My 1995 Small Farm.

Chapter 349 Training Horses, Veterinarians Emerge

"Zhenzhen, stop playing with the kitten. If you keep playing with it, it won't grow up."

Wang Zhenzhen is spending the weekend at home today. After breakfast, she took her kitten inside to watch TV.

"It's okay, sister. The kitten is very strong. Its legs are so thick. It will definitely grow big."

Wang Zhenzhen stroked the kitten, watched TV, and said in a carefree manner.

This kitten really inherited the chubby and robust appearance of the big mountain fox. It was clearly a kitten that hadn't been weaned yet, but after being fed at Chen Ling's house for a few days, it was even bigger than other two-month-old kittens.

Moreover, the newborn kittens were not afraid of tigers. They nestled in Wang Zhenzhen's arms and let her stroke them, and kept climbing all over her body, licking Wang Zhenzhen's hands and arms with their little mouths.

Wang Susu said helplessly, "Then don't just stay inside watching TV all the time. Come out and help your brother-in-law look after the children. I still have to go to the village to get medicine for someone."

"Okay, I won't watch TV during the day, but I have to watch cartoons at night."

Wang Zhenzhen came out carrying a kitten.

"Alright, alright, you can watch cartoons. I'm going to the village. Go outside and watch Rui Rui for your brother-in-law. He's going to cut reeds."

As Wang Susu spoke, she hurriedly left.

Watching her sister's departing figure, Wang Zhenzhen hugged the kitten and muttered to herself as she walked out of the farm.

Outside the farm, Chen Ling was letting Rui Rui lean against the stroller while he built a shed for the livestock.

Upon seeing this, Wang Zhenzhen ran over with the kitten in her arms: "Brother-in-law, have you milked the goat? I want to feed the cat."

"It's all packed and left in the pavilion. Go get it."

Chen Ling pointed in the direction of the bamboo forest. The goat milk had just been milked not long ago, and there was no problem feeding the little wild cat with fresh milk.

Wang Zhenzhen ran over and poured a small basin of goat milk.

The little guy was probably starving. As Wang Zhenzhen was being fed, it eagerly stretched its head over and started licking her, making Wang Zhenzhen cry out "Ouch!" as she spilled food all over its head.

"Brother-in-law, look at the kitten's head, hahaha..."

Wang Zhenzhen burst into laughter when she saw the kitten's comical appearance, and Rui Rui giggled happily in the stroller.

Chen Ling glanced at it and said, "Oh no, she learned this from that little dog. She doesn't learn anything good, but she learns to wash her hair with food. Does food still taste good after washing your hair?"

That's how his own puppies are; every time it's feeding time, they crowd together and frantically fight for food. If Chen Ling pours their food, it ends up spilling over their heads.

Other flaws are easy to correct, but this one I've had for so long and just can't seem to get rid of.

Even Heiwa's attempts to discipline them didn't work.

However, their fur is not dirty; Heiwa and the animals themselves help each other clean themselves.

This kitten caught this disease after only a few days of being home.

He really didn't know what to say.

However, this little kitten is indeed very easy to feed. It finished a small bowl of goat milk in less than two minutes and licked the bowl clean.

I tidied up the livestock shed.

Chen Ling stood by the livestock shed, watching the blue horse and the white horse gradually settle down. He thought that he would train the little blue horse this afternoon when he had nothing to do, and then ride the horse with the dog to go hunting. He would also carry a gun and a large bow, which would be more fun than riding a motorcycle.

This blue horse has a fiery temper; if you want to ride it out, you'll have to train it.

However, this was no problem for Chen Ling. If he couldn't train them by his own abilities, he would use the cave heaven to train them.

Are you still worried about not training them well?
After thinking for a while, Chen Ling harnessed the oxcart and beckoned to his sister-in-law: "Come on, Zhenzhen, pick up Rui Rui and come with me to cut reeds."

I wouldn't dare let my sister-in-law take care of the baby alone.

An unreliable person, with a clueless little kid, who knows what they'll do if left at home.

"Here we go."

Wang Zhenzhen cheered, picked up Rui Rui, and jogged to get on the oxcart, which swayed and wobbled as it headed out of the orchard.

Although the little girl is unreliable when it comes to taking care of children, she is usually very diligent. She just helped Chen Ling carry the goat milk back and also helped Chen Ling give the little white cow water.

Rui Rui, on the other hand, was always itching to get out of the stroller and play, not wanting to be confined in it.

Sure enough, once he got on the oxcart, he struggled to get out of Wang Zhenzhen's arms, climbed to Chen Ling's side, and wanted Chen Ling to play with him.

Chen Ling deliberately ignored him, while Wang Zhenzhen pulled him forcefully into her arms.

Rui Rui himself likes to cause trouble for people, but he is very afraid of being caused trouble by his aunt, who is even more troublesome than him.

The little boy, laughing and crying as he dodged, made a lot of noise that wouldn't stop, attracting the attention of many people working in the fields.

When we arrived at Laohewan, there were many birds and small animals such as civets scurrying about.

As soon as the oxcart stopped, a piercing whistle rang out, and a flock of straw-yellow birds, about the size of pigeons, flapped their wings and took flight.

