My 1995 Small Farm.

Chapter 350 Gold Worth a Hundred Taels

If you ask what people fear most when raising poultry in the countryside, it's not wild animals like weasels or wildcats that cause trouble, but rather disease outbreaks.

Once an epidemic breaks out, it's no longer a small matter for just one household; all the poultry in the entire village will suffer, and a large number of them will die.

As the weather warms up in spring, it is most likely to cause epidemics if the weather is unpredictable.

Upon hearing that a plague had broken out in some area, they would quickly put their poultry in cages in the woodshed, covering them with black cloth to keep them out of the light.

However, this year, thanks to Chen Ling, the veterinarian, who is more well-informed than in previous years, the plague hasn't even reached here yet, and everyone is already on alert, so there's definitely nothing to worry about.

"Choo Choo Choo……"

After finishing up with the vaccine, Chen Ling had a leisurely afternoon. He strolled around the orchard, whistling and imitating the call of a titmouse.

The call of a titmouse can be imitated with a whistle, and it is the simplest way to do so.

His whistling failed to attract any tits.

This attracted a flock of ducks, who, thinking he was going to feed them, surrounded him and quacked loudly.

Enraged, he called over his pack of dogs and chased the ducks away.

Spring is the peak season for birds to mate and reproduce.

Learning by observing male birds courting is a great way to practice vocal techniques.

But today, Chen Ling's mood was ruined by these ducks.

He then led out the blue horse, mounted it, called to a group of lively puppies, and rode off.

The second month of the lunar calendar is already halfway over, and these puppies are four months old by now.

They were all incredibly strong and robust.

It was said to be a first-generation wolfhound, but Chen Ling raised it so well that it didn't resemble a wolf at all.

In addition, they are taken out for training every day, which involves a lot of physical activity. They are all muscle and are much stronger than wolf cubs in the mountains.

Especially the lead puppy, after shedding its fur, was completely black except for a small grayish-white patch on its chest.

It perfectly inherited Heiwa's genes, and was the largest and most imposing among the puppies.

When hunting young, it was the one that charged the fiercest and ran the fastest.

Its endurance and speed are both top-notch among puppies.

Chen Ling named it Erhei.

Other dogs aren't as distinctive as Erhei.

They are similar in color to ordinary blue dogs, either black and gray or black and yellow.

Both male and female are available, and they vary in height.

Besides Erhei, Chen Ling called out names like Damao, Ermao, and so on, all the way up to Jiumao.

The farm needs a pack of dogs to guard it.

Since he had decided to keep these ten puppies, Chen Ling naturally had to name them.

In this way, whether we take them into the mountains or take Heiwa and Xiaojin into the mountains, there will always be dogs at home to guard them.

"Giddy up..."

Chen Ling didn't take the mountain path. Instead, he rode his little blue horse and led his pack of dogs eastward from the dam, all the way from Donggang to the old city wall of the county town.

The road was deserted, and a pack of dogs and a horse ran wildly, galloping past with a thunderous roar, raising clouds of dust on the dirt road.

This was because of the drought and lack of rain in early spring, and the roads were covered with loose soil.

Chen Ling ignored all that and just felt incredibly happy, covering his mouth and nose as he laughed heartily.

The horse and its pack of dogs were left looking disheveled and exhausted. The little blue horse kept shaking its head and snorting as it reached the city wall, while the dogs shook their fur and sneezed repeatedly.

However, they were all very excited after running this distance.

The little blue horse trotted its hooves and neighed, looking restless and eager to go again.

Over the past two days, Chen Ling has been feeding it with spiritual water and spiritual objects to temper its temperament and has also been riding along the road to correct some of its bad habits. Although the results have been good, it will still take a long time to correct them.

However, under the nourishment of spiritual water and spiritual objects, the little blue horse became more and more intelligent, and as it ran, it became more and more in sync with Chen Ling's wishes.

This is a huge step forward.

At least it gave Chen Ling a great sense of accomplishment, and his efforts weren't in vain.

The puppies, meanwhile, circled around the little blue horse, wagging their tails and whimpering softly, urging Chen Ling to hurry up.

I also want to run around freely again.

This drew attention from passersby and nearby residents.

