My 1995 Small Farm.

Chapter 937 Changes in the Fish School, Leader's Commendation [Seeking Monthly Tickets]

Chen Ling put down his basket, stood on a flat boulder by the lake, and took a deep breath.

The air was filled with the slightly fishy, ​​refreshing scent of lake water, the delicate fragrance of reeds, and the aroma wafting from the distant mountains and forests, making one feel relaxed and happy.

No matter how many times he sees it, the scenery of this mountain lake always moves him to awe and tranquility.

This is nature's most generous gift.

His gaze first fell on the lake.

Last autumn, he secretly released a lot of fish fry that he had brought from the cave into the lake.

The main species are the Qinling fine-scaled salmon, known for its delicious flesh and extremely high water quality requirements, and the brightly colored and equally outstanding red-lipped barbel.

Fish fry nourished by the spiritual waters of the cave possess extremely strong vitality and extraordinary adaptability.

At that moment, he looked intently and saw groups of fish darting nimbly among the water plants in the shallow water near the shore.

The slender-scaled salmon had grown to about a foot long, with a streamlined and beautiful body. Their silvery-gray scales shimmered with a metallic luster in the sunlight, and the tiny black spots densely covering their backs were clearly visible.

They swim swiftly, sometimes gliding by in groups, sometimes hovering among the aquatic plants to forage, in excellent condition.

What surprised Chen Ling even more were those red-lipped fish.

When they were first released, they were just tiny fry, about the length of a finger, but now most of them have grown to about two feet long.

They are tall and flat on the sides, resembling carp, but with much more vibrant colors.

The body color of adult red-lipped barbs is quite variable, gradually transitioning from bluish-gray on the back to a bright orange-red on the belly.

Especially during the breeding season, the crimson color on the sides of the male fish becomes exceptionally vibrant.

At this moment, several exceptionally robust male fish are swimming slowly in the deep water.

Their orange-red sides, like the glow of sunset, resemble flames burning in the azure lake.

Breathtakingly beautiful.

They gracefully swayed their broad tail fins, unhurried and composed, already possessing the air of "aristocrats" in this lake.

"Wow, it's grown so fast..."

Chen Ling couldn't help but admire him in a low voice.

Although he knew that the spiritual water in the cave was extraordinary, the fact that these fish could grow to such an extent in natural waters still exceeded his expectations.

The lake in this mountain has excellent water quality and abundant food, plus the initial fish fry were laid well.

It appears that a very healthy population has been formed.

In time, this place will become an excellent fishing spot.

The fine-scaled salmon and the red-lipped barb also have extremely high economic and ornamental value.

However, he himself is reluctant to open it up to the public.

If you've contracted it out, then you can use it yourself, and at most, you can come and visit with close friends.

After observing the lake fish, Chen Ling turned his attention to the reeds.

He parted the dense reeds and carefully made his way deeper into the forest.

The ground is covered with soft silt and aquatic plants, so you need to be extra careful when walking.

"quack--"

From deep within the reeds came the clear and ethereal cry of a crane, wary but not particularly alarmed; rather, it carried a sense of familiarity.

Chen Ling followed the sound, moving even more slowly.

He knew that red-crowned cranes were naturally alert, much more so than geese.

Soon, he spotted the red-crowned cranes on a slightly elevated, dry meadow partially surrounded by reeds.

The view here is excellent, overlooking a large area of ​​lake shore and shallow water.

Several shallow, dish-shaped nests, constructed from reeds, twigs, and their own feathers, were simply placed on the dry grass.

Unlike the bustling scene when I saw the goose nests before, the red-crowned crane nesting area appeared more "spacious" and "orderly".

The distance between each nest demonstrates their emphasis on territory.

In some nests, adult red-crowned cranes lie quietly, with gray-green spotted crane eggs faintly visible beneath them.

Near some nests, you can see a fledgling crane with yellowish-brown down, taking its first steps, stretching its neck and looking around curiously.

"Holy crap, no way, it's happening this fast this year...?"

"Not only did it lay an egg, but it also hatched a baby crane???"

Chen Ling was surprised for two seconds, then realized something was wrong. The year the red-crowned cranes first arrived, their breeding season was delayed due to floods and continuous rainfall.

Wild birds, if their offspring die young, will try to start another nest before autumn.

This is similar to how humans strive to have a second or third child before a certain age.

However, wild animals exist to survive and continue their lineage.

This is something etched into their genes.

"No wonder."

"No wonder they don't come to the farm to eat fish in groups, but in twos and threes."

"So it had already laid eggs a long time ago."

