My 1995 Small Farm.

Chapter 535 Fangs
Chen Ling didn't really care much about the money.

However, when he was drinking with Han Chuang, the conversation about the old big brother "Shi Meng" made Chen Ling feel a little dazed.

Shi Meng, Chen Ling, and Han Chuang were originally known as the Three Musketeers of the county's arcade.

The three men were not only tall, but also had domineering names that conveyed a sense of sharpness and ambition.

Han Chuang has been getting closer to Chen Ling in the past two years.

Shi Meng disappeared for two years.

Han Chuang had looked for him several times, but no one was home anymore.

Chen Ling had passed by his house many times when he used to drive his oxcart around the county town selling eggs.

His elderly parents are occasionally seen, but he doesn't come back.

This man was seven or eight years older than Chen Ling and his companion. He had worked in the joint defense team and later at the power supply bureau.

After that, I don't know what I did wrong, but I lost my job.

He and Chen Ling spent all their time hanging out in the arcade, just wasting their lives.

Chen Ling only learned about it after Han Chuang mentioned it.

Shi Meng got involved with the daughter of a leader and they had a child.

That sounds a bit melodramatic.

But in that era, premarital pregnancy was definitely a huge scandal, so the family forced their daughter to give the child away.

The daughter couldn't stand it, so she secretly found Shi Meng and ran away together.

"Dating the boss's daughter and even eloping, tsk tsk, only in this day and age can such 'romantic' things still happen."

In the morning, Chen Ling stood in the yard, munching on a sweet and sour tomato, still thinking about this matter.

In later generations, such a ridiculous story, if it were posted online, would probably be met with disdain and condemnation.

Do you really think a leader's daughter would fall for a poor guy? Isn't that insulting our intelligence?

But it still exists at this time.

This will continue for the next ten years or so.

For example, in the early years when online chat rooms first emerged, the most popular activities were meeting online friends and eloping between men and women.

Despite the tragedies that are deceitful, there are also many romantic and touching love stories.

It's common for poor boys to date rich and beautiful women, and for rural girls to win over their prince charming.

I don't know if people were more innocent and naive back then or what.

Even the sons and daughters of various leaders and big bosses seem easier to fool.

Some children are even isolated at school because their families are too rich.

This may seem quite magical to later generations.

Of course, the further you go, the less they can connect with ordinary people.

It's as if everyone's IQ has generally increased.

"Hey, back then, Mengzi was so unassuming, who would have thought he got the leader's daughter pregnant... They really sent me to mediate this matter, they really picked the wrong person."

After Chen Ling finished eating a tomato, he tossed the remaining tomato bottom in front of the little green horse, clapped his hands, and went to the kitchen to start a fire and cook.

He's quite a local celebrity now.

They even appeared on TV and in newspapers.

After seeing this from outside, Shi Meng had an idea. He secretly returned to find Han Chuang, hoping to ask Chen Ling to mediate with his father-in-law's family.

I guess it's either that life outside is tough, or his wife wants to come home now that the kids are older.

pity……

Even an upright official finds it difficult to settle family disputes, let alone an ordinary citizen like him.

Besides, it's not very ethical for Shi Meng to ask Han Chuang directly when he has something to say.

In fact, Chen Ling understood.

This was after many years of no contact or interaction, which had created a distance between them. In addition, he was now considered successful by others, and he used to be an arrogant person who didn't do farm work and only focused on working in the sand quarry. Shi Meng knew his temperament, so he was too embarrassed to directly ask him for help.

A few days ago, Liang Jinke and Ling Zhong's security guards were changing shifts when they were talking about it.

Zhao Hongbo and his classmates wanted to invite Chen Ling to their reunion, but they didn't dare, fearing that Chen Ling wouldn't approve of it.

Chen Ling was speechless after hearing this.

One day, Zhao Hongbo and his colleagues finished work late and their bicycle tires got punctured while passing through the county town. The tires kept going flat, and since it was getting late, they had no choice but to go to Chen Ling's house to borrow an air pump.

Chen Ling made a few jokes at him, and they realized that Chen Ling was still the same Chen Ling, unchanged.

They became enthusiastic again.

Upon learning that Chen Ling's family was expecting their second child, they even offered to inform them when the baby was born.

It's been years since we last met, so let's get together.

Chen Ling readily agreed.

"Fugui, is Fugui at home?"

"Hey, hey, it's Chunsheng, come in quickly."

It was Wang Chunyuan's older brother, Wang Chunsheng, who lived in the county town and didn't return to the village.

"I'm not going in. Something happened at my lumber mill. I heard you know the captain of our county's public security bureau?"

"..."

Well, this is what they mean by "people are afraid of becoming famous, just like pigs are afraid of getting fat," Chen Ling thought helplessly.

But he also knew that he often stayed in the mountains and never took the initiative to make friends with others, so he was already doing very well.

I took a trip to Wang Chunsheng's small timber factory.

On his way back, Chen Ling passed by the county's arcade and glanced at it a couple more times.

It's only been two years, but it feels like many years have passed.

Looking back on the past is like revisiting a carefree and youthful time.

