My 1995 Small Farm.

Chapter 180 Departure
With nothing much to do after dinner, Wang Laishun stayed for quite a while longer.

He drank tea with Chen Ling and played several games of chess before leaving.

The next day, Chen Ling poured out two bowls of the wild wine and kiwi wine he had brewed and tasted them.

As expected, the wild wines tasted two levels better than in previous years.

The kiwi wine with added sugar did not disappoint him either.

It has a sweet and sour taste, a strong aftertaste, and is quite enjoyable to drink.

As for the two jars of wine brewed simply with sugar foam in the cave, that was a bit unexpected.

He only poured out a small portion of the teacup.

It's about three ounces.

Goodness, this wine not only tastes great, but it's also surprisingly strong.

With Chen Ling's current physical condition, he wouldn't feel anything from ordinary alcohol.

But he actually got drunk after drinking the wine.

He was completely drunk.

I drank alcohol in the afternoon and slept straight until the next morning.

Not only did it not have any hangover-like side effects, but it also resembled a majestic eagle spreading its wings.

It has such a strange effect.

Surprisingly.

"I don't know if it was influenced by the cave or the effects of the strange wild fruit, the sugar bubble."

Chen Ling muttered to himself, then diluted some water with water and fed a small amount to the rabbit as an experiment.

I went to check on the rabbit burrow again after the night had passed.

Good heavens! The wild rabbits, which usually stop breeding after winter, have started mating excitedly in twos and threes again.

Chen Ling was dumbfounded: "Wow, this wine really does have aphrodisiac effects, and it can be used on both humans and animals, this is amazing..."

Then I thought about it.

Isn't it?

This wine is so effective; if we add some herbs to create a herbal flavor, it could easily be sold as a medicinal aphrodisiac.

Sun and Moon Grotto is truly amazing.

Instead of aiming to make money, they unknowingly created another project that allows them to make money while lying down.

However, none of this is urgent.

We'll talk about everything once the farm is built. Brewing wine and making tobacco are just things we do in our spare time besides raising livestock. We'll do half for ourselves and half for sale. We'll just live however we feel comfortable.

Speaking of brewing and tobacco making, the wild tobacco leaves that Chen Ling had picked in the mountains had already been dried.

They were both cultivated in the same cave.

However, compared to alcohol, this tobacco is rather lackluster.

Actually, wild tobacco leaves grow quite well.

After it's dried, the cigarettes won't be smokeable by most people.

It was so stimulating that even Chen Ling felt dizzy after smoking it, let alone ordinary people.

He guessed that the tobacco leaves were growing in the wrong direction, and he would need to explore further and cultivate them properly.

Time flew by, and finally, the first day of October arrived.

We need to visit my father's grave.

Chen Ling prepared incense, candles, and paper money a few days in advance.

My father loved to eat eggs, but back then eggs were precious and could be used as hard currency.

The old man was used to being frugal his whole life, and he would never dare to eat out on ordinary days.

Even when delivering messages deep in the mountains, he would only carry two or three with him.

Otherwise, if you only eat steamed buns and pickled vegetables, you won't have enough energy, and you'll be doomed if you encounter wolves or wild animals on the road.

These eggs are also for maintaining physical strength.

So before visiting the grave this time, he also boiled a lot of chicken and duck eggs.

Chen Juncai's grave is on the mountain.

She was buried in the same place as Chen Ling's grandparents.

As for the graveyard near Chen Ling's orchard, it's an old graveyard from who knows how many years ago.

Back then, the village was small and had few people, so people buried themselves at the foot of the mountain because it was close by.

Later, the old grave became too small, so a new grave needed to be built.

However, arable land in mountainous areas is precious.

By then, no one was willing to place their burial plots on their own farmland.

Therefore, the graves of the Chen and Wang families in the village are now located on the mountain.

Only a few families with different surnames would discuss and set aside a space for the burial, or simply bury the child in their own land.

