My 1995 Small Farm.

"That's right, Uncle Fugui, look! They're going to mix together!"

Liu Nier and the others also became anxious at this point.

Chen Ling looked at the chaotic scene in the sky, but remained calm and composed.

He smiled and patted Xiaoming and the others on the head, saying, "Don't be in a hurry. Look carefully. Our 'fat old men' don't look like they're about to elope with someone."

Upon hearing this, everyone craned their necks to look curiously.

The flock of domestic geese that took flight from the farm were quite large and flapped their wings with great effort, but they were noticeably slower.

After catching up with the flock of wild geese flying south, it did not follow them south, but instead circled around them, honking and swooping up and down.

The way they were acting didn't seem like they were about to embark on a long journey; it was more like a group of idle men had gathered around to watch the excitement and strike up a conversation with a stranger who had come to the village.

The wild geese were a bit confused by these local geese; their formation broke apart, and they made puzzled calls.

The two flocks of geese mingled together and circled in the air for quite some time.

Finally, the flock of wild geese probably felt that this place was a good place to rest, with its abundant water and grass, and the "local geese" providing a warm welcome.

Then, the lead goose let out a long cry, changed direction, and swooped down towards the surface of the reservoir.

"Splash! Splash!" Water splashed everywhere, and the wild geese fell into the water one after another.

Seeing this, the flock of plump geese on the farm became even more excited, honking loudly as they swooped down to follow.

It landed next to a flock of wild geese, puffed out its chest, and paddled in the water, looking smug like it was showing them the place.

"Hey! Instead of flying away, they left these wild geese behind!"

Zhao Dahai slapped his thigh and laughed: "Fugui, you fat geese can even bring customers to our reservoir!"

Everyone was amused by the sight.

In fact, Zhao Dahai and the others' previous concerns were not unfounded.

Anyone who has rescued wild birds has had this experience.

Even if they are tamed, they will still fly away when they encounter other birds.

Qin Rong adjusted his glasses and sighed, "Birds of a feather flock together. It seems that the environment of this reservoir is truly to the liking of these migratory birds. Perhaps quite a few will stay here for the winter this year."

"That's daring!"

Wang Laishun had also wandered over at some point, and his face lit up with a smile as he looked at the increasingly magnificent flock of birds in the reservoir.

"More birds are a good thing, it means our place has good feng shui! More people will definitely come to see the birds in the future, and our village will have an extra source of income!"

"And Fugui, we just received news from the county that our village's new school will officially open tomorrow. The Education Bureau has really gone all out this time, and I heard that the teachers they've sent are all top-notch teachers from the county."

"Among these teachers, I heard some were going to be transferred to the city, but when they heard that our village is the one where Fugui is staying, they gave up going to the city and volunteered to come here!!"

The surrounding villagers were all overjoyed to hear this.

Zhao Dahai nudged Chen Ling: "Fugui, your reputation is really useful now. Even teachers are vying to come and teach in our village."

Chen Ling waved his hand: "That's because our village is well-developed, the school is beautifully built, and the benefits are generous. What does it have to do with me personally?"

"How can it be unrelated?"

Wang Laishun said earnestly, "Without you leading the way in developing the farm, would our village be where it is today? When outsiders mention Chenwangzhuang, the first person they think of is you, Chen Fugui. As Professor Zhao said, this is called the celebrity effect!"

"And ah..."

"Not only are all the teachers here, but textbooks, desks, chairs, and blackboards are all in place! Our village finally has a complete primary school, from first to sixth grade. The children no longer have to travel more than ten miles to the county to attend school!"

These words immediately caused an uproar in the Bashang area.

"Wow! This is fantastic news!"

"There's a sixth grader in the village now? Our village used to only have two substitute teachers, and they could only teach up to the third grade!"

"That's great! My Erdan can go to fourth grade in the village next year!"

The villagers were all beaming with joy.

These days, it's a huge problem for rural children to get into school.

Larger villages might have a primary school, but smaller villages would have to go to another village to attend.

We have to get up before dawn every day, traversing mountains and valleys, and it's even more arduous when it rains or snows.

Although Chenwangzhuang has a primary school, it only goes up to the third grade.

After fourth grade, students will have to go to the township or county.

Both places are very far apart.

Now that Chenwangzhuang has its own complete primary school, what does this mean?
It means the kids can sleep an extra hour, it means they'll be safer on the road, and it means parents will have less to worry about!
Wang Laishun became more and more excited as he spoke: "Let's all go to the opening ceremony tomorrow! Let's give the teachers a boost and let the kids know how much the village values ​​education!"

Everyone echoed in agreement, their faces beaming with pride.

This is no small matter. In rural areas during the 90s, having a complete primary school in a village was a symbol of strength and a hope for the future.

