My 1995 Small Farm.

And so, the courtyard was lively for half a day.

Even after breakfast, they still wouldn't stop.

Li Lianjie was very enthusiastic. Knowing that the two children wouldn't be able to practice for long, he also began to teach Chen Ling some martial arts techniques.

The result was that with just a few simple moves, he was stunned.

"My goodness, bro, with your talent, if you had learned martial arts earlier, what chance would we have?"

"Brother, you really haven't studied this before?"

"No, I just practiced with the village militia when I was a kid, it was all just for fun," Chen Ling said honestly.

Li Lianjie circled him twice, pinched his shoulder, patted his back, and clicked his tongue in amazement.

"Your physical condition, muscle definition, flexibility, and explosive power are far superior to those of us who practice martial arts!"

Chen Ling thought to himself, "Of course! The spiritual energy of this grotto has been nurtured for so many years, how could it be bad?"

But he just smiled and said, "Brother Li, you're exaggerating. I just do a lot of work. It's normal for a farmer to be a little strong."

"Different, completely different."

Li Lianjie shook his head: "The strength of farmers is brute force. You are not like that. Although your movements were not standard, your power was very smooth and your waist and hips were in harmony. That is talent."

"What does 'waist and hips in harmony' mean?" Xiao Ming asked, squatting down beside him.

"Only when all the strength of the body is concentrated into one point can the punch be powerful."

Li Lianjie explained, then turned to Chen Ling: "Brother, if you had practiced martial arts since you were a child, you would be a national champion by now."

Chen Ling was embarrassed by his praise: "Come on, I'm just a farmer."

"You can practice martial arts while farming!"

Li Lianjie got excited, took a few steps in the yard, and suddenly stopped: "By the way, you have a lot of animals, I have an idea."

What are your thoughts?

Do you know about the Five Animal Frolics?

"Hua Tuo, the one who imitated animals?" Chen Ling had heard of him.

"Correct!"

Li Lianjie clapped his hands: "Hua Tuo created the Five Animal Frolics, which imitates the movements of five animals: tiger, deer, bear, monkey, and bird, to strengthen the body. With so many animals in your family—tiger, bear, eagle, dog, and cow—watching them every day, you'll definitely learn much more effectively with less effort."

Upon hearing this, Chen Ling became interested.

He had heard of this thing when he was a child and always thought it was quite interesting.

"Not only the Five Animal Frolics, but I will also teach you the basics of the Five Elements Fist."

Li Lianjie became more and more excited as he spoke: "The Five Elements Fist also imitates animals. The Splitting Fist is like an axe and belongs to metal, the Collapsing Fist is like an arrow and belongs to wood, the Drilling Fist is like water and belongs to electricity, the Cannon Fist is like fire and belongs to wind, and the Horizontal Fist is like earth and belongs to elasticity. You should first master these basic movements, and then you can slowly figure them out on your own."

"Sure, then teach me."

Chen Ling became interested.

That's just how he is; he has a knack for exploring new things.

Besides, he had fantasized about practicing martial arts a lot when he was a child.

Back then, when I watched "The Legend of the Condor Heroes," I would dream every night of riding a horse, carrying a bow, and with a sword at my waist, galloping freely through the mountains and forests.

Later, when he got a little blue horse, he did ride it around everywhere. When Rui Rui was still young, he even rode a horse and used a red-tasseled spear to fight off those who blocked his way.

Now that the child is older, he is subject to restrictions.

However, Li Lianjie offered to teach him, which was exactly what he wanted.

"Alright, I'll teach you the Tiger Form first."

Li Lianjie stood in the middle of the courtyard, his legs slightly bent, his hands clenched into claws, his eyes narrowed, and his entire demeanor instantly changed.

Just a moment ago he was a middle-aged man chatting and laughing, but now he's like a completely different person. His aura is like that of a fierce tiger descending from the mountain.

Afu, who was dozing at the gate of the courtyard, suddenly raised his head, his amber eyes staring at Li Lianjie, his ears perked up.

Ah Shou also came over, and the two tigers squatted side by side, watching intently.

"Look, even the tiger is interested."