On the first day of the tenth lunar month, Chen Ling and his wife went up the mountain early in the morning with baskets. They had prepared chickens, ducks, eggs, firecrackers, incense, candles, and paper money. When they arrived at Chen Juncai's grave on the mountain, they placed the offerings, lit incense and candles, burned paper money, and chanted some prayers to announce the good news. Then they added two shovels of soil, set off firecrackers, and then pulled Wang Susu to kneel in front of the grave and kowtow several times.

But it's not over.

After taking Wang Susu home, Chen Ling herded sheep for a while, and in the afternoon he dug up a half-grown cypress tree and planted it next to his father's grave.

It was his aunt who planted it last year, so naturally it should be his turn to plant it this year.

After planting the trees, his two-year mourning period was over.

Otherwise, not only can you not visit relatives, but you also can't hang red couplets and lanterns during the Spring Festival.

"What kind of wild child is this, messing around on the grave?"

Just as Chen Ling was about to pack his things and leave, an old voice came from the woods opposite.

Turning around, Chen Ling knew who it was. Feeling slightly helpless, he went up to the old man who was walking towards him with a whip and said, "Fourth Grandfather, why are you up the mountain again? Didn't I tell you that there are many wolves on the mountain? Don't go here alone."

This old man was none other than Fourth Grandfather Chen Gannian.

His dark red, gaunt face was marked with frightening scars on both sides, intertwined with wrinkles. His bald head, with only sparse white hair remaining at his temples, made the old man look full of sorrow.

"Where are the wolves? Whose child are you, spouting nonsense?"

Chen Gannian's eyes widened, and perhaps because he spoke a little too loudly, he started coughing violently.

"Fourth Grandfather, I am Fugui, from Chen Juncai's family..."

As Chen Ling answered, she quickly stepped forward to support him and pulled him down the mountain.

Grandfather Chen Ganqian was so angered by his second son's family a few years ago that he developed mental problems.

My mind has become muddled these past two years.

Just a few days ago, when his great-grandmother passed away, he was lucid for a while and sat in front of her grave for half a day. When his family came looking for him, it was already dusk. Fearing that he would run up the mountain again, they scared him by saying that there were wolves on the mountain.

The old man was almost carried away and eaten by wolves when he was a child, and he has been afraid of them for most of his life ever since.

Although I was confused, I was still afraid, so I dared not go this way again.

I didn't expect them to come over again today.

I guess my mind cleared up for a while.

“Juncai? Juncai from Sixth Brother’s family…” The old man didn’t react much when he heard Chen Ling’s nickname, but when he heard Chen Ling’s father’s name, he immediately put down the whip in his hand and stared at him blankly for a while.

Then, beaming, he slapped his thigh and said, "It's Jun Cai! I haven't seen you for days. You've gotten so much whiter. I almost didn't recognize you!"

"Let's go, let's go. There's going to be a temple fair in the county town. Let's go listen to the opera."

Okay, he's confused again.

But it's good that the old man is willing to come down the mountain; otherwise, Chen Yongsheng and his wife would have to search the whole village again.

“Jun Cai, don’t always argue with your wife. The child is growing up and becoming more sensible. It’s not good for the child to see you two arguing.”

Fourth Grandfather patted Chen Ling's arm and earnestly advised him.

"Okay, I won't argue anymore. We men don't stoop to our wives' level."

Chen Ling nodded with a smile.

When he was a child, his parents argued every few days because of their different ideas, which had a very negative impact on him.

Fortunately, my father never laid a hand on me. On the contrary, my mother had a terrible temper. If she angered her, she would either throw things or scratch my father's face, making it impossible for him to go out in public. Looking back now, I don't feel much emotional turmoil.

Moreover, these are probably all I remember about my mother.

After all, it was a childhood memory, and now even my mother's appearance is blurry. I can only recall a rough outline from photos of her when she was young.

“That’s right. Look at your fourth aunt. Whenever she wants to argue, I just ignore her and turn around and leave. No matter what she does, she can’t start an argument.”

In the end, Fourth Grandfather burst into laughter, looking rather smug.