"Brother-in-law, it's a quail, a wild quail, hurry and kill it."

Wang Zhenzhen exclaimed in surprise, and Rui Rui, who was playing intently on the oxcart, also froze and looked up.

"What's the point of fighting if you run too far away..."

Chen Ling glanced at it, but showed little interest. He always carried a slingshot with him, but this quail was too skinny to bother with. Lately, he preferred to use his slingshot to fish or hunt wildcats in the orchard.

"Are you still going out to fight tonight? It's Sunday today, and I want to come out with you to walk the dogs."

Before, when they went hunting, they didn't let Wang Zhenzhen come along. She had to go to school during the day, and after finishing her homework at home after dinner, they would let her go to bed early.

She really wanted to come along and have fun.

"Things aren't doing so well lately. There are fewer quails and rabbits in the fields around here."

Chen Ling took his son off the oxcart and shook his head: "Many people in the village have nothing to do after dark, so they follow my example and come out to hunt with their dogs. As a result, they all chased their goods up the mountain."

"Huh? I haven't played yet."

Upon hearing this, Wang Zhenzhen pouted and said unhappily.

Once you're chased up the mountain, you can't go any further; there's no benefit to going into the mountains at night.

"We haven't played yet. When are you going to Huangni Town to play with your brother Han Chuang? There are still lots of wild things in Tubao Ridge there."

Chen Ling smiled and patted the little girl's head, then let her hold Rui Rui.

He picked up a sickle and went to cut reeds.

As the weather warms up, the riverbank is a vast expanse of withered yellow.

But upon closer inspection, new green shoots have emerged from the withered reeds, tender and full of life.

Chen Ling picked up his sickle and cut two handfuls of reeds to test it out.

After a winter of wind and sun, the reeds were completely dry. When the sickle was used, it made a sharp, sizzling sound, even smoother than harvesting wheat.

Within minutes, Chen Ling had cut a bundle, piled it on the oxcart, and continued cutting.

In just half an hour, they had piled up a whole oxcart.

We strolled back to the farm, waiting to weave some simple reeds to improve the roof of the livestock shed.

It's almost noon, there's no rush to do it now.

Taking advantage of the good sunshine, Chen Ling first brought out the aquarium where he kept ornamental fish, letting the fish bask in the warm sun.

Wang Zhenzhen returned to the farm and, holding Rui Rui, immediately went to find the kitten.

The kitten no longer sleeps in the bed that Wang Susu made for it. After getting used to the dog at home, it goes to the dog's bed to sleep.

When Wang Zhenzhen walked over, the kitten was lying carefree on Heiwa's belly, sunbathing with its eyes closed.

A large group of puppies were lying haphazardly around Heiwa.

It's quite comfortable.

Little Gold is still nowhere to be seen during the day. It likes to wander and patrol the orchard, and play with the foxes along the way.

I won't be back until tonight.

My family knows.

Upon seeing the dogs and cats, Rui Rui immediately perked up and let out a cheerful laugh. Hearing this, the puppies instantly knew their little master had arrived, and they all jumped up, tucked their tails between their legs, and ran off.

Let's not talk about them anymore.

The little weasel is so mischievous and naughty, it's really frustrating.

But during the Chinese New Year, Rui Rui scared him so much that he didn't dare to come home for the entire month.

Not to mention the puppies.

One by one, Rui Rui grabbed their tails, poked their mouths, and pulled their tongues, driving them to the brink of ecstasy and almost to the point of despair.

Isn't it true that people are afraid of seeing it?

As long as Chen Ling didn't come along, they all kept their distance, staying as far away as possible.

Heiwa, on the other hand, always spoiled its little master. Every time Rui Rui came over to play, it let Rui Rui do whatever it wanted without getting annoyed or resisting.

Rui Rui also knew that this big black dog was friendly, and it was big, fluffy, and comfortable to play with.

When Chen Ling finished what he was doing and came over, Rui Rui was already sitting on Heiwa's muscular body, tugging at Heiwa's winter fur that had fallen off after the weather warmed up. As she tugged, she showed her white little teeth and smiled at Wang Zhenzhen, having a great time.

Heiwa stuck out its tongue, grinning foolishly, letting the two children, one big and one small, tug at its fur and play with its tail.

Seeing that it seemed to be enjoying itself, Chen Ling patted its head and thought to himself that he hadn't spoiled his two big dogs for nothing.

……

In the afternoon, Wang Susu accompanied her child to take a nap.

Chen Ling then led the blue horse out of the livestock shed.

This blue horse was tall, but much thinner than last year. It had very little flesh on its body, and its back and ribs were so thin that you could see the bones.

Yesterday, Wang Susu complained that its previous owner didn't know how to take care of livestock, leaving them dirty and thin.

It wasn't that the previous owner didn't take good care of it.

This horse is just too temperamental.

In addition, it had frequently changed owners during its early childhood.

This caused her to be psychologically fragile and sensitive, and the effects continue to this day.

Sure enough, when Chen Ling led it out, it kept pulling on the reins, tilting its head back and snorting.

He seemed defiant and unyielding to discipline.