Some busybodies even approached Chen Ling and asked if he was a local, assuming he was a tourist from out of town.

However, some residents of the county town did know Chen Ling.

Because during the first month of the lunar calendar this year, Chen Ling often drove a tractor or rode a motorcycle around walking his dog.

I know this is Chen Fugui, the one who runs the farm in Chenwangzhuang.

I just don't know why they suddenly switched to horseback riding.

They're as playful as ever.

These people came forward and watched Chen Ling teasing the little blue horse and a bunch of puppies on the city wall, feeling that it was even more interesting than the circus on TV.

Some even suggested, "Go to Dumb Lake! It's a huge, uninhabited wilderness where you can roam freely. There's water and a river there; you can water your horses and feed your dogs if you're thirsty."

"Oh, we were just talking about that."

Chen Ling smiled, didn't dismount, turned his horse around, and rode northwards, a group of sturdy puppies excitedly following behind.

A group of people were left behind, marveling at the scene and finding it amusing.

We circled around Dumb Lake, then headed south along the Dumb River, winding our way through narrow paths to enter the forest farm. Along the paths in the forest farm, we galloped on horseback and chased our dogs.

We continued along the forest farm to Han Chuang's home at Tubao Ridge outside Huangni Town.

Running this long loop was incredibly refreshing and invigorating.

Xiao Qingma and Chen Ling are getting along better and better.

After drinking some tea at Han Chuang's house, watering the horses and feeding the dogs, and leaving some game behind, they embarked on their return journey, traveling along the main road to the county town to pick up Wang Zhenzhen and take her back.

Horse riding is addictive; the feeling of galloping freely is captivating.

The better the horse and the more skilled the rider, the more irresistible it is.

However, since Qin Qiumei and the others came to visit Wang Susu today and could help look after the children, Chen Ling had the opportunity to go out and wander around.

If you try to go out again the next day, you won't have the chance.

……

In early spring, February, the grass grows and the orioles fly, the distant mountains are a vast expanse of green, and the nearby hillsides are turning green.

The tender green grass has grown to about an inch, and some of it is adorned with tiny, star-like flowers that flutter in the breeze.

The willow branches on the riverbank are sprouting new buds, like strings of green orchids, hanging down unevenly into the water.

Although this spring was dry and the rivers and streams were shallow, the air was still warm and sweet, just like in previous years.

It makes people feel relaxed and comfortable.

A gentle breeze blows, and the water ripples.

In the bright spring sunshine, a group of uninvited guests suddenly arrived in Chenwangzhuang.

They were a group of men with dark reddish-brown faces, some young and some old, dressed in leather clothes, felt hats and riding boots. Each of them carried a long pole and led their horses slowly across the dam.

The horse bells jingled melodiously.

The sound of horses' hooves clattering, sometimes crisp, sometimes dull, came as they trod in the spring breeze.

Some villagers working in the fields on the northwest side of the reservoir were unaware of who these people were and showed curiosity, doubt, and wariness.

Upon closer inspection, some noticed that not only were long poles being carried on the shoulders of those men, but also fierce falcons standing on the other side of their shoulders.

This made the villagers even more curious.

Curiosity is curiosity.

This unfamiliar caravan, with its peculiar attire, made one wary.

The old man at the village entrance chased away a group of mischievous children.

But then they saw the group of men, young and old, slowly stop, ignoring the dogs barking at the horse team. One of the old men, with a gray hawk perched on his shoulder, took off his felt hat, looked around, and looked for a willow tree in the distance that was full of birds.

He used the shovel at one end of the long pole to scoop up a clod of earth and threw it over there.

With a whoosh, all the birds in the tree took flight in fright.

The gray hawk perched on the old man's shoulder darted out in a flash and caught a bird firmly.

The children's eyes lit up at the sight, and they swarmed around it.

A group of kite flyers chattered and swarmed around them, and the adults also joined in.

The hawker uses this trick to attract people wherever he goes.

They traveled thousands of miles and ate at many different homes. That's how they started talking to people.

If you encounter someone who is attracted to kites, you can easily find someone you click with through a question-and-answer session, and then your food and lodging will be taken care of.

