My 1995 Small Farm.

"Hey, you've been up all night and you're still not done? What are you doing now?"

As Chen Ling spoke, he walked over and grabbed Er Tuzi's bald buttocks.

Er Tuzi was sticking his butt out, his head stuck in the hole of the large vat, making a 'click-clack' sound inside as if he were coughing.

Chen Ling tugged at it, and it jumped up with a 'squeak'.

It turned around hastily, like a bald old hen protecting her chicks, guarding the entrance to the hole behind it.

He looked as if he was afraid Chen Ling would discover what was inside.

Upon seeing this, Chen Ling's eyebrows shot up in anger: "You son of a bitch, I fed you all night, and you still treat me like this?!"

"You want to be an ingrate like Little Blue Horse, don't you?"

Upon hearing this, Er Tuzi was even more frightened than before.

In its haste, it spread its bare wings, pounced at Chen Ling's feet, squawked a few times, then closed its eyes and rubbed its head against Chen Ling's trouser leg.

This made Wang Susu laugh immediately: "Look at it, it's almost the same as Heiwa when he was little. It must be hiding something inside. It's trying to be cute and admit its mistake. It just doesn't want you to see what it's hiding."

"If you don't want me to see it, then hide it somewhere far away, right under my nose. How could it even think of that?"

Chen Ling gently kicked away the bald bird that was perched on his feet.

"What are you saying? It's already like this. Even if it wanted to hide far away, it would have to run that far," Wang Susu said with a smile.

Feeling ridiculed, Er Tuzi flew into a rage, like an enraged rooster, and charged at Wang Susu with his rear end sticking out and crowing angrily.

He ran up to Wang Susu and angrily pecked at her shoes.

Wang Susu hadn't thought much of it before, but now she was laughing so hard at Er Tuzi's appearance that she was doubled over: "Hahaha, look at it like this..."

He was laughing as he kicked it, trying to get it off his feet.

Er Tu Zi was furious and embarrassed at the moment. The more Wang Su Su kicked it, the more it pecked at it.

"Hey, you bald guy, you're itching for a beating, aren't you? It's been a while since I've dealt with you, and you're getting cocky."

Wang Susu rolled up her sleeves, grabbed Er Tuzi in her hand, and quickly pinched its mouth shut.

Er Tuzi was immediately subdued.

It was so anxious that its two bald little wings, which looked like chicken wings, flapped back and forth.

Wang Susu was pinching his mouth, and he couldn't pull it out even if he wanted to.

All they could do was frantically wiggle their bare bottoms around.

Chen Ling was also amused by Er Tu Zi's angry, chick-like demeanor and couldn't stop laughing.

The young couple just kept laughing.

Rui Rui, however, was still thinking about what was under the water tank.

The little rascal had just finished pooping, and before his mother could wipe his bottom, he wiped it with some paper and then ran over to the water tank with his short legs. He bent down, grabbed the opening with his hands, and peeked inside.

After belatedly realizing what was happening, Er Tuzi, no longer bothering to continue fighting with the despicable mistress, turned around and, like a bald, free-range chicken, rushed eagerly towards the water tank.

However, by this time, Rui Rui had already discovered the secret inside the water tank.

Even before she was fully on the ground, her little face was already full of excitement as she turned around, "Daddy, Daddy, chubby!"

He had barely finished shouting, and before Chen Ling and Wang Susu could even speak, Er Tuzi panicked. He didn't know where the strength came from, but he broke free from Wang Susu's grasp and, like a bald, free-roaming chicken, rushed towards the brat.

However, when Er Tuzi rushed up to Rui Rui, he didn't peck at her like he did Wang Susu.

It was just like a big parrot, hopping around anxiously, squawking wildly, trying to stop the little child.

Rui Rui was not afraid of it at all. With a fierce look on her face, she raised her hand and said sternly, "You're hiding meat, I'll hit you!"

Er Tuzi didn't dare to mess with him.

Before the little hand could actually strike, it was so frightened that it quickly dodged away.

Like a free-range chicken, it ran pitifully to Chen Ling, its eyes full of pleading as it bit Chen Ling's trouser leg.

Seeing him like this, Chen Ling was both annoyed and amused: "You're something else, Er Tu Zi. We had to get up all night to feed you, and you still won't eat. You even secretly hid the meat. I bet you're not hungry. Are you just messing with me?"

"I knew it! Even if Er Tu Zi is big, he doesn't have a big enough stomach to hold that much stuff. Turns out he ate it and hid it away." Wang Susu guessed, "A Ling, is hiding meat under the water tank like our dog burying things..."

"Guess so."

Chen Ling nodded, feeling somewhat disappointed. He had thought that Er Tu Zi's suddenly large appetite meant he was about to mutate.

It seems that wasn't the case; they simply hid the meat.

When Er Tuzi saw Chen Ling standing there motionless and ignoring him, and the little boy crouching down and reaching his hand into the hole in the water tank to get his hand, Er Tuzi rushed over in a hurry, grabbed Rui Rui's clothes on his arm, and pulled him back forcefully.

But now that its mouth is all messed up, it can't even bite people's clothes. If you pull hard, its mouth slips and it falls on its big butt.

Just as it struggled to stand up, Rui Rui turned around and pushed it down again: "You're hiding meat, I'll hit you."

