My 1995 Small Farm.

Chapter 630 Family Light
"Hey, whatever you say, bro, I think this is definitely the secret to training hunting dogs!"

Although they sensed something was off about Chen Ling and the other person's tone, they still believed what they saw.

After being given blood, the puppy's ferocious attack on the wild boar meat was unmistakable.

"Yes, definitely. We'll figure out the tricks of dog training in the future."

The owners rubbed their hands excitedly, feeling they had discovered an incredible secret, and couldn't wait to use this momentum to choose their own puppies.

Now, these chubby puppies, because Wang Lixian was training the little yellow dog with fresh wild boar blood and meat, were all sniffing the smell of blood and meat, becoming unusually restless, lively and excited, circling around the large wooden basin, wagging their tails and barking in their babyish voices.

Some even tried to compete with the little yellow dog for wild boar meat, but after Chen Ling and Wang Lixian pulled them apart, they still struggled relentlessly, their chubby little bodies charging forward again.

Those little faces are so adorable, there isn't a single one of them who isn't cute.

These people were so overwhelmed with choices that they were completely spoiled for choice.

Moreover, they were satisfied with all of them; each dog had its own merits, and there was no competition between them.

Anyway, they don't understand those 'dog-judging' techniques.

I was quite satisfied with everything I saw.

They were making quite a scene here, so Chen Ling didn't just stand by and watch. He went into the mountains, and by then it was getting late, so he had to hurry back to prepare lunch.

Zhou Weijun and Zhao Tianba followed him back, saying that when they came, they had bought two local roast chickens and some yellow beef, and that if Chen Ling wanted to eat them, he should put them out; if not, he should put them in his family's small water tower.

After visiting Chen Ling and his group several times.

Besides the food at Chen Ling's house, they also crave the food from these two well-known restaurants in the city.

Even Chen Ling sometimes brings these two things home so that his family can try something new.

Of course.

What Zhou Weijun is talking about now is what he brought to Chen Ling's family; they had already eaten in the city.

They also said that it was fortunate the car was repaired quickly this time, otherwise, if it had taken too long, they wouldn't have been able to bring the roast chicken and beef, and they would have ended up eating them.

Chen Ling just smiled after hearing this and said that his family had stewed a lot of venison. There were still some left over from yesterday's stew, and he stewed two more big pots today. He started stewing it this morning, and at this time, without saying anything more, Gao Xiulan and Liang Hongyu had already stewed the meat and taken it out.

I doubt anyone would have the appetite to eat this beef.

They divided the beef among the children completely.

Let them go play.

They then went to the kitchen and retrieved two pieces of hot venison. Having traveled a long way, they wanted to eat a couple of pieces of meat to fill their stomachs first.

"Mmm, mmm, it's delicious. It's always so nice to come here; it feels like coming home."

"Let me tell you something, Fugui. When Lao Zhao and I arrived in your city, we already heard about what happened during the National Day holiday. Your abilities are a bit frightening."

The city is publishing articles in the newspapers and doing other things; I heard they're even going to appear on CCTV.

More people will find out by then.

"Since you often take the kids out for walks, you sometimes need to be a little more careful."

Zhou Weijun and Chen Ling were good friends, which was very different from the group of people outside.

When they arrived at my home, they spoke with great concern in every word.

This was a subtle reminder that Chen Ling was getting a little too prominent.

Yes, there's not much going on in the countryside. The dogs here in Chenling are fierce and clever; anyone who tries to cause trouble will be spotted.

But they couldn't resist taking their children riding horses and falcons around all the time.

Once they've run far away, how can they possibly defend themselves everywhere?
This makes sense.

Chen Ling's experience of being followed in his car upon his return proves that there are indeed quite a few daring people out there.

Chen Ling nodded repeatedly in response to what the two said, saying he would be careful and that he generally didn't leave the village.

When close friends meet, they naturally won't just talk about this.

After a brief chat about our recent situations, we went on to boast about all sorts of things, and my mood lifted up.

When he got excited, Zhou Weijun didn't even bother to take a closer look at Chen Ling's fish tank.

Chen Ling was busy cleaning mushrooms and bamboo rats around the kitchen, and the others helped him tidy up this and that, talking non-stop.

After we had almost finished cleaning up the food.

Chen Ling suddenly thought of the matter between the Chen Xiaoer and Wu Fei families.

He then told Zhou Weijun that the two of them were also pen pals.

I'll go see if anyone's free to come over at noon, and we can have lunch together.

