My 1995 Small Farm.

Chen Ling looked in the direction he was pointing.

Sure enough, in a clump of bushes not far away, several thick vines were entwined, with bunches of fuzzy kiwis hanging from them. The kiwis were huge, some even thicker than eggs.

"That's true."

Chen Ling walked over and parted the vines, revealing a dense patch of fruit. "There's been plenty of rain this year, so the kiwifruit are plentiful."

Wang Cunye came over to take a look: "We have to pick these; we can't let the monkeys get them."

"Monkeys aren't stupid. They know this stuff is sour when it's hard, so they don't like to eat it."

Chen Ling picked one off, squeezed it, and found it was still a bit hard. "It will take a few more days to soften."

Wang Zhenzhen jumped down from the persimmon tree and ran over to look at the kiwifruit: "I loved eating this when I was little. I would let it soften and then scoop it out with a spoon. It was sweet and sour."

"Then pick more today, and make kiwi jam when we get back."

Liang Hongyu also chimed in, "I saw on TV that kiwifruit is very nutritious, high in Vitamin C, and is best for children."

So they split into two groups, one to continue picking persimmons and the other to pick kiwis.

Chen Ling crawled into the vines and picked only the biggest ones.

Rui Rui and Xiao Ming also climbed down from the tree and came over to help, putting the picked fruit into their baskets.

The two children were quick and careful, so they didn't break many items.

While picking the fruit, Xiaoming suddenly exclaimed, "Uncle! Look at this!"

Chen Ling turned around and saw Xiao Ming holding up a kiwi bigger than his fist, looking excited: "This is huge!"

"It's quite big." Chen Ling took it and weighed it in his hand. "It must weigh about half a pound. I'll save it for you."

"I don't want to eat it. My mom said she's coming to see me right away, so I'm giving it to her!" Xiaoming carefully placed the large kiwi on top of his basket. "My mom loves this!"

Everyone laughed upon hearing this.

This chubby boy is quite filial.

Just as they were picking, Erhei suddenly called out.

Chen Ling looked up and saw Erhei squatting not far away, head held high, staring at a clump of bushes in front of him.

Its ears stood straight up, and its tail stopped wagging; it simply brought its nose close to sniff.

"Something?" Wang Cunye became nervous.

Chen Ling walked over, parted the bushes, and burst out laughing.

A cluster of wild grapes.

Clusters of dark purple grapes hang from the vines, glistening with ripeness. The grapes are small, but they are densely packed together, making them a delightful sight.

"Wow, these wild grapes are really thick."

Wang Cunye leaned closer and said, "This year there's been plenty of rain, it's a real bumper year for wild fruits."

"Pick it! This must be picked!"

Wang Zhenzhen has already gotten the hang of it: "This is the best wine! Last year, my brother-in-law made some wild wine, and I secretly drank several glasses during the Chinese New Year!"

Wang Susu glared at her: "Stealing drinks? How old are you?"

"Just a small cup! Have a taste!" Wang Zhenzhen chuckled. "Brewed by my brother-in-law is so delicious!"

Everyone laughed again.

So we added another route to pick wild grapes.

The grapevines grow densely, and the bunches hang low, so you can pick them without climbing the vines.

Several children squatted under the vines, picking bunches of fruit and putting them into their baskets, stealing bites as they went.

"This is sour!" Rui Rui ate a sour one and her face scrunched up.

“You should pick the purple ones to eat, the purple ones are sweet,” Wang Zhenzhen taught him. “The black ones are the sweetest, the red ones are sour.”

Rui Rui studied diligently, picking and choosing each one to eat. When she ate a sweet one, she would squint her eyes, and when she ate a sour one, she would wrinkle her face, which amused the adults.

The puppies joined in the fun, darting in and out under the grapevines, chasing insects and snatching grape skins.

The little blue dog picked up a grape that had fallen to the ground, chewed it, and then shook its head because it was so sour. It spat it out and went to pick up another one.

