My 1995 Small Farm.

Chapter 940 Construction Begins, Leading Eagles and Hounds into the Mountains

Next is the deer-raising area.

The scenery here is slightly more pleasing to the eye.

A dozen or so sika deer were walking gracefully inside the enclosure.

The young male deer have already grown antlers that are quite large, tender and covered with velvety down.

A female deer in heat will pose in a special way in front of a male deer.

Head down, back arched, tail turned to one side.

The male deer will first sniff the female deer to confirm that she is in estrus before mating.

"Deer mating is quite refined."

Chen Ling said, "Unlike cattle and sheep, which are quite rough, look at that biggest male deer..."

He pointed to a particularly robust sika deer with large antlers: "It is the king of the stags. Most of the female deer belong to it, and the other male deer dare not compete with it."

"Actually, it's not like that in the wild."

"Does travel in herds, while bucks walk alone and live solitary lives."

“Every year at the beginning of winter, adult male deer will enter the herd, drive the newborn male fawns out of the herd, and prepare to mate in the spring…”

"But now, when it comes to breeding, as long as the young male deer don't provoke them, this big male deer won't pay any attention to them."

"It can only be said that compared to cattle and sheep, deer are the most docile."

Sure enough, as the stag strolled through the herd, the other stags gave way wherever it went.

It selected a female deer and gracefully completed the mating process, all with composure.

Zhang Lihua watched intently, snapping photos incessantly: "It's amazing! This is much better than the zoo; these are all real behaviors in their natural state."

"That's what you call farming."

The lynx said, "Only by letting animals reproduce naturally can their offspring be healthy. Animals raised entirely through artificial insemination are always a bit lacking."

Chen Ling nodded: "However, there are also rules for natural mating. For example, the dogs we brought today need to be placed in a suitable place so that they can mate naturally, but we can't let them mate completely. We have to control their bloodlines."

The three men returned to the tractor and released the dog.

The lynx chose a fenced-off meadow and first put the two male stud dogs there.

Let Da Mao and the second-generation wolfhound in to get used to the environment.

Then they put the four female dogs in heat in one by one.

Dogs exhibit different mating behaviors.

Male dogs will first sniff to confirm the female dog's estrus state, and then attempt to mount her.

If the female dog accepts, she will stand still with her tail turned to one side.

If you don't like male dogs, then don't even mention it.

Da Mao first chose a yellow female dog.

It cautiously approached, sniffed, and then attempted to mount. The yellow female dog cooperated, standing quietly.

“Okay, this one goes with Big Hair.” Lynx wrote in his notebook.

The other black female dog was more interested in the second-generation wolfhound.

It approached the wolfhound and rubbed its body against it.

The wolfhound responded immediately, and the two dogs quickly mated.

“This one is a good match for a small wolfhound,” Lynx continued to record.

The remaining two female dogs, one was mated with Big Fur, and the other with a small wolfhound.

The entire process proceeded smoothly without any fighting.

"So smooth?"

Zhang Lihua was somewhat surprised: "At my kennel on Hong Kong Island, the male dogs often fight over female dogs."

That's because we made preparations in advance.

Lynx explained, "First of all, the male dogs we selected all have relatively stable temperaments and are not the aggressive type."

"Secondly, female dogs have slightly different estrus cycles, so we staggered the entry times to avoid male dogs being attracted to the same female dog at the same time."

“Most importantly…” Chen Ling added, “Animals actually have their own social rules. In a sufficiently large space, they will naturally form an order.”

"If you keep them in a small cage, they will get stressed and are more likely to fight."

Zhang Lihua said thoughtfully, "That makes sense... It seems my previous management style was too rough."

After mating, the lynx separated the dogs and took them back to their respective cages.

Female dogs need quiet rest, while male dogs need to replenish their nutrition.

By the time I finished all that, it was almost noon.

The three sat under the shade of a tree outside the farm, drinking tea and resting.

Zhang Lihua was still looking through the photos on her camera, her face full of excitement: "Today has really been an eye-opener. Ah Ling, could you tell me more about the 'poisonous May' you mentioned earlier? I think it's a very interesting term."

Chen Ling took a sip of tea and slowly said, "The old folks say 'poisonous May,' which doesn't just refer to the abundance of poisonous insects, but also has a deeper meaning."

"In the fifth month of the lunar calendar, the yang energy reaches its peak and begins to turn yin."

"During this transitional period, the energy field between heaven and earth is unstable, making people prone to illness and animals prone to restlessness."

"Therefore, the ancients had many taboos this month—not getting married, not building a house, not moving, just to avoid offending the spirits."

"But for animals, this change in aura is actually a signal."

"When yang energy is abundant and vitality is strong, it is the perfect time for reproduction."