Li Lianjie laughed and said, "The tiger stance emphasizes power and the aura of a king. To begin, raise both hands and sink your energy into your dantian..."

He spoke while demonstrating the actions, and Chen Ling followed along.

Tiger pounces, tiger wags its tail, tiger clutches its head...

Li Lianjie performed the movements with great vigor, and Chen Ling followed suit. At first, he was a little clumsy, but after a few tries, he got the hang of it.

He has a good physique, a strong ability to imitate, and because he spends every day with Afu and Ashou, he is very familiar with the habits of tigers.

"Great! Hupu does a good job!"

Li Lianjie couldn't help but applaud when he saw him make a move: "You got the point of force right, and your eyesight is right too. Look, you've even fooled Afu."

Chen Ling turned his head and saw that Afu had indeed stood up, tilting his head to look at him with a hint of confusion in his eyes.

That expression clearly said: Why are you copying me?
"Hahaha!" Rui Rui and Xiao Ming squatted down next to him and laughed so hard they almost fell over.

Kang Kang and Lele were also attracted. The two little ones imitated Chen Ling, spreading their little arms and shouting "Awoo Awoo" as they ran around in the yard.

Erhei and his puppies formed a circle, tilting their heads to watch the spectacle, occasionally barking as if offering their opinions.

"Alright, alright, next one, Deer Shape."

Li Lianjie wiped his sweat and continued teaching.

The deer shape is light and graceful, emphasizing agility.

Chen Ling followed along and did it a few times, feeling his whole body loosen up and feel very comfortable.

Then comes the bear shape.

He knew this even better; Huanghuang and Zhuanzhuan rolled around at his feet every day, and he could draw the image of the mother bear lying in the sun with his eyes closed.

"The bear posture should be heavy and steady, with slow but powerful movements."

Li Lianjie demonstrated, and Chen Ling followed suit, making palms with both hands and slowly pushing them out, lowering his center of gravity and taking steady steps.

Huanghuang squatted to the side watching, then suddenly stood up, imitating Chen Ling, pushed forward with both front paws, and then sat down on the ground with a silly look.

"Hahahaha!"

The courtyard was filled with laughter.

Wang Susu came out of the house with tea. Seeing this scene, she couldn't help but shake her head and laugh: "What are you all doing? Holding a zoo convention?"

"Sister-in-law, your animal is practically a spirit." Li Lianjie took the tea, took a sip, and laughed until he was breathless.

"That's right, they're always making a fuss." Wang Susu handed the tea to Chen Ling and then went to the kitchen to get busy.

After learning the Five Animal Frolics, Li Lianjie began teaching the Five Elements Fist.

With his fist resembling an axe, Chen Ling mimicked the chopping motion, his arm like an axe, cleaving downwards.

The Bengquan (崩拳) strikes like an arrow, going straight and emphasizing penetrating power.

The drilling fist is like a drill bit, generating power in a spiral motion.

The cannon fist is like a cannonball leaving the barrel, with strong explosive power.

A horizontal punch is a horizontal strike, like a horizontal wooden stick, which can knock a person flying when swept out.

Chen Ling became more and more enthusiastic as he learned, and his movements became quite impressive.

"Brother, your learning speed is too fast."

Li Lianjie was astonished: "When I learned this set of boxing, it took me three months just to practice the splitting fist. You've already set up the entire Five Elements Fist in just one morning."

"It's mainly because you taught me well," Chen Ling said with a smile, wiping his sweat.

“No, no, no, it’s talent,” Li Lianjie said seriously. “Someone like you is born to practice martial arts. You have extraordinary bones and well-developed meridians. In ancient times, you would be considered a martial arts prodigy.”

Chen Ling was a little carried away by his words, but quickly came to her senses.

He knew that his physique was a product of the cave he had grown in, and had little to do with his natural talent.

However, practicing martial arts is indeed interesting, much better than just dryly exercising.

"Brother Li, I'll treat you to a nice lunch."

Chen Ling stopped what he was doing, dusted off his hands, and said, "Come on, I'll take you to the greenhouse to pick mushrooms and grow some hydroponic vegetables. We'll stew meat for lunch."

"That's wonderful!" Li Lianjie's eyes lit up. He had heard about Chen Ling's greenhouse before but had never had the chance to visit it.

