My 1995 Small Farm.

Chapter 456 Food Trouble
After applying the medicine to the calf and seeing that it finally felt a little better, Wang Susu's brows relaxed slightly: "Was it bitten by a horsefly?"

"Horseflies? You can't be sure... It's just that our cows are clean and we clean well, so we haven't attracted many horseflies. Besides, there are fewer horseflies these days. They're usually only seen in the fields during the busy farming season. Last year when we were harvesting corn, Liu Ni'er got bitten, and it was swollen and painful for several days."

Chen Ling shook his head.

When they were young, there were many horseflies, but there have been fewer in recent years.

The horsefly is an insect that looks very much like a fly.

Anyone who herded cattle as a child will definitely recognize this.

Horseflies love to fly around cows, especially in summer, when they are more numerous and more dangerous than mosquitoes.

These creatures' favorite thing to do is lie on the cow's back, legs, and eyelids, biting and sucking its blood.

At this point, a single slap would be enough to kill several horseflies.

Then his hands were covered in the cow's blood it had sucked.

Both water buffalo and cattle attract horseflies.

Water buffalo, in particular, love to be near water in the summer, and the waterside is a paradise for horseflies.

The calf's condition could very well be due to being bitten by a horsefly.

Just as they were saying they were going out to take a look, they heard Wang Lixian's voice coming from outside: "Fugui, come out quickly, come out and see your cow..."

This must be referring to the three yellow oxen outside.

It rained last night, and the ground was still wet. The grass was full of mud and water, so I didn't deliberately chase them out to roam. I just let them out to roam around the orchard.

There's no problem with having a dog watching over things.

First, the calf got injured, and then Wang Lixian called out from outside again.

Chen Ling and the other two quickly went out to see what was happening.

When they went outside to take a look, good heavens, it was indeed the horsefly, but not just one, but a whole swarm of them, covering all over the three yellow oxen, making them frantically wag their tails.

"When I first arrived here, I saw dragonflies flying everywhere on the way. Now that I'm here, I see so many horseflies. I hope there won't be another disaster this year?"

Wang Lixian pulled his cart over to collect quail droppings. When he saw that Chen Ling's cows were being attacked by horseflies, he didn't dare to go forward to drive them away and quickly called him out.

Seeing this, Chen Ling took off his shoes without saying a word and started slapping the horsefly all over the cow, saying as he slapped it, "There's nothing to worry about. There have been times before when dragonflies swarmed everywhere. It's just that they're more likely to come out before and after rain..."

"These horseflies have suddenly multiplied; I guess it's because more people in our village are raising cattle this year, which is why they've attracted them."

Raising too many cattle attracts horseflies, and since other families don't clean as frequently as Chen Ling's, the horseflies multiply very quickly.

Like dragonflies, horseflies breed near water, and they are all startled out when it rains.

Of course, the excellent environment at the farm also contributes to their accelerated reproduction.

"It's possible. This year, everyone in the village is following your example in raising cattle. Some families are raising two calves each. Our village now has about thirty cattle in total..."

"Yes, it's fortunate that we discovered it early, otherwise the cow would not only suffer, but it also wouldn't grow properly." Gao Xiulan and her daughter Wang Susu also helped by using things to swat horseflies on the cow.

Horseflies are notorious bloodsuckers and carry pathogens. If cattle are bitten too often, they will become agitated, lose their appetite, and their normal growth will definitely be affected.

Chen Ling nodded, turned around and called out, "Erhei, go and herd two chickens over here."

Upon hearing this, Erhei immediately chased over two hens with chicks and began pecking at the horseflies that had fallen to the ground.

Upon seeing this, Wang Lixian laughed: "Hahaha, you still remember feeding the chickens horseflies back then?"

"That's right. When we were kids, if we killed a horsefly or something, we wouldn't waste it; we'd feed it all to the chickens..."

This is amazing! The eggs the old hen lays have incredibly white, tender, and smooth egg whites, and the yolks are a beautiful golden brown. When you fry them, they taste absolutely divine!

Chen Ling said with a look of lingering satisfaction.

"Hey, you never forget about food, kid," Wang Lixian said with a smile, shaking his head.

"But that makes sense. This thing is even more effective at sucking blood than a mosquito. And it doesn't suck blood for nothing; the chickens eat it so they can lay delicious eggs."

Although horseflies are hateful, not only harming cattle but also sucking human blood, they are also extremely high in protein.

Feeding it to chickens makes them lay big and delicious eggs.

Many people know this.

The problem is that these animals are scarce; since cattle aren't raised anymore, they're hard to catch.

I raised cattle, but they're a nuisance.

"You guys clean up here, I'm going to take care of the quail droppings."

After exchanging a few more jokes, Wang Lixian pulled his cart away.

"Ah Ling, can the spices you prepared repel horseflies? If they can, give some to the cattle too..." Wang Susu asked with considerable concern.

