Chapter Sixteen: Returning Home

Leaving the county town behind, the donkey cart ascended the mountain path.

Chen Ling, seeing no one around, lifted the old turtle and entered the Sun and Moon Wonderland.

The moment they stepped inside, the old turtle, which had been listlessly lying motionless in the bucket, immediately perked up.

Turtles favor warmth and shun the cold, extremely sensitive to changes in ambient temperature.

Arriving in the Wonderland where spring lasts all year and the temperature is just right, the old turtle sensed it at once.

It restlessly tried to climb out of the bucket.

Chen Ling grabbed its two hind legs and took a careful look.

Its shell was round and its tail short—this was a female turtle.

“Ha ha, a female is good. I’ll find you a turtle mate in a while,” he joked.

“Make sure to give me a couple of little ones then.”

After a few playful remarks, he put the old turtle back into the bucket.

There were actually quite a few old turtles in the big river nearby.

As the saying goes, “In a small temple, the mischievous spirits run wild; in shallow waters, turtles abound.”

The stretch of river bypassing the county town was called the Nansha River, with shallow riverbanks ideal for the turtles’ survival.

So catching another old turtle wouldn’t be too difficult.

Fishing for turtles in early spring was easier than in the heat of summer.

But finding one as large as this was not easy, especially a male turtle.

In the wild, females tend to grow larger than males; it was rare for a male turtle to weigh more than twenty pounds.

Not impossible, but definitely less common than females.

Thinking this over, Chen Ling grabbed a hoe and dug a three-foot square pit behind the cottage.

After pouring in a few buckets of creek water, he threw the old turtle inside.

The creature clearly sensed the water was good; it closed its eyes in enjoyment, sticking only its head above the surface as bubbles bubbled up around it.

“Stay here and be comfortable,” Chen Ling said with a smile, then stepped back out of the Wonderland.

By then, the donkey cart had crossed two mountain ridges, and after a short distance lay the dam of the reservoir.

Chen Ling gazed at the reservoir in the distance, shrouded in hazy mist.

He thought to himself: once the weather warms up, he’d introduce some fish fry into the Wonderland.

Try to cultivate some quality fish species with the creek water, then pick out the most beautiful to raise in the lotus pond.

It would be a pleasure to behold.

Why not put the fish fry directly into the lotus pond?

Because they simply wouldn’t belong there.

A lotus pond as beautiful as a fairyland, possibly left behind by immortals—ordinary fish fry just wouldn’t be worthy.

Nor would old turtles.

Though legends say that King Turtles were raised in the Meritorious Pools,

those were golden tortoises.

Common turtles could not compare.

Unless the old turtle could transform into gold…

Of course, in truth, Chen Ling had no plans to raise anything in the lotus pond anytime soon.

The creek water and lotus pond water were still the family’s drinking water.

Sometimes, when the creek water was slow to collect, he’d take water straight from the lotus pond for convenience.

If he put in a turtle that defecated and urinated there, it would ruin everything—too disgusting.

He’d be revolting himself.

“Actually, I could buy a few big fish and put them in the Wonderland to breed. After all, the Wonderland is unaffected by the outside environment, with ideal temperature and climate,” he mused.

“Just like with the turtle, I can dig a bigger pond.”

“Yes, that’s the plan!”

“When I go to the county town to sell peanuts next time, I’ll buy a few fish to put in.”

He thought it over calmly; there was no rush to act now.

He had plenty of time and could take it step by step.

“Oh, and after planting a few crops to improve the soil of the wasteland, I could also make a pond over there.”

“Plant some lotuses, raise some fish, let Susu have some joy too.”

“If only the Wonderland had them, my little wife wouldn’t even get to see them.”

…

Chen Ling urged the donkey cart along, planning in his mind.

By the time he returned to Chen Wang Village, the sun was a fading glow on the horizon.

Smoke curled from chimneys as every household began cooking dinner.

On his cart, besides plows and harrows, were several bundles of greens, two bags of peanuts, and a large chunk of fresh pork.

The greens and peanuts came from the Wonderland.

He planned to pretend they were bought in the county town, preparing a good meal for Wang Susu.

As for the donkey cart, it would be needed again tomorrow, so he headed straight home.

After dinner, he would pay a visit to Wang Laishun’s family, bringing some gifts.

With this in mind, Chen Ling steered the donkey cart into the lane leading to his home.

Several little heads peeked curiously at the gate.

“Hey, what are you kids doing?” Chen Ling called out, flicking his whip.

“Ah, Uncle Fugui is back…”

“Uncle Fugui, I want to see the puppies!”

“Uncle Fugui, please bring the puppies out! I want to play with them.”

These children were the same group that hung out with Liuni’er.

Seeing Chen Ling coming with the donkey cart, they hurried over, shouting excitedly.

“Go see the puppies inside the house. Aunt Susu wouldn’t forbid you,” Chen Ling asked curiously.

Yesterday, when he brought the puppies home, he had gone to Liuni’er’s place and handed over some kites left by a few kids at the Earth God Temple.

He also mentioned the dead black dog behind the temple.

Otherwise, these kids would have believed someone had died there and been too scared to go back.

Liuni’er, knowing the truth, had become very interested in the two puppies.

She wanted to come see them yesterday but was scolded by her father for wandering around too much.

Unexpectedly, today she brought her friends to look anyway.

“It’s not that, Uncle Fugui. Aunt Susu let me in to see them, but the puppies were shy of strangers. As soon as I went in, they hid under the bed!”

“Yeah, yeah, the puppies are so plump and cute. I really want to pet them. Uncle Fugui, can you bring them out? Aunt Susu said the puppies are very fond of you!”

The children all spoke eagerly, eyes shining with anticipation.

“All right, all right. Let me park the donkey cart, and I’ll take you to see them,” Chen Ling said with a smile.

He liked these kids; they reminded him of his own childhood.

Just then, Wang Susu heard the noise and came out.

“Ah Ling, you’re back? I’ll go open the back yard gate for you!”

Seeing Chen Ling arrive with the loaded cart, she hurried with the keys to unlock the large back gate.

The backyard was where Chen Ling’s father used to live.

It now stored miscellaneous items: a vegetable cellar, a wine cellar, grain, and a pile of coal.

The space was ample enough to park a donkey cart comfortably.

“Come on, I’ll take you to see the puppies!”

After parking the cart, Chen Ling carried the greens and peanuts out of the backyard and beckoned to Liuni’er and the other kids.

Cheers erupted at once.

Wang Susu followed behind, smiling as she watched the scene.

She thought: Even if that patch of land can’t be farmed, it’s no big deal. As long as Chen Ling stays like this, it’s enough.