My 1995 Small Farm.

I chatted with Wang Jusheng for a bit and learned that his chili sauce is selling very well now.

His father-in-law's family helped him with the work, so even without planting watermelons this year, he still earned a lot of income.

However, according to him, since no one else in the village is farming it, he is willing to continue farming it.

When the time comes, if Chen Ling and his family, or anyone else, wants to eat, they'll have something to eat.

The reason why I say that.

Naturally, they still hoped that Chen Ling would help them make money.

After exchanging a few words, Chen Ling went to graze the horses outside the village.

As a result, after the horses were released, Heiwa and Xiaojin arrived shortly afterward, as did Afu and Ashou.

They are especially energetic at night.

Okay, in the end we went to Wang Jusheng's watermelon field and caught some birds and other small animals like hedgehogs that were bothering the watermelons.

They were having a great time.

……

The next morning.

Chen Ling's family had just finished breakfast.

The sound of car engines could be heard outside the farm.

It was Liang Yuemin: "Fugui, the cell phone signal was bad this morning, so I came to tell you that Shanmao and the others are back. They rushed back overnight with the dogs, and I heard they've already arrived at the forest farm."

Chen Ling breathed a sigh of relief: "You're finally back. I'll go check on you."

"Uncle, has the person who came to pick up the dog returned?"

Xiao Ming hurriedly ran out. He had been staying at the farm for the past few days and had not been with his parents.

"Uncle, I want to go see too! I heard there are hundreds of dogs!"

Seeing this, Liu Yinhuan patted her son's head and said, "I'm taking you to your maternal grandma's house today. We can go see it when we get back. The forest farm is very close by."

"Don't don't!"

The chubby boy clung to Chen Ling's leg and begged, "Uncle, take me with you! I've never seen so many dogs before!"

Liang Yuemin and his wife were both helpless.

"Alright, alright, go with your uncle. If Grandma finds out, she'll definitely scold you..."

"Grandma won't!" Xiao Ming cheered, scrambling up Chen Ling's horse's back on all fours.

Chen Ling smiled and lifted him onto the horse's back, sitting down in front of him: "Hold on tight, hold on to the horse's neck."

The little blue horse was still not used to carrying strangers, and snorted, but quickly adjusted its pace and trotted towards the forest farm.

“Then we’ll go with them. This child just loves wealth and luxury, there’s nothing we can do about it.”

Mr. and Mrs. Liang Yuemin followed in their car until they parted ways at the fork in the road.

On the way to the forest farm, Xiaoming was extremely excited and kept asking questions.

"Uncle, are those dogs aggressive?"

"Some are fierce, some are docile, depending on the breed and temperament."

"Are there any as big as Heiwa?"

"I don't think so, but the lynx brought them back from the city, and there are quite a few big dogs there."

"Can I keep one as a pet?"

"We'll talk about it when you're older."

As they spoke, the forest farm came into view.

Before even reaching the dog kennel, one could hear the constant barking of dogs, creating a lively and bustling atmosphere.

When Chen Ling rode his horse into the dog farm area, the scene before him surprised him.

Two tarpaulin-covered trucks were parked in the open space, with the side panels already down, forming a ramp.

Lynx, Zhang Lihua, Fang Boming, and several workers from the dog farm were methodically guiding the dogs off the vehicle.

These dogs come in various breeds and sizes: there are majestic wolfhounds, muscular Rottweilers, glossy bull terriers, as well as many local mixed-breed dogs and wolfhounds, and fine breeds of wildcats selected from various regions, such as greyhounds.

They were placed into pre-prepared enclosures in batches of a dozen or so to avoid confusion.

Despite the long journey, the dogs are in good spirits.

Some curiously surveyed their new surroundings, while others wagged their tails excitedly, and still others pricked up their ears warily, observing everything around them.

……

When Zhang Lihua saw Chen Ling arrive, she breathed a long sigh of relief: "My God, this journey has been awful! These dogs barked the whole way in the car, which caused the dogs in the villages along the way to bark as well. It was quite a sight..."

Lynx laughed and said, "Luckily, Xiao Fang's car is good and has good ventilation, otherwise, in this hot weather, he would definitely get heatstroke."

Chen Ling walked around the car, carefully checking the dogs' condition: "Are they all alright? Are any sick or injured?"

"No, it was all checked before departure."

Lynx said, "Some of the dogs haven't been on long trips before and get a little carsick, but it's not a big problem."

"That's good."

Chen Ling patted the carriage: "Let them get used to the new environment first."

As they walked, Zhang Lihua told Chen Ling about the dog farm in the city: "The kennel in the city that Lynx has is quite large, with many dogs. In addition to these, there are more than a dozen pregnant female dogs that will be transported over in a while."

"With so many dogs, feeding them will be a big problem," Chen Ling said.

"I've thought about it."

Lynx chimed in, “I’ve already spoken to restaurants and slaughterhouses near the county seat and in the towns. From now on, I’ll buy their leftovers, bones, and offal, and mix them with cornmeal and bran. The cost isn’t high.”

