My 1995 Small Farm.

Chapter 344 A Pen Pal Arrives
In early spring, the wind is strong, and the wheat fields are not wet and soft after the snow melts; they dry out after a few windy, sunny days.

This little kid who often comes to the wheat field to fly kites knows best.

Chen Ling drove his motorcycle, with a bunch of barking, running paws around, over the hill, headlights on, and into the wheat field below, continuing his search for prey.

The puppies became very excited after catching a rabbit all by themselves.

Often, as soon as the bright headlights on Chen Ling's motorcycle shone on the rabbits, they would all rush over at lightning speed.

They followed closely behind the motorcycle, alertly looking around for any trace of the wild rabbits in the headlights.

Unfortunately, it still can't bring the rabbit back; it eats it on the spot as soon as it catches it. It needs more training.

Taking advantage of the last days of the Lunar New Year, Chen Ling would drive a tractor with a load of dogs during the day and ride a motorcycle with the puppies to hunt everywhere at night.

Not only around Chenwangzhuang, but also other places. Sometimes I bring my wife and children, sometimes I go alone. Now that we have a tractor and a motorcycle, it's no problem to go far away. It's very convenient.

During the day, I drive a tractor to Yaba Lake, to the forest farm near Geda Terrace, and also to Tubao Ridge near Huangni Town, Han Chuangjia.

After spotting prey, the puppies jumped off the tractor and chased after it. Once they caught the prey and brought it back, Chen Ling would reward them by opening the side panel of the tractor bed and letting them jump back up to continue searching.

After Heiwa taught them two or three times, they already knew to fetch things back.

It's a big step forward that they no longer eat everything they catch.

And he didn't make a sound the whole time.

We haven't taught them to specifically hunt in Nassau; the best thing is for them not to make noise.

……

The first month of the lunar calendar was spent eating, drinking, and having fun.

After entering the second month of the lunar calendar, Chen Ling originally planned to go to the market and buy some livestock.

As a result, one thing after another followed.

First, Chen Sangui finished making the medicine cabinet and painted it, so it was ready to use.

On the first day of the second lunar month, Chen Ling rode his motorcycle to pick up Wang Zhenzhen and bring her back to school.

The next day, he and Wang Susu opened a pharmacy in the village.

The couple had dried a lot of the herbs they always kept at home last autumn, and then sorted them into different small drawers.

This small rural medicine shop has now opened for business.

Chen Ling didn't invite any relatives or friends this time, and Wang Susu began the life she had always dreamed of in a quiet and peaceful way.

Although she wasn't as well-known as Chen Ling, thanks to Zhong Xiaoyun and Qin Qiumei's constant introductions, many of their friends, elders, and relatives in the county town came to visit in the past two years. People in the mountains are very receptive to traditional Chinese medicine, and it's also inexpensive. After taking it a few times and finding it effective, they would naturally come over for minor illnesses.

In particular, Zhong Xiaoyun brought two middle-aged female teachers from her school last year. In addition to treating some gynecological diseases, they also asked for some folk remedies to help their husbands quit smoking.

As a result, his more than 30-year-old heavy smoker was cured.

My lungs felt much better.

So, after February this year, the pharmacy started getting customers very quickly, even though it had only been open for a few days.

Although there weren't many people, and the people who came to get medicine a couple of days ago were brought by Zhong Xiaoyun and her partner, this already gave Wang Susu a lot of encouragement.

Every day is just like going to work. After eating, she carries her baby from the farm to the village, sits behind the "desk" that Chen Ling set up for her, writes prescriptions, and flips through various medical books.

Sometimes, even if there aren't a single patient all day, she doesn't feel bored. She reads books with Chen Ling, takes care of the baby, and dries some herbs in the yard.

Chen Ling stayed with her, tinkering with the ornamental fish at home and on the farm. Sometimes they would read books about what kind of fish were considered good ornamental fish and had higher value, and they would also think about how to breed them.

This is his serious business.

It's really like playing, but it's also learning through play.

Besides picking up and dropping off Wang Zhenzhen every day, he would take his dogs to run around in the fields chasing chickens and rabbits in his spare time.

Or you could write a few letters to your pen pals from home.