However, what surprised the kite riders in Chenwangzhuang was that the adults and children there were different from those elsewhere.

The adults made no mention of asking for lodging.

If you want food and lodging, you have to pay. They also said that many of their families had hosted guests who came to worship the Turtle King last year, so they have experience.

This made the kite hunters frown.

I felt that these people were not as simple and honest as the people living deep in the mountains.

The children, too, were asking the kite all sorts of questions.

But after their initial curiosity, they craned their necks, looking at the kites on their shoulders, and asked all at once, "Uncle Fugui's kites can do somersaults, can your kites?"

"My great-uncle's kite can gouge out the eyes of a wild boar, can yours do that?"

One by one, the hawkers frowned even more deeply. They exchanged glances, and the old man with the gray hawk perched on his shoulder stepped forward and asked cautiously, "Is this Fugui named Chen Fugui?"

This time, it was the villagers and children who were surprised, never expecting that this unfamiliar horse team actually knew Chen Ling.

……

This group of kite hunters were the same people Chen Ling had contacted last year, who had left their addresses and names with them.

Chen Ling thought they wouldn't come.

When the children came to his house and called him, he was still a little dazed.

"Uncle Fugui, is your bald-headed son here? Take him out and teach them a lesson. Their kites are really stupid."

"Six-Ni-er shouted."

Upon hearing this, Chen Ling slapped him on the head and laughed, scolding, "You're just blindly following what you see on TV, and now you're all acting all high and mighty."

He added, "Er Tu Zi isn't home. He came back briefly this morning and then flew away again."

"Huh? Baldy isn't here, then what we just said was just empty talk and boasting."

Liu Nier and her group of little kids started to look miserable.

They were just bragging to the kite hawker about how powerful and clever Chen Ling's kites were.

Who knew that when they arrived, Chen Ling's kite had flown away again? What are they going to do now?

"Can you call Uncle Fugui back? We need Er Tuzi."

"I'll try calling you back. I don't know if I can get you to come back. If you've flown too far away, you won't be able to hear my whistle."

Chen Ling took out a bamboo whistle, a specially made eagle whistle that was extremely loud and could travel a great distance.

After blowing the whistle several times, the long, drawn-out sound carried far and wide, and Er Tu Zi would fly back upon hearing it.

There's no need to wait in place.

Chen Ling led Liu Ni'er and her group outside, preparing to meet the hawkers.

For the past two months, his own kite hasn't come home, and he assumed that spring had arrived and Er Tuzi had gone out to find a mate.

Little did they know, that silly bird had gone to the mountains to find a beehive.

I don't know if it's because I fed it some bee pupae in the cave last time.

Er Tuzi became increasingly fond of various wild bees and bee pupae from beehives.

Lately, they've been bringing home beehives every few days.

After a while, Chen Ling understood what it was busy with every day, and as a result, he also ate a lot of honey.

Er Tuzi and the two dogs were all nourished by the spiritual dew of the cave.

Now its feathers are thick and hard, like a body of iron, making it impossible for wild bees to attack.

This made it thrive even more.

As Chen Ling led a group of children out of the farm, the little blue horse in the livestock shed neighed and stood up, its front legs resting on the wall outside the shed, as if it wanted to follow them out.

Seeing this, Chen Ling took out a handful of peanuts, fed it to the dog, and then released it.

A horse with this kind of personality cannot be suppressed.

Even if you don't ride it out for a wild ride, you can just let the horse graze when you go out.

Chen Ling didn't hold the reins when he let it out.

The little blue horse followed behind them, its hooves clattering, its tail swishing, its steps very cheerful.

When little kids want to touch it, it won't let them, and it even tries to bend one of its hind legs and kick.

Chen Ling reached out and slapped it, then glared at it, and it immediately became obedient.

Horses are capable of sensing human emotions.

Chen Ling has trained it several times in the past few days, and the little blue horse already knows that it can no longer do that when Chen Ling hits it or glares at it.

Otherwise, it won't have any benefits.

Liu Nier, watching from the side, said, "Uncle Fugui, my second uncle said that you don't know how to train livestock. You've trained the horse to be like a dog. It has to follow you when you go out, wagging its tail as you walk, just like walking a dog."

