My 1995 Small Farm.

Chapter 429 Young Woman
The village had been bustling all morning, but Chen Ling had no interest in getting involved in their affairs.

After retrieving two items from the village courtyard and releasing the calf, I rode my motorcycle back to the farm with my father-in-law.

They also have things to do today.

Eggs don't keep well in hot weather.

A new batch of salted eggs is about to be pickled.

Each batch of chicken and duck eggs is quite large, and it takes most of the day to work on this.

"Is everything alright in the village?"

Wang Susu and Rui Rui were in the orchard. They had just opened the chicken coop door when they saw them return and asked.

Chen Ling smiled slightly, walked over and picked up Rui Rui: "It's nothing, they called the police, we don't need to worry about it."

"dad."

Rui Rui pointed to the chicken coop and showed it to him.

Chen Ling looked over and said, "What's wrong? Those are chicks, ducklings, and goslings."

"eat."

"You have nothing else to do but play and eat."

"hey-hey."

At this time, the chicks, ducklings, and goslings in the house have begun to slowly shed their downy feathers and start to grow thick, strong feathers.

The little ones grow the fastest during their infancy.

However, they are not fully grown yet. Some of their downy feathers have fallen out, but their feathers have not grown back yet, so some of the chicks are still 'naked'.

However, their bare bottoms don't stop them from running around and scrambling for food. As soon as the doors of the chicken coop and duck pen open, a bunch of little creatures come rushing out, chirping and scrambling. The ducklings and goslings jump into the water with a splash, catching small fish and shrimp to eat, while the chicks rush into the grass, chasing the tender grasshoppers and the little frogs that have just come ashore, making them jump around everywhere.

The adult chickens, ducks, and geese, on the other hand, were quite calm, slowly strolling out and walking leisurely in a line, some heading up the mountain and others heading towards the stream behind the farm.

Seeing this, the chicks, ducklings, and goslings hurriedly ran out of the grass, jumped up from the ditch, and followed closely behind, wagging their little bottoms.

The goslings mixed in with the chickens and ducks grow much faster than the chicks and ducklings. On average, they are a size larger than the ducklings and two sizes larger than the chicks. It is also time for them to molt now.

They don't look as good as they used to.

Its originally fluffy, chubby body had a few coarse hairs stuck in it, which made Chen Ling want to pluck them off.

“I’ll take him to the pharmacy. He’s always running around playing at home and wants to play in the water. I’ll take him there to pickle him first.”

Wang Susu carried a basket of eggs. The village had everything she needed, so pickling salted eggs was easy.

Seeing this, Wang Cunye snatched his daughter's basket away, saying, "Why are you still worrying? Just stay home and watch over him. Your mother will bring Zhenzhen back soon. The three of us can get things done quickly."

Chen Ling also said that she didn't need to worry about it and that she could just take care of the children in the village.

Rui Rui is even more mischievous than a little monkey. Now he walks more steadily and dares to go anywhere, so we have to keep a close eye on him.

Wang Susu couldn't persuade him otherwise, so she had no choice but to carry Rui Rui in her arms, and the two of them, each wearing a small sun hat, went to the village.

Chen Ling and Wang Cunye then released the livestock as well.

The little blue horse couldn't wait any longer; as soon as it was released, it rushed out and ran wild with all four hooves.

The sheep bleated and jostled each other as they surged out.

Only three yellow oxen were slowly walking towards the river, where the grass was tastier and cooler, and there were also white calves there.

There are dogs guarding it.

There's no need to worry about them; they've long since gotten used to it.

Chen Ling and his son-in-law moved their things to the pavilion in the bamboo grove, boiled water, brewed tea, and started pickling salted eggs.

After a while, Gao Xiulan returned, and she was much faster.

The elderly couple worked while discussing what had happened in the village.

They talked about earth dragons, jackals, and wild monkeys...

The more they talk about it, the weirder it gets.

Gao Xiulan finally concluded: "Even the earth dragon has gone to the mountains, so there must be some valuable treasures that we don't know about."

It was around eleven o'clock when Gao Xiulan finished speaking and got up to go back to make lunch.

I hadn't walked two steps when I heard the shouts of the little kids who had come over to play in the distance.

Yuqiang's son, Xiaosen, came running over to him, jumping up and down with excitement: "Uncle, Uncle, your dogs are a perfect match! When they have puppies, you have to save one for me!"

"Have the dogs paired up?"

Chen Ling and Wang Cunye exchanged a glance and quickly headed in that direction.

Surrounded by the children, there were indeed two large dogs, one gray and one red, panting and sticking out their tongues, their rear ends joined together.

"Wow, Er Mao and Red Wolf are paired up."

The two dogs that were paired with it were Er Mao, one of Chen Ling's dogs, and the Xiangxi Red Wolfhound from Shan Mao's family.

The two families of Shanmao went to Yaowang Temple to burn incense, so naturally they didn't bring their dogs. Shanmao's red wolf and Zhao Dahai's greyhound were left behind. Anyway, they could easily subdue any dog ​​they picked from Chen Ling's side, so they weren't afraid of them causing trouble or biting people.

