Living an idyllic life with ducks, chickens and woodpeckers

"Have you seen my daughter?" I detect a slight anxiety in the voice of the mother. She is wearing a casual pair of blue jeans and a tight, woolen cardigan, just right for the warm spring weather.

"Don't worry, Monica, your girl is safe in this village. There are no roads around our inn and the locals are very friendly."

Her eyes are beautiful, proud and green. She smiles. From mother to mother. No more words are needed; we go and look for her daughter together.

Eight months ago we moved from Switzerland to the small village of Chaolong near Jiangxi province's Yangshuo to run the Outside Inn, a 22-room countryside retreat.

And life has been good to us. I home-teach our 8- and 6-year-old sons, which leaves them plenty of time to have a childhood my mother used to tell me about when reminiscing her early years.

We walk through the gardens, over to the pomelo orchard.

Desmond is calling down to me from high up his favorite climbing tree. "Are you all right, Mommy?"

I ask him if he has seen the little girl in the pink jumper with the picture of Minnie Mouse on it. Yes, she might have gone down to near the ping-pong table.

Once more, I notice the absence of street noise and city stress, and feel happy to have chosen this path.

Lenny is running past me with a mischievous smile. His trousers are covered in dirt - a real boy's trophy from his great day outdoors - and his fingernails are long like those of the village youth.

The 5-year-old son of a guest is right behind him. They are both holding a bamboo stick taken, no doubt, from the big bush by the entrance, and practice their kungfu skills.