During holidays and festivals, we never stopped exchanging greetings. When buying New Year's goods before the holiday, I even went to the post office to send packages of local specialties.

The young couple each have their own hobbies, and they both enjoy them.

The weather is getting warmer day by day.

Pheasant and ducklings that hatched last autumn are also gradually growing on the farm.

This was caught by Wang Zhenzhen and the village children.

I first found one nest while weeding at school, and later I found several more nests in the reed beds and grass near the farm.

Nobody in the village wants them, and they can't survive in the fall either.

They left it on the farm to be taken care of by the chickens and ducks.

When feeding them in the morning, Chen Ling and his companion noticed that these little creatures had started to shed their fur after a winter.

The pheasant's feathers became increasingly vibrant, and its tail and comb gradually took shape.

The wild ducks, on the other hand, turned black, green, and brown, and looked much prettier than the village ducks.

Such a change means that egg production is not far off.

The eggs from our own wild chickens and ducks don't have a strong fishy smell. They're delicious when stir-fried with scallions or duck eggs with garlic sprouts.

These guys eat too much. When they're not full, they like to squawk and squawk. Chickens and ducks are like that, and so are geese.

Over time, even after they've eaten their fill, they keep making noise.

Annoyed by their squawking, Chen Ling opened the chicken coop and duck pen and had Heiwa chase them all out. The Awakening of Insects had passed, and the weather was warming up, so they could go out and find food on their own.

On the mountain, you can roam freely in the orchards, going wherever you want.

Once the door is opened, the chickens don't need to be driven; they head straight up the mountain.

Whether they were domestic or wild, the ducks huddled together, shaking their heads in unison. If Heiwa drove them to the left, they would quack and walk to the left; if he drove them to the right, they would walk to the right. They hadn't been let out all winter and seemed to have gone mad.

It wasn't until it reached the ditch that it flapped its wings and jumped into the water with a splash, swimming around while squawking.

Several geese stretched their necks and calmly strolled around the woods. Chen Ling and Wang Susu didn't pay much attention to them, just looked after them with the child for a while, left the two dogs to watch over them, and then went about their own business.

……

The sun was shining brightly in the morning.

A family of three was enthusiastically brushing the hair of their white calf in the village courtyard. Rui Rui, that rascal, loved doing this kind of work the most. He grinned, showing off his neat, white little teeth, and laughed non-stop.

Until Han Chuang brought Jiang Xiaoqing over.

Jiang Xiaoqing is pregnant this year and came to Wang Susu to ask for advice on pregnancy care.

Wang Susu gave birth smoothly and easily, and recovered well after childbirth. In particular, she had no stretch marks at all, and her skin was even better than before pregnancy.

What young woman who is about to become a mother wouldn't be envious?

The two of them came two or three times during the first month of the lunar calendar, and continued to come every few days into the second month.

After getting a motorcycle, Chen Ling often took his dog to Huangni Town to visit Han Chuang.

Sometimes he would bring Wang Susu and the children along.

Jiang Xiaoqing has been focusing on her pregnancy this year and has been staying home.

The two families interacted very frequently.

However, after Wang Susu's pharmacy opened, the two of them frequently came here.

Every time she came, Jiang Xiaoqing and Wang Susu would stay at home.

Chen Ling then took Han Chuang, and the two of them led a pack of dogs running wildly all over the mountains and fields.

After running around a few times, Han Chuang said that this was much more fun and exciting than the game.

Chen Ling was very happy to see the two of them come over today. He called Han Chuang and headed outside: "We're not going to the mountains today. The bamboo shoots outside my farm have sprouted. We'll dig some up today and use them to stir-fry meat and have some wine with lunch."

Han Chuang was still confused. He scratched his head and said, "There are lots of bamboo shoots on the mountain. Is there enough bamboo shoots from that little grove outside the farm?"

"That's enough. Go and see for yourself, there are so many popping up."

Chen Ling happily led him out of the village. The small bamboo grove facing the farm gate, though planted just the winter before last and only a year old, was lush and green thanks to the excellent water source it received every day. In this early spring, the bamboo shoots were growing quite well.

When Han Chuang followed, he was surprised to find so many bamboo shoots growing so well.

They also asked Chen Ling what was going on, saying that their family had also planted bamboo two years ago, but it clearly didn't grow as well as this place, let alone sprouting bamboo shoots now.