As they were talking, a strange cry came from afar: "Son ah—son ah—".

Everyone looked in the direction of the sound and saw Er Maolu leading several donkeys from the village towards Chen Ling Farm.

Among the group of donkeys, two had very round bellies and were walking slowly; they were clearly pregnant.

The male donkey, for some unknown reason, followed the pregnant female donkey, braying as it went, which was quite irritating to the ears.

"Hey, Brother Donkey, what brings you out to herd your donkey again?" Zhao Dahai shouted.

Ermao Donkey walked over, brandishing his whip, and laughed, "We have to let it out. The donkey is about to give birth. This thing is different from other livestock. It needs to move around a lot when it's giving birth so it can give birth easily!"

"Hahaha, Brother Donkey has really gained experience in raising donkeys."

"If you ask me, Lishan, who raises pigs, and you, who raise donkeys, will both get rich and powerful in the future."

Everyone laughed when they heard that.

However, Wang Laishun also said, "This year our livestock are thriving. A flood has brought prosperity to both people and livestock. In the words of us uneducated people, it means that those who survive a great disaster are bound to have good fortune in the future."

"Yes, looking at our village and the surrounding villages, there are a lot of pregnant livestock lately, and they're about to give birth."

"The oxen, donkeys, and especially the water buffaloes of the wealthy family, all have very heavy bellies."

"Yes, the delivery needs to be prepared in advance by having experienced elderly people. This is a major event that will increase the number of livestock, so we can't be careless."

Chen Ling listened and nodded repeatedly.

The water buffalo his family brought back from Hong Kong Island is indeed about to give birth.

Not only water buffalo, but also yellow cattle, sika deer, goats, and other animals from the county town are all nearing the time of birth.

This year, there has been good rainfall and plenty of fodder, and pregnant livestock have plenty of food. Life has been much better than in previous years since winter began!
Thinking of this, Chen Ling said, "In the next month or two, our village will be busy with baby delivery. Every household has livestock that are pregnant, which is quite rare in the past."

The reason, of course, is that many people followed his lead before.

Whatever he raises, those people raise the same things.

Many people are saving up to buy sheep and cattle.

"Being busy is good; being busy means things are thriving."

Liang Hongyu sighed, “When I was a child in the countryside, it was a big deal when someone’s livestock gave birth. All the neighbors would come to help, and it was very lively.”

"The same applies now!"

Liu Ni'er chimed in, "Last time, when Second Grandpa's sow gave birth, we all went to see it. She gave birth to twelve piglets in one litter! Second Grandpa was so happy that he gave each family two red eggs!"

Everyone was talking at once, with smiles on their faces.

For farmers, livestock is half of their livelihood.

More calves and more lambs mean more income and more hope for the coming year.

Amidst laughter and conversation, the sun had already begun to set.

The birds on the reservoir gradually quieted down, each finding a place to roost. The sky was ablaze with the colors of dusk.

"walk home!"

Chen Ling called out, "We're having venison roasted tonight, everyone come! Let's celebrate the opening of our village's new school and our good harvest this year!" "Alright!"

"I have to go! I'll bring two bottles of wine!"

"I have some freshly made tofu at home, please bring me a slab!"

The group walked back in a lively atmosphere.

After eating and drinking their fill, Ah Fu and Ah Shou lazily followed at the back of the group, occasionally stopping to look back at the mountains and forests, their eyes following the flocks of birds flying around.

Back at the farm, smoke soon began to rise from the chimney.

Gao Xiulan and Liang Hongyu were busy in the kitchen, with Liu Yinhuan helping out.

Kang Kang and Lele chased the crab-eating mongoose all over the yard, their giggles clear and melodious.

Chen Ling and Zhao Dahai dragged the prey to the backyard and began processing the venison and wild boar meat.

Rui Rui and Xiao Ming squatted to the side watching, their eyes wide open.

"Dad, can I have these antlers?" Rui Rui asked, pointing to the pair of beautiful antlers.

“Okay, after it’s all processed, Dad will polish it up for you and hang it on the wall as a decoration,” Chen Ling said while cutting the meat.

"Uncle, can I have the wild boar's tusks?" Xiaoming asked, also looking on with envy.

"Here's a pair of smaller ones for you."

Chen Ling laughed and said, "I'll keep the big one and make a knife handle for it someday."

The two children immediately cheered.

As evening fell, a barbecue grill was set up in the yard.

The venison is cut into large chunks, marinated with salt, Sichuan peppercorns, scallions, and ginger, and then skewered on iron skewers.

The wild boar tenderloin is sliced ​​thinly and prepared for stir-frying.

Chen Ling then brought out a jar of his homemade persimmon wine and filled it for the adults.