When Rui Rui and Xiao Ming heard that they were going to the greenhouse, they immediately followed.

Kang Kang and Lele also wobbled as they tried to follow, but Wang Susu scooped them up: "You two shouldn't go. It's too humid in the greenhouse. Stay home and play with Grandma."

The two little ones were unhappy and pouted as if they were about to cry.

"Hey, hey, don't cry, Daddy will bring you some delicious food later," Chen Ling quickly comforted.

Lele finally shut her mouth, but she was still sulking.

Chen Ling led Li Lianjie and the two boys toward the greenhouse, with Heiwa and Xiaojin following behind.

Afu and Ashou wanted to go too, but Chen Ling stopped them: "You two stay home and guard the door, don't both follow along."

The two tigers reluctantly lay back down at the gate of the courtyard.

The greenhouse is located on the east side of the village.

As you lift the cotton curtain, a warm and humid atmosphere wafts out.

"Wow, it's so warm in here."

As soon as Li Lianjie entered, he looked around.

The greenhouse was bathed in soft light, and hundreds of mushroom bags were neatly stacked on the shelves, covered with dense white mycelium, some of which had already sprouted mushroom heads.

"These are the wild mushrooms you grew?"

Li Lianjie squatted down and looked closely at the matsutake mushrooms on the mushroom bag. The small caps had already grown to the size of a thumbprint, and were brownish-red, looking very fresh.

"Yes, we've planted some matsutake, porcini, and chanterelle mushrooms."

Pointing to the mushroom bags on the shelf, Chen Ling explained, "This batch will be ready to harvest in a few days. Today, we'll pick some that are edible first."

He walked to the other end of the greenhouse, where there were several bags of mature oyster mushrooms, their grayish-white caps layered upon each other, looking like flowers.

"These oyster mushrooms are growing really well." Li Lianjie reached out and touched them; they felt smooth and tender.

Chen Ling took a bamboo basket and skillfully picked a basket full of oyster mushrooms, and then picked a few shiitake mushrooms that had already sprouted.

"Let's go take a look at hydroponic vegetables."

The hydroponic area is located at the very back of the greenhouse, with bamboo planks and foam floating beds placed on both sides of the water channel.

The seedlings on the floating bed are growing well; the sweet potato vines have climbed half a foot long, with palm-sized, lush green leaves.

Lettuce and bok choy are huddled together, their leaves thick and juicy, making you want to take a bite.

"My God, these vegetables are really grown in water?"

Li Lianjie squatted by the irrigation ditch, reached out and stirred the water. He could see white roots hanging in the water, swaying gently with the ripples.

Fish swam among the roots, occasionally popping their heads up to blow bubbles.

"This is the hydroponic vegetable you were talking about?"

“Yes, no soil is needed. The roots are soaked in water, and fish excrement is used as fertilizer, creating an ecological cycle,” Chen Ling explained.

"This is a very advanced concept!"

Li Lianjie carefully examined the lettuce on the floating bed. The leaves were emerald green and had no insect holes, looking even cleaner than those grown in the soil.

Is this dish safe to eat?

"Yes, lettuce grows quickly, this batch is ready to be harvested."

Chen Ling squatted down and carefully pulled up a few lettuce leaves. The roots were white and covered with water droplets, looking very fresh.

I picked a bunch of rapeseed, a few scallions, and a bunch of cilantro.

"I'll make you some garlic lettuce and stir-fried bok choy for lunch, along with some mushroom stewed chicken, and I'll also have some barbecue."

"Okay! I'll help you out!"

Li Lianjie rolled up his sleeves to help, but Chen Ling stopped him, saying, "You're a guest, just sit and rest."

"Don't be so polite with me, I'm not a delicate person."

Li Lianjie took the bamboo basket and followed Chen Ling home.

Back in the courtyard, Chen Ling began preparing lunch.

Wang Susu helped wash and chop the vegetables, Li Lianjie squatted in front of the stove to help stoke the fire, and Rui Rui and Xiao Ming peeled garlic on the side.

Gao Xiulan held Kang Kang in her arms, while Lele squatted on the ground playing with the puppy.