"Hey, you don't know, this is still the aftermath of that flood."

Chen Ling said, half-jokingly, "The soil is very fertile after the flood. The soil is very robust. Last year's wheat and corn harvests almost doubled compared to previous years. It's terrifying."

The claim of a bumper harvest is true; it's not a lie.

Therefore, Chen Ling's orchard grew even better after the flood, and flowers, grasses and trees could grow on it, which did not surprise anyone.

Over a decade or so, the soil recovered, and the effects of a flood were enough to mitigate the damage.

"Ah, right, I remember now. Our income increased last year too. I think my brother mentioned it too, saying that floods aren't all bad."

As the two were talking, suddenly the sound of barking came from afar, and a group of puppies hopped and skipped out of the withered grass near the ditch and ran towards them.

It's obvious he went with Little Gold to play with the foxes.

When they were little, they would fight with the fox cubs for food all day long. As they grew up, they became very close. However, when they played around, they didn't know when to stop. Although they were small, they were very strong and often knocked the fox cubs over several times, which would cause the mother fox to chase after them and bite them.

Knowing they were in the wrong, they didn't resist and soon forgot about it and went back to provoking the fox.

When Chen Ling saw the little creatures coming, he tried to shoo them back into the farm to guard the house. But they clung to Chen Ling, reluctant to leave. They wagged their little tails and pounced on him, licking and rubbing against him, making him feel all itchy.

However, they had grown up and were now obedient. Although they were reluctant to leave, when Chen Ling and Han Chuang finished digging bamboo shoots and took some cured fish and meat to the village, they only watched them leave from the edge of the orchard and did not follow them.

With Heiwa and Xiaojin guarding the farm, that's enough. Besides, these little guys are gradually growing up and showing their ferocity; they're all excellent at protecting the farm.

Whether human or wild animal, if they try to invade the farm, they will swarm in led by the two dogs, Heiwa and Xiaojin, and even the most powerful person can be stopped outside.

In most cases, Chen Ling and his wife don't travel far; they mainly stay in the village and in the mountains, so there's nothing to worry about.

At noon, Chen Ling and Han Chuang cooked a few simple dishes.

After getting married, even this big, simple-minded Han Chuang learned to cook, and the food turned out pretty good.

"Haha, Chuangzi's knife skills still need practice, he's far inferior to Brother Ling."

"I love the salted duck eggs that Brother Ling and his wife make the most..."

At the dinner table, Jiang Xiaoqing didn't eat anything else, but focused on eating the salted duck eggs.

The boiled salted duck egg was cut in half; the egg white was as white as jade, and the orange-red yolk was so oily from the pickling process that it was already oozing out...

Take a bite of salted duck egg, pick up a piece of fresh bamboo shoot with your chopsticks, and pair it with a white steamed bun. With one bite, the refreshing and rich flavors explode on your taste buds, filling your mouth with the taste of spring. It's simply wonderful.

After dinner, while drinking tea, Jiang Xiaoqing held Rui Rui tightly, taking him to see ants, chase pigeons, and then to torment Chen Ling's ornamental fish.

I was originally planning to go to the farm to rest for a while, but there weren't many people coming to get medicine and see a doctor today.

I never expected that as soon as I had this idea, I would set off for the farm.

A villager led a black sedan and parked it in front of Chen Ling's courtyard gate.

Amidst the puzzled looks of Chen Ling and the others, a man wearing sunglasses and a baseball cap stepped out of the car.

“That’s Fugui from our village. You can talk to him if you have something to say…” The villager smiled at Chen Ling and said to the man.

The man took off his sunglasses and hat, and walked towards Chen Ling from a distance with a wide smile on his face: "It's a pleasure to meet you, Brother Chen. I didn't expect you to be so young in person. I thought you were about my age based on our letters..."

Zhou Weijun? Good heavens.

Chen Ling suddenly realized what was going on and grasped the other person's hand tightly: "It's a pleasure to meet you, Brother Zhou. Your talent surpasses your writing. I've been looking forward to you coming to visit for a long time."

Goodness, I never expected this. The New Year has just passed and a pen pal has already come knocking on my door.

(End of this chapter)