My 1995 Small Farm.

“Da, Mom, look at this news on TV. I’ve said it before, Chen Ling really isn’t like what you’re saying. Don’t listen to what outsiders are saying and just spread rumors.”

In a small village near the county seat, a refined-looking young man with glasses was having breakfast with his parents and children when he pointed to the morning news on the television and said...

The local morning news broadcast the story of Chen Ling's special bond with two tiger cubs.

The program reiterated Chen Ling's identity at the very beginning.

He is a young forest ranger who has made outstanding contributions to the protection of migrating red-crowned cranes.

After rescuing red-crowned cranes and helping them give birth, the cranes settled and reproduced in the local area.

It also fought with the King of Wild Boars.

Now she has formed a bond with two tiger cubs at the zoo.

What twists and turns were involved?

Once the news is presented in this way, it becomes attractive to the audience.

After seeing his parents' embarrassed expressions, the well-mannered young man became increasingly surprised and engrossed in watching the news on television.

He couldn't help but smile: "See? You guys better not talk nonsense in the village anymore. I'm going to go with Hongbo and the others to celebrate the baby's one-month birthday soon."

It was obviously Zhao Hongbo, the very successful high school classmate that the guy nicknamed "Red Palm Stirring Up Clear Waves" was talking about.

His name is Liang Junqi.

They are from Liangjiaqiao, a small village outside the county seat.

He only came back to his hometown from the city to celebrate the National Day holiday with his wife and children.

"Alright, alright, we won't say anything more. You should treat them well from now on..."

After watching the news, the two elderly people felt that they had truly come to know the legendary Chen Fugui for the first time, and they were both surprised and full of admiration.

Then I felt relieved and proud that my son was classmates with such a person.

"By the way, the news just said that the crane is in the mountains outside their village."

"Yes, Zhao Hongbo and the others said they've seen it once already, but it was too far away to see clearly..."

The family chatted while eating breakfast.

……

It must be said that the media's credibility was extremely high at that time.

Following the celebrations of Hong Kong's return to China, news was repeatedly rebroadcast, reflecting the public's already high level of interest in news programs.

Now that Chen Ling's news has come out, everyone knows what really happened.

It turns out that the rumors circulating outside, that only rich people buy tigers to keep as pets, are all false.

The exaggerated claims that tigers eat people every day and need to be fed human flesh, as well as the claims that tigers guard houses and protect treasures in several rooms, are naturally debunked.

However, the rural mountain areas at this time are quite different from the outside world.

There are indeed relatively few television sets.

It only increased dramatically after the turn of the millennium.

So right now, the news about Chen Ling is only known in the county town and by a few other families who own televisions.

But eventually, dissenting voices emerged.

……

Meanwhile, Chen Ling was at home watching the news with her family.

He actually doesn't like being in the news.

It always feels unreal.

But my family loves watching it.

So I patiently watched with them.

"Hey, why are you still looking so grumpy? Those were just compliments."

Wang Cunye saw his son-in-law absentmindedly fiddling with the glass tank for raising quails while holding his grandson, so he reached out and slapped him.

"Never mind him, his heart isn't here anymore."

Gao Xiulan chuckled and said to Chen Ling, "Don't rush to send the villagers to pick wild fruits in the mountains. You've just returned. Take a day off and we can do this after we go to the city to bring your Aunt Hongyu back."

The old lady also knew that her son-in-law sometimes seemed unserious.

Actually, his intentions are still very good.

I'm always thinking about those wild fruits in the mountains, afraid of wasting or ruining them.

However, none of the capable people are here; they're all busy in the city. It's not enough for Chen Ling to be the only one with the mind to do this.

"Yeah, I know, I'm just a little afraid of rain."

Chen Ling sighed, stood up and said, "I'd better get the venison ready, we'll stew it for lunch."

He then walked out of the living room of the bamboo house.

As soon as they came out, the black ceramic pot, which was tied with straw rope and hung horizontally under the eaves of the east side of the living room, shook a few times, and five small yellow creatures jumped out one after another.

Like a bunch of big yellow rats chasing each other, they ran around Chen Ling in the yard, having a blast.

Even when Heiwa and Xiaojin ran over, they weren't afraid anymore.

It was still running back and forth between the legs of the two big dogs.

Then, while playing around, they followed Chen Ling outside.

Actually, to be honest, only three of the weasels in the house are quite mischievous; Little Yellow and Little Fatty are mostly quite well-behaved.

In this situation, besides being playful and affectionate in front of Chen Ling, Xiao Huang and Xiao Pang are also disciplining the three children.

Previously, the family of five did not live together.

After the three little weasels grew up, they were kicked out by Little Yellow and Little Fatty.

This is also a common trait among animals.

Once the children grow up, they will go out and live independently.

But ever since Chen Ling gave them intelligence, they have become different from other weasel families.

They've grown closer to each other.

Once the three little ones get naughty, Little Yellow and Little Fatty will chase after them, biting and hitting them.

