My 1995 Small Farm.

The three little wild boars lay on the ground, grunting and occasionally flicking their tails.

After finishing the testicles, the little black dog was still not satisfied, so it went to the fence and stretched out its nose to sniff inside.

The largest of the wild boars raised its head and grunted at it.

The little black dog took a step back, tilted its head to look at it, wagged its tail twice, and was still sniffing the air.

Chen Ling stood up and called to the children, "Alright, let's go, let them rest. We'll come back tomorrow."

Rui Rui nodded, then waved to the three little wild boars: "Big Flower, Second Flower, Third Flower, I'll come see you tomorrow!"

The three little wild boars were in pain right now, so they had no interest in playing with him.

Everyone laughed and dispersed.

After leaving Chen Sangui's old courtyard, the city tourists were still following behind. One of them asked Chen Ling, "Boss Chen, where did these wild boars in your village come from?"

"I brought them from the mountains," Chen Ling said as he walked. "A few months ago, I went into the mountains and found a litter of wild boar babies. The mother was sick and I killed her, so I brought them back."

"What other rare animals are there in your village?" another asked.

Chen Ling pointed to Afu and Ashou who were following behind: "Isn't this them?"

When the man saw the two enormous creatures, he shrank back and chuckled awkwardly, "This...this is too rare, I don't even dare to get close."

Ah Fu and Ah Shou walked slowly, ignoring those people.

Ashou still looked listless, turning back to look in the direction of the county town forest farm every few steps.

Afu remained calm, wagging its tail as it walked, occasionally lowering its head to sniff the grass by the roadside.

By the time we got back to the farm, the sun was already setting.

Wang Susu was holding Lele in the yard, basking in the sun, while Kang Kang was chasing a little clouded leopard nearby.

Lightning and Thunder are quite mischievous these days, running all over the yard. Kang Kang chases them for ages but can't catch them, and he gets so anxious he keeps yelling.

Wang Zhenzhen also came home from school and was squatting on the ground playing with the puppies.

Seeing Chen Ling and the others return, Wang Zhenzhen looked up and asked, "Brother-in-law, are you done with the castration?"

"It's over." Chen Ling dismounted. "The three little boars have all been castrated."

"Does it hurt?" Wang Zhenzhen asked.

"It'll hurt for a little while," Rui Rui answered quickly, "but it'll be over soon. Daddy said they won't be jumping around anymore and they'll be able to live a good life."

Wang Zhenzhen nodded and then asked, "What about their eggs?"

Rui Rui was taken aback and looked at Chen Ling.

Chen Ling laughed and said, "The dog ate it."

"What?" Wang Zhenzhen's eyes widened. "The dog ate it?"

“Of course!” Xiao Ming got excited. “Erhei’s dogs each grabbed one and ate it in no time.”

Wang Zhenzhen burst into laughter, tears streaming down her face: "My God, even dogs eat that stuff?"

"That little puppy doesn't know anything. He just wants to eat it because it smells blood," Chen Ling said.

Wang Zhenzhen looked at the puppies. The little black dog was lying in the corner licking its mouth, the little blue dog was squatting next to it licking its paws, and the little black and yellow spotted dog was sitting upright, as if nothing had happened.

"Which one did you eat?" Wang Zhenzhen asked.

"They were all eaten." Rui Rui chuckled. He was still young and didn't understand what it meant for his testicles to be eaten.

I just found it amusing to see my aunt laughing so happily.

Wang Zhenzhen went over to look at the puppies and exclaimed in amazement, "You guys are something else, eating wild boar testicles. Won't you become spirits someday?"

The little black dog looked up at her, its tail wagging, but it was unclear whether it understood or not.

Wang Susu laughed from the side, "Alright, alright, stop teasing the dog. Come in and eat."

The family went inside.

Dinner was prepared by Wang Susu and Gao Xiulan together: braised pork, stewed tofu, stir-fried vegetables, and a bowl of corn porridge.

Kang Kang and Lele sat on small chairs, each holding a small bowl, eating with food all over their faces.

Rui Rui and Xiao Ming sat together, eating and whispering to each other, no one knew what they were discussing.

Wang Zhenzhen took a bite of rice and suddenly asked, "Brother-in-law, what will those three little wild boars become when they grow up?"

Chen Ling thought for a moment: "It will grow like a male wild boar, with black hair and weighing several hundred pounds. I just don't know if it will have tusks."

"Do they still recognize us?"

“I recognize it,” Chen Ling said. “Pigs have good memories, even smarter than dogs, especially those raised from a young age.”

Wang Zhenzhen nodded, then asked, "Will they bite?"

Chen Ling laughed: "Castrated pigs are much better-tempered and generally don't bite. Unless you provoke them."

Rui Rui looked up and said seriously, "I won't provoke them."

