My 1995 Small Farm.

Chapter 364 The Wisdom of Farmers
Spring thunder brings rain.

In the middle of the night, a few claps of thunder woke up Chen Ling and his family of three. Rui Rui didn't even care how he ended up back in his crib when he saw his parents putting on their clothes and slipping on their shoes and hurrying downstairs.

At this moment, the mountain wind was howling, and judging from the strength of the wind, you knew that the rain was going to be heavy.

This spring has been dry, so a rain shower would be a good thing.

However, the rain came suddenly, and many things in the yard had not yet been tidied up.

Poultry and livestock also need to be checked out with flashlights.

Wang Susu followed along because she was worried that the ornamental fish in the orchard pond would be washed away by the heavy rain.

This can be sold for money now.

As soon as the two came out, a cat and a group of dogs followed, running and jumping.

After a flurry of activity, including checking the pond and the poultry and livestock, just a few minutes later, another clap of thunder boomed, each one louder than the last, followed by the pattering of raindrops on the roof tiles.

“This rain is definitely going to be heavy. We’ve been waiting for it for so long, it’s about time for a good rain. After this rain, we won’t need to water our wheat seedlings.” Back under the eaves, Wang Susu looked up at the dark sky where bright lights kept flashing and said.

Watering twenty acres of wheat requires a lot of effort.

"Yes, this is a real lifesaver. It saves us a lot of trouble."

Chen Ling nodded, and the two washed their hands under the eaves before returning to their bedroom upstairs.

After all that commotion, the young couple were wide awake, so they lay in bed, playing with their child and flipping through some books and newspapers.

Rui Rui is a very energetic child. After waking up, he didn't want to sleep in his crib anymore and insisted on sleeping in the big bed with his parents.

Helpless, I had no choice but to pick him up again.

Actually, the crib is very low and has good safety features. The railings are very high, like a wooden cage, and it's very comfortable to sleep in it.

I'm not worried about him running away.

In other words, Rui Rui is still too young and can't be separated from adults.

If it were Wang Zhenzhen, and she were given a bed like that, she would jump for joy.

"The thunder is too loud, let's turn off the lights, lest they break."

Listening to the rumbling and constant booming of thunder outside the window, Wang Susu said worriedly.

"Okay, I'll turn the power back on."

Chen Ling got up again, put on his clothes, lit a candle in the bedroom, and went downstairs to turn off the power.

After the power was switched off, the rain poured down even harder.

Standing upstairs and looking around, the mountains and fields under the night sky were all shrouded in a layer of mist.

Chen Ling didn't have much literary talent and didn't know how to describe the scene. He just felt the damp night wind blowing in his face, letting the moisture hit him, and felt a cool and refreshing sensation.

He stretched out his arms and admired the view for a moment. When he heard Wang Susu calling him, he remembered that he should go back to his room to sleep. Just then, the dog in the house started barking.

The kitten was also meowing in a long, drawn-out tone, and its meows carried far.

Chen Ling thought something had broken into the house, so she hurried to check.

As soon as he stepped into the backyard, the puppies heard his voice and ran over in the rain, wagging their tails and trying to rub against him.

Heiwa Xiaojin, on the other hand, leisurely stretched and walked out from under the eaves.

Judging from their reactions, there was nothing unusual; it was just a bunch of puppies and kittens meowing.

Chen Ling waved the lantern around and found that everything was normal. However, he could faintly hear the howls of wolves and beasts coming from a great distance in the mountains. In the rainy night, the sounds were barely audible by the time they reached the farm.

Chen Ling listened intently for a while and immediately understood what was going on. He patted the two big heads of Heiwa and his companion and said, "Keep an eye on them and don't let them bark unnecessarily at night."

Then I went back to my room and continued sleeping.

In the early morning, a gentle breeze rustled and a light drizzle fell. The green willows and yellow poplars were bathed in spring rain, turning the stream a fresh, vibrant green.

