My 1995 Small Farm.

About half an hour later, the car drove into the simple courtyard of the Changle Township government.

Township Head Liu was an old man in his fifties with a dark complexion, wearing reading glasses and looking at documents in his office.

Hearing that Chen Ling and a reporter from the provincial television station had arrived, they hurried out to greet them.

"Wealth and honor! Oh, and there are reporters from the province too! Welcome, welcome!"

Township Chief Liu shook hands warmly, but his gaze was fixed on the two tigers behind Chen Ling, and he swallowed involuntarily.

"Mayor Liu, it's urgent."

Chen Ling got straight to the point.

He briefly recounted the story of the wild boar carcass in the forest and the provocation by the "over-the-mountain yellow" (a type of wild boar).

Finally, he said, "Relying on just one or two villages won't work; we need to mobilize the entire township to create momentum."

"I would like to ask you to step forward and, on behalf of the township, issue a notice to all the villages to establish the prevention and control measures."

After hearing this, Mayor Liu's expression also turned serious.

He was a local and knew all too well the significance of the "Over the Mountain Yellow" legend.

But he was even more aware that Chen Ling now had some reputation in the county and even the city.

His suggestion was quite significant.

"Fugui, you're right."

"This beast dares to be so arrogant, we can't let him get away with it!"

"Tell me, what are the specific plans? The township will fully support us!"

Chen Ling then explained his plan point by point.

During the day, drums and gongs are beaten to create a grand spectacle; at night, firecrackers are set off and bonfires are lit. Villages work together to strengthen patrols, raise more dogs, and hang noisy devices... The plan is clear, and the measures are specific and feasible.

Township Head Liu nodded repeatedly, his eyes growing brighter with each word: "Excellent! These methods are practical! They can both deter wild animals and boost morale! I'll draft a notice right away and have the messengers distribute it to everyone immediately..."

"Mayor Liu..."

Chen Ling interrupted with a smile: "Issuing notices is too slow. It's midday right now, and most of the laborers in each village are on the dike."

"How about... you go through the trouble of taking a ride with the provincial officials and we take a trip around the construction site along the river embankment?"

"Use the microphone and loudspeaker in the interview vehicle, and announce it yourself on the spot! The effect will be a hundred times better than a written notice!"

"By car? By broadcasting through a microphone?"

Township Chief Liu was taken aback at first, then his face lit up with an excited glow.

As the township head, he usually travels to the countryside by bicycle or on foot, and it's considered good if he can occasionally hitch a ride on a tractor.

I've hardly ever ridden in a car, let alone used a loudspeaker to make announcements.

Just thinking about it is so stylish and exciting!
"Will it work? This car... this horn..."

He looked at the SUV, feeling both eager and a little embarrassed.

Su Xiaomei immediately smiled and said, "Of course! Mayor Liu, our microphones for this interview have enough power. We can run them along the riverbank and make sure everyone at every construction site can hear us clearly."

"This is on-site work, the perfect news material!"

Xiao Li was quick-witted; he had already run back to the car, taken out the portable megaphone connected to the trunk, and started adjusting it: "Mayor Liu, try this; you can speak by pressing this."

Township Chief Liu took the black microphone; it felt heavy and slightly cool to the touch.

He coughed lightly and tried pressing the call button: "Hello? Hello? Cough cough, folks of Changle Township..."

The sound came from the speaker on the roof of the car, buzzing and with a slight electrical hum, but it was unusually loud, startling him and then filling him with even greater excitement.

"Okay! Let's do it this way!"

Township Chief Liu slapped his thigh, his spirits rising: "Fugui, reporter, let's set off now! I'll ride in your car!"

A moment later, the off-road vehicle led the way, followed by Chen Ling on horseback with the tiger.

A peculiar convoy drove out of the township government compound and headed towards the embankment construction site along the Jinshui River.

Township Head Liu sat in the passenger seat, his back ramrod straight.

Clutching the microphone tightly in my hand, my eyes fixed on the familiar country road ahead, I felt a sense of unprecedented difference.

Cars are so stable; they only have slight bumps when driving, making them much more comfortable than tractors.

The scenery outside the window rushed past, and a cool breeze rushed in through the car window, stirring his emotions.

The car first drove to the embankment construction site outside Majia'ao and Niuduzhai.

It was lunchtime, and a large group of people were sitting in the shade of trees and on the riverbank.

Hearing the sound of a car and the faint sound of a horn, everyone looked up.

Xiao Li slowed down.

Township Head Liu took a deep breath, pressed the call button, and brought the microphone to his mouth:
"Fellow villagers! This is Liu Jianguo! Listen up—"

A loud, slightly hoarse but powerful local accent instantly spread across the entire riverbank through a loudspeaker, drowning out all the noise.

Everyone was stunned. They put down their bowls and chopsticks, stood up, and looked at the SUV with the words "Provincial TV Station" painted on it.

And in the car was the township head, whom they were familiar with, but who now seemed particularly "impressive".

