My 1995 Small Farm.

"Come on, Dad, Mom, Big Brother, let's eat!"

Chen Ling placed a piece of the fattest meat with skin on each of the two elders.

Wang Cunye picked up a piece of meat, blew on it, and put it in his mouth.

The meat requires almost no chewing; with a gentle touch of the tongue, the collagen-rich skin and tender lean meat melt in the mouth.

The perfect blend of salty, sweet, slightly spicy, and rich soy sauce flavors creates an explosion of taste.

The old man squinted, savoring the taste carefully. After a long while, he swallowed and let out a long sigh: "Mmm! Delicious! Tender! Flavorful! Not a trace of gamey taste!"

"It has to be Lingzi's cooking skills. I've been craving this meat for so long, and I never expected that you could stew it so well in such a short time!"

Gao Xiulan nodded repeatedly as she ate, ignoring the fact that it was scalding hot: "Delicious! So fragrant! This stew is so good that even a toothless old lady could eat it!"

"If you want to cook something nice for the family during holidays, you'll have to let Lingzi do it."

Wang Zhenzhen and Rui Rui had already eaten their fill, their little hands gripping the meat and gnawing on it with great relish, their mouths covered in glistening sauce.

"Eat slowly, no one's going to take it from you two."

Wang Susu smiled and wiped their mouths with a handkerchief. She then picked up a piece of food with her chopsticks, put it in her mouth, and her eyes showed satisfaction.

The cooking and seasoning of this beef head meat are truly masterful; it's fatty yet not greasy, lean yet not dry, and incredibly fragrant.

Even Heiwa and Xiaojin got some boneless scraps of meat and broth to mix with their rice, which they ate with slurping noises and wagging their tails happily.

Ah Fu and Ah Shou lazily licked bones at people's feet.

The family enjoyed a hearty meal of beef head, filled with laughter and joy.

After finishing the meal and cleaning up the dishes, I drank some tea to aid digestion and then went to bed early.

……

As dawn broke, a thin mist, like gauze, gently enveloped the area around the farm.

In the orchard, a flock of magpies chattered and hopped around, pecking at the dew left over from last night and the early-rising insects.

Chen Ling got up early, and the aroma of millet porridge wafted from the kitchen. Wang Susu was busy preparing breakfast for the family.

He quickly finished washing up and brought out the old medicine box, which he had wiped clean, from the inner room.

"Going to the countryside so early?" Wang Susu asked softly as she came out carrying a plate of pickled vegetables.

"Yes, go as soon as possible and get the vaccine back. Spring prevention can't be delayed; the sooner it's done, the sooner we can have peace of mind."

Chen Ling opened the medicine box and checked it; it contained syringes, needles, sterile cotton, and a logbook—everything was there.

"If we don't go today, Old Ba will probably be getting impatient."

"Then drive carefully and have breakfast before you go."

"I won't eat. I'll just grab something quick in the village, better to go early than late."

Chen Ling closed the medicine box, walked to the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed), and looked at the three children sleeping soundly side by side.

Rui Rui lay sprawled out on his back, while Kang Kang and Le Le snuggled together like two little koalas.

A smile crept onto his lips as he gently touched each of their rosy cheeks before turning and leaving.

The morning air carries a refreshing coolness and the fragrance of grass and trees.

The little blue horse had already prepared its saddle, and upon seeing its master, it affectionately snorted.

Chen Ling mounted his horse, flicked the reins, and the light hoofbeats broke the tranquility of the village.

When I passed by the threshing ground, there were already quite a few villagers there.

Wang Laishun was directing several teenagers to clean up the area and bring over a few long tables and benches.

"Fugui, are you going to get your medicine so early?" Wang Laishun called out from afar.

"Fifth Uncle, you guys are here even earlier! You've already prepared the venue?" Chen Ling said with a smile, reining in his horse.

"Of course! Spring vaccination is a big deal. Our village has a lot of livestock now, and you're here to give our village free vaccinations, so we have to be even more attentive!"

"When you come back, I guarantee you'll have everything sorted out perfectly!"

"Alright! You guys go ahead and get started!"

Chen Ling nodded and rode his horse out of the village.

Along the way, he encountered many villagers carrying hoes, preparing to go to the fields, and they greeted him.

I knew he was going to vaccinate the village's poultry and livestock.

However, we still need to rush to the field to weed first.

When they arrived at the Changle Township Veterinary Station, Lao Ba was indeed already waiting for them.

Several labeled vaccine boxes were piled up in the yard.

"Oh, Fugui! We've been waiting for you!"

Old Ba, as if he had seen a savior, quickly came forward and said, "The vaccines are all here, for chicken plague, duck plague, swine fever, and foot-and-mouth disease for cattle and sheep. We've taken the amount you reported last time, with no less!"

Chen Ling jumped off his horse, opened the insulated box and carefully checked everything. The ice packs were frozen solid, and the vaccine vials were neatly arranged: "No problem, Brother Ba, thank you for your hard work."