Upon hearing this, Chen Ling flew into a rage: "Bullshit! What does your second uncle know? Call your second uncle over here and see if I don't yell at him."

"He says I train livestock like I train dogs. Do you think he can succeed? My horse is a wild horse. Look at it now, how obedient it is to me."

A group of children laughed and giggled when they heard this, saying that the blue horse was not as good as the white ox. The white ox could whine and roll around, and it could also guard the house, pull the cart, and plow the fields. That was a good animal and a good partner.

Chen Ling agreed with this, which showed that the little blue horse still had potential for training.

As Chen Ling led a group of children and his little blue horse to the village entrance, more and more villagers gathered around the Hawker.

Upon seeing Chen Ling approach, they all dispersed to make way for him, allowing him to speak with the Hawkman.

When the old man with the grey hawk saw Chen Ling, a smile appeared on his dark red face. He said that he had brought the goods that Chen Ling wanted and that they could be inspected now.

What Chen Ling needed were mainly a batch of medicinal herbs that were specialties of Qinghai and Tibet, such as snow lotus, saffron, cordyceps, and rhodiola. They weren't exorbitantly priced, but they were still worth the trip for these hawkers.

After a quick inspection of the goods, the transaction went smoothly.

Chen Ling put the goods on the horse's back and prepared to invite the hawker to the village for a meal. After all, traveling long distances for business was like a black market, and there would be many more opportunities for mutual cooperation in the future.

However, these kite hunters politely declined.

He just wanted to see if Chen Lingxun's kite was as powerful as the kids said.

They were all called kite trainers because they were already highly skilled at training kites.

Who knew that I would be belittled as worthless by those kids?

When Chen Ling heard this request, he wanted to say that his kite wasn't at home.

Just then, a falcon's cry was heard, and a majestic and spirited yellow-clawed falcon spread its wings and flew in from the clear sky in the distance.

The hawks perched on the shoulders of the various hawkers seemed to sense something and immediately began to frantically cry out in agitation, flapping their wings and trying to take flight.

The group of kite flyers also looked surprised, and quickly reassured their kites and looked up at the sky.

"Well, what a coincidence! Speak of the devil and he appears! This is the hawk I trained; it's back from the mountains," Chen Ling said, pointing to the sky with a smile.

"Is that a hawk? Or is it an eagle?" The old man with the gray hawk stared at the sky with his mouth agape.

Chen Ling said with absolute certainty, "It's a hawk, just fed well and raised a bit too big."

The group of kite riders suddenly fell silent.

This young man's kite was more than twice the size of a normal kite; didn't you see how terrified his other kites were?

At this moment, the villagers and children also got excited. "Fugui, show them what you've got! Your kite can do somersaults in the sky and dodge bullets, right? Now that it's flown back, show them what you've got!"

Some of the younger kite riders, though their expressions weren't very pleasant, looked at Chen Ling with a hint of anticipation in their eyes.

Chen Ling then looked up and whistled a few times at Er Tuzi.

The bald man immediately made the corresponding move.

Sometimes it tumbles in the air, sometimes it plummets, and just as it is about to fall, it suddenly takes off again.

Under Chen Ling's command, they even suddenly leaped across the surface of the reservoir and caught two fish.

At this moment, Chen Ling said to a young hawker, "May I borrow your bow and arrows?"

He took the bow and arrow, nocked an arrow, and excitedly shot at the sky. The bald man, already having a great time, fired a series of arrows.

Under the watchful eyes of the hawk hunters, who were visibly shocked, the two bald men dodged the arrows and retrieved them one by one.

The sight of the kite riders was like witnessing a miracle. They stared wide-eyed, instinctively patting their nervous and flustered kites on their shoulders, muttering to themselves, speechless for a long while.

He looked completely bewildered but deeply shocked.

The villagers were used to it and instead laughed at their shallowness, looking at them with disdain and saying that this was nothing, that even a rich man's hawk could gouge out a wild boar's eyes, and that they hadn't seen it.

Finally, the old man with the grey hawk solemnly presented Chen Ling with a silver bell to express their admiration.

He added, "In the past, such a kite would have been worth a hundred taels of gold."

(End of this chapter)