My 1995 Small Farm.

The first rays of sunlight in the morning had just climbed over the eastern hilltop.

The farm was then engulfed in a cacophony of birdsong.

The sound didn't gradually increase.

Instead, it was as if an unseen hand had suddenly turned on the volume knob...

Suddenly, a chorus of birdsong, in various tones and rhythms, came from all directions.

It filled every inch of air.

The swallows under the eaves chirped and twittered, their calls clear and urgent.

The turtledoves in the orchard cooed softly and deeply.

The magpies in the poplar tree chattered loudly and hoarsely.

The reed warblers chirped softly and continuously in the reeds...

Countless sparrows chirped and chattered, creating a noisy background sound.

Occasionally, the sounds of a shrike's sharp "caw-caw" and a kingfisher's short "chirp-chirp" could be heard.

It was practically a grand chorus of birds, performed without a conductor yet with perfect order.

Su Xiaomei woke up amidst this commotion.

She rubbed her sleepy eyes, listened intently, and a smile unconsciously appeared on her face.

Having lived in the city for so long, she hadn't heard such pure and vibrant sounds of nature in a long time.

She opened the window, and the air, sweet with dew and fragrant with the scent of grass and trees, rushed in, instantly invigorating her.

The farmyard was already bustling with life.

Wang Susu was drawing water from the well, while Gao Xiulan was starting a fire in the kitchen, with wisps of smoke rising into the air.

Kang Kang and Lele wobbled as they chased the crab-eating mongoose all over the yard. The chubby little guy was happily munching on a cucumber that had somehow appeared out of nowhere.

Two little muntjacs stood gracefully under the grape trellis, nibbling at the tender green grass shoots on the ground.

The most lively place was the orchard.

"Got it! Got another one!"

"It's just a sparrow! It's so fat!"

"Look, look! That dove is flapping its wings!"

Rui Rui and Xiao Ming's joyful shouts mingled with the birdsong, sounding exceptionally clear.

Su Xiaomei curiously put on her coat and walked out of the farm gate, only to see several children gathered in front of the bird netting by the orchard.

Besides Rui Rui and Xiao Ming, Liu Ni'er, Xi Zi, Xiao Sen, and other mischievous kids from the village also came, their eyes shining as they stared at the "trophies" fluttering online.

Today's harvest seems exceptionally bountiful.

Seven or eight birds were hanging on a green nylon net.

The largest grey dove was struggling desperately, its wings flapping so hard that the net swayed slightly.

Three or four plump sparrows nearby were also entangled, chirping incessantly.

What's even more surprising is that there are two brightly colored birds online.

One is a yellow-throated bunting with a black crest on its head and yellow-green plumage, while the other is a redtail robin with gray-blue back feathers, orange-red belly, and a long tail.

"These two are too beautiful to eat!"

Liu Nier pointed to the two colorful birds and said, "Uncle Fugui said that good birds that eat insects should be released."

"I know, I know!" Rui Rui puffed out her little chest: "Dad taught me to recognize birds! Yellow-rumped warblers eat insects, and so do red-rumped warblers. They are all good birds!"

Xiao Ming stared longingly at the fat dove: "Then...can we eat the big one? The doves eat our fruit!"

"Definitely!" Komori licked his lips. "Dove meat is delicious, especially roasted!"

The children were arguing when Chen Ling came out of the house.

He had clearly just gotten up; his hair was still a bit tousled, but his eyes were bright.

Seeing his online haul, he smiled and said, "Wow, not bad for today."

"Dad! Come quick!"

Rui Rui ran over and grabbed his hand: "There are two beautiful birds, we know them, they eat insects!"

Chen Ling walked over and carefully examined the two colorful birds. He nodded in satisfaction: "Not bad. Rui Rui and Xiao Ming recognized them very well. The Yellow-throated Bunting and the Red-tailed Robin are both beneficial birds that eat pests. We should release them."

He skillfully untied the two birds from the net.

The yellow-throated bunting fluttered twice in his palm, but instead of flying away, it tilted its head and looked him up and down with its small, beady eyes, as if to make sure that this two-legged creature meant him no harm.

With a gentle lift from Chen Ling, it flapped its wings with a "chirp" and disappeared into the orchard.

The redtail robin did the same, circling once in the air before flying away, leaving behind a string of clear calls.

"Good birds understand human nature," Chen Ling murmured as he watched them fly away.

Then he took off the sparrows and doves.

The sparrows were put into a small bamboo cage, and the doves were tied by their legs with thin ropes. The cage was handed to Liu Ni'er: "Take this and ask Grandpa to take care of it. We'll add some dishes for you at noon."

"Alright!" the children cheered, carrying their spoils and running excitedly towards the kitchen.

Su Xiaomei then stepped forward and exclaimed, "Brother Chen, your bird netting is really effective, but... do so many birds crash into it every day?"

