My 1995 Small Farm.

Chapter 378 Never a Worry-Free Childhood
Like a kangaroo mother, Wang Susu tied her chubby son Rui Rui to her front with a wide strap, and as they walked up the mountain, she gently pointed out the wildflowers and berries to the father and son to take a look.

Chen Ling had a large baby bottle hanging around his neck and a large bamboo basket on his back, filled with various tools. He would occasionally reach out to help his wife as they walked up the rather steep mountain path.

Wildflowers bloom along both sides of the mountain road, attracting bees and butterflies, creating a lively scene. Wild mulberries, wild strawberries, and goat's milk fruit are ripe, and even the wild cherries facing the sun have turned red, attracting all kinds of birds to fly up and down in the trees, which is quite delightful.

Although Wang Susu was pregnant again, she had the experience from when she was pregnant with Rui Rui, and she was more confident in her physical condition. She didn't care much about whether something was cold or icy, or what pregnant women could or couldn't eat. When she saw these bright red and lovely wild fruits, she clamored to eat them like a little girl.

"Ah Ling, look, there are so many mulberries on that mulberry tree. Let's pick some to eat. Otherwise, these mulberries are so ripe, and if we don't pick some, these birds will eat them all."

As the family of three emerged alone, Wang Susu felt a sense of relief. She linked arms with Chen Ling, her tone becoming playful and cheerful.

Actually, although the young wife is two years younger than Chen Ling, she is not a woman who likes to act coquettishly. It's just that after having a child, she got used to coaxing the child, and her tone inevitably carried a bit of a coquettish and playful feeling.

Chen Ling herself really liked it, and Rui Rui, after hearing what his mother said, also peeked out with his little head, looked at the mulberries on the tree, then looked at his father, frowned, and started kicking his little feet and making a wailing sound.

That eager little face of hers, I don't know if she wanted her dad to catch a bird or if she wanted to pick fruit to eat.

"Wait, I'll pick some for you."

Chen Ling smiled at his wife and son, and looked up. The mulberry tree was indeed laden with fruit. It wasn't this dense last year, but this year it seemed to have grown wildly, with clusters and bunches crowding the branches. They swayed in the wind and were clearly visible in the sunlight.

Some birds had already eaten all the ripe mulberries. In previous years, the ground under the trees would be covered with a layer of fallen mulberries when they were ripe, but this year, there are many birds gathered nearby and many chickens running around on the mountain. The ground under the trees is clean, and you can't see a single mulberry.

So Chen Ling put down the bamboo basket, handed the baby bottle hanging around his neck to Wang Susu, and climbed up quickly like a monkey.

When Rui Rui saw her father climb the tree, her little eyes immediately fixed on it. She craned her neck and stared intently at the tree, making little noises as she spoke to Chen Ling. After receiving a response from Chen Ling, she immediately squinted her eyes and laughed "Ha~ha~" in her mother's arms.

He apparently thought it was a joke.

Seeing this, Wang Susu laughed, wiped his drool, and pointed to Chen Ling in the tree, saying, "Rui Rui, look how amazing Daddy is, he can climb so high."

Chen Ling then picked a few small branches of mulberries, smiled at the chubby little boy below, and then bit the branches of mulberries with his mouth. With a flourish, he nimbly jumped down.

The little baby was so startled that he first closed his eyes, then opened his mouth wide with excitement, squealing and stretching out his arms to climb into Chen Ling's arms.

Chen Ling proudly removed the mulberries from his mouth and reached out to pinch his son's nose: "Hahaha, you little rascal, Dad's pretty awesome, right?"

Wang Susu was speechless and scolded, "How can you teach a child well like that? Just you wait, when he can walk, he'll climb trees and jump down like you, and then you'll be happy?"

Seeing his wife say this, Chen Ling scratched his head and chuckled twice: "He doesn't remember things yet. Here, let me feed you mulberries."

Seeing that he was unusually lively like a big boy today, Wang Susu couldn't bear to say anything more to him. She chuckled as she watched him clumsily feed her mulberries.

Then she took a bite of two mulberries, and the sweet and sour taste made the young wife's eyes light up: "Sweet and sour, just the right ripeness, Ah Ling, you should try some."

The young couple didn't really like overripe mulberries, which were all sweet and had no sourness at all. They preferred unripe mulberries, which had a sweet and sour taste and were refreshing to eat.