"good idea."

Chen Ling praised, "It can solve the dog food problem and also increase the income of the villagers."

When we arrived at the forest farm dog station, Erhei was already there with the "Paw Patrol" to greet us at the entrance.

Upon seeing so many new members of its kind, Erhei did not show any hostility. Instead, it walked forward with the demeanor of a "dog manager," sniffing each cage and making low "woofing" sounds, as if greeting them.

Strangely enough, the initially restless pack of dogs gradually calmed down after smelling Erhei's scent.

"Erhei is really amazing," Zhang Lihua exclaimed. "His leadership skills are better than some other people's."

Chen Ling laughed and said, "These dogs know Erhei, or rather, they know Heiwa and Xiaojin. Back then, Erhei followed them, and Heiwa and Xiaojin beat these dogs up badly."

"Of course, Little Green Horse and the others recognized them too. Back then, when these dogs went crazy in the dogfighting arena, Little Green Horse kicked each of them."

Everyone laughed after hearing this.

The lynx directed the workers to open the dog cages one by one.

The new dogs cautiously emerged from their cages; some timid ones huddled in corners, while the bolder ones curiously looked around.

Erhei led several large dogs around the area, as if marking out their territory.

The new dogs were very sensible; none of them dared to provoke them.

"It seems the integration is going smoothly."

Lynx breathed a sigh of relief. "With Erhei around, things are much easier."

By nearly noon, all the dogs were settled.

The lynx designated a special area for the new dogs, allowing them to adjust for a few days before gradually integrating into the larger group.

"Fugui, this batch of dogs is in good condition, and they have all passed the health check. They just need to be separated into different pens as soon as possible, and the males and females should be separated. Otherwise, they will be in heat these days and things will get chaotic."

Chen Ling showed Xiao Ming around and asked, "Are there enough cages?"

"That's enough, we've prepared in advance, but we need to hurry up with the disinfection." Lynx flipped through her notebook: "I plan to roughly categorize them by breed, size, and temperament first, and then start the detailed screening tomorrow, selecting breeding dogs, training dogs, and guard dogs..."

Just then, a half-grown black wolfhound jumped out of the enclosure and charged straight at Xiaoming.

Xiao Ming screamed in fright and hid behind Chen Ling.

"Big Tiger, go back!" Lynx shouted sternly.

The wolfhound named Big Tiger stopped in its tracks, tilted its head to look at the lynx, then at Chen Ling, and made a "woofing" sound in its throat. It actually turned around and jumped back into the fence.

"You've neglected it for so long, how come it still recognizes you?" Zhang Lihua asked, somewhat surprised.

Lynx laughed: "Among these dogs, dozens were raised by me from puppies. Although they were sent to a dog farm in the city, they still recognize me. Big Tiger is one of them. It has a gentle temperament and just wanted to play with Xiao Ming."

Xiao Ming then peeked out from behind Chen Ling, his eyes sparkling: "Its name is Big Tiger? How majestic!"

"Want to pet it?" the lynx asked.

"May I?"

The lynx whistled, and the tiger immediately jumped out of the enclosure, trotted over, sat down next to the lynx's legs, stuck out its tongue, and wagged its tail.

Xiao Ming cautiously reached out and patted Da Hu's head.

Big Tiger squinted his eyes contentedly and rubbed his head against Little Ming's hand.

“It likes you,” the lynx said.

"I like it too!" Xiaoming was overjoyed.

Watching from the side, Zhang Lihua exclaimed, "Ah Ling, you haven't seen the scene at the dog farm in the city. More than three hundred dogs barking at the same time, it's deafening."

"But the Lynx brothers really have a way. With just a few words and a few gestures, the dogs will obediently listen to them."

"I've wasted half my life raising dogs. I've learned more today than I have in the past ten years!"

Lynx laughed and said, "Brother Hua is too modest. We still have a lot to learn from your expertise in Tibetan mastiffs."

"Let's learn from each other!" Zhang Lihua laughed heartily.

At this moment, Fang Boming also came over, covered in sweat but looking excited: "Uncle Fugui, the mission is a complete success! Not a single dog is missing. We fed them water twice and once along the way, and they are all doing well."

"Thanks for your hard work."

Chen Ling patted him on the shoulder, "Come to my house tonight, I'll cook you something delicious."

"No hard work, no hard work!"

Fang Boming chuckled憨厚ly, "It's just that there are so many dogs, it's dazzling."

As they were talking, a commotion came from the farm.

Chen Ling looked up and saw that several rams were fighting again in the sheep pen, the sound of their horns clashing could be heard from afar.

"Well, here we go again." Lynx shook his head helplessly. "These guys never stop this season."

“Let’s go take a look,” Chen Ling said.

The group walked towards the breeding area.

Xiao Ming took Da Hu with him, and the boy quickly became familiar with Da Hu's problems, then leisurely followed behind.

