My 1995 Small Farm.

The sun rose higher and shone warmly into the farmyard.

I just had breakfast.

Chen Ling picked his teeth and slowly strolled to the edge of the orchard, near the earthen embankment close to the wheat field.

The commotion caused by Afu and Ashou raiding the rabbit burrow early in the morning was quite significant. Although he said it was nothing, he was still worried about the frightened and injured mother rabbit.

An old custom from the mountains is that you don't kill a mother animal with cubs. This is to ensure the survival of the animals in the mountains and to accumulate good karma.

The mother rabbit's hind leg was scratched by Afu's claws. Although it wasn't serious, it was startled and ran away. There was a risk of infection or being scared out of her wits.

Its remaining litter of baby rabbits are truly doomed.

Wild rabbits often have multiple litters to ensure the survival of their offspring.

It's like a sow giving birth.

Based on his intuition, Chen Ling felt that there were other little rabbits in the rabbit hole.

He crouched down and carefully examined the grass near where he had found the mother rabbit's limp marks that morning, and then found the rabbit hole that had been dug out.

Fresh paw prints and a few grayish-brown rabbit hairs were scattered around the entrance to the hole.

Chen Ling took out the fruits he had picked from the cave and threw them into the cave, along with some herbs that he needed.

The fruits from the grotto can soothe a frightened soul, and the herbs can prevent infection. Hopefully, the mother rabbit will smell the scent and return to find her kittens...

Or at least, to survive.

Just as I finished my work, I heard the sound of a motorcycle coming from afar.

Looking up, I saw Lynx riding his gleaming mountain bike, with several bags of milk powder hanging on the handlebars and a large bamboo basket strapped to the back seat.

The faint chirping of chicks came from the basket as it bumped along the village road.

With a screech, the motorcycle came to a stop on the slope.

Lynx braced himself with one foot, took off his goggles, and said with a mix of excitement and helplessness, "Fugui! You're really something, making such a commotion right in front of our house again!"

"I just came back from the county and heard from the matchmakers at the market that those cranes are back again, and they're even fighting with the geese? Ah Fu and Ah Shou even went down to raid the rabbit burrows?"

Chen Ling greeted him with a smile: "Your information network is quite impressive. How did it go? Did you manage to buy the baby formula?"

As she spoke, she helped him unload the bamboo basket.

The basket contained dozens of fluffy little chicks, yellow, black, and spotted, huddled together, chirping merrily.

"I bought it. Dujuan specifically asked for this brand, saying it's easy to digest and won't cause indigestion in the baby."

Lynx handed over the bag of milk powder, then lowered his voice and gestured toward the village entrance: "However, when I came back, I ran into a few unfamiliar faces at the village entrance. They were driving a Jeep with a Beijing license plate, dressed quite stylishly, like they were from the city."

"I was asking the Party Secretary and the others about something, and they were asking about... 'Over-the-Mountain Yellow'!"

Chen Ling raised an eyebrow: "Oh? Someone else has arrived? Who is they?"

He thought to himself, "This 'Over-the-Mountain Yellow' has spread far and wide; it has even attracted people from the capital."

Lynx curled his lip, a hint of disdain on his face: "Judging from their tone, they seem to be from some kind of 'wilderness adventure association' in Beijing, a bunch of young people. The one in charge is surnamed Hu, he wears glasses and speaks in a very formal, bookish way."

"But the look in his eyes is almost the same as when we were young. He thinks he's the most important person in the world and that he can do whatever he wants just by having a few good pieces of equipment."

"The gist of their words was that they wanted to find a guide to go into the mountains, saying they wanted to... 'scientific research' and 'record rare species'."

"Scientific expedition?"

Chen Ling scoffed, "I'm afraid they're using the guise of scientific expedition to go in looking for thrills, or maybe they just want to capture the Yellow Mountain Crocodile to show off?"

"If you really run into that guy, you won't even have time to cry."