Although she had many folk remedies, they were used to treat human illnesses.

I wouldn't dare to mess around like Chen Ling.

The key is that he can come up with something useful.

Wang Susu was quite impressed.

"It should work. If not, I'll try something else."

Chen Ling also found horseflies and such things quite annoying.

Especially since the calves are white and like to stay near water, they are more likely to attract horseflies than ordinary yellow cattle.

Not to mention, besides being a cow, it also bites people.

Not only does it bite extremely painfully.

It swells up and takes seven or eight days to heal.

There are babies and pregnant women in the family now.

This is something we absolutely must be wary of.

So, besides weaving fishing nets in the morning, Chen Ling kept a close eye on the cows' reactions after the sachets were hung on them, to see if they attracted any more horseflies.

Fortunately, Dongtian's products were still excellent and did not disappoint Chen Ling.

These bloodsucking creatures, though still reluctant to leave after smelling the exotic fragrance of the sachet, dared not approach any further.

"It's been raining a lot lately, so we need to hurry up and weave the fishing nets to get our hands on that big, strange fish as soon as possible."

……

"Daddy, look!"

At noon, Chen Ling was frying cicada nymphs in the kitchen when little Rui Rui came running over with his short legs.

I held up my chubby little arms to show him.

"Hey, what's that on your hand? Who drew this little watch on you?"

When Chen Ling looked at the little thing's wrist, he saw a small, exquisitely designed and adorable cartoon cat head watch.

I knew that this was probably drawn by Old Zhong.

"hey-hey."

Rui Rui hid her two little arms behind her back, showing off her little white teeth with a smug grin.

Then I showed him my other arm.

"Hey, little elephant~"

There is a small elephant painted on this arm.

"Haha, look how capable you are! You audited a class and even earned two little paintings."

At this moment, Wang Cunye walked in with two sheets of drawing paper and said helplessly, "Hey, this brat, he's always causing trouble. He touches this and that, and even puts his handprint on people's paper. Luckily, it's not a serious class, so everyone is just teasing him."

And so, Brother Zhong even drew two pictures for him.

As she spoke, she unfolded a sheet of drawing paper. One of the drawings depicted Rui Rui herself, holding a toy white elephant and playing on the ground.

The other drawing shows Wang Cunye holding him, the two sitting at the back of the classroom, the little guy still holding onto that little white elephant toy.

As expected of an experienced painter, the painting is incredibly lifelike.

"It's really well drawn. I'll frame it in a couple of days and hang it above your bed, you brat."

Chen Ling patted his little head and smiled.

Then, he took the fried cicada nymphs out of the oil, divided some into two portions, put them in two bowls, sprinkled them with a little seasoning, put them in a basket, called Xiao Qingma over, rode the horse, and delivered them to Zhao Yubao's family.

Back home, it didn't take long; the fried cicada nymphs had cooled down just right. They were already on the table, waiting for him to come home and eat.

"These deep-fried foods shouldn't be kept in a simmering place, otherwise they won't be as fragrant. Let them air out for a while and they'll become crispy. Everyone, have a taste."

Remove the cicada nymph's rear end, eat the front half of its head and shell, put it in your mouth and bite into it. It's fragrant, crispy and delicious, simply irresistible.

Wang Susu tried two and said they tasted even better than crayfish.

"I think the crayfish isn't as good as this without the seasonings you added."

"Rui Rui, do you think it's delicious?"

The little one opened his mouth wide and took a bite of the cicada meat his mother handed him: "Mmm, delicious!"

Chen Ling smiled and said, "If it tastes good, we'll go catch some more in a couple of days."

in the afternoon.

Because there wasn't enough bamboo for weaving mats, Chen Ling went up the mountain to cut some more bamboo.

They used to weave mats from reeds.

Weaving reeds is quick and easy.

There are also many small workshops weaving reeds here.

The more refined ones are those that weave mats, baskets, and other similar items.

Rough materials such as straw mats and straw hats.

There are many different styles.

Unfortunately, things woven from reeds are not durable.

Especially reed mats.

We are most vulnerable to the mischief of children.

If adults aren't paying attention, their restless little hands will start fidgeting.

With just a gentle tug, the reed mat will ripple and spread out along the grain.

Don't know why.

Taking this thing apart seems to be addictive.

The kids, with their restless hands, couldn't stop once they started taking things apart, and in no time there was a hole the size of a butt.

Even getting a beating from his parents won't change his bad habit.

Later, bamboo mats gradually became popular, and things improved a bit.

Weaving bamboo mats is much more time-consuming than weaving reed mats.

Because bamboo mats are made with more care and take more time than reed mats.

The bamboo mat used on the bed is made entirely of bamboo strips.

Just think about it, it's all made of bamboo strips and skin.

After the bamboo is cut down, the bamboo stalks are split with a machete, the strips are split with a shaving knife, and the strips are tamped with a wooden mallet. Then, holes are drilled in each bamboo strip...

