My 1995 Small Farm.

Su Xiaomei quickly stepped forward to shake hands: "Hello, Comrade Chen Ling. I am Su Xiaomei from the provincial TV station. We interviewed you two years ago. At that time, you had a thousand-year-old turtle here, and your white cow was selling tickets. I wonder if you still remember?"

"remember."

Chen Ling nodded with a smile: "Reporter Su's report at the time was very truthful. It helped us get on CCTV, and the villagers also made money. Everyone in the village remembers your kindness."

These words were spoken sincerely, and Su Xiaomei felt a warmth in her heart.

She didn't expect the other party to remember an interview from two years ago so clearly.

"Our first purpose in coming here is to report on the flood control project and the development of mountain villages in our county. The second is about your hunting of wild boars in Hong Kong Island."

Su Xiaomei explained her purpose: "However, regarding the matter of wild beasts, I heard that you played a significant role in it, and even... tamed tigers to help defend against wild animals?"

As she spoke, her gaze couldn't help but drift towards Afu and Ashou.

The two tigers were sitting quietly behind Chen Ling, their amber eyes curiously observing the stranger. Their enormous size and innate majesty made even the worldly-wise Su Xiaomei secretly startled.

"A-Fu and A-Shou are very gentle and will not hurt people."

Chen Ling noticed her nervousness and turned to the two tigers, saying, "Say hello to the reporter."

Ah Fu let out a low "woof," while Ah Shou tilted his head, looking rather endearing.

Su Xiaomei mustered her courage and cautiously took two steps forward.

Afu stretched out his huge head and gently sniffed her hand, his warm breath spraying onto the back of her hand.

“It, it is…” Su Xiaomei was a little nervous.

"It's remembering your scent."

Chen Ling explained, "Animals mainly recognize people through their sense of smell. Once they've smelled you, they'll know you're a friend the next time they see you."

Sure enough, after Ah Fu finished sniffing, he stepped back, squatted down again, and his eyes became peaceful.

Su Xiaomei breathed a sigh of relief, but was even more surprised.

Is this tiger really so intelligent?
“Comrade Chen Ling, can we have a chat with you? We can also take some footage.” she asked.

"of course can."

Chen Ling readily agreed, "But the construction site is busy right now, so let's not disturb everyone's work."

How about this, I'll show you around the village first, then show you our orchards and farms. We can have lunch at my house and chat while we eat?"

"That's great!"

Su Xiaomei couldn't have gotten what she wanted.

Chen Ling gave Wang Laishun a few more instructions about the construction site, then led the horse, along with the two tigers, and guided Su Xiaomei and Xiao Li towards the village.

……

On the way, Su Xiaomei seized the opportunity to interview Chen Ling: "Brother Chen, I heard that you were the one who first proposed the reinforcement of the flood control dike? What were your considerations at the time?"

Chen Ling walked steadily along the country dirt road, his tone calm: "Actually, there wasn't anything particularly special about it. There was a major flood a couple of years ago. Although nothing serious happened here, a section of the dike did break down."

After spring began this year, I noticed that animals in the mountains were very active. Even the legendary weasel-like creatures had migrated to the outskirts. I was worried that if there was another flood, and the dikes weren't strong enough, the village's fields and houses would be destroyed.

"I had just returned from Hong Kong Island and saw their typhoon prevention work there, so I mentioned to the village secretary that we could mobilize the villagers to reinforce the dikes properly."

Firstly, it serves as flood prevention; secondly, it provides everyone with a way to earn some extra money during the off-season; and thirdly... with more people, the noise will deter wild animals in the deep mountains from approaching human settlements.

His words were simple, yet every single one hit the nail on the head.

Su Xiaomei nodded as she took notes: "Killing three birds with one stone, that's a very practical idea. I heard you also patrol the area with two tigers to deter wild animals?"

Speaking of this, Chen Ling smiled: "Afu and Ashou are animals I raised from a young age. They are intelligent and do not harm people. After all, they are the kings of the forest. With them around, ordinary wild animals dare not act recklessly."

I let them wander around the outskirts of a few villages, leaving some scent trails, kind of like marking out a 'safe zone'.”

"How amazing, is this what they mean by using beasts to control beasts?"

Su Xiaomei listened with a series of amazed clicks: "Everyone says Brother Chen is an extraordinary person. Only an extraordinary person could come up with such a wonderful method."

Little Li, who was standing next to him, said, "I came here last time too. There was a wild boar king back then, right, Brother Chen?"

“Yes, there was a wild boar king, but I killed it. What you see should be the big skeleton outside the farm gate,” Chen Ling said with a smile.

"Yes, yes, that's it." Xiao Li nodded excitedly.

"Back then, the kids would climb up and ride on that big bone frame."