Chen Ling picked a few and popped them into his mouth to taste. The taste was indeed very good. Wild fruits in the mountains are at their best at this time of year. Compared to fruits in summer and autumn, they seem to have a stronger aroma and a more delicious taste, offering a completely different flavor.

"It's delicious, the taste is really good. I'll come back this afternoon to pick some more for my parents and Zhenzhen to try."

Chen Ling popped another string of nuts into his mouth and fed a few to Wang Susu as well.

The young couple were enjoying their meal when Rui Rui suddenly became upset.

Seeing his parents enjoying their food and forgetting about him, the little guy got really anxious, whimpering and reaching out for the mulberries.

Wang Susu was unwilling to give it to him. It was delicious, but it would leave his hands and mouth sticky and black after eating it, which would be very troublesome for the little boy.

"Alright, alright, this doesn't taste good. Mom won't eat it, and Dad won't eat it either." Wang Susu spread her hands.

Seeing this, Chen Ling also hid the remaining mulberries behind his back and said, "They're not tasty, throw them away."

The eagerness on Rui Rui's little face, still hanging in Wang Susu's arms, hadn't faded yet, but now it was replaced by a bewildered look. Then he opened his big, dark eyes to look at his father, then looked up at his mother, and pointed behind Chen Ling.

With a wide grin, revealing her pink little gums, she babbled as if telling on someone that her father had hidden the good stuff behind his back and hadn't lost it.

"Damn it, this brat is getting harder and harder to fool."

Seeing this, Chen Ling cursed under his breath, turned his head away, quickly picked the remaining mulberries and grabbed them in his hand, then casually tossed the branch aside.

"Alright, alright, it's really lost now."

Wang Susu also said, "Okay, Rui Rui, Daddy threw the thing away. Let's not take it anymore. Let's go boating, okay?"

Then, ignoring the little guy who was still turning his head and staring intently at the spot where Chen Ling was throwing things, the two of them hurried towards the mountain lake.

When we arrived at the mountain lake, everything had been taken care of.

The film crew built boats, bamboo houses, and improved the filming location here, working on it for over a month. This inevitably had an impact on the environment around the mountain lake.

Fortunately, Chen Ling had given prior notice, so no damage was caused. Now that filming is finished and the crew has left, the place is clean and tidy.

On the south bank of the lake, a simple bluestone path has been carved out from the lush bamboo forest.

Outside the bamboo grove, right next to the lake, is a small wooden dock with several small boats moored.

Following the bluestone path into the bamboo forest, you don't have to walk far before you come to a beautiful and exquisite bamboo house. Outside the bamboo house, there are some simple fences that form a circle.

Unfortunately, the flowers and plants that were temporarily transplanted for the photoshoot inside the fence have withered and died. If more flowers and plants were planted and they grew around the fence, it would definitely be very beautiful, and the scenery would not be much worse than the thatched cottage in Dongtian.

Wang Susu really likes this place and has already been imagining what flowers to plant here and what fruits to plant there.

I went inside the bamboo house and looked around. They said that in the summer, you could put a bed here, hang a mosquito net, and take a nap. It would be very comfortable.

The two carried the baby around for a while, put down the bamboo basket, and then walked towards the small dock by the lake.

Rui Rui also liked this place very much. I hadn't brought him to the mountains much before, and by now he had long forgotten about the mulberries. He was looking around with his bright eyes, swinging his little feet and shouting happily.

When they arrived at the lake, they became even more excited. Even though Wang Susu had tied them up in front of her, they wouldn't behave. They insisted on bending over and reaching out to grab the water. The more Wang Susu told them to stop, the more they moved.

They had no choice but to let Chen Ling choose a boat first and then pick up the mother and daughter.

“In a couple of days, I’ll bring some more sand here and make a small beach. Then I’ll leave this brat here and let him play to his heart’s content.” Chen Ling pointed to an open space by the lake after standing on the boat.

Wang Susu glanced at it and nodded gently: "Get some for home too, so he can play with it at home as well."

Recently, her son has become increasingly active, constantly making a fuss. Now that she is pregnant again, she is too lazy to care about whether her son's clothes are dirty or not.

Let him play with it. If it gets dirty, so be it. We can wash it when it gets dirty.

Just keep an eye on him and make sure he doesn't bump into anything.

Otherwise, with a baby this big, who doesn't want to stay home or ride in a stroller, and always having to carry him around, she and Chen Ling wouldn't be able to get anything done.

"Okay, take Rui Rui off first, then I'll carry you onto the boat."

Soon, the family of three boarded the boat, and Chen Ling picked up the oars and began to row gently.

