My 1995 Small Farm.

Chapter 371

Every spring, there are always many people carrying loads of food, going from village to village selling chicks and ducklings.

While farmers can raise chicks and ducklings on their own, many still trade chicks with others.

This exchange involves exchanging one's own sick or dead chickens, or roosters injured in fights during the spring, or old chickens, for chicks.

The same applies to ducks.

However, fewer people in the village are exchanging chicks this year.

It can be said that not a single household in Chenwangzhuang has changed.

The chickens and eggs in the house were all used up when cooking and preparing meals for people.

It wasn't the film crew members or tourists from other places who were gluttonous.

Rather, it's because the prices in these mountains are simply too cheap.

Compared to eating out, they felt that eating meat at every meal cost several dollars more than eating vegetarian food, so they might as well eat better.

As a result, after half a month, all the villagers slaughtered their chickens except for the ones that laid eggs, and not a single duck was spared.

The supply is gradually becoming insufficient.

So when they heard that Chen Ling was going to the market in the countryside, a group of women and old ladies surrounded his tractor. There were nearly twenty of them, all hoping to hitch a ride to the countryside to buy chickens and ducks.

It was still early, and there weren't many people setting up stalls at the reservoir, so Chen Ling stopped the tractor and said, "I still need to go to the county town to take Zhenzhen to school."

"It's alright, it's alright, we're not in a hurry, we'll take care of your business first."

Chen Ling said nothing more, told them to get in the car, put their large bamboo baskets away, and sit in the back of the truck with Wang Zhenzhen.

He didn't expect so many people to go to the market to buy chickens and ducks.

No wonder people were asking about his salted duck eggs at the beginning of the month, but recently no one has asked him at all.

I originally thought it had worked on Chen Yongsheng's words.

Unexpectedly, the villagers were too preoccupied with the salted eggs to think about it.

The influx of outsiders into the village is enough to consume all the chickens, ducks, and eggs from the farmers, and they're making a good profit.

"The family that raises the most chickens in the village has no more than a dozen or twenty, and even fewer ducks..."

"If you exclude the chickens that lay eggs, it's not surprising that all the chickens and ducks in the village have been consumed."

"After all, the old turtle incident has attracted a lot of people."

Chen Ling gazed in the direction of the reservoir, lost in thought.

But then he frowned slightly and looked away when he thought of the water monster on the shore.

We'll investigate the matter after the hype surrounding the old turtle subsides.

Otherwise, there are quite a few families like the old couple from Guangyunzhai who come out to worship at night, so he wouldn't bother with this matter in the middle of the night.

Sometimes this person is really strange.

I don't know if it's because they're afraid that if they worship with others during the day, the gods and Buddhas won't notice them, or what.

For the sake of so-called good fortune and wealth, some people insist on staying up until midnight to make another trip alone.

It's as if only in this way can they prove their sincerity and claim the blessings bestowed by gods and Buddhas as their own.

"In spring, everything comes back to life. The reservoir is teeming with water birds and fish, and there are also the offerings left by people to worship the old turtle. Even if there are any strange creatures, they certainly won't lack food..."

Chen Ling shook his head, no longer thinking about it, and focused on driving the tractor towards the county town.

The village woman and Wang Zhenzhen were chatting animatedly in the car.

Wang Zhenzhen is lively, active, and outgoing, like a tomboy. She has been here for more than a year, spending her days running around and playing with the other children in the village. When she is hungry or thirsty, she will just wander into one of the children's houses to drink water and eat.

He got along very well with everyone in the village.

Even many families who weren't particularly close to Chen Ling's family gradually became closer to her because she spent all her time playing with their children.

Of course, when these children came to their home, Chen Ling and Wang Susu were never stingy. They would put out whatever food they had and let them eat it as they pleased.

Over time, people naturally came to appreciate this kindness.

The people who initially paid for catching fish fry were also from this group.

After dropping Wang Zhenzhen off, I heard the women on the tractor start talking about the Guang family again. They were saying that the Guang family had also moved to the city to keep Erzhu and Chunyuan's fathers company. They said that the people who fled famine from outside were different from the people here, that they were bad at heart, and that they were ungrateful bastards, and so on...

Chen Ling was too lazy to listen to these words and focused on driving the tractor, remaining silent the whole way.

However, when he left the county town, he saw a few people carrying oil cans to refuel in the western suburbs of the county town. One of them, a familiar yet unfamiliar figure, caught his attention.

This was none other than the tomb raider Li Hongqi.

I came here with a group of people to cheer them on, but I don't know what we're planning to do next.

Wang Laishun had mentioned a few days ago that outsiders were inquiring about things in the village.

They were even planning to go into the mountains.

I don't know if it was them.

……

"Sisters and aunts, I need a lot of chickens, so I have to buy them from the chicken farm. Are you going to the mule and horse market or the chicken farm?"

When they arrived at the archway outside Changle Township, Chen Ling stopped the tractor and spoke to the village woman in the back of the truck.

“Fugui, you’re going to the chicken farm? We’d better stay here. It’s hard to negotiate prices at the chicken farm. It’s cheaper to buy at the market.”