Xiao Ming nodded in agreement: "We won't provoke them either."

Wang Cunye took a sip of wine and laughed, "These three lads will have company from now on. With a tiger, a dog, a clouded leopard, and a wild boar, our farm is practically a zoo."

Gao Xiulan chimed in, "That's right. I've lived this long and I've never seen anyone raise livestock like this."

Qin Rongxian laughed as well: "That's because our Lingzi is capable. If it were someone else, raising so many wild animals, something bad would have happened long ago."

Liang Hongyu took a few pictures with her camera and said with emotion, "I'll get the photos developed when I get back. It will be interesting to look at them when the animals grow up."

Just then, footsteps came from outside the courtyard gate, and the lynx entered.

"Oh, eating now?" Lynx pulled up a stool and sat down without ceremony. "Fugui, something's come up at the forest farm."

Chen Ling put down her bowl: "What is it?"

“Raja is acting strange,” Lynx said. “He hasn’t been eating since this afternoon. He just lies there, not meowing or moving. Charles sent me to get you so you can go and check on him.”

Chen Ling frowned.

Afu and Ashou haven't been to the forest farm these past few days, mainly because Ashou isn't feeling well, and Chen Ling wants it to recover.

Unexpectedly, Raja ran into trouble first.

"Okay, I'll go take a look." Chen Ling stood up. "Susu, you guys eat first, don't wait for me."

Wang Susu nodded: "Then be careful and come back soon."

Chen Ling went out, and Afu and Ashou wanted to follow.

Chen Ling patted Ah Shou's head: "You should rest, don't go."

Ah Shou looked up at him, her eyes filled with confusion.

Chen Ling sighed: "Alright, go if you want to."

Ah Shou immediately stood up and followed him.

Ah Fu followed slowly.

The lynx, watching from the side, laughed and said, "Shou is thinking about Maya. He's all excited about going to the forest farm."

Chen Ling looked at Ah Shou, and sure enough, he had been listless just now, but now his ears were perked up and he was walking with more energy.

"Let's go." Chen Ling mounted his horse and headed towards the forest farm.

When Chen Ling rode his horse to the forest farm, it was already getting dark.

The quarantine area was brightly lit. Charles and Anderson stood outside the fence, shining flashlights inside and whispering to each other.

Lynx jumped out of the car and led Chen Ling over: "It's over there. Raja has been lying behind that rock all afternoon without moving." Chen Ling walked to the fence and looked inside in the direction of the flashlight beam.

Raja lay behind a large rock in the far corner of the quarantine area, his head resting on his front paws, his eyes half-open and half-closed, staring blankly outwards.

Beside it, Maya was lying at the other end, at least twenty meters away, her head facing outwards from the fence, in the direction Chen Ling and the others had come from.

Chen Ling understood immediately.

Maya's posture clearly indicates that she is waiting for Ashou.

“Mr. Chen, you’ve arrived.” Charles walked over, a hint of helplessness on his face. “Raja hasn’t eaten all day and hasn’t been very active, just lying there. We went in to check him, and there was nothing wrong with his body, but… his mental state is very poor.”

Anderson added, "It's been like this since morning. Maya has been lying there looking in the direction of your village. Raja tried to approach it a few times, but Maya growled and chased him away. Then it just went to a corner and hasn't moved since."

Chen Ling nodded without saying anything, just staring at Raja.

The tiger lay there, its eyes blinking occasionally, its tail flicking occasionally, but the whole tiger looked listless.

It's not the kind of listlessness you get when you're sick, it's more like... your heart is dead.

"It's because she's heartbroken."

The lynx clicked its tongue: "Look at it, it's exactly like Jusheng's brother-in-law, Er Lengzi, after his girlfriend dumped him. He sits by the river every day in a daze and doesn't respond to anyone calling him."

Chen Ling couldn't help but laugh, but after laughing, he felt a little uneasy.

Raja flew all the way from Europe, hoping to be paired with Afu, but Afu didn't even look at him.

Maya, who grew up with him, now stares wide-eyed at Ashou, not even giving him a proper look.

This tiger's life was indeed quite tragic.

“Mr. Chen, what should we do in this situation?” Charles asked. “We’re worried that if this continues, things will go wrong.”

Chen Ling thought for a moment, then opened the gate and went inside.

Raja heard the noise, looked up at him, then lowered his head again.

Chen Ling walked over to it, squatted down, and reached out to stroke its head.

Raja didn't dodge or move; he just lay there.

Chen Ling reached into his pocket, took out a small piece of dried meat that had been soaked in spiritual water, and offered it to its mouth.

Raja sniffed, but didn't open his mouth.

"Eat," Chen Ling said softly. "You can't go without eating."

Raja sniffed again, then opened his mouth, took the jerky in, chewed it, and swallowed it.

But it remained lying down and didn't get up.

