My 1995 Small Farm.

However, before Chen Ling could make a move, Afu and Ashou could no longer contain themselves.

The two tigers had no interest in the turtles in the water, but were very interested in these small prey on land.

Afu silently crouched down, his belly almost touching the ground, like an oversized cat, and slowly approached the flock of quails.

Tigers are extremely good at stealth; despite their large size, they make almost no sound when concealed by reeds and grass.

The quails seemed to sense danger, their calls becoming more urgent, but they did not fly away immediately.

Perhaps it's because there are baby quails to protect.

Just as Afu was three or four meters away from the flock of quails, it suddenly exerted its strength, and its huge body shot out like an arrow!

“Pu la la la—”

The flock of wild quails took flight in fright and scattered in all directions.

But Afu moved too fast, and with one slap, he pinned them both down.

Not to be outdone, Ah Shou pounced and caught one too.

"Amazing!" The children were dumbfounded.

They had seen tigers hunt before, but this was the first time they had ever seen one hunt such a small bird.

What's even more amusing is that after Ah Fu and Ah Shou caught the quail, they didn't rush to eat it. Instead, they played with it like cats playing with mice, pawing at it with their paws and having a great time.

"Afu, Ashou, stop playing, you'll die if you keep playing." Chen Ling walked over with a smile.

The two tigers then stopped "playing" with the quail that was still flapping its wings and carried it to Chen Ling. They placed it on the ground and looked at him with expectant eyes, as if they were asking for credit.

"Good, good, you're all great." Chen Ling patted each of their heads, picked up the quails, and put them in the fish basket.

Although the pounce scared away most of the quails, five remained.

Three were caught by the tiger, and two more were knocked down by Chen Ling with a bamboo pole in the chaos.

"That's enough, that's enough to eat." Chen Ling was very satisfied.

Just as I was about to leave, a piercing "chirp chirp chirp" sound came from the riverbank again, like the sound of scraping metal, which was particularly abrupt in the quiet night.

"It's a water chicken!"

Liu Nier exclaimed, "This thing is hard to catch! It runs fast and can even dive!"

The waterfowl is a type of waterbird, slightly larger than a quail, with long legs and a good running ability. When it encounters danger, it will quickly dive into the water, making it indeed difficult to catch.

Chen Ling hadn't originally planned to catch the water chickens, but Afu and Ashou were attracted by their calls.

The two tigers looked at each other, then turned around at the same time and jumped into the river with a "plop"!

"Oh dear!" the children exclaimed.

All I could see were Afu and Ashou splashing around in the water, chasing after several startled water chickens.

Although tigers can swim, they are not aquatic animals after all, and their movements are somewhat clumsy.

The water cricket was much more agile, sometimes diving underwater and sometimes running swiftly on the surface, keeping the two tigers completely on their toes.

"Hahaha!" The children burst into laughter.

Ah Shou was chasing a waterfowl when, just as he was about to pounce on it, the waterfowl dove into the water and popped up two or three meters away, chirping twice as if mocking him.

Ah Shou was so angry that he splashed around in the water, creating a lot of spray.

Chen Ling chuckled, "Alright, alright, Afu and Ashou, come on up, you can't catch them."

The two tigers then reluctantly swam back to shore, soaking wet and their fur plastered to their bodies, looking rather disheveled.

They shook off the water, splashing the children and causing another round of laughter.

"Although we didn't catch any water chickens, our haul is still quite good."

Chen Ling counted his spoils: half a bucket of various river fish, five wild quails, and some small river shrimp he had caught earlier.

"Let's go home and stew quail!" Wang Zhenzhen cheered.

The group returned home laden with their loot, retracing their steps.

It was past nine o'clock in the evening when we got back to the farm.

When Wang Susu saw them return and noticed their bountiful harvest, she smiled and went to prepare hot water for the children to wash up.

Chen Ling then began processing the wild game.

Five wild quails were plucked, gutted, and cleaned. They were then marinated with cooking wine and ginger slices to remove any fishy smell.

Clean the small river shrimp and set aside. Separate the fish into categories: the larger ones can be braised or steamed, while the smaller ones can be fried.

"Let's stew the quail tonight."

Chen Ling told the children watching, "Wild game has an earthy smell, so it needs to be simmered over low heat overnight. By the next morning, it will be mushy and won't have any strange smell."

He lit a fire in the large stove and placed an iron pot on it.

Add a little oil to the pot, sauté ginger slices and scallion segments until fragrant, then add the marinated quail and stir-fry until the surface is slightly yellow.

Add cooking wine, soy sauce, salt, rock sugar, two star anise, a small piece of cinnamon, and a few bay leaves.

Pour in enough boiling water, bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce to low heat and cover with the lid.

"That's fine, let it simmer on its own."

Chen Ling clapped his hands, "If we add some mushrooms and potatoes tomorrow morning, it will be a delicious dish."

The firewood crackled in the stove, the broth in the pot simmered gently, and a fragrant aroma began to waft out.