These pen pals were initially contacted randomly by Chen Ling when he was bored. Although he is on good terms with those he keeps in touch with now, he doesn't know if the pen pals actually know each other, and he can't say for sure that they will get along well if they meet in person.

Especially Chen Xiaoer's temper.

It's fine with acquaintances, since we know each other well, but it's too difficult for him to meet strangers.

Unexpectedly, when Chen Ling roasted the bamboo rats and went to call the two of them, they readily agreed.

Chen Xiaoer also said that he had heard about Zhou Weijun from Zhao Yubao and others. Old Zhou was a foodie. He once ate so many persimmon cakes from Wang Jusheng's house that his stomach hurt so badly that he couldn't straighten up. Even in that pain, he still had the mood to hum a nonsensical doggerel.

After hearing about this, Chen Xiaoer had long wanted to meet him, because he had also made a similar mistake once. At that time, Zhao Yubao had recited Zhou Weijun's doggerel to tease him, so he had a particularly deep impression of it.

Zhou Weijun, that old rascal, is also a repressed pervert, and his stubborn, artsy tendencies are even more pronounced than Liang Yuemin's, though they're not even in the same direction.

It's the kind of style that comes with an inherent melancholy and pretentious air.

He has a knack for making witty remarks.

As a comedian, Chen Xiaoer had a lot of cringeworthy lines, so the two hit it off immediately upon meeting.

This makes Wu Fei and his wife seem honest.

They recently became teachers at the village primary school, and their demeanor has indeed become much more dignified and serious.

While chatting, Chen Xiaoer followed Zhou Weijun and the other man to turn over the roasted bamboo rats.

Wu Fei and his wife came to tidy up the tables, chairs, and benches. There would be guests at noon, and these things needed to be wiped clean.

"Brother Er, I've been saying for a while that I'd make you your signature Chen-style vinegar noodles, but you kept making excuses. There are quite a few people here today, so you absolutely have to show off your skills!"

"Tch, Fugui, you're the worst!" Chen Xiaoer glared, rubbing his bald head. "Don't think I don't know, you just didn't want to entertain those people outside, so you dragged me into being your cook, trying to make me a laborer..."

Haha, trying to fob someone off with noodles, you've got some nerve.

When he said "send people away," he meant to send away those bosses outside.

This is a real misunderstanding of Chen Ling.

Although Chen Ling was indeed reluctant to eat and drink with these people, they had come from afar to buy dogs and spent a lot of money, so it was only right and proper for him, as the host, to treat them to a meal.

Chen Xiaoer, on the other hand, genuinely disliked dealing with so many business people.

He particularly disliked insincere social interactions involving drinking and feasting.

Chen Ling understood him and didn't say much, only saying, "Your Chen's Vinegar Noodles aren't your ordinary noodles. Let alone entertaining guests, we'd like to eat them too. Old Zhou, Old Zhao, would you like some?"

Zhou Weijun and Zhao Tianba immediately raised their hands like elementary school students: "Of course we want to eat it, Teacher Chen, show us your skills!"

Wu Fei, who was not far away, chimed in with a chuckle: "If you ask me, Fu Gui doesn't want to use you as a laborer to cook. He wants to steal your skills. You'd better be careful."

Upon hearing this, Chen Xiaoer immediately put on a wary expression: "I knew it, so you wanted to steal my skills. I'd better be careful."

I said I'd be careful.

But actually, when he was busy preparing the ingredients and starting to make the unique 'braised sauce' for the vinegar-braised noodles...

While he was talking, he was seriously muttering, "My Chen-style vinegar noodles are not for the average person. Look at all this cilantro."

Normally, a family meal requires about half a basin of vegetables to be used.

We're entertaining so many people today, and with this much cilantro, it's enough to scare away a large portion of them.

Wow, my goodness! The cilantro you've prepared has an exceptionally strong flavor.

Hey kid trying to steal my skills, watch out! Heat the oil and add the peppercorns.

These Sichuan peppercorns are fried until fragrant, then you have to take them out. Wow, these Sichuan peppercorns are really fragrant! Are they really that good if they're freshly picked from the mountain?
Come on, add minced ginger, shredded scallions, and dried chili peppers to the pot one by one and stir-fry them until they release their flavor.

After you get the meat, put all the diced meat into the pot, add Shaoxing wine, aged vinegar, light soy sauce, and two spoonfuls of white sugar.

Hey, look carefully.

The ratio of vinegar to soy sauce is 2:1.

The main ingredient in vinegar-braised noodles is vinegar, so don't think I'm hiding anything.

Alright, alright, it's boiling now. We need to pour this big bowl of cilantro into the pot.

