Wind Rises in North America 1625

Chapter 444 Fertile Land (Part 3)

On September 25, the morning came exceptionally early in Lanshan Village, Golden Beach (now Chilliwack, Canada).

As the first hint of dawn appeared on the horizon, the morning mist clung to the distant mountains like a thin veil, and even the cracks in the wooden houses seemed to seep into the air with a touch of coolness.

As Liu Dachong got up and put on his clothes, the copper bell on the wooden beam jingled softly in the wind, startling two sparrows under the eaves, which fluttered over the dew-covered fence.

He pushed open the door of the wooden cabin, took a deep breath of the air filled with the scent of grass and dew, and squinted at the distant mountains shrouded in morning mist. The dark green ridges appeared and disappeared in the fog, like a crouching giant beast.

"Honey, why are you up? The corn porridge on the stove hasn't boiled yet." His wife, Ding, called from the kitchen, accompanied by the soft crackling of the firewood.

"I can't sleep." Liu Dachong walked to the kitchen door and saw his wife, Ding, bending over to add firewood. Her apron was stained with charcoal ash. "Give me one of the leftover steamed buns from last night. Just wrap a piece of dried salted fish inside."

“How can that be? Cold steamed buns are bad for your stomach.” Ding straightened up, wiped her hands with her apron, lifted the lid of the steamer, and a plume of white steam rose out, carrying the aroma of wheat. “Wait a little longer, I’ll heat up the steamed buns and cut some pickled vegetables for you.”

"You nagging wife!" Liu Dachong glared at his wife. "The wool buyers are coming soon, but there are still more than half of the sheep in the pen that haven't been sheared. Aren't you worried?"

"Even if you're in a hurry, you still have to eat a hot meal." Ding muttered, picking a plump steamed bun out of the steamer, using chopsticks to pick up a piece of shiny salted dried fish, stuffing it into the crack of the bun, and then drizzling some of her homemade chili sauce on top. "That'll make it flavorful."

Liu Dachong took the steamed bun, took a big bite, and the aroma of wheat mixed with the freshness of fish spread in his mouth.

"Tell Dazhu and Erzhu to get up quickly and go help in the sheepfold," he mumbled with food in his mouth, then turned and walked toward the side of the house.

“I know… Hey, are you going to shear the sheep now? Can one person hold the sheep down?” his wife, Ding, called out from behind.

“How can I hold down a sheep by myself? You’re such a stupid woman!” Liu Dachong replied irritably. “I’ll go feed the cows first.”

He walked towards the cowshed, his boots covered in mud, as he trudged through the dew-dampened grass.

Inside the wooden fence, four Andalusian cows had already woken up and were slowly chewing the leftover grass from last night, their damp breaths condensing into white mist in the morning chill.

As he approached, the strongest ox raised its head, its eyes seemingly filled with longing, staring intently at him.

"What's the rush? Here we are!" Liu Dachong patted the cow's neck, pulled out a few bundles of fresh alfalfa that had been cut yesterday from the haystack next to him, and scattered them into the trough.

Several cows immediately gathered around and began to chew heartily, the fresh scent of grass juice mingling with the heat of the livestock filling the cowshed.

Amid the sizzling of beef tongue rolls, the stables echoed with the sounds of anxious stomping.

Liu Dachong peered out and saw a draft horse pawing the ground with its front hooves.

The chestnut-colored horse, which the children called "Fire Cloud," still had a few strands of dry grass hanging on its mane, indicating that it must have stolen some of the sheep pen's fodder last night.

After feeding the cattle, he picked up a bucket of soybean cake residue that had been soaked the night before and headed towards the stable.

When the horse saw its owner approaching, it immediately raised its head, its hooves pounding restlessly, and even stretched its neck to reach the bucket in his hand.

"You greedy glutton!" Liu Dachong laughed and scolded, pouring the bean cakes into the manger. "We'll still need you to pull the cart this afternoon, so don't slack off now that you've eaten!"

The horse lowered its head and chewed vigorously, its mane gleaming in the morning light.

As the sun gradually climbed over the mountain, the sheepfold echoed with bleating sounds.

