My 1995 Small Farm.

Chapter 446

"There are so many macaques this year! The eggs in the nests have all fallen out. When Xiao Chao and I rushed over after dinner, Uncle Qi had already collected quite a few, saying he'd light a fire and roast them to eat..."

When he returned to the thatched shed to get matches, he saw a turtle crawling by the bed.

When Xuecheng and I saw them, we shone our torches around and wow, in no time we saw several of them. After picking them up and looking at them carefully, we realized that they were the wheat field turtles we had when we were kids.

We were overjoyed!

Wang Xuecheng said with a grin.

This kid has a good name and a good temperament, but he looks a bit like a thug, is short, and likes to keep his head shaved, which is quite unpleasant to look at.

His father was Wang Jukun, and he was a cousin of Wang Jusheng, so the "seventh uncle" he was referring to was Wang Jusheng.

"It's been quite a few years. I only saw a few when I went hunting in the mountains two years ago, and they were very small..."

These are considered large.

Chen Ling picked up a turtle from the tin bucket and played with it, turning it over and over in his hand.

These wheat field turtles have brown shells with beige patterns, and their shells and claws are covered in dirty mud and sand, making them not much different from most turtles.

However, this is not the kind of Brazilian tortoise.

It is a genuine native Chinese turtle.

I really don't know its specific scientific name.

As for other creatures like badgers, magpies, and civets, Chen Ling learned their scientific names by chance, or by suddenly recalling childhood anecdotes and searching online, only to discover their true nature later.

However, there has never been a definitive answer regarding the wheat field turtle.

As for why it's called the Wheatfield Turtle...

This is because these turtles like to come ashore to lay their eggs after the fifth month of the lunar calendar, and they especially like to burrow into wheat fields.

When it's time to harvest wheat in the village, the villagers often catch these turtles in the fields, along with their eggs.

Chen Ling had heard his father say that when they were young, there were many wheat field turtles, and they were particularly large, mostly weighing over a pound.

Moreover, there are many on the riverbank, and you can easily step on them if you're not careful when you go swimming in the river.

It is said that Wang Xuecheng's uncle, Wang Juqian, once went swimming in the river and, after getting tired, lay down in the shallow water to warm up and fall asleep.

As a result, he encountered a bold turtle that bit him in a vital spot, almost causing him to become infertile. This story has been passed down for many years, and it is not only famous in Chenwangzhuang, but also known to many people in the surrounding villages. He almost became a figure as famous as Yang Gangdan.

Seeing Wang Susu and Wang Siyi walking over from behind, Chen Ling waved to them and called out, "Susu, come and see, this is the wheat field turtle that we used to catch when we were harvesting wheat. Have you ever seen one before?"

Wang Susu has only been married into this family for four or five years; she has never seen these things before.

Shaking his head, he said, "I've heard the aunties and grandmas in the village talk about it. They said that during the wheat harvest, besides pheasants, rabbits, quails, and hedgehogs, turtles would also often crawl into the wheat fields, and you might accidentally crush their eggs..."

She said this, but Wang Siyi, who was holding her arm beside her, was full of questions: "Huh? How could a turtle go to a wheat field? A wheat field is not a rice field, there is no water, and this wheat field is so far away from the river."

As they spoke, they went over to the tin bucket to look at the turtles crawling around inside.

Chen Ling chuckled upon hearing this: "Didn't you hear what your sister-in-law said? If someone steps on a turtle egg, it must be because the turtle went to lay its eggs in the wheat field. Turtles, like soft-shelled turtles, lay their eggs on land, and some like to crawl further away to lay their eggs..."

In other words, if we planted wheat here in the summer, but instead planted watermelons, they would just go to the watermelon field and survive.

This thing is really nothing special around here. In fact, some people here have even made up a proverb about it: "Catching a turtle in a wheat field—a sure thing." It means that turtles that crawl into wheat fields are very easy to catch, and you can catch them every time.

Ten or so years ago, we could see this scene. Every year during the wheat harvest season, it was also the season for turtles to lay eggs. Back then, we often followed the adults around picking up turtles and turtle eggs.

If you're lucky, you can collect five or six turtles and rummage through half a basin of turtle eggs in one morning.

The turtles back then were bigger than those in this bucket, weighing at least seven or eight ounces, and some even over two pounds...

Later, things didn't work. With the increased use of pesticides and fertilizers, turtles disappeared from the wheat fields within a few years.

It's a good thing we can see it now.

"Really?"

Wang Siyi opened her mouth wide in surprise, reached into the bucket and grabbed a half-grown turtle, examining it closely.

"Of course it's true, Fugui wasn't exaggerating..."

