My 1995 Small Farm.

It was already afternoon when I came out of Zhang Lihua's yard, which was filled with the smell of dogs.

The early summer sun on Hong Kong Island is scorching hot, mixed with the damp saltiness brought by the sea breeze, sticking stickily to the skin.

Chen Ling politely declined Zhang Lihua's offer to send her away in a car.

He happened to be out today, and he planned to take the opportunity to get some more good stuff into the cave.

Instead of immediately returning to his residence in the hillside, he walked down the winding mountain road toward a small dock in the southern district.

Thinking about the newly opened sea area in the cave, I always felt that something was missing.

Fish and shellfish are present, but soaring seabirds are missing, and the seabed lacks depth, making it ultimately incomplete.

He hailed a taxi and said to the driver in slightly broken but clear Cantonese, "Driver, go to the small pier over there."

The driver was a talkative middle-aged man. Seeing Chen Ling's extraordinary demeanor, he struck up a conversation with him in heavily accented Mandarin while driving: "Boss, going fishing again? The current is really good today, maybe we'll catch a big one!"

Chen Ling smiled and mumbled, "Let's go take a look and try our luck."

The dock was still bustling with activity, filled with the smells of fish, diesel fuel, and the cacophony of voices.

Chen Ling's gaze swept across the area and quickly locked onto a sturdy-looking motorized fishing boat that was preparing to set sail again.

The boat owner was a lean and capable old fisherman with tanned, shiny skin, who was tidying up the fresh water ice blocks that he had just replenished with supplies with his crew.

"Uncle, are you going out to sea? I'd like to charter a boat. I don't want to go far, just to cruise around the nearby waters, fish, and watch birds. It'll only take two or three hours at most."

Chen Ling stepped forward and asked in a mix of Mandarin and broken Cantonese, offering him a cigarette as he did so.

The old boat owner took the cigarette, tucked it behind his ear, and sized up Chen Ling. Seeing that he was composed and didn't seem like a tourist fooling around, he grinned, revealing his stained yellow teeth: "Young man, going out to sea at this hour will get you very sunburnt!"

"The sea breeze is nice, so chartering a boat is possible, charged by the hour, plus fishing bait, this is the price!"

He held up five fingers.

"Okay." Chen Ling readily agreed, and after agreeing on the price, he conveniently jumped onto the boat.

"Put-put-put..." The small fishing boat left the bustling dock and sailed out to sea.

Once in calm waters, Chen Ling's goal became clear and "greedy".

He started out like any other angler, following the boat owner's directions, and chose a spot where fish were said to be active.

But his hand pole was more like a gimmick to attract attention.

The real action began quietly the moment his mind sank into the cave.

He pretended to be focused on the fishing float, but actually quietly let his hand hang down by the side of the boat, connecting his mind with the Dongtian Sea.

An invisible suction force spread from his palm, like a miniature vortex, silently drawing in the surrounding seawater and its abundant plankton, fish eggs, shrimp, and crabs.

Seawater surged into the cave, replenishing the essence of that newly formed sea area.

He controlled the speed and range, ensuring that it was only carried out in a very small area below the hull to avoid causing any visible abnormalities.

At the same time, his sharp gaze swept across the sea and the sky.

A flock of grey-backed, white-bellied seagulls circled around the stern of the boat, waiting to snatch the small fish stirred up by the propeller.

It's now……

With a thought, Chen Ling locked onto that area, and the next moment, the dozens of seagulls that were swooping down, pecking at food, and playing, along with the seawater and air around them, vanished from their spot.

It was directly moved into the cave and placed above the simulated reefs and mudflats near the sea.

Almost at the same time, not far away, several large pelicans with bulging throat pouches were flying in a line, skimming low over the sea, like a formation of glider bombers.

Chen Ling followed the same method, once again using his access to the cave to invite these "big-mouthed monsters" inside, adding a clumsy yet amusing touch to the cave's sea area.

The boat owner was still happily watching Chen Ling "fish," occasionally offering a word of advice, completely unaware of the astonishing "theft" being carried out by the "fisherman" beside him.

Chen Ling chuckled inwardly, continuing his actions.

He used the excuse of adjusting his fishing spot to get the boat owner to move the boat closer to a darker area where the outline of coral reefs was faintly visible underwater.

The water here is crystal clear, and sunlight shines through the sea surface, allowing you to see colorful tropical fish swimming among the coral reefs.

"Uncle, the water here is so clear, and the coral below is beautiful!" Chen Ling exclaimed, trying to distract the boat owner.

"Yes, this is the edge of the protected area, and the coral is quite beautiful! But you can't go down and damage it!" the boat owner warned.

"Don't worry, I'll just take a look."

