My 1995 Small Farm.

Chapter 216 Judging a Donkey by its Appearance
Chen Ling didn't know how those naughty kids were dealt with by their parents, but Wang Laishun's frightened donkey was badly injured, with its front leg broken. Although Wang Laiyun and Wang Laishun were brothers, he borrowed his brother's animal to work and injured it, so he certainly couldn't just ignore it.

He immediately asked Chen Ling to bring the brigade's tractor over so that the donkey could be taken back to his own home.

Since it's best not to bother two people, Chen Ling treated the donkey's injured leg afterward using a folk remedy that works for both humans and animals, prepared by Wang Susu. Naturally, the treatment was quite effective, and in just three or four days, the donkey's condition improved significantly. It was able to eat and drink normally again, and its mood stabilized.

That's how it is with frightened livestock; they suffer many aftereffects after being startled.

For example, loss of appetite, vomiting and diarrhea, becoming irritable and easily angered, not letting others get close, and kicking people at the slightest provocation.

Anyone who has raised large livestock knows that when livestock are startled, they go crazy and won't stop until they crash into something or run themselves out of exhaustion.

If they are subjected to other stimuli in the middle, the situation will be more serious. Some livestock can no longer work after being frightened once.

This big male donkey is quite good. Perhaps it's because it's old and has spent a lot of time with people. Even when it's startled, it calms down quickly.

So after observing for two days and finding no problems, Chen Ling applied the medicine again, and then there was no need to worry about it anymore.

As for accepting money, since Wang Laiyun was a relative and elder in the same village, he never intended to ask for money in the first place.

But to everyone's surprise, the day after the medicine was applied, Wang Laiyun delivered several ducklings and goslings to my home. I couldn't refuse them; he insisted on keeping them.

When it's time for spring plowing, large livestock are very useful, and getting them injured can be a big problem.

Whether it's Wang Laiyun or the parents of those mischievous kids, they all understand this principle.

If the borrowed livestock gets injured, it's the family that caused the trouble and they're responsible for it; nobody will say a word about it.

But Chen Ling has nothing to do with this. He put in the effort, applied medicine, and cured the livestock. How can he not give anything in return? He can't let someone who helped him out of kindness suffer a loss.

After thinking about it, the group realized that it wouldn't look good to give money to someone from the same village.

After careful discussion, knowing that Chen Ling would be raising chickens and ducks at the farm in a while, they decided to send over a few ducklings and goslings.

To be fair, these ducklings and goslings did save Chen Ling some trouble.

The goslings, in particular, served as a reminder to him that if he didn't raise rabbits this year, he could still raise geese.

Geese can be raised together with chickens and ducks. They can be used as lead geese, guard the house, and mainly eat grass, so they eat very little grain. They are easy to raise, and you can sell goose eggs and eat goose meat regularly. It can be said that you get multiple benefits from raising geese.

The next day happened to be the eighth day of the second lunar month, which was the market day in the village, so Chen Ling decided to buy more goslings. The rabbit hutch at home had already been emptied, so the goslings could be raised in the hutch first. Once the farm was built, they could be brought over along with the chickens and ducks.

Having made plans, they set off early the next day in an oxcart.

If you want to buy good poultry and livestock, you have to go early, otherwise you'll only get what others have left over.

……

When Chen Ling arrived in the township, it was not yet nine o'clock, and the market stalls had not been fully set up. He went to the livestock station to sit with Station Chief Li for a while. During their chat, he asked about various vaccines, as well as injections and liquid medications commonly used for poultry and livestock.

The livestock station had several commonly used medicines. After learning that Chen Ling had already treated several cases of livestock diseases and had basically mastered the notes he had given him, Station Chief Li was very happy. He not only gave him some medicines but also gave him a medicine box.

Chen Ling carried it on his body, and it looked quite presentable, not bad at all.

