My 1995 Small Farm.

"Hey? Where did Big Tiger go?"

Rui Rui craned his neck to look around.

Chen Ling reined in his horse, and Lynx also stopped his motorcycle.

The lights immediately followed.

All I could see were Afu and Ashou, their heads bowed, carefully digging at something with their huge front paws around a small patch of flattened wheat seedlings.

"Huh? What did those two big guys find?"

Zhao Dahai noticed their unusual behavior and steadily fixed his mine lamp beam on that area.

Where the light focused, several round, spiky little creatures were clearly visible curled up at the base of the wheat seedlings.

They are a litter of baby hedgehogs that have just woken up from hibernation!
There were about four or five of them, none of them very big, probably offspring born last autumn.

Terrified by the bright light and the enormous tiger head, they huddled together, turning into several small, prickly balls, trembling slightly.

"It's a hedgehog!"

The lynx chuckled, “Spring has arrived, and there’s plenty of food in the fields. These things love to come out at night to find insects to eat.”

When Rui Rui saw the round, spiky little thing, he was extremely curious and struggled to dismount:

"Rui Rui wants it! Rui Rui wants to touch it!"

"no!"

Chen Ling hugged her son tightly, her tone becoming serious: "You can't touch this!"

"This hedgehog looks cute, but it's very dirty and hides a lot of parasites like ticks. If little kids touch it, they can easily get sick, and cats and dogs can easily get infected too. You can't play with this."

"Ouch?"

Afu seemed very interested in these "live spiky balls," stretching out his thick claws and gently touching them with his thick paw pads.

The hedgehog curled up even tighter.

Afu tilted his big head, his amber eyes full of confusion.

They seemed confused as to why this thing would shrink up as soon as it was touched, and why it was prickly.

It tentatively brought its nose closer to sniff, but was pricked by the thorns and sneezed, shaking its head in dissatisfaction.

His adorable appearance made Rui Rui giggle.

Ah Shou imitated his sister, poking at another hedgehog with his paws. He was pricked and withdrew his paws, letting out a pitiful "woo-woo" sound.

Chen Ling quickly scolded, "A-Fu! A-Shou! Go away, you can't play that!"

The two tigers, scolded by their owner, raised their heads somewhat aggrievedly and made a puzzled "woo-woo" sound in their throats.

They seemed not to understand why they couldn't play with this novel "toy".

He then scolded the tiger, "You two, don't you feel pain when your claws and tongues are pricked? You put everything in your mouths!"

He knew all too well that hedgehogs were sometimes a love-hate relationship for curious big cats, as a lick from one could be quite prickly.

But I couldn't resist the urge to rummage through it.

Rui Rui seemed to understand, but upon hearing the word "sick" and her father's serious tone, she obediently shrank back, though her eyes remained fixed on the trembling little hedgehogs.

"RuiRui won't touch it! The bug is bad!"

Chen Ling was relieved and then shouted at the two tigers, "Afu! Ashou! Didn't you hear me? Come here right now! You can't eat that thing, and don't play with it!"

Although Afu and Ashou were still a little reluctant to part with these troublesome new toys.

But upon hearing Chen Ling's order, it obediently stood up and slowly walked back to the horse's side.

Before leaving, Afu turned back to look at the spiky balls one last time, his huge tail sweeping down a small patch of wheat seedlings.

After this little incident, the hunt continued.

But Afu and Ashou had clearly found something more interesting than simply chasing rabbits and pheasants.

Explore the "microscopic world" in the wheat field.

These two big guys were completely aroused.

No longer content with following behind the group, they began to actively search for all sorts of strange little creatures in the wheat fields, relying on their keen sense of smell and hearing.

Before long, Ah Shou blocked a fat field mouse at the entrance of a field mouse hole.

Instead of swatting with its paws, it used its nose to nudge the terrified mouse around like a kitten playing with a ball of yarn, having a great time.

Afu, on the other hand, became very interested in a small rat snake that had just crawled out of its hole and was preparing to cool off.

It held the snake's tail down with its paw, watching the little snake thrash its body in panic, trying to escape. Then it released its paw, waited for the snake to crawl a little further, and then held it down again...

The cycle goes on and on, never getting tired of it.

The snake was startled and turned around to bite, but its resistance seemed futile in the face of the mountain-like beast.

Attracted by the sight, Ah Shou curiously poked at the still writhing snake's body with his paw, seemingly trying to figure out why the slender "rope" was still moving.

"Alright, Ah Shou, stop playing around, or you'll kill yourself. This snake eats mice, so it's a beneficial insect. Let it go."

Chen Ling shouted helplessly.

Ah Shou reluctantly released his grip, and the grass snake immediately scurried into the tall grass and disappeared.

After these repeated instances of "neglecting one's duties," Chen Ling finally understood.

It's really a waste of talent to have apex predators like Afu and Ashou participate in such a small hunt.

They are playful and their strong curiosity makes them more inclined to explore small animals that they find novel and interesting, rather than obediently cooperating with the hunt.

"Hey! These two good-for-nothings! They don't do anything useful, just grabbing at useless things!"