"There have been a lot lately."

Chen Ling patted the dust off his hands and looked at the orchard: "It's true that birds come in droves during the Lesser Fullness of Grain. This year, the rains have been good, there are many insects, so the birds have multiplied a lot. Plus, the fruit in my orchard is sweet, so they're all eyeing it."

Just then, an unusual commotion suddenly came from the west side of the farm.

The sound was neither birdsong nor human voice, but a long, drawn-out cry similar to the cry of a crane, mixed with the warning calls of wild geese and the excited barking of Little Iron Egg.

"What's going on?" Su Xiaomei looked curiously toward the source of the sound.

Chen Ling listened intently and smiled, "Come on, I'll take you to see. I guess they've got some guests from the small pond to the west."

The two walked towards the west side of the farm, and Rui Rui and Xiao Ming followed curiously.

On the west side of the farm, there is a small pond that he created, which is connected to a mountain spring water channel. The water is clear and the aquatic plants are lush.

Reeds and cattails grow along the edge of the pond, which is usually a favorite habitat for geese and wild ducks.

But at this moment, the peace here has been broken.

In the center of the pond, three elegant red-crowned cranes with long necks and crimson heads stood proudly, their long legs submerged in the water. Their white feathers shimmered softly in the morning light, making them look like celestial birds that had stepped out of a traditional Chinese ink painting.

One of them was stretching its neck and calling out, its clear and melodious voice echoing over the pond.

On the bank of the pond, more than twenty geese were arranged in a semi-circle, stretching their necks and honking loudly, their wings slightly spread, in a wary posture. The male goose in the lead, with black ring-shaped markings on its neck, was particularly excited; it even rushed forward a few steps, trying to drive away the uninvited guests in the water.

The two sides remained locked in a standoff, one side elegant and composed, the other aggressive and menacing, creating a rather comical scene.

"This is……"

Su Xiaomei's eyes widened: "Red-crowned cranes? How did they get here?"

"It flew over from Lake Yamanaka."

Chen Ling explained, "There's a large lake in the mountain area I contracted. The ecological environment is good, which has attracted many red-crowned cranes to settle here. Sometimes they fly out and wander around, probably attracted by the aquatic plants and small fish in this small pond."

"Then the geese are unhappy?"

"Of course I'm not happy about it."

Chen Ling laughed and said, "The wild geese have made this pond their territory. Although I clipped their flight feathers and they can't fly away for the time being, they have a strong sense of territory. The red-crowned cranes have 'invaded' it."

Just then, an even more hilarious scene unfolded.

The "Bull Demon King" and his herd of bison, who had been grazing leisurely near the cowshed, seemed to have been attracted by the commotion. The largest bull raised its head, snorted, and strode steadily toward the pond.

Several cows followed behind it.

The cattle came to the pond and stopped behind the flock of geese.

The Bull Demon King looked at the red-crowned cranes in the water, then at the excited geese, and suddenly let out a long "Moo!"

The voice was deep and resonant, carrying an undeniable authority.

The geese were startled by this sudden "support" and turned around one after another.

The red-crowned cranes also stopped calling, and three pairs of sharp eyes stared at the enormous creature on the shore.

Then, Little Iron Egg also came to join in the fun.

This little Tibetan Mastiff appeared out of nowhere. Although it was only a few months old, its inherent bravery was already beginning to show.

Upon seeing this scene, it was not afraid at all; instead, it barked excitedly and rushed towards the water's edge with its short legs.

Judging from its posture, it seems to want to jump into the water and "have a discussion" with the red-crowned crane.

Rui Rui quickly ran over and hugged it tightly: "Tiedan! No! Can you swim? Why are you jumping in?"

Little Iron Egg struggled in his arms, still barking at the pond, its cute yet fierce appearance making everyone laugh.

The "Bull Demon King" mooed again, and this time it took two steps forward. The oppressive feeling brought by its massive body made the flock of geese instinctively make way for it.

It stood by the water's edge, lowered its head to drink a few sips, then raised its head, its amber eyes calmly watching the red-crowned cranes in the water, its gaze seeming to say, "You've finished drinking, now you can do as you please."

Strangely enough, its interruption eased the tense atmosphere of the confrontation considerably.

One of the red-crowned cranes, the largest in size and with the most vibrant crimson head, gracefully lowered its neck, as if paying homage to the giant bull on the shore.

Then it flapped its wings and led the other two geese slowly to the other side of the pond, where they began to leisurely forage for food, ignoring the warnings from the flock.

Seeing this, the geese chatted amongst themselves for a while, and when they saw that the cattle showed no sign of leaving and the red-crowned cranes gave way, they gradually relaxed.

