My 1995 Small Farm.

Chapter 649 Is the old turtle gone?

Chen Ling heard about the incident in Kinmen Village that afternoon.

By this time, he had already gone into the mountains.

I want to go back and explore those sinkholes deep in the Qinling Mountains one by one.

If possible, he also plans to detour to the miasma valley in the southwest in the next couple of days.

Look at that strange miasma valley, isn't it also a strange sinkhole?

Or it could be said to have been formed by the influence of a meteorite.

Not long after entering the mountains, they ran into the Chen Guoxing and Chen Guowang families, who were wandering around Beishan picking wild pears, and they started talking about Kinmen Village.

They said they went to the market in Changle Township in the morning, and when they came back, Jinmen Village was in chaos.

“We only had a wolf scare around here a few nights ago, and things have been pretty quiet since then. Uncle Lai Shun even suggested setting off lots of firecrackers before going to bed to scare them off, but it didn’t work.”

"Yeah, yeah, I never expected it would end up causing trouble in Kinmen Village. And this was in broad daylight, how terrifying."

The two old men told Chen Ling about the matter, and then they even started analyzing it themselves.

They say that some wild creatures used to run down the mountain in front of our village and sneak into the village at night, like wild boars and wolves, which were quite scary, but they've mostly disappeared recently.

They probably know Chen Ling's dog is very powerful, so they don't dare to come.

Chen Ling just smiled. There were many things in the mountains that he couldn't understand, but since the other person was praising his dog for being effective, he said a few more words.

Ask them about their recent harvest and how much money they made.

They also said that there are many hunters in Kinmen Village. Hunters often hunt, which can easily provoke wild animals in the mountains. There are quite a few jackals, wolves, tigers and leopards in the mountains this year, so it is easy to be retaliated against. If something happens, it will be a big deal. It is best not to pass through there after dark.

Then, he led Heiwa and the other two to continue their attack northward towards the Qinling Mountains.

Chen Ling's preparations for these recent trips into the mountains have all been the same old routine.

There are two bald men in the sky, and a black-haired boy named Xiao Jin on the ground; in their pockets or baskets are weasels...

Don't underestimate the weasel; it's small, but it has many uses and can be effective in many situations.

After going into the mountains many times.

The five weasels grew bolder and bolder.

The afternoon sky was clear and the sun was still warm. Three mischievous little weasels were watching the birds and squirrels jumping in the trees, and they were itching to pounce.

Its round eyes didn't blink, and it unconsciously licked its little tongue, looking just like a little glutton.

Chen Ling did not restrict their movements.

However, they have learned to be more cautious now.

They're not much different from Little Yellow and Little Fatty; they won't easily attack unless they're confident they can catch them.

We passed by a rocky beach.

As the stream flows, many white migratory birds stride along the ravines, foraging for small fish and shrimp in the water.

Now, all five weasels perked up.

He scurried down Chen Ling's trouser leg and quickly jumped into the lush grass.

Just as they were about to sneak up and hunt these large birds.

Suddenly, it got dark, and something was dropped down with a 'thud'.

The flock of large birds were startled and flew away.

Among the flock of large birds, there were a few rather peculiar birds mixed in. When they took off, the sound of their wings flapping was extremely piercing, like a whistle.

Hearing the commotion and noticing that the large birds had all taken flight, the weasels curiously climbed up the tall grass stalks, turning their little heads and looking around with keen interest to see what had happened.

"Hey, Baldy, where did you catch this little wild boar cub again?"

Chen Ling looked up and saw that it was Er Tu Zi who had dropped a small wild boar.

The wild boar is dead.

By this time, it was surrounded by a family of weasels with an insatiable curiosity, who looked it over from all angles.

Chen Ling walked over and picked up the little wild boar.

The little one is only the size of two palms.

"These wild boars are really getting more and more out of season. They dare to have such small piglets at this time of year. Aren't they afraid they won't survive the winter?"

