The Domineering Cultivator Farmer

Chapter 14: Niuniu’s Charm

After lunch and a short rest, Fang Yun was dragged out the door by Niuniu, who was eager to go fishing. Feng Xiu’er didn’t stop for a moment along the way, snapping photos everywhere with her phone. Especially when they saw the lightning-struck tree, she even pulled Niuniu into the tree hollow, striking various poses and asking Fang Yun to take pictures. It must be said that this tree was truly peculiar. It took three or four people to encircle its trunk, and it had been cleanly split by lightning about four meters above the ground. It had been dead for several decades, and the center had long since been hollowed out by longhorn beetles and ants—now just a layer of bark remained. At the base, there was a hollow over a meter high and about 50 to 60 centimeters wide—large enough for an adult to crouch inside. If they squeezed in, it could hold five or six people, and looking up from inside, you could see the sky. It was precisely this dead tree that, after being nourished by the spring water, had sprouted new shoots and branches. No wonder the village elders all said the ancestors had manifested their divine power; the incense offerings at the base of the tree had grown increasingly numerous in recent days. Upon arriving at the reservoir, Feng Xiu’er was stunned by the scenery before her; even Niuniu, who had been chattering nonstop, fell silent, her eyes wide as she gazed at the mountains and waters ahead. It was the height of summer, and the mountains were covered with all kinds of wildflowers. Clusters of them in every color were reflected in the reservoir’s calm, mirror-like surface, creating a sense of the mountains and water blending as one. Especially after Fang Yun had poured the spring water, it had attracted many water birds that were now flying and swimming freely in the reservoir. Not to mention the girls—even Fang Yun, who had been here several times, found himself mesmerized every single time. “Little Niuniu, let’s go over there. That’s where Uncle caught that big fish.” Yeyue wasn’t bothered by any of this; all she could think about was catching another fish as big as the one Uncle had caught. “Niu Niu wants to catch a really big fish—bigger than Dad’s!” Hearing Yeyue’s exclamation, Niu Niu remembered why she’d come and suddenly couldn’t wait any longer. But the little one had absolutely no patience for fishing; she kept pulling up her line to check every few moments. Seeing that Fang Yun had already caught several fish while she hadn’t caught a single one, Niuniu tossed aside the little fishing rod her grandpa had made especially for her and ran over. “Daddy, the fish are so mean—they won’t eat Niuniu’s bait. Niuniu can’t catch any!” Fang Yun had long since noticed how Niuniu was fishing, but it’s hard to say anything to a little kid—she was just a bit too lively and active. You simply can’t get them to sit still and fish properly. “The fish are so naughty. Niuniu, help Daddy watch the fish in the bucket so they don’t escape. Tonight, Grandpa will cook some delicious fish for Niuniu to eat, okay?” “No, Niuniu doesn’t want to. Niuniu wants to catch a big fish,” the little girl said, shaking Fang Yun’s hand frantically. “Okay, okay, Daddy will help you look.” Fang Yun had specifically chosen this spot for the little girl to fish—the water was shallow, so there wouldn’t be any big fish. Otherwise, with Niu Niu’s tiny frame, if she hooked a bigger fish, she’d definitely be pulled into the water with a splash. Fang Yun dipped his hand into the water, and a trickle of spring water flowed out. Soon after, Niuniu’s delighted shouts rang out one after another; little fish took the bait as if someone were herding them, and the little girl, her head covered in sweat, was busy having the time of her life. Seeing Niuniu’s impressive catch, Feng Xiu’er decided to join in, and soon Yeyue ran over to join them as well. The trio’s joyful laughter rang out from time to time. Just as Niuniu was happily fishing, she suddenly spotted a wild duck’s head peeking out from the grass not far away. She couldn’t help but exclaim with delight, “Duckie!” Holding up a small crucian carp she’d just caught, she called out, “Duckie, come eat this fish—Niuniu caught it!” Fang Yun nearly burst out laughing at the sight. Wild ducks are notoriously timid and wary; at the slightest disturbance, they flap their wings and fly away, quacking “quack, quack, quack.” With so many people around, the little girl actually thought the wild duck would come over to eat the fish in her hand—unless that duck had water in its head. With a “clack,” Fang Yun’s jaw nearly hit the ground. Although the wild duck eyed the crowd warily, it still hesitantly crept closer. With a stretch of its neck, the little crucian carp in Niuniu’s hand vanished into its belly. After finishing, the duck stretched its neck, quacking “quack, quack, quack,” and circled Niuniu