As the two were talking, Station Master Li, knowing that Chen Ling had come to the market to buy goslings, didn't keep him any longer. After chatting for a while, he saw him out.

As soon as he reached the door, he saw Old Ba standing with his hands behind his back, pacing back and forth around the oxcart, his eyes lingering on the little white calf. He seemed quite interested.

"What's wrong, Old Bago?"

Old Ba looked up at Chen Ling and laughed, "Is this the white water buffalo you bought last year? You've taken good care of it. It's brave enough to see strangers now, and it's grown quite well. Is it well-behaved when it's working?"

"It's a very honest worker, very well-behaved. Actually, in my opinion, this cow is just like a person. If you take it out for a walk more often, it will gradually become bolder." Chen Ling patted the big head of the little white calf.

"Alright, it seems you really like this white cow and are putting in the effort to raise it." Old Ba nodded approvingly.

Then he added, "Whenever you want to breed, I'll find you a big white bull and have it have two white calves."

Chen Ling immediately laughed: "It's too early for breeding. This is still a calf. Besides, it's not easy to find white water buffalo around here."

Water buffalo grow slower than cattle. Cattle can be bred at one year old and are fully mature at two years old, while water buffalo can only be bred at one and a half years old and are fully mature at three years old.

However, most cattle farmers do not allow their cattle to be bred and produce calves as soon as they are old enough to be bred.

This is because it not only harms the cow's body, but also increases the probability of dystocia, making it a relatively risky endeavor.

They only prepare for breeding after the cattle have fully matured.

Their own little white calf is only one year old. Whether in terms of size or other aspects, it has not fully grown up yet, and it is perfectly accurate to call it a calf.

However, it simply means that it grows faster than a normal water buffalo, has a larger and more symmetrical body, and is very beautiful in appearance.

It looks like it has grown up, but it is actually very small.

Therefore, it is really too early to talk about breeding at this time.

"What's easy or hard to find? Don't even mention white water buffalo, we can find you white horses, white donkeys, and white mules."

Old Baht waved his hand dismissively, indicating that it was no big deal.

"What? There are white donkeys and white mules?" Chen Ling was stunned when he heard this.

"I've seen plenty of white horses, but do white donkeys and white mules really exist?"

"Yes, they have them at this market, all of them. If you want to see them, go and see for yourself. As soon as they were brought over, a bunch of people gathered around them."

Old Ba chuckled, turned around and pointed in the direction of Mule and Horse Market: "I'll go back and have a bite to eat first, then I'll go take a look later. To be honest, I haven't seen this kind of thing much before."

……

Chen Ling arrived at the mule and horse market with doubts, and sure enough, he saw a large crowd gathered at the innermost area where large livestock were traded. He resisted the urge to go and watch the excitement, and first picked out more than ten goslings from the poultry stalls on the outer perimeter. After paying for them, he put them in a bamboo basket on the oxcart before walking over.

Halfway there, we saw a large white water buffalo, tall and robust. Compared to water buffalo south of the Yangtze River, it was much thinner and taller, and its belly was not as big, which is a characteristic of local water buffalo.

But this rare white water buffalo was ignored at this time, as everyone flocked to the innermost part of the enclosure to watch the spectacle.

Clearly, there's something even stranger inside.

Chen Ling drove the oxcart over and saw three white mules in the crowd. They were all white from head to tail and were tied to three big trees. One of them was the tallest and Chen Ling recognized it as a white horse at a glance.

Compared to mules and donkeys, horses have the most streamlined and beautiful physique, and it was neighing restlessly, making mate-seeking calls to a mare not far from the crowd.

The other two mules were smaller than each other; without a doubt, these were the white donkey and white mule that Old B had mentioned.

At this moment, the surrounding crowd was noisy, gathered together, pointing and talking about the three white mules. Many people had never seen such a rare color of mules before, and they talked about it with great interest.

"White mules and white donkeys are so rare, it's really hard to find them all together with a white horse. How many of these can you find in a hundred years?"