The children were drinking wild grape juice, which was a deep purple color and had a sweet and sour taste.

A comfortable and lively evening was spent just like that.

……

The next morning, Chen Ling had just gotten up and was cleaning the yard.

Then they heard the heavy breathing of water buffalo coming from the direction of the cattle shed.

Chen Ling quickened his pace and walked over, where he saw the pregnant, spotted water buffalo pacing anxiously in its pen.

Her belly was sagging badly, her breasts were swollen and bulging, and her hind legs were constantly arching – all clear signs of impending labor.

"Good heavens, she was just saying yesterday, and she's going to give birth today?"

He walked over, touched his stomach, and observed it for a while.

The baby is in the correct position and the cow is in good condition, so she should be able to give birth naturally.

I glanced at the Bull Demon King. That old fellow was like a wealthy landlord, still staring wide-eyed from afar, comfortably lying there, resting without moving.

"Damn, what a jerk."

He hurried home to prepare hot water, some hay, tools, etc.

Hearing the noise, Wang Susu knew that a cow was about to give birth, so she quickly got dressed and got up.

After being woken up, the children excitedly squealed and shouted.

Wang Susu prepared to apply clean old sheets and iodine.

"Ah Ling, are we getting ready to deliver the baby?"

"Don't rush, let it happen on its own."

Although Chen Ling had only delivered lambs and puppies and had never delivered cows, he knew that too much intervention in such situations was not a good thing.

"Let's clean up the shed, lay out some dry grass, and prepare brown sugar water and concentrated feed so it can recover after giving birth."

Rui Rui and Xiao Ming clung to the outside of the cowshed fence, their eyes wide open: "Dad, when will the calves come out?"

"It'll be quick, just wait patiently."

Chen Ling patted the two children's heads: "Remember, don't try to touch the calf as soon as it's born. Mother cows are protective of their calves, and they won't be happy if strangers get close."

"We know!"

Rui Rui nodded vigorously: "Just like when Afu and Ashou gave birth to tiger cubs, they wouldn't let us touch them freely."

That made everyone laugh.

As they were talking, the water buffalo suddenly stopped, knelt down on its front legs, exerted force with its hind legs, and made a low mooing sound from its throat.

"She's about to give birth!" Wang Cunye whispered.

Everyone held their breath and stared intently.

The water buffalo strained repeatedly, and after a few minutes, first its two wet little hooves emerged, then its head, and finally the whole calf slid to the ground with a "plop".

The calf, its body completely wrapped in fetal membranes, lay motionless on the hay.

The cow immediately turned around and gently but urgently licked the calf's slime with her rough tongue.

"He's alive! He's alive!" Xiao Ming exclaimed softly.

As the cow licked him, the calf first moved his legs, then shook his head, snorted, and struggled to stand up.

But its legs were still weak, and after several unsuccessful attempts, it sat back down on the ground with a "plop".

The cow continued licking patiently, making low mooing sounds, as if encouraging her calf.

"For a first-time mother, this water buffalo is quite well-behaved." Qin Rong nodded approvingly.

About twenty minutes later, the calf finally stood up, albeit shakily!

Although its four thin legs were still trembling, it stubbornly supported its body and then instinctively reached for the cow's udder.

"Hey, it's looking for milk now!"

Gao Xiulan said happily, "This little guy is good; he's very strong."

The mother cow also stood in a cooperative position, allowing the calf to suckle the colostrum smoothly.

Seeing this, everyone breathed a sigh of relief and smiled with satisfaction.

"Mother and child are safe and sound, that's wonderful!"

The birth of a new life always brings joy.

Rui Rui was engrossed in watching when he suddenly looked up and asked, "Daddy, does the calf have a name?"

"Not yet, can you come up with one?" Chen Ling said with a smile.

Rui Rui tilted his head and thought for a moment: "Its mother's belly is flowery, and it has spots on its body... so it's called Little Flower?"

“That’s too ordinary.” Xiao Ming shook his head. “How about we call it ‘Reservoir’? Because it was conceived the year the reservoir was completed.”

“Then we should just call it ‘Bumper Harvest’,” Rui Rui retorted. “Dad said that everything in our village will have a bumper harvest this year.”

The two children started arguing and chattering, but finally decided to let the calf "choose" for itself.

Rui Rui didn't understand how the calf could choose on its own.

Xiao Ming thought he was very clever, so he wrote several names on pieces of paper and scattered them on the hay to see which one the calf touched first.

After the calf finished nursing, it waddled around and actually stepped on the words "Fu Bao" with one hoof.

"Fu Bao! Its name is Fu Bao!" Rui Rui cheered.

"A good name, a blessed baby."

Wang Susu smiled and patted her son's head: "Our farm has gained a new member." (End of Chapter)