My 1995 Small Farm.

Chapter 541 Zhenzhen
Even a power outage at night can be fun.

No lights, no moonlight, that's alright, there are still countless stars to keep us company.

Chen Ling moved the bamboo bed to the yard, hung up a mosquito net, and left Wang Susu and the two women at home.

He, Liang Jinke, and their neighbors took their two children to the riverbank to look for cicada nymphs and collect snails.

The night was cool, frogs croaked, crickets chirped, fireflies danced, and cicadas sang in the trees.

Take a few steps, and you'll smell the fragrance of flowers in the breeze.

The fragrance of flowers is rich but not cloying, very refreshing. It's the yellowing radish by the river that's in bloom. When you shine a flashlight on it, it's a golden expanse.

Little Raindrop and Rui Rui picked a few flowers, smelled them, and giggled.

A moment later, they were chasing and playing around the big tree.

Suddenly, with a 'thud,' something fell from above, startling them.

It turned out to be a cicada nymph that had just transformed into a tender, white cicada. It lost its grip and fell down, shell and all.

Following the trees to find cicada nymphs, going to the streams to collect snails, and feeling the increasing harvest is a lot of fun and addictive.

While collecting snails, I also found baby turtles several times.

It's small in size, but has a long neck. If you hold it in your hand, it will twist its neck like a snake and bite you.

People said these were the offspring of the Turtle King, and that it wouldn't be good to catch them, so they were all released.

You can't catch baby turtles.

There are plenty of other things to grab.
Eels have surfaced in the grass along the riverbank and ditches at night; let's catch some!

After catching them, they were thrown into a bucket of water.

The shallow layer of water contained snails, clams, eels, and small fish.

Cicada nymphs are not kept together; many newly molted cicadas will be eaten by eels.

And so it went until after nine o'clock at night, when it was completely dark. I walked home under a sky full of stars, the night breeze blowing, the fragrance of flowers in the wind even stronger, and that feeling was indescribably refreshing.

After having a great time, the family of three took a bath and then relaxed and slept on a bamboo bed in the yard.

A sky full of stars accompanies me to sleep, and my sleep is sweet.

……

After waking up in the morning, the old lady would let the cattle graze by the river and walk the dog. When she came back, she would prepare breakfast and steam a pot of corn on the cob.

The pot contains millet and pumpkin porridge.

The pot rack is covered with golden corn cobs.

Ignoring the fact that it was too hot to handle, Chen Ling picked one up and went outside to eat it.

There have been weddings in the county town in the last few days, near the old theater in the north. Early in the morning, a group of people boiled a pot of water and were slaughtering a pig there.

Chen Ling went back and got another corncob, munching on it as he went to join the fun.

"Brother-in-law."

Amidst the squealing of pigs, a familiar, clear, childish voice made Chen Ling turn around abruptly.

Then a little girl with pigtails struggled to get off the motorcycle and shouted at him with a face full of surprise.

"Oh, Zhenzhen?!"

Chen Ling was also pleasantly surprised, her eyes widening in astonishment.

As soon as he finished speaking, Wang Zhenzhen ran up to him in a few quick steps, then craned her neck to look into the crowd: "Brother-in-law, why are you here watching the pig slaughter so early in the morning? Do you want to buy pork? I'm craving some meat."

Chen Ling immediately glanced at her sideways: "You've just gotten back and you're already clamoring to eat."

As he said this, a smile unconsciously appeared on his face, and he reached out to touch her little braid: "Why did you come here on your brother Qi'an's motorcycle? We were talking about you last night, and we thought you would definitely come back with Dad."

"No, Brother Qi'an took Sister-in-law Huining to play. They stayed on our mountain for a few days and brought me back with them."

I arrived last night, but you weren't in the village. My brother and sister-in-law wouldn't let us walk at night, saying you'd bring Rui Rui back in the morning.

Wang Zhenzhen tilted her little face up, shook her head and swayed her little braids: "Hehe, but I missed you all, so I asked Brother Qi'an to bring me here soon."

Chen Ling was delighted to hear this: "Okay, I'll cook something delicious for you today."