As soon as Chen Ling opened his mouth to speak, the wary adult red-crowned cranes noticed him.

The adult red-crowned cranes that were the first to spot Chen Ling have stopped calling out.

They emerge from the reeds and stand in the shallow water a little further away or near their nests, their long necks held high, the distinctive crimson on their heads standing out starkly against the green reeds and blue water.

Their bright black eyes stared at Chen Ling, and they spread their wings to greet him.

They clearly recognized him.

Chen Ling smiled gently and waved to them, "It's been so long since I've visited you. You've been secretly incubating eggs and having babies..."

"Quack quack..."

As if in response to Chen Ling's words, the lead red-crowned crane tilted its gracefully shaped head slightly and let out a short, almost greeting-like chirp.

It stopped about two or three steps away from Chen Ling.

Its long neck stretched forward, and its dark, pointed beak gently touched the back of Chen Ling's hand hanging by his side.

Its cool and hard texture, yet strangely intimate.

Chen Ling smiled, reached out, and familiarly stroked the smooth feathers on the lower part of its neck.

"Old buddy, you're pretty vigilant, sneaking around here to expand your ranks. Looks like you're doing well."

The red-crowned crane squinted comfortably, making a soft "gurgling" sound in its throat.

But its attention was quickly drawn to the bamboo basket that Chen Ling had placed at his feet.

The bright red, purplish-black, and orange-red wild fruits in the basket exuded a fresh, sweet fragrance.

More importantly, Chen Ling always carried a faint, unique aura from the cave that made them feel comfortable and eager.

The crane king gracefully lowered its head, its long beak gently touching the mulberry leaves used to line the side of the basket with goat milk fruit.

Then, he tentatively pecked at a plump mulberry.

It wasn't looking for fruit, of course; it was looking for food it liked.

Chen Ling immediately understood.

He slipped into the cave and came out carrying a small bucket.

It contained some fresh small fish and shrimp.

As soon as he took it out, the red-crowned crane's attention shifted instantly. It stretched its long neck, and its beak tip accurately probed into the bucket. Then, without any hesitation, it snatched away two small fish and swallowed them with its head tilted back.

After swallowing it, it let out a satisfied squeak and then lowered its head again.

Perhaps this red-crowned crane is the leader, surrounded by several adult red-crowned cranes, including two parent birds that are raising their chicks.

None of them were that bold, but they all gathered around.

Standing a short distance away, with its long neck stretched out, it stared longingly at Chen Ling and the small bucket in his hand.

It emits a soft, urging call.

Even at the edge of the nest in the distance, there were two fluffy, still unsteady baby cranes.

It also tried its best to take small steps, and under the watchful eye of its parent birds, it wobbled closer.

Tilting its little head, it looked curiously at this "big guy" that could bring delicious food to its parents.

Surrounded by these ethereal yet adorable birds, Chen Ling's heart melted.

He simply poured out the small fish and shrimp from the bucket and placed them on a few clean stones and a large leaf, so that each crane could eat them.

The flock of cranes immediately and swiftly "got moving".

The pecking motion still carried the unique composure of a crane, but the speed was clearly not slow.

After finishing its portion, the crane king actually strolled over to Chen Ling and began to curiously and gently peck at the corner of Chen Ling's pocket with its long beak.

Just like when I first came to Chenwangzhuang.

They would even search the villagers' pockets back then.

Seeing that Chen Ling did not stop it, it tried to put the tip of its beak into the pocket and feel around, as if to check if there was any "stock" left inside.

He looked just like a child begging for candy, which made Chen Ling laugh.

"Okay, okay, that's all for today. I'll bring you some more next time."

Chen Ling gently patted the Crane King's back, and then touched the necks of several adult cranes that were close by.

They seemed to enjoy the contact; some even gently touched Chen Ling's hand with their beaks to show affection.

After feeding them, Chen Ling did not disturb them too much as they were raising their young and resting.

He quietly added a little more diluted spiritual water to the shallows where the cranes often drank, and then prepared to leave.

The crane king seemed to know he was leaving, and followed him closely to the edge of the reeds, letting out a long cry, as if bidding him farewell.

The other cranes also stopped what they were doing and looked in his direction.

"Go back now, and keep an eye on your babies."

Chen Ling smiled and waved, then turned around, picked up the bamboo basket, and hurried home.

The beautiful scenery of lakes and mountains, the leaping fish and the chirping of cranes—this was his most carefree world.

When I got home, breakfast was ready.

Today, Wang Cunye and Gao Xiulan cooked millet porridge, made some egg pancakes, and stir-fried a plate of golden-yellow free-range eggs.