It was the aroma of meat mixed with spices, growing stronger and more enticing.

After the children finished washing up, they were reluctant to go to sleep. They lingered in the kitchen, staring at the pot of stewed quail, swallowing their saliva.

"Go to sleep, you can eat tomorrow morning."

Chen Ling laughed and urged them to leave, saying, "Take a nap, and you can eat when you wake up."

After finally getting the children to sleep, Chen Ling washed up and returned to her bedroom.

Wang Susu was still awake, reading a medical book under the lamp.

"Is everything settled?" she asked, looking up.

"Yes, the quail stew is on the table. We'll add it to our dishes tomorrow."

The moonlight outside the window was perfect, and the courtyard was quiet except for the soft bubbling sound of the stew pot coming from the kitchen.

The occasional barking of dogs in the distance made the night seem even more tranquil and peaceful.

Chen Ling held his wife close, feeling exceptionally at ease.

"Go to sleep," Wang Susu said softly.

"Well, go to sleep."

The next morning, Chen Ling was awakened by the fragrance.

The quail, simmered over a low flame overnight, had filled the entire farm with its rich and mellow aroma, whetting the appetite.

He got up and went to the kitchen. He lifted the pot lid and saw that the broth had thickened and the quail meat was so tender that it fell off the bone with a touch of chopsticks.

He added soaked wild mushrooms and diced potatoes, and simmered it for another half an hour.

When the whole family got up, a pot of fragrant quail stew with mushrooms and potatoes was just ready.

The meat is tender and the mushrooms are fragrant; the potatoes have absorbed all the broth, becoming soft and flavorful.

Paired with freshly steamed buns and millet porridge, it's a truly hearty breakfast.

"Delicious! It's even better than chicken!" Xiaoming mumbled, gnawing on a quail leg.

"Wild game is wild game, it has a special aroma." Wang Zhenzhen also ate with relish.

Because Rui Rui was young, Chen Ling picked out the tenderest breast meat for him, removed the bones, and mixed it into the porridge. The little guy ate with gusto, nodding his head and looking completely satisfied.

Just as they were eating, Wang Laishun's voice came from outside the courtyard gate: "Fugui, are you up yet?"

"Get up, Uncle Wu, come in and sit down!" Chen Ling greeted him as he went out.

Wang Laishun walked into the courtyard, sniffed, and exclaimed, "Oh, what are you stewing? It smells so good!"

"I caught a few wild quails last night and stewed them overnight. Would you like to try some, Uncle Wu?" Chen Ling ladled out a bowl and handed it over.

Wang Laishun didn't stand on ceremony. He took the bowl, picked up a piece of meat, put it in his mouth, chewed a few times, and his eyes lit up: "Mmm! Delicious! Tender and fluffy! Fugui, your cooking skills are truly superb!"

He ate while getting down to business: "The dike construction project officially started today. Technicians from the county came to provide guidance, and people from all the villages are here. Would you like to go and take a look?"

“Yes, of course I’ll go.” Chen Ling finished his porridge in a few gulps. “I’ll be there in a bit. Ah Fu and Ah Shou should also go and make a trip to boost everyone’s morale.”

"That's great!" Wang Laishun laughed. "With two tigers around, everyone feels at ease!"

After breakfast, Chen Ling got ready and went out with Afu and Ashou.

Heiwa and Xiaojin naturally followed, and Xiaotiedan also jumped and skipped along.

Over a hundred people had already gathered on the riverbank at the east end of the village.

Young and able-bodied laborers from several nearby villages, including Chenwangzhuang, Jinmen Village, Taoshugou, and Majia'ao, are using shovels, picks, and carrying poles to mark lines and dig soil under the guidance of technicians.

The scene was bustling with activity.

People chanted slogans and sweated profusely.

Despite the hot weather, everyone was very motivated.

It can not only reinforce the dikes to prevent floods and protect homes, but also earn wages to supplement the family income, and deal with the yellowing of the mountains.

Who wouldn't be excited about such a great opportunity?
When Chen Ling arrived with the tiger, there was a commotion, but it quickly subsided.

Everyone knows Chen Ling and knows that these two tigers don't harm people; in fact, they are quite proud of them.

Look, we have a talented person here who can tame tigers!
Chen Ling had Afu and Ashou walk around the perimeter of the construction site and meet everyone.

The majestic figures of the two tigers certainly brought people an extra sense of security.

The technician, a bespectacled man in his thirties surnamed Liu, was a little weak in the knees when he saw the tiger, but gradually calmed down after Chen Ling explained.

He pointed to the blueprints and explained to Chen Ling, "Boss Chen, look, this section of the embankment was the most severely impacted by the flood two years ago. Although it has been reinforced after the flood receded, it will still be impacted in the next two or three years. We need to start from here..."

Chen Ling listened attentively, offering suggestions from time to time.

He had worked on construction projects in the cave, so he wasn't exactly an amateur when it came to civil engineering.