Wang Jusheng chuckled and said with considerable pride, "When we were kids, there were turtles not only in the old river bend, but also over at the reservoir. As long as the weather was warm, a long line of turtles would stretch along the riverbank, the big ones carrying the small ones, all out to get some fresh air and bask in the sun."

When swimming in the river, you often accidentally step on something slippery. You have to dive down and pull it out, and it's either a turtle or a big snail shell.

Actually, back then there were more turtles and soft-shelled turtles than there are now.

If it had been thirty years earlier, there would have been even more. As the old folks say, in the 1950s and 60s, whenever it rained, you could easily catch half a basketful of turtles and tortoises in the nearby ditches with just a casual stroll.”

Wang Siyi found it very interesting. She had never heard of such a thing in Taiwan, so she asked, "Since there are so many, aren't you going to eat them? I've always heard that back in the 1950s and 60s, you couldn't afford meat here."

Hearing her question, Wang Jusheng immediately perked up, but before he could speak, Wang Xuecheng interrupted and answered first: "No, we won't eat them. My father said that soft-shelled turtles and tortoises are considered 'heaty' foods. Eating too much of these two things can easily cause lumps in your stomach."

"Lumps or bumps?"

Wang Siyi tilted her head in confusion, "Then you won't eat the fish?"

This time it was Wang Wenchao's turn to answer first, "Eat, eat fish, but there's not much oil, so they're reluctant to add it, and it doesn't taste good when cooked."

My grandparents told me that there used to be big blackfish that were more than half a meter long, eels as thick as an arm, and carp that couldn't be put in a washbasin...

In short, there used to be big fish everywhere, but they were bland, tasteless, and had a terrible fishy smell. The villagers were sick of eating fish.

The three men were all very eager to show off in front of Wang Siyi, a young and beautiful woman from Taiwan.

Although Wang Siyi had previously helped Chen Ling's family harvest wheat by driving a tractor.

This dampened the enthusiasm of many men, young and old.

But after all, such a beautiful woman is from Taiwan. Even if she doesn't fit their fantasy of Pan Jinlian, she's still a real beauty.

Even Wang Jusheng, a father of two, couldn't resist showing off a bit.

Let alone youngsters like Wang Wenchao and Wang Xuecheng.

Before long, the three of them were chatting away, their conversation going from the water to the mountain.

The wolves, insects, tigers, leopards, and all sorts of other creatures, including wolves, donkey-headed wolves, demons, and monsters, made Wang Siyi scream in alarm.

Chen Ling didn't listen to their boasting, but instead took Wang Susu, Wang Zhenzhen, and Rui Rui to the melon field to catch turtles.

These melon fields are located on the sandy beach near the old river bend.

There are quite a few wheat field turtles. However, because they are hidden by the vigorous watermelon vines and leaves, they are not so easy to find.

Moreover, these turtles stop moving as soon as they hear any noise or are exposed to light.

Sometimes it's right under your feet, but it just stays motionless under the watermelon leaves.

Even with the help of a flashlight, the shadows of the leaves block it, so you can't see it.

But that's precisely why it's so much more fun.

Wang Zhenzhen has been studying here for two years and has tried most things, but catching turtles late at night is something she has never done before.

He and Rui Rui giggled and ran around, searching under the watermelon leaves for a turtle. When they found one, they shouted with joy and ran to Chen Ling and Wang Susu, asking them to hold it for them.

Then they ran around laughing and joking as they went to look for it.

Suddenly, under the bright moonlight, a small dark shadow rustled as it crawled over on the beach beside the melon field.

Wang Zhenzhen shone her flashlight over and saw that it was a turtle crawling.

Rui Rui's eyes lit up, and she twisted her little body, calling out "Daddy" and "Mommy" to let them see.

Wang Zhenzhen had already run over there: "There are turtles on the beach too, they're easier to catch than in the melon patch, Rui Rui, come with me quickly."

The little thing immediately forgot about calling Chen Ling and the other two, and quickly led Heiwa over to follow Wang Zhenzhen as they searched everywhere.

After a while, he got tired of catching turtles, so he sat down on a watermelon nearby to catch his breath and rest. After resting, he bent down and started eating the watermelon again.

When Chen Ling talked to him, he just grinned and smiled foolishly with his little mouth and eyes crinkling.

Wang Susu looked at the bamboo basket and saw that there were already a few turtles. She then pulled him back and said, "Alright, you've caught five or six. That's enough to play with. If you want to eat Uncle's watermelon, I'll have your dad pick a good one later. Don't touch anything yourself."

This place is close to the water, so there are a lot of mosquitoes. Wang Susu didn't want her son to run around here all the time.

At this moment, Wang Jusheng and the other two, along with Wang Siyi, lit a bonfire on the riverbank and roasted the eggs of the Ma Ga Zi birds.

