My 1995 Small Farm.

Chapter 549 "Little Tiger Returns Home"

"Huh? Depression?"

“I saw that after Brother Chen came, Afu and Ashou were perfectly fine and very happy, playing around just like before.”

If it is depression as you say, is it possible that they relapsed after the Chen brothers left?

When the middle-aged, bald doctor mentioned the new term "depression," the crowd seemed to understand but not quite. However, the vivid examples the doctor gave, as well as the symptoms that Afu and Ashou had experienced before, made them realize the seriousness of the illness.

It could even endanger lives.

Like a bird trapped in a cage, it bangs against the cage, refuses to eat, and dies in despair.

"very possible."

The bald doctor nodded and looked at Chen Ling: "Let's not even talk about how these two little tigers developed such deep feelings for Xiao Chen."

But based on their previous behavior, if they can't see Xiao Chen after he leaves, there's a high chance they'll relapse.

Take a simple example.

It's like a child missing their parents when starting boarding school for the first time.

Children often feel homesick and depressed at school when they first start boarding school; the two little tigers exhibited similar behaviors.

The old sayings "not being able to eat or drink" or "being so lovesick that one falls ill" are all similar situations.

Everyone nodded, somewhat bewildered.

Then they looked at each other and started whispering among themselves.

What should we do in this situation?

“Young Chen isn’t some petty thug or unemployed youth. We can’t just bring him into the zoo because of a tiger, can we?”

"Yes, before the next litter of tiger cubs is born, Afu and Ashou are our signature tigers."

"..."

Chen Ling, meanwhile, fed the two tiger cubs and led them to stroll and play along the edge of the cage, occasionally kicking out a stone for them to retrieve, and they would frolic together.

In fact, Chen Ling understood what was going on after seeing Afu and Ashou's tearful faces last night.

After he enlightened Afu and Ashou.

After they gained intelligence, the first person they saw was not their tiger parents, but themselves.

So they treated each other as the closest people.

At this moment, everyone was discussing, while watching Chen Ling tease the two little tigers like he was walking a dog, making them jump and leap around happily, like a lion dance, showing their lively and mischievous nature.

While feeling envious, I am also increasingly troubled by the current situation.

Gradually, not only people, but even the big tigers in the tiger park gathered around the cage wall, peering through the cage at the cub isolation area next door.

It sniffed curiously, its eyes wide open, and kept growling at Chen Ling in a low voice.

"How about this."

Han Ninggui, who hadn't said much until now, spoke up, "I have two ideas, let's discuss them and see what we think. Fugui, Fugui, come closer and listen."

Everyone gathered around, saying, "Professor Han, please share any good solutions you may have."

"The first thing is to have Fugui come here every now and then to visit the little tiger. As my brother just said, this behavior is like a child going to boarding school for the first time. Parents should come to visit every week, take him out of the school to play, and have a meal. That would help."

The second point is also based on this judgment.

Just like children go home from school every week or two, the zoo can let the two tiger cubs stay with Fugui for a few days every now and then.

Of course, this interval can be longer, such as staying for one week a month, or half a month every two months.

As Han Ninggui spoke, he pointed at Chen Ling: "I believe you are all aware of the strange abilities this young man possesses. He always does things that ordinary people cannot do... Look, when a tiger follows him, it is more obedient than a dog. If others cannot do something, he might be able to do it."

"No, Professor Han, this method..."

Han Ninggui's words silenced everyone, leaving them all feeling quite awkward.

The old director said with even more distress, "Professor Han, releasing the tiger once is enough. It's a political task to film a classic novel, and there's no way to refuse."

If they keep releasing them, the tigers' wild instincts will be fully awakened, and if anything goes wrong, no one will be able to control them.

Moreover, there was one thing he didn't say: the more tigers went out to roam and saw the vast world outside, the less they wanted to live in cages.

Everyone nodded in agreement.

"Yes, yes, it's no small matter if a tiger is released from its cage, even if it's a cub."

"Besides, it would be troublesome for our park to send people to escort the tiger in and out."

"..."

In short, the old principal's concerns are everyone's concerns.