At this moment, Yu Qi'an and Bai Huining parked their motorcycles on the opposite side and walked over.

"Hey, slaughtering a pig? I was wondering why I heard pig squealing. I thought they were collecting pigs here early in the morning... Perfect, I'll take some pig intestines home. They smell so good, I haven't had them in ages."

Yu Qi'an started shouting as soon as he got close.

Bai Huining rolled her eyes when she heard this.

Chen Ling ignored the old man and smiled at Bai Huining, "Huining, didn't you two go to the Miao village this time? Why did you go to Yaowang Village to look for Zhenzhen again?"

"Don't even mention it. The Miao village was fun at first, but then they started chasing each other in the mountains and hunting every day. I couldn't stand the atmosphere. There was all that shouting and shamanistic rituals. I kept having nightmares at night."

So they brought Qi'an back, and just then they ran into Uncle Cunye and Zhenzhen selling snakes at the market, so they went up the mountain with them to catch snakes for a few days.

Bai Huining said.

Chen Ling was taken aback for a moment, "Haha, that's strange of you, aren't you afraid of snakes but afraid of hunting?"

As they were talking, Yu Qi'an had already bought a large basin of pig offal, grinning smugly.

It felt like I'd gotten a huge bargain.

"Well, my brother's house is right across from Lingzhong in the south. I'll take the basin back and bring it to you later."

"I know, I know, it's Chen Fugui, you can take the basin."

Yu Qi'an returned with a large basin of pig offal, beaming with joy.

Chen Ling took a look and thought, "Great! We've got the large intestine, small intestine, pig liver, and pig lungs too. We can make a big pot of braised pork offal like in the old Beijing style."

Yu Qi'an winked and said, "Braised pork offal is fine. You have so many people in your family. I'll tell you how to make it, and you can cook a big pot of it. That would be great."

He added, "The broth from this braised pork is so fragrant! Fried tofu and vegetarian meatballs, just pour it over them, hey, it's delicious, just thinking about it makes my mouth water."

After hearing him say that, Chen Ling was genuinely tempted.

He then went forward and bought the pig's head and trotters.

It's mainly pig's trotters; Susu loves to eat these, and they're also good for pregnant women. We should buy them.

After buying them, I carried them home.

Wang Zhenzhen followed beside them, chattering and skipping along, looking joyful and excited.

“Brother-in-law, we’ve had such good luck this year. Dad caught a snake and sold it for over two hundred at the foot of the mountain. Brother Qi’an saw it too and said that the snake grew up eating medicinal herbs. It was so thick and long that it was heavy to carry in the bag.”

“We also saw golden monkeys. When it got dark, they were peeking at us from the trees as we were catching snakes. I waved to them, but they ignored me. I threw them fruit, but they didn’t eat it. Then they ran away.”

"Oh, and wild boars and deer too. A wild boar ran into the village the other day, in broad daylight, and destroyed Grandma San's vegetable garden, even knocking open the cellar... That wild boar was so clumsy, it fell into the cellar and got stuck inside, hahaha, it was so scared it pooped and peed in there..."

"The deer on the mountain also roam around a lot. The sika deer are bolder than wild boars, and they even bring their fawns with them. They can run very fast, disappearing in a flash, and they can jump really high. Even dogs can't catch them."

"Brother-in-law, please catch me a fawn. I really want to raise one."

When Yu Qi'an saw this, he whispered to Bai Huining that Fu Gui's sister-in-law was closer to him than his own daughter.

Bai Huining was young, still a girl under twenty. Hearing this, she felt that the words were not pleasant to hear and glared at Yu Qi'an, scolding him for saying such things.

As they approached their doorstep, the old lady came out carrying a slop bucket to empty the water. She was taken aback when she saw them, but then her eyes lit up with delight. She exclaimed, "Oh my, I was wondering why that chattering outside sounded so familiar. It turns out the little rascal is back!"

"mother."

Wang Zhenzhen's eyes lit up, and she ran over to snatch the bucket, grinning as she said, "I'm not a little monkey."

