My 1995 Small Farm.

Chapter 408 Xiaoman (Grain Buds) Brings a Danger

Orioles danced freely in the woods, while swallows chattered languidly by the pond.

With the arrival of summer, the weather suddenly turned hot after the Lesser Fullness of Grain solar term.

Fortunately, the summer flowers are still in bloom, there are plenty of insects, and the fish and shrimp are very active.

Water birds such as egrets, white egrets, moorhens, waterhens, and crickets.

Large numbers of mountain and wild birds, such as bulbuls, woodpeckers, yellow-eyed birds, white-eyed birds, three-striped birds, slender stalk birds, cuckoos, mynas, gray-headed birds, crows, magpies, doves, and yellow quails, began to appear and fly over from all over the country.

Birds are everywhere—in the fields, in the forests, by the reservoirs, and along the old river bends…

The farm is teeming with flocks of birds, their flight creating a dense, dark mass that blots out the sky. They come and go, playing and foraging, creating an unprecedentedly lively scene.

Chen Ling finds it difficult to even sleep in now.

As soon as it got light, birds started chirping incessantly in the trees, some with long notes and some with short ones, like a grand chorus of various birds.

The sound drilled right into my ears, making it impossible to fall asleep.

Every day, there are frequent instances of new birds fighting with old birds for territory and nesting grounds, and birds of different species often fight each other from the sky to the ground, and from the trees to the grass.

Some fierce birds, such as magpies, cuckoos, and crows, are not satisfied with just driving away new birds; they will chase them for miles in the sky, chattering and attacking fiercely as they go.

There are also some small birds that snatch the bird's nest. They have the same plumage as sparrows and are only the size of a matchbox. But they are just as clumsy as sparrows. They don't know how to build nests and instead chirp in flocks while looking for a place to stay.

After finding the bird's nest, they were often chased far away by baby swallows in the sky.

Some birds that were injured in the fight couldn't fly, and the two pairs of civets in the orchard picked up and ate them.

This is the happiest season for little ones.

Every day, they would either run to the farm or go to the back of the local temple, hiding their small bodies tightly in the tall, lush grass or simply in the green wheat field, waiting to spot some plump and meaty birds.

Their methods of catching birds were also more advanced than those used by Chen Ling and his friends when they were young.

When Chen Ling was a child, he used all sorts of strange traps and hanging traps to catch birds.

These little things all use clips made of wire.

First, go to the woodpile and straw stack and catch some insects, then put them into a jar.

When catching birds, take out an insect from a place where birds often appear, and stick the insect into the mechanism of the trap. This is called "sticking stick" locally.

It means a small stick that is propped up, a thin and straight rigid iron wire that can move.

The greedy bird will go to eat the bait on the stick, knocking the stick down and triggering the trap, which will then swat down hard and trap the bird.

Each of them carried several traps. They would dig a small, shallow pit under a tree or by a ditch where there were few people and a relatively open view, set up the traps, and put them in the pit.

Then cover it with fine soil, leaving only the insects exposed.

When placing the clamp, your hands must not touch the "support rod".

Otherwise your hand will get trapped.

After placing the clips, I hid and quietly waited.

As soon as the flock of birds flew over, it suddenly jumped out of the grass and shooed the birds towards the place where the trap was laid...

That guy, each little kid can catch a whole bunch of birds in half a day.

He wore it on his body every day, parading it around the village.

Wang Zhenzhen would also run out to catch birds every day after school.

She wasn't greedy; she caught birds not to eat them herself, but just for fun.

We caught them and fed them to Er Tuzi and the kitten.

Sometimes I would give them to other little dolls and have them help me catch bugs.

When I got back, I fed her the little crows and cuckoos she raised.

There are more birds now.

Not only were the little kids happy, but the cats and dogs in the house also benefited.

Even the weasel family, which is usually away from home, has recently come back.

He would wander around the orchard every day, and whenever he had the chance, he would catch some birds to feast on.

This life is truly wonderful.

"Hey, Dad, Mom, brother-in-law, come back for breakfast!"

Early in the morning, Chen Ling and his parents were busy watering the wheat in the field. They had been working for two hours since dawn, and Wang Susu had already prepared breakfast.

Seeing that the sun was rising and the temperature was gradually increasing, they quickly asked Wang Zhenzhen to call them home for dinner.