As the oars propelled the boat, it slowly drifted away from the shore and toward the center of the lake.

The lake in the mountains is very deep, since it comes from Yeren Gully. So all the boats are equipped with oars. Bamboo poles can propel the boats for a short distance along the shore, but not in the deep water.

Green hills and clear waters, rippling blue waves, a gentle breeze, and the lake surface ripples softly.

On such a bright spring day, it's the perfect time for a spring outing and a boat trip on the lake. Put down the oars, let it drift, and the family of three can lie on the boat, basking in the warm sunshine and feeling the gentle rocking of the boat – it couldn't be more enjoyable.

At first, Rui Rui was lying on the edge of the boat, looking into the water, wanting to go down and play. But soon, when he saw his parents hugging each other and half-lying down on the boat, he rushed into their arms, rolling from his father's side to his mother's side, having a great time.

There have been quite a few tourists visiting the mountains these days, but not many people have come close to the lake. The villagers know that Chen Ling's family has leased out the area, and they generally don't bring outsiders over to disturb them unless necessary.

Therefore, apart from the film crew, very few people know about the beautiful scenery of the mountain lake.

The beauty of the mountain lake is not as dignified and elegant as West Lake, nor as magnificent as Dongting Lake. Instead, it is deeply embedded among the mountains and high on the mountainside, where mountains and water are connected and the sky and water meet. When you climb to a high place, you can see a tranquil and expansive view.

Just one glance is enough to feel a refreshing breeze rushing straight to the top of your head, and your heart and mind will feel broadened.

When Chen Ling and his family of three were there, they could feel the tranquility that made them feel as if they were far away from human habitation.

No wonder Liang Yuemin and Liu Yinhuan said last year that this lake should be called Fairy Lake. After arriving in the middle of the lake, I really felt that way.

This lake seems to be like a fairy who lives in seclusion in the mountains and forests, detached from worldly affairs, its beauty otherworldly and ethereal.

The small boat drifted slowly in the wind. Chen Ling and his family of three played on the lake for most of the day. As noon approached, a flock of water birds flew back, and Rui Rui watched them intently from the boat.

Unbeknownst to them, after Chen Ling brought the boat to shore, he quietly pulled Wang Susu ashore.

Normally, Wang Susu would definitely scold her husband for being silly.

You can't tease a child like that.

Even though it's on the shore and the water is shallow, it's still not good to accidentally fall in.

Today, she was having a great time and was able to relax, which is why she was able to play around with her son and follow her husband's lead.

Furthermore, she knew her husband's abilities. With the two of them watching closely, they weren't afraid if Rui Rui made any dangerous moves. Chen Ling had long arms and legs and reacted quickly, easily scooping her up in his arms.

One second, two seconds... several minutes passed quickly.

The little baby, engrossed in watching the birds on the boat, finally remembered his parents. He turned and looked around, but there was no sign of them on the boat.

But he was too young to know that when he looked this way, his parents had deliberately hidden on the other side. His legs and neck were not yet flexible enough, so he naturally couldn't find them.

I looked left and right, but I couldn't find it no matter how hard I looked.

The little guy panicked immediately.

He started crying as soon as he sat on the boat, turning his little head back and forth while crying, completely unaware that his parents were right behind him, circling around.

The little one cried louder and louder, and the more helpless he sounded.

At first, Wang Susu, like Chen Ling, was a bit mischievous and deliberately teased her son.

After all, we're out having fun.

But when she heard her son crying like that, she felt both heartbroken and regretful.

So he glared fiercely at Chen Ling, then turned around and went to hug his son.

But just as she was about to bend down and lift her son off the boat, a muffled, choked-up baby voice rang in her ears, leaving her mind blank and frozen in place, still bent over.

"Waaah~ Mommy~"

Looking at the little guy's chubby little back, crying helplessly on the boat, and hearing the sobbing voice of "Mom," Wang Susu's tears instantly welled up.

Chen Ling was also stunned at this moment.

Then, I felt a mix of surprise, regret, and heartache.

To my surprise, my son can finally call out to people.

What I regret is that my son is still so young and needs adults to care for him; I shouldn't have teased him like that.

He felt very sorry for him when he saw his small figure crying alone on the boat.

But then again, if he hadn't acted so foolishly today, his son definitely wouldn't have called him "Mom" so quickly.

A variety of emotions were churning and churning in his heart like boiling water.

That's really complicated.

(End of this chapter)