My 1995 Small Farm.

Chapter 167 Bad things
"Hey, hey, hey, you can't talk nonsense, Fugui. You can't be disrespectful to the Dragon King."

Those around Chen Ling were startled by his words.

First, they scolded him, and then they pleaded with the Dragon King on his behalf, asking him not to stoop to the level of a young man like him.

Feeling helpless, Chen Ling also bowed in prayer.

I thought to myself, isn't it all just an exaggeration? You were saying before that it could eat a whole duck in one bite, and now you're saying it can eat a whole calf in one bite. It has scales, claws, and horns on its head. This kind of claim is just ridiculous and it's hard not to associate it with dragons.

However, after the prayers were finished, seeing that everyone was tense, he said, "Don't be afraid, everyone. In this peaceful and prosperous time, what kind of monsters could there be? It's probably just some kind of fish causing trouble. The snakehead fish in the pond used to be huge, and they ate ducks, didn't they? They would eat the ducklings one bite at a time. I guess the ones in the reservoir are about the same size."

The reservoir in the village was built in the 1950s or 60s, and there has always been water here, connected to the old river bend. It has never dried up, so it is very possible that some big fish can be raised here.

"No, absolutely not. If it were a fish, wouldn't we recognize it? This thing is just like a monster, with a blue face and fangs. Its big mouth can really swallow a calf whole..." Chen Ze and the others who claimed to have seen it with their own eyes hurriedly defended themselves.

As they got more and more excited and exaggerated, Chen Ling lost interest in listening to their nonsense.

That's often how it is in the countryside. When you see something strange or unusual, people tend to exaggerate and embellish it, and eventually you start to believe it yourself. In reality, you're just scaring yourself.

He got up, went to the pond near the north side of the dam, dug up some soil, and took the fish home.

In front of the house, Wang Susu was helping her younger sister with her homework. Taking advantage of the warm and comfortable sunshine, the young woman held a winnowing basket and used a piece of wax to wax the cotton thread, preparing for sewing shoe soles.

With autumn approaching, it's time to start preparing cotton shoes—her own, Chen Ling's, and Wang Zhenzhen's.

Seeing that her husband had been gone for so long before returning, she looked up and casually asked a question.

Chen Ling briefly recounted what had happened at the reservoir that day.

"Is there really a monster in the reservoir, brother-in-law? Can I go and take a look?" Wang Zhenzhen couldn't sit still after hearing such a strange story.

"There are no monsters there, they're just making things up. After you finish your homework, I'll take you there to see. But remember not to go there when you go out to play in the future, the things underwater are a bit fierce."

Around noon, Chen Ling simply tidied up the flowerpots. These were things left by his grandparents. After his mother married into the family, she started planting some pretty flowers and plants every year. Every spring, the yard would be filled with fragrance, making his childhood memories accompanied by the scent of flowers.

Later, only the father and son remained, and they no longer had the leisure or inclination for it. It hasn't been used for many years and is now gathering dust in a corner.

These flowerpots are all quite large, including round, square, and hexagonal ones. The smallest one is at least 20 centimeters in diameter. They are defective products fired in the local kiln. They are given away for free to any household that buys a water vat or urn, but they are still quite nice in appearance.

After all, you can't keep an unattractive item at home; many are either broken or used as livestock troughs or pickle jars.

After lunch, Chen Ling took his wife and sister-in-law for a walk near the reservoir. They looked around and saw something strange. Even after noon, there were still quite a few people wandering around the dam, trying to see what the monster looked like, but unfortunately, it never showed itself again.

After looking back and forth along the dam, and seeing Wang Susu and her sister talking to the women in the village, Chen Ling went to dig up some more soil and went home to tend to her flowers and plants.

When he brought these chrysanthemums and orchids back in the morning, he made sure to cover the roots with moist soil. Each plant had large clumps of soil on its roots, so there was no need to remove them. After covering the pots with soil, he could just plant them directly.

Of course, the potted plants are orchids, but there's no need to plant chrysanthemums in pots. Just dig two trenches and plant them in the ground. Chrysanthemums are very hardy and easy to grow.

