My 1995 Small Farm.

Chapter 195 Investigating the Wolf's Den

Upon hearing this, the three of them quickly bent down to look.

Sure enough, two rows of dark nipples hung from the mother wolf's belly.

Furthermore, the closer it gets to the hind legs, the more swollen the wolf's milk bag becomes, and milk continues to flow out.

When I wanted to take a closer look again...

The wolf howled angrily, bared its teeth, its fur bristling, and charged at them again, pulling the trap along.

Although the four of them were at a safe distance from the wolf, they were still startled by its fierce appearance and instinctively dodged backward.

Wang Qingzhong even plopped down on the ground.

"What a vicious beast."

"Is this a wolf pregnant with wolf cubs?"

He took a few quick breaths, his eyes still fixed on the wolf.

I want to see if the wolf's belly is bulging.

Old Wu shook his head, "The milk has come out, the wolf cubs must have been born."

"We can't keep a wolf like that even if we catch it; let it go."

For humans, wolves are a menace; if they encounter one, they should kill it.

But there are rules in the mountains.

Prey with young or pregnant animals should not be killed; once caught or trapped, they should be released.

"Let it pass, but judging by its posture, how do we remove the clip?"

Lynx was a little troubled: "I didn't bring all my hunting gear. It's still in the tent. Why don't you come back with me, Ah Zhong, and bring it to me?"

He had special hunting tools for catching wolves; the tools were few, but very useful.

"No need to bother..."

Chen Ling waved his hand, pointed at the mother wolf, and said to Heiwa, "Go and hold it down."

When it comes to serious matters, Heiwa is never ambiguous.

Upon hearing this, he yelled and rushed forward.

The mother wolf was on high alert, her fur bristling, her face contorted in a ferocious growl, as if she wanted to fight back.

But Heiwa acted as if he hadn't seen it. He rushed up to it, stood up abruptly, and used his two thick front legs to pin it to the ground as if grabbing a chick.

The mother wolf didn't even have the strength to resist; she could only lie on the ground with her tail between her legs, howling in pain, completely unable to move.

"What kind of dog is this? It's so powerful!"

Old Wu was dumbfounded.

Wang Qingzhong was also dumbfounded.

Only the lynx smiled; this was the Heiwa he knew.

"Hold on tight, I'm going to remove the clips."

Chen Ling stepped forward.

At this moment, Heiwa held the mother wolf down, her thick tail wagging rapidly.

Some couldn't help but feel excited.

Chen Ling glanced at Xiao Jin, who was also staring at the mother wolf, whimpering and looking somewhat agitated.

He knew this had nothing to do with being in heat.

The two dogs' behavior toward the wolf was rather unusual.

Every time I encounter a wolf, I can't help but become excited and agitated.

So after checking the location of the clip, Chen Ling reminded Heiwa, "Hold it down carefully, don't hurt it."

Then, by pinching the mother wolf's hind leg, he gently removed the trap.

They then retreated a little further.

Signal Heiwa to let go of it.

Heiwa was still somewhat reluctant to leave, his eyes fixed on the mother wolf.

It seemed to want to bite the mother wolf's neck.

The mother wolf had been terrified by Heiwa during their earlier encounter, and as soon as Heiwa released her, she immediately tucked her tail between her legs in fear and limped away.

Not daring to linger for even a moment longer.

The mother wolf ran away, but no one paid any attention.

Instead, they gathered around the black-faced boy, marveling at his appearance.

It mainly consists of Lao Wu and Wang Qingzhong.

Wang Qingzhong now understands why the mountain cats have such high praise for Heiwa.

Obedient and fierce, even wolves look like chicks compared to it.

Not only is he tall and strong, but he is also good-looking.

He likes dogs like these.

Not to mention those like Lynx who love dogs to death.

That's how people are.

Even the lynx's two dogs were won over by Heiwa.

He pinned the wolf to the ground in one swift motion.

They are not to be trifled with.

Even the red wolfhound's eyes changed from fierce to clear and friendly.

When it saw Heiwa coming over, it wagged its tail and acted very affectionately towards him.

The white pine tree sniffed and rubbed against it, almost turning itself upside down.

When the lynx saw the two dogs in this state in front of Heiwa, it showed no displeasure but rather delight.

Chen Ling was initially puzzled.

Then it suddenly dawned on me, and I looked closely at his two dogs.

"Damn, two bitches..."

"This kid is up to no good."

The lynx hadn't noticed Chen Ling's subtle actions yet.

I was still chatting with Lao Wu about dogs, specifically the puppy he had just bought.

Old Wu came up the mountain in the afternoon, intending to give the dog a simple training session.

Unexpectedly, the wolf got caught in the trap.

The she-wolf had just startled them all.

Let alone such a small puppy.

He was so frightened that he screamed and urinated in the process.

They haven't recovered yet.

"Although it's a dog for finding snakes and can't be compared to a hunting dog, it can't be too useless either. This guy was scared by the wolves, so he might be too afraid to go up the mountain in the future."

Old Wu was a little worried.

I'm afraid the puppy will be scared and ruined. It's not easy to find a dog with a good personality.

