My 1995 Small Farm.

Just after the Awakening of Insects, the chilly atmosphere of the first month of the lunar calendar has gradually faded from the construction site outside the Chengdong Forest Farm.

As the morning sun climbed over the treetops of the forest farm, its golden light spilled onto the rows of red brick walls, warming the sounds of trowels being struck and the shouts of workers.

The stables were the first to be topped out.

Old Quan, whom Wang Lixian had specially invited, worked very hard, smoking a pipe and standing on the erected wooden frame, directing two young men to nail rafters onto the purlins:

"Move half an inch to the left! This is where Fugui's most precious little blue horse lives. Even if it doesn't live here often, it needs to be spacious. Otherwise, when it kicks, no one can stand it!"

Zhao Dahai took off his thick sweater, revealing his muscular arms, and together with three strong laborers, carried the pine wooden planks into the stable. The planks were covered with dried hay that had been dried in advance.

"We need to spread out a thicker layer of hay. The horses will shed their coats in the spring, so it will be more comfortable for them to lie on!"

"..."

Jackson followed behind, clumsily handing over nails, his blue eyes staring blankly at the hay.

He had never seen such a nice stable on his farm back home. He kept muttering "Good," but he was startled by the loud "bang bang" of a hammer hitting nails above his head, which caused a burst of laughter on the construction site.

The fence around the deer farm is rising up the gentle slope.

Wang Lixian cut thorny wild rose branches from the slope; they call them white remnant flowers here. He mixed them with wire and wrapped them around the wooden stakes.

"This thing keeps wild animals away; even deer can't knock it away!"

Several teenagers were climbing ladders to tie up the fence. Wen Chao was at the top, holding a wild fruit in his hand, which he would occasionally throw down to the passing dogs.

The doe peered through the unfinished fence, their nostrils puffing out white breath as they stared at the hay in the workers' hands. Erhei lay at the base of the fence, occasionally looking up to make eye contact with the deer, looking very serious.

They were even more involved than the foreman.

The brick walls in the cattle farm are the thickest, and the bricklayers are slower to apply the mortar than elsewhere.

"The ox raised by the wealthy is so strong that the wall must be built two feet thick!"

Uncle Quan tapped the newly built wall with a trowel; the sound was muffled.

"It's even sturdier than the brick buildings in the city!"

"A sturdier build is better..."

Chen Ling squatted down beside them, watching the workers bury stones at the base of the wall.

He chuckled and said, "Let's add another layer of bamboo strips inside to prevent rats from burrowing. Last year, rats gnawed through the beams of the cowshed in the village."

The lynx squatted to the side, helping to pass stones, while also carrying a bamboo basket filled with newly hatched ducklings.

“Fugui, from now on, let these ducks roam in the puddles by the cattle farm. They'll be good at eating insects.”

"Sure, we'll be hatching several more batches of chicks and ducklings anyway, so you can decide how to handle the first few batches."

The cuckoo is in confinement after giving birth, so the lynx can't go anywhere else.

Now he spends all day leading his pack of dogs, helping Chen Ling incubate chicken and duck eggs on a traditional earthen bed.

"Alright, alright, stop here. Take the dog and go play somewhere else. We're almost finished, and there are a lot of people around. If you bring the cats, dogs, chicks, and ducks with you, Rui Rui and the others will come over and start playing too."

Chen Ling shooed the lynx away in disgust.

Otherwise, it might attract the little kids like Rui Rui, and they'll be in the way while we're busy at the construction site.

Today, the horse farm, deer farm, cattle farm, sheep pen, and other facilities are basically completed.

The work in the sheepfold is the most meticulous.

The workers stretched the fine wire mesh so tightly that it was airtight, and even added a horizontal beam half a foot off the ground.

"Lambs love to squeeze into crevices, so this method is the safest way."

Sister Xiuying led several women from the village to spread dried wheat straw in the sheepfold.

“Fugui said that the straw is soft and the lambs won’t feel uncomfortable walking on it.”

As luck would have it, no sooner had she finished speaking than a half-grown goat poked its head out of the makeshift pen and bleated at the woman spreading straw. The woman was so startled that her hand trembled, and the straw spilled all over the ground, causing everyone to laugh again.

In fact, there are such advantages to working in the same village.

We chatted and laughed, creating a great atmosphere, and the work didn't feel so tiring.