To prevent Wang Siyi from being bitten by mosquitoes, an extra fire rope was lit, and the air around the campfire was filled with the unique fragrance of mugwort.

When they returned with the turtles they had caught, they shared the roasted bird eggs with them.

"Fugui came out with a fishing net, is he here to catch fish?"

"Yes, I just learned how to weave nets from my fourth grandfather. I've woven two small nets in the past few days and I'm just about to show them off."

He planned to familiarize himself with the large net used to deal with the strange fish and then make it himself so that he wouldn't need his great-uncle's help.

I'm just going out tonight to test the nets and catch some fish.

Before they could even catch any fish, they caught a turtle instead.

"Haha, with the river as our guide, we can catch fish all the time. These wheat field turtles won't be so common after this period."

Wang Jusheng patted the dirt off his backside and stood up. "I'll go pick a watermelon, and we can eat and talk."

Wang Wenchao said, "The watermelons in my field are big. Pick one from mine, Uncle Jusheng. Uncle Fugui eats your watermelons all the time, but he probably hasn't tried mine yet."

"Sure, let your kid show off."

Wang Jusheng went to his melon patch to pick melons, while Wang Wenchao continued roasting bird eggs, chuckling as he said, "Xuecheng and I put them in the cage a while ago. We'll see if any eels or loaches crawl in. It's cool at night, so there are plenty of fish coming out to eat."

"Yes, we'll have grilled fish later, and we'll eat it with watermelon. It'll be so fragrant and sweet. After we finish Xiao Chao's watermelon, we'll eat ours. We can have as much watermelon as we want right here in our melon patch."

Wang Xuecheng also shouted.

Chen Ling laughed upon hearing this: "Alright, I'll keep you company while you watch watermelons until midnight tonight. There's road construction everywhere around here, and tomorrow we'll be going to Tenghe Township to take a boat by waterway, so there's no rush to go home and sleep."

After a while.

Listening to their enthusiastic conversation, Wang Siyi secretly tugged at Chen Ling's clothes and whispered, "Brother Ling, are there really wolves in the mountains around here? I heard them say that wolves have human bodies and wolf heads, just like the Big Bad Wolf. They like to come out at night to catch people and drag them into the mountains to eat them."

"..."

Chen Ling paused upon hearing this, feeling speechless: "Don't listen to their nonsense. I've made up all sorts of stories for them, even saying I'm the king of the mountains. Just take it as a ghost story; it's all just for scaring little kids."

These three grown men are wicked; they're telling these girls ghost stories.

Wang Jusheng came over carrying a watermelon. Upon hearing this, he hurriedly denied it, saying, "Hey, that's not something I said to scare little kids. Uncle Cunye even told me about the Laughing Ghost and the Wooden Guest. They're in the mountains near Fenglei Town..."

Think about it, after the Turtle King appeared here, the Wheatfield Turtles that we hadn't seen for many years suddenly reappeared, and there were also many old turtles.

Things in the water can do that.

"Is it not allowed for strange things to happen in the mountains?"

Upon hearing this, Wang Siyi, who had just breathed a sigh of relief, felt her scalp tighten again: "Stop talking, it's late at night."

Taiwanese people are superstitious.

The island is small, but it has many mountains and various temples.

The folk tales about ghosts and gods that have been passed down are also particularly numerous and complex.

Many elderly people in Taiwan are very superstitious and believe in ghosts and gods.

Wang Siyi was naturally affected to some extent.

This is something I really avoid.

"Click."

As Wang Jusheng spoke, he cut open a watermelon, divided it into several pieces, and distributed them to the group: "Haha, if Siyi is scared, then I won't talk about it. Come on, eat some watermelon."

Just as she finished speaking, Wang Zhenzhen leaned over and said, "Sister Siyi, don't be afraid. I've heard Dad tell you about it. It's not scary. A wood carrier is someone who exchanges wood with people. It gathers firewood in the mountains on its own. When it encounters someone on a dark road, it takes what the person is carrying and then leaves a bundle of firewood behind and runs away. It's a very kind creature."

Even if they are mountain monsters, they are good monsters.

Upon hearing this, Wang Siyi couldn't help but tremble again at the thought of the scene.

Despite her fear, she was also filled with curiosity about these mountain spirits and ghosts that were so different from those in her hometown, and couldn't help but ask, "The Wood Guest can trade wood with people, but what about the Laughing Ghost?"

"The Laughing Demon has a blue face and laughs loudly when it sees people at night..."

Wang Zhenzhen began her story while munching on a watermelon.

I must say, under the cover of night, watching watermelons in the melon field and telling ghost stories actually creates quite a mood.

Gradually, even Wang Siyi, an outsider from Taiwan, was afraid, but she couldn't help but become immersed in it.

(End of this chapter)