The courtyard was bustling with activity.

Chen Ling worked quickly, first chopping the chicken into pieces, blanching it to remove the fishy smell, and then draining it.

Heat oil in a pot, add ginger slices and scallion segments and sauté until fragrant. Add chicken pieces and stir-fry. Add cooking wine, soy sauce and sugar, and stir-fry until the chicken pieces are colored. Add water to cover the chicken, add a few shiitake mushrooms, and simmer over low heat.

Meanwhile, another pot was bustling with activity. Thick slices of pork belly were cut and stir-fried until the oil was rendered. Scallions, ginger, garlic, star anise, and cinnamon were added, along with soy sauce, sugar, and water, and the pot was simmered.

Prepare the mushrooms: tear the oyster mushrooms into strips, slice the shiitake mushrooms, and don't wash the matsutake mushrooms too thoroughly, just gently wipe off the dirt.

Wash and drain the lettuce and bok choy, cut the scallions into sections, and chop the cilantro.

"Wow, you cook faster than a restaurant chef."

Li Lianjie was tending the fire in front of the stove when he saw this and was dumbfounded.

"Practice makes perfect," Chen Ling said with a smile.

More than an hour later, the dishes were served.

Chicken stew with mushrooms has a rich, white broth, tender chicken, and mushrooms that have soaked up all the flavorful broth. Every bite is bursting with delicious flavor.

The braised pork belly has a bright red color, is fatty but not greasy, and melts in your mouth.

Garlic lettuce is crisp and refreshing with a hint of sweetness, and it's even more tender than lettuce grown in the ground.

The stir-fried bok choy was bright green and translucent, cooked to perfection.

The staple food is steamed white flour buns, piping hot, and you can see the honeycomb structure inside when you break them open.

The aroma of food wafted through the courtyard.

"Come on, come on, dinner's ready!"

The family sat around a table, with Li Lianjie sitting next to Chen Ling, his eyes wide with amazement at the abundance of food on the table.

"This is too lavish!"

"It's just a simple meal, don't be shy, eat up." Chen Ling put a piece of chicken on his plate.

Li Lianjie took a bite and his eyes lit up immediately: "This chicken is so tender, and the mushrooms are so fresh. It's much better than the delicacies I've had in Hong Kong."

"That's right, our chickens are free-range, and our mushrooms are freshly picked from greenhouses. How could they not taste good?" Wang Cunye said with a smile.

Rui Rui and Xiao Ming ate with their mouths full of oil, their chopsticks constantly reaching into the plate of braised pork.

Kang Kang and Lele sat in Gao Xiulan's lap, each grabbing a piece of steamed bun and munching on it, their faces covered in crumbs.

As Lele was eating, she suddenly reached for the lettuce on the table, grabbed a handful, stuffed it into her mouth, chewed it a couple of times, grinned, and mumbled, "Delicious!"

"This dish is sweet, even Lele can taste it." Wang Susu smiled and wiped her mouth.

Li Lianjie couldn't stop eating. He ate half a bowl of braised pork, drank three bowls of soup with mushroom stewed chicken, and devoured most of a plate of lettuce and bok choy all by himself.

"I can't take it anymore, I'm so full."

Li Lianjie leaned back in his chair, patted his belly, and said with a satisfied expression, "Brother, your cooking skills are absolutely amazing. If I stayed here for a long time, I would definitely get as fat as a ball."

"It's good to be a little chubby; it makes you look blessed," Gao Xiulan said with a smile.

After finishing his meal, Chen Ling went to the yard to start a fire and prepare to roast the meat.

The iron frame was erected, and the charcoal fire burned bright red.

Marinated slices of meat, chicken wings, and mushrooms are skewered and grilled over a fire.

The sizzling sound, the dripping oil onto the charcoal fire, the rising white smoke, and the aroma filled the whole yard.

"It's rare to see Lingzi so happy today."

"There are many children at home, which has kept him occupied. He used to always go into the mountains, but he's much more well-behaved this year..."

"It's good to be able to practice martial arts now."

Wang Cunye moved a chair and sat down by the fire, a cup of tea in his hand, looking quite relaxed. (End of Chapter)