Han Ninggui burst into laughter after hearing this: "Hahaha, don't be in such a hurry. Didn't I say that this young man, Xiao Chen, can't be judged by conventional standards? His dog can be the king of the wolf pack, and he even goes down into the wolf den to steal wolf cubs. You've all heard about that, right?"

These are all true.

Look again, the two tiger cubs are behaving like kittens in front of him. There's no need for you to send anyone to escort them.

I lent him a car; he can take the tiger back himself.

Everyone was stunned when they heard this.

Even Chen Ling himself was stunned.

I don't understand why Han Ninggui is so confident in himself.

Then Han Ninggui continued, "He is a hunter, a forest ranger, and can also train animals. This identity is easy to explain to outsiders. It's good to take two tiger cubs for a walk in the mountains every month or two."

And if your zoo still has concerns about this, you can always make it into the news.

Let me describe the two tiger cubs' illnesses, and then tell the story of Xiao Chen and the tigers. Haha, here comes a modern version of the unforgettable love story between a human and a tiger.

First, it has a story to tell; second, this kid just recently defeated the Wild Boar King, making it legendary.

These two little tigers aren't afraid of not being popular? You'll never have to worry about selling tickets again!

Upon hearing this, everyone's eyes lit up, and they couldn't help but feel excited at the thought of the scene.

Old Han's answer resonated deeply with them.

"Fugui, what do you think? It mainly depends on whether it's convenient for you. If it's inconvenient for you, it won't work even if they agree."

Han Ninggui smiled and looked at Chen Ling through the cage.

"I'm not in a difficult position. Besides, Ah Fu and Ah Shou are always throwing tantrums. I'd feel bad if I knew about it."

Chen Ling was taken aback for a moment before replying.

"That's fine."

Han Ninggui nodded again: "It's not enough for us to just talk. Let's try it first. Why don't you take the two little tigers out for a walk?"

"Ah good."

Chen Ling hadn't figured out why the old man was so confident in him when he heard him call his name. Without any hesitation, he opened the cage door from the inside and led Afu and Ashou out. When the little blue horse saw the door open, it immediately trotted out of the tiger enclosure.

"Huh? Why is there a horse inside?"

"Yes, this is the horse that Brother Chen rode. You didn't know yesterday, he came on horseback..."

Then he told the story of how Chen Ling rode a horse along mountain roads and arrived in the provincial capital in a single day, leaving the group speechless and full of praise for his extraordinary deeds.

As they were talking, they saw the restless little green horse run between the two tiger cubs, bend its hind leg and kick, causing Afu and Ashou to stumble.

After successfully pulling off its prank, it immediately grinned and ran forward.

Afu and Ashou roared in anger and chased after him.

"Wow, this guy is really skilled in this area; even the horses he raises are so intelligent."

"..."

"Hey, wait a minute, aren't people already starting to come to the park? Xiao Chen, Xiao Chen, quickly call the tiger back, quick, quick, don't scare the tourists."

Suddenly, everyone's expression changed.

Chen Ling remained calm and unhurriedly called Afu and Ashou over, stroked their heads, and asked the two trainers for two iron chains and collars.

These are things from the circus.

Just like walking a dog on the street, the feeling of a large dog with a leash and one without a leash is quite different.

Having a chain does make people feel safer.

"That's good. Let's try it out with a couple of laps."

Chen Ling smiled and began to stroll around the park with the two tiger cubs on his hands.

It's still early, but since it's the weekend, there are quite a few people bringing their children to the zoo.

"Mom and Dad, look! That uncle is leading two tigers over."

"Hey, girl, don't come any closer. That's a tiger. It could bite your arm off in one bite."

"Wow, a beautiful, tall horse is running by! It's biting the tiger's tail, how naughty..."

"This is really strange, with tigers and horses. You two stay here and wait, I'll go ask if the circus is about to start."

There were quite a few parents like this, and soon many people came over to ask Chen Ling if the tiger and horse were going to perform at the circus.

They want to see things like that.

Of course, when they came to ask, they were still quite far away. The two tigers had come out of their cages, and even though they were chained, it was still scary to look at.

Chen Ling said, "I won't go to the circus, but I can perform a little show for you."

Then he said to the two little tigers, "Afu and Shou, bow to everyone like I do."