"Come on, even a hundred years, or a thousand years, might not produce more than a few. Anyway, I've never seen one before."

"Which one are you calling a mule? You're wrong, this is a donkey. The smallest one in front is a donkey. Hmm, that's for sure. Donkeys are the smallest among mules and horses. This is a donkey, not a mule." "Haha, this guy has all three things white, so he can't tell them apart, can he?"

"Hey, don't make fun of me. Go ask around and see who can tell the difference right away..."

"Master, master's servant, come here and tell me, which is the mule and which is the donkey?"

"Here they come! The biggest one is a horse, the smallest is a donkey, and the one bigger than a donkey but smaller than a horse is a mule. They're all white and hard to tell apart, just remember this one..."

"No, look at that horse. It's like it's startled. It keeps kicking its legs and neighing. Is it trying to kick up its tail? Let's get away from it."

"It's alright, don't be afraid. This is my stallion. It's smelled the mare's scent and wants to breed with her."

"On the way here, I ran into some other stallions and got into a fight. I even got bitten on the neck..."

Upon closer inspection, everyone noticed that the large white horse indeed had an injury on its neck.

In the spring, livestock breeding is a major attraction at the mule and horse market, especially when the males fight, which always draws a large crowd.

The scene was comparable to a bullfight.

Because it's early spring, when everything comes back to life, it's the peak season for livestock to go into heat, especially donkeys and horses. People often say "cold donkeys and hot horses," meaning that in this spring, when the weather is just beginning to warm up, donkeys are the first to go into heat, and later, when the weather warms up completely, horses also go into heat.

Donkeys and horses are in heat from early spring until summer, when their desire to mate gradually fades as the weather gets warmer.

This big white horse was clearly in heat and wanted to mate. Even with its reins tied to the tree, it was restless, pulling on the reins and running around the tree. Every now and then, it would raise its front hooves and kick its four hooves incessantly, as if it were about to kick up its heels.

……

"See? I didn't fool you, did I?"

Chen Ling watched curiously for a while. Old Ba and Station Chief Li also came over. After walking to his side, Old Ba asked with a smile.

"They really are white mules and white donkeys. These are rare. I just heard someone say that only a few of them appear in a thousand years." Chen Ling exclaimed. He had never seen white mules and donkeys before. Today was truly an eye-opener for him.

"It is rare, but a thousand years is nonsense. There used to be white donkeys in the livestock sheds of Baiyungou in the south, and there were two of them at once. I've also seen white mules before, and I thought it was strange back then." Old Ba tapped his pipe and refilled it.

Station Chief Li, who was standing nearby, couldn't help but lean closer to take a look. When he returned, he was very excited: "This is a rare sight indeed. A white horse, a white donkey, and a white mule all together. I wouldn't dare say the white donkey is bad, but this white mule is something you really don't see for decades."

"However, this white donkey is an albino, but this white mule probably isn't."

"Yes, this mule is a cross between a white horse and a white donkey, and it has symmetrical eyes. If it had red eyes, it would be a white mule born from a white horse and a black donkey. It's rare for ordinary people to see it, but I've been a mule and horse broker for many years and I've seen quite a few." Old Ba nodded, smoking his pipe.

Station Chief Li smiled helplessly: "No ordinary person can compare to you, Dad. Everyone in the village knows how capable you are."

"Haha, that's nothing special. If you were willing to work as a mule and horse broker for a few more years, you could do it too."

Old Ba chuckled, then turned to Chen Ling: "How about it, Fugui? Have you taken a liking to it? Weren't you quite interested in this white animal? Bring all three back together. With your white cow, that'll make quite a spectacle when you go out."

"..."

"Come on, I don't even want one of them, let alone buy all three." Chen Ling shook his head. These things are rare, but you have to like them too. He still thinks his own little white cow is the best.