He had personally witnessed the cunning and ferocity of the "Over-the-Mountain Yellow," and it was definitely not an ordinary wild beast.

After the lynx became a spirit.

Their intelligence and agility are such that even Ah Fu and Ah Shou would find it difficult to grasp them.

We can only wait for an opportunity.

Or wait for the right opportunity to make a move.

It's already 1998.

If there is a major flood in the summer, it might also be an opportunity.

Really, if there's no good way, we can only wait for a stroke of luck.

"Who says it isn't?"

Lynx chimed in, "At first, the Party Secretary tried to persuade us gently, saying that the mountains were not peaceful, that those things were very fierce, and even wolves were afraid of them."

"And guess what the leader said? He said they were well-equipped, with high-voltage stun guns and powerful tranquilizer guns they'd gotten from abroad!"

"Saying things like 'risks and opportunities coexist' and insisting on unveiling the mystery of 'Guoshanhuang'... tsk, it makes me want to laugh."

"They're even dumber than we were back then."

Chen Ling shook his head: "You can't stop someone who's courting death."

“Now that Afu and Ashou are in charge of our village, those ‘over-the-mountain yellow’ monsters don’t dare to come near the village.”

"But if they insist on venturing into the deep mountains and forests, that's their own fate."

He paused for a moment, then said to the mountain cat, "Go and tell the Party Secretary that I want to put up a sign in a prominent place at the entrance to the mountains, with the words 'There are wild beasts in the deep mountains, yellow tigers roam the mountains, danger do not enter' written in red paint, and the sign should be signed Chenwangzhuang Village Committee."

"Just make sure the message is clear, put up the sign clearly, and fulfill your obligation to remind people."

"If they still insist on going in, then let them go. We won't stop them, but we will absolutely not provide any assistance, nor will we send anyone to follow them."

"Whoever wants to go can go, but no one from our village is allowed to go!"

"Alright! I knew you'd say that!"

Lynx slapped his thigh. "I'll go tell the Party Secretary right now. Oh, and there's one more thing,"

He seemed to suddenly remember something, and a smile appeared on his face. "Guess what I saw by the river in the county?"

"What?"

"Big turtle! Turtle King!"

The lynx's eyes lit up. "It used to lie around at the reservoir at the village entrance all the time, and it was almost as big as a millstone!"

"It surfaced in the Nansha River in the south of the city; many people saw it! It was swimming slowly, and its shell was shiny and smooth!"

"I guess it's because the weather is warmer and the water level has risen, so it wandered back along the waterways!"

"I reckon it won't be long before we have to come back to the reservoir in our village!"

Upon hearing this, Chen Ling's face broke into a genuine smile: "Hey! These big guys have finally decided to come back!"

"Great! As soon as it comes back, it lies down in the reservoir, and our village will have 'land, water, and air' all ready!"

"Afu and Ashou guard the mountains, Heiwa and Xiaojin watch the house, Ertuzi guards the sky, and now we add the Turtle King to suppress the waters..."

"Good heavens, our Chenwangzhuang has truly become an impregnable fortress!"

This is indeed good news.

The slight irritation Chen Ling felt due to the Beijing expedition team was quickly dispelled by this good news.

"you do not say!"

The lynx chuckled, "I told Uncle Zhao as soon as I got back, and he was so happy he kept rubbing his hands together. He said he'd go to the reservoir tonight to set up a net and see if he could catch something good to welcome the turtle king back!"

After exchanging a few more jokes, Lynx rode his motorcycle to find Wang Laishun to convey Chen Ling's message.

Chen Ling watched the lynx's departing figure, then looked at the lush, undulating mountains in the distance, and gently shook his head.

Those young people from the capital may be full of enthusiasm and curiosity, but the dangers of the mountains and forests are far more complex than they imagine.

Those cunning creatures like the Yellow Crab aren't something you can deal with just a few tranquilizer guns.

Since they won't listen to advice, I can only wish them good luck.