happily. “Giggle, giggle,” Niu Niu laughed happily, patting the wild duck’s wing before picking up another fish to feed it. Just then, two foxes darted out of the grass, squeaking as they ran over to Niuniu. They kicked the wild duck aside and wagged their tails, begging Niuniu for fish. “Don’t bully the wild duck,” Niuniu pouted, pointing her chubby little finger at the two foxes as she scolded them. After scolding them, she grabbed two crucian carp from the square plastic bucket and handed them to the foxes. “Quack, quack, quack…” The bullied wild duck wasn’t having it and stretched its neck, quacking loudly. The family watched in astonishment. At first, there was just one wild duck, but gradually, one after another flew over, until finally, a dense flock of wild ducks surrounded Niuniu. The flock of wild ducks launched a fierce pecking attack on the two foxes, driving them to scatter in panic. If it hadn’t been for Niuniu’s timely intervention, a bloody incident sparked by a single fish would have unfolded right there that day. In the end, soothed by Niuniu, both sides decided to call a truce and enjoy this free feast of fish together. The foxes—natural predators of wild ducks—surprisingly didn’t go for the ducks right beside them; they just tried to squeeze their way next to Niuniu, squeaking frantically when they couldn’t get through. The wild ducks, as if oblivious, kept circling Niuniu, chirping, hopping, and jumping with joy. “Could it be that eating the Zhu fruit has given Niuniu this affinity with animals?” Fang Yun wondered, feeling a bit frustrated. He’d already been puzzled when Niuniu played with the big carp that morning, but seeing the scene before him now, he suddenly remembered that he’d once given Niuniu a Zhu fruit to eat. “But this ability is kind of useless,” Fang Yun mused, feeling a bit down. However, seeing his precious daughter so happy among the flock of water birds made it all worthwhile. As long as his daughter was happy, that was all that mattered, wasn’t it? Most parents in the world probably thought the same way. How deep is a parent’s love! “This is truly incredible,” Feng Xiu’er exclaimed as she snapped out of her daze and opened the camera app on her phone to capture the astonishing scene before her. A chubby little girl happily patted this and that, clapping her little hands, cheering, and jumping up and down. The wild ducks scrambled to surround her, circling her, and every now and then stretched their necks to affectionately nuzzle Niuniu with their heads. It wasn’t until dusk fell and Fang Yun reminded Niuniu it was time to go home that she reluctantly stopped petting the wild duck beside her. Waving her chubby little hand, she said, “Niuniu has to go home for dinner. I’ll come see you again tomorrow. You guys should go home, too.” “Daddy, can we come back tomorrow to fish and feed the wild ducks?” On the way home, Niuniu held Fang Yun’s hand and said with a face full of anticipation. “Sure, sure, sure. If my little Niuniu wants to come, we’ll come.” Looking at Niuniu, who was so excited she was sweating profusely, Fang Yun affectionately tapped her little nose. “Daddy’s the best.” “What about Mom?” “Mom is just as great as Dad.” “You little brown-noser.” “Hahahaha…” As soon as she got home, Feng Xiu’er opened her laptop and started fiddling with it. “What are you up to?” Fang Yun asked curiously. “I’m uploading the photos I took today to my social media page so everyone can see how gorgeous my precious daughter is,” Feng Xiu’er replied without looking up. Fang Yun slapped his forehead—how could he have forgotten? With the internet so advanced these days, wouldn’t taking photos of the village’s scenery and uploading them to a popular travel website be the perfect way to put the village on the map? Especially the video Xiu’er shot today of Niuniu playing with the wild ducks and foxes—that would definitely go viral. When he shared his idea with Feng Xiu’er, she clapped her hands in approval. The two of them found a travel website called “Travel Buddies” and uploaded the photos and videos. After they were done, they shut down the computer, washed their hands, and went to eat. Little did they know that because of this video, the website had already been turned upside down in just a few short hours. It turned out that shortly after Fang Yun uploaded the video, a user with the ID “Wandering the World” accidentally clicked on it. The moment he saw the photos and videos, he was completely blown away. The picturesque scenery, the princess-like little girl—and especially the video of birds flocking around Niuniu as she played—left him utterly spellbound. He immediately posted a thread with screenshots on the forum, and instantly, the once-quiet forum erupted with activity, as countless long-time lurkers came out of the woodwork. “High-five, OP—you’re a fool.” “Agree with the post above—the photos and videos are obviously photoshopped. They look way too fake.”