Liu Dachong carried a bundle of alfalfa over, and more than thirty sheep immediately crowded to the fence, eagerly pushing forward.

He scattered the fodder and watched the sheep scramble for it, thinking to himself: there are five or six more sheep this year than last year, so the wool should sell for a few more dollars than last year.

Yes, we absolutely cannot let those wool traders rip us off!
As I was leaning against the fence, pondering this, I heard footsteps in the distance.

His wife, Ding, came over with their two sons, followed by three more children who hopped and skipped along to watch the excitement.

More than thirty sheep huddled together, like clusters of moving clouds.

The sheep in Xinhua are mostly Merino sheep imported from Mexico. They are fine-wool sheep, and their wool grows very quickly (about 10-15 centimeters per year). They are usually sheared twice a year, in spring and autumn.

The past few days have been sunny and dry, perfect for shearing sheep.

In order to shear all the wool in his house before the buyers arrived, he not only asked his two sons, who were in school, to take time off work to help, but he also contacted two villagers to come and assist.

After all, shearing sheep is hard work; someone has to hold the sheep down firmly to prevent it from struggling and moving around.

Otherwise, the sharp shears might cut the sheepskin, which would be unsightly.

The eldest son just turned ten this year, a time when he is very competitive. After entering the sheepfold, he grabbed a fat sheep, put his arms around it, and knocked it to the ground. Then he used his knee to hold down the sheep's head, and used his free hands to hold down its two front hooves tightly.

The second brother cleverly grabbed the two hind hooves and, together with his older brother, laid the whole sheep flat on the ground.

Liu Dachong then picked up the scissors and deftly began to push down from the sheep's neck.

The wool fell down with a "whoosh," revealing the pinkish-white skin.

"Dad, this sheep is so fat!" Erzhu wiped his sweat and pointed to the sheep that had just been sheared.

"Yes, the alfalfa is growing well this year." Liu Dachong looked up at the lush green alfalfa fields in the distance.

When I first came to Lanshan Village, this large hillside was all wasteland, overgrown with messy weeds and sparse trees.

Nowadays, most of the land is planted with alfalfa to feed livestock, and the rest is used to grow corn and potatoes. Although they don't make much money, they are less troublesome, allowing people to focus most of their energy on raising dozens of livestock.

Located in the heart of the Jinsha River Valley, Jinshatan boasts a mild climate, abundant water resources, and fertile land, making it one of the main livestock breeding areas in Xinhua County.

This area has a typical temperate maritime climate with four distinct seasons, mild winters, and cool summers, making it suitable for year-round grazing of livestock.

In addition, the local alluvial plains, rich in organic matter, are suitable for growing high-quality forage grasses such as alfalfa and ryegrass, providing highly nutritious feed for cattle and sheep.

The pure glacial meltwater originates from the East Kunlun Mountains (now the Rocky Mountains) and has excellent water quality, which not only meets the drinking water needs of livestock but also promotes the growth of pasture.

Roughly estimated, the Jinshatan settlement area had 2,400 immigrants, but also raised a large number of livestock, including more than 1,800 cattle, more than 600 horses, and more than 4,300 sheep, accounting for almost 20% of the total livestock in the entire Jinchuan area.

The region is a typical agricultural and pastoral economy. Local farmers generally adopt the "planting and breeding integration" model, using livestock manure to make compost. In addition to meeting the needs of their own farmland, a large amount of manure is also transported to other reclaimed areas to return the manure to the fields. This reduces manure pollution and improves soil fertility.

"Boss!" The father and his sons were drinking water and catching their breath when a voice called from outside the fence. Two men in short jackets carrying sacks came over; they were Zhao Ada and Xiao Kong, the helpers Liu Dachong had hired.

"Don't call us 'easterner' or 'westerner,' we can't afford that!" Liu Dachong said with a smile, "Come on, have some water first. We'll shear all the sheep in the pen together later."

Xiao Kong took a bowl of water from Ding and gulped it down, wiping his mouth and saying, "Tsk tsk, it's still sweet water! Old Liu, you're too kind!"