These women prefer to buy chickens and ducks at the market and the mule and horse market, where they haggle without restraint, letting them do whatever they want.

"Okay, when you come back, you can wait for me here again."

Chen Ling jumped off the tractor and helped them carry the large bamboo baskets.

"Alright, Fugui, you're really something. It's so convenient to come to the market in this tractor. Let's buy a lot of chickens and ducks today."

"Fugui, do you have enough bamboo baskets? If not, we'll save you a few."

Chen Ling quickly said no need. At this time, the women in the countryside were strong and had plenty of energy. Each of them carried two or three bamboo baskets and went to the market to buy chickens with great joy.

After they left, Chen Ling saw that there were quite a few people at the market. That's how it is in the spring; the market opens early and there are many people.

Chen Ling got on the tractor and drove out of Changle Village. Since many chicken farms in the village were built outside, there was no need to drive in.

Just as he got on the tractor, a man came out carrying a bowl, beaming with a smile, and said, "Hey, Fugui, you're driving a tractor this year! You must have struck it rich!"

"What do you mean by getting rich? A tractor doesn't count as getting rich. You don't even get rich until you buy a car."

Chen Ling replied with a smile, "Brother Baolai, your breakfast is late, and you're setting up your stall late too."

"It's not late, it's not late. I'm just keeping an eye on my stall at home, it's not late at all. The main thing is that my eldest son had a baby this year, and your sister-in-law and I can't take care of it together, so we don't have time to cook." Guo Baolai came over, slurping hot soup from his bowl and sticking a steamed bun with sauce on it with his chopsticks.

Ever since this man met Chen Ling two years ago, he would chat with Chen Ling every time Chen Ling came to the village; he was truly very enthusiastic.

"Oh my, Bao Lai, you've become a grandfather! Congratulations!"

Chen Ling said with a congratulatory remark, "No wonder this old fellow is all smiles; it turns out that people are in high spirits when they have something to celebrate."

"Hey, where's your chubby son? I saw you riding your motorcycle with him last time, why didn't you bring him this time?"

“I didn’t bring him. I came to buy chickens and ducks, quite a lot, so I couldn’t keep an eye on him. The brat is like a little worm, always moving around and restless on the way.”

"Haha, that's what makes boys so endearing."

Guo Baolai laughed and finished the steamed bun in a few bites. "Oh, right, I almost forgot to tell you, Niu Laosan has fresh beef today. The cow was just slaughtered this morning. Whatever you want, it's beef heart, hooves, tongue, tail, or even bull penis. They have it all."

Chen Ling vividly remembers going to Niu Laosan's shop to look for beef at the beginning of spring. He didn't know what the kid was thinking, not looking for proper beef.

"Is it a sick cow?"

"No, the three families slaughtered the cow together, how could it be a sick cow? Livestock prices are cheap this year, and beef prices aren't going up either. A lot of people go to the market to drink beef soup, so they started preparing to slaughter the cow before the market even opened this morning."

"That's great! I'll buy some beef after I buy the chicken and duck."

Chen Ling hadn't finished the more than 100 jin of yellow beef he had stored in the cave, but he was thinking about a fresh beef offal hot pot. The offal had to be fresh, freshly slaughtered to taste good. Now that he heard that a cow had been slaughtered at the market, he couldn't help but feel restless.

After saying goodbye to Guo Baolai, I drove the tractor to several chicken farms, picked out some old hens that were already laying eggs, and put them into bamboo cages, filling most of the truck bed. There aren't many duck farms in the village, so it took some effort to gather enough.

There are 150 ducks and just over 100 hens.

This time there were more ducks, because duck eggs are more popular for pickling salted eggs.

After buying the food and returning to the archway, I planned to ask Guo Baolai to watch the car while I went to buy some beef and offal. Unexpectedly, the women were quite fast and had already returned with the chickens and ducks.

Chen Ling glanced at the bamboo basket and saw that there weren't many chickens or ducks. He couldn't tell the gender of the ducks, but the chickens were mostly male.

In rural areas, most chickens, ducks, and geese are female. The reason is simple: females lay eggs, while males are only raised for meat to sell.

As Chen Ling helped them load the chickens onto the tractor, one of the women complained, "The market is full of chicks and ducklings in the spring. It's hard to find adult chickens. They're all roosters, and there aren't many hens. We might as well go to the chicken farm with Fugui and buy some."

They went to the market and then realized that Chen Ling was a veterinarian who often vaccinated chicken farms. He must have a lot of acquaintances, so the price might not be more expensive than at the market.

It's too late to regret it now; they have no face to ask Chen Ling to accompany them to the chicken farm again.

"But it's alright, we can just kill and eat this rooster when we get home, and use it to cook for someone. We can buy another one at the next market."

The chicken stir-fried in an earthen pot and the stewed chicken in an earthen pot made by the villagers in the mountains are also excellent. They are served with pork, beef and fish every day, and the outsiders never get tired of eating them.

At this moment, Guo Baolai had some business at his repair stall. Seeing Chen Ling standing there motionless and talking, he quickly waved and asked what was wrong and if he was alright.