I've been trying to find one every time I go to a market over the past six months.

"It's alright, it's not a big problem."

The lynx smiled faintly, not taking it to heart at all.

He started playing with dogs when he was a teenager.

I've seen countless hunting dogs terrified into oblivion.

Some were terrified by wolves, some by wild boars and bears, and some by tigers—there were many more.

The hunting dog lost its courage.

The dog would be ruined.

Even if they still dare to run in the mountains, it's useless.

Like a bird startled by the mere twang of a bow, it instinctively feels fear upon hearing a sound or smelling a odor.

Such a hunting dog, even if it possesses ten parts of skill, will be unable to use even a fraction of it.

"Huh? You have a plan?"

"Yes, but this is a puppy, so it's easy to change. It's much harder for a big dog. If the big dog gets scared out of its wits, there's nothing I can do."

The lynx nodded.

He then looked at Chen Ling and said, "Fugui knows how to train dogs, so he should know how to help a puppy build courage, right?"

"I know."

Chen Ling was taken aback for a moment.

Then he understood what the lynx meant: "You want to use wolf blood to toughen up the puppy?"

"Correct."

The lynx glanced at Old Wu's feet, at the little dog that was still trembling like a leaf.

"This little dog is lucky. There's wolf blood right in front of it, which is a good opportunity to toughen it up."

"What do you mean? Giving a dog wolf's blood to toughen it up?"

Lao Wu and Wang Qingzhong hadn't reacted yet.

"Yes, it's actually quite simple..."

Chen Ling explained it to them.

His father would train the puppy to be brave.

Later, Wang Lixian and an old hunter from Kinmen Village also taught him a few tricks.

However, the simplest and most brutal method is to use the blood of the prey.

Every day, they would pour and smear wild boar blood, fox blood, and leopard blood into the puppy's nose and let it lick it.

From a young age, dogs should be taught that these prey are their enemies and that their flesh and blood are food.

When these dogs grow up, they will immediately react when they smell the prey in the mountains.

Even if you encounter a wild boar or a wolf, you won't be afraid anymore.

From a young age, I was taught that these were mortal enemies.

Hatred is etched into their bones; when they encounter someone, they will fight to the death with bloodshot eyes.

There was no fear or hesitation whatsoever. "So that's how it is."

Old Wu suddenly realized.

The two families owned fields and land, but there weren't many hunters; most were like him, raising snakes and dogs.

Puppies are easy to train and don't take long; they can go out to find snakes in just one or two months.

Therefore, I don't know much about the hunters' methods of training dogs.

Wang Qingzhong had seen dog training before, but he didn't know what it was for, and he wasn't interested in hunting dogs.

After all, hunting alone cannot support a family.

But now it sounds quite interesting.

"Isn't this just like training hunting dogs?"

"No, it's just to build up my courage so I won't be afraid of wolves anymore."

Chen Ling shook his head. Actually, most dogs are afraid of wolves.

Sometimes, when wolves sneak into the village, even the dogs don't dare to bark.

Some people are even more timid; their legs go weak when they encounter wolves, and they forget to run away.

At this moment, Old Wu, holding the little white dog, squatted down next to a small pool of wolf blood beside the iron clamp. Actually, there was quite a bit of milk mixed in with the wolf blood.

Old Wu dipped his finger in the mixture and began to apply it to the little white dog's nose.

After applying the blood, seeing that the little white dog didn't react much, I went all out and scooped up the wolf blood and poured it into the dog's nostrils.

The wolf blood still retained a trace of warmth.

After it entered its nostrils, the little white dog couldn't help but choke.

Whether it's a person or a dog, being choked is never comfortable.

Especially when children are young, their organs are delicate and sensitive, making them feel even more uncomfortable.

If you feel uncomfortable, you'll remember it vividly and develop an aversion to that smell.

This is the simplest way to cultivate hatred.

Let's leave aside other methods.

That alone is enough to make the little white dog suffer.

After it recovered, the old crow dipped the blood from the ground into its mouth.

After a lot of trouble.

The little white dog finally started licking the wolf's blood on its own.

When placed in front of the iron trap, it stopped trembling and, smelling the lingering scent of the mother wolf, began to lick the wolf blood off the ground clean.

This means that we've almost succeeded.

Then it will just take time to wear them down.

You only need to come once every ten days or half a month.

"I'll have to find someone to borrow wolf blood when I get back."

Old Wu patted the little white dog and muttered to himself.

Borrowing wolf blood is not difficult. In winter, when food is scarce, wolves often come out to prey on poultry and livestock, and there are always people in the surrounding villages who have caught wolves.

It's just a bit troublesome to do it this way.

It's better to train a hunting dog than to go through all that trouble.

"Then train it to be a hunting dog. Once you've built up your courage, it'll be great for chasing animals up the mountain."

As Lynx spoke, his gaze fell on the grayish-blue mongrel next to Old Wu: "Actually, if we're talking about good prospects, this big dog is the best. Look at its fur, its claws, it would be a shame to train it into a snake dog."

This big mongrel might look ugly.