These chrysanthemums and orchids are wild plants from the mountains, growing wildly inside the cave. They are very resilient, with thicker and larger flowers, but they are not very beautiful.

He has brought out three kinds of chrysanthemums and three kinds of orchids.

The orchids are quite nice; he's very satisfied.

Chrysanthemums are quite different.

Wild chrysanthemums in the mountains, regardless of variety, all have one thing in common: their flowers are very small, the largest being no more than two copper coins in size, and their petals are thin, usually only one or two layers.

Unlike ordinary chrysanthemums, which bloom in clusters and have many overlapping petals, even daisies have multiple layers of petals.

Although wild chrysanthemums are not as good as common chrysanthemums in this respect, they are not without their advantages.

Although the flowers are small, they are very delicate and suitable for planting on a large scale.

Next year, a dense circle of bamboo will grow around the small bamboo grove in the center of the yard, displaying three colors: golden yellow, purplish red, and snow white. It will be even more beautiful than ordinary chrysanthemums.

Of these three types of wild chrysanthemums, the white one is the prettiest.

It belongs to the Spiraea species, with clusters of small white chrysanthemums arranged in a half-hydrangea shape. Although the flowers are small, they are very abundant.

The plants inside the cave have grown to a considerable size. Especially when they bloom, the entire branch is filled and covered with delicate flowers, forming an arched flower belt. The trees and the ground are covered in snow-white blossoms, which is extremely lovely.

But chrysanthemums are only used as embellishments and accents.

What Chen Ling valued most was the orchid. Although it was also a wild species, it had changed quite a bit in the few days it had grown in the cave.

Each orchid is more than one level more beautiful.

Moreover, it doesn't need any pruning; just planting it in a flowerpot is beautiful enough.

There are three types of orchids: strong fragrance, subtle fragrance, and delicate fragrance. They have different fragrances and appearances.

The one with the strongest fragrance is the most eye-catching.

The leaves are dark green, each one seemingly coated with wax, thick and textured.

The petals are golden yellow, elongated oval in shape, pure and flawless without any blemishes.

Under the sunlight, each petal appears an extremely bright golden yellow.

Although this orchid has an elegant appearance, it is not flamboyant; instead, it has a somewhat austere feel.

It gives the impression that the flower has just been washed by a light drizzle, and is very fresh and clean.

This contrasts sharply with its rich floral fragrance.

It's stunning at first glance.

The other two plants were not as striking. One had jade-white petals, shaped like plum blossoms, with a reddish tinge inside; the other was pale blue, like a butterfly, with very light-colored buds, but the color would gradually deepen after it bloomed.

Each of them has its own characteristics, and when paired with chrysanthemums, they create a very pleasing sight.

I worked from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. The orchids were potted, and the chrysanthemums were planted in the two ditches dug in front of the bamboo grove. After turning over the soil, I spread a layer of pond mud, arranged them, and trimmed them slightly. Then I left them alone.

They will grow even better in a while.

Smelling the fragrance of flowers, Chen Ling hummed a little tune in a cheerful mood, took the fish out of the kitchen, and cleaned it up by the well.

My wife is pregnant, so we can't do without fish.

I've eaten several red eels from Dongtian, and I've tried them in all sorts of ways, from frying and steaming to boiling. They're tastier and more nutritious than regular eels.

They usually eat two kinds of fish from the cave every week, and when they eat them, they make soup with fish from outside the cave.

Now, Chen Ling's life revolves around his wife. He cooks three different meals a day, and in the past, when he was bored, he might have set up a stall in the county town or gone to the market. Now, he has no interest in that at all.

Not only was he happy, but those who cared about him and were close to him were also happy.

So, after he cleaned the fish, he prepared to get two more mountain catfish from the cave. Liang Hongyu and Qin Rongxian pushed the cart and accompanied Wang Susu and her sister into the courtyard.

They went back to Beijing during the National Day holiday, met up with old friends, stayed for a while, and only returned to Lingyun yesterday morning.

This time, she also brought her daughter back with her.

Upon learning that Wang Susu was pregnant, he immediately called his daughter and asked her to come over with some gifts.

That guy bought everything he needed to eat, wear, and play with. He even prepared a whole bunch of clothes and shoes for the future child, in small and large sizes, enough to last until he's two or three years old.