Just then, a female donkey was led over. The white horse in the crowd seemed to smell the scent and became even more agitated, while the white male donkey brayed incessantly, pawing the ground with its front hooves.

"Where's Lao Ba? Come over here and get your donkey." It was a short, round-faced old man who came over leading his donkey and shouted.

Old Ba was furious when he heard this: "What the hell do you mean by 'match'? Have you been eating too much donkey whip? Why is your mouth so foul?"

Although they were cursing, the two were clearly acquaintances. They exchanged a few greetings, and the short, thin old man pulled the old man along to help him find a male donkey.

"Fugui, are you busy? If not, come along for a stroll," Station Master Li invited.

Chen Ling had nothing else to do, so he went along to see how Old Ba picked out donkeys for people and learn some skills.

So they led the ox and followed behind.

The mule and horse market in the village is quite large, specifically prepared for the trading of large livestock, and oxcarts can move freely here.

"Old Ba, come over here and let's take a look at the mule."

Old Ba hadn't gone far when he was stopped by a man carrying a basket. He pulled on a black mule and shouted, "Want to trade for a mule? I'll trade my black mule for a red one. The owner said he wants me to pay an extra three hundred. Do you think I can do it?"

Old Ba walked over, pried open the red mule's mouth, glanced at it, and nodded, saying, "We've traded it. A red mule with its teeth just fully grown in. You can trade it for your old black mule. Three hundred more and you won't lose out."

"Okay, I'll change it."

The man immediately nodded excitedly and turned to make the deal with his master.

Mules, mules are actually more like horses.

Like horses, mules' teeth fully develop at age six, a process also known as "fully grown teeth".

A mule with its teeth just fully grown is at its most energetic, and mules are more robust than horses and donkeys, rarely getting sick, making them a very good deal to buy.

Old Ba was a celebrity in the mule and horse market. He was greeted by people everywhere he went. Some stopped people to look after the livestock, while others chased after him to offer cigarettes and money. He had picked out good livestock at last year's market and was making up for the expenses this year.

Chen Ling followed behind, his eyes opened, and he actually learned a few moves.

There are sayings like "long waist and thin legs, good for nothing in old age," and "long-necked mules and long-tailed horses, buy them all when you see them," and even sayings about the markings on livestock like "can be pulled on the left and carried on the right, don't be afraid if you're born in the middle"...

Just like choosing a dog, there are many tips and tricks, and they are easy to understand. By comparing the dog with the others a few times, looking at its teeth, fur patterns, body shape, head and tail, you can quickly master it.

There were quite a few livestock at the market in early spring.

Old Ba successfully found a satisfactory male donkey for this short, thin old man.

They were both in heat, so there was no need to say more; just lead the two donkeys to an open area.
Many adults and children gathered around to watch the spectacle, seemingly cheering them on.

After the event was over, the host prepared a bucket of water for the tired donkey to quench its thirst.

As for the female donkey, the short, thin old man whipped her repeatedly.

Everyone watched with smiles, as if it were nothing unusual.

Only Chen Ling was full of doubts and asked Lao Ba and Station Chief Li for the reason.

"This is called scaring the donkey. It's to prevent it from urinating as soon as it relaxes after mating. This whip scares it so it won't urinate. Otherwise, it might not be able to mate properly and will have to come back to the market to find a male donkey to mate with."

Old Ba explained slowly, a cigarette dangling from his lips.

"So that's how it is." Chen Ling nodded in realization, thinking to himself whether he should also buy a couple of donkeys and horses to raise, and then breed them into a herd to sell at the market.

The thought had barely crossed his mind when he quickly realized that he actually had a lot to do this year. The farm was to be completed in the first half of the year, and his wife was going to give birth in the second half. He figured he should just focus on raising the livestock and poultry he already had on a small scale first. That would be good enough.

"But once the farm is built, we can buy a few more sheep first. We can talk about mules and horses when the kids are older."

(End of this chapter)