My 1995 Small Farm.

"Huh? Isn't Little Swallow supposed to be of high moral character and extremely clean? How could she be so unhygienic?"

These people were puzzled, and the children they brought were also confused. They said that in the text they learned in elementary school, the phoenix taught all the birds how to build a nest, and the little swallow listened the most attentively and learned the best.

He immediately retorted to Chen Ling.

Wang Zhenzhen quickly replied, "The text is wrong, there are mistakes in the text. There are different kinds of swallows, mud swallows and grass swallows. Uncle Zhao wrote an article about it and published it in the newspaper. Wait, I'll go to my house and get it for you to see."

Zhao Yubao's articles this year are almost all about Chen Ling's family.

Every time the publisher sent back newspapers and magazines, they would give Chen Ling a copy, and he had a thick stack of them at home.

Wang Zhenzhen has also read most of them.

Because Zhao Yubao's writing was interesting and fun, the language was simple and easy to understand, and the stories were about his own family, it was an honor to have his book published in the newspaper. The little girl also enjoyed reading it.

I still vividly remember the articles about swallows, glowing fish, water towers, and making my own pesticides.

She herself said it was even more interesting than the "Pearl Bird" text she read in school.

Now I'm taking it out for these people to see.

Sure enough, everyone was immediately captivated.

"Oh my, I didn't know there was such a big difference between grass swallows and mud swallows!"

"No wonder Mr. Chen said that Cao Yanzi is not particular; the places they chose are too casual."

"Um……"

Chen Ling hummed in agreement and nodded: "This is probably not just a grass swallow, but a newly hatched grass swallow that just flew out of its nest this year. It doesn't have much experience, so the nest is just makeshift and it's done wherever it is."

"Brother-in-law, let's poke it with a stick. The grass swallows are dirty, and their chirping is annoying."

Wang Zhenzhen hugged the pillar of the thatched shed, staring at the hastily arranged bird's nest above, eager to try it out.

Rui Rui, who was also looking up beside her, immediately turned around when she heard about getting a stick. Her short legs moved quickly to the chicken coop, where she picked up the thin bamboo pole used to herd chickens and ducks and dragged it on the ground as she ran back.

She came up to Chen Ling and said, "Daddy, Daddy, poke the sparrow."

Chen Ling was speechless: "You two, it's okay if the grass swallows are dirty, but this nest isn't a problem. Let it grow here."

"Dad, poke the sparrow."

Rui Rui was very persistent. She looked up at him, smiling and her eyes were shining.

That's just how that brat is; the older he gets, the more trouble he likes to cause.

Chen Ling picked him up and gently pinched his little nose: "You naughty boy, let the swallows nest here. Daddy will take you and your aunt to the village this afternoon to see the chicks hatching, okay?"

"Little one, little one..."

Chen Ling played with the two children.

Those people were completely engrossed in reading Zhao Yubao's article, occasionally comparing what was written in the article with some things on the farm.

They took the children out for a stroll.

It wasn't until Chen Ling had finished planting a small portion of the fence and the newly settled swallows in the low thatched shed returned that they reluctantly strolled back to their original spot, pointing and commenting on the pair of swallows.

It was lunchtime, and the crowd dispersed.

In the afternoon, Wang Qingwen's father-in-law returned from Fenglei Town. The old man came alone, using two packhorses to pull the cart, so that the journey would be smooth and it would be easier for Wang Qingwen and his wife to return.

They stayed with Chen Ling for about a month and brought quite a bit of food, clothing, and other necessities.

"Lingzi, come here quickly."

In the afternoon, Wang Qingwen packed his things and waved to Chen Ling from the wooden building in the backyard.

"What's up, bro? Anything you need to move?"

Chen Ling had just slaughtered a duck to make soup for his father-in-law when he heard someone calling him. He wiped his hands and hurried over.

As soon as they got to the room upstairs, Wang Qingwen took out a cloth bag and gave it to him.

Inside was a very thick wad of money.

"Take this quickly, this is the money my sister-in-law and I have saved up over this period of time."

"Brother, what are you doing? You've been working for me here for so long, and I haven't even paid you yet. How can I ask you for money?"

"Don't rush me, I haven't finished yet. This money is only half. The other half is what your sister-in-law and I get from digging up mushrooms and wild vegetables and selling them. We'll definitely keep that for ourselves."

Half of this was earned on your estate; it should be yours.

We're helping out; we're family. If you're too busy, it's only right that we help.

This cannot be explained with money.

Besides, we earn enough from mushroom picking—more than we make in a year on our own. We can't accept the money we earn from the farm.