Ah Fu and Ah Shou lay in the shade in the distance, lazily watching this side.

Heiwa and Xiaojin crouched nearby, cautiously observing their surroundings.

Erhei led the puppies, occasionally barking to maintain order.

The sun gradually rose higher, and sunlight filtered through the leaves, dappling the ground and warming people's faces.

Gao Xiulan glanced at the sun and called out to everyone, "Alright, alright, that's enough. Let's find a place to rest and have something to eat."

The group found a flat, large rock, put down their baskets, and took out their dry food and water.

Wang Susu took out the steamed buns, boiled eggs, and a jar of homemade pickled vegetables from her basket that morning.

Chen Ling heated the fire and quickly toasted the steamed buns.

There are specific techniques involved in baking steamed buns over a wood fire.

People in the countryside like to burn the steamed buns.

Then peel off the charred, hard outer shell, and the inside of the steamed bun is fragrant and sweet.

Qin Rong took a bite of the baked bun, ate it with some pickled vegetables, and sighed contentedly, "Even dry rations taste good in these mountains."

"That's because you're hungry," Liang Hongyu laughed at him, continuing to take pictures with her camera.

"No, no, no, it's the baked buns that smell better."

The children were already hungry, and each of them was munching on a baked bun.

Kang Kang and Lele were fed egg yolks, and their faces were covered in them.

Rui Rui was munching on a steamed bun when he suddenly asked, "Dad, where are we going later?"

"Walk further in and take a look at that old forest valley."

Chen Ling pointed to the mountain valley in the distance: "There are wild pear trees and akebia vines over there. Let's pick some wild pears to take back. They'll be very sweet once they've softened."

"Wild pear!" Xiao Ming's eyes lit up. "Is it the kind that's small, soft, and juicy when you bite into it?"

"Yes, that kind."

"That's delicious! My mom bought it last year, and it was so expensive!"

"Those are wild, nobody grows them. They're expensive because they're hard to pick," Chen Ling said with a smile. "We'll pick a lot today so you can eat your fill."

After resting enough, the group continued walking inside.

The further in you go, the denser the forest becomes, and the more wild fruits you find.

Not far ahead, we came across a grove of wild pear trees, laden with bright yellow pears.

Some were already ripe, and when the wind blew them down, they fell all over the ground.

The children rushed over and squatted down to pick them up.

Most of the fallen pears were broken, but the broken parts were even more fragrant, with a sweet pear aroma wafting into the nose.

"Daddy, Daddy, can I eat this?" Rui Rui asked, holding up a cracked pear.

"It's edible. Just cut off the broken part." Chen Ling took out a knife, cut off the cracked part, and handed it to Rui Rui.

Rui Rui took a big bite, juice dripping down her chin: "Mmm! Sweet! So sweet!"

Xiao Ming also picked one up and ate it, getting juice all over his face.

Wang Susu and Gao Xiulan started picking from the tree, specifically choosing those that were golden in color and a little soft to the touch.

Picking them too hard means you have to let them rest, while picking them too soft makes them easy to break. The best ones are just seven or eight tenths ripe.

Qin Rongxian helped pick the fruit, exclaiming as she did so, "This mountain is truly a treasure trove; it has everything. In earlier years, these wild fruits alone would have kept the villagers from going hungry."

“That’s right,” Wang Cunye chimed in. “When I was a child, we relied on these wild fruits to fill our stomachs in the autumn. Back then, there wasn’t enough food, so we would go up the mountain every day to pick wild fruits, dry them, and save them for winter.”

After picking wild pears, we found a patch of August melon vines nearby.

The vines climbed on a large tree, laden with purplish-red fruits, some of which had already split open, revealing the white flesh inside.

"I know this!" Xiaoming pointed to the akebia quinata. "This is called 'August Explosion,' and it's the sweetest when it's burst open!"

"How did you know?" Rui Rui asked.

“My mom said that they also grow in the mountains near her hometown, and you can pick them in the fall.”