Zhao Dahai, holding his miner's lamp, watched the two tigers engrossed in "teasing the rat and playing with the snake," and couldn't help but laugh and cry.

"Rabbit! A rabbit ran past over there! You two, hurry up and catch it!"

The lynx chuckled, "Alright, we can't count on those two. We'll have to rely on Heiwa and Xiaojin!"

Heiwa and Xiaojin were indeed reliable; wherever the beam of light went, there was bound to be a victory.

The two worked together seamlessly, one driving away and the other blocking, with extremely high efficiency.

Soon, the game bag hanging beside the saddle became heavy.

Just as Chen Ling was figuring out that he had enough prey for tonight's midnight snack and was preparing to head home, Afu made a new discovery.

It used its claws to dig a hole at the edge of a wheat field with soft soil near an irrigation ditch.

With mud flying everywhere, it actually managed to pull out several round, hard objects from the shallow pit in no time.

When the light shone on them, they were revealed to be several palm-sized turtles with dark patterns on their shells!

Startled, the turtle immediately retracted its head, tail, and limbs into its shell, turning into several "stones".

"Wow! You can dig up a turtle in the ground?" Zhao Dahai exclaimed in surprise, his mouth agape.

Chen Ling rode closer and nudged them with his foot, only to be surprised to find that they were actually three or four tortoises the size of a palm.

Its shell was covered in mud, with an old-fashioned pattern, and it looked like a common local wheat field turtle.

It was probably active near this irrigation ditch last year, and hibernated in the winter by digging a hole nearby. I never expected that Afu would dig it out.

"Hey! These two are a real gem! They're wheat field turtles!"

Chen Ling laughed and bent down to pick one up.

Startled, the turtle slowly retracted its limbs and head into its shell, leaving only a cold, hard shell.

Seeing the turtle, Chen Ling suddenly remembered something:

"Oh right! Didn't I bury some turtles hibernating in that burrow in the backyard of our farm?"

"It's next to the tiger den where Ah Fu and Ah Shou used to live!"

"Shouldn't this weather be waking up by now?"

He turned to Rui Rui and asked, "Do you remember last winter, Dad buried all the turtles in the backyard into their burrows to hibernate?"

Rui Rui tilted his head and thought for a long time, then his eyes suddenly lit up: "In the hole where the big tiger lives!"

“That’s right! Rui Rui has such a good memory! It’s next to the earthen cave where Afu and the others used to live…”

Chen Ling smiled and rubbed his son's head: "I'll have Afu help dig him out tomorrow, he'll definitely be fully awake."

The moonlight was hazy, and the harvest was plentiful.

The wild rabbits and pheasants that Heiwa and Xiaojin brought back were already hanging in a string on the motorcycle.

Zhao Dahai counted his spoils, grinning from ear to ear: "Tonight was a real feast! Enough to eat for several days!" On the way back, the two tigers became even more active.

Afu would occasionally dart into the wheat field, and when he returned, he would bring back an unknown wildflower and place it in Rui Rui's hand.

Ah Shou then used his head to push Chen Ling's back, pushing him and leading the horse forward like a mischievous big cat.

Anyway, going out for a night hunt, whether it's a person, a dog, or a tiger, everyone is in a good mood and has a great time.

I slept very soundly when I got home that night.

……

The next day, the morning light shone through the window lattice, casting warm, dappled patterns into the room.

Kang Kang and Lele, these two little chubby babies, have grown a bit taller after the New Year.

Although it can't walk yet, its crawling ability is improving day by day, truly living up to the old saying "seven months to sit, eight months to crawl".

Wang Susu got up early and fed the two little ones first.

These two little ones have a great appetite these days. They can devour a bowl of egg yolk custard mixed with finely minced meat in no time.

Even after eating, she wouldn't stay still, kicking her little hands and feet wildly on the bed, making all sorts of incomprehensible syllables.

Its large, dark, grape-like eyes darted around, full of curiosity about everything.

"Oh dear, you two little devils, can you please calm down a bit?"

Wang Susu had just turned around to get a towel when she turned back and saw Kang Kang flip over, using both his hands and feet like a nimble little turtle.

He scrambled up to the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed) and peered down.

Seeing this, Lele was not to be outdone. She followed her brother's route, crawling along with great effort, her little bottom bobbing up and down, and her speed was surprisingly not slow.

"Oh no! You can't fall!"

Wang Susu was so frightened that her heart skipped a beat, and she quickly stepped forward and scooped them up with one in each hand.

"The edge of this kang (heated brick bed) is not as low as the bed in the city; you'd be in big trouble if you fell off!"

She had just gathered the two little ones back to the middle of the kang (a heated brick bed) when she looked up and saw Rui Rui clinging to the doorframe, peeking in furtively and giggling.
"Mom, my little brother and sister are like little puppies, they crawl very fast!"

"Get lost! You crawled faster than them when you were little, you're just a troublemaker."

Wang Susu laughed and scolded, but she was worried.

These two little ones are getting better and better at climbing; if you don't look after them for a moment, they'll slip away and run far away. They really can't be left alone for even a moment.

Spring has arrived, and there's a lot of small, tidy work to do at the farm.