"Unexpectedly, Er Mao was the first to get it."

Wang Cunye was taken aback for a moment, then said happily, "Erhei needs to step up his game."

Among the first batch of wolfhounds, apart from Erhei, a black dog, the others were gray and yellow, similar in color to wolves.

Chen Ling then arranged them from one cent to nine cents.

Er Mao is easy to identify; there was a small fleshy lump near the umbilical cord, which was very obvious.

"Haha, our second-generation wolfhound is settled, and the lynx can go back satisfied this time."

Chen Ling smiled.

The red wolf at the Lynx family's house is in heat, and the two of them originally wanted to let them stay together, thinking that maybe they would become a couple.

Unexpectedly, only about a week later, a story of a young man from a mountain village falling in love with a young woman from the city actually unfolded.

"Can it be sold now?"

“Selling is secondary. A female dog's first litter usually only has one puppy, and this red wolf is probably having its first litter, so it can't be sold…”

Chen Ling shook his head and smiled: "The main thing is that the puppies have figured things out. Things will be easier to handle in the future, and our second-generation wolfhound will be easier to manage as well."

There's no need to sell one or two puppies; the key is that the dogs can breed and the female dog gradually starts to go into heat. Once that's done, everything will be much easier.

……

The two families of the Lynx were gone for four or five days, staying in Fenglei Town for two days. They even planned to help Chen Ling bring his two brothers-in-law over by car.

Lynx and Professor Han had previously gone to Lutou Mountain to track golden monkeys and leopards, and had already become acquainted with the Wang Qingwen brothers.

Unfortunately, they can't leave yet and have to wait another two or three days for their holiday. Besides, Wang Qingzhong hasn't come back yet because he's doing business with the caravan.

After rushing back at noon, the first thing Lynx said after getting out of the car was to tell Chen Ling about this.

They were told that the dog had mated.

The lynx was so happy it almost jumped for joy.

"If the cats and dogs are in the third and fourth month respectively, won't they have puppies in two more months?"

The lynx clapped its hands: "Why don't we leave it here to give birth?"

"No way, I already have enough dogs at home," Chen Ling refused.

"Haha, look how scared you are! Who said you were going to help me raise them..."

As the lynx spoke, it winked at Zhao Dahai and the others, saying, "The two old men had a great time and don't want to leave. They want to build houses in your mountains."

"What? Build a house in the mountains? Are you kidding me?" Chen Ling was stunned. These two old men were just impulsive. They were just having a trip, why did they want to build a house here?

He and Lynx had just gone to see the dogs.

Meanwhile, Zhao Dahai and Wang Cunye, who were sitting in the pavilion helping to pickle salted eggs, were clearly also talking about this matter.

Wang Cunye said, "The wild animals in the mountains are restless now. Why build a house in the mountains? It's not only a hassle, but you'll also be living in fear at night."

“Brother Cunye, you don’t understand what we mean. We’re getting old and tired of living in the city. We’ve been thinking about living a secluded life in the countryside for a while now. We’ve mentioned this to our children before, but they think we’re just making trouble for ourselves. What’s so great about the countryside? It’s tough and tiring. They don’t even want us to go to the outskirts of the city…”

Zhao Yubao shook his head, smiled and sighed, "But after being here for the past few days, my wife and I have realized that the countryside is not just about hardship and exhaustion, but also about living a fulfilling and comfortable life."

To put it bluntly, you can think of us as old people who have lost our zest for life and need to farm, put in some physical labor, and sweat a little to feel fulfilled and meaningful, to feel that our lives haven't been in vain.

Upon hearing this, Chen Ling smiled to himself: Alright, so he's here for the seclusion.

It seems this was something they had planned for in advance, not just a spur-of-the-moment decision.

Wang Cunye and Gao Xiulan couldn't understand what had gotten into them and still didn't get it.

Old Zhong quickly said, "Brother Cunye, don't look at me like that. My wife and I are just here to relax and escape the summer heat. We'd like to build a house here, but we'll be leaving after two or three months of summer. We're looking forward to having our grandson, so we can't stay here long. It's enough for us to come here every summer."

Summer is so much fun, hehe.

"No, Brother Zhao, Brother Zhong, I didn't mean anything by it. It's just that things haven't been very peaceful in the mountains lately. It's best not to stay there. Let me tell you about what's been happening lately..."

Wang Cunye recounted the two incidents that occurred when Li Hongqi and others went into the mountains.

As the story was unfolding, adults and children who had come to the dinner party also arrived.

Everyone was talking at once.

He embellished the story of what happened in the mountains.

Legends of all sorts of ferocious beasts, the wrath of the local earth god, and mountain spirits and ghosts.

While the two families of elderly people found it novel and exciting, they also felt a little scared.

"If it's not feasible in the mountains, how about in the village? Would it be possible to build a house in the village?"

Zhao Yubao said somewhat unwillingly.

“We originally planned to build two bamboo houses in the bamboo forest over the mountain lake, cultivate two small courtyards to grow vegetables and flowers, and have a stream flowing around them. It would definitely be a very picturesque place…”

The two elderly ladies also expressed their anticipation and agreement.