"In accordance with the township's emergency arrangements, and in response to recent signs of activity by large wild animals known as 'mountain leopards' in the mountains, the following preventative measures have been formulated to ensure the safety of the lives and property of all residents and the smooth progress of flood control projects. All village committees and villagers must strictly implement these measures!"

Township Chief Liu's shouts became smoother and smoother, his voice growing more and more powerful.

It carried a kind of majesty and power rarely seen on ordinary days, amplified by the sound equipment:
"First! Starting today, all flood control construction sites must organize drum teams or use other loud instruments to continuously create a loud noise during daytime construction! To amplify the momentum and deter wild animals!"

The crowd on the riverbank fell silent for a moment, then burst into discussion, but it was quickly drowned out by the sound of loudspeakers.

"Second! Each village must immediately establish enhanced nighttime patrol teams!"

"Equip your village with gongs, drums, flashlights, and torches! Every night, every two hours, set off firecrackers and double-bangs at the village entrance and main roads!"

"Light a campfire in the vicinity of the mountains and forests, and have people guard it throughout the night to keep the fire burning!"

"Third! Every household with a guard dog must let it roam freely at night! The village collective may hang scrap metal, old bells, or other noisy objects in key locations to create a buzz!"

"Fourth! The township has coordinated with Comrade Chen Ling of Chenwangzhuang to train tigers and regularly patrol dangerous areas to deter them! Any emergency in any village must be reported immediately!"

Township Head Liu laid out his points one by one, with clear logic and specific measures, finally raising his voice at the end:
"Fellow villagers! No matter how fierce or cunning the beasts in the mountains are, they are afraid of our unity! Afraid of our red flags waving! Afraid of our bustling crowds! Afraid of our brightly lit houses!"

"From today onwards, our Changle Township will let them know that this is our territory!"

"If it dares to show its face, we'll scare it back to its grandma's house! Do you all understand?!"

These words, amplified by the loudspeaker, were delivered with resounding force and boundless pride.

There was a moment of silence on the riverbank, then someone shouted, "Understood!"

"it is good!"

"Follow the township head!"

"Scare away that damned Yellow Croaker!"

The crowd instantly became agitated.

Village Chief Ma waved his straw hat excitedly: "Don't worry, Township Chief Liu! Majia'ao guarantees it will be the first to be implemented!"

As Mayor Liu sat in the car, watching the surging crowd outside the window and listening to the deafening response, a surge of emotion rushed to his head.

The feeling of sitting in a car and shouting through a megaphone is so inspiring!

He seemed to rediscover the passion he had when he led militia training back in the day, and he clenched his fist forcefully.

"Let's go! Next stop, Jinmen Village and Taoshugou!" Township Chief Liu commanded with high spirits.

The off-road vehicle moved slowly along the riverbank, with the voice of Township Chief Liu playing over the loudspeaker.

Every time he visited a construction site, it caused the same sensation and response.

Villagers from Kinmen Village, Taoshugou, and other villages along the way saw this "propaganda vehicle" and heard the township head personally deliver a "battle mobilization" through a loudspeaker.

At first, Mayor Liu seemed to be reading from a prepared script, but later he opened up completely and improvised based on the actual situation of each village.

Sometimes stern, sometimes encouraging, his use of local dialect mixed with a few newly learned "technical terms" was incredibly infectious.

Su Xiaomei sat in the back seat, the camera lens constantly pointed at Mayor Liu and the reactions outside the window.

She keenly realized that this was absolutely excellent news footage.

The most vivid and down-to-earth work scenes of grassroots township heads.

There was no rote learning, no endless meetings and paperwork, just a car, a loudspeaker, and a heart urgently dedicated to protecting the people. And the most direct and effective communication.

Xiao Li excitedly operated the equipment, capturing every detail.

The veins bulging on Township Chief Liu's neck as he spoke, and the villagers' expressions of sudden realization and eager anticipation after hearing the measures.

The children chased after the car, playing and laughing. Chen Ling rode his horse behind the car, his figure as steady as a mountain, with two fierce tigers following closely behind.

The last part is about sending the township head back.

The car finally made its way to Yangtougou.

Yangtougou is where the yellow weasel is found, and it is the area that receives the most attention.

Yang Erbao had heard the commotion and led his men to greet them, his eyes reddening.

Township Head Liu made sure the car came to a complete stop, got out, and patted Yang Erbao on the shoulder.

Then, picking up the microphone and addressing the gathered villagers of Yangtougou, his voice softened slightly, but became even more resolute:

"Fellow villagers of Yangtougou, you have suffered and been frightened!"

"Everyone in the village knows! I'm here today to tell you that from now on, all the villagers stand with you!"

"Let's beat the drums together! Let's light the bonfire together! Let's patrol and defend together!"

"If Huang dares to wander around this area again, let's show him what it means to have a barrage of cannons and what it means to be united as one!"

"In addition, I have approved all of Comrade Chen Ling's suggestions. The township will pay for firecrackers, twenty flashlights, and enough ammunition for your village patrol team!"

"We have the manpower, the noise, and the light! Let's see what kind of waves Huang Chao can stir up now!"

These words resonated deeply with the villagers of Yangtougou.