Wang Susu followed closely behind, her eyes also filled with surprise: "Zhenzhen, why are you back at this hour? Did you travel at night?"

"No, I went back to the village first and spent the night there. Sister, why have you become so stupid?"

"Hmph, you start criticizing your sister as soon as we meet. Look at you now, so thin and dark, like a little monkey. You must have been playing too much at home. Your dad can't control you, so you don't eat properly."

Upon seeing this, the old lady pinched her ear with her wet hands.

The little girl immediately pouted: "No, I eat a lot every day. My second brother and sister-in-law cooked for me this summer vacation. My dad's cooking is not good."

Seeing that the old lady was about to speak, she quickly turned her head and called out, "Where's Rui Rui? Where's Rui Rui?"

They walked into the yard. The little rascal was crawling on the ground with a small shovel, his little bottom sticking out, digging and making a maze of small, winding ditches all over the yard.

Two large dogs were watching him from behind.

Wang Zhenzhen walked over, put her hands on her hips, and shouted, "You stinky Rui Rui, what are you doing?"

When Rui Rui saw the person in front of her, she was stunned for a moment, then screamed and dropped the shovel, scrambling to hide behind Heiwa and the other two.

Then he peeked at her furtively.

Wang Zhenzhen immediately chased after him, shouting, "You stinky Rui Rui, you dare to hide from your aunt? I'll teach you a lesson!"

Rui Rui screamed again in fright, and took off running with her short legs, drool dripping from the corner of her mouth as she ran.

No matter how fast he ran, he couldn't outrun Wang Zhenzhen. When he was caught and hugged and kissed, he waved his arms and legs and whimpered "Mama, Mama" with his eyes closed.

He still missed his aunt even when she wasn't back.

He couldn't bear the torment when his aunt came back, so he had to ask his mother for help.

"Huh? What's in this cage?"

After a flurry of activity, Wang Zhenzhen suddenly noticed the iron cage outside the east room.

Upon closer inspection, he exclaimed, "Wow, brother-in-law, did you catch a whole nest of badgers?"

The little girl really liked the five oddly shaped and adorable little toys of all sizes.

Yu Qi'an and his companion also came to see.

This is when Rui Rui gets to show off. He can already use a small shovel to throw some grains in, and he can also clumsily stuff the leftover corn cobs in one by one with the small shovel.

The badgers snatched them all up, crunched them to pieces, and then swallowed them whole.

Even the cob of the tender corn still has a sweet taste after people finish eating it, so there's no need to throw it away; the badgers love to eat it.

After finishing its meal, it stretched its mouth, which was full of sharp canine teeth, through the gap at the bottom of the cage, opening and closing its mouth to reveal its white teeth and pink tongue, chirping eagerly as if it wanted to eat more delicious food.

The two children, one big and one small, found it amusing and giggled as one took a stick and the other a small shovel to tease them.

The sticks weren't sturdy enough; they were quickly chewed to pieces by the badgers.

Although the teeth of the badger are not as sharp as those of the hog badger, it can easily chew through wood.

If it were a badger, it could chew through this iron cage, breaking the wires into pieces.

"Fugui, can you raise this badger? If you can, I'll take two of the cubs with me. I think they're quite fun to play with."

"Oh? You want to raise this? It's not easy to raise. You won't be able to keep it alive if you take it to the capital."

These wild creatures are wild creatures, especially temperamental ones like badgers, which were caught halfway through the journey and can't be tamed at all.

Even though I eat whatever you give me.

But they just can't be tamed; they don't recognize people at all and will bite at the drop of a hat.

"You'd be better off raising horses or donkeys. When you go to Fenglei Town, didn't you see those packhorses? They're small, short, and so beautiful."

Chen Ling chuckled and egged him on, saying that the old man still only loved horses, and nothing else was his true love.

Sure enough, this hit a nerve, and he started chatting with Chen Ling.

……

We spent half a day in the city, had our fill of fun, and headed back to the farm before noon.

As Yu Qi'an said, we'll make braised pork offal today.