After getting to know each other, there was naturally another round of joy and liveliness, and dinner lasted until nine o'clock at night.

The elderly couple's daughter is not very old, only in her early thirties, and is a female singer.

She took her father's surname and her name was Qin Yueru.

She is very tall and slender, with curly hair, and looks beautiful and elegant.

She has a very strong presence, and when she's not talking, she gives off a very unapproachable vibe. But as soon as she speaks or smiles, she's like a completely different person. Her eyes crinkle into crescents, she looks extremely delicate, and she speaks in a soft, gentle voice, even lower than Wang Susu's.

Even when they needed to use the outhouse, Wang Susu had to stand guard outside and not leave, because she was afraid of the dark.

Now Chen Ling finally understood where her daughter Xiao Lizi's temper came from.

Two days after that family, Han Chuang also came with Jiang Xiaoqing, and inevitably, he brought a lot of canned food and supplements.

Chen Ling was puzzled as to how he knew.

He said he heard it from the postman.

That postman is a real blabbermouth; he's the one who spread the word about the Chenwangzhuang Reservoir, causing a lot of people from nearby villages and the county to come and see what's going on these past few days.

Han Chuang heard about this and decided to come and visit Chen Ling.

Then, upon hearing Chen Ling's name, the postman learned that Chen Ling's wife was pregnant.

Indeed, the postman often comes to deliver newspapers, so how could such a thing be kept from him?
They had been having a lively time for half a day and were originally going to have lunch, but something came up in the village and they called Chen Ling over. They didn't stay that day, only saying that they would come back to visit in a few days, after the autumn harvest was over and the village was less busy.

Things in the village are actually quite simple.

How to deal with the mess left by Chen Erzhu?

I heard from the county these past two days that this bastard has been sentenced. He's committed a lot of crimes, so it'll be difficult for him to get out.

Wang Laishun thought about discussing with Erzhu about whether they could get a slight refund of the contract fee and continue cultivating the land.

That area is mostly fertile farmland near the riverbank; it would be a waste to leave it barren.

In addition, for people like Chen Ling who exchanged farmland with Erzhu, their ten mu of land can be returned to him. They only need to pay a small amount to the brigade every year, which is not much, and they can even owe it to him first.

This makes farming a very easy problem to solve.

Chen Ling thought it was too much trouble and didn't want to take it back, but the others were very easy to talk to. Everyone knows how to farm, and the villagers' enthusiasm for cultivating the land is unparalleled. It would be convenient to take the land back and grow some vegetables to eat.

Before the autumn harvest, we can plant spinach, radishes, cabbage, and other vegetables. After planting the vegetables, we can still plant winter wheat. What a great thing!

If we don't grow wheat, potatoes will do. Seasonally speaking, they are winter potatoes, but they don't taste very good and have a slightly numbing texture. However, they can still be sold, which is better than not growing anything at all.

So the matter was resolved very smoothly.

The ten or so acres of land that Chen Ling's family used to own were eventually divided among several families. They would cultivate it for the next two years or so, and then deal with the rest when the lease expired.

So the families who had previously contracted their farmland to Erzhu also started to get busy, plowing and furrowing the fields in the south of the village, with people coming and going for several days in a row.

Wang Jusheng also had more than two acres of land there, and he planned to plant some potatoes. So he called Chen Ling over, and Chen Ling drove the ox to help him plow the land twice. After plowing, he planted the potatoes. It was quite a busy day.

There was no other way; they couldn't rely on their own parents or brothers, so they had to look here.

……

As autumn deepened, Chen Ling leaned back in a recliner in the courtyard, gazing at the cotton-like white clouds in the sky. He felt that time was passing very slowly. These past two days, he had been dreaming of a bed full of babies, giggling and crawling around. Or perhaps they were drooling, clinging to his chest, calling him "Dad" indistinctly.

I opened my eyes and realized it was all a dream.

We won't be able to see the baby until my wife is ten months pregnant.

It's so hard to bear.

She sighed softly and put the newspaper she was holding aside.