"So you see, not only cattle, sheep, deer, and dogs, but also wild rabbits, mice, and birds are all breeding like crazy at this time."

The lynx chimed in, "When we were doing field research, we also found that late spring and early summer are the most active times for animals. On the one hand, they need to find food, and on the other hand, they need to reproduce. In the height of summer, they become quieter because it gets too hot and they all need to find shade."

Zhang Lihua listened intently: "This kind of knowledge can't be learned from books."

"Practice makes perfect."

Chen Ling laughed and said, "Brother Hua, you have good conditions for raising dogs in Hong Kong, but you lack this kind of natural environment."

"Dogs kept in cement cages for too long have their natural instincts suppressed. Look at our dog farm, with its mountains and grasslands, the dogs' mental state is completely different."

“Yes, I can attest to that.” Zhang Lihua said sincerely, “This trip to the mainland was definitely the right one. I not only saw beautiful mountains and rivers, but also learned some real skills.”

As the tractor drove into Chenwangzhuang, the eastern part of the village was already bustling with activity.

On an open space, a dozen or so people were busy at work.

Wang Laishun, wearing a straw hat and holding blueprints, stood guard at the site.

Several experienced workers were leading young people in measuring the land, driving in wooden stakes, and laying white lines.

Further away, a pile of bricks, cement, and sand had already been delivered.

"Fifth Uncle, construction has started?" Chen Ling stopped the tractor and walked over.

“动了动了。”

Wang Laishun's face was flushed: "Today we'll draw the lines and dig the foundation. Fugui, look, the classroom is here, the playground is here... Just like you said, we've left a green belt."

Zhang Lihua got off the bus and, seeing the bustling scene, couldn't help but raise her camera again.

When the villagers saw Chen Ling, they all greeted him.
"Wealth and fortune are coming!"

"Everything was done as you said, we found a reliable team of experienced contractors..."

Chen Ling responded with a smile, then walked to the marked area and examined it carefully.

The classroom faces south and has excellent natural light.

The playground was large enough, and as he had suggested, a patch of grass had been reserved.

"Fifth Uncle, the foundation must be dug deep. Although we don't have earthquakes here, we are afraid of subsidence during the rainy season."

"Don't worry, we've hired the best construction team in the county, and the experienced workers are top-notch," Wang Laishun assured him.

Just then, several little children ran over, and the one leading them was Liu Ni'er.

This kid has been quite well-behaved lately, mainly because Si Ni'er is about to give birth, and he's hiding here from the family planning policy while taking care of Si Ni'er at home.

We don't let him run around freely on weekdays.

"Uncle Fugui, I heard you're going to be our school principal?"

"No, being a principal is too tiring. Who told you that?"

"My aunt said that if I don't want the position, a high-ranking official will offer it to me..."

Chen Ling laughed upon hearing this.

He knew Wang Zhenzhen was just talking nonsense and bragging.

"Don't listen to your aunt's nonsense."

"The construction of a new school has begun. Do you like it?"

"I love it! I heard you gave me a lot of ideas, Uncle Fugui. If you can build such a beautiful farm, you can definitely build a beautiful school too..."

They looked at the construction site with curiosity and anticipation. Although these mischievous kids didn't study hard, who wouldn't like a beautiful and trendy new school?

"Uncle Fugui, when will the new school be finished?" Liu Nier asked.

"If all goes well, it will be available when school starts in the fall."

Chen Ling patted his head: "You'll have a new classroom then, bright and airy."

"Great!" the children cheered.

A little girl with pigtails looked up and asked, "Uncle Fugui, does the new school have a library? I want to read storybooks."

Yes, definitely.

Chen Ling squatted down: "Not only is there a library, but there are also ping-pong tables, parallel bars, and basketball hoops."

The children became even more excited and started chattering excitedly.

Zhang Lihua watched from the side, feeling a warm glow in her heart.

He walked up to Chen Ling and whispered, "Ling, after we return to Hong Kong Island, I'll get my friends to donate a batch of books and sports equipment."

"That's great! Thank you, Brother Hua, on behalf of the children," Chen Ling said sincerely.

"No need to thank me, it's nothing."

Zhang Lihua waved her hand: "Seeing these children studying in their new schools is better than anything else."

……

We had lunch at the farm at noon.

Wang Zhenzhen and Rui Rui went out to play with Liu Nier and Xi Zi.

During this month when birds are plentiful, wild birds and quails are commonly seen in the wheat fields.

In addition, Wang Jusheng's family planted watermelons again this year on the sandy land of the old river bend south of the village.

There are many birds in the melon field, and many fish and shrimp by the water. Sometimes you can even see turtles.

The children love to play there.