"There's not much to offer at home, just some sweet water to help you conserve your energy," Liu Dachong said with a smile as he looked at the two of them. "We'll have a simple meal inside when we're busy until noon."

"Oh, then we'll have to trouble you." Zhao Ada caught a glimpse of Ding walking towards the chicken coop, presumably to kill a hen to treat them, and his stomach immediately began to rumble.

The greatest fortune of my life was boarding the immigrant ship of the new Chinese and coming to this new continent. Not only did I have enough to eat every day, but I also never lacked fish and shrimp, and I could even eat meat from time to time.

He had never imagined such a good day in the past twenty years.

With more people available, it was impossible for everyone to crowd into the sheepfold, so the sheep shearing area was moved to an open space outside the sheepfold.

Dazhu and Erzhu led out two sheep, and the crowd quickly pinned them down.

Liu Dachong pressed down on the sheep's back with one knee, and scissors slid along the sheepskin, "snip, snip," until the snow-white wool peeled off layer by layer like a silkworm cocoon being peeled open.

"Old Liu, are these sheep easy to raise?" Zhao Ada asked as he helped groom the sheep.

"Easy to raise!" Liu Dachong straightened up and patted his back. "During the day, just let them graze on the hillside. If you want them to gain more weight and produce more wool, plant some alfalfa and rye grass. But be careful when herding them, lest wolves sneak up and snatch them away."

"And bears!" Xiao Kong chimed in. "A few days ago, the missing child was supposedly found in the forest in the mountains. There were bones everywhere, and torn clothes. Old Feng, who was in charge of the militia, said it was the work of a bear. Alas, what a tragedy! They had only raised the child to be six or seven years old when a bear snatched him away. His parents must be devastated."

"Heh, so it's best not to go into the woods alone." Liu Dachong shook his head and said, "In Xinhua, there are far more bears and wolves than in the Ming Dynasty. Even a man with a gun would probably not fare well if he encountered these wild beasts."

“Yes, Lao Liu is right.” Zhao Ada nodded, and with both hands, he helped Xiao Kong turn the sheep over so that Liu Dachong could cut the sheep’s back. “Last year, when we first came here, the village chief and the militia captain repeatedly reminded us not to go into the forest just to hunt a few moose or get a few pelts.”

“Speaking of these wild beasts, I’m reminded of a joke from my hometown,” Xiao Kong said with a smile. “They say that in our Cangzhou Prefecture, if a tiger were to run into a village, it wouldn’t be able to take a single hair with it; the starving people would eat it.”

“When people are starving, they will eat even their own kind, let alone the fierce bears and tigers in the forest,” Zhao Ada said in a low voice. “I’ve heard that in Henan and Shaanxi, cannibalism is extremely common.”

"Tell me, if a person eats another person, is he still a human being?" Xiao Kong sighed.

"It's all about survival, it doesn't matter if you're human or not." Zhao Ada shook his head. "The Ming Dynasty is a huge hell on earth. Even if you're not eaten, you'll starve to death. Otherwise, you'll follow those rebellious refugees around begging for food, and then one day your head will be chopped off by the government troops."

"I heard from the village clerk that those bandits who surrendered have rebelled again, and their forces are even stronger. They've even reached Sichuan," Liu Dachong said softly. "Tell me, how did the Ming Dynasty become like this? Even the 'Land of Abundance,' Sichuan, has been ravaged by bandits. Where in the Ming Dynasty is there any place that is safe?"

“At least, Jiangnan is still safe.” Zhao A laughed. “After all, it’s separated by a great river. Whether it’s bandits or Tartars, they can’t get across.”

“If you ask me, things aren’t necessarily much better in Jiangnan!” Xiao Kong said. “Yesterday, the village clerk read the newspaper to us, saying that in May, there were torrential rains in Suzhou, Songjiang and other places, and the floodwaters rose suddenly, destroying countless houses and fields, and affecting hundreds of thousands of people. Even so, the government did not provide any relief, and could not even come up with any money or food for compensation.”

"Alas, tell me, how are the people supposed to live in this situation?"