Before they moved to the village, there was a period when Xiao Huang and Xiao Pang had given up on their three little ones.

The three little weasels were completely useless back then, just loafing around at home eating and drinking, essentially spoiled by Chen Ling.

It can climb trees, but it can't do anything else like catching mice, birds, or going into the river.

Little Yellow and Little Fatty were very disgusted with it.

After Chen Ling stopped interfering, they gradually improved and started learning everything, spending their days catching birds and swallows by the reservoir.

Recently, Chen Ling has been training them to hunt.

Little Huang and Little Fatty then took on the responsibilities of parents again, chasing and beating the three little ones all over the yard whenever they misbehaved.

Today is another sunny day.

Aside from a huge wild boar king skeleton that catches the eye outside the farm, there is nothing else.

The livestock pens in the orchard are also more vibrant and lively than before.

It's no longer empty.

Besides piles of golden corn cobs, some contained packhorses, others elegant and agile sika deer, some cattle, some flocks of sheep, and even pregnant muntjacs. Muntjacs have a very long gestation period, taking six or seven months to give birth.

Chen Ling didn't know when it got pregnant. He just saw that its belly was big and always felt that it was about to give birth, but it never did.

There was nothing he could do; this little thing could mate all year round, so he simply couldn't predict it accurately.

If they had been born earlier, the children wouldn't have been clamoring for sika deer.

Just then, Chen Ling led two large dogs over.

The livestock pens suddenly became lively with the noise of cows and horses.

The cattle, horses, and sheep are hungry, while the sika deer's calls indicate fear.

Chen Ling then went over, opened the small doors of several livestock pens, and let all the cattle, horses, and sheep out.

Let them roam freely in the surrounding orchards or on the hills. In an instant, a large herd of packhorses and goats jostled and rumbled as they galloped away.

The commotion made the sika deer forget their fear and they all turned their heads curiously to look around.

Chen Ling ignored them. The packhorses were gentle and loyal, the sheep were already familiar with the terrain, and the oxen followed the little white calf slowly toward the river.

Only Little Green Horse shamelessly ran to Chen Ling's side, pushed aside Blackie and Little Gold, and tried to bite Chen Ling's clothes to act cute.

Heiwa yelled at them and chased them away.

Chen Ling has rarely taken Heiwa and his brother out to play in the past six months. The two boys are sensible and like to stay with Wang Susu and the children.

It's already a rare treat to be able to go out with him like this.

Seeing Heiwa scare away the little blue horse, Chen Ling laughed and took them to feed the pregnant muntjac and check on the condition of the ornamental fish in the small pond.

Only then did they take out the muntjac and venison from the small water tower, thaw and clean them, and then go to the backyard kitchen to start stewing them.

The meat was cooked for a short time.

The father-in-law took Rui Rui and a bunch of puppies to graze sheep outside.

Actually, he was just worried about Wang Zhenzhen.

Recently, all the kids in the village have new bikes, and during the holidays they ride them around all day long. The procession is huge, like a convoy.

Wang Zhenzhen was the leader; the girl was like a tomboy, very wild, and rode her bike incredibly fast.

How could the old man feel at ease at home?

"Oh, Lingzi, look! Look what's on the roof!"

Gao Xiulan went upstairs to collect diapers, and when she looked up, she hurriedly called out to Chen Ling.

Upon hearing this, Chen Ling quickly ran over: "Damn, Little Leopard, why did this guy suddenly come back?"

On the roof of the bamboo house, a little clouded leopard was peeking out, looking around furtively.

"What? The little leopard is here?"

Upon hearing Chen Ling's words, Wang Susu, who was inside the room, immediately perked up.

What she said was incredible.

Upon hearing Wang Susu's voice, the little leopard, no longer caring that people were watching it, stuck out its rear end and backed down from the roof along the pillar like a cat.

He retreated to the lower level, then jumped to the second floor of the bamboo house, running directly into Chen Ling and his wife's bedroom.

"Oh dear, how did it get in? I hope it doesn't get in the way of Kang Kang and Le Le..."

Gao Xiulan panicked as soon as she saw the little clouded leopard dart into the house.

Chen Ling also quickly ran upstairs.

This little clouded leopard only likes to stick to Wang Susu, and is not friendly to little babies like Rui Rui.

It's hard to say whether they'll like Kang Kang and Lele.

As soon as they entered the house, the little leopard was surprisingly well-behaved. Just like before, as soon as it saw Wang Susu, it went to her side and transformed into a kitten, squinting its eyes and purring affectionately.

At this moment, it stood on the stool by the bed, squinting its eyes, stretching its neck, and gently rubbing its head against Wang Susu's outstretched hand.

If it weren't for the leopard spots all over its body and its fluffy, thick, and wide paws, this would definitely be an adorable kitten.

“Ah Ling, look at it. It still remembers me. It came back and looked for me.”