The hair was coarse, sparse, and messy, looking quite disheveled.

But it is precisely because of this that it has the potential to become a good hunting dog.

Hair that is as coarse and stiff as steel needles dissipates heat very quickly.

Dogs are afraid of the heat.

Dogs that dissipate heat slowly have reduced stamina and are unable to concentrate on hunting prey.

"Haha, there's nothing to regret. Catching snakes and rabbits is enough for me."

Old Wu laughed.

Dogs, as long as they have a bit of hunting instinct, have a natural interest in small prey like mice and rabbits.

Although snake-catching dogs primarily hunt snakes, they will also catch rabbits in winter when there are no snakes around.

As they talked, they continued to find places to set up the empty clips they had put away in the valley.

In winter, the days are short, and the sunlight quickly dims.

It's getting a bit cold up in the mountains.

After resetting the trap, Lao Wu prepared to take the dog home.

As I was saying goodbye to the three of them, some rustling sound came from somewhere, causing a chorus of barking dogs.

"what happened?"

The four of them stopped.

"It's a wolf, but we don't know if it's the mother wolf or some other wolf."

Chen Ling knew what was going on when he saw the unusual reaction of his two dogs.

Aside from wolves, nothing else can cause them to become agitated or restless.

"Another wolf?"

The lynx was initially puzzled.

Then she quickly realized: "What a cunning creature! There must be a wolf den in this valley, and maybe even wolf cubs. No wonder the mother wolf didn't run into the valley when she fled earlier."

They were so captivated by Heiwa's bravery that they didn't think about this aspect and forgot that the wolf was a mother wolf who had given birth to wolf pups.

The reason it's leaking milk isn't because it's in pain.

Instead, just like with other women, her milk came in during the breastfeeding period.

At this time, wolves are most protective of their cubs; to protect them from harm, they dare not return to their den even if they escape.

Upon hearing this, Chen Ling and the other two suddenly realized what he meant.

Living in the mountains, wolves and humans have long been sworn enemies.

Even though Wang Qingzhong wasn't particularly interested in hunting, he knew a lot about the habits and behaviors of wolves.

Then he added, "That mother wolf was caught in the trap at the valley entrance. If there were wolf dens in the valley, wouldn't the other wolves know about them?"

He only got halfway through his sentence.

Old Wu pointed ahead and shouted, "There really are wolves! Look at the hillside, there are several of them, carrying wolf cubs away!"

Chen Ling and the other two hurriedly looked in that direction.

On the other side of the valley, on the hillside, three or four wolves were seen carrying wolf cubs and hurrying away.

They were only about 200 meters away from the four of them.

"There really is a wolf den in this valley?"

Wang Qingzhong muttered to himself.

“It’s not surprising that there are wolves. I suddenly remembered that there used to be a place called Wild Wolf Valley near us. Ah Zhong, has anyone from your Medicine King Village ever told you about Wild Wolf Valley?”

Old Wu asked.

"No, but I have heard it from others."

Wang Qingzhong thought for a moment: "Could this be the place? Didn't they say that all the wolves in Wild Wolf Valley had run away? Have they all come back?"

"I don't know, let's go in and take a look."

Old Wu's expression was a bit grim: "We won't kill the mother wolf, but this wolf den is too close to the village. If we let them live here, who will dare to walk on the mountain in the future?"

"Not only that, the village will probably suffer in winter too."

"We can't let something like what happened in Wolf Valley happen again."

Previously, Wolf Valley was filled with wolf dens.

In the days when the population was small, wolves were rampant and a plague. At night, the mountains were full of green eyes, and there were countless wolves.

When the wolves howled, people were afraid to sleep at night, fearing that the wolves would sneak into their homes.

This situation was quite common before and after the founding of the People's Republic of China.

And now, with the population growing rapidly.

The survival of the wolf pack is threatened, and their living space is being constantly squeezed.

The largest wolf packs are only around forty individuals.

Furthermore, this scale will continue to shrink in the future.

However, with the wolf population decreasing, we cannot allow them to thrive in such close proximity.

Otherwise, the nearby villages will not feel safe in the future.

Even young children have to live in fear when going to school.

This is no small matter.

"Let's go, forget everything else, let's block up the wolf's den first."

Wang Qingzhong gritted his teeth and said.

He also knew that being too close to the wolf's den was not a good thing.

With dogs following, the wolf's den is easy to find.

They knew the seriousness of the situation.

Chen Ling and the lynx then let the dog go and search.

Led by Xiao Jin, they had only advanced for two or three minutes when they discovered the wolf den under a large rock.

When Chen Ling and the others arrived, Xiao Jin was leading the pack outside the wolf den, howling incessantly.

And from inside came soft, childish whimpering sounds.

Upon hearing this, the lynx was overjoyed: "They just carried away several, but there are still wolf cubs left behind?"

The group quickly moved closer.

What comes into view is a hole about one meter wide.

I heard the scream and crawled down to take a look.

Inside the cave entrance were several chubby wolf cubs, howling and facing outwards, slowly backing away into the depths of the den.

(End of this chapter)