My 1995 Small Farm.

"Comrade Fugui, you are a role model for our county..."

When these leaders arrived, they first engaged Chen Ling in a series of pleasantries and small talk.

Someone also helped take a group photo.

Then he went to see Li Lianjie.

I don't know what he said to Li Lianjie.

In short, everyone came out with a smile on their face.

He then showered Chen Ling with praise.

This left Chen Ling completely bewildered.

I always feel like I'm still very naive in front of these people.

After seeing off Deputy Director Zhou and his entourage from the county health bureau, Chen Ling stood at the gate of the courtyard.

As the dust kicked up by the jeep gradually dissipated at the end of the village road, the strange feeling in my heart still lingered.

These leaders arrived suddenly and left in a hurry; aside from taking photos and exchanging a few polite words, there didn't seem to be much substance to their visit.

But the satisfied smiles on their faces made it seem like things weren't so simple.

"Ah Ling, what are you thinking about?"

Wang Susu poked her head out from the kitchen: "Lunch is ready. Go and invite Mr. Li and the others out for lunch."

Chen Ling snapped out of her daze: "Okay, I'll go right now."

He then went to the wooden building in the backyard and told Li Lianjie to come out for dinner.

Li Lianjie had just recently replaced the maggots.

Even if I've mentally overcome that hurdle, I still find it quite difficult to eat while using maggots.

So I didn't eat with them in the kitchen.

Instead, they had their assistant bring the food to the yard, where the two of them would have a simple meal together at a table under the grape trellis.

In the fifth month of the lunar calendar, the wheat will be harvested.

In the afternoon, the sun grew increasingly scorching, hanging brightly in the sky and making the farm's bluestone slabs scorching hot.

The grape trellis provided some shade, but the intense heat still emanated from all directions.

They were, after all, guests.

Even without mentioning the exorbitant medical expenses they would have to pay for Chen Ling…

They are also guests.

Those who come are guests.

After dinner, Chen Ling went to Wang Jusheng's melon field near the old river bend in the village and picked some watermelons for them to eat.

We haven't even had a chance to eat the watermelon yet.

The courtyard, however, became lively.

First, the little blue horse wandered out of the livestock shed at some point, walked over, nudged Chen Ling's back with its nose, and made a soft "neighing" sound.

The meaning couldn't be clearer: they wanted to go out and have fun.

Immediately afterwards, the little white calf led the little water buffalo, which came running over from the cowshed. It was huge and snow-white, looking like a moving snow mountain in the sunlight.

It nuzzled Chen Ling's arm affectionately with its head, its big, wet eyes full of anticipation.

The most outrageous ones are Afu and Ashou.

The two large cats, who had been dozing under the eaves in the backyard, woke up and sat on either side of Chen Ling, their furry faces tilted back, their amber eyes gleaming with restlessness.

Even Little Iron Egg was not to be outdone.

This Tibetan Mastiff puppy is only a few months old, but its inherent bravery and clinginess are already fully apparent.

It bit Chen Ling's trouser leg, making a "woo-woo" sound in its throat, and its little tail wagged like a windmill.

Chen Ling was both amused and exasperated: "Did you plan this? It's the middle of the day, so hot, and you all want to go out and play?"

"This isn't about going out to play, it's about wanting to go swimming in the river, isn't it?"

"Neigh!" The little blue horse pawed the ground with its front hooves.

"Moo..." The little white calf's long moo was melodious and gentle.

"Woo..." Afu nudged Chen Ling's hand with his head.

Little Iron Egg simply lay down on its back, its four legs in the air, revealing its soft belly, and immediately began to act cute and mischievous.

The spectacle left Li Lianjie and his assistant dumbfounded.

Under the grape trellis, watching Chen Ling being "besieged" by a group of animals, they couldn't help but laugh in astonishment: "Mr. Chen, your farm... is more lively than a circus."

While rubbing Afu's ears to soothe it, Chen Ling said helplessly, "I'm sorry to have made you laugh, Mr. Li. These guys always want to go to the river in the summer, especially when the sun is at its strongest in the afternoon."

Before he finished speaking, Heiwa and Xiaojin ran in from outside the courtyard.

Each of the two dogs had a small object in its mouth...

Heiwa was carrying the colorful little ball that Kang Kang had lost while playing that morning, while Xiaojin was carrying Lele's palm-sized cloth tiger.

They went straight to the small bamboo basket under the eaves where Wang Susu kept her toys, carefully put the toys in, and even nudged it with their noses to make the toys more neatly arranged.

After doing all that, Heiwa turned and ran to the ditch...

The farm's irrigation ditch runs through the yard; the water is no more than knee-deep and crystal clear.