Su Ligai nodded hurriedly beside her, "Lingzi, you should take it. You've worked so hard to help your two brothers earn money, how can you let it all go to waste?"

“That won’t do either, brother and sister-in-law, that’s not how it works at all.”

Chen Ling quickly waved his hand: "Let me put it this way, I didn't take a single penny of the money my parents earned from cooking here in the third month of spring, so I certainly can't take yours."

Of course, it's not a matter of whether or not we want it. We're a family, so let's not be so particular about these things.

Otherwise, Susu would feel bad if she found out.

"This……"

"It's alright. Whoever does the work should get paid. That's the right thing to do. The money you earn cooking for others is yours. Do you expect me to charge you for using the pots and stove, or for the firewood you use for cooking?"

Wang Susu's family are all honest people, so Chen Ling, as their son-in-law, shouldn't be too calculating.

They didn't take much advantage of me, they just helped me a lot, and now they want to give me money in the end?
That's not true.

……

Wang Cunye naturally couldn't hear what they were saying upstairs.

The old man was walking with his hands behind his back, leading three yellow oxen, to the southwest entrance of the village, showing them off to the people.

“Cunye, you two sons-in-law are so close. As soon as you come back, you start working... Fugui is really something. Your father-in-law is getting on in years, and he still keeps ordering you around.”

Er Mao Lv and the others were joking with him.

The father-in-law quickly waved his hand: "Hey, it's not that, it's not that... It's just that as soon as I came back, Lingzi started killing chickens and ducks, saying that I had stayed for more than a month and my complexion wasn't very good, so she insisted on making me some good food to nourish me."

They even said they were going to kill a sheep.

His stuff is worth a fortune. I'm used to eating coarse food and wild vegetables, I can't stand this.

But with his temper, I can't persuade him to stay home, and it breaks my heart to keep an eye on him.

"I'd better let him herd the cattle; out of sight, out of mind."

"Oh my, is that so? Fugui is so filial to you, Brother Cunye, you are truly blessed!"

A group of elderly people immediately said sourly.

"What good fortune? My son-in-law is used to spending money lavishly and doesn't know how to save at all."

Previously, when I passed by Fenglei Town, they saw that I had difficulty walking and said that the old houses in the mountain villages were damp and humid, which was bad for my health.

They insisted on going to Fenglei Town this fall to renovate my house and build a new one.

They wouldn't listen to me, and even said that when we get old, it will be inconvenient for us to go down the mountain, so it would be best if we could have a small courtyard in Fenglei Town.

"You know, for us peasants, who cares if it's up in the mountains or in a cave dwelling... as long as we have a place to live, that's enough. Who doesn't live like this their whole life? Why be so fussy and waste money all day?" "Haha, haha, that's true, that's true..."

For a moment, everyone was at a loss for words, but they just laughed and followed up, saying, "Fugui is rich, he can make money, so let him spend it."

"Yes, if I had a son-in-law like that, I would definitely ask him for a car."

"That's right, that's right. If I had a son-in-law like Fugui, I would definitely have him take me on trains and planes, just like these idle people who come to the village, to go out and have fun."

“Oh, right, Cunye, whenever you have some free time, you have to let Fugui take you on a plane ride, see Tiananmen Square, and climb the Great Wall. That would be great.”

These words made Wang Cunye extremely happy, his mouth almost stretching to the back of his ears.

When a son-in-law is successful, his father-in-law is also proud.

That's why everyone envies his good eye for choosing a son-in-law.

The old man hummed a little tune all the way back to the village, leading the cow. He first went to find Zhao Yubao and the other man to play chess, and then taught them how to weave fishing nets and chicken coops.

We played leisurely until mid-afternoon, then slowly made our way up and down the dirt road to the farm outside the village.

The cornfields on both sides were lush and green, with small ears of corn growing on the stalks, their tassels either yellowish-green or purplish-red.

The father-in-law suddenly calmed down, and as he walked, he somehow remembered what happened at the village entrance.

I remember looking like an old monkey, showing off.

I was immediately filled with shame.

And the more I thought about it, the more ashamed I felt. I thought to myself, didn't I used to despise these kinds of people the most? How did I become such a repulsive person myself?

Finally, he threw the cow rope aside, stood by the roadside, and irritably slapped himself several times on the face.

"I'll beat you up, you spineless coward... Why are you still so arrogant now that you're old?"

"You shameless bastard, showing off in your son-in-law's village, aren't you ashamed?"

"I'll beat you up, you old jumping monkey, so you can stop bouncing around like that."

"..."