"Okay, I'll go back now. You and your sister eat first."

Seeing Wang Zhenzhen standing on the ridge outside the orchard shouting in this direction, and Rui Rui lying on Heiwa's body also barking loudly, Chen Ling added, "Keep an eye on Rui Rui, don't let him direct the dog to run around."

Then he and Wang Cunye, carrying shovels and wearing rain boots, walked out of the wheat field through the muddy ground.

After Xiaoman (Grain Buds), the temperature rises rapidly.

The wheat still needs to be watered.

Although Chen Ling's wheat was very strong, resistant to disease and pests, it still needed to be irrigated again.

During the Lesser Fullness solar term, the wheat ears begin to fill out, but are not yet ripe, hence the name "Lesser Fullness".

"Grain Buds, Grain Buds, the wheat faces a danger."

The so-called "risk" refers to the fact that wheat at this time of year, just entering the milk stage, is very susceptible to damage from heat and dryness, which can lead to insufficient grain filling, shriveled grains, and reduced yield.

At this time, it is crucial to irrigate the wheat again to prevent the dry heat from affecting it.

"Brother-in-law, have you heard? Jukun's cow went berserk yesterday and cut a long gash on the old man's leg, causing a lot of bleeding..."

Wang Zhenzhen broke open the steamed bun, added some pickled vegetables and refreshing side dishes in the middle, and said while eating, shaking her head: "Er Mao Lu's stubborn little ox, after using the method you taught me, brother-in-law, has become very obedient in just two days. Now Er Mao Lu leads it wherever he wants to go. When I was carrying Xizi past his door, he even gave me a handful of candy balls to eat and said, 'Brother-in-law, you are really capable.'"

Wang Cunye said with a smile, "Well, he asked the wrong person about your brother-in-law."

He then said to Chen Ling, "There are so many families in the village buying cattle now, good ones and bad ones alike. If it weren't for the fact that everyone is busy watering their wheat, no one would have come to ask you for help. Otherwise, you'll see, people come to your door every few days asking you to help train their cattle."

Gao Xiulan also said, "Many young people have never raised livestock before. They buy bad cattle and don't know how to train them. They all come here because they see you raising cattle and are just hoping to get rich."

Chen Ling and Wang Susu exchanged a glance, smiled, shook their heads, and said nothing.

The villagers are willing to learn, and they don't care.

"Dad, Mom, eat more, and have an egg too. Eggs are good for your health."

Wang Susu peeled eggs for the two of them and handed them to them.

Seeing this, Wang Zhenzhen was not to be outdone. "Dad, let me massage your legs. You're watering the wheat field and have to work all day. My brother-in-law is really something, knowing your legs are bad, he still makes you work."

Wang Cunye held an egg in one hand and flicked her forehead with the other: "You're so good at talking. You're just massaging my legs, why are you making fun of your brother-in-law?"

Chen Ling glanced at the little girl and said, "You're relying on your older brothers coming for the Dragon Boat Festival, so you have someone backing you up, huh?"

"A little bit~"

Wang Zhenzhen stuck out her tongue and made a face at him.

Seeing this, Rui Rui, who was playing with two big dogs next to her, also imitated them and made a little face.

Gao Xiulan and Wang Susu couldn't help but burst out laughing.

Gao Xiulan yanked her youngest daughter's head back, saying, "You little devil, how old are you and you're still so naughty? You'll make Rui Rui follow your example."

He then said to Chen Ling, "You and Susu can't keep spoiling her. She's so old and still doesn't know any better. If you keep doing this, we won't let her ride the bicycle anymore."

Chen Ling quickly said, "It's alright, Mom. Zhenzhen was just joking with me. Is there anything we can't talk about as a family?"

Actually, in Wang Zhenzhen's eyes, her brother-in-law was more like an older brother than Wang Qingwen and Wang Qingzhong.

He did indeed treat his sister-in-law like a younger sister.

Having never had a younger sister in two lifetimes, she's incredibly precious to him.

They'll buy you whatever you want, and take you wherever you want to go.

Wang Zhenzhen was naturally very relaxed in front of him and dared to say anything. Chen Ling liked to tease the little girl, and if he teased her too much, she would even fight with him in front of her parents.

They showed no mercy when it came to making fun of him.

The two elders always said she was immature, but in the little girl's heart, it was just a sign of affection.