"Hey, don't mention it, it's just running errands. Now it's up to you!"

Old Ba helped tie the insulated box to the pack rack behind the saddle. "I'm getting old. I'll be counting on you to help me out for the next couple of years. I also need to train my apprentices as soon as possible. I can't keep troubling you."

"Don't say that, it makes you sound too important."

Chen Ling smiled and patted the pack animal, "Then I'll head back first, the village is waiting for me."

"Go quickly! Just let me know if you need any help, and I'll be there anytime!"

By the time we got back to Chenwangzhuang, the sun was already high in the sky, and the threshing ground was even more lively than before.

Not only were there tables and chairs, but Wang Laishun had also brought over a loudspeaker, which he was testing: "Hello? Hello? Ahem, everyone, listen up! Bring your chickens, ducks, geese, pigs, cattle, and sheep to the threshing ground and line them up!"

"Fugui is going to get vaccinated, and the vaccination is free!"

Before and after the Lunar New Year, many villagers worked at Chen Ling's forest farm. Now, some villagers are still there, working there and receiving a salary from Chen Ling.

However, Chen Ling felt that he hadn't actually given much.

Let's waive the vaccine for the villagers then.

Wang Cunye and Gao Xiulan also arrived at the side of the field, bringing their children to join in the fun.

Wang Qingwen was helping to maintain order and was also discussing writing with Zhao Yubao.

He was thinking of writing some strange tales from the mountains, preferably suspenseful ones, and Zhao Yubao explained the techniques to him.

The two giant tigers, Afu and Ashou, were also there. Instead of lying in the corner, they were being "held hostage" by Rui Rui and Wang Zhenzhen, one on each side, and were squatting near the entrance of the arena.

The two tigers were clearly a little uncomfortable with the noisy scene, but they remained relatively quiet, only occasionally turning their huge heads and curiously observing the chaotic poultry and livestock around them with their amber eyes.

A very low, suppressed "groove" sound came from his throat.

Strangely enough, those usually "fighting chickens" and "fierce geese" became much more docile under the invisible aura of the two mountain kings.

Although they still chirp and hum, they are much less likely to cause a ruckus or run around wildly. Most of them tuck their necks in and look exceptionally "well-behaved".

"Having a tiger to keep things in check is really effective!" Wang Laishun boasted proudly into the loudspeaker, drawing laughter from the crowd.

Chen Ling was also amused. He quickly dismounted and asked Wang Lixian, Wang Jusheng, and the others who were waiting nearby to help unload the vaccine box.

After moving it to the long table that would temporarily serve as a workbench.

"Uncle Fugui, please catch my chickens first! I have a lot of chickens, and I'm afraid they'll get scrambled and hard to catch!" A boy carrying a huge chicken coop squeezed to the front.

"Go, go, Erdan, get in line! Can't you see everyone's waiting?" Wang Laishun waved his megaphone to maintain order.

"Let's begin!" Chen Ling washed his hands, put on gloves, and deftly opened the incubator.

The entire process—removing the vaccine vial, attaching the needle, and drawing the medication—is completed in one smooth motion.

The first one to come up was Wang Lixian's rooster, which was held firmly in Liu Ni'er's arms. "Uncle Fugui, hurry up and hit it, this rooster is heavy."

The rooster, usually so majestic, was unusually docile in Chen Ling's hands, only flapping its wings slightly.

Chen Ling accurately identified the location, quickly, precisely, and steadily inserted the needle, pushed in the medicine, and withdrew the needle—his movements were incredibly smooth.

"Okay, next one!"

"Hey! That was quick! Like you just got bitten by a mosquito!"

The onlookers praised it.

The line moved forward in an orderly fashion.

Every household carried chickens and ducks, led pigs and sheep, and some even led donkey foals, creating a lively and bustling scene.

The children treated this place like a party, running and playing among the crowd.

Wang Zhenzhen was like a queen of the kids as soon as she returned, leading a group of little ones. One moment they were curiously watching the injection, and the next they were running over to Afu and Ashou, trying to tease their huge paws with grass leaves.

Afu seemed more interested in some kind of movement in the wheat field next door.

Its enormous head turned towards the lush green wheat field, its nostrils flared, and suddenly it stood up, walking over with steady steps, and then...

Like a big cat that has discovered a new toy, it pounced into the soft wheat seedlings and rolled around contentedly!

Its thick, massive body crushed a small patch of wheat seedlings. It seemed to find it quite comfortable, rolling back and forth a couple more times and making a satisfied "snoring" sound.

Seeing this, Ah Shou also walked over and followed suit, lying down and rolling around.

The two mountain bandits had lost all their authority and looked more like two big cats intoxicated by catnip, which made everyone burst into laughter.

"These two big guys really know how to have fun!"

"The wheat seedlings are so soft, it feels so good to rub them against an itch!"

Chen Ling stole a glance during his busy schedule and was left speechless, not knowing whether to laugh or cry.

But as long as they don't scare the livestock, let them play if they want.

Just then, Afu seemed to have discovered something else on the edge of the field.