Wang Susu was already sitting on the edge of the bed in her pajamas, her face full of surprise and joy, reaching out to tease the little clouded leopard.

However, the little clouded leopard was still as timid as before, and its personality was unusually cowardly. When it saw Chen Ling rushing in, it tensed up all over. When Wang Susu stroked it, it widened its eyes, lowered its body, and was ready to run away at any time.

"You know, this little leopard didn't know where it came from. It looks clean, but it's actually very dirty. If you keep touching it like this, how will you feed Lele and Kang Kang milk later?"

Chen Ling glanced helplessly at his wife.

All he got in return was a giggle from Wang Susu.

Seeing the bright and happy smile on his wife's pretty face, he knew she liked the little leopard, so he didn't say anything more.

But I'm still worried that the little clouded leopard might have fleas or something on it.

He then took out two sachets with slightly stronger medicinal properties, one of which he placed under the pillow behind Wang Susu, and the other under the mattress at the foot of the bed.

Then he turned around and gently carried his second and third children to the small bed, and put up a small mosquito net.

"Don't worry, I'll give the little leopard a bath in a bit."

Seeing his cautious manner, Wang Susu chuckled and playfully punched him. After having a child, she rarely showed such girlish coquettishness, and she rarely cuddled up to the child.

Now you can see that she was genuinely happy when the little leopard came back and sought her out.

After all, postpartum confinement is very boring.

"Besides, the little leopard is a terrestrial leopard. It doesn't eat mice; it eats birds in the trees. It doesn't get fleas. Otherwise, why do you think I didn't let the little kitten in?"

What she said makes sense.

Clouded leopards mostly live in trees and are actually quite clean.

Of course, with our own environment and the conditions of the cave, we don't need to be afraid of this.

The biggest concern was that the little leopard might not know its own strength and could hurt the child.

"That's true, but I caught all the rats around our house with the weasel, and the little kitten hasn't been coming home lately."

Chen Ling smiled.

"Hmph, so that means the weasel has fleas too. Take them with you when you go to the city, so they won't run around the house."

While holding the little clouded leopard and playing with its two front paws, Wang Susu talked to Chen Ling.

"By the way, you need to pick up Aunt Hongyu and the others tomorrow, or do you have to take the boat tonight?"

Chen Ling didn't get home until after 4 a.m. last night. When Wang Susu saw that he was perfectly fine, she only scolded him a few times and didn't really blame him.

We urged him to take a shower and then let him rest.

I just realized that five days of the National Day holiday have already passed.

We need to go to the city to pick up Liang Hongyu and her family.

"Let's go there early tomorrow morning. I'll stay home with you all tonight."

Chen Ling smiled, squatted beside the crib, and looked at her newborn son and daughter, feeling an unusual sense of peace.

In his tiny swaddling clothes, my son Kang Kang was still as thin and small as ever. Sunlight streamed in through the window, and the little guy was fast asleep.

My daughter Lele has changed quite a bit. The little girl seems to absorb nutrients very quickly, just like Rui Rui did back then. She's strong and healthy, with fair and rosy skin.

Seemingly sensing that someone was watching her, her eyelashes fluttered slightly, she opened her round little mouth and yawned, then opened her pair of clear, unblemished eyes.

Seeing her father but not her mother, the little girl's eyes widened in surprise, and her brows furrowed as if she was about to cry.

Chen Ling was startled, but luckily reacted quickly and reached out to cover her daughter's eyes. Seeing that her daughter was attracted by her hand, she gently waved it in front of her eyes.

Soon, after only a short while, the little girl fell asleep again with her eyelids drooping.

Chen Ling finally breathed a long sigh of relief.

Seeing this, Wang Susu picked up the little leopard and held it on her lap, then laughed at him, saying, "You're doing this to Lele again. Let me tell you, this trick won't work anymore. You'll be the one to soothe him when he cries."

"I'll coax her, it's no big deal. If this method doesn't work, there are new methods."

Chen Ling stubbornly insisted.

This method of his certainly doesn't mean he's learned hypnosis.

They were just taking advantage of their daughter being so young, not even a month old, blocking her view and making her keep dozing off.

Otherwise, if she cries, the sound will be so loud that Kang Kang will definitely cry too.

There will inevitably be another flurry of activity then.

However, we cannot be careless at this point.

My daughter woke up once just now, and she'll go back to sleep, but it'll be a short nap. When she wakes up again, she'll want to nurse.

Chen Ling glanced at his wife, who was still cuddling and petting the little clouded leopard, then went downstairs to get hot water and soap for Wang Susu to wash her hands and face, waiting to breastfeed Kang Kang and Le Le.

A short while later, Chen Ling's prediction came true, and the two little ones started crying one after the other.

The little leopard had already been thrown out by him, and it was downstairs, its fur standing on end, tail wagging, circling around, and cursing.

"Fugui, Fugui, good heavens, two new babies! This house is so lively... The hawker is here, do you want to go and see?"