He turned and went back into the house, where he placed the chicks that the lynx had brought back into the chicken coop that had been prepared.

Wang Susu and Gao Xiulan were feeding Kang Kang and Lele rice cereal, while Rui Rui and Wang Zhenzhen squatted by the bamboo basket, curiously poking the fluffy little chicks.

"Daddy, chicks! So many!" Rui Rui looked up.

"Yes, when they grow up, they can lay eggs for Rui Rui to eat." Chen Ling patted his son's head.

"Brother-in-law, are those people really going into the mountains to find the 'Mountain-Crossing Yellow' that has become a spirit?"

Wang Zhenzhen also raised her head, her little face showing some worry and fear. She had heard about mountain spirits and monsters since she was a child, and she was very afraid of them.

She had just vaguely overheard Chen Ling and the lynx's conversation.

"Yes, they want to go on an adventure." Chen Ling said calmly, "But the mountains are dangerous, we won't follow their example. Zhenzhen, take Rui Rui to play."

"We'll play with Liu Ni'er and the others for two or three days, then it'll be time for us to set off."

After sending the two children out to play, Chen Ling sat on the veranda, made a cup of tea, but his heart was not as calm as it appeared.

If those expeditions were to venture into the mountains and were to encounter a wild goose, the odds would be against them.

Although he didn't want to meddle, these were, after all, human lives at stake.

Going into the mountains from now on will bring bad luck.

"Sigh, I hope they'll back down."

He took a sip of tea, lost in thought.

However, things often don't go as planned.

Around three or four o'clock in the afternoon, Chen Ling was pruning fruit tree branches on the back slope of the farm with Heiwa and Xiaojin when he saw Wang Laishun running up the path, panting heavily.

"Fugui! Fugui! Something terrible has happened!" Wang Laishun shouted from afar.

"What's wrong, Fifth Uncle? Speak slowly." Chen Ling put down the scissors.

"Those...those spoiled brats from the capital! They...they really went into the mountains!"

Wang Laishun ran over, leaning on his knees and panting heavily.

"The sign was taken down, and we tried everything, from kind words to harsh ones. That bespectacled team leader, Hu, said something about 'scientific exploration is fearless of danger,' and even showed us their letter of introduction and insurance policy!"

"Carrying big bags and small packages, and even... a satellite phone! They headed straight for Xishanyu! We couldn't stop them!"

Chen Ling frowned: "How many people?"

"Five! Three men and two women, all quite young!"

Wang Laishun looked anxious. "Fugui, what do you think... should we organize a few people to follow them from a distance?"

"What if something happens? It's on our turf..."

Chen Ling shook his head resolutely: "No! Fifth Uncle, we absolutely cannot go with them! If we go with them, they will become even more emboldened and delve even deeper into the secrets!"

"Moreover, if we really encounter Huang Guoshan, it would be even more troublesome if our people were implicated!"

"Since they insist on taking this risk, they have to bear the consequences themselves."

"Immediately use the loudspeaker to announce again that no one in the village, regardless of age or gender, is allowed to go into the mountains!"

"Especially keep a close eye on the boys, especially those who are about to grow up!"

"Don't go, no matter how much money you offer..."

Seeing Chen Ling's resolute attitude and knowing the stakes involved, Wang Laishun sighed, "Well, that's all we can do."

"I'll go inform them right away! These brats really don't know their place!"

Watching Wang Laishun's hurried departure, Chen Ling remained calm.

He walked to the top of the slope and looked towards Xishanyu.

The mountains and forests were quiet as dusk began to fall, and a flock of crows flew across the sky, cawing as they returned to their nests.

The lynx had also come over at some point and stood beside him, whispering, "Fugui, you really don't care?"

"Those kids, I think they're in trouble."

"Going into Xishanyu, you'll reach Mopanshan. Beyond Mopanshan lies the Qinling Mountains, a region of deep valleys and dense forests, which is exactly where the yellow weasel likes to roam."