That guy really put in a lot of effort.

However, the mats made from these mats are more comfortable to sleep on than reed mats.

"Oh ho, you've finally decided to come out?"

Chen Ling was sitting in the pavilion in the bamboo forest, polishing the burrs on the bamboo strips, when he suddenly heard a 'rustling' sound.

It turned out that a nest of wild lemurs had escaped from the west side of the bamboo forest.

The larger one is an orange-yellow female cat, followed by seven tabby kittens, peeking out from the bamboo thicket.

One of the kittens, with its little bottom sticking out and its tail raised, was sharpening its claws on a bamboo stalk with a 'rustling' sound.

"Meow~"

The big, fat orange cat held its long tail high and walked over slowly with light steps. It rubbed against Chen Ling's legs, then went to the nearby ditch, lowered its head and drank a couple of mouthfuls of water before leading a group of kittens to lie down on the bamboo strips.

"Susu, come quick! The kittens have come out of their nest again. Come and feed them."

"Huh? The kittens have left the nest again?"

Upon hearing Chen Ling's call, Wang Susu happily replied, "Coming, coming right away."

A short while later, he came out with a happy expression, carrying a ceramic bowl.

The bowl was filled to the brim with fried cicada nymphs' rear ends that had been broken off.

Cicada nymphs' rear ends are prone to parasites, so they generally don't eat them.

I'll keep it to feed the cat.

The young couple feeds the two dens of civets outside whenever they have free time.

Some leftover food with meat in it isn't even enough to fill the teeth of the dogs in the house.

But it's perfect for feeding cats.

As the kittens grew bigger, the mother cat became less protective of them. After being fed for a while, they gradually became more affectionate towards people.

In addition, the mother cat was originally a domestic cat.

Once you get to know someone, you adapt very quickly.

"Meow meow meow, come here quickly, I have some delicious food here."

Wang Susu sat down on the stone bench next to Chen Ling, grabbed a few cats and scattered them on the ground. The big orange cat and a bunch of kittens surrounded her and started grabbing at them in a chaotic frenzy.

Before long, the nest of civets on the east side of the bamboo forest also smelled the aroma. Without the help of the adult cat, they came running over on their own, looking like little balls of yarn.

When it realized the food was all gone and it couldn't get any more, it tilted its little head back and meowed incessantly around Wang Susu.

"Hehe, be a good boy, and you'll get some food."

Wang Susu patted each of their little heads, then grabbed a handful and watched them scramble to eat with satisfaction.

Seeing this, Chen Ling smiled and said, "It's much better this way. You've gotten closer to people, so you can sell things later."

"Why would I sell it? Whoever buys your cat can keep it; it's quite fun."

Wang Susu said with some reluctance.

She used to really like dogs, but after seeing this bunch of fluffy, beautiful, and adorable little guys, she gradually grew to like them too.

They really enjoy coming over to feed them.

"Cats are useless if you keep too many. They can't guard the house or do anything. It just makes them keep having more and more."

Chen Ling shook his head.

He originally bred new breeds of pet cats; why keep so many if he doesn't want to sell them?

"That way they'll dig their own burrows, and we won't have to raise them..."

Before Wang Susu could finish speaking, a baby's wailing came from afar.

The big and small cats, who were still fighting over the food, were so frightened that they quickly ran away.

“Fugui, is Susu here? I went to the courtyard in your village, but Susu wasn’t there.”

It was Wang Lishan's voice.

The young couple looked outside and saw Wang Lishan riding a bicycle with Zhuwa'er on the back, crying and wiping away tears.

Behind them followed a group of children, including Liu Ni'er.

"Here I am. It's too hot in the village, so Susu hasn't been over for the past few days... What's going on, Brother Lishan? What's wrong with Piglet?"

Chen Ling and his companion walked over and asked.

"Hey, these kids are up to no good. After school, they caught horseflies to feed the chickens, saying that if the chickens ate horseflies, their eggs would be bigger and tastier... And look at this, he got stung by a horsefly. Quickly, let Susu put some medicine on him."

Wang Lishan said with a worried expression.

Piglet rolled off the back seat of the car, wiping away his tears, and said, "Six-Ni told me that horseflies suck cow blood, and chickens that eat them are more effective than those that eat insects. The egg yolks are all golden brown, and they taste delicious when stir-fried."

Liu Ni scratched her head sheepishly and chuckled, "My dad said it when we were drinking at noon. My brother-in-law said the scrambled eggs at home are delicious and go really well with the drinks... My dad said that the eggs laid by the old hen after it ate a horsefly are even tastier..."

After listening to the two little kids' words and seeing the little devils behind her swallowing their saliva and looking on with anticipation after hearing how delicious the eggs were, Wang Susu suddenly looked at her husband with a strange expression.

(End of this chapter)