It carefully dug at a hole in the ground with its paws, sniffing it intently.

Soon, it pulled a frightened, thin, four-legged lizard out of the hole!
The lizard froze in fear, pretending to be dead. Afu curiously poked at it with the tip of his huge claw, watching it wriggle, and his playful side was aroused.

Ah Shou also came over and bent down to examine the new "toy".

However, they seemed to know that this thing was not edible, and were just playing around without harming it.

After playing for a while, the lizard took advantage of the moment and darted back into its hole, disappearing from sight.

Afu and Ashou didn't mind and started searching for new fun in the wheat field, such as chasing a butterfly or two flying low, or trying to hold down a jumping frog.

Their every move elicited gasps and laughter from the children, adding a lot of relaxation and fun to the busy vaccination site.

The injections went exceptionally smoothly.

Perhaps it was because of the tiger's presence, or perhaps it was because Chen Ling's methods were indeed superb and gentle.

The livestock are much more cooperative than in previous years.

Just before noon, when about half of the vaccine had been administered, several clear and melodious crane cries suddenly echoed from the horizon!
"Zee——"

Everyone looked up.

Against the azure sky, several elegant and slender white figures were arranged in a somewhat irregular "V" shape, approaching from afar.

It flew towards the lake in the mountains west of the village.

They have long necks, straight legs, and their wings flap gracefully, making them look like fairies in the sunlight.

"It's a red-crowned crane! The red-crowned cranes from last year have flown back!" Wang Zhenzhen, with her sharp eyes, was the first to jump up and shout.

"Oh dear! Really! They haven't forgotten about us!"

"Look! They're flying towards the lake in the mountains! Are they going to find that nest from last year?"

The villagers immediately became excited, pointing and gesturing, their faces beaming with joy and pride.

The return of the red-crowned cranes is seen by the villagers as an auspicious sign, proof of the goodness of this land!

Afu and Ashou, who were rolling around in the wheat field, also raised their heads and curiously watched the white shadows passing across the sky, letting out a low hum that was hard to understand.

At this moment, Professor Zhong, who had been quietly painting on the sidelines, put down his paintbrush, a look of rapture and satisfaction on his face.

On his canvas, he vividly captured not only Chen Ling's focused expression as he received the vaccine, the lively scene of villagers queuing up, the innocent and carefree play of children, but also the adorable sight of a tiger rolling around in the wheat field.

In the distant sky, several graceful red-crowned cranes were added.

"Excellent! Wonderful! Auspicious omens have returned, a fierce tiger guards the home, people and livestock are healthy, and all industries are thriving! This is truly an idyllic pastoral scene, a paradise on earth!"

Professor Zhong clapped his hands and sighed softly, extremely satisfied with this impromptu work.

Chen Ling also looked in the direction of the mountains where the red-crowned cranes had disappeared, but he knew in his heart that these red-crowned cranes had never actually left.

These large birds are more resistant to the cold than most people imagine.

Its cold resistance index is comparable to that of geese living in Siberia.

Not long after noon, the busy work on the threshing ground gradually came to an end.

After Chen Ling deftly administered the injection to the last bleating lamb, he put it down and immediately burrowed back under his mother's belly.

Chen Ling straightened up, gently patted his back, and let out a long sigh.

"All done! Everyone, get your livestock under control. They've just had their shots, so let them rest. The chickens just had their vaccinations, so don't startle them, or they might not get any orders!" he called out.

"Alright! Fugui, you've worked hard today!"

"Uncle Fugui, you've been busy for half a year and are about to go on a long trip again. Come to my house for a drink tonight, I bought a big pig's head!"

The villagers thanked them profusely, and led their unusually docile livestock away, chatting and laughing.

The field quickly emptied, leaving only some messy hoof prints and bits of grass.

Wang Lixian, Wang Jusheng, and several others helped move the tables and chairs back to the adjacent storeroom.

Wang Susu walked over and handed Chen Ling a damp towel: "Wipe yourself off, you're all sweaty. You must be exhausted."

"Not bad, it feels good to stretch my muscles." Chen Ling took the towel and wiped his face; the cool well water invigorated him.

Rui Rui ran over and hugged his leg.

"Dad! Let me play with that!"

He was referring to the vaccine injection.

Wang Zhenzhen had also been eyeing the vaccine for a long time.

"Brother-in-law, break the needle before giving it to him, then give me two, I want to play with them too!"

"This is for livestock, it's unhygienic. Go home and get a new one."

"Okay, let's try something new then."

"When I get back, I'll give Afu and Ashou injections too, hehe."

At this moment, Afu and Ashou strolled over, their huge bodies casting shadows.

They seemed to know their owner was done, and nuzzled Chen Ling with their big heads, making concerned "woofing" sounds in their throats.

Then the big head glanced at Wang Zhenzhen.

"Alright, alright, I know you're good, I won't give you shots."

Chen Ling chuckled and patted them. "Come on, let's go home! I'll treat you to an extra meal today!" (End of Chapter)