Chen Ling smiled and waved his hand, walked over and said a few words, telling the women to guard the tractor while he went to the market to buy beef.

Beef is very cheap this year; compared to the rapidly rising prices of other commodities, beef prices have actually decreased.

As for the offal that Chen Ling was eyeing, it wasn't real beef, which was cheaper. It was just that the beef soup business had been good recently, and Niu Laosan's offal was unwilling to sell more than three catties to him. He didn't mind, and only picked out what Niu Laosan didn't want. So, apart from the cow's head and four hooves, he also bought all the ribs and cow's tail.

They even bought most of the congealed cow's blood.

This stuff is so cheap! If we can't eat it all ourselves, our father-in-law and mother-in-law can use it when they're cooking for others.

Although it didn't cost much, it still surprised everyone when he pushed these things out on a cart.

Because there are just so many of these things.

Leaving aside the cow's blood, the cow's tail alone would probably be enough for a family to have a hearty meal.

This cow's tail isn't just a simple tail section; it also includes the tailbone, and there's quite a bit of meat on it.

Chen Ling planned to split the cow's head open and stew the head and tail together when he got back.

The remaining pork ribs were used to make soup.

Let my father-in-law and his wife take this soup and sell it. The broth will be so fragrant, the business will definitely be booming.

So Chen Ling didn't explain much to everyone's surprise, only saying, "If we buy too much and can't eat it all, we can have our family cook a big batch and sell it."

"Oh right, right, right, your place has produced a turtle prince. His fame has spread far and wide recently. The temple fair hasn't even started yet, and he's already selling food. He's doing just as well as people in the countryside."

Guo Baolai suddenly understood, and then laughed: "It's just that Niu Laosan won't sell you beef bones. Otherwise, you could buy those big bones and boil them into a soup. The longer you boil it, the more fragrant it becomes. You could start a beef soup business right away. Once you fry the dough sticks and sell the beef soup, wow, you'd definitely have a steady stream of customers for at least breakfast and lunch."

"Hey, Baolai, your idea is brilliant! If it weren't for the fact that we don't know when people will stop coming from our side, this business could really be done."

Chen Ling's eyes lit up. Actually, beef soup was easier than cooking large pot meals every day, and his father-in-law and son-in-law could really make it.

The investment in beef soup is not large.

Beef bones are very cheap; you can make a pot of soup with them.

The soup is mostly made with beef offal, with less beef, and it's served with some glass noodles, vermicelli, and bok choy. That's it.

Make some fried dough sticks, fried bread, and fried pancakes, soak them in hot water, and you'll have plenty of people coming to eat them, both for breakfast and lunch.

"I can do it, right? My judgment is definitely good enough. I'll come to your village in a while to join in the fun and burn some incense for the Turtle King."

"Haha, welcome, welcome! When the time comes, invite Uncle Lao Gen to come and set up a stall together."

After chatting with Guo Baolai for a while and agreeing to meet again in Chenwangzhuang, Chen Ling drove his tractor back to the village, carrying people and a truckload of chickens and ducks.

There were still quite a few people at the reservoir today, which shows that the story of the old turtle is still gaining traction.

Last year was the first time it appeared, and one appearance doesn't mean anything. But this year it has appeared a second time, so the significance is different.

Moreover, the county even erected a stone statue of the turtle, further fueling the fire of the matter.

It's not necessarily a bad thing that there are many tourists, it's just that getting in and out is too troublesome.

It took Chen Ling a lot of effort, along with Wang Laishun and several other brigade cadres, to get the tractor back to the village.

When they got back, it was just in time for lunch. There wasn't time to make beef offal, so Chen Ling cooked some beef blood instead. It tasted delicious with rice.

At the dinner table, Wang Susu initially felt that Chen Ling had bought a lot of things like cow heads and tails. After Chen Ling explained that they were for his parents to cook large meals, and then mentioned the beef soup, Wang Susu thought it was a good idea.

“Selling beef soup is definitely possible, but it’s okay for my parents to do it for a few days. But if they have to work from dawn till dusk every day, with the wind and sun out, and my dad’s legs aren’t what they used to be, then let’s just forget about it.”

"Yes, that's what I was thinking too. We should take advantage of the large flow of people here and do this for a while. Anyway, my parents cook big pot meals for people to sell every day. What difference does it make what kind of food they cook? It's easy to cook a pot of beef soup. One pot of soup can last for several days. It's just a matter of adding more meat when we run out of food. It will actually make things easier for my parents."

"That's true. Then if I'm free at the pharmacy, I can make pancakes or fried dough sticks for Mom, okay?"

“Of course it will work. We have everything at home, pots and pans, bellows, whatever you need. We can make some pocket money for my parents after a while. It’s perfectly feasible.”

The young couple discussed it happily.

Unexpectedly, not long after they finished eating, Er Maolu's youngest son, Wen Chao, arrived. He said that some people from out of town wanted them to be guides and take them into the mountains for a trip. They offered a good amount of money and asked if Chen Ling would like to go.

(End of this chapter)