As Chen Ling spoke, he bent down, seemingly looking at the fish swimming underwater.

Its mind had already penetrated deep underwater, like the most precise scanner, sweeping over the corals, anemones, and starfish of various shapes and sizes.

He carefully selected the corals, avoiding the large, intact living coral reefs, and instead collecting coral fragments that had fallen off due to storms or natural causes, brightly colored dead coral skeletons, and the shellfish attached to them.

It also features unique marine life such as seahorses, clownfish, and rainbow wrasse that live among the reefs.

These little creatures, along with their tiny habitats, were moved in large numbers into the cave and placed in a pre-simulated reef area.

He even casually scooped up a few huge, emerald-green staghorn seaweeds that resembled a peacock's tail and some large seaweeds that looked like kelp.

Used to enrich underwater forests.

The whole process was as smooth as flowing water, taking place in just a few moments as the boat owner lit a cigarette and drank water.

After doing all this, Chen Ling straightened up with satisfaction, pretending to be blinded by the sunlight, and rubbed his temples.

"Young man, have you seen anything good?" the boat owner asked with a smile.

"So many colorful little fish, they're so beautiful," Chen Ling replied with a smile, in a great mood.

On the return trip, Chen Ling's "catch" was still quite plentiful.

A few plump grouper and sea bream were enough to satisfy the boat owner's gaze.

He paid a generous tip to thank the boat owner for his "companionship," which made the boat owner beam with joy.

He kept saying he would definitely look for him again next time he came.

Carrying his "spoils of war," Chen Ling found a secluded corner where no one was around, and with a thought, he entered the cave again.

The Dongtian Sea area has changed dramatically.

Dozens of seagulls were initially startled, circling and calling out in the unfamiliar sky.

But soon, they sensed the abundant vitality and pure atmosphere of this place, and began to tentatively land on the newly appeared reefs, preening their feathers and curiously observing this new world.

The pelicans then plunged directly into the sea, their huge throat pouches contracting, seemingly showing great interest in the fish and shrimp swimming in the water.

The underwater world is even more magnificent and colorful.

Various coral fragments and skeletons form the basic landscape, which, although not yet fully grown, is already taking shape.

Colorful tropical fish dart and hide among them, seahorses hook their tails onto algae leaves, and clownfish nestle among the tentacles of sea anemones.

The newly transplanted seaweed unfurled and swayed with the waves.

The entire sea area is brimming with unprecedented vitality.

Chen Ling surveyed his "ocean kingdom" with satisfaction and released the few fish he had brought back into the sea.

Watching them quickly adapt to their environment and swim away happily, a sense of creative joy fills my heart.

"Not bad, this is getting interesting." He muttered to himself, imagining the magnificent scene of fish migrating, seabirds soaring, and coral forests forming in this sea area in the future.

After busying themselves in the cave for a long time, adjusting the ocean currents and the sun's projection, they went to see the leopards and jackals who had begun to adapt to the environment and were showing a stronger competitive posture in the "primitive survival zone".

Chen Ling then left the cave satisfied.

Less than an hour had passed in the outside world.

He carried the few fish he had used as cover, took a bus, and returned to his home in the Mid-Levels in the evening.

The setting sun bathed the hillside in a warm golden hue, the temperature dropped, and the sea breeze brought a touch of coolness.

From afar, one could hear the sounds of children playing in their own yard.

Upon closer inspection, Chen Ling couldn't help but smile.

In the open space outside the courtyard gate, Little Iron Egg was sticking out his butt, seriously taking care of "the most important thing in a dog's life".

Kang Kang, who had just learned to walk, actually imitated Tie Dan, squatting down next to it with his little face turning red and making "hmm hmm" sounds as he tried to imitate it perfectly.

Previously, Wang Susu and Chen Ling would hold him and help him urinate and defecate.

Now that we have a dog, he's learning to poop like a dog, so Mom doesn't have to worry about him anymore.

Lele sat in the sandpit not far away, waving her little shovel and watching her younger brother and the dog with curiosity.

Wang Susu, standing to the side, was both amused and annoyed. Holding a tissue, she said, "Kang Kang! Get up! You're a baby, you can't poop like Tie Dan!"

Rui Rui and Wang Zhenzhen each held a brand new slingshot.

Wang Zhenzhen's is older, while Rui Rui's is clearly the children's version.

He was aiming at the sparrows chirping in the tree not far away.

"Auntie! Over there! That one is so fat!" Rui Rui's little face turned red with excitement as she stood on tiptoe, clumsily pulling on the rubber band.

Shh! Keep your voice down! Watch me!

Wang Zhenzhen squinted one eye, aimed, and with a "snap," the pebble flew out, but unfortunately it missed a little, startling a flock of sparrows.