Su Xiaomei said with some regret, "I only came once that year. After that, it was other young people who came with Sister Yin Huan from CCTV. I heard that they came several times and brought back all sorts of things with everyone."

"I also asked Mr. Sun, who owns a restaurant, to buy a lot of things and he even sent over a group photo with the children."

"Huh? Where are the children?"

The children had already carried the locust blossoms to the farm.

Only Rui Rui and Xiao Ming followed along excitedly, each holding onto Chen Ling's clothes on either side, curiously examining the camera.

"Dad, Brother Xiaoming said that this black box is like a TV, and it can hold a person's image, right?" Rui Rui asked.

"Yes, it can still talk."

Chen Ling smiled and patted his head, "But it's not on yet. When it is, you guys have to behave well so that all the children in the province can see how spirited the kids from Chenwangzhuang are."

"Then I want to change into new clothes!" Xiaoming said immediately.

Everyone laughed.

Walking along the village road, Su Xiaomei took pictures of the scenery along the way while asking Chen Ling about his development over the years.

There's not much to say about Chen Ling; he's used to a carefree, unconventional lifestyle.

Even starting a breeding farm was something they only did when they had a lot of children at home.

So you don't have to think about it at all.

He talked about his breeding farm, dog farm, fruit tree planting, and specialty breeding.

From participating in flood control projects to building a village primary school, he recounted his experiences one by one.

Although he sometimes speaks his mind, he only talks about things that are real and tangible.

So Su Xiaomei listened attentively, her pen flying across her notebook as she took notes, her opinion of the young man growing ever higher.

When Su Xiaomei arrived at the entrance of the farm, she was amazed by the scene before her.

The courtyard, with its blue bricks and gray tiles, is built against the mountainside, and the grapevines are lush and verdant, with flowers and plants everywhere.

A canal runs through the courtyard; the water is crystal clear, and you can see fish swimming around it.

The orchard is full of fruit trees, with peaches, apricots, pears and apples hanging from the branches, and the bird netting is almost invisible in the sunlight.

Inside the barn, several enormous bison were grazing leisurely, while a small white calf beside them was pure white, like an elf.

What surprised her even more was that there were quite a few "special members" in the yard:
A plump meerkats is munching on a crab.

Two little muntjacs ran back and forth.

A little Tibetan Mastiff excitedly jumped into Rui Rui's arms.

Under the eaves, several swallows are carrying mud to build their nest...

"This place...it's practically a zoo," Su Xiaomei couldn't help but exclaim.

“We’re all family,” Chen Ling said with a smile, then called into the house, “Susu, we have a guest!” Wang Susu responded and came out of the kitchen, wearing an apron around her waist and holding a spatula in her hand.

When she saw Su Xiaomei, she was slightly taken aback, then smiled gently: "Are you a reporter? Please come in and sit down. It's almost noon, I'll cook a few more dishes."

She had delicate features and a gentle temperament. Although she dressed simply, her every move exuded the poise of a well-bred lady.

Su Xiaomei was stunned when she saw her. She hadn't expected her former daughter-in-law to be so outstanding after not seeing her for a while. She quickly greeted her, "Hello, sister-in-law, sorry to bother you."

"Don't bother me, you all sit down and have some tea. I'll go cook a couple more dishes," Wang Susu said, then went back to the kitchen.

Chen Ling invited Su Xiaomei and Xiao Li to sit down at the stone table under the grape trellis and come up for a soak.

The tea leaves were wild tea picked and processed by Wang Cunye and his team themselves. The tea soup was clear and bright, with a unique aroma.

"Besides the flood control project, what else do you want to film this time?" Chen Ling asked.

Su Xiaomei put down her teacup and said seriously, "To be honest, we want to do a series of reports on the theme of 'Revitalizing Mountain Villages in the New Era'."

Your Chenwangzhuang is a very good example...

With capable leaders, supported by industries, and with villagers united and in high spirits, the village has a strong sense of community.

Especially your story about taming tigers to guard against wild animals—that's quite legendary, and the audience will definitely love watching it.

She paused, then added, "Of course, we don't want to deliberately create a sense of mystery. Instead, we want to use this event to show how humans and nature can coexist harmoniously, and how grassroots communities can use their wisdom to overcome difficulties."

After listening, Chen Ling pondered for a moment and nodded: "I understand what you mean."

Okay, this afternoon I'll take you to the forest farm's dog farm and breeding farm. If you're free tomorrow, you can come with me to Yangtougou to see firsthand how we protect ourselves from wild animals.

"That's wonderful!" Su Xiaomei exclaimed with delight.

At this moment, Wang Susu and Gao Xiulan came out carrying dishes.

The dishes are not complicated, but each one is delicious and visually appealing.

Stir-fried seasonal vegetables, stir-fried cured pork with garlic sprouts, braised carp, cucumber salad, and a large bowl of freshly steamed locust flower rice.