As they worked, the group chatted about the awful things that had happened in the Ming Dynasty, sighing with regret.

"All things considered, Xinhua is still the best." Liu Dachong finished the last trimming and patted the bald sheep on the ground. "I don't know about other places. At least here in Jinshatan, the land is fertile, the water is sweet, the grain is plentiful, and even the sheep grow two ounces more wool than elsewhere!"

“That’s for sure.” Zhao Ada’s wrinkles widened as he heard this. “Since coming to Xinhua, we’ve been able to eat our fill, wear warm clothes, and live in wooden houses that shelter us from the wind and rain. We no longer have to worry about where to find food for the next meal. Hehe, what’s even better is that in two years, we’ll be allocated land.”

"Old Liu, all those sheep and cows you raise, you've accumulated them slowly over the past ten years?" Xiao Kong looked around, examining the cowshed and sheepfold, his eyes full of envy.

"Hehe..." Liu Dachong laughed, a hint of pride on his face. "Of course, I built it all up from scratch. Here, as long as you're willing to put in the effort..."

He pointed to the alfalfa fields in the distance, which resembled a carpet: "Not only will we not go hungry, but we can also leave behind a legacy for our descendants."

However, if there is even a sliver of opportunity, that would be wonderful.

Back then, as a miner, he mined gold in the Jinshatan mining area. He secretly saved up a large handful of gold dust, which gave him his first pot of gold. Not long after he was allocated forty acres of land, he bought seven or eight livestock and built this large courtyard, living a relatively prosperous life.

Now, the Jinshahe mining area has moved more than 100 kilometers upstream to the Jianziwan (now Boston Bay) area.

Finding gold dust is not so easy.

Around noon, the village chief's daughter arrived carrying a bamboo basket.

"Dad asked me to deliver some freshly steamed taro cakes." The girl blushed as she handed the bamboo basket to Dazhu, then turned to Liu Dachong, who was shearing sheep, and said, "My dad said that a caravan that buys wool is coming and they plan to stay for two days. They're waiting at the threshing ground now. If Uncle Liu is going to sell wool, we'd better prepare in advance."

Liu Dachong paused in his movements.

He still remembered the caravans' price-cutting last year; he lost several cents per pound for no reason, and it bothered him for days.

“I understand.” He nodded to the girl, then turned to Zhao Ada and said, “After the sheep are sheared this afternoon, I’ll need your help to comb them, then bundle and pack them properly. We can’t let them find fault with us.”

"Don't worry, we'll make sure everything is done perfectly," Zhao Ada and Xiao Kong nodded hurriedly in response.

After taking a few steps, the girl suddenly remembered something and turned back. "Officials from the county have come and said they want to buy a batch of oxen to send to the newly developed colony. My father said that the purchase price may not be as high as the market price, but we can use the vouchers issued by the government to offset agricultural and livestock taxes, so it's still more worthwhile."

"Oh?" Liu Dachong's eyes lit up upon hearing this, and he nodded slightly. "Alright, I'll remember that. I'll come over tonight to discuss this with your father."

"Hey, Lao Liu, you have four cows. You must be able to sell them for a lot of money, right?" Zhao Ada said with envy.

Tsk tsk, in the Ming Dynasty, a family with four cows and a horse was a truly wealthy household.

Not to mention, there were more than thirty sheep kept in their sheepfold.

Oh, by the way, Old Liu also has forty acres of good land.

I wonder if we, after working hard here for more than ten years, will also be able to accumulate such wealth?

"Hehe, we can't sell all four cows. We still need to keep one for plowing and farming." Liu Dachong waved his hand with a smile. "Alright, after we shear this sheep, we'll eat. There's an old hen stewing on the stove. I'll also ask the eldest son to fetch a pot of wine. Let's have a good drink."

"Hey, get to work, get to work!" Zhao Ada grinned as he deftly pinned a sheep to the ground.

The sunlight grew warmer, and the distant pastures rippled in the wind.

Beside the sheepfold, the piles of wool gradually formed a small mountain, snow-white and fluffy, like a pile of snow that would never melt.
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(End of this chapter)