Braised offal is a specialty of old Beijing. It's made with head, trotters, and offal, and it used to be a staple food for poor people. You stew a big pot of it, and it's incredibly fragrant.

And I must say, when offal is cooked properly, it really does taste better than plain meat.

Some people just like this kind of thing.

Chen Ling could accept it. He felt that as long as it was cleaned thoroughly and the unpleasant smell of offal was suppressed, the offal would taste much richer and more fragrant than regular meat.

Of course, when it comes to good seasonings, Chen Ling has never lacked them.

I stewed a big pot of this for lunch.

Once it's flavorful and cooked through, take out the liver, lungs, and intestines. Usually, there's no liver, but adding it won't hurt. It's a good way to nourish Zhenzhen; everyone at home complains that she's too thin.

Wang Susu should also eat more offal; it's good for her health.

Chop it up, add whatever you like, plus fried tofu and fried vegetarian meatballs, serve with braised pork, pour hot broth over it, and wow, it's incredibly fragrant.

A bowl overflowing with braised pork offal paired with ice-cold beer is incredibly satisfying.

Chen Ling's family enjoyed their meal, and the guests staying at the farm also ate heartily.

Han Shaobo also mentioned that it had a bit of a Xinjiang flavor, where the offal is cooked in a large pot.

A big pot of lamb heart, liver, lungs, and intestines is boiled and sold; it's pretty much the same thing.

Chen Ling was stunned for a moment, thinking that it did look somewhat similar, but offal dishes from Xinjiang were more suitable for winter.

Let's do it when it gets colder in late autumn.

……

Han Shaobo finished his braised pork offal and left in the afternoon.

He felt that Zhao Yubao was right; staying here brought him one inspiration after another, and he really couldn't stay any longer.

Sometimes having too much inspiration can be a problem.

It will affect his current creative work.

Logically speaking, this idyllic rural life, peaceful and tranquil, is perfect for a period of leisurely relaxation and complete rest.

But this place is very different.

After staying there for a few days, I felt refreshed and my mind was clear. I could draw interesting conclusions from all sorts of things.

It brings both joy and helplessness.

Even the animated film that he hadn't taken seriously since Zhao Yubao had entrusted to him was now very well completed, and he even felt that after his visit, this animated film could become a series.

There's nothing else to it, there are just too many interesting things about Chen Ling's family.

He shared the same thought as many other tourists who came here: they would have to come here often in the future; it was truly a treasure.

Han Shaobo is gone.

Yu Qi'an and his companion lamented that they had once again missed the chance to see the Turtle Prince in person. They had originally intended to leave, but this time they refused to go no matter what.

He found a house in the county town and rode Chen Ling's motorcycle aimlessly every day.

As for Chen Ling's family, after a brief period of peace, a military green car drove up to the farm that morning.

The car door opened, and a middle-aged couple with a capable demeanor stepped out of the car.

He went to the back row and spoke softly to the young girl inside.

"Jiajia, get out of the car quickly. There are lots and lots of fun things to do at this farm."

"The farm owner is a young man about your age, and he's really impressive. He raises a big eagle and a lot of dogs. His sheep can even climb up cliffs. Those little goats can just hop and skip all the way up."

"Look, the person feeding the puppies next to that pavilion is the owner of the farm. Oh my, so many puppies are crawling around him. Look at those whimpering little puppies, how cute and funny they are!"

"Yes, Jiajia, don't be sad. Didn't you used to like puppies? Daddy will buy you one and you can take it home and raise it, okay?"

But the young girl in the back seat, looking haggard, kept her eyes half-closed, as if she hadn't heard anything, and remained silent.

The couple exchanged a glance, sighed softly, and looked quite helpless.

Immediately afterwards, the two lip-synced and silently discussed their ideas.

Chen Ling naturally noticed this strange family as well. He was very familiar with the couple; he had seen them many times. A while ago, they had booked two rooms at the farm and then left in a hurry.

He didn't care about the details; he just picked up the puppies crawling all over the ground one by one, put them on his lap, and fed them goat milk.

A short while later, the couple seemed quite helpless and drove away again.

(End of this chapter)