Wang Zhenzhen had already climbed up and was sitting on a branch, picking and eating each tree branch with great relish.

"Zhenzhen, come down a bit, don't climb so high!" Wang Susu shouted.

"Not too tall, not too tall, this tree is very stable!"

Before he could finish speaking, his foot slipped and he almost fell.

Luckily, she reacted quickly, grabbing the tree trunk and hanging from a branch, screaming in fright.

"Wang Zhenzhen!" Wang Susu's face turned pale.

Chen Ling rushed forward and supported her feet: "Let go, get down."

Wang Zhenzhen obediently let go and was helped down by Chen Ling. As soon as her feet touched the ground, she patted her chest and gasped for breath: "I was so scared, so scared..."

"Serves you right!" Wang Susu slapped her on the back angrily. "You climbed so high! What if you fell down!"

"I just wanted to pick more..." Wang Zhenzhen admitted, shrinking her neck, but her eyes were still fixed on the tree. "Brother-in-law, there are still so many up there, can you help us pick them down?"

"Dad, the food up high is tastier," Rui Rui chimed in.

Helpless, Chen Ling climbed up himself, picked the akebia fruit from the top, and threw it down.

Rui Rui and Xiao Ming were busy taking over below, having a great time.

Erhei, leading several puppies, squatted down to watch.

The little black dog looked up as the fruit fell from the sky, its head turning back and forth until it got dizzy and plopped down on the ground, completely bewildered.

Everyone laughed again.

Everyone loves fluffy kittens and puppies.

Many birds still linger in the mountains this year.

Not only were there the same parrot species we encountered last time, but there were also many other birds whose names I didn't know.

It's dazzling to look at.

Chen Ling thought to himself that this must be because of the bumper harvest of wild fruits this year, which is why they have stayed here and are reluctant to leave.

Unfortunately, that old bastard Yu Qi'an never came.

Otherwise, seeing this scene, I definitely wouldn't be able to leave.

Chen Ling and his group played in the mountains until the afternoon, and on their way back, they also visited the mountain lake.

Perhaps it was because they were eating and playing at the same time.

Perhaps it was because there were tigers, dogs, or other animals following them.

We walked in the mountains for most of the day, but no one felt tired.

As for the wild fruits and medicinal herbs, they were naturally carried on Afu and Ashou's backs.

……

Having had this experience of going into the mountains.

After that, Chen Ling's family frequently went into the mountains.

It's both training and playing with the dog.

They also pick wild fruits to make wine, such as grape wine and persimmon wine.

In addition, I also need to accompany Wang Cunye to collect some medicinal herbs.

The old man had been a medicinal herb farmer for most of his life; life would be quite dull without it.

As for going into the mountains so frequently and picking so many wild fruits each time, won't that leave the birds with nothing to eat?
All I can say is that you're overthinking it.

What Chen Ling's family harvested was just a drop in the ocean from the Qinling Mountains.

Two years ago, people from all around would go into the mountains every few days to pick the fruit, but they still couldn't finish picking it all.

Besides, in remote, mountainous areas, there are more wild fruits than birds can eat.

How big are their stomachs?
All I can say is that these birds are quite cunning.

In this season, I only pick out the delicious, sweet wild fruits to eat.

So I fly around every day, looking for something delicious.

Once winter arrives, these things are no longer important.

Sometimes a single wild fruit tree is enough for them to survive the winter.

As Chen Ling's family continued their ascent into the mountains...

The outside world in Donggang remains noisy.

CCTV reporters have all settled in the village.

Chen Ling didn't care about all that and just went about her own business.

Often, after returning from the mountains, they would take Afu and Ashou out for a stroll.

Let Ah Shou go and breed with the tigress.

Then he asked Zhang Lihua to send away another batch of ornamental fish.

The old man thinks he can just sit back and do nothing? No way.

Of course, he wasn't used for nothing; he was given shares in the dog farm and the restaurant.

They treated them like family.