It stood by the canal, watching Rui Rui and Xiao Ming warily as they tried to reach in and catch fish. It made a low "woof" sound in its throat, a warning: stay away from the water.

Xiao Ming stuck out his tongue and pulled Rui Rui back two steps: "Okay, Heiwa, we won't go into the water."

Xiao Jin then strolled to the edge of the pond.

Schools of koi darted among the water lily leaves in the pond, prompting Kang Kang and Lele to exclaim "Ah ah" from the shore, pointing their little fingers at the water.

Little Jin lay directly on the stone slab by the pond, his huge body blocking the two little ones' path as they crawled towards the water.

Seeing this, Gao Xiulan laughed and said, "Look, Heiwa and Xiaojin care even more than we do... These two dogs really treat Kang Kang and Lele like their own puppies."

Li Lianjie's eyes widened in amazement.

He had seen well-trained police dogs and guide dogs, but he had never seen a dog like Heiwa Xiaojin, who could not only guard the house and hunt in the mountains, but also be so meticulous as to help tidy up toys and take the initiative to prevent young children from drowning...

This goes beyond the scope of "training" and is almost an innate spirituality and sense of responsibility.

"Mr. Chen."

He couldn't help but ask, "How did you train these animals? They're not just obedient anymore; they seem to be thinking and acting on their own initiative."

Chen Ling was being nudged by the little blue horse's head and staggered when he heard this, he laughed and said, "I didn't train them on purpose, I just raised them from a young age and treated them like family."

Animals are actually quite intelligent. If you treat them sincerely, they will treat you sincerely in return. After observing them a lot, you'll naturally learn what to do.

As he spoke, he patted the little blue horse's neck: "Alright, alright, I'll take you there, but we have to wait a bit. We just finished eating and need to rest for a while before we go, otherwise we might get cramps if we go into the water right after eating."

The animals seemed to understand and immediately quieted down.

Little Green Horse obediently walked back to the livestock shed, Little White Cow also strolled back to the shade of the tree next to the shed, and Afu and Ashou lay back down under the eaves. Only Little Iron Egg was still rolling around on the ground, and Chen Ling bent down and picked him up: "You little rascal."

This scene made Li Lianjie feel as if he had stepped into a fairy tale rather than in a northern mountain village.

A dog that helps with housework and babysitting, a tiger and horse that can be affectionate and playful, a cow that is pure white like an elf, and a seemingly ordinary young man who can command all of this...

"Brother Li, would you like another bowl of fish soup?" Wang Susu came out carrying a steaming bowl of crucian carp soup, its aroma filling the air.

Li Lianjie and his companion ate slowly.

Chen Ling had already eaten and picked the watermelon to cut it.

They had only eaten a few bites.

Lunch was served on a stone table under the grape trellis.

Besides crucian carp soup, there are also stir-fried seasonal vegetables, stir-fried cured pork with garlic sprouts, and cucumber salad. The staple food is soft white steamed buns and golden millet porridge.

Li Lianjie's assistant was initially a little reserved, but after taking a sip of the crucian carp soup, her eyes lit up: "Sister Wang, this soup is so delicious! I've never tasted anything like it in Hong Kong!"

Wang Susu smiled gently: "The wild fish from the mountains are meant to be eaten fresh. If you like, eat more. There's still some in the pot."

Li Lianjie nodded repeatedly.

He traveled all over the country filming and tasted all kinds of delicacies, but the simple and delicious farm-style dishes had a unique flavor.

Especially the crucian carp soup, the milky white broth is rich and mellow, without any muddy taste, it tastes really delicious.

My mind and body felt good, and even the pain in my leg seemed to lessen.

"Mr. Chen, Ms. Wang, thank you for your hospitality."

Li Lianjie sincerely said, "To be honest, I haven't had any appetite for anything these past two months because of my leg injury."

This meal was the most delicious I've had in a while.

"That's good. Eating more will help you recover faster."

Chen Ling smiled and said, "Let's check the situation again this afternoon. If the wound is clean, we can start using the muscle-regenerating ointment tomorrow."

By this time, Li Lianjie had come to trust Chen Ling completely.

Hearing this, his face lit up with excitement and joy: "That's wonderful, Mr. Chen, I really don't know how to thank you enough..."

Chen Ling waved his hand, telling him not to be so polite.

The two chatted for a few more words.

Wang Susu came over and said, "Ah Ling, Xiao Bai and the others are all too hot. Let's take them to the river to wash up. It'll be good for you to cool off too. Besides, Rui Rui is always messing with the little wild boars at home. It's better to take them out to play."

"Row……"

Chen Ling nodded, then called into the house, "Rui Rui, Xiao Ming! Grab the brushes, let's give Afu and Ashou a bath!"

