My 1995 Small Farm.

"That's about enough. This is enough for several meals."

Chen Ling straightened up, wiped the fine sweat from his forehead, and looked at his harvest with satisfaction.

Just as they were about to head back, at the edge of the woods, in a patch of deep grass, sharp-eyed Xiaoming suddenly exclaimed, "Uncle, look over there, there's a really big one... wait, it's not a mushroom!"

Chen Ling walked over, parted the grass, and found the remains of a wild rabbit that had been gnawed by a wild animal. The marks looked fresh, so it was probably from last night or this morning.

He carefully examined the footprints and drag marks around him, his brow furrowing slightly.

The footprints were somewhat messy, but one paw print was faintly discernible; it was larger than that of a typical fox or wildcat and had a rather unusual shape.

Wang Susu also came over, saw the remains, and asked softly, "Is it something from the mountains?"

"Hmm." Chen Ling nodded and covered the remains with soil. "It's nothing, it's common. Let's go home."

Wang Susu nodded, saying that with Afu and Ashou around, there was nothing to fear.

Back at the farm, Gao Xiulan was all smiles when she saw so many fresh mushrooms.

At noon, Wang Cunye killed a chicken, and Chen Ling used freshly picked mushrooms to stew a big pot of mushroom and chicken stew with the family's free-range chicken.

The rich, fresh aroma wafted out, making one's mouth water.

The firewood crackled in the stove beneath the large iron pot, while the golden broth bubbled and churned inside.

Plump, tender pieces of free-range chicken and various fresh wild mushrooms float in the rich broth, the mushrooms soaking up the broth looking even more plump and tempting.

Kang Kang and Lele had already run to the stove, wearing small bibs, their big, dark eyes fixed on the pot, their little noses twitching, and drool almost dripping down their chins.

Rui Rui and Xiao Ming were even more impatient, pacing back and forth around the dining table with their small bowls and spoons, like two hungry little wolves waiting to be fed.

"Alright, alright, it's ready to serve!"

Wang Susu smiled as she lifted the lid of the pot, and a surge of even more intense heat, accompanied by an extremely fresh and delicious aroma, wafted out.

She picked up a large soup ladle and scooped a large spoonful into each of the two children's bowls, adding extra pieces of tender mushrooms and chicken breast.

"Be careful, it's hot. Blow on it before you eat."

Gao Xiulan then served the soft white steamed buns and flatbreads on the table.

"Daddy, I want to eat that little chicken leg!" Rui Rui stared longingly at the bowl.

"Okay, one for you and one for Xiaoming." Chen Ling smiled and scooped a plump chicken leg for each of the two children with a spoon.

Xiao Ming took the bowl and said sweetly, "Thank you, Uncle!"

"Eat up, while it's hot." Wang Susu gently served the children some food.

Kang Kang and Lele sat on their respective little chairs, being looked after by Gao Xiulan and Wang Susu. They smacked their little mouths with mashed chicken and mushrooms, their mouths glistening with oil, and they danced around happily.

In this warm atmosphere, the telephone in the main room suddenly rang, breaking the tranquility of the courtyard.

"What a coincidence, I was just about to eat. Who called?" Wang Susu looked up.

"I'll go get it." Chen Ling put down his chopsticks, got up, and went into the main room.

Picking up the receiver, Xu Yingguang's Mandarin, with its distinct southern accent, came through, his voice tinged with urgency and excitement: "Hello? Is this A-Ling? Is this A-Ling?"

"Mr. Xu, it's me. Have you eaten?" Chen Ling replied, feeling a little strange, as Xu Yingguang usually wouldn't call at this time.

"I've already eaten! Ah Ling, I have something important to tell you!"

Xu Yingguang spoke quickly: "An old friend of mine heard that you can use maggots to cure diseases. Is that true? He was so excited when he heard that that he immediately asked me to contact you!"

Upon hearing this, Chen Ling's heart stirred slightly.

Few people know that maggots are used to clean wounds and treat diseases.

Of course, Zhao Yubao's published articles are a separate matter.

But most people would absolutely not believe that.

People on Hong Kong Island generally don't read Zhao Yubao's articles, so how would Xu Yingguang have heard of them?
"Mr. Xu, yes, that's true."

Chen Ling did not deny it, but calmly asked in return, "However, not many people know about this. Where did your friend hear about it?"

"Haha, Ah Ling, you're really low-key; you even know how to treat illnesses!"

Xu Yingguang laughed on the other end of the phone: "You must have heard of my friend, he's Li Lianjie, who came from the mainland in his early years."

He said he learned about it through a professor surnamed Li, who seemed to have dealt with you before and said your medical skills were excellent!