Besides ornamental fish, salted eggs, regular chicken eggs, and duck eggs have been discontinued this year.

Because of the flooding, the two shops in the city didn't urge him to pay.

Everyone knows he doesn't want to deal with these trivial matters anymore.

However, the problems that followed the floods did not result in them incurring losses.

For example, after floods inundated farmland, most areas are experiencing shortages of supplies this year.

For example, soybeans, and vegetables.

This resulted in canned goods becoming profitable, and instant noodles becoming profitable.

The small shops in the city have run out of salted duck eggs, but they still have canned goods and instant noodles.

It earns much more than any salted egg.

Of course, there's also Wang Jusheng's chili sauce and pickled vegetables.

It has become increasingly outstanding, and this year it has benefited greatly from this success.

That year, Wang Jusheng's wife, Zhang Qiaoling, rarely went out.

She and her family worked day and night making chili sauce and pickled vegetables.

Besides that, there's Chen Yuqiang's house.

He didn't go out to work this year either.

It involves making noodles, vermicelli, etc. at home.

They made a fortune while supplies were scarce after the flood.

"Dad, let's go feed the wild boars! Grandpa Sangui from Sister Xizi's family said that the wild boars are eating more and more, and they keep jumping out..."

That day, Chen Ling returned from the mountains, and Rui Rui grabbed him and begged him.

"Feed the little wild boar? Okay, let Dad wash his hands, change his clothes, and get ready."

Chen Ling smiled and patted his little head. He had been busy accompanying his father-in-law into the mountains lately.

At the same time, he also knew that his wife was feeling cooped up with the baby and kept thinking about going back to the village to continue running the pharmacy and seeing patients.

Go to the mountains and gather more medicinal herbs; make preparations early.

After washing up, Chen Ling changed into clean everyday clothes.

Rui Rui and Xiao Ming couldn't wait any longer. One was holding a small bamboo basket, and the other was holding a tattered straw hat. They stared at him expectantly.

"Dad, hurry up! It's getting dark!"

Seeing him come out, Rui Rui tugged at his clothes and pulled him outside, while Xiao Ming followed behind, jumping up and down: "Uncle, hurry up, Grandpa San Gui said that the little wild boars can even break through the fence!"

"What's the rush? The sun's still high in the sky, and Afu and Ashou haven't caught up yet." Chen Ling called out to the door with a smile, "Afu, Ashou, let's go!"

The two tigers that were dozing under the eaves got up when they heard the noise and slowly followed.

Erhei, leading several puppies, was already lined up at the door.

The little black dog was the most excited, circling around Chen Ling's legs, while the little black and yellow dog remained calmly following Chen Ling, its eyes gazing steadily ahead.

"Are they all going?" Wang Susu walked over carrying Lele. "With so many dogs, don't scare the little wild boar."

"Don't be scared, those little wild boars have all grown up."

Chen Ling emptied the basket and tied it to Afu's back: "With Erhei leading the way, he won't bark or bite randomly. He knows better than some people."

Afu is used to carrying things, standing steadily with its tail occasionally swishing.

Ah Shou, standing to the side, seemed rather listless.

Ever since those blind dates with Maya, it's been listless for the past few days, unable to muster any energy for anything, like it's heartbroken.

"Ah Shou's condition is not right."

Wang Cunye came out of the house, glanced around, and asked, "Should we go check out the forest farm?"

"No need, it's normal."

Chen Ling patted Ah Shou's big head: "It just got a wife, and it likes to stick to the tigress and doesn't want to be separated from her. Let's go, I'm going to take it for a walk."

He did not mistreat Ah Shou.

This is because Ah Shou is more emotional and wiser than ordinary tigers.

After mating, it's impossible to be heartless and detached from the emotions after sex.

Under normal circumstances, tigers often go their separate ways after mating.

Furthermore, Maya will leave sooner or later, and with such good bloodlines and genes, there will be many more tigresses waiting for Ashou in the future.

You always have to adapt in advance. (End of Chapter)