At the dinner table, Zhang Lihua heard that Chen Ling was going to check on the school first, and that if Zhang Lihua was going to the county town to find Shanmao, he would ride his motorcycle there.

Upon hearing this, Zhang Lihua stopped talking about going to the dog farm and started clamoring to go along as well:

"I'll go and see for myself how your village school was built."

"I'll mention it in my Hong Kong Island social circle later, and maybe I can get some more sponsorships to buy books and stationery for the kids."

This is naturally a good thing, and Chen Ling welcomes it.

So, after breakfast, Chen Ling, Wang Laishun, and the village accountant, who was also the old man from the Li family who had gotten married young, met up.

With Zhang Lihua included, the four of them strolled towards the east end of the village.

The open space at the east end of the village is located on the edge of the village and is slightly higher in elevation.

Far from the Dayantang pond, the area covers about ten acres and is overgrown with weeds and scattered shrubs.

Behind it is a gently sloping mountain forest, and in front is a wide view with picturesque fields in the distance. The small river that winds around the village and the old stage are all in sight.

"This place is nice..."

Zhang Lihua immediately praised, "The location is high and cool, far from floods, spacious enough, and sunny."

“Building a school here will make it bright and spacious for children to attend classes and have a place for activities.”

Wang Laishun held up the simple blueprints provided by the county and gestured to Chen Ling:

“Fugui, look, according to your idea, the classrooms face south, this row... the playground is over here, the wall starts from here, leaving a gate... the toilets are in the downwind corner... what do you think?”

Chen Ling looked around and silently planned in his mind: "Fifth Uncle, I think it's a good idea. We can leave an open space in front of the classroom, plant some trees, and make a small flower bed so that the children have a shady place to play after class."

"The playground doesn't need to be completely paved. Just leave a grassy area in the middle for playing football or something, and pave the sides. That will save money."

"The wall must be sturdy. Dig a deep foundation and build it with stones. The top can be made of bricks, but it must be high enough. Safety is the top priority."

"Also, we need to reserve some space in case there are more students in the future and we need to add classrooms or build a cafeteria, so there will be room for expansion."

As Chen Ling spoke, Wang Laishun and Li Yongfu made annotations on the drawings, nodding repeatedly.

“Wealth and status require long-term planning; one must reserve space for them,” Li Yongfu said.

“Okay, let’s make a preliminary agreement today. Tomorrow I’ll go to the county and tell them what we’ve agreed on,” Wang Laishun decided.

As the group discussed the matter, some elderly villagers who were interested in the issue and other villagers who were free gradually gathered around, offering their opinions in a lively atmosphere.

Zhang Lihua watched from the sidelines, deeply moved.

In Hong Kong, donating money to build a school might just be a check or a news report.

But here, he witnessed firsthand how everyone, from the village chief to the villagers, treated this as their own business, offering advice and taking personal responsibility.

This sense of unity and genuine enthusiasm is far more moving than the numbers on a check.

He quietly took out his camera and recorded the bustling scene.

Around noon, the general plan was finalized, and everyone dispersed.

When she got home, Wang Susu was hanging clothes out to dry in the yard.

Seeing Chen Ling, he smiled and said, "You're back? Perfect timing. The postman just delivered a letter, it seems to be from the city, and it has your name on it."

"A letter from the city? It can't be one of those audience members and book lovers again..."

Chen Ling was somewhat surprised. He took the envelope and saw that it was signed "Municipal Government".

He opened the letter, quickly glanced through it, raised his eyebrows slightly, and showed a surprised expression.

"What's wrong? What happened?" Wang Susu asked.

Chen Ling handed her the letter: "Read it yourself."

Wang Susu took the letter, and Wang Zhenzhen and Rui Rui also curiously came over to take a look.

The letter read:

"Comrade Chen Ling: I recently learned that during your time on Hong Kong Island, you bravely fought a wild boar that posed a threat to public safety in a busy area, successfully protecting the safety of citizens. This demonstrated your extraordinary skills and high sense of social responsibility, and your deeds are truly admirable."

"This move showcases the elegance and magnanimity of our mainland..."

The letter was signed by a municipal government leader and also mentioned that Secretary Zhang of the provincial capital was already aware of it, and that the school should have already started construction by now.

We should give Chen Ling strong support, and even directly say that we want him to be the honorary principal.

"Wow, brother-in-law, you've become a model employee..."

Wang Zhenzhen cheered, "Sister, is it true that brother-in-law is going to be the principal? Wouldn't it be great if I went to school with him? I could eat and drink well every day, and no teacher would dare to bully me."

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