"Huh? Is this your dog? I've never seen it before."

At this moment, Heiwa and Xiaojin ran over from the distant fields and frolicked around in front of Chen Ling, making Fourth Grandfather look on with curiosity.

Chen Ling didn't say anything else, but followed up on the topic, saying, "I picked it up on the way when I was delivering the letter."

Fourth Grandfather frowned in surprise: "Found it on the way to deliver the letter?"

"correct."

"This dog is so big, can it be tamed if I bring it home? I don't want it to hurt the kids in the house."

Chen Ling then spouted nonsense again, trying to bluff his way out of it.

After passing the land temple and reaching the vicinity of the threshing ground, Chen Ling pointed to the village entrance to the north and asked, "Fourth Grandfather, where is this? Do you remember?"

The old man immediately bristled and glared, "You little rascal, you're making fun of your fourth uncle again..."

"Chase the child, chase the child, hurry up and chase that big bad wolf who stole the child."

"Gan Nian Gan Nian, the name my mother gave me is meant to 'hurry up and chase away the wolves.' Even if someone else takes over this place and builds a house there, I will never forget it for the rest of my life."

Listening to his great-uncle's rambling, Chen Ling wasn't impatient. After leading the old man into the village, he took him to Chen Yongsheng's house.

"Fourth Grandfather, it's getting late, let's go home for dinner."

"What fourth grandfather? Jun Cai, you're confused. You've got the generations all mixed up. It's fourth uncle, not fourth grandfather. You've been calling me fourth grandfather the whole time..."

The old man was still rambling on as he stood at his doorstep.

The couple, Chen Yongsheng and his wife, who had just come out, were also a little confused. They asked Chen Ling in a low voice, "What's wrong now?"

"I went to pay respects at my great-grandfather's grave today and ran into my fourth great-uncle on the mountain..."

I've given you a brief overview.

Chen Yongsheng then had Wang Xiuhua take his fourth grandfather home.

After exchanging a few words with Chen Ling outside the door, Chen Yongsheng suddenly looked at the sheep pen outside the yard and was stunned. He hurriedly ran back and asked, "Da, where did the sheep go? Where did you drive them?"

"Sheep? They're all gone. The wolves ate them all too."

"Oh dear! You should go find him quickly. You can ask Da, but he's in such a state, how can he possibly explain it?"

Wang Xiuhua stamped her feet in frustration.

Hearing that his fourth grandfather was confused again, Chen Ling shook his head and took the dog home.

……

A few days after visiting their father's grave, Chen Ling and Wang Susu tidied up the house.

She then began preparing the things she would bring when she went back to her parents' home.

That day at noon, Liang Hongyu's family picked Wang Zhenzhen up from school.

I stayed and had a meal.

After all, two or three days wouldn't be enough for Chen Ling to accompany Wang Susu home this time.

So we left the key with the two elderly people.

We asked them to come over every day when they had some free time to add water and feed our poultry and livestock.

“Fugui, you’ve raised this little wild boar quite well. It hasn’t been that long, has it? I remember when I came here a few days ago, it was only the size of my palm, and now it’s this big.”

After finishing their meal, the elderly couple stood in front of the pigpen, gazing at the five wild boar pups inside, and exclaimed in admiration.

The wild boar piglets that used to be there have now grown to the size of mongrel dogs. Chen Ling and Wang Susu don't usually let them out easily. Fortunately, they are fed well and are all plump. Their fur has also grown much longer than before, making them look fluffy. And since it's not time for them to molt yet, their black and yellow stripes are still beautiful.

Now, whenever it sees someone, it hums and barks, tilts its head back, walks up to them, and sniffs, begging for food.

"When we were little, we grew up very fast, and we looked different every two or three days."

Liang Hongyu said, then reached out and patted the little wild boar's nose, turning around and saying, "Fugui, are you taking a few pigs over to your mother-in-law? Susu hasn't been back for two years..."

At this moment, Chen Ling took out a large steelyard scale from the woodshed and said, "Let's weigh it first."

