

Looking at the incense burner, Chen Ling felt a surge of inexplicable emotion.

"The fact that these old objects can be brought back to light and that future generations can know how those people lived back then is meaningful in itself."

As they were talking, Professor Zhou walked over and said to Wang Laishun and Chen Ling:

“Secretary Wang, Mr. Chen, based on the current findings, the value of this area far exceeds our initial estimates. Not only are there cenotaphs of Taoist priests, but also daily necessities from the late Ming and early Qing dynasties, and there is a high possibility that there are genuine Ming dynasty tombs.”

"I plan to apply to the province to expand the excavation area and thoroughly explore this entire area. This may require the use of some farmland and will also have some impact on village transportation. I hope to get the village's support."

Wang Laishun looked at Chen Ling, who nodded slightly.

"Professor Zhou, don't worry!"

Wang Laishun patted his chest and said, "We'll fully support anything that's beneficial to the preservation of cultural relics or to clarifying the history of our village! Just tell us what you need!"

Professor Zhou gratefully shook his hand: "That's wonderful! With your support, our work will be much easier to carry out."

By this time, the sun had fully risen.

Sunlight streamed onto Donggang Hill, where the busy archaeological team, excited villagers, and curious tourists became increasingly lively and exciting.

Goodness, it's fortunate that I had this experience a couple of years ago.

Otherwise, if it were a small, uncultured mountain village, they really wouldn't be used to this kind of thing.

"Daddy, Daddy!"

Rui Rui tugged at his clothes, tilted her little face up, and asked, "That incense burner, is it really from four hundred years ago?"

“Yes, he’s even older than your great-great-grandfather.” Chen Ling smiled and patted his son’s head.

"Wow! What is it used for? And how can it last so long?"

Rui Rui's eyes widened in surprise. (End of Chapter)