Chen Ling was silent for a moment, then slowly said, "How should we manage them? Knock them out and drag them back?"

"They had all the necessary paperwork, but they just had to court death."

Everyone must be responsible for their own choices.

"We have fulfilled our duty to remind you, and we have done everything we could."

"As for the consequences... let's see what fate has in store for them."

He paused, a cold smile curving his lips: "Besides, it's good to teach those 'Over-the-Mountain Yellows' a lesson."

"Let them know that real forests cannot be conquered by wearing a windbreaker and carrying advanced equipment."

"The tuition was a bit expensive, but it left a deep impression on me."

"Let's hope fewer people come and cause trouble for the village in the future."

Upon hearing this, Lynx paused for a moment, then shook his head helplessly: "That makes sense. Well, I'll go back to see the kids then. Sigh, I hope they're lucky to survive."

Night gradually enveloped the mountains and forests. Lights flickered sparsely in Chenwangzhuang, and the occasional bark of a dog could be heard.

Meanwhile, the distant Xishan Valley had long been swallowed up by deep darkness and unknown dangers.

The atmosphere at Chen Ling's dinner table was somewhat quiet.

Both Wang Susu and Gao Xiulan wore worried expressions, clearly having heard about the expedition team's entry into the mountains.

"Amitabha, please don't let anything happen. It's no good to offend Huang Guoshan," Gao Xiulan muttered.

"Mom, let's eat. There's no use in us worrying."

Wang Susu served the old lady some food, then looked at Chen Ling and said, "Ling, shall we go to the city the day after tomorrow? Everything is packed."

"Yes, I'll leave first thing the day after tomorrow."

Chen Ling shoveled rice into his mouth: "Parents, please take good care of things at home. Ah Fu and Ah Shou will stop causing trouble once they've eaten their fill, and Heiwa and Xiao Jin will take care of the house."

"If there's any emergency, ask Jusheng and the others for help."

"I know, you can go without worry."

Wang Cunye nodded, "We've got you covered at home."

That being said, the expedition's journey into the mountains was like a small stone that cast ripples on a calm lake.

Everyone knew that tonight would not be peaceful in the depths of the mountains.

Meanwhile, deep within the dense forest of Xishanyu.

The beams of light from a few headlamps flickered among the dark trees, barely illuminating the rugged, slippery path beneath our feet.

"Captain Hu, the compass seems a bit off! And the compass needle isn't working properly either!"

A young girl's voice trembled.

"Don't panic! It's probably just magnetic interference! Xiao Zhang, check the equipment, let's set up camp quickly!"

Team leader Hu tried to remain calm, but sweat beaded on his forehead.

He never imagined that the forest would become so terrifying once it got dark.

Strange noises came from all directions, and the path underfoot became increasingly difficult to discern.

"The compass is flying around erratically, I can't tell which way to go!" Xiao Zhang, who was in charge of the equipment, was almost in tears.

"Why does it get dark so early in these mountains? And why are there so many gullies and ridges? There isn't a single good spot to set up a tent."

"Crack!"

A sharp cracking sound suddenly came from the bushes nearby, as if something had snapped a dry branch.

"Ah!" another girl screamed in fright, grabbing the arm of the boy next to her tightly.

The five people froze on the spot, their scalps tingling, their hearts pounding wildly, and their headlamp beams frantically scanning the direction from which the sound came.

In the darkness, two small, eerie green lights appeared, flashing and disappearing in an instant.

A faint, fishy smell drifted in on the wind.

"What...what is it?"

Team Leader Hu's voice also changed tone.

No one answered.

Fear, like cold vines, instantly tightened around everyone's heart.

Only now did they truly realize the terror hidden within this seemingly tranquil mountain forest.

The advanced equipment brought from the city seemed so pale and powerless in the face of absolute wildness and the unknown.

Regret surged into my heart like a tidal wave.

But now, it's too late to say anything. (End of Chapter)