In just a few days since they arrived here, their backaches have disappeared, their leg pains have subsided, their sleep has improved, and they are in high spirits, enjoying every day to the fullest.

It's much better than staying in the city.

Seeing the peaceful life of Chen Ling's family, I was incredibly envious.

Chen Ling's family hadn't said anything yet.

Wang Laishun quickly chimed in, "The village is fine. You can choose wherever you want to build a house, and I'll help you find someone to build it."

The other villagers were also incredibly enthusiastic.

Good heavens, this is a great writer! He's come to stay in the village; it'll be so prestigious to talk about it later.

Although many villagers don't understand what these city people are thinking.

Living in a high-rise building and driving a car in the city is something many people dream of.

Why bother going to this remote, impoverished mountain village?

Why bother trying to build a house in the mountains?

Some people are more easygoing, thinking that since people have money, whatever they do is right, they can spend it however they want, and have fun however they want. If they get tired of living in the countryside, they can go back whenever they want, and they don't care if the house is still here. But if a poor peasant gets tired of living in the countryside, can they just leave whenever they want?

So why bother with other people? If it benefits you, then go for it; if not, just give them a shout-out and that's it.

The lynx gestured towards the two old men with its lip: "See? If the mountains don't work out, we'll go to the village. We're determined to settle down here with you."

“My dad is alright, but Uncle Zhao and Aunt Zhao are really obsessed.”

Chen Ling burst into laughter upon hearing this.

He actually understands that feeling.

He once saw elderly people in Beijing raising chickens, ducks, and pigeons, and growing vegetables and grains on the balconies and rooftops of luxury residential buildings.

Every night I can hear the sound of pigeons flapping their wings, and in the morning I can hear roosters crowing and geese calling.

As for growing vegetables and grains, foam boxes and burlap sacks can solve the problem.

It truly broadened his horizons and left a very deep impression on him.

Some people, as they get older, yearn for rural life and dream of living in seclusion in a place with beautiful mountains and clear waters.

Just as Tao Yuanming wrote in his poem: "In my youth I had no taste for worldly ways, for my nature was to love hills and mountains."

Nothing else, this is the kind of life I enjoy.

We had a simple lunch at Chen Ling's farm.

The two families then followed Wang Laishun to wander around the village, looking for a suitable place to build houses.

Chen Ling didn't join in the fun.

I rode my little blue horse, took Rui Rui along, and carried a basket of mountain donkey meat to two friends in the county town.

The water tower has a good preservation effect, even better than the refrigerator.

In the future, we won't have to worry about meat spoiling in the heat.

Before the Dragon Boat Festival, Chen Ling planned to slaughter a sheep, some roosters, and ducks, and hang them in the water tower to properly entertain his brothers-in-law when they came.

"Oh, right, and also the bamboo leaves for making zongzi..."

Chen Ling thought for a moment and muttered to himself, "The reed leaves wrapped around it don't have much fragrance, and there's none here at Meizhu either. I wonder if there's anything in the cave that can be used as a substitute."

Thinking this, Zhong Xiaoyun arrived at her home.

It was a small courtyard with a similar style to the one Chen Ling's family had in the south of the city.

Many years ago, the county town was also full of self-built houses, just like in the villages. The residents of the same county town lived in similar styles.

"Alright, this is your Aunt Xiaoyun's house. Go and knock on the door."

Chen Ling dismounted and lifted his son down with one hand. The brat, wearing a Mickey Mouse sun hat, a small water bottle hanging around his neck, and sandals, wobbled as he ran to the red-lacquered iron gate of the courtyard.

Then she turned her head and looked at Chen Ling, not knowing what to do.

Chen Ling took a large piece of meat out of the basket and said with a smile, "You said Auntie should open the door."

The little one stuck out its bottom, pressed its little hand against the door, and shouted loudly through the crack, "Auntie~ So cute~"

Chen Ling then gently knocked on the door in response.

Soon, footsteps could be heard in the courtyard. The door opened, revealing Zhong Xiaoyun's surprised face: "Oh, who is this? Let Auntie see who this is. Isn't this Rui Rui? What brings you here?"

"Hehe, yes~"

Having not seen Zhong Xiaoyun for several days, Rui Rui was a little shy, clutching the small water bottle in front of her chest with both hands and smiling bashfully.

"They can all run around now, Auntie, come and give me a hug."

Zhong Xiaoyun was overjoyed and picked up the little guy, showering him with kisses. She quickly made the rascal happy, and he rolled around in Zhong Xiaoyun's arms, tickling her and trying to avoid her teasing.

Then, after Zhong Xiaoyun had her fill of playing with the little guy, she greeted and spoke to Chen Ling.

"The mountain donkey meat tastes good. Everyone says it's similar to veal. Give it a try."

Zhong Xiaoyun didn't stand on ceremony and carried Rui Rui home: "You haven't been to Amei's yet, have you? She said she was going to your house to see you these past two days. Aunt Hongyu's cow seems to be sick these past two days. The medicine she gave it isn't working, and she wants you to take a look."

(End of this chapter)