My 1995 Small Farm.

Chapter 947 Touring the Countryside
After the ceremony, Chen Ling didn't linger.

He was still thinking about the yellow chrysanthemums in Yangtougou.

After saying goodbye to Wang Laishun, I went home to prepare.

At the farm, Afu and Ashou seemed to know they were going out and appeared quite excited.

Two tigers circled around Chen Ling, their huge heads rubbing against his legs, making a "purring" sound in their throats.

"Don't worry, I'll take you out to have some fun right away." Chen Ling smiled and patted their sturdy backs.

He went into the storeroom, took a small cloth bag, and also picked up a sharp hunting knife.

Wang Susu stood under the eaves with Lele in her arms and instructed, "Be careful on the road, keep an eye on Afu and Ashou, don't let them scare people."

"Don't worry, I know what I'm doing," Chen Ling replied, then mounted the little blue horse.

After yesterday's "battle," Little Green Horse's spirits have changed, and it seems to have regained its confidence.

Head held high and chest puffed out, its hooves lightly pawing the ground.

Heiwa and Xiaojin automatically stood guard on both sides without being told.

Seeing this, Little Iron Egg also got anxious and barked, biting Chen Ling's trouser leg and refusing to let go.

"Forget about you, you're too short-legged to keep up."

Chen Ling picked it up and put it in Wang Zhenzhen's arms, who had run out after hearing the noise: "Just stay home and play quietly."

Wang Zhenzhen hugged Xiao Tiedan and made a face at Chen Ling: "Brother-in-law, come back soon. I still want to eat your braised pork ribs. I'm going to school tomorrow and will be staying at Aunt Hongyu's house for a while!"

"You greedy girl, I know."

Chen Ling gave the reins a shake, and the little blue horse began to trot.

Ah Fu and Ah Shou let out a low growl and took steady steps, following behind the horse on the left and right.

Like two arrows released from a bow, Heiwa and Xiaojin rushed out first, clearing the way ahead.

This group of careless and haphazard individuals left the farm again and headed out of the village.

This time, their target was not just Yangtougou, but the mountainous and forested areas centered on Chenwangzhuang and radiating to several surrounding villages.

Chen Ling's plan was very clear:

Using the natural deterrent power of Asuka and Asuka as the kings of the forest, they leave strong scent marks on key paths and areas by urinating, burying feces and hair.

This marking serves as a clear warning and expulsion for other wild animals, especially fierce beasts with a strong sense of territory like the Yellowtail.

Tiger feces and urine contain pheromones that can convey the signal that "this place is inhabited and powerful," enough to deter most wild animals from approaching human settlements.

Our first stop was Kinmen Village, the closest village to Chenwangzhuang.

It's about four or five miles from Chenwangzhuang to Jinmen Village, which isn't far.

The sun was shining brightly on a May afternoon.

The trees on both sides of the mountain road are lush and green, and wildflowers bloom here and there.

A gentle breeze carries the fresh scent of grass and trees.

Afu and Ashou walked leisurely, stopping from time to time to sniff the roadside scents or rub their itch against the tree trunks.

For them, it really was like a walk.

But their appearance was like an earthquake for the other animals in the mountains and forests.

Just outside Chenwangzhuang, a red muntjac that was grazing in the bushes smelled the tiger's scent from afar. It let out a scream in fright and scrambled away into the deep mountains.

A large flock of birds fluttered up from the tree, chirping and chattering as if sounding an alarm.

Even the wild rabbits hiding in the grass huddled together, trembling.

"The effect is good." Chen Ling nodded in satisfaction.

The scent of a tiger is absolutely intimidating to ordinary wild animals.

Although the tiger civet is special, even it would be wary of such a strong tiger scent.

After walking for about ten minutes, we crossed the stone bridge over the Jinshui River.

A wide-open space appeared ahead, with dozens of houses scattered on the hillside.

It is Kinmen Village.

At the entrance of the village stands an old locust tree, its branches and leaves lush and verdant, under which several old men sit seeking respite from the heat.

Upon seeing Chen Ling and his group, the old men were taken aback at first, then stood up abruptly.

"Old tiger!"

An old man nearly dropped his pipe.