The breeding area was indeed bustling with activity.

In the cattle pen, the bull had just finished mating with a cow and was proudly raising its head, mooing and showing off to the other young bulls.

Several young bulls were unconvinced, but dared not approach, and could only snort from a distance.

The sheep-raising area was a battlefield, with three or four rams fighting fiercely for mating rights.

The male goat with the longest and thickest horns was the most ferocious, having already knocked over two opponents and was chasing a third one all over the field.

The deer enclosure is relatively peaceful, but you can still see male deer displaying their newly grown antlers in front of their females, strolling gracefully, and occasionally lowering their heads to sniff the females.

On the way back, Zhang Lihua said with lingering enthusiasm, "Ah Ling, your dog farm is getting more and more impressive. When I bring the Tibetan Mastiffs over from Taiwan in a while, that will be truly spectacular."

"Brother Hua, are you really going to bring Tibetan mastiffs over?" Chen Ling asked.

“Of course!” Zhang Lihua said decisively, “I’ve already talked to my family and they’re bringing all of my dozen or so good breeding mastiffs over here. The environment here is good, and the space is large, so we can definitely raise even better dogs.”

Chen Ling laughed and said, "Then our dog farm really has gathered breeds from all over the country."

"It's not just about the varieties."

Lynx chimed in, "Once the dog pack is stable, I'd like to start a training program specifically for training search and rescue dogs and guard dogs. With the rapid development of cities, the demand for these dogs is increasing."

"That's a great idea!"

Zhang Lihua's eyes lit up: "I know some friends in the Hong Kong Police Force who need good working dogs. If we can train them, we won't have to worry about sales!"

The three became increasingly excited as they talked, as if they could already see the dog farm's thriving future.

Before leaving, Lynx said to Chen Ling, "Fugui, there's something else. The little water buffalo you bought last year has been raised here with the yellow cattle since the first month of the lunar calendar."

"Now that the weather is hot, the adult yellow cattle at the cattle farm are all in season and are very restless."

"The baby buffalo is young, so keep it in the middle so it doesn't get scared or hurt."

"I think you should take it back today. It's familiar with the little white calf, so it'll keep it company."

Chen Ling nodded: "That's fine. The main thing is that you said last year that you and Professor Han encountered a giant bison in Yunnan and Guizhou. This year I also brought back the Bull Demon King. They're both for finding mates for the little white ox. It's not easy to find one with a little water buffalo around."

"But now it seems that Little White Cow clearly has his own ideas, so it doesn't matter."

With that, the group headed towards the cattle-raising area.

From afar, you can see a gray buffalo calf whose skeleton has already grown out, but which still looks quite childish.

It was quietly sitting in a corner of the cattle pen, completely out of place with the restless yellow cattle next to it.

Its fur is grayish-black, with two sturdy horns just emerging, and its eyes are gentle, with a touch of the naivety unique to sub-adult water buffalo.

"Moo—" The little water buffalo seemed to recognize Chen Ling, let out a soft moo, walked over, and nuzzled Chen Ling's hand with its head.

"Hey, you still remember me?" Chen Ling smiled and patted its broad forehead. "Come on, let's go home and play with the little white ox."

Chen Ling untied the reins and led the little water buffalo outside.

The little buffalo was very obedient and followed along docilely.

When Xiaoming saw the calf, which was several sizes smaller than the little white calf but also looked very docile, he became excited again: "Uncle, this little calf is so cute!"

"This is a water buffalo. It loves water. We'll take it to the reservoir to play later," Chen Ling said with a smile.

With the little water buffalo in tow, Chen Ling and his group bid farewell to the lynx and Zhang Lihua and returned to the farm.

When they returned to the farm, Wang Susu and Rui Rui saw the baby water buffalo and liked it very much.

The little white calf was standing quietly under the peach tree when it saw its friend return and gracefully strolled over.

The two cows sniffed each other and made low mooing sounds, appearing very affectionate.

“Look, they still remember each other,” Wang Susu said with a smile.

Chen Ling looked at the sky; it was the hottest time of the afternoon, the sun was shining brightly, and the ground was scorching hot.

On a sudden thought, he said, "It's too hot today. Let's go for a walk by the reservoir. It'll be a good opportunity for Afu, Ashou, and the little water buffalo to cool off in the water, and we can also see if we can catch some crayfish."

"Yay!" Xiaoming was the first to jump up and respond.

Rui Rui also held Little Iron Egg, looking at Chen Ling with longing eyes.

“Okay, let’s go. Susu, if you and your mother want to go, you can come too. The trees by the reservoir are shady and it’s cooler than at home,” Chen Ling said to Wang Susu.

Wang Susu glanced at the sun and nodded: "Alright, let's take Kang Kang and Le Le out for some fresh air."

So the whole family set off in a grand procession.

Chen Ling led the little water buffalo, while the little white calf followed gracefully beside him without needing to be led. (End of Chapter)