Chen Ling muttered to himself.

His comment was purely based on inexperience.

In the past, when there were many hunters in the village, it was common to encounter wild boars with piglets in winter.

There was also heavy snow.

Will they not survive the winter?

That situation does not exist.

Of course, encountering a wild boar with piglets in the mountains is not like the kind that wanders around with piglets in spring and summer.

So, how is it?

The hunter went into the mountains and saw a strange snow-covered hill.

The person and the dog approached.

The snow-covered hill suddenly came to life, with large swaths of snow falling and a cloud of steam rising from the grassy hollow below, like steaming buns and then removing the steamer basket. This was the place where wild boars slept under the open sky.

Wild boars often hide their baby piglets under their bellies.

They warmed themselves under the wild boar.

Wild boar cubs are quite resilient; they can easily survive the winter by huddling together with adult wild boars for warmth.

Of course, Chen Ling hadn't gone into the mountains much during the previous two winters.

They're all setting traps and snares, setting two traps.

I eat less in winter.

It's easier to catch any prey when setting traps than at other times.

"Huh? It got bitten? Could it be like those pheasants, bitten and sucked blood?"

Chen Ling saw that apart from the marks left by Er Tuzi's eagle claws, the little wild boar's body was covered in marks.

There are also quite a few teeth marks.

But...

This tooth mark is different from those pheasants that are killed and then carelessly abandoned in the mountains.

The canines are not that deep.

"You rascal, you've stolen someone else's prey again, haven't you?"

Chen Ling watched as Er Tu Zi landed on a large rock in the rocky beach, strutting around with his wings on his back, looking like an old man, and said with a bit of speechlessness.

Many people don't know this.

Many birds of prey, such as eagles and falcons, are not as majestic and fierce as they appear.

Although they are also very proud, they are difficult to tame even if captured by humans.

But in their own environment, they are not so arrogant, nor so unwilling to bow down for a meager living.

in contrast.

They love to steal things.

Enjoy the pleasure of getting something for nothing.

Besides stealing, he also enjoys robbing.

Enjoy the thrill of being a bully.

That's how Er Tuzi is.

It was nurtured by the spiritual creatures of the cave and became incredibly powerful.

He often goes out looking for thrills.

From raiding beehives to stealing food from wild animals...

Recently, after following Chen Ling, we discovered the place with the large pond.

It has become even more outrageous.

Every now and then, they would pick up some carcasses of prey that had been mostly eaten.

Some of them even smelled bad.

It probably feels a great sense of accomplishment because it finds good things every time it goes out.

It's quite addictive.

However, Chen Ling was a little worried that it might develop a liking for eating carrion.

There's nothing wrong with poultry eating carrion.

But having gotten used to eating rotten flesh, they would still go to the doorstep of anyone who died.

That's really annoying.

Let's prevent it from happening in advance.

It fed most of the prey it had collected to the dogs.

The dog is fine, there's no problem.

Subsequently.

He confiscated the wild boar cubs that Er Tuzi had picked up.

These wild boar piglets have tender and fragrant meat with no strange taste whatsoever.

Chen Ling was planning to take it back and keep it for himself.

Whether it's roast suckling pig or stewed meat, it's absolutely delicious. So...

There's no place for Er Tuzi.

There wasn't even a chance for the weasel that was drooling with envy.

As for Heiwa and Xiaojin, they went out to patrol and scout the surrounding area without saying a word when Ertuzi threw the little wild boar down.

After returning from the patrol, it seems they made a discovery.

They then led Chen Ling in a different direction.

This time, the pond is located slightly to the west and south compared to the ponds in the Qinling Mountains.

After passing the rocky beach, we continued climbing the mountain and passing through the forest.

After walking a short distance, we came to a narrow valley.

A major battle is taking place at this time.

The beautiful scenery at the bottom of the valley, the shallow and clear water, has been turned into a mess.