"Oh no! Just a little bit more!" Wang Zhenzhen stomped her foot.

"Haha, Auntie missed! Rui Rui, come on!" Rui Rui hurriedly launched his own pebble, but it flew off somewhere.

Chen Ling pushed open the courtyard gate with a smile: "Oh ho, has our family formed a 'Boy Scouts'? ​​You really know how to have fun!"

"Dad!" Rui Rui was the first to see him, immediately dropping his slingshot and running over. "Dad, look! Auntie made a slingshot for Rui Rui! It's longer than the one at home, and it can shoot birds!"

"Brother-in-law! You're back!"

Wang Zhenzhen ran over, holding up her slingshot to show off, "I made this! Pretty impressive, right? We even shot down a crow this afternoon!"

Wang Susu breathed a sigh of relief when she saw her husband return. She quickly picked up Kang Kang, who was imitating a dog pooping, and cleaned him up: "You're finally back! Look at your good son, he doesn't learn anything good, he only learns Tie Dan's pooping!"

Chen Ling looked at Kang Kang's innocent yet slightly smug expression and laughed heartily. He walked over, took his son, and rubbed his beard against his little face: "You little rascal, you're a person, you need to go to the toilet, you know? Learning this from Tie Dan, aren't you ashamed?"

Kang Kang was amused by his father and kept laughing.

Lele also wobbled over, opening her little arms for a hug.

Chen Ling picked up the two little ones, one in each arm, and sat them down by the sandpit: "Okay, okay, our Lele is the best behaved. Let's play in the sand, shall we?"

After taking care of his "major dog life matter," Tie Dan happily ran over and circled around Chen Ling's legs, wagging his tail like a windmill.

"Did things go smoothly?" Wang Susu asked as she tidied up.

"It went smoothly. 'Fire Cloud' just had some internal dampness and heat. We used some medicine and taught Brother Hua some methods to regulate it, and he's much better now."

Chen Ling briefly explained, "I also went to the dock and bought some fresh fish to steam for dinner."

"Daddy's awesome!" Rui Rui worships without thinking.

"Brother-in-law, is Uncle Hua's big dog as fierce as our Heiwa Xiaojin?" Wang Zhenzhen asked curiously.

“Different breeds. Tibetan mastiffs look fierce, but they’re really just so-so. Heiwa Xiaojin is one in a million.”

Chen Ling laughed and said, "However, once our dog farm is up and running, we'll raise a few mighty Tibetan Mastiffs for you to play with."

"Great! Great!" Wang Zhenzhen clapped her hands.

"Alright, you've all worked up a sweat. Come inside and wash your hands. It's time to eat. I'll try making some raw marinated food for you today!" Chen Ling said, holding Kang Kang and Lele.

"Time to eat!" Rui Rui cheered and rushed into the house.

"Raw marinated food is all raw. Can they eat it? Won't they get diarrhea?"

Wang Susu was somewhat worried that raw food, especially meat, could easily cause worms in a child's stomach.

She often carries medical books, so she naturally knows about these kinds of things.

"It's okay, I specifically chose fresh ones..."

Chen Ling smiled and shook his head. This was something he had taken from his cave, so naturally there wouldn't be any hidden dangers.

"Besides, this is seafood. Seafood won't cause parasites in our stomachs."

"Only by eating raw freshwater fish can you get parasites."

"Oh? There's such a saying?"

Wang Susu had never heard of it before, and looked over with a surprised and adorable expression.

"Haha, we live on land and eat fresh water. Seawater is saltwater. Even if seafood has parasites, those that are used to the seawater environment can't survive in our bodies."

Chen Ling explained the situation to his wife, patted her head, and they went inside together.

have to say……

Children who have seen a lot of the outside world grow up very quickly.

It's completely different from living in a small mountain village, and even more different from staying with my parents and never going out.

Chen Ling then took Rui Rui, Kang Kang, and Le Le into the cave and had them all receive the spiritual water baptism.

It is still the core spiritual spring baptism.

They are all clever, quick-witted, and fast learners.

Now, they see all sorts of people and all kinds of new things every day, and they are in a stage of curiosity and imitation.

They learn everything very quickly.

After dinner, Chen Ling was surprised to find that Kang Kang and Lele had already learned to play with toys.

Some building blocks can be easily assembled into a decent-looking structure.

And Kang Kang can call me "Mommy" now.

Lele has learned to call out "Mommy," "Daddy," and "Brother."

This made Chen Ling extremely happy and overjoyed.

"It seems I really need to take them out to play more often in the future, broaden their horizons, which will be more beneficial to their growth." (End of Chapter)