Planting melons and beans, washing clothes and cooking—Chen Ling was too busy to manage everything.

It was quite a strain for her to look after three children all by herself.

Just then, a clear and melodious chirping sound came from outside the window.

Wang Susu looked up and saw a pair of swallows with glossy black feathers and pale yellow bellies that had flown back under the eaves of the living room at some unknown time.

They are busily carrying spring mud and grass stems to repair the half-old swallow's nest left over from last year.

"Oh! It's Little Swallow! The swallow is back!"

Rui Rui has sharp ears, and as soon as she heard the sound, she got excited. Forgetting about laughing at her younger siblings, she ran to the porch and looked up with her little head tilted back.

"Little Swallow! Come home!"

Kang Kang and Lele were also attracted by the clear birdsong. They stopped crawling, twisted their little necks and looked out the window, making "ah...ah..." sounds.

The little finger pointed towards the eaves, excitedly kicking its little legs.

Seeing the children's happy faces, Wang Susu's heart softened.

On a whim, she picked up Kang Kang and Le Le and carried them to the spacious cement floor of the living room, one on each side.

Then they brought out an old but clean thick cotton quilt from the inner room and laid it directly under the swallow's nest.

"Come on, Kang Kang, Lele, play here and watch the little swallows."

She placed the two babies on the mattress.

Sure enough, the two little ones' attention was completely drawn to the busy swallows overhead.

They lay on the bedding, their rosy little faces tilted up, their dark eyes fixed on the figures flying back and forth under the eaves, making "ee-ee-ooh" sounds.

Every now and then, she would excitedly clap her little hands, momentarily forgetting to crawl around everywhere.

Wang Susu breathed a sigh of relief, finally able to free her hands to clear the dishes.

Chen Ling had already washed and cleaned their bowls and chopsticks.

But with three kids who never eat on time, Chen Ling couldn't just wait around.

I went to the vegetable garden to plant vegetables early this morning.

A short while later, Chen Ling returned from his work outside and saw this scene as soon as he approached.

Swallows carry mud under the eaves, a child looks up from the mattress, and the wife is busy with something with a smile. Sunlight fills the main room, making it quiet and warm.

"Hey, that's a great idea!"

Chen Ling laughed and said, "Are the two little ones supervising Yanzi's work?"

"you do not say."

While mending Rui Rui's little shoes, Wang Susu said, "At least they can stay still for a while. I'm just worried that this mattress will hurt them if they lie on it for too long, and I'm also afraid that they'll get bored and start crawling around again."

Chen Ling stroked his chin and looked at it, then suddenly clapped his hands: "I have a way! You wait."

He turned and went to the storage room, rummaged around for a while, and actually dragged out several thick, military-green moisture-proof felt rolls.

He originally bought this to use as a tool shed, but he never used it all.

"Why are you doing this?" Wang Susu asked curiously.

"Cover the entire living room with this!"

As Chen Ling spoke, he moved the tables and chairs in the middle of the living room aside, and then neatly rolled up the moisture-proof felt and pieced it together.

Soon a large, soft, and flat area was laid out on the ground.

"This thing is thick and durable, more durable than a mattress, so the child can crawl around however they want, and it won't hurt if they fall."

"From now on, this will be our family's 'children's crawling area'!"

Chen Ling stood with his hands on his hips, looking rather smug.

Wang Susu stepped on it and found it to be both soft and firm. She exclaimed with delight, "That's a great idea! You're so quick-witted!"

"Not just that."

Chen Ling chuckled, walked to the door, and whistled loudly outside.

Soon, Heiwa and Xiaojin, two large figures, entered the house one after the other.

They seemed to understand their owner's intentions, and without being told, they consciously lay down on either side of the boundary line between the laid-out moisture-proof felt area and the doorway and inner room.

Two furry, warm "big guys" lay there, like two sturdy little mountains, perfectly surrounding the "crawling area".

“Look, a natural fence.”

Chen Ling pointed at the two dogs and laughed, "With these two blocking the door, these two little reptiles won't be able to cross the line."

"Hey, Xiao Jin, keep an eye on those two little guys. Don't let them climb out, but don't crush or bump them either, understand?"

Heiwa let out a low "woof" in response, and gently swept the ground with the tip of his tail.

Xiao Jin looked at the two little babies with her calm eyes, then slightly adjusted her prone position to ensure she could block all "breakout" routes.

Kang Kang and Lele were even more excited when they saw the big dog come in.

Lele even turned around and crawled towards Heiwa, grabbing Heiwa's thick, soft fur on his front leg with her little hand, giggling out loud.

Heiwa remained motionless, only lowering his head and gently touching Lele's forehead with his warm nose, which made the little guy laugh even more happily.

They are experienced in taking care of children.

They raised Rui Rui, that mischievous little brat, to adulthood.

The two little ones are no problem at all.

Moreover, compared to Rui Rui who is so noisy now, the two adults actually prefer to take care of the little one.

It's easier to manage a toddler who can't run away; just block the door.

Seeing this, Wang Susu felt completely relieved, and couldn't stop smiling: "That's great, now we can finally free up some hands to do something else..." (End of this chapter)