Chen Ling sighed to himself, "Becoming a father makes you age faster. It seems I need to play more and keep a childlike heart."

……

Chenwangzhuang has become lively again, and the vendors have come to set up stalls again.

But this time the stalls were sparse and not crowded.

This is naturally because the turtle no longer appears only in Chenwangzhuang.

There have also been traces of them around the county town.

So this time, in addition to selling incense and red cloth, there were also vendors selling turtle-related ornaments and amulets.

The latter is mostly made by people in Chenwangzhuang Village and is the most popular.

For example, Chen Dazhi and Chen Sangui made things that were both beautiful and practical.

Everyone agrees that the village where the Turtle King first appeared is the one that is most recognized.

"Fugui, the early corn in the vegetable garden is ready to eat. Take some back for the child."

When Chen Ling and his son rode their horses back to the village, Xiuying's sister-in-law stopped them with a basket on her back; she had just returned from picking corn in the vegetable garden.

Early corn, also known as early maize, matures a month earlier than regular corn. Most families grow it in their vegetable gardens and treat it as a vegetable.

"Oh my, this is great! I've been craving corn lately and I was just worried about not having any."

Chen Ling jumped off his horse with a laugh, and without any hesitation, picked up a few items from Sister Xiuying's basket and tossed them into the side pocket of the little blue horse.

"Take a few more, there are still plenty in the basket."

"I won't take any more, this is enough. Sister-in-law, I see that Brother Dazhi's business is doing quite well. People are scrambling to buy all the little trinkets he makes."

"Sigh, your brother Dazhi doesn't have any other skills. Besides hunting with you guys, he's addicted to fiddling with bamboo. He hasn't slept much for the past two days, and his eyes are bloodshot. He won't listen to anything we say."

"Haha, isn't this all for making money for you guys? Xiaowen will be eighteen in a couple of years, it'll be time for him to find a wife."

"He's still early... Rui Rui, what are you eating? Can you share some with your auntie?"

"Hey, you little rascal, your auntie is asking you a question. You're always so generous, aren't you?"

As I was talking to Sister Xiuying, an elderly couple came walking over from the western slope. The old man was tall and thin, wearing a headscarf and with his hands behind his back. The old woman had a gourd-shaped face, a full head of silver hair, a not fat face, but a rather plump body, and she was carrying a basket as she walked over.

The two of them stood at a distance, both looking at Chen Ling with curiosity.

These were Wang Chunyuan's parents.

“Xiuying, it’s so nice to talk to you.” “It’s been so many years. I remember you as a little monkey, thin and small, always by Juncai’s side, with bright eyes.”

Now, in the blink of an eye, they have kids and are so successful.

The two old men chatted back and forth, both with smiling faces.

"Who can argue with that? Wealth and status mean success."

Sister-in-law Xiuying is a kind-hearted person with a gentle and soft temperament, and she responded a few times.

Chen Ling smiled indifferently.

He didn't even look at them.

Seeing that Rui Rui was whining and wanted to go home, he said goodbye to Sister Xiuying and led the horse home.

The two old men were left with awkward smiles, seemingly unaware of any shame.

He also told Wang Xiuying, "The village is so different now. When the Turtle King comes, people from all around come to do good deeds."

Some villagers, displeased, shouted, "Xiuying, stop gossiping outside! Your daughter's back to see you, aren't you going back to cook her a good meal?"

Chen Dazhi's eldest daughter married nearby and came back every few days, so there was no need for a grand reception.

He said that on purpose, watching Xiuying's sister-in-law talk to the two old men.

Otherwise, given her kind-hearted nature, she wouldn't have been bothered by two shameless men for so long.

……

People are indeed very different.

Some people remember trivial matters for a lifetime.

Some people become much more tolerant as they get older, and some even seem to be able to let go of all hatred.

Greet people with a smile, even those you looked down on years ago or those with whom you have a grudge.

This does not mean that they are good people who repay evil with kindness.

It's because they are the ones who did the evil.

It is others who are bullied and hurt.

Therefore, it is easy for them to let go.

But no one is truly magnanimous enough to forgive them.

Take these two old geezers, for example.

Even in the village, no matter how much they try to talk to people, few people actually pay them any attention.

More often than not, they turn their faces away right in front of you, pretending not to hear, showing no consideration whatsoever.

“Fugui is back, but Yuqiang isn’t home. You’re strong, so help me move the stone trough out of the pigsty. It’s been there for a long time and it’s very heavy. Yingqiang and I almost couldn’t move it.”

Back home, while feeding the pigeons and birds in the yard, Chen Guoping and Chen Yingqiang walked over from the front yard and called out from outside the gate.

"Alright, you're moving stone troughs, right? I'll be right there while I change into my rain boots."

Going into the pigsty, you definitely can't do it without wearing tall rubber boots.

"No need, no need, we have some at home. Just come and put them on. It'll save you the trouble of getting them dirty and having to wash them."

Chen Guoping said.

"That's okay too."

Chen Ling then took Rui Rui over there.

Rui Rui didn't mind the smell at all. Holding onto the pigpen fence, he peered inside: "Daddy, little pig, hee hee~"

Chen Ling glared at him: "You still dare to climb high? Don't fall in."