Wang Cunye, along with Kang Kang, Le Le, Xiao Tie Dan, the mongoose, and the little white ox, followed.

This involves both looking after the dolls and playing with the two younger ones.

In the afternoon, Chen Ling rested at home for a while.

Unable to calm down, Zhang Lihua rode his motorcycle to the forest farm to look for the lynx.

They said they were discussing going to the city to pick up the dog in two days.

Actually, Brother Lynx also sent a message from the dog farm in the city.

They say the dogs are restless this season.

The smell of dog urine was stronger than ever before; it was incredibly foul.

The lynx was also worried that the big dogs might hurt people, so it planned to take them over as soon as possible.

There are at least two black dogs here, as well as powerful dogs like Heiwa, keeping things under control.

There were even tigers.

We're not afraid of them causing trouble.

It's always better to go sooner rather than later.

However, Lynx also shared some thoughts with Chen Ling.

In other words, at the livestock farm, when the animals are in estrus, more people are needed to watch over them.

Dahai is expecting her second child this year. We've been staying home for so long, but we can't let Dahai keep delaying things.

We still need to find people from the village.

Chen Ling naturally agreed with this.

So after resting at home for a while in the afternoon, I went to the village to find Chen Baoshuan and Chen Dazhi.

When leaving the village, they found Chen Ze's older brother, Chen Jiang, at the village entrance.

He took three men with him to the city and asked them to help guard the place.

Actually, the farm was completed after the Lunar New Year.

There were men from the village who stayed there, working for Chen Ling and earning some money in return.

However, most of them were bachelors from the village.

There are also the Wang brothers, Jujie and Wang Jiejie, whose father has just died.

In other words, Chen Ling is giving special treatment to these kinds of people.

Of course, there's nothing wrong with his character.

Normally, these people are enough.

With the addition of Erhei's pack of dogs patrolling, not many people are needed.

However, it's mating season now, and livestock are restless, so accidents are more likely to happen. We need to be careful.

After dropping these people off at the forest farm.

Chen Ling returned to the village without stopping.

He still had something on his mind that he hadn't done, something he kept thinking about and couldn't let go of.

This is naturally the story of Little Blue Horse sneaking out at night and getting injured.

So, when he got home, he brought out the little blue horse.

They called Er Tuzi back again.

Let them guide me to see where the little blue horse is injured.

Of course, this time, Heiwa and Xiaojin were inevitably brought along.

Ah Fu and Ah Shou actually wanted to go too.

But Chen Ling knew they were too conspicuous, so he sent them to the old river bend.

Let them play with Rui Rui and the others.

He rode a horse and falcon, accompanied by two large dogs, and charged westward.

During this time…

He didn't control the horse; the little blue horse ran entirely on its own.

In other words, it carried Chen Ling westward on its own.

Er Tuzi would also fly up from time to time, hover in the sky for a while, and then land and fly back onto Chen Ling's shoulder.

They are intelligent and have a human-like understanding.

Knowing Chen Ling's intention, they wanted them to take the animals to the place where the little blue horse was in danger.

Then they naturally had no objections.

Crossing the Jinshui River, passing through Jinmen Village, and speeding along the mountain road towards Changle Township.

There weren't many pedestrians passing by.

When they reached a place where there was another small river, the little blue horse turned around and headed north onto a tree-lined slope along the river.

"This direction is... Yangtougou?..."

Chen Ling frowned slightly, and most of his doubts dissipated.

Although Yangtougou is named after a gully, it is not a mountain gully.

Instead, it is mostly flat mountainous terrain, similar to the old forests of the three northeastern provinces.

Gentle slopes and hills, where fine horses like Xiao Qingma can charge headlong into the mountains and forests.

This is one of the reasons why Yangtougou attracted so many wolves in the first place.

If it were like Chenwangzhuang, surrounded by mountains on three sides, even if wolves were summoned, it would be impossible to attract so many wolves all at once.

At this moment, Heiwa and Xiaojin stood guard on either side, appearing extremely vigilant.

Its ears perked up and its nose twitched occasionally, catching any unusual scent in the air.

The bald man circled high in the sky, his sharp eagle eyes scanning the mountains and forests below.

It occasionally let out a short chirp or two, seemingly reporting the situation ahead to Chen Ling.

The further west you go, the flatter and more open the terrain becomes.

The fields along the road gradually thinned out, replaced by rolling hills and gentle slopes.

This is the boundary of Yangtougou.

Unlike Chenwangzhuang, which is surrounded by mountains on three sides, Yangtougou's terrain is more like a large winnowing basket.

The north, west, and south sides are gentle hills, while the east side is open, with a stream meandering out from between the hills and merging into the river we just saw.

From the distant mountains, it resembles a sheep's head, hence the name.