My 1995 Small Farm.

The next morning, just as dawn was breaking, Chen Ling woke up.

Outside the window, the morning light was still a bluish-gray. The farm was quiet, with only the early birds chirping crisply in the branches.

Chen Ling got up quietly, without disturbing Wang Susu and the children who were still fast asleep.

He walked to the window and looked towards the reservoir.

The morning mist, like a veil, enveloped the distant mountains and waters, making everything appear tranquil and mysterious.

But Chen Ling knew that beneath those deep waters, a life was waiting for rescue.

After a quick wash, Chen Ling went to the backyard and began to take stock of the tools he had prepared the night before.

Hemp rope, machete, crowbar, etc.

He then rummaged through the storage room and found a fishing net. Although it had several holes, it was sturdy and still usable.

"Ah Ling, up so early?"

Wang Susu came out of the house wearing an overcoat, carrying a bowl of steaming millet porridge: "Eat something first, you can't go into the water on an empty stomach."

Chen Ling took the bowl, drank it down in a few gulps, and the warmth spread from her stomach to her whole body: "Su Su, I might be busy all day today, so don't wait for me for lunch."

"know."

Wang Susu nodded, her eyes filled with concern: "The underwater situation is complicated, you must be careful, or... should we let Heiwa and Xiaojin go with us?"

Chen Ling thought for a moment: "Let's keep them to guard the house. Little White Cow is a good swimmer, so we can take him along. Oh, and let Baldy go too. He can see the whole water surface clearly from the air."

Just then, footsteps came from outside the courtyard.

Wang Laishun arrived with three young men, each carrying tools on their shoulders, including iron hooks, long bamboo poles, and one even carrying a large saw.

"Fu Gui, everyone's here!"

Wang Laishun said, "It's better to be early than late. This creature is as spiritual as the Turtle King. Rescuing it sooner will benefit our village."

These are the best swimmers in the village.

Dazhi's three children, along with Yubin and Li Erhuo, are all skilled at fishing in the river!

The three young men greeted Chen Ling shyly, but their eyes gleamed with excitement.

Being able to participate in such a rare event is something they can brag about for years to come.

"Okay, let's go to the reservoir and check out the situation first."

Chen Ling slung his tools over his shoulder and said to Wang Susu, "Susu, keep an eye on the children. Don't let them go today."

"Do not worry."

The group set off as the morning dew fell.

The little white ox followed at Chen Ling's feet, while Er Tuzi spread his wings and flew up from under the eaves, circling in the air.

When we arrived at the reservoir dam, the eastern sky was just beginning to lighten.

The water was as calm as a mirror, reflecting the changing colors of the sky.

But soon, they witnessed something unusual...

In the deep waters not far from the shore, ripples occasionally spread across the surface.

Several Chinese sturgeon could be vaguely seen; they did not swim far, but rather circled the surface of the water in a regular pattern.

Even more surprisingly, the finless porpoises were also there, occasionally leaping out of the water and making "puff puff" sounds that were particularly clear in the quiet morning.

“They really are still waiting!” Sanwa exclaimed.

Old Niwai clicked his tongue in amazement: "I've lived half my life and this is the first time I've ever seen anything like this. Are these fish and pigs really sentient beings?"

Chen Ling didn't speak; he carefully observed the water's surface.

The activity range of Chinese sturgeon and finless porpoises is very concentrated, just above the waters where he found the trapped big fish yesterday.

Clearly, they hadn't left all night, staying to protect their companion.

"Ready to go into the water."

Chen Ling began to take off his clothes: "Uncle Niwai, you guys stay on the boat to provide support. Sanwa and Yubin, you two come down with me. Erhuozi, you're in charge of passing the tools on the boat."

"Uncle Fugui, should we wait a little longer, until it gets light?"

Chen Yubin hesitated for a moment: "It's still dark underwater right now."

“We can’t wait any longer.” Chen Ling shook his head. “That big fish has been trapped for two or three days. Its wounds may be infected. The sooner we rescue it, the greater its chance of survival.”

He quickly changed into an old pair of shorts, tied the rope around his waist, and handed the other end to Li Erhuozi on the boat.

The machete was tucked into his waistband.

After thinking for a moment, he took out a small bamboo tube from his pocket...

It contained a special wound medicine powder made in the cave, wrapped in oiled paper to prevent it from getting wet.

"I'm going too." A voice came from behind.

Everyone turned around and saw Li Lianjie walking over with a limp, supported by his assistant.

His leg injury was clearly not fully healed, but he was full of energy, his eyes gleaming with eager anticipation.

“Mr. Li, your leg…” Chen Ling frowned.

"Don't worry, I'll say it again, I won't go into the water, I'll just help out on the boat, like yesterday, please trust me."