As luck would have it, Chen Ling and his son were riding their little blue horse down the steep slope when they saw this scene and were immediately terrified, exclaiming, "Dad, what are you doing?"

The father-in-law shuddered, his face turning bright red, and stammered, "Ah? I, I, I was swatting mosquitoes. These damn mosquitoes are so annoying; they bite you all over if you're not careful."

Without pausing for breath, he quickly asked something else: "Lingzi, what are you doing? Are you going back to the city again?"

"Yes, go back and tell Susu and Mom that Dad is back. Oh, and the chicken and duck are almost done cooking. My sister-in-law is watching the fire. Dad, you should go back and eat."

"Oh, oh, oh, should I go see Susu too?"

"No need, no need. You've traveled so far, you should go back and rest."

……

Chen Ling and his son quickly rode away on their horses.

I didn't even see my father-in-law awkwardly stomping his feet and spinning around in the back.

He just wondered, "Swatting mosquitoes? Is it really necessary to swat them like that?"

Chen Ling felt that his father-in-law's behavior was a bit strange.

He didn't tease Rui Rui much when he saw him, which is quite unusual.

But he didn't think much about it.

The father-in-law is back, and the brother-in-law and his wife are leaving. This needs to be told to Wang Susu and her daughter; that's the important thing.

We're back in the city.

Wang Susu and Zhong Xiaoyun were happily discussing something in the courtyard while holding a book.

Seeing Chen Ling return, he immediately walked up to her with light steps, picked Rui Rui up from the horse, and said, "Ah Ling, when I woke up today, I felt so energetic and refreshed. I felt so happy and cheerful."

If it weren't for my big belly, I'd be jumping and skipping around like crazy.

As she spoke, she put Rui Rui down, opened her arms, and twirled around in front of Chen Ling, her face beaming with smiles.

This is, of course, because Chen Ling picked that leaf from the cave last night.

It instantly replenished all of Wang Susu's depleted energy and physical losses.

Then I felt refreshed and relaxed again, and my negative emotions disappeared.

In short, as long as your body is healthy enough and your energy is replenished, you will feel relaxed and happy.

If you get sick, whether it's a major or minor illness, it depletes your vital energy and spirit, making it difficult to truly feel happy no matter how many good things happen.

Pregnancy is not an illness, but it can easily lead to mental health issues.

"Your mood has improved? It must be my doing. I lull you to sleep every day and tell you so many stories. You should have been better by now."

Chen Ling laughed and dismounted.

"Pooh."

Wang Susu immediately spat at him and grabbed his ear.

But Chen Ling grabbed her hand with a grin and gave it a quick kiss.

Seeing this, Zhong Xiaoyun shouted from the side: "Oh my, I can't bear to look! You two are doing this in broad daylight, aren't you ashamed?"

"Rui Rui, look at your dad! He's being a pervert in broad daylight!"

Rui Rui had no idea what she was shouting about. Seeing her father kiss her mother's hand, she ran to her mother's side and kissed her mother's face as well.

After kissing her, he laughed happily and then went to Zhong Xiaoyun's side to kiss her cheek.

He kissed her so hard her glasses were askew.

This caused Zhong Xiaoyun to let out another strange cry, wiping her drool as she said, "Well, just like your father, he's a big hooligan and you're a little hooligan. Auntie is going to beat you up."

Chen Ling glanced back at her: "You still say we... Rui Rui didn't know how to be affectionate before, wasn't it you two aunts who taught her that?"

The group laughed and joked for a while.

Chen Lingcai said to Wang Susu, "Dad is back today too. My brother and sister-in-law are going back tomorrow..."

Wang Susu was taken aback when she heard this: "Huh? Then I, I also want to go back and take a look, will you let me?"

After saying that, she quickly added, "I feel quite light and energetic right now..."

As she spoke, she looked at Chen Ling expectantly.

Chen Ling met his wife's bright eyes and understood her expectations: "Hmm... I'll go back and try to borrow a car. If I can, I'll take you and Mom back. If not, we won't bother."

Your brother and sister-in-law don't want you to go through all this trouble.

What do you think? "

"Well, that's fine."

Upon hearing this, Wang Susu subconsciously pouted, like a little girl, and took Chen Ling's arm, rubbing her head against his shoulder. "I hope we can borrow it. I really want to go back."

"Ah."

Chen Ling thought about it and realized that some of the guests staying at his place had cars. In addition, there were cars at the scooter stand, but the big trucks were very tall and old, not as stable as oxcarts.

Zhong Xiaoyun watched the young couple's affectionate display, and this time she didn't say anything more. She simply smiled slightly, holding Rui Rui and sitting quietly to the side. (End of Chapter)