However, this girl has always been carefree. When her parents say something, she pretends not to hear and even covers her ears and rolls around in Gao Xiulan's arms, acting spoiled.

It made the old lady a little embarrassed.

"Don't worry, Susu. Your dad and I aren't tired at all, unlike what Zhenzhen said. Lingzi wouldn't want us to do heavy work..."

“We have ready-made ditches and canals here. A while ago, a spring was opened on the mountainside. The water flow is plentiful. We just stand in the field and draw water to keep it full and prevent it from overflowing.”

"Yes, your mother is right. The water from that spring is flowing faster and faster, so we can water it much faster too. You can go do whatever you need to do tomorrow. This kind of work is much easier than gathering herbs."

After the meal, it was time to go back to watering the plants, and Wang Susu followed along with some concern.

Although her younger sister said it unintentionally, she was indeed a little worried that Wang Cunye would overwork his ailing leg.

After all, I'm getting old.

"Okay, I understand. I won't go to the village clinic today. I'll stay home and bring you water and cook for you. If you need anything, just let Zhenzhen call me."

Upon hearing this, Wang Susu glanced at Chen Ling, softly responded, and nodded to the two elders.

Irrigating wheat fields can be tiring, but it's not tiring either way.

Chen Ling did all the heavy lifting, such as digging ditches and diverting water.

All that's left is to keep an eye on the water flow and ensure that the water is evenly distributed. Too much water shouldn't accumulate in one spot, otherwise it will soften the soil around the wheat roots, affecting root respiration, eventually causing root rot and drowning the wheat.

This kind of work was naturally easy for the two elders. They just had to put on straw hats, bring out tall bamboo chairs, and keep watch. It was just that they were exposed to the scorching sun, which was rather tedious and mentally taxing.

The wheat ears in the wheat field were prickly; staying in them for too long made my arms and legs very uncomfortable.

Wang Zhenzhen, on the other hand, was still carefree, carrying Rui Rui and running around in the orchard.

One moment they were chasing birds, the next they were catching fish, making Rui Rui laugh and giggle non-stop with joy.

Heiwa and Xiaojin followed closely behind, afraid that Rui Rui might fall out of her arms at any moment.

"Lingzi, the wheat fields here are flat, there aren't any low-lying or waterlogged areas, so you don't need to stay here... Go and drive the cattle and sheep out to graze for a while. If they're not let out for a bit every day, they won't be at peace in their pen."

Seeing that the land in front of him, which was about two or three acres in size, was very flat, Wang Cunye said to Chen Ling.

"Okay, then I'll just rest on this south slope for a while. Dad, call me if anything happens."

Chen Ling returned to the orchard and released the three yellow oxen and the little blue horse from the livestock shed, as well as a flock of sheep from the sheep pen.

Then he called to Little White Ox, cracked his whip, and they went together to the grassy slope.

As for the chickens, ducks, and geese, you don't need to worry about them. When you open the door in the morning, they will run off all over the hillside on their own.

Seeing Chen Ling go to the grassy slope to graze the livestock, Wang Zhenzhen hurriedly followed with Rui Rui in her arms. As soon as they arrived, all the family's dogs, cats, and hawks came running.

After a while, Wang Zhenzhen went back to bring water to her parents. Several weasels suddenly appeared out of nowhere, rubbing against Chen Ling's feet and rolling around.

This attracted a pack of dogs and kittens to surround and hunt them down. Soon, they were running around happily, jumping and chasing each other, and for a while, they were running all over the hillside.

Rui Rui also broke free from his arms and crawled around in the soft grass, shouting and yelling excitedly as he chased after them.

Heiwa Xiaojin couldn't stop it even if he wanted to. He barked twice at Chen Ling, but Chen Ling just watched and didn't stop the little thing from crawling around.

Left with no other choice, I could only follow closely behind him as he ran around.

If you find places with thorns or where the grass is deep and there are many snakes and insects, quickly block the way in advance and bark to stop the little creature from moving forward.

Seeing this, Chen Ling smiled with satisfaction and followed behind at a leisurely pace, whip in hand.

After the little boy had finished playing, they took a few steps forward, picked him up, patted him clean, and placed him on the back of the white calf. The father and son leaned against the broad and sturdy calf, enjoying the gentle mountain breeze on the grassy slope full of flowers and greenery.