Just then, a splash came from the river.

As everyone looked, they saw a huge turtle slowly emerging from the water, its carapace gleaming with a deep brown luster in the sunlight.

"It's the Turtle Prince!" someone exclaimed.

The giant turtle swam to the shore, raised its head, and looked at the people on the construction site. Its eyes were gentle. It lingered for a moment, then slowly sank back into the water and disappeared.

"The Turtle Prince has come to inspect!"

An old man exclaimed excitedly, "This is an auspicious sign! It means that building the dike is a good thing, even the Turtle King approves!"

These words ignited everyone's enthusiasm even more.

Even those who were initially tired picked up their tools again.

Chen Ling gazed at the river surface where the giant turtle had disappeared and smiled slightly.

He thought to himself, "The Garlic and the others are growing very fast. They no longer gather in groups. Before, there were thirteen giant turtles together, but now they've probably settled down in different places and started raising their young."

However, he was at ease because everything that came out of the cave possessed intelligence.

The spirit of an old turtle is the same.

……

The construction on the river embankment was in full swing. After watching for a while, Chen Ling led Afu and Ashou up the slope.

The sun grew stronger, so he found a shady spot under an old locust tree and sat down, taking out his brand-new cell phone from his pocket.

The black body was heavy and gleamed with a cold, hard sheen in the sunlight.

He fiddled with the keyboard a few times, turned on the phone, entered "Yu Qi'an's" number, and pressed the call button.

The receiver emitted a busy tone, then was answered after a few rings. A slightly languid male voice with a Beijing accent came through:

Hello? Who is this?

"Qi'an, it's me, Chen Ling." Chen Ling said with a smile, his gaze still fixed on the crowd sweating profusely in the distance.

"Oh my! Wealth and fortune!"

"I heard you went home right after the news on Hong Kong Island?..."

"How's it going? I heard things' been pretty lively where you are lately? Building schools, repairing dikes, and even getting involved in that 'over-the-mountain yellow' thing?"

“You’re well-informed. The school just started construction, and the dam is also under construction in the next couple of days. As for the Yellow River... it’s been stabilized for now.”

"I just got a new cell phone, so I'm calling you."

The voice on the other end of the phone instantly rose in pitch, filled with surprise, "Haha, just paired up? You should have gotten one a long time ago!"

"Sigh, it was Brother Yuemin who assigned it to me. He complained that I always shirked my responsibilities..."

"Hahaha, you little rascal, you're the same way at the dog farm, always giving advice but never doing anything about it."

"I don't care where you are, I'll give you a dog later, okay?... By the way, how's your dog farm in the mountains of Changping doing?"

Chen Ling leaned against a tree root, and Afu came over and rubbed his shoulder with its big head. He then rubbed the tiger's ears.

"It's in progress!"

Yu Qi'an's voice was filled with excitement, "The location has been chosen. It's backed by mountains and near water, and the environment is a bit like your forest farm, except the forest isn't as dense."

"All the paperwork is in place, and they are currently leveling the site and building the enclosures."

"I did as you suggested last time. I left a large free-range area and even built a few lookout towers and training frames out of logs. I'll take pictures and send them to you later!"

"Oh, and I also brought back a few fine mastiffs from Inner Mongolia, genuine native Mongolian mastiffs from the grasslands. Their bone structure and coat color are absolutely amazing!"

"Once your dog farm is stable, we can exchange breeds and optimize the bloodline."

Chen Ling nodded in agreement: "That's good. Dog farms require a large initial investment and take a long time to show results. Just keep that in mind. If you encounter any difficulties, speak up immediately and don't try to tough it out."

"I know, I know, why am I being so polite with you?" Yu Qi'an paused, then his tone suddenly became mysterious. "Hey, Fugui, I have something to tell you, something serious."

"Huh? You say."

"Last year, didn't some friends from CCTV, and Lao Zhou and his group, try to get you to come to Beijing and have you and Er Tu Zi participate in the sequel to 'Journey to the West'? You mean Er Tu Zi was supposed to play the Golden-Winged Roc..."

"They asked me to formally invite you, along with Er Tuzi, to go to Beijing before the sixth month of the lunar calendar. Your fee will be based on the special effects fee."

Special effects salaries were still very high at that time.

Er Tuzi is indeed quite suitable.

This eagle, which was extraordinary from a young age, truly possesses a ferocity and intelligence that is difficult for ordinary eagles to match.

Let it play the role of the Golden-Winged Roc from mythology...

Judging from their appearances, they do seem to be a good match.

"Qi'an."

Chen Ling spoke slowly, his tone calm: "This matter... I'm afraid I need to think about it carefully. There have been too many things going on lately."

“I originally planned to come back after filming with Er Tuzi in the spring last year, but something came up in Hong Kong. As the second boss of the company, I couldn’t not support him.”

"Now, things are quite chaotic in the mountains, and Susu doesn't want me to go out anymore." (End of Chapter)