"Professor Li?"

Chen Ling suddenly realized, but Li Lianjie...

He had only heard Zhao Batian mention him before, but he never expected to have any dealings with him one day.

He never expected that he would know that Professor Li.

This is quite a roundabout way of doing things.

"Of course I know Li Lianjie. Shaolin Temple has been shown in our village several times."

Chen Ling asked, "Did he encounter any serious injuries or illnesses?"

"That's right!"

Xu Yingguang sighed, "When Brother Jie was filming a while ago, his old knee injury flared up again and got infected."

He saw many Western doctors in Hong Kong Island, undergoing surgery and antibiotics, but the effects were not very good. His wound kept recurring and would not heal, causing him a lot of pain and preventing him from filming.

When he heard Professor Li talk about your abilities, he grasped at a straw and immediately asked me to find you.

Don't worry about the price; Brother Jie definitely won't skimp on that. He just wants to recover quickly!

That's what happened.

Chen Ling understood.

This is a situation where old wounds combined with severe infection form chronic ulcers and wounds that are difficult to heal.

In an era lacking effective antibiotics and advanced care, it was sometimes quite challenging even in the face of modern medicine.

Only sterile maggots can have such a miraculous effect.

They can precisely devour necrotic tissue without damaging healthy granulation tissue, while their secretions can stimulate wound healing. They are also almost bacteria-free, making them more thorough and gentler than many debridement methods.

Chen Ling pondered for a moment.

“Mr. Xu, since he is your friend and was introduced by Professor Li, I can help you with this.”

"However, maggot therapy sounds a bit...special, and requires the patient's full understanding and cooperation."

Moreover, I need to see the specific situation before I can formulate a plan; I can't make guarantees.

"I understand! I completely understand!"

Xu Yingguang's voice immediately filled with joy: "Ah Ling, it's so great that you're willing to help! Brother Jie is very sincere; he's willing to try as long as there's even a sliver of hope! He said he'll leave everything to you!"

"Well."

Chen Ling glanced at the sky outside the window and his leisurely family, and then made some plans in his mind.

"I happen to have nothing important to do this month, so I'm quite free."

"If it's convenient for Mr. Li, it would be best if he came over as soon as possible."

"The longer the treatment is delayed, the worse it is for the patient."

"Convenient! Absolutely convenient!" Xu Yingguang said quickly, "He's waiting for news in Guangdong Province right now. I'll tell him right away! If all goes well, he'll book the earliest flight and fly to the city tonight, arriving in your village first thing tomorrow morning!"

Arriving in the city tonight? Coming to the village tomorrow? That's incredibly efficient.

It seems that this future kung fu emperor is really suffering from injuries and is eager to seek medical treatment.

"Okay, that's settled then."

Chen Ling readily agreed: "Let me know when you get to the city. If it's too late, stay overnight and come back tomorrow. There's no rush. Be careful on the road."

"Okay! Okay! Thank you so much, Ah Ling! I'm so grateful! I'll tell Brother Jie the good news right away! I'll confirm the itinerary with you later!"

Xu Yingguang thanked him repeatedly, his gratitude evident in his tone, clearly very happy to have been able to help his old friend.

After hanging up the phone, Chen Ling stood there for a moment, lost in thought.

A Hong Kong kung fu star is coming to the village seeking medical treatment...

This sounds a bit like a dream, but considering that even Zheng Shaoqiu and his group have visited my farm, it doesn't seem impossible for other people to come.

"Whose call was that? You've been talking for so long, the food's almost cold." Wang Susu came out of the kitchen with a bowl of soup and asked when she saw Chen Ling still in the main room.

"It's Xu Yingguang."

Chen Ling walked back to the dining table, sat down, picked up a steamed bun, and briefly explained what had happened.

"...That's how it is. There's a martial arts movie star in Hong Kong named Jet Li. He had an old knee injury that got infected and wouldn't heal no matter what he tried. He heard that I knew how to treat difficult wounds with folk remedies, so he asked Hui Ying-kwong to put in a good word for him and wanted to come and try it out."

"Oh? Another celebrity? Coming to our house?"

Wang Susu's eyes widened in surprise, and even Gao Xiulan, Rui Rui, and Xiao Ming, who were gnawing on chicken legs, looked over curiously.

For ordinary rural families in the 1990s, "movie stars" were still a very distant and glamorous existence.

Although Wang Susu had seen the world in Hong Kong, she never imagined that big stars would come to her house one after another.

"Yeah, it should arrive tomorrow."