"Zhenzhen, Little Chestnut, come here, let's weigh you two to see if you've grown yet."

Two little girls were drinking yogurt while playing with some civets in the kitchen, getting their mouths and faces covered in it. Hearing this, they ran over giggling.

Wang Zhenzhen was very familiar with this, and took the lead in grabbing the hook and rope loop at the front of the pole. Then Chen Ling lifted it up and slid it around, checking the markings on the scale.

After taking a look, Chen Ling put down the steelyard and laughed, "It's really good. You've even gained some weight at home. You're 58 pounds now."

"Hehe, you and your sister are making delicious food every day, how can you not get fat? If we stay any longer, I'm really going to eat my way into a little pig."

Wang Zhenzhen rolled up her sleeves and showed them to Chen Ling and Liang Hongyu with a grin. Her arms, which used to be thin and small, were now starting to get fleshy.

"Good girl, go back and stay for a while. Remember to come back. You'll still be studying in the county town. Come to your aunt's house for lunch at noon. Your aunt will cook something delicious for you."

Liang Hongyu patted the little girl's head, showing her great affection.

"Okay, I'll definitely come back to school."

Wang Zhenzhen nodded, then pulled Xiao Lizi, who was hiding behind her, to the front: "Don't hide, you're even thinner than I was before, come and weigh yourself."

"I'm not thin. I just ate a lot of meat, and I also drank a lot of the yogurt that my uncle made."

Little Chestnut blinked and tilted her head back as she spoke.

Then she glanced cautiously at Chen Ling: "I, Uncle, I'm afraid of this hook."

"It's okay, hold on tight, Uncle won't hurt you."

Chen Ling handed over the front end of the steelyard balance: "Feel it, is it prickly?"

Liang Hongyu and the other woman said they were fine.

The little girl then reached out with some skepticism and let Chen Ling weigh her.

"Wow, Little Chestnut, you only weigh 30 pounds, that's too light. No wonder I can lift you up with one hand."

Wang Zhenzhen glanced at the stars on the steelyard balance and couldn't help but start laughing.

"Little Chestnut has gained five pounds! Sigh, this child used to be such a picky eater, she never ate properly..."

Liang Hongyu and the other two said from the side.

When Little Chestnut saw that her grandparents were talking about her, she immediately pouted sadly and almost burst into tears.

"Little Chestnut is still young. When she's Zhenzhen's age, she'll definitely be just as good as her."

Seeing this, Chen Ling smiled and then called out, "Alright, let's weigh the little wild boar and see how much it weighs now."

"I'll weigh it. You two watch carefully and help me write it down."

Upon hearing this, the two little girls immediately perked up and ran to the pigsty.

I picked out two of the larger wild boars and weighed them.

They all weigh around 40-50 pounds. They've grown to this size in just over two months, which is fairly average.

"Uncle, are you going to sell the little wild boar?"

"I'm not selling them. Your uncle is taking them with him to live in your aunt's hometown."

In front of such an innocent and delicate little girl, Chen Ling dared not say that he had killed her for food.

"Is it in the mountains? Then Uncle, you must build them stone houses, not thatched houses, otherwise they will be eaten by wolves..."

"Goodness, the story I told you is coming in handy now. Okay, I'll build them stone houses later."

The little girl then stretched out her delicate white hands and touched the two baby wild boars with satisfaction.

Chen Ling watched from the side, thinking to himself that such a big wild boar must taste quite good. He would roast it when he got back home, otherwise the taste would get worse and worse.

The tenth day of the tenth lunar month.

Early in the morning, Chen Ling and his wife packed their clothes, put a few chickens and ducks into snakeskin bags, put two wild boars into snakeskin bags and tied them up, and the rest were miscellaneous items such as jars of fruit wine, not too much, not too little.

The oxcart was packed full, and with Wang Zhenzhen inside, the three of them fit perfectly.

So after breakfast, the two adults and the child happily set off in the oxcart, calling their two dogs along with them.

(End of this chapter)