……

"Your stove burns really fast! At my place, it would simmer for a while longer. Okay, that's good. Just add some minced garlic before taking it off the heat."...

Chen Xiaoer was busy at the small stove in the kitchen.

Zhou Weijun was roasting bamboo rats over the fire pit without delaying anything.

Old Zhou said he had no intention of stealing the recipe. Since the large and small pots in the kitchen were all occupied, he found a hanging pot, placed it on a fire pit, and then began to meticulously complete the dish of stewed bamboo rat with wild mushrooms using the ingredients and seasonings prepared by Chen Ling.

Chen Ling just explained how to do it, and all the ingredients are ready. Plus, the steps are simple, so there's no need to worry about not being able to do it well.

Moreover, these kinds of wild delicacies are meant to be enjoyed in their natural state.

Bamboo rats paired with wild mushrooms.

Mmm, just thinking about it makes my mouth water.

However, the pot on his side had just boiled and started simmering.

A rich, unique aroma wafted from the kitchen.

It has the sour aroma of boiled vinegar, but upon closer inspection, it's all a complex and rich fragrance.

The aroma of spiciness and meat... all rushed into my nose.

It makes you want to sneeze.

"Fugui, what are you doing again? The fragrance is so strange, we could smell it from the front."

Qin Yueru led Rui Rui and Xiao Lizi over, and Liang Hongyu followed with the children's water bottles.

"Haha, this wasn't made by me, it's the masterpiece of our Teacher Chen, Chen's Vinegar Noodles."

Chen Ling pointed to the bald figure in an apron in front of the stove: "Sister Yueru likes sour food and cilantro, right? You're in luck today. Teacher Chen doesn't usually cook for you easily."

Upon hearing the name Teacher Chen, the mother and daughter immediately recognized him as Chen Xiao'er, whom Chen Ling had mentioned long ago.

He immediately went up to greet them.

I'd seen them on TV before, but this was the first time I'd met them in person.

They are very proud that such a celebrity would be willing to settle down in the countryside just because he is Chen Ling's pen pal.

Think about it again, Zhao Yubao and Old Man Zhong.

Many of them came because of Chen Ling, and they were overjoyed.

This made them happier than any amount of money Chen Ling made in business.

As the mother and daughter were talking, Rui Rui and his two brothers couldn't wait any longer and started circling around the vinegar-braised noodles and bamboo rat hot pot.

At this moment, the bosses also came over in a noisy commotion.

Seeing this, Qin Yueru, the silly girl, quickly said, "Oh dear, you forgot as soon as you saw the food. I was just about to tell Fugui that they finished picking out the puppies and were looking at the fish tanks up ahead..."

"Haha, brother, you have so many good things here. How did you set up that fish tank? It's so beautiful! Design one for us too, and improve our feng shui."

"Goodness, using a fish tank to change feng shui? I don't have that kind of skill..."

Chen Ling was taken aback for a moment, then smiled and said, "It's getting late, it's almost noon. Come and eat when you've chosen your puppies."

However, lunch today was rather simple, just some farm-style food, no special dishes or drinks. The older guys will just have to make do with it.

Chen Ling was very polite in hosting such a guest at his home.

These bosses aren't mostly young people; most are over forty. At that age, they've already endured all the hardships they should have, so they don't really care about anything.

They all politely said that they just liked eating farm-style food, which was the food they never got tired of.

As a result, after everyone washed their hands and looked at each other, they all fell silent.

After a long silence, someone finally spoke up: "Brother, I'm not trying to be mean, but you're really... you know, with food like this, you call it passable?"

This reaction made Chen Xiaoer laugh.

He didn't like this group at first, but now he finds them interesting.

"Wait, no, you, you are..."

Well, his smile caused an uproar; he was immediately recognized.

Then I found out.

Goodness, a celebrity who frequently appears on the Spring Festival Gala is here to cook lunch for us. Even if it's just a bowl of porridge, it's still a great treat, isn't it?

Wow, Brother Chen is really something.

They brought in celebrities like that to work as chefs.

Then Chen's Vinegar Noodles were served first.

For the few people who can't stand the sour taste and cilantro, this is inedible.

But for those who can accept it, it's a wonderful surprise.

They said they never thought a dish made with so much vinegar and cilantro could taste so good, and they ate it all in big bites.

And those who can't eat cilantro aren't necessarily missing out on good food.

After each person picked out a large bowl of hand-pulled noodles made by Chen Ling, they used a spoon to scoop up fragrant, dark red venison, placed it on top of the noodles, and then poured boiling hot broth over it.