Chen Ling picked up a piece of fresh mushroom with her chopsticks. "Don't worry, I'm just here for a medical check-up. I'll leave right after, so it shouldn't be too much of a bother."

"Use...use that method to cure it?"

Wang Susu lowered her voice. She naturally knew what Chen Ling meant by "traditional methods," and a trace of worry appeared on her face.

"They're big stars, can you accept that? Don't let them think we're...unhygienic, and cause some unpleasantness later."

"Don't worry, wife."

Chen Ling gave her a reassuring look: "Since they were able to find out about this method and took the initiative to come to us, it means they were desperate and made up their minds."

Moreover, I will explain the principles and process to them in advance, and we will only treat them if they agree.

Treating the sick and saving lives is a matter of mutual consent; we don't force anyone.

"That's true."

Wang Susu nodded, but there was still a hint of worry between her brows.

"Is that Jet Li, the one Brother Hua and the others mentioned, the one from Shaolin Temple that we see on TV...?"

Chen Ling noticed her worry and comforted her with a smile, "Don't think too much about it. Let's just do what we need to do."

He came to see a doctor, not to conduct an inspection.

Our farm has mountains and water, plenty of food and drink, and Afu and Ashou to look after us—it's just as good as anywhere else!

"That's it!"

Xiao Ming chimed in, his eyes shining: "Li Lianjie is amazing, he can beat up bad guys with one punch! But Uncle is even more amazing, he can kill a wild boar with one punch. Dad said Uncle was even in the Hong Kong newspapers..."

“Yes, Dad is the best! Nobody can beat Dad, Dad can definitely cure him!” Rui Rui also had blind faith in Chen Ling.

"Haha, Dad did his best."

Chen Ling was amused by the children and patted their heads, "Hurry up and eat, the mushrooms won't taste good if they get cold."

Even so, the news that "a big star is coming" still caused some changes in the family.

Even Kang Kang and Lele seemed to sense the change in the atmosphere of the adults' conversation, and they started babbling even more enthusiastically.

After finishing his meal, Chen Ling had already made up his mind.

He needs to make some preparations in advance.

First, there is the preparation of the "maggots".

The key to maggot therapy lies in "sterile maggots".

They need to reproduce in a separate cave.

He figured there wasn't much left.

Those maggots transformed into flies too quickly.

But there's no need to panic.

This was not difficult for him; the cave provided readily available, high-quality breeding stock and the best cultivation environment, ensuring the purity and viability of the maggots.

We can start preparing a batch tonight.

Secondly, there is the preparation of the treatment environment.

Although the requirements are not as high as those of a regular operating room, a relatively clean, quiet environment that facilitates operation and observation is essential.

There are plenty of empty rooms on the farm. Just clean a sunny, well-ventilated room, thoroughly disinfect it, and prepare clean sheets, gauze, disinfectant, etc.

Finally, and most importantly, is communication.

After all, this therapy has a strong visual impact, and not everyone can accept it readily.

Thinking of this, Chen Ling said to Wang Susu, "Susu, I'll tidy up that empty room on the east side this afternoon, in case we need it tomorrow. Also, please prepare some clean white cloth, gauze, and liquor for me."

"Okay, I'll go prepare right away," Wang Susu replied, immediately getting up to make arrangements.

Susu is getting a little tired of taking care of the baby.

Always thinking about work and household chores.

Kang Kang and Le Le are usually left to Wang Cunye and Gao Xiulan to take care of.

In the afternoon, Chen Ling began preparations.

He entered the cave and selected the most vigorous breeding flies, cultivating them in a specific area using medicinal residues rich in spiritual energy, ensuring that a batch of high-quality "sterile maggots" could be obtained quickly.

At the same time, he also checked some herbal ointments that he had prepared earlier to help promote tissue regeneration and heal sores, so that they could be used in conjunction with the ointment.

In the evening, Xu Yingguang called again, confirming that Li Lianjie had boarded a flight to the provincial capital and was expected to arrive around 10 p.m.

He will stay overnight in the provincial capital, and the next morning a boat will be arranged to take him to Chenwangzhuang.

"Ah Ling, Brother Jie is very grateful to you and is a little emotional. Please bear with him," Xu Yingguang said as a final instruction.

"Don't worry, Mr. Xu, I'll do my best here," Chen Ling replied calmly.

"Haha, of course I'm relieved. I mainly wanted to thank you for giving me so much face..."

Xu Yingguang did indeed feel Chen Ling's sincerity. After all, he had heard that the restaurant in Hong Kong was not one that anyone could just invest in.

The actress named Xuanxuan has a background not much worse than Li Lianjie's; Chen Ling will still refuse her if necessary. (End of Chapter)