Chen Ling took out another piece, and it ate it.

After eating three pieces, Raja finally raised his head, looked at Chen Ling, and let out a low whimper.

That voice, so pitiful, was exactly the same as when Little Iron Egg was being affectionate.

Chen Ling's heart softened, and she patted its head again: "Alright, I know you're upset. But there's nothing I can do to help with this. With Afu's temper, if she doesn't want to, I can't force her to date you, can I?"

Raja blinked and then buried his head again.

Chen Ling stood up and stepped out of the fence.

Charles approached and asked, "How was it?"

"It's nothing serious, just feeling down." Chen Ling patted the dirt off his hands. "It's like a breakup, it'll be fine after a while. Feed it good food these next few days, coax it, don't let it stay alone all the time."

Anderson sighed, "But Maya completely ignores it now, and just lies there all day waiting for Ashou. Raja gets chased away every time he gets close, and anyone would feel uncomfortable in that situation."

The lynx muttered from the side, "This tiger's life is too miserable. He can't catch up with Afu, and even his childhood sweetheart who grew up with him has run away. Anyone would be depressed in his situation."

Chen Ling glanced at him: "Do you have any good ideas?"

The lynx scratched its head and suddenly chuckled, "I do have an idea, but I don't know if it will work."

"explain."

Lynx said, "I heard Uncle Han say a few days ago that two new lions have arrived at the provincial zoo, African lions, one male and one female. They said they were imported from abroad and they are very majestic."

Chen Ling was taken aback: "A lion?"

“Yes, the lion.” The lynx winked. “You know, Raja’s situation, Afu doesn’t like him, and Maya ignores him too, can we give him a different approach? How about letting him spend some time with the lion?”

Chen Ling stared wide-eyed at the lynx.

The lynx felt uneasy under his gaze and took a step back: "I was just talking nonsense, don't take it as me farting."

"No, no, no!" Chen Ling grabbed him. "Keep talking."

The lynx was stunned: "What did you say?"

"About the lions." Chen Ling's eyes lit up. "You just said you wanted Raja to mate with the lions?"

"I was just joking..." Lynx scratched his head, "A tiger and a lion, how can they be a good match?"

Chen Ling didn't answer, his mind racing.

Lion-tiger beast.

The hybrid animals commonly seen in zoos in later generations, such as the offspring of a male lion and a female tiger, are called "lions and tigers," while the offspring of a male tiger and a female lion are called "tigers and lions."

They are enormous in size, gentle in nature, and highly valued for their ornamental qualities.

This thing cannot exist in nature, but there are quite a few successful examples in artificial environments.

The key point is that if this succeeds, it will be the first of its kind in China.

Seeing him in a daze, the lynx waved its hand in front of his eyes: "Fugui? Fugui! What's wrong with you?"

Chen Ling snapped out of his daze and slapped Lynx on the shoulder: "You little rascal, you're pretty smart!"

The lynx grinned as he slapped it: "What do you mean? You're really good?"

“Okay, great.” Chen Ling turned to Charles, “Mr. Charles, how much do you know about ligers?”

Charles was taken aback: "A liger? You mean...let Raja mate with a lion?"

"Correct."

Charles and Anderson exchanged a glance, both with expressions of disbelief.

“Mr. Chen, this…” Charles carefully chose his words, “It is theoretically feasible. Lions and tigers belong to the same genus Panthera in the family Felidae, are closely related, and have the same number of chromosomes, 19 pairs. From a biological point of view, they can interbreed.”

Anderson chimed in, "I've seen in the literature that zoos in India and Russia have had successful cases. The cubs born from the mating of a male lion and a female tiger are called 'ligers,' while the cubs born from the mating of a male tiger and a female lion are called 'tigers.' Ligers are usually larger than their parents, while tigers are smaller."

“Yes.” Chen Ling nodded. “Lions grow quickly, are large, and have a docile temperament, making them very attractive to the public. Some zoos abroad breed them specifically to attract tourists.”

Charles frowned in thought: "But... what about the success rate?"

"Not high," Chen Ling said honestly. "Although lions and tigers can mate, the chances of natural conception are very low. Even if conception is successful, there are risks during childbirth for the mother tiger, and the survival rate of the cubs is also low. Moreover..."

“When a male tiger mates with a female lion, the offspring is a tigon, which is smaller and less visually appealing than a lion-tiger. If Raja were to mate with a female lion, it would be a male tiger with a female lion, and the offspring would be a tigon.”

Having received no response from the foreigner, Chen Ling's mind began to race.

The liger is one thing.

The key is the liger, which is said to be able to grow to an infinite size.

It is impossible in nature, and it is also impossible under artificial feeding conditions.

But what if it were inside a grotto-heaven?

What's so special about Huangshanhuang? Is that enough to satisfy your curiosity? (End of Chapter)