They are energetic, work quickly, and are highly efficient.

The chicken coop and duck shed were built next to the sheep pen, with sloping roofs and ventilation windows.

Actually, chicken coops and duck sheds don't need to be built here specifically.

Chen Ling also wants to raise animals around the farm.

Even if it attracts wild animals, it will be much quieter than the current state of desolation.

There will be no insects, poisonous snakes, or other pests.

"Oh dear, there's still this piece of land left, and so many bricks and sand. We might as well leave it here and let Fugui build it."

"You can raise pigeons even if you don't raise chickens or ducks."

"He can raise quails even if he doesn't raise pigeons. He likes to raise some quails every year for fun and loves to eat quail eggs, hahaha."

Wang Jusheng laughed heartily as he directed the young men in the village to build perches in the chicken coop.

"Alright, alright, stop laughing. The chickens need to be put on the perch at night. The perch needs to be level, not tilted, otherwise they won't be able to stand steadily."

The duck shed is right next to the chicken coop.

Behind the duck shed, a small water pit was dug and the bottom was plastered with cement.

"Ducks love to go into the water, and this pit was filled with water in the spring, which is perfect for them to splash around in."

"Gestures can also stay inside, right next to the irrigation ditch and the Dumb River. Don't worry about getting dirty; there's an outlet here so you can change the water when it gets dirty."

Wang Jusheng was giving instructions when he suddenly saw the figures of several little ones, and his expression immediately changed.

"Oh dear, Rui Rui, don't play here anymore. It's filthy here, covered in poop. Let's take the dog somewhere else to play..."

Behind Rui Rui, there was his son Da Tou, and several little children, both boys and girls, each holding a rice noodle stick and leading a group of chicks charging towards them.

They had food in their hands, and just a few crumbs would attract the chicks to swarm around them, chirping and chasing after them quickly.

They squeaked excitedly, leading a bunch of chicks running around everywhere.

Heiwa and Xiaojin followed closely behind, not daring to interfere.

Erhei led his pack of dogs around the construction site, glancing in this direction every now and then, but not daring to utter a sound.

Wang Jusheng's shouts were even less effective.

His son pretended not to hear him.

I shouted a couple of times, but there was nothing I could do.

He immediately started yelling at Chen Ling:
"Fugui, keep an eye on your child, make sure he doesn't get hurt..."

"Alright, alright, I'll take them with me."

Chen Ling was also helpless.

After the New Year, that brat has become even more mischievous. He's so young, yet he already has the potential to be a leader among children.

Those little legs moved swiftly, running incredibly fast and agilely, darting here and there, disappearing from sight in the blink of an eye.

Fortunately, there were other little kids to play with, and Blackie and Little Gold were with him, which made things much better.

We're not afraid he'll get lost.

The construction site is too dirty. They don't know how to clean themselves properly, and they easily get covered in dirt.

"Daddy, chicks, Rui Rui is feeding the chicks!"

Rui Rui chuckled, tilting his little head and just enjoying himself.

Half a month has passed since the chicks hatched. The sticky little fluff balls have now grown out a bit, and their down is so thick it looks like they're wrapped in cotton.

The yellow ones look like ripe apricots, the black ones are shiny like small coal balls that have just rolled out of a coal pile, and there are a few with brown spots that look like little fur balls when they run.

Every morning, the first thing Rui Rui and the other little kids do is run to the chicken coop, each carrying food in their hands. The older kids, around three or four years old, carry a rough earthenware basin filled with soaked broken rice and chopped green vegetable leaves.

When I got to the chicken coop, I started chirping, and the chicks swarmed over.

Just like now, their short legs run incredibly fast, and some even leap up by stepping on their companions' backs.

"Uncle, the little yellow chick is the king of chickens!"

Big Head is already four years old (by Chinese reckoning), and he knows quite a lot. He listened to some of what the lynx said.

Pointing at a little yellow chick among the chicks, he shouted loudly, his eyes shining.

"Dad, look, look at the lead chick."

Rui Rui wasn't going to be left behind, pointing to a little yellow chick that was the leader.

Then the children started babbling incoherently about how amazing the little yellow chick was. They said it was always the first to rush to the edge of the basin, and when the other chicks tried to snatch it, it would peck their heads. They also said that while other chicks were afraid of dogs, it wasn't, and so on.