“Fugui, this horse you bought doesn’t look like it’s easy to train. Why don’t you go find Ermaolv? He knows a bit about training horses.”

As he led his horse along the country path, some villagers who were irrigating their wheat fields saw him from afar and even shouted to remind him.

This horse was really unruly. Even when Chen Ling was leading it, it wouldn't walk properly and kept shaking its head, trying to resist.

If you let go of the reins, it won't run away; it will follow behind you.

But if you want to ride on it, that's impossible.

"It's okay, I'll take it for a walk myself, and if it doesn't work, I'll go find Brother Donkey."

Chen Ling responded and led the horse toward the old river bend.

Last year, an experienced horse expert from Majia'ao said that this mare was quite good, capable of both driving and riding, a rare breed that could serve two purposes.

There are no places to raise horses in the mountains, so good horses are scarce. Horses like the Little Green Horse are versatile and of good quality. How could those in the know not be envious?
Unfortunately, Old Ma doesn't want the brush anymore; after a year in Mule and Horse Market, no one is interested in it anymore.

The problem was that this blue horse had changed owners so often that it was whipped and beaten until it was ruined.

They may seem tamed, but when they lose their temper, they can still hurt their own family members and livestock.

How can we allow ourselves to easily hurt our own family members?
Just like an ungrateful wretch who can never be tamed.

The man selling the horse had warned Chen Ling about its problems and said that returns were not accepted after purchase.

Chen Ling didn't think much of it and insisted on buying it.

To put it bluntly, he didn't have much skill in training horses. He just used his experience from when the little white ox came to his home, plus some tips for training dogs, to take the blue horse up the mountain and down the river, and mess around with it.

If someone does something right, they are rewarded with some spiritual water, as well as the grass and leaves of the grotto.

If something went wrong, replace it with regular food.

In this way, from afternoon until dark, in just half a day, the blue horse learned to please him.

This made Chen Ling a little proud, thinking that if they couldn't train the horse, it would be quite easy for him to train it.

Old Ma Brush said this horse is ruined, but maybe we can fix it and make it better and better.

It was too thin, and it always had a tendency to hurt people in its previous owner's home, so they gradually stopped taking care of it.

This horse won't get fat without night grazing; it's not getting enough to eat, so its appearance isn't as good as last year.

The hair also looks messier than last year.

However, after Chen Ling had rested his eyes for two days and given him some spiritual water, they became extremely bright and lively.

As for white mules and white horses, they are just playthings, similar to ornamental fish. They are fed well, kept beautifully, and are pleasing to the eye.

Chen Ling didn't plan to put in much effort.

"We'll take him out for training again tomorrow if we have time."

Standing outside the livestock shed with his hands behind his back, Chen Ling noticed that Qingma's gaze had softened considerably. He nodded in satisfaction and went home to sleep.

But the next morning, after dropping Wang Zhenzhen off, he was just about to take the horse out for a walk again.

Station Chief Li came to the village to find him and asked him to go to the township in the next couple of days to help with the vaccinations.

The early spring drought this year has led to a surge in diseases among poultry and livestock, with some areas already experiencing outbreaks of fowl plague.

The township urged us to implement epidemic prevention measures as soon as possible.

Chen Ling then remembered that he was a proud veterinarian.

Now that it's time for the veterinarian to step in, it's definitely my duty.

Without saying a word, he shouldered his medicine box, led out his blue horse, and followed Station Chief Li to the village.

They could train the horses while traveling, without neglecting either task.

I spent two busy days in the village, administering vaccines to the villagers.

Chen Ling returned to the village and arranged for the poultry and livestock in his village to be vaccinated.

Recently, the chickens and ducks in the village have also shown signs of getting sick.

Two families contacted Chen Ling last night to ask about the vaccine.

"Attention, villagers! Today, vaccinations will begin at 8:00 AM. Anyone who raises chickens, ducks, geese, or livestock, please come to the village committee office. Our village's Fugui is giving away free vaccinations today! Free vaccinations!"

Early in the morning, Wang Laishun shouted three times over the loudspeaker, notifying every household with poultry or livestock to go to the brigade to get vaccinated.

The villagers perked up their ears when they heard about the vaccination, especially since it was free.

They immediately rushed forward, leading their livestock or carrying burlap sacks filled with chickens and ducks, and hurried back to the brigade.

The whole village was in an uproar.

When they saw Chen Ling on the road, even the villagers who were usually quiet smiled at him, and those who were on good terms with him shouted and pushed their way forward.

"Uncle Fugui, Uncle Fugui, can I go first?"

"Uncle Fugui, why don't you get the injection at home? Why do you have to make us wait in line? With so many people, it'll take forever to get it."

These disrespectful teenagers were just joking with him on purpose, and Chen Ling kicked them all to the back of the line.

“Go to your house? If I go to your house, I won’t be giving the chicken a shot; I’ll be giving you two shots in the butt.”

They just rubbed their butts and chuckled. When others stared at them, they held their heads high, their faces full of pride, feeling that this was because they were closer to Chen Ling. Others wanted to be close to Chen Ling but couldn't.

(End of this chapter)