Li Lianjie insisted, "Mr. Chen, if I miss such a rare opportunity, I will truly regret it for the rest of my life. Don't worry, I will absolutely not go into the water. I will just stay on the boat and hand over tools and take care of things."

The assistant smiled wryly, "Brother Jie woke up before dawn and insisted on coming over; we couldn't stop him."

Chen Ling looked at Li Lianjie's determined eyes, then at his injured leg, and finally nodded: "Okay, but you must stay on the ship and not move around."

"Definitely!" Li Lianjie nodded in agreement.

Two small boats were pushed into the water.

Chen Ling took Sanwa and Chen Yubin onto one boat, while Lao Niwai, Li Erhuozi, and Li Lianjie and his servant boarded another.

The little white calf jumped into the water with a "plop" behind the two boats and swam around beside them.

Only its broad back and snow-white head were visible above the water, its posture as elegant as if it were touring its own territory.

The bald man circled in the air, his sharp eyes fixed on the water.

The boat slowly glided into the deep water.

As they approached, the Chinese sturgeon and finless porpoises became noticeably more active.

The lead Chinese sturgeon swam to Chen Ling's boat and gently nudged the hull with its head, as if urging him on.

"Don't worry, we're here," Chen Ling said softly, as if talking to a fish.

The ship came to a stop in the target waters.

Chen Ling put on a waterproof flashlight and tested its brightness: "Sanwa, Yubin, I'll go down and check the situation first. Wait for my signal before you come down."

"Uncle Fugui, watch out!"

Chen Ling took a deep breath and flipped himself into the water.

The water was colder than yesterday morning, and the icy touch invigorated him.

He turned on his flashlight, the beam piercing the darkness underwater.

Where the light reaches, the water plants sway, and the small fish scatter in fright.

He changed direction and swam toward the pile of sunken logs he remembered.

Soon, the obstacle made of dead wood and branches came into view.

Chen Ling approached, his flashlight beam shining inside...

That big fish is still there!

It looked more tired than yesterday, and its movements were sluggish, but as soon as it saw Chen Ling, it immediately perked up and its tail swayed gently.

Chen Lingyou conducted a close inspection.

The situation was worse than he had imagined: the dead tree that had been cutting across the fish not only got stuck in its pectoral fins, but also caused the fish to sink deeper and deeper as it struggled.

The surrounding pile of driftwood had also become loose, with several logs tilting and threatening to collapse at any moment. Even more problematic, the wound around where the large fish was stuck was inflamed and swollen, with some areas even beginning to ulcerate.

If it's not treated quickly, even if it's rescued, infection could kill it.

Chen Ling pointed to the water, indicating that he wanted to go up and discuss the plan.

The big fish seemed to understand and stopped struggling.

He surfaced, clinging to the gunwale, panting.

"How is it?" the people on the boat asked at the same time.

"It's not good."

Chen Ling wiped his face: "The pile of driftwood is unstable and could collapse at any time. The big fish's wound is infected, so we need to rescue it quickly."

He quickly devised a plan: "We need to stabilize the pile of driftwood first to prevent it from collapsing during the rescue."

Then saw off the dead wood that was blocking it.

Sanwa and Yubin, you two come down with me and use ropes and stakes to secure the pile of sinking logs.

Erhuzi, pass down the saw and the wooden stake.

"okay!"

Preparations were quickly launched.

Li Erhuozi lowered two sharpened wooden stakes and a large saw to the water using ropes.

Chen Ling and his two companions dived underwater again.

With a clear objective this time, efficiency improved significantly.

Under Chen Ling's direction, Sanwa and Chen Yubin drove wooden stakes into the lakebed on both sides of the pile of sunken logs, and then used hemp ropes to cross and wrap them together to form a simple support structure.

Although rudimentary, it at least prevents the pile of driftwood from suddenly collapsing during the rescue.

After finishing his work, Chen Ling swam to the big fish and gently stroked its head to soothe it.

The big fish calmed down and entrusted itself to the two-legged creature with trust.

The next step is the most crucial one... sawing off that dead tree.

Chen Ling tested the angle; the position where the driftwood crossed was tricky, with one side close to the base of the big fish's pectoral fin and the other side wedged into the gap of another driftwood.

He had to be very careful to saw through the wood without hurting the big fish.

"Sanwa, hold this side. Yubin, go over there and use the crowbar to pry open a small gap so I can have room for the saw," Chen Ling instructed with hand gestures.

The three worked together seamlessly.

Chen Yubin carefully used a crowbar to pry open the contact point between the deadwood and another piece of driftwood, while Sanwa used his hands to hold the big fish's body in place to prevent it from suddenly struggling due to pain.