"Don't panic, don't panic, it's Chen Fugui from Chenwangzhuang!" Another sharp-eyed person recognized Chen Ling.

Chen Ling reined in his horse, dismounted, cupped his hands, and said with a smile, "Gentlemen, I apologize for disturbing you. I am Chen Ling from Chenwangzhuang. I have been entrusted by the county to lead tigers to patrol this area and prevent the spread of wild animals."

"Over-the-mountain yellow?!" The old men's faces changed.

"That thing is here again?"

"I've heard they eat people without spitting out the bones!"

Chen Ling briefly explained the situation, emphasizing: "Everyone, don't worry too much. With Afu and Ashou here, the tiger won't dare to approach the village easily. I came here this time to have the tiger leave tiger droppings and urine around our village as a marker."

After saying that, he patted Afu's head and said, "Afu, go and pee under that tree."

Afu tilted his head to look at Chen Ling, then at the old locust tree, and seemed to understand.

It walked leisurely to the tree, raised its hind leg—

"Wow—"

A liquid with a strong odor was poured onto the tree roots.

The old men stared in disbelief.

Chen Ling then had Ashou mark the other side of the village entrance.

Then he took out a small cloth bag from his bag, inside which were the tiger hairs that had been cut off.

He dug a shallow pit, buried the tiger fur in it, and then covered it with soil.

"That'll be fine."

Chen Ling patted the dirt off his hands: "The tiger's scent can last for a while. During this time, everyone should close the doors and windows at night and try not to go into the mountains alone. If you find anything unusual, notify the village immediately. The county has started sending guns in the last two days and has organized the former militia."

"Yes, yes, we got it!" The old men nodded repeatedly.

At this point, the other villagers were also alerted.

Adults and children alike came out to watch the excitement.

"It really is a tiger!"

"What a huge tiger!"

"Chen Fugui is really amazing, even tigers listen to him!"

The children were both scared and curious, hiding behind the adults and peeking out to watch.

A few daring teenagers tried to approach, but their parents pulled them back.

The village chief of Kinmen Village also came; he was a dark-faced man in his fifties, surnamed Kin.

He grasped Chen Ling's hand, deeply grateful: "Brother Fugui, thank you so much! Our village is so close to the mountains, we've been living in fear these past few days! Your arrival has put us at ease!"

"It should."

Chen Ling smiled and said, "We're all from the same village, so we should look out for each other."

Village Chief Jin insisted on taking Chen Ling to his home, saying he absolutely had to treat him to a meal.

Unable to refuse, Chen Ling had no choice but to agree to have a bowl of tea.

The Jin family's courtyard was not large, but it was kept very clean.

Village Chief Jin's wife brought out some roasted pumpkin seeds from her own farm and brewed a pot of coarse tea.

"It's nothing special, Brother Fugui, please don't mind," Village Chief Jin said apologetically.

"That's good."

Chen Ling grabbed a handful of sunflower seeds and said while cracking them open, "Village Chief Jin, your village should also be more vigilant about the wild boar. Organize a few young people to patrol at night, preferably with some loudspeakers, like gongs and drums, because wild animals are afraid of those."

"I've got it, I've got it." Village Chief Jin nodded repeatedly.

Just then, a commotion broke out in the courtyard.

It turned out that the villagers had come to deliver the supplies on their own initiative.

"Fugui, these are the eggs my family has saved up, take them!"

"I have two dried wild rabbits here, enough to nourish the tiger!"

"The fish we caught yesterday are still alive!"

Before long, a small pile of things appeared in front of Chen Ling: eggs, cured meat, dried wild game, fresh fish, and even a small jar of honey.

Chen Ling was both amused and exasperated: "Folks, this really isn't necessary. It's only right that I bring the tiger on patrol. How can I accept your things?"

"We must accept it!"

An elderly woman said tremblingly, "You brought a tiger to protect us, what is this little thing? We'll feel bad if you don't accept it!"

"Yes, Brother Fugui, please accept it!"

"If you don't accept it, you're looking down on our Kinmen Village!"

It’s hard to refuse such hospitality.

Chen Ling had no choice but to accept it.

When we left Kinmen Village, the sun was already setting.