After a spring thunderstorm, the air became extremely fresh. Zhou Weijun, Yu Qi'an, and the other two got up in the morning and, without even using umbrellas, went to the farm for a free meal in the drizzling rain.

They stayed at Wang Jusheng's house for the past two days. With nothing to do all day, they asked Wang Jusheng to take them out to wander around and buy some local specialties.

Putting everything else aside, let's just talk about beef; I've definitely had my fill of it these past two days.

When I arrived at the farm today, I saw the leftover beef and shepherd's purse dumplings, but I didn't even touch them. I only ate the vegetarian dumplings with shepherd's purse and eggs.

These are leftover dumplings. They've been sitting for a long time, and the dumpling wrappers are a bit soggy, but they don't mind.

On the contrary, I think the leftover dumplings taste especially good after being steamed.

The Chen family's breakfasts were always simple, and since Wang Cunye and Gao Xiulan usually didn't come over for breakfast, it made things even easier for them.

Besides steaming two or three eggs for Rui Rui.

I'm nothing more than pickled vegetables, served with stir-fried local greens.

After cooking, drizzle two drops of sesame oil on top. It's tender and juicy, with a refreshing aroma that truly tastes like springtime.

Yu Qi'an and the other two initially thought that Chen Ling and her husband ate too vegetarian food.

After finishing the dumplings and tasting them, we immediately devoured a large steamed bun along with the dish.

After dinner, Chen Ling held her son at the kitchen door and taught him to call her "Dad".

Wang Susu scrubs pots and washes dishes.

Yu Qi'an and the other two stood around Chen Ling, watching the swallows flitting back and forth in the light breeze and drizzle, flying in and out of the farm’s kitchen and living room, carrying mud to build their nests, and occasionally exchanging a few words.

With nothing to do on a rainy day, enjoying the rain with two or three friends is quite pleasant.

"Stop thinking about playing with the dog, you brat. Come here, look at Daddy's mouth."

Chen Ling straightened his son's head. This brat was always laughing and joking around. He was feeding the dog while eating, and now that he'd finished, he wanted to play with Heiwa.

Heiwa is fleshy and sturdy, and he knows how to protect his master. Every time he plays with Ruirui, he can completely encircle Ruirui with his body.

After Rui Rui got used to playing with Heiwa, he now treats it as his personal cradle.

He would sit on the ground when he had nothing to do, and let Heiwa encircle him. He would sit in the small circle formed by Heiwa's body and play with his various little toys.

"Watch closely, watch Daddy's mouth."

Chen Ling straightened the brat's head, pointed to his mouth, and the chubby Rui Rui subconsciously looked over.

"Bo, ah, Papa, Daddy~ Come on, repeat after me, Bo, ah, Papa, Daddy!"

Chen Ling paused carefully, opening his mouth to demonstrate pronunciation and mouth shape.

He and Wang Susu officially started teaching Rui Rui to say "daddy" and "mommy" after the Lunar New Year. They had often let him say them before, but that wasn't a very formal teaching method; it was mostly just playful.

Now I teach him whenever I have free time, but this kid has always been playful. His attention is always on the dog, the cat, the bird, the weasel, or the fox; he doesn't study properly at all. Otherwise, with this rascal's intelligence and cleverness, he would have learned to call out to people long ago.

Chen Ling demonstrated it several times. Perhaps because Heiwa and the puppies had run far away, and there was nothing left to attract Rui Rui's attention, his big, bright black eyes filled with laughter as he lay on Chen Ling's neck, nibbling and biting, making Chen Ling's neck covered in drool. Then, taking advantage of this playful energy, he opened his little mouth and whispered "Apu aba, apu aba" in Chen Ling's ear, exhaling air as he tried to speak.

Before he could learn anything, a long, glistening drool trickled down Chen Ling's neck and onto his back.

Chen Ling, who was just a little surprised and happy, suddenly got angry at the sticky coolness and slapped his son's little bottom a few times: "You brat, you brat."