Yuqiang's wife quickly came over: "Uncle Fugui, you're busy, I'll watch Ruirui."

Things for the brat to play with and eat.

After changing his shoes and entering the pigpen, Chen Yingqiang said with a smile, "The price of pork is cheaper now. This is the piglet that our two families bought together, just like you said. Later, my father and mother joined us, so the three families raised three pigs together. We'll slaughter one for the New Year and make the rest into cured meat or something."

It's true that pork prices will plummet next year.

But if you make it into cured meat and sell it to people from other places, you won't lose money; on the contrary, you can make a profit.

People like Zhou Weijun and Yu Qi'an really like it.

When they returned and gave gifts, they were highly praised.

“Our village is different now; it was I who didn’t think things through.”

Chen Ling smiled, looking at the corner of the pigpen, behind the three little black pigs, at the large blue stone trough that had broken in two: "How did this pig trough break like this?"

Chen Guoping shook his head: "I don't know what happened. Wenli said that in the middle of the night, she heard a loud bang, like a big rock falling to the ground. The piglets kept squealing, and the dog barked twice, but there was no other noise. Let's get up and take a look. The pig trough is broken."

Chen Yingqiang said, "The dog didn't bark randomly. Either something came into the house, or the little piglet is sleeping in its trough. What do you think, Uncle Fugui?"

Chen Ling didn't say anything, walked up and kicked it, but it didn't break; it was quite sturdy.

If he couldn't break it with his strength, it proves the stone wasn't rotten, so the piglet certainly couldn't have broken it.

"Who knows what's going on? Let's get it out of here first. We've got plenty of stones here."

Chen Ling wasn't one to show off or be arrogant, and he didn't lift a finger himself. Together with Chen Yingqiang, they easily carried the two stone troughs out.

"Don't throw it away, just leave it outside. Once it's been exposed to the wind and sun and lost its smell, I'll just put some cement on it and use it to raise turtles and fish."

“Oh, what do you need this for? I have a new stone trough at home. If you want to raise turtles, I’ll bring it over for you.”

"No, no, I want the old one. The old one has a better feel to it."

"...Oh? You want the old one? Fine, you're just a little different from others..."

They don't understand.

Chen Ling now likes to bring home old, aged stone jars and troughs.

It's not about making money by finding bargains or antiques.

He loves the weathered, aged feel of these old objects; they look beautiful and charming when you just keep some flowers, plants, insects, or fish on them.

“Fugui is still the closest to us. He makes so much money but doesn’t get cocky at all. Unlike those old geezers like Wang Laochou, who have a little skill and then act all high and mighty, tormenting the villagers. Look at Chunyuan’s family, is he living a life like a human being?”
"If you don't accumulate virtue, may your lineage be cut off."

After Chen Ling left, Chen Guoping was cleaning the pigsty at his youngest son's house and started muttering to himself.

"Only Chunsheng is good. He's honest, doesn't cause trouble, doesn't benefit from Wang Laochou's influence, and doesn't meddle in their messes. Look at him, he's doing better than Chunyuan."

This is a simple truth that the villagers agree with.

After feeding the pigeons and birds, Chen Ling and his son led their horse slowly back to the farm.

He doesn't clean the yard.

In the yard, many grapevines and jujube trees sprouted new buds everywhere, like weeds. Every half meter or a meter apart, there were small seedlings emerging from the soil.

He didn't clean them up, lazily letting them grow.

All I'm thinking about is bringing the sheep over in a couple of days and eating them all together.

My reason for doing so was that I wanted to publish an article in the National Animal Husbandry Journal to study the habits of goats and what they like to eat most.

Back at the farm, there were many people outside the gate.

Take photos around the skeleton of the wild boar king.

Zhao Yubao and Old Zhong sat at the front, wearing glasses and selling tickets. Chen Ling glanced at the sign. It seemed that because of the large number of people, they were taking numbers and queuing. Each number cost 50 cents, which wasn't expensive. The point was to keep the place quiet and avoid disturbing others.

The brother-in-law also brought out the rules and precautions that Chen Ling had written in the spring, and made sure everyone followed them.

For example, you can't climb trees to raid bird nests or fish out of ditches.

Seeing this, Erhei and the other male dogs spontaneously maintained order.

"Oh, Fugui is here. Perfect timing! Our little friend is here today too. He wants to ask if you sell the Wild Boar King's tusks."

When Zhao Yubao saw Chen Ling, he quickly waved and introduced him to a young man wearing black-rimmed glasses and with a parted hairstyle.

"Fangs? These fangs are fake. I was planning to make real fangs into daggers or something."

Chen Ling glanced at the young man and said.

"Don't be so quick to refuse. This kid is the one who's here to make your animation. His family is rolling in money. You have two fangs, you can't make them both into daggers, can you?"

Zhao Yubao chuckled and winked at him.

The implication is that they want him to make money; this is a rare opportunity, and it's hard to find someone who's foolish and rich.

Old Zhong also said, "This is Xiao Han, a relative of your Uncle Han. If you're willing to sell, take him to see him and give me a price."

(End of this chapter)