The locust flower rice was glistening with grains of rice and snow-white locust flowers. It was mixed with minced garlic and sesame oil, steaming hot and incredibly fragrant.

"These are the locust flowers the children just picked?" Su Xiaomei asked in surprise.

"Yes, it's fresh."

Chen Ling served her a bowl, saying, "Try it, you can't find this taste in the city."

Su Xiaomei scooped up a spoonful and put it in her mouth.

The sweetness of locust blossoms, the softness of rice, the spiciness of minced garlic, and the richness of sesame oil blend together on the tongue, creating a unique and wonderful flavor.

"It's delicious!" she exclaimed sincerely.

"If it tastes good, eat more."

Wang Susu smiled and served her some food, saying, "It's all homegrown, it's not expensive, but it's fresh."

The atmosphere at the dinner table was relaxed and harmonious.

When Su Xiaomei asked about the daily life at the farm, Chen Ling and Wang Susu recounted it in detail, talking about the children's funny stories, the animals' spirituality, and the mutual help among the villagers.

As they were eating, a commotion arose outside the courtyard.

The children are back, carrying empty baskets, chattering excitedly as they report their achievements: "We gave some locust blossoms to the school construction site, and the kitchen said they'll steam some locust blossom cakes for lunch, so everyone can have some!"

"Brother-in-law, can you make us locust flower cakes tomorrow too?" Wang Zhenzhen poked her head in, her eyes darting around.

"Okay, have you guys eaten yet? If not, come and eat with us," Chen Ling invited.

"We're eating the communal meals at the construction site!" Liu Ni'er shouted. "There's meat today! Let's go! Auntie, Rui Rui, let's go catch some birds..."

The children ran off in a swarm again.

Watching their retreating figures, Su Xiaomei remarked with admiration, "The children in your village are so full of energy and spirit."

"Children from poor families learn to be independent early."

Chen Ling said, "But life is much better now, and they can get more education, so they will definitely be better off than us in the future."

After the meal, Chen Ling indeed took Su Xiaomei and Xiao Li to the forest farm.

The scale of the dog farm opened Su Xiaomei's eyes; more than 300 dogs were kept in separate pens, with a wide variety of breeds and orderly management.

In the breeding area, cattle, sheep, and deer are plump and healthy, and the area is full of vitality as it is the breeding season.

Su Xiaomei had Xiao Li shoot a lot of footage, and she also interviewed Shanmao, Zhao Dahai, and others to learn about the operation model of dog farms and breeding farms, as well as their job creation.

When Su Xiaomei returned to the farm in the evening, her notebook was already full.

She knew in her heart that this interview would yield far more results than expected, including not only "hard news" such as flood control projects, but also rich "soft stories" such as rural revitalization and the relationship between people and nature, enough to make a high-quality series of reports.

That evening, Su Xiaomei and Xiao Li were arranged to stay in a guest room at the farmhouse.

Lying on the clean bed, listening to the chirping of insects and croaking of frogs outside the window, Su Xiaomei couldn't fall asleep for a long time.

She recalled everything she had seen during the day: the children's playful climbing of trees to pick locust blossoms, the bustling activity at the construction site, the tacit understanding between Chen Ling and the tiger, the animals living in harmony at the farm, and the villagers' simple yet hopeful smiles...

All of this constitutes a real and moving picture of a mountain village.

She sat up, turned on the desk lamp, and wrote the following in her notebook:

"In Chenwangzhuang, I saw the most vivid illustration of rural revitalization."

It is not a slogan, not a document, but the real lives created on this land by individual people with their sweat and wisdom.

There are talented people here, but they are not the only talented people.

There is industry here, but even more so, there is warmth.

Here, they guard against wild animals, but they also understand the importance of coexisting with nature.

"Tomorrow, I'm going to Yangtougou to see where the legendary 'Over-the-Mountain Yellow' once roamed. But for some reason, I'm not too scared."

Perhaps it's the people here that gave me a strange sense of confidence...

They can live alongside tigers, tame bison, and unite as one to build dikes.

Therefore, no matter what difficulties they face, they can find a way.

At this point, Su Xiaomei stopped writing and looked out the window.

The moonlight, as silvery as silver, bathed the courtyard.

The distant mountains stand silently, while the nearby fruit trees sway gently in the night breeze.

This mountain village is undergoing a quiet yet profound transformation.

And she was fortunate enough to become the recorder of all of this.

She gently closed her laptop, turned off the light, and went to bed.

Tomorrow, many more new stories await her discovery, so she needs to be fully prepared.

Following a tiger on a tour of the countryside, through villages and alleys—just thinking about it is exciting.

She dared not think too much, afraid she wouldn't be able to sleep. (End of Chapter)