The black-necked male goose called out a few more times in a show of defiance before leading the flock to disperse. Some continued to forage, while others preened their feathers, but their eyes kept glancing in the direction of the red-crowned crane.

A potential conflict was thus resolved through the mediation of the cattle and the meddling of Xiao Tiedan.

Su Xiaomei stared in disbelief, her notebook already open, her pen flying across the paper as she jotted down this rare sight.

Photographer Xiao Li had already set up his equipment to capture the entire scene.

"Amazing……"

Su Xiaomei murmured, "It seems that these animals really do have some kind of communication mechanism."

Chen Ling stood beside her, his gaze gentle as he looked at the diverse creatures around the pond: "Animals are much smarter than people imagine. They have their own social rules, a sense of territory, and they can weigh the pros and cons."

"Although the Bull Demon King is still wild and untamed, he has stayed on the farm for a long time and knows that this is home. He will subconsciously maintain the peace here."

“The wild geese treat the pond as their territory, and the red-crowned cranes are guests. Since the guests don’t know the rules, the host naturally has to warn them.”

"As for the Bull Demon King... he probably felt that everyone eats grass, so there was no need to make things too tense."

"What about Tiedan?" Xiaoming pointed to the Tibetan Mastiff puppy still struggling in Ruirui's arms.

Chen Ling laughed: "Tie Dan is like a newborn calf that is not afraid of tigers. It hasn't fully figured out the situation yet, but it already has the instinct to protect its owner and home. Seeing the strange big bird 'invading', it felt it had a responsibility to stand up."

Just then, Wang Susu came over from the kitchen: "The food is ready. Let's eat first. Xiaomei, Xiaoli, try our farm's breakfast."

Breakfast was laid out on the stone table under the grape trellis, simple yet plentiful: golden millet porridge, soft white steamed buns, homemade pickled cucumbers and dried radishes, a plate of scrambled eggs, and a dish of leftover locust flower rice from last night.

Su Xiaomei took a sip of millet porridge. The rice oil was thick and the aroma of rice was rich. It was the pure fragrance of grain that she hadn't tasted in a long time.

The scrambled eggs are made with free-range eggs, which are golden in color, smooth and tender in texture, and have a natural sweetness.

"It's delicious!" she exclaimed sincerely. "Is all of this homegrown?"

"The eggs are laid by our own chickens, the rice and flour are grown in the village, and the vegetables are picked from the garden."

Wang Susu smiled gently: "There's nothing rare about it, it's just new."

Just as they were eating, Wang Laishun's voice came from outside the courtyard gate: "Fugui, are you up yet? The truck from the county water conservancy bureau delivering cement and stone has arrived. Technician Liu wants you to go over and take a look at how to arrange the unloading."

Chen Ling finished his porridge in a few gulps, grabbed a steamed bun, and said, "I'm going now. Reporter Xiaomei, you guys eat first. I'll be back as soon as I've made the arrangements. Let's go to Yangtougou as planned."

“I’ll go with you to take a look,” Su Xiaomei said, standing up as well. “We can film some footage of the materials being transported for the flood control project.”

"That's okay too."

When the two arrived at the construction site on the riverbank at the east end of the village, it was already a bustling scene.

Three trucks loaded with cement and five tractors carrying gravel were parked on the side of the road. Technician Liu was explaining the unloading location to the drivers with blueprints.

Wang Laishun organized the able-bodied men in the village to prepare for unloading the truck.

Upon seeing Chen Ling arrive, Technician Liu hurriedly greeted him: "Boss Chen, you've finally arrived! There are thirty tons of cement and fifty cubic meters of crushed stone in total. How should we allocate them? My suggestion is to focus on reinforcing the weakest section of the old river bend first..."

Chen Ling took the blueprints and looked at them, then inspected the vehicles and materials on site, and quickly made arrangements: "The old river bend section is indeed the most urgent. Send 15 tons of cement and 20 cubic meters of crushed stone over there first."

"The rest branch off downstream of the Jinshui River. Although that section is not as dangerous, the river is winding and the erosion is severe."

"If we don't have enough crushed stone, the waste from the lime kiln can last for a while."

His arrangements were clear and well-organized, with a clear focus. Technician Liu nodded repeatedly, "Okay, we'll do it your way!"

Su Xiaomei had Xiao Li film the transportation and distribution of materials, while she interviewed several villagers who were working.

"Brother, you're here to work so early? Aren't you tired?"

The man, wiping his sweat, smiled憨厚ly: "Not tired at all! We're building this dike for ourselves, so it's worth it! Besides, the county pays us, ten yuan a day, which is equivalent to two days' wages as a laborer in the city!"

Another, slightly older villager chimed in, "Exactly! Before, when there were floods, it was truly unbearable to watch helplessly as crops were submerged and houses were flooded. Now that the dikes have been reinforced, we can sleep soundly from now on!" (End of Chapter)