That thing smelled amazing.

After finishing the venison noodles, I'll have a roasted bamboo rat.

After finishing all of these, I drank a small bowl of bamboo rat and mushroom soup.

They enjoyed the meal so much that they were almost bursting at the seams, and they were even reluctant to put down their chopsticks.

After lunch, we rested for a while.

After picking the puppies, the group didn't leave immediately. Instead, they went for a stroll in the mountains with the villagers who were picking wild fruits. Several members of the Journey to the West film crew also went with them.

"These guys are actually alright. I heard from Lao Wu that some of them even wanted to donate money to the village to buy new tables and chairs."

After everyone left, Chen Xiaoer changed his mind a bit.

Chen Ling inwardly scoffed, thinking to himself that these people had no idea how ruthless they were, but he still agreed verbally, since it was a good thing that they were willing to do something for the children's education.

It's inconvenient for him to do this himself, as it could easily turn into a situation where a small favor is appreciated but a large one is resented, so he has never sought out trouble for himself.

Chen Xiaoer fed the pigeons at his estate for a while, helped Wu Fei catch some insects, and then took his wife and children back to sleep.

At this time of year, it really gets dark very early.

Because the autumn wind blows and large swaths of dead branches and fallen leaves, Chen Ling tidied up the orchard in the afternoon, loaded some corn onto the tractor, and prepared to deliver the grain to the government tomorrow.

He works quite quickly, but once he gets busy with something, he keeps working until dark.

Recently, my brother-in-law Wang Qingzhong went back to the mountains of Fenglei Town again.

I went to the city with Chen Ling this time and made some quick money, but I was so shocked that I need to go back to my hometown to calm down.

Not to mention him, Wang Jusheng was also unable to contain his excitement. When he got home, he went to the sweet potato field and picked sweet potatoes from two ditches. When he got home tired, he kept peeling peanuts and eating sunflower seeds. His hands and mouth didn't dare to stop, and he didn't dare to think about anything else.

They were afraid of letting slip how much they and Chen Ling had made in the city.

The two were newly rich from poor backgrounds, and being honest and hardworking, they found it difficult to calm down after making a little money.

So these past few days, when Chen Ling did any physical labor, there wasn't much help from his family. The only help he got was when Chen Xiaoer woke up from his nap in the afternoon and Wang Cunye helped him stretch the bag so he could put corn in.

There's no way around it; neither of them are good at farm work and can't help Chen Ling with the workload.

After a busy afternoon, Gao Xiulan cooked dumpling soup and steamed corn cakes for dinner.

The family really did eat simple meals.

Even while eating with pickled vegetables, Rui Rui still wouldn't eat properly. Wang Susu was still in her postpartum period and couldn't keep an eye on him. Plus, with Little Fatty and Little Chestnut around, there was never a moment when he would behave.

They finally calmed down, but then the chubby boy started acting silly, and the brat would burst out laughing even while drinking a sip of soup, and Little Chestnut would join in the laughter.

What a lovely young girl, and she's turned into this in just a few days.

Chen Ling had finished eating with his wife in the bedroom upstairs. When he came downstairs with his bowl and chopsticks, he saw this scene and smiled helplessly.

Wang Zhenzhen, on the other hand, was quiet, whispering to Qin Yueru that they wouldn't be going to hunt monkeys tomorrow, but instead would be digging mouse holes in the fields. Qin Yueru had done this the first time she came to the village, so it was the most memorable thing for her, and she was also very interested in it.

Wang Zhenzhen then told her that there was grain in the field mouse hole, which could be dug up to feed the chickens and ducks and the little birds she raised, or Chen Ling would release them for her.

Meanwhile, the two elderly women, Gao Xiulan and Liang Hongyu, were busy taking care of the three children, chasing after Rui Rui to feed him.

As for the father-in-law, he had already finished eating early. The puppies were going to be sold, but the old man couldn't bear to part with them, so he filled up the leftovers to feed them, squatting there and stroking them one by one.

Chen Ling put down his chopsticks, ignoring the noisy boy, and went upstairs to his desk in his bedroom to write letters to his pen pals. After finishing, he took out the reply from the International Livestock Magazine and read it repeatedly, carefully considering how to respond.

Kang Kang and Le Le haven't reached the point of being mischievous yet. Wang Susu leaned against the headboard, knitting new sweaters for this year—one for him, one for Rui Rui, and one for her parents.

Listening to the children shouting and laughing outside, he felt a sense of peace under the desk lamp. Unconsciously, a flash of inspiration struck him, and he slowly began to write.

(End of this chapter)