But after a few slaps, the little guy sensed his father's exasperation, squinted his little eyes, giggled, and became even more aggressive, drooling on the back of Chen Ling's neck.

The scene made Zhou Weijun, Yu Qi'an, and the other two burst into laughter.

Wang Susu couldn't help but smile. How could she not know her son's character? Teaching him to learn something good was extremely difficult, but learning something bad or mischievous was something he grasped instantly, without needing a teacher.

A while later, Wang Cunye and Gao Xiulan arrived at the farm with umbrellas and rain boots. They were amused by what had just happened and immediately started playing with their eldest grandson.

"You little rascal, when you grow up you'll be even more mischievous than your dad and your aunt."

While the family was playing with the child, Yu Qi'an and his two companions set their sights on the gourds in Wang Cunye's basket.

"Uncle Wang, your gourd is quite beautiful. Do you have any more at home?"

"Oh? These gourds? We don't have any at home. I got a few from the carpenter in the village."

Wang Cunye, holding his eldest grandson, glanced at them and said, "Take two if you want to play with them. Just leave the other two for me and put them in the kitchen and the main room."

"Hehe, I really like this thing."

Yu Qi'an picked up and put down the gourds of all sizes, smiling rather embarrassedly.

Then he added, "Uncle Wang, why put this gourd in the kitchen? Cutting it in half to use as a ladle for scooping water is not as useful as using a bottle gourd."

The gourd is also a member of the Cucurbitaceae family, but unlike a gourd, it doesn't have a narrow waist in the middle. So, when a gourd is split in half, it's very useful as a water ladle, and many people in the countryside use it to scoop water.

"It's not as useful as a gourd, but I'm not breaking this gourd open to use as a ladle; I'm displaying it for the little swallows at home to see."

Wang Cunye handed his eldest grandson to his wife and pointed to the two little swallows flying in and out of the kitchen.

"What? It's displayed for Little Swallow to see?" The three of them were completely confused.

"Yes, it's for the swallows to see. Before their nests are finished, we'll put a gourd in front of them. Their nests are gourd-shaped, and they'll look beautiful."

Seeing the three people's expressions, the old man chuckled: "You wouldn't know this, would you?"

The three looked at each other, then at Chen Ling, and shook their heads: "We really don't know. What's the principle behind this? Do you know what wealth is?"

Chen Ling glanced at them speechlessly: "I'm a native of this place, of course I know."

Upon hearing this, Yu Qi'an hurriedly urged, "Then tell us quickly so we can broaden our horizons. It's amazing that swallows can build gourd nests."

"Hey, what's so special about that? Let me put it this way, you all know there are two kinds of little swallows, right?"

"I know, there's a red-necked one and a white-necked one."

“That’s right. However, we don’t distinguish them by the color of their necks. We distinguish them by the type of nest they build. We call the white-necked swallows mud swallows and the red-necked swallows grass swallows. Of course, we usually just call them swallows. Only when they come to live in our homes do we say things like, ‘This year, grass swallows have come to our house,’ or ‘This year, mud swallows have come to our house,’ and so on.”

"Oh, what does this have to do with building nests into the shape of gourds?" Ma Wei was still a little confused after hearing this.

"Don't rush, Lao Ma, let me finish speaking first."

Chen Ling smiled helplessly and continued, "These mud swallows are very friendly to people. They are very particular about the location of their nests. They usually build their nests in the middle of the main room of people's homes because the main room is where guests are received and is a relatively clean area that is frequently cleaned."

In the past, some wealthy families liked to display vases in their main room. Mud swallows are good at imitating and have excellent nest-building skills, so they would build their swallow nests in the shape of vases.

For families without the means, sometimes they would hang gourds on the wall of the main room to hold wine, tea leaves, or other small items. The mud swallows would then build their nests in a gourd shape, with a small beak at the entrance and two separate bellies of different sizes, making them look very beautiful.