"Coming!"

The two children ran out of the storeroom cheering, still holding the three little wild boar piglets in their arms.

"Put the piglet back in, give it a bath before playing with it again."

Chen Ling instructed, "Heiwa, Xiaojin, you two watch the house."

He then said to Li Lianjie, "If Mr. Li is interested, you can walk around our village and come along for a visit. It's breezy and cool by the river."

"Okay, okay." Li Lianjie nodded repeatedly; he really wanted to travel around.

The farm has an oxcart, and he plans to take a ride on it.

Chen Ling held the reins, and the little blue horse walked happily at the front, its hooves clattering.

The little white calf followed beside them, its snow-white fur dazzling in the sunlight.

Afu and Ashou guarded the group on the left and right, their postures composed, like two imposing guards.

Black Iron Egg was the most excited, running back and forth, barking as if it were the commander of the team.

With the help of his assistant, Li Lianjie slowly boarded the cart and was pulled by pack animals.

Looking at the scene, he couldn't help but whisper to his assistant, "Ah Chang, are we filming a movie?"

The assistant said with a wry smile, "Brother Jie, I pinched myself several times, it hurts."

After walking south along the village road for about two miles, a wide river beach came into view.

This is the increasingly beautiful old river bend, with a gentle current, soft sandy banks, and crystal-clear water where you can see the pebbles and swimming fish at the bottom.

It was the hottest time of the afternoon, with direct sunlight shining on the river, its surface shimmering, and the trees on the opposite bank casting large patches of shade.

Several village children were splashing around in the shallow water when they saw Chen Ling arrive with his "army" and cheered.

"Uncle Fugui brought Ah Fu and Ah Shou to take a bath!"

"Look, the little white calf has arrived too!"

The children weren't afraid at all; instead, they excitedly gathered around...

They were already used to the animals on the farm and knew that with Chen Ling around, they were absolutely safe.

Chen Ling first let the little blue horse and the little white ox go into the water. The two of them had been itching to get in, and as soon as they were given permission, they happily stepped into the river.

The little blue horse first rolled over in the shallow water, splashing up a lot of water, then stood up, shook the water droplets off its mane, and let out a long, pleasant neigh.

The little white calf, on the other hand, was much more elegant. It slowly walked into the deep water, revealing only its snow-white back and head, its eyes half-closed, looking completely at ease.

Next up were Afu and Ashou.

Although these two tigers are not afraid of water, they are clearly not as enthusiastic about bathing as the horses and cows.

They first tentatively paddled in the water with their claws on the bank before cautiously stepping into the river.

The river water washed over their golden fur, which shimmered in the sunlight.

Afu seemed to think that wasn't enough, so he plunged into the water and when he surfaced, he shook his big head and splashed water, creating rainbows in the air.

Seeing this, Little Iron Egg also jumped into the water with a "plop".

Although it is only a few months old, Tibetan mastiffs are naturally fond of cold, and its swimming instinct has already manifested.

It paddled along in the water with its short legs, chasing the waves and barking, its adorable appearance making everyone laugh.

Heiwa and Xiaojin didn't go into the water; they faithfully stayed on the shore, watching Ruirui and Xiaoming to prevent the two children from getting too close to the deep water.

Occasionally, a playful little fish will swim up to your feet, but they will only gently nudge it with their claws and not try to catch it.

Li Lianjie sat on a rock under a large willow tree on the shore, watching this scene, speechless for a long time.

Sunshine, rivers, beaches, forests, animals playing happily in the water, children laughing, and a young man standing in the shallows, smiling as he brushes the mane of a little blue horse... It was all so beautiful, so beautiful that it was like an unreal painting.

“Mr. Chen,” he suddenly said, “this place…it really is like a fairy tale world.”

Chen Ling turned around, water droplets sliding down his angular face.

He wiped his face and laughed, "What fairy tale? It's just ordinary life. Wild things that grow up in the mountains and rivers want to go into the water when it gets hot, just like people."

He spoke of it casually, but Li Lianjie knew that behind this "ordinary" lay the harmony and freedom that so many people longed for but could not attain.

Li Lianjie sat under the tree, watching, his heart filled with emotion.

Such a scene is vivid, lively, and heartwarming, full of the most genuine joy of life.

He suddenly remembered the time he spent playing in the water with his friends in the alley when he was a child. It was so distant, yet it became clear because of the scene before him.

In recent years, he has been busy filming, socializing, and traveling, and has not experienced this kind of simple joy for a long time.

The assistant said softly, "Brother Jie, when your leg is better, shall we go for a dip in the water?"

Li Lianjie smiled and said, "Okay." (End of Chapter)