Chen Ling distributed the gifts from the villagers: he took the eggs and cured meat home, and left the fish and game for the tiger as a treat. Afu and Ashou had walked and "worked" today, so they really needed some nourishment.

The second stop was Taoshugou.

This village is named for its abundance of peach trees.

It was the time when the peach blossoms had faded and the green peaches were just beginning to form, and the peach orchards covering the mountains and plains were lush and verdant.

Many villagers from Taoshugou work at sand quarries in the county town.

The news is more readily available in Kinmen Village.

They had obviously received the news.

As soon as Chen Ling and his group arrived at the village entrance, they saw a group of people waiting there. The leader was Tao, the village chief of Taoshugou. He was a thin old man.

"We've been waiting for you, Fugui!"

Village Chief Tao greeted them from afar: "Our village heard early this morning that you were coming, and the whole village has been waiting for you!"

Chen Ling dismounted and exchanged pleasantries.

The villagers in Taoshugou are even more hospitable than those in Kinmen Village.

Perhaps it's because the village is closer to the mountains, with many ravines, that the fear of wild animals is deeper.

As usual, Afu and Ashou marked the entrance to the village.

Chen Ling also buried tiger hair.

Then, Village Chief Tao insisted on taking Chen Ling for a walk around the village: "Brother Fugui, it's rare for you to come all this way, come and see our village's peach orchard! The peaches are growing well this year, and when they're ripe, I'll send you a few baskets!"

Unable to refuse the village chief's hospitality, Chen Ling had no choice but to follow him on a tour of the village.

Taoshugou is indeed a wonderful place, surrounded by mountains on three sides and water on one side, with peach trees forming a forest, making it a picturesque landscape.

"It's a pity, it's too remote and the road is difficult to travel."

Village Chief Tao sighed, "The peaches are ripe but can't be transported out; they'll just rot in the fields."

Chen Ling had an idea: "Village Chief Tao, the peaches are ripe. I'll help you think of a way to sell them. The peaches can be made into canned goods or dried fruit, so we won't have to worry about selling them."

"Have you forgotten what wild fruits our village cannery collected a couple of years ago? We even collected hawthorns..."

"Are you still harvesting this year? That's wonderful!" Village Chief Tao's eyes lit up. "Then, then our village will have to thank you for eight generations!"

"You're too kind, you're too kind."

In Taoshugou, Chen Ling received many more "gifts":
The peaches aren't ripe yet, but the villagers have already brought over their own stock.

Dried peaches, peach gum, and several large bags of dried peach leaf tea.

"This peach leaf tea is good for clearing heat and detoxifying, it's best to drink it in summer!"

"Peach gum can be used to make porridge; it's a good thing..."

An older woman said enthusiastically, "Take Fugui home with you, and let your children have some too!"

Chen Ling thanked them one by one.

It was already getting dark when we left Taoshugou.

Chen Ling checked the time and decided to go to the next village before heading home.

The third stop was Majia'ao.

This village is not only full of people with the surname Ma, but it is also famous for raising horses, with almost every household raising horses.

Little Green Horse originally came from this village.

As soon as Chen Ling's little blue horse entered the village, it caused a stir among the herd of horses.

"Xilulu——"

The horses in the village smelled the tiger and neighed incessantly, some even trying to break free of their reins.

The villagers of Majia'ao are indeed experts in horse breeding. Although they were surprised to see two tigers, they quickly calmed down.

The village chief's surname was Ma. He was a strong man in his forties with a muscular build, clearly someone who dealt with horses year-round.

"Fugui, your horse is no ordinary horse."

Village Chief Ma immediately spotted the little blue horse: "To remain so calm next to a tiger, it's a fine horse!"

"Village Chief Ma has a good eye."

Chen Ling laughed and said, "This horse is indeed quite intelligent. It was Old Ma Shuzi from your village who taught me how to train it."

"It's more than just a little bit spiritual."

Village Chief Ma circled the little blue horse, marveling, "This frame, these muscle lines, it's no worse than the best horse in our village!"

"The key is this courage—Brother Fugui, are you selling this horse? Name your price!"

Chen Ling was both amused and exasperated: "Village Chief Ma, this horse is not for sale. I raised it from a cub; it's like family to me."

"What a pity, what a pity."