"Good heavens, it turns out that the eldest brother and the second brother are fighting. No wonder there were such teeth marks on this little wild boar. It turns out that the wild monkey went berserk."

The sight in the valley surprised even Chen Ling when he first saw it.

It turned out to be a few wild boars with their young, surrounded by a large group of wild monkeys.

An angry wild monkey is no joke.

Moreover, the current formation is quite large, with many monkeys and a powerful presence.

I don't know if it was a group of monkeys that came together, or what.

In short, there were dozens of wild monkeys attacking several wild boars with their young.

They were all squealing and howling, some pouncing on the wild boar and biting, others scratching, their ferocity was frightening.

Some wild monkeys were thrown by wild boars, and many were injured, gored to death, or trampled to death.

"What an intense battle!"

Chen Ling glanced at the two dogs and the weasel holding their breath, then at the two bald men circling in the sky, eager to try their luck. He quickly took out his camera from the cave and prepared to take some exciting photos.

He wasn't interested in the fight between the monkeys and the wild boars, nor was he interested in finding out why they were fighting.

In fact, the wild monkeys have had a tough time living in the mountains over the past year.

After various ferocious wild beasts arrived one after another, their lives were not as carefree as in previous years.

Leopards bullied them, wolves bullied them, jackals bullied them, and black bears bullied them too.

Even the village children disliked them and went up the mountain to get slingshots to shoot them.

It's not surprising that they've gathered into such a large group.

They've probably had enough of fighting wild boars.

Chen Ling snapped a few photos, thinking, "It's better to be a forest ranger; you can encounter anything."

"That's right... I never thought these usually annoying monkeys would have such a miserable day..."

But then I think about the pregnant wolf I encountered on my first trip deep into the Qinling Mountains this year.

He suppressed his urge to intervene.

Instead, I'm starting to look forward to it: these wild monkeys are now being oppressed and starting to cluster together, what will happen next?
……

On a sunny afternoon, the sun was warm, the green wheat fields undulated, and cattle, sheep and pack animals grazed leisurely with their tails swishing.

The elderly, who are too old to go into the mountains to pick wild fruits, use sickles to harvest some wild sorghum on the slopes and along the ditches, intending to use the sorghum stalks to make cooking utensils or brooms.

Some people, taking advantage of the warm afternoon, gathered near Zhao Yubao's thatched huts, carrying a basket of cotton bolls, and sorted the cotton.

Selecting cotton is similar to selecting vegetables.

The cotton bolls that haven't fully grown and have revealed their cotton fibers are flattened with a hammer, and then the cotton fibers are removed by hand.

Picking each one individually, like sorting chili peppers, is very laborious and time-consuming.

Even hands that are rough and calloused from frequent farm work can sometimes become red and swollen after working for half a day.

On a sunny afternoon, some people were herding livestock, some were taking care of children, some were doing odd jobs, some were chatting, and some were playing chess or cards.

A harmonious scene.

There have been fewer visitors from outside the area in the last couple of days.

The Chen and Xiao Er families gradually integrated into the village.

Putting everything else aside, just delivering a few large meat buns to the neighbors is practically a guaranteed success.

In the countryside, people are most afraid of being told behind their backs that they are greedy for small gains and always like to take advantage of others.

Therefore, every give must have an equal return.

If they accept the big meat buns from Chen Xiaoer's family, then they'll definitely have something to eat or use delivered to their door without a doubt.

How can you not become familiar with each other after a few visits?

There's no need to say more about Wu Fei and his wife.

If you become a teacher at the village primary school, you'll quickly become familiar not only with the villagers but also with the parents of children from other villages.

Besides, the couple also have responsibilities. If it's windy or rainy and they can't go home, they stay with the students or take them home directly.

The village is usually very harmonious like this.