Suddenly, my gaze was drawn to the persimmons hanging from the branches of a house not far away. They were golden yellow, glistening in the sunlight, and were already ripe.

"Susu, what do you want to eat for lunch today? How about I make you some persimmon buns?"

"We don't have any persimmons at home, so let's just boil corn on the cob. It's delicious and easy."

"We're out of corn on the cob too. The ones Jusheng brought us were all eaten yesterday."

"Do you still want to eat? If so, I'll break some for you."

Wang Susu loves eating tender corn; she never gets tired of it, whether it's steamed, boiled, or in soup.

"I'll go. It's not good to always take other people's rice. I'll wash two bowls of rice and go to my second aunt's house to exchange for some."

"No way, her family didn't water their corn much this year. The corn cobs that grew were short and small, and the kernels were all shriveled. When you bite into them, they're full of watery blisters. They don't taste good at all."

Chen Ling waved his hand, saying that Old Mrs. Wang had her daughter pick her up for the Mid-Autumn Festival, and her son only came back when the crops were harvested; otherwise, no one was in charge of the land.

"Go prepare two bowls of rice, I'll go exchange them. I know whose corn on the cob is the best."

Because rice is not grown in this county, people are happy to exchange it for rice, as it is considered a precious commodity and is quite valuable.

Wang Susu had no objection to what he said. She knew her husband was a picky eater, and if he said something delicious, it must be good. So she filled a porcelain basin with rice, put it in a basket, covered it with a cloth, and brought it out for him.

Actually, after the tender corn was ready to eat this year, Qian Yuanyuqiang was the first to give some, and Wang Jusheng and Wang Lixian's families also gave some twice.

They ate quite a lot.

This can be steamed or boiled. It tastes sweet and delicious. You'll want more after eating one, and even two won't fill you up.

So whenever it's available, it's served at the dinner table three times a day without fail, and both adults and children love to eat it.

That way you eat very quickly, and before you know it, it's all gone.

Chen Ling went to Er Mao Donkey's house to exchange corn cobs.

His family raises sheep and donkeys year-round, and the manure from these two sources is quite potent. When the spring arrives, the farmland remains unchanged, and the soil is very fertile. The corn that grows is thick and long, with large, plump kernels that taste great.

It was Chen Ling's first time visiting his home. The man was very welcoming and invited him to sit down for tea and a chat. After learning his purpose, he went to the field without saying a word and picked a whole bag of corn cobs for him.

Along the way, they chatted enthusiastically about their trip into the mountains a few days ago.

This person's enthusiasm for Chen Ling was not without reason.

He is Chen Yuqiang's godfather and Xiaosen's godfather. Chen Ling saved this child's life before, and they have always remembered it.

"I also heard that you brought back two pregnant sheep from the countryside the other day. The road was long and difficult, it must have taken a lot of effort, right?"

"Yes, it's really tiring. I have to walk for a while and then rest. I don't dare to walk fast anymore."

"Haha, if it were any other year, my sheep would be pregnant by now, and you wouldn't have to come all this way. You could just bring one back from my house."

"I never expected a wolf to get into our house this year. It scared the sheep terribly, and even the ram is too frightened to mate properly. It's tried to mate several times but hasn't succeeded. Sigh..."

"Brother Donkey, you should find someone to take a look. It's not a serious problem. A little medicine and an injection should cure it."

"Yes, I reckon it can be cured. I'm planning to go to the village market next time and ask around."

"It doesn't have to be a market day, Brother Donkey. If you're not busy with work at home, just go to the township livestock station and find Old Ba Tou. That old man is an experienced veterinarian; he can diagnose these kinds of ailments with a single glance."

"Wow, you're quite the expert now, kid."

"Okay, if that's how it is, I'll go take a look in the next couple of days."

Er Mao, wearing a straw hat and leading a few sheep, and Chen Ling carrying corn, walked towards the ridge while laughing and chatting.

Just as I stepped out of the cornfield, I suddenly saw thick smoke billowing to the south, and through the green stalks in the field, I could vaguely see the flames.

Chen Ling was stunned, but Er Mao Donkey jumped up and ran over cursing.

"That little bastard, I told him to stop messing around, but he still caused me trouble."

(End of this chapter)