Village Chief Ma shook his head repeatedly, then looked at Afu and Ashou: "Everyone says you can hunt tigers and catch leopards, but these two tigers... were they raised by you too?"

"That's it."

"Amazing, amazing."

Village Chief Ma exclaimed, "I, Ma Laosan, have raised horses all my life and seen countless fine livestock, but I've never seen anyone like you who can tame a tiger like a house cat before!"

The villagers of Majia'ao make a living by raising horses and have a natural fascination with good livestock.

When Afu and Ashou were marking their tracks in the village, a group of horse herders surrounded them, pointing and commenting.

"Look at this tiger's gait, steady and powerful, it's definitely the king of the mountains!"

"The color and the sheen of its fur—it's been taken very good care of!"

"Look at its eyes, they're so intelligent! They seem to understand human emotions!"

Afu grew impatient with the stares and turned around to let out a low growl.

The group of men were not afraid at all; on the contrary, they became even more excited.
"Listen to that roar! It's full of energy!"

"What a tiger! What a tiger!"

Chen Ling found it amusing.

These horse breeders really treat tigers like livestock.

In Majia'ao, Chen Ling received a different gift:
Village Chief Ma gave him a fine saddle, several horse herders gave him a few specially made horse brushes, and a large bag of hay that horses love to eat.

Old Ma also came out. When he saw Chen Ling, he said warmly that he had saved some good horse breeds and would show them to him in the fall.

"Brother Fugui, if you need horse tack in the future, come to us anytime!"

Village Chief Ma patted his chest and said, "Our village may not be good at anything else, but we are unparalleled in making horse tack!"

"sure."

The last stop was naturally Yangtougou.

This is the place where the traces of the wild chrysanthemum are most clearly visible, and it is also the place that Chen Ling is most worried about.

At the village entrance, Yang Erbao and his group had been waiting for quite some time.

"Fugui! You've finally arrived!"

Yang Erbao hurried over, his face full of anxiety: "Several dogs in the village didn't bark last night, which is unusual. I heard from the village that it's been like this for several days in a row. I'm really worried..."

"Don't rush, Uncle Erbao, let me take Afu and Ashou for a walk around the village first."

Chen Ling dismounted and let Afu and Ashou walk in front.

As soon as the two tigers entered the village, the village dogs were immediately too frightened to make a sound, and some even huddled in their dens, trembling with fear.

But this time the villagers weren't afraid; instead, they flocked out to see.

"The tiger is coming! The Yellow Crocodile will definitely not dare to come!"

"This is a tiger raised by Chen Fugui. Look at that big guy, it can't be bad!"

Chen Ling ignored the surrounding discussions and carefully examined the terrain of the village.

Yangtougou has an open terrain with gentle slopes on three sides, making it easy for large wild animals to hide.

He chose the foot of the slope in the east, west, and north directions of the village and had Afu and Ashou mark the spots by urinating on them.

Tiger urine has a strong, pungent odor that can travel far with the wind.

“These points are the only way for wild animals from the mountains to enter the village.”

Chen Ling explained to Yang Erbao, "There's the scent of a tiger in the air; most wild animals wouldn't dare approach."

"What about the wild yellow?" Yang Erbao was still worried.

"Although the Yellow Tiger is formidable, it will think twice before attacking a tiger."

Chen Ling said, "Wild animals have their own exclusive territories and will not easily trespass into the territory of other beasts unless necessary."

After marking the village entrance, Chen Ling led the team towards the forest where traces of the mountain pheasant had been found the day before.

Upon arriving at the destination, he instructed Afu and Ashou to defecate under several large trees, and then personally buried the tiger hair in nearby crevices and bushes.

"This smell is really strong!" Yang Erbao covered his nose, but still couldn't help looking at it curiously.

After doing all that, Chen Ling searched the surrounding area carefully.

No new traces were found, which is normal; lynxes that have become spirits are not easy to deal with.

Even when it snows, ordinary lynxes can leave no trace in the snow, only a single footprint, like a ghost.

Not to mention giant lynxes that have become sentient.

If it weren't for the fact that hairy creatures are naturally prone to scratching themselves to relieve their itch, they probably wouldn't even leave any hair behind.

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