At this time of year, the rapeseed flowers have faded, but many wildflowers still bloom on the grassy slopes. The soft grass, the fragrant flowers, and the faint scent of fruit carried on the gentle mountain breeze are all part of the scene.

"Dad~"

The little creature sat on the cow's back, happily playing with cats and dogs.

Suddenly he felt an itch on his neck, and when he reached up to scratch it, he pulled out a small, tender green grasshopper.

This was truly a delightful discovery, and his eyes lit up. He quickly bent down to show Chen Ling.

"You little rascal, you're quite something, you can even catch grasshoppers now. You can feed them to Heiwa."

Upon seeing this, Chen Ling praised him.

The little thing is fearless; it dares to grab grasshoppers, bees, and caterpillars, let alone grasshoppers.

Hearing his father's praise, the little baby giggled, propped himself up on the cow's back with one hand, tilted his chubby little body to the side, and stretched out the other hand in front of the black baby.

Heiwa glanced helplessly at the father and son, then reluctantly stuck out his tongue and ate the grasshopper in one bite.

Seeing this, Rui Rui clapped his hands happily and called out to Chen Ling, "Daddy~"

Then he pointed to Xiao Jin.

Chen Ling immediately laughed: "Goodness, you've certainly kept everyone fair; everyone gets a share."

He kicked the grass twice, shooing out a tender, green grasshopper for him to hold.

Watching the little thing meticulously feed the little goldfish into its mouth, he clapped his hands with joy.

The two dogs had no complaints and wagged their tails with their tongues hanging out.

Sometimes I would dig ditches to bring in water, and sometimes I would play with my son on the grassy slope for a while.

The day passed quickly, and the sun was about to set.

After Wang Susu finished cooking dinner, she came to the grassy slope to play with the father and son. The little white calf lay on the grass, its tail swaying back and forth, looking lazy, gentle, and quite content.

The sunset glow painted half the sky and continued to play with the white clouds, showing no signs of fading.

Under the rosy glow of the sunset, weary birds returned to their nests, while dark flocks of birds flew across the sky like patches of dark clouds.

Only a few playful mynas, doves, and even sparrows flew back and forth on the slope, leaping and landing, hopping merrily on the broad, sturdy back of the little white calf.

It would occasionally groom its fur with its pointed beak and massage its body with its long claws.

The little white calf grazed while mooing affectionately, as a sign of friendliness.

The young couple, who had wanted to send them home, suddenly couldn't bear to disturb them when they saw this scene. Rui Rui also calmed down and watched quietly without blinking.

Until Wang Cunye and Gao Xiulan called them...

In the afterglow of the setting sun, Chen Ling drove a large herd of cattle and sheep home, with a little blue horse trotting happily to one side of him.

Behind them, Wang Susu was leading a white calf, and on the calf's back was a little baby who was drooling and making incessant noises.

"Little White is so lovable wherever it goes. Even the birds love to play with it, and Rui Rui doesn't want to come down from it."

Chen Ling looked back and saw the increasingly large white ox, gentle and intelligent. Upon hearing the praise, it happily flapped its ears and mooed with a beaming smile.

"Yes, a good temper makes you likable everywhere."

"...Sigh, I've been herding cattle all day. Our wheat field still needs watering all day. Tomorrow I'll just stay in the wheat field by myself. Let Dad herd the sheep and cattle, and let Mom pick some apricots. The day after tomorrow, after we finish watering the wheat field, we'll go to the county town and deliver some apricots to everyone."

"Ah."

When the wheat turns slightly yellow, the daughter visits her mother; this is the proper custom.

It means that before the wheat harvest, the daughter visits her parents' home to show respect and inquire about the harvest.

If they're too busy, they'll call their son-in-law over to help.

But on my own side, my father-in-law and mother-in-law live in my house. Forget about the saying "when the wheat is ripe, the daughter visits her mother," my brothers-in-law have already said in advance that they will come to my house for the Dragon Boat Festival.

They said the girl is pregnant with her second child and must be too busy to handle everything, so they came to help them harvest the wheat.

In this situation, even though Chen Ling usually doesn't say anything, she understands in her heart that it's not easy to meet such a family member; it's a blessing earned over several lifetimes.

They couldn't bear to let their father-in-law and mother-in-law work so hard for them every day, so they would discuss it privately with Wang Susu and find all sorts of reasons to let them do less work.

(End of this chapter)