"My goodness, so that's how it is."

Yu Qi'an opened his mouth wide in an exaggerated way, and then stared at Chen Ling's kitchen with his mouth wide open and eyes wide to see the bird's nest. He saw that the bird's nest was made of mud and piled up bit by bit. It only had a big belly and was not sealed yet.

Zhou Weijun and Ma Wei also hurriedly crouched down and stared intently, asking as they looked, "Fugui, can this bird's nest be stacked into a gourd?"

"That's hard to say, let's set up the gourd first."

Chen Ling smiled. Actually, there were originally two pairs of swallows in the kitchen, a total of four. Later, one pair took over, and the other pair went to build their nest in the main room in the front yard.

Anyway, the farm is clean everywhere, not just the main room; it's the same everywhere.

These mud swallows simply prefer places frequented by people and like to be close to them.

"By the way, what about the grass swallow? Fugui, you mentioned the mud swallow, but you haven't mentioned the grass swallow yet." Yu Qi'an was very curious and pressed on with his question.

Chen Ling shook his head: "The grass swallow is the red-necked swallow. Compared to the mud swallow, it's a bit less refined."

"Don't be fooled by the fact that they are all small swallows. In our area, people prefer mud swallows. Mud swallows are very clean. They are particular about the location of their nests and are very hygienic. They never defecate inside people's houses. Even when raising their chicks, they will carry the droppings out of the nest. The area under the swallow's nest is always clean."

"Grass swallows are no good. Compared to mud swallows, they are like clumsy and careless lazybones. They always choose places to build their nests under the eaves, in the corners of the walls, or on the livestock sheds. They don't care about the location and they build their nests hastily. The nests built by grass swallows are a mixture of weeds and mud. The structure is simple and crude, like half a black bowl on the wall."

The mud swallows' nests are exquisite and beautiful. Once built, they can be lived in for several years. They can move in directly when they fly back every spring.

Sometimes, the nests of grass swallows collapse before they are fully occupied for a year, and the baby swallows often fall to their deaths as a result.

Moreover, these grass swallows not only build poor nests, but they are also extremely unhygienic, eating and defecating in their nests. Their droppings can be seen everywhere, under the nests and on the walls.

Compared to the mud swallows, they are worlds apart.

What Chen Ling said is all true.

After listening, Yu Qi'an and the other two all looked enlightened. They were not ignorant; having lived for so many years, they could distinguish between the two types of swallows and had seen both of them. They just did not expect that there were so many things hidden in this.

"We only knew that the white-necked swallows had a simple call, while the red-necked swallows had a fancy call. We didn't know that there were only two kinds of swallows and that there was so much to learn about them. Fugui, you're practically an ornithologist now."

"Haha, what ornithologist? They're just farmers with little entertainment. They've lived with these birds for generations, so naturally they know more about them. Go ask around in our villages and towns, and most of them will know."

Chen Ling smiled and looked at his father-in-law: "Right, Dad?"

"Of course it is. As the old saying goes, you know the nature of fish when you are near water and you understand the sounds of birds when you are near mountains. It's the same principle."

The old man had just hung a gourd in the kitchen when he came out.

Upon seeing this, Yu Qi'an and the other two became very interested and vied with each other to go to the living room in front of the farm to put the gourds.

Because the bird's nest in the living room has just been set up and there is much less than the bird's nest in the kitchen, if the gourds are placed in the kitchen too late, then the ones in the living room are just right.

“Not bad, not bad, Fugui, you’re so lucky. Both of your swallow nests are mud swallows. I have to say, they’re really clean. They build their nests with mud, and the living room floor doesn’t look dirty at all. There’s not a speck of dirt on it.”

"Yes, it's very clean."

The group was having a lively time setting up two gourds, one large and one small, in the living room when suddenly a shout came from outside the farm.

"Fugui, Fugui, I've brought you a kite. Quickly call your dog back home."

(End of this chapter)