Chen Ling picked up the saw, aimed it at the middle section of the dead tree, and began sawing.

Underwater operations are ten times more difficult than those on land.

The resistance of the water made every movement slow and laborious. The sound of the saw blade rubbing against the wood was blocked by the water, and the only way to feel the progress was through the vibration transmitted from the handle.

Chen Ling had to concentrate fully, exerting force while controlling the direction, without the slightest deviation.

Time passed by minute by minute.

Chen Ling felt the air in his lungs decreasing, but he couldn't stop. If he stopped, the wood would expand after water entered the previously sawed gaps, making it even harder to saw through.

He quickened his pace, and the saw blade left deeper and deeper cuts on the dead wood.

The sawdust drifted with the water, like a light snowfall underwater.

Finally, with a soft "crack," the dead wood broke in two!

Chen Ling was overjoyed, but the next second, his expression changed...

The moment the dead tree broke, the pile of driftwood, now unsupported, suddenly loosened, and a log as thick as a bowl slid down from above, smashing straight into the head of the big fish!
"Oops!"

Chen Ling exclaimed inwardly, but he had no time to react. With a thought, he was about to enter the cave.

At this critical moment, a huge white shadow rushed in from the side like lightning—

It's a white calf!

This snow-white water buffalo had somehow submerged underwater, yet its massive body moved with remarkable agility.

It slammed its broad forehead into the fallen log with a loud thud, sending the log flying and crashing into the lakebed, splashing up a large amount of murky water.

Chen Ling broke out in a cold sweat.

He looked closely and saw that the little white calf was like an elegant aquatic beast underwater, its snow-white fur swaying slowly in the water, and its huge horns gleaming with a warm luster in the dim light.

After knocking aside the fallen leaves, it turned to look at Chen Ling, its warm, large eyes filled with concern, as if asking, "Are you alright?"

Chen Ling gave it a thumbs up.

The little white calf gently swayed its tail, which drew a beautiful arc in the water.

Then it swam to one side and floated quietly in the water, like a loyal guardian.

With the crisis averted, Chen Ling and Sanwa quickly and carefully pulled the broken pieces of dead wood away from the pectoral fins of the large fish.

This process must be done gently, because the broken edges of the dead wood are very sharp and can easily injure the big fish if you're not careful.

When the last piece of wood was removed, the big fish's body trembled violently, then began to sway slowly.

become free!
It had been trapped for a long time, but has finally regained its freedom!

But Chen Ling's heart was not at ease.

He went closer to examine the fish's wound, and sure enough, the area where it was stuck was a bloody mess, with some places so deep that the bone was visible.

Worse still, due to prolonged pressure, the movement of the pectoral fins is significantly restricted, making it very difficult for the large fish to swim.

Chen Ling gestured towards the water, indicating that a stretcher was needed.

This was an idea he came up with on the spur of the moment last night.

A simple stretcher made from an old fishing net can lift a large fish out of the water, reducing the burden on it as it swims.

The fishing net stretcher was lowered down.

Chen Ling and the other two worked together to carefully move the large fish onto the stretcher and secure it with ropes.

The calf swam over and gently nudged one side of the stretcher with its head to help reduce the weight.

Then, with the help of the calf, they slowly lifted the stretcher up to the surface of the water.

The moment it surfaced, the sunlight pierced through the morning mist and shone on the shimmering water.

The large fish on the stretcher swayed slightly, and the sunlight shone on its bluish-gray scales, reflecting a rainbow-like luster.

Beside the stretcher, the white calf's snow-white back emerged from the water, dazzlingly white in the sunlight, resembling a moving snow mountain.

On the shore and on the boat, everyone held their breath.

The scene was so stunning...

A giant Chinese sturgeon, over three meters long, lay on a stretcher, next to a magnificent, snow-white water buffalo. They were gilded by the morning light, creating a breathtaking scene on the rippling blue water.

“My God…” Li Lianjie murmured, “Am I dreaming…”

He had filmed countless movies and seen countless special effects-enhanced fantasy scenes, but none of them could compare to even a fraction of the realism and awe he was witnessing with his own eyes at this moment.

The Chinese sturgeon and finless porpoises gathered around.

The large fish swam around the stretcher and the little white calf, while the finless porpoises chirped happily and leaped on the surface of the water.

The little white calf floated quietly to one side, its snow-white fur clinging wetly to its body, which only accentuated its sacred beauty.

It tilted its head slightly, looking at everything before it with its warm, large eyes, as if understanding the connection between all these lives.

"They are celebrating, celebrating the birth of a new life."

Li Lianjie spoke softly, though his words were somewhat literary, his eyes were genuinely moist.

He never imagined that he would witness such a pure act of mutual assistance and resonance between lives in a remote mountain village. (End of Chapter)