Afu and Ashou quickly followed Chen Ling's posture, standing upright and bowing to the adults and children watching with their two front paws, while making a rattling sound as they pulled on the iron chains.

The tourists' faces lit up with surprise, and they exclaimed in astonishment.

The children, in their childish voices, jumped and shouted "Tiger, tiger!"

"This tiger is so cute, it seems quite different from the tigers in the circus."

"Yes, it looks very obedient, but it's very energetic, unlike tigers in a circus where you have to be on your guard while watching a performance."

"..."

For a moment, the tourists forgot to explore other places.

All eyes were on Chen Ling and the two tigers and the horse. The two tiger cubs were alright; they didn't cause much trouble when there were many people around. It was the little green horse that kept teasing them, making them very restless. They were making a ruckus right next to Chen Ling.

The three creatures were so large, and they weren't puppies or kittens playing around. The noise they made caused the tourists who had wanted to get closer to back away.

However, the children loved watching it, saying the tiger was very well-behaved and the little green horse was interesting, and they didn't want to leave.

This scene brought a sigh of relief to the former kindergarten director and others who had come along.

At the same time, he remarked that Professor Han was right; Chen Ling really did have that ability.

Han Ninggui reminded him, "Fugui, go back after one stroll. There will be more tourists coming soon, and with the two tigers still outside, everyone will crowd together and follow you around."

Chen Ling also knew about this.

This has been the situation in the village lately. Even when someone is hatching chicks, crowds gather to see them. Everyone who has never seen a chick hatch is a curious sight, making it impossible for villagers to even leave their own homes.

Let's take advantage of the fact that there aren't many people at the zoo now and quickly go for a walk around.

But they underestimated people's enthusiasm.

It's rare to see tigers out of their cages, and there are such fun and playful horses frolicking around. If I don't come and watch, wouldn't it be a waste of my money to buy this ticket today?

So it really was true that wherever Chen Ling led the tiger and the horse, they followed.

When they finally arrived at the tiger enclosure, they were reluctant to leave. The children kept calling out "Uncle, Uncle!" and begged Chen Ling to perform a few "little acrobatics" with the tigers and the little blue horse before they would stop.

But they refused to leave, their little heads pressed against the cage wall outside the tiger enclosure, or being held by their parents and carried on their shoulders, looking inside to see Chen Ling feeding the tigers.

One moment they were shouting about Chen Ling: "This uncle is very good and very powerful. Tiger and Big Horse both listen to him."

A moment later, he started singing "Two Tigers" while shaking his head.

……

"Now that you've seen the real person, are you convinced?"

"I'm convinced, truly convinced. Now I understand, some people just have a natural talent for this, like singing and composing; they're born with a strong sense of rhythm."

"Haha, don't look like that. The old director is also puzzled. He can't understand how the two little tigers have become so dependent on this young man in just a few days."

We raised them from childhood and they weren't this close.

"Yes, but it's not all bad. As Professor Han just said, if he takes these two tiger cubs out for a walk and gets them on the news, our zoo's tickets will sell like hotcakes, right?"

"Yeah, I just strolled around for a bit, and there were just a few people watching me."

The people at the zoo chatted amongst themselves.

Chen Ling and Han Ninggui were also chatting.

Chen Ling was mainly puzzled. It seemed that Han Ninggui really wanted him to take the tiger back today, and he seemed to be pushing for it from the beginning.

"Did you see it?"

Han Ninggui smiled wryly: "There's nothing we can do about it. You probably know that nowadays, apart from the Siberian tiger, there are almost no tigers left in the mountains in our country. If there are any, it would be by chance that we would encounter a Bengal tiger or an Indochinese tiger in the southwest and on the border of the Himalayas. None of them are our own South China tigers."

"Hmm? Uncle Han, you mean..."

“My point is simple: if you have the ability to subdue and tame tigers, we want to seize this opportunity and, with your help, raise two tigers that are different from those in the zoo… In the future, through your influence, it will also be easier for their offspring to gradually return to the mountains.”

"Yes, Old Han has been worried about this for a long time, but he hasn't had a good solution. Now that we have this rare opportunity... only you can help us."

(End of this chapter)