Fear stems from the unknown, but even more so from isolation and helplessness.

Now Chen Ling has summoned the township head.

The coordinated support from the entire township immediately made them feel more secure and emboldened.

"Thank you so much, Fugui!"

"Thank you, Mayor Liu!"

"We will definitely comply!"

"What are those Yellow Mountain Demons and monsters? Let's fight them!"

The shouts rang out again, this time with much more confidence.

Township Chief Liu got back into the car, and the SUV slowly drove away as the villagers of Yangtougou watched them go.

He put down the microphone, let out a long sigh of relief, and then felt his throat was a little dry, but he was incredibly excited.

Shouting all this way was more tiring than attending a half-day meeting, but it was also incredibly exhilarating!

"Mayor Liu, you really put in a lot of effort today."

Chen Ling rode his horse close to the carriage window and laughed, "That shout is worth more than me running my legs off."

“Oh, wealth and honor, what a way to put it.”

Township Chief Liu waved his hand, his face beaming: "You have a good idea! This is how it should be done! After what happened today, I dare say that in three days at most, the area along the mountains in Changle Township will be completely different!"

He turned to Su Xiaomei and said, "Reporters, you should take more pictures of how our fellow villagers are implementing these policies! This is all real work!"

Su Xiaomei nodded with a smile: "Mayor Liu, rest assured, we will definitely follow and report on the whole process. The way you are conducting your work on-site today is a great news story in itself."

Upon returning to his hometown, Mayor Liu immediately instructed the clerk to turn the content of his earlier speech into a formal notice, affix the official seal, and distribute it to each village for record-keeping.

These will also be included in the county annals in the future.

At the same time, he also called the county to briefly report the situation, which received affirmation and support from the county leaders.

Chen Ling then bid farewell to Su Xiaomei and returned to the farm with Afu and Ashou.

The next day, the villages along the mountains of Changle Township indeed had a completely new look.

As soon as dawn broke, the monotonous chants and tool sounds at the river embankment construction site were replaced by the rousing beat of gongs and drums.

The cowhide drum of Chenwangzhuang, the gongs and cymbals of Jinmen Village, the Yangko drum music of Taoshugou...

Although somewhat messy, it exudes a raw yet vibrant vitality.

The people working seemed to be infected by this rhythm as well.

They moved faster and shouted louder.

Su Xiaomei's camera captured this vivid scene.

Under the rising sun, crowds sweat profusely, pounding pestles fly, and red flags flutter in the wind.

And the constant, exhilarating sound of gongs and drums.

She keenly captured several close-up shots.

The old drummer's absorbed and energetic expression, and the young man's agile figure pounding the drums to the rhythm.

There were also children imitating the construction site, playfully banging on pots and pans.

The daytime hustle and bustle had not yet subsided.

The "showcase project" for the night was already in full swing.

After dark, bonfires were lit along the outskirts of the mountain village.

It wasn't a raging fire, but rather clusters of steadily burning bonfires.

The sunlight cast a red glow on the night watchman's face and the surrounding trees.

The patrol teams organized by each village carried brand-new flashlights, some of which were urgently dispatched by the township.

With a gong hanging from his waist and a string of firecrackers in his hand, he began patrolling along the predetermined route.

As instructed by Township Chief Liu, every two hours, at the appointed time, the villages along the mountain would almost simultaneously erupt in the crackling of firecrackers and the booming of double-bang firecrackers.

That guy was acting like it was New Year's Day.

The sound echoed through the silent mountains and fields, startling the night birds into fluttering flight.

The dogs were also released, and they seemed to sense something unusual, becoming unusually alert.

At the slightest sound, they bark incessantly, one after another, forming a vast auditory warning network.

Broken tin sheets and old cans hanging from treetops and fences.

They tinkled and jingled in the night breeze, like natural "wind chimes and alarms".

Su Xiaomei and Xiao Li chose to shoot at night near Yangtougou, where the terrain is relatively high.

In the shot, several campfires, near and far, stubbornly burn in the darkness.

The occasional bursts of firecrackers briefly illuminated the outlines of the mountains.

The barking of dogs came from different directions, blending together.

Although no ferocious beasts are visible in the footage.

But the atmosphere of being on high alert and united as one was clearly conveyed through the lens.

"This is the true ocean of the 'people'!"

Su Xiaomei wrote this sentence in her interview notebook, deeply moved.

She discovered that her initial concept of "coexistence between humans and nature" had a deeper and more powerful interpretation here.

It is neither a passive compromise nor a romantic fantasy.

Instead, it is through human wisdom and strength that we proactively draw boundaries and defend our homeland.

Amidst the constant commotion, Chen Ling became somewhat lazy again.

Every day, he would either ride horses and herd cattle, or lead a group of children to hunt birds and pick wild fruits all over the mountains and fields.

As Kang Kang and Le Le grew up day by day, he stayed at home, enjoying a peaceful and leisurely life, which was quite fulfilling.

He really has nothing else to do right now.

In the short term, once the reservoir dam is completed, he will start making crayfish and canned fish.

So he became increasingly idle. (End of Chapter)