"Third Aunt, Aunt Xiuhua, didn't you go up the mountain today either? I came back from the market in the countryside and passed through Jinmen Village. I heard there was a wolf attack there. Two little children went missing, and half the village is searching for them all over the mountain."

This sounds a bit scary. Should we all stay away from the mountains tomorrow?

A young man from the village rode a bicycle carrying two large bamboo baskets, wobbling as he passed by on the path down the slope.

"We heard about this after lunch. Guoxing and Guowang also heard about it after returning from the market... How can we decide whether or not to go up the mountain?"

"They go to the mountains several times a day, how much money do they make? Do they really listen to us?"

Wang Lihui's mother, also known as his third aunt, said.

“Then I went to the brigade to find Uncle Wu, but Uncle Wu wasn’t there either. There was no one at the brigade, and the door was locked.”

"There's definitely no one here. As soon as Guoxing and Guowang returned to the village, your fifth uncle got the news and went to the county town to report without delay."

"Don't worry, your father and mother are fine in the mountains. Our village is different from other villages. The county allows our village to keep guns in the brigade's armory. Everyone who goes to the mountains is armed. Kinmen Village only suffered because they didn't have any guns."

"Oh, right, right. In our village, everyone can bring a gun when they go up the mountain, so they're not afraid of wolves."

So the more he spoke, the higher his voice became.

The more he talked, the more arrogant he became.

Our Chenwangzhuang village is just that special, that's why we receive so much care.

"However, speaking of which, the panic in Kinmen Village is really quite frightening. It scared me so much that I forgot about the fact that our village doesn't lack guns."

"Alright, if there's nothing else, I'll head back now."

"Let's go back. By the way, how much did you get for the two lambs?"

“Sigh, no, it’s so hard to sell. I only got less than eighty yuan for two lambs. I went there in the morning, and it wasn’t until late afternoon that they were sold. It’s really difficult… Next year I won’t raise sheep anymore. I’ll do what they do and learn from Fugui to raise a few cows.”

The young man was talking to the two old ladies when the men on the hillside in the distance heard the voices and called out a few times, asking a few questions.

Upon learning that sheep prices were not good this year, everyone sighed and lamented.

The mountains are full of grass, trees, and wild grass, more than you can eat, making sheep farming the perfect choice.

However, the prices of both pork and mutton have been low in the past two years.

Pigs are alright, but some outsiders come to the village and love to eat pork, chicken, duck, and goose.

Slaughtering a pig, which can only be eaten for a few days, can fetch a much higher price than the market value.

But as for mutton, not many people eat it anymore.

They can only sell them themselves at the market.

Therefore, every single one of these villagers is still very concerned about the price of sheep.

With sheep prices currently low, many are saying they'll raise cattle and pigs next year.

In addition, the season for breeding pigs will be approaching soon.

There's a lot to talk about.

Where to find good breeding pigs, where to find boars that are available for mating, and where the prices are cheap, etc.

Just as the discussion was in full swing, a piercing noise came from the brigade's loudspeaker, followed by Wang Laishun's familiar voice.

"Attention, attention, everyone! I just got back from the county, and I have something to tell you..."

After he finished shouting, the villagers were all shocked and their expressions changed.

Wang Laishun just announced two things over the loudspeaker.

One issue concerns Kinmen Village. We asked villagers who have relatives or acquaintances in Kinmen to help out. The county also sent people there, but ultimately, more people means more power.

Another thing is that the Jinshui River is rumored to be haunted by a water monster.

It capsized several of the gunmen's boats.

The gun gang, naturally, refers to the gangs of boats that hunt waterfowl and migratory birds.

Let's just leave the matter of Kinmen Village alone.

How could another water monster appear?

What exactly happened in the second half of the year?
How come something happened in the mountains and then in the water too?

Besides, that's the turtle king's territory in the water.

Could it be... that the Turtle King has stopped protecting them?
The villagers felt even more anxious than those in Kinmen Village when they thought about this possibility.

(End of this chapter)