Er Tuzi was pushed to the ground, feeling extremely wronged.

Unable to provoke this brat, it had no choice but to get up again and run to Chen Ling like a free-range chicken, eagerly begging him.

Chen Ling pretended not to see it.

Rui Rui shouted loudly again: "Daddy, meat, the sparrow hides meat."

Call Chen Ling over.

Er Tuzi was extremely anxious, so he had to run over again, but he didn't dare to get too close and just kept circling around the water vat.

Like an old hen whose home has been stolen.

The comical sight of this naked, bald bird running back and forth truly made Chen Ling burst into laughter.

But then I remembered that Er Tuzi was hiding meat under the water tank.

Chen Ling went over and moved the water tank away.

When Er Tu Zi saw that its owner had come out, it immediately let out a 'ga' and lowered its head. Underneath the moved water tank, there was the minced fish meat that it had been fed the night before.

"Eat if you're hungry. Why are you hiding it? It's not like I'm not giving you food." Chen Ling frowned.

Wang Susu wondered, "Then how did it eat so much at once, and how did it get the meat in here? Did it eat it and then vomit it up?"

"You must have eaten it and then vomited it up. Damn it, you haven't even hatched the eggs yet, and you've already learned to regurgitate."

Chen Ling slapped the silly bird on the head.

Many falcons ruminate during the breeding season, regurgitating semi-digested food from their stomachs and feeding it to their young.

But this process is painful.

Whether it's humans or animals, raising children is never easy; it's hard work and very difficult.

Therefore, rumination does not occur during normal non-parenting periods.

But Er Tu Zi, for some reason, went crazy with wanting more food even though he couldn't finish it all, and then he would spit it out and hide it.

This behavior is really strange and incomprehensible.

"I'll go to the village and call Teacher He over!" Wang Susu said.

She's been wanting to go out for a walk whenever she has a spare moment lately, and since it's morning now and the two little ones aren't awake yet, she can sneak out for a little while.

"Come on, Rui Rui, let's go to the village with Mommy."

Wang Susu waved her hand, and Rui Rui immediately let out an excited scream and ran out first.

Blackie and Little Gold followed closely behind.

Wang Susu called out to them from behind to slow down.

Soon, He Jiawen and the others were called over, and a little child appeared beside Rui Rui.

It was Chen Xiaoer's eldest son, who was sniffling and eating a steamed bun.

Rui Rui also held one in her hand, pressing it against Xiao Jin's body while munching away.

Chen Ling then explained the situation to He Jiawen.

After listening, He Jiawen asked Chen Ling a few questions.

He couldn't help but laugh: "You're in trouble, bro. This eagle feels unsafe with you, that's why it's trying to hide its food."

"Huh? Feeling insecure?"

Chen Ling looked on with amusement. He often took Er Tu Zi to such a wonderful place as Dongtian, yet this silly bird still didn't feel safe.

is it possible?
"Yes, this insecurity doesn't mean you're treating it badly or abusing it..."

He Jiawen smiled and shook his head, continuing to explain: "As you just said, you didn't feed this sparrowhawk much before. It's quite independent and hunts for its own food. It also often brings things home."

"Uh, so where's the problem?"

Cultured people love to lay the groundwork too much, giving a whole bunch of reasons, which Chen Ling didn't quite understand.

"To put it bluntly, the main problem is that it feeds itself, not you. Also, you used to go out frequently, and this sparrowhawk has flown with you many times, so it obviously knows your habit."

And now it looks like this, you've even cut off its beak and claws.

Do you think it wouldn't feel a sense of crisis?
Humans fear famine and store food, but wild animals understand this better than humans.

Do you understand now?

"Oh, I see. You mean that Er Tu Zi is hoarding food like crazy because he's lost his beak and claws and is afraid I won't feed him on time..."

Chen Ling suddenly realized.

At the same time, he remembered that when his silly bird was found by Afu and Ashou, there were two eagles and a dead golden cat guarding it in the cave next to them.

The golden cat's carcass was meant to be our reserve food.

"So, this silly bird is actually quite clever."

He muttered.

He glanced at Er Tuzi, who was hiding behind a flowerpot because of the crowd.

That silly bird has a pretty strong sense of self-esteem.

"Hey, your sparrowhawk isn't stupid, it's very intelligent. But, I heard you say that the amount of meat you fed it last night is far less than what it vomited up."

Its appetite has likely really increased.

Be careful lately.

Feed it frequently.

He Jiawen said.

The other teachers had previously thought that Er Tuzi wasn't anything special, but after hearing this, they felt that this eagle was quite unique.

For some reason, it shed its fur and then started hoarding food like crazy.

This is of great research value.

Chen Ling was still wondering whether Er Tu Zi's appetite had actually increased.

but……

Just as He Jiawen said, Chen Ling had previously let Er Tuzi roam freely, and he really didn't know how much he ate.

The father-in-law also came out at this time.

Wang Susu quickly asked, "How much has Er Tuzi been eating lately? Has his appetite increased?"

The father-in-law was also baffled: "I didn't know. Er Tu Zi can eat three mice, and he can also eat five or six. Before, over at the greenhouse, Rui Rui and those kids fed him seven in one go, and I couldn't tell if he was full or not." (End of Chapter)