"Wow, this little chick is amazing! Is it the king of chickens?"

Chen Ling already knew that Rui Rui had to go feed the chickens with the lynx every day.

He would imitate the lynx, scattering broken rice on the ground for the chicks to eat.

His little hands are unpredictable, and he often spills most of the water onto his own shoes.

He still had those little boots from the beginning of spring, and they were all worn out. When he fell to the ground at night, they would clatter and rattle. Wang Susu always complained about it.

It's the same now; I made some wheat bran today.

Even Chen Ling couldn't stand it.

Quickly pick him up, take off his little boots, and pour the wheat chaff out.

That thing, like sand, leaked out, attracting a bunch of chicks to swarm around and grab the food.

The brat was so happy he laughed out loud.

Chen Ling didn't know what to say.

The little kid is really willing to go to such lengths to feed the chickens. He's so busy playing that he doesn't even realize his feet are hurting.
"Come on, let Uncle pour it for you all."

He called the other children over, and these kids really don't care about getting dirty when they're playing.

If Chen Ling saw someone taking off their shoes or blowing their nose, he would intervene.

This is why he's setting up these sites in the forest this year.

The baby is grown up and can run around everywhere.

The two younger ones immediately joined in the commotion.

When you have too many livestock, how can you possibly manage them all?

It would be better to set up a few enclosures here and raise them together.

This way it's less troublesome.

After all, livestock and poultry can be managed and fed by others for a fee.

It's better to take care of your own child in the countryside.

……

The barns have just been built, but the livestock have been living in the previous temporary barns for quite some time.

Chen Ling then called over a dozen strong laborers to remove manure.

As dawn broke, the workers arrived carrying buckets of manure, which were borrowed from other people and still had last year's wheat straw stuck to them.

The most tiring job was removing manure. First, you had to mix the bedding and manure together in the livestock pen and shovel it out, then carry it to the fields outside the village.

The laborers took off their thick clothes after only two trips, sweat dripping down their backs and splashing onto the muddy ground, creating small craters.

Jackson also helped out, trying to carry a manure scoop like the workers. But as soon as he bent over, he was choked by the smell of manure and coughed, tears welling up in his eyes. In the end, he still helped carry empty buckets and didn't slack off.

Chen Ling took a walk around the construction site.

At lunchtime, he used a tin megaphone to shout: "Listen up, everyone! This is hard work, so starting today, strong laborers will get an extra two yuan a day, making it ten yuan! Those who know how to use a wheelbarrow will get an extra yuan!"

The moment he shouted this, the construction site fell silent, then erupted in cheers.

In the east of Chenwangzhuang Village, Li Laoshuan from the Da Li family put down his large bowl and wiped his mouth:

"Fugui, you're being too kind! The whole village is just contributing; how can we let you spend more money?!"

Chen Ling smiled and waved his hand: "Everyone has worked hard, so this money is due. There will be many jobs like this in the future, so I'll still pay you ten yuan."

The workers were even happier to hear this, and they worked even harder in the afternoon.

Lynx followed behind Chen Ling and whispered, "With this extra money, you'll probably be fighting over who gets to do the manure-collecting job from now on."

Chen Ling patted him on the shoulder: "It's good that everyone is eager to do it. It means that everyone is willing to work hard, and that's how this business can be run well."

He wasn't afraid of cheating, being cunning, or doing bad things in secret.

The most formidable supervisors in their own household are not people, but dogs, oxen, horses, and eagles.

These things are said to be incredibly mysterious.

Even outsiders who know about his affairs dare not act recklessly.

It has to be said that starting a project is not something that can be done in a day or two.

The sheds were built, and the manure was produced.

The remaining livestock feed troughs and aquatic plants should also be replaced one after another.

no way.

At the beginning of spring, some rams went into heat. Damn it, two rams got into a fight and actually knocked over the feeding trough.

I don't know how much force it took.

The stone groove has split in two.

It made Chen Ling's teeth ache.

After a lot of work, it took two days to prepare the food trough and water trough.

"This spring has been really busy. My parents are exhausted."

"Ask Susu if she's free? Could she get some medicine for me...?"

The lynx hasn't been able to take a break these past two days.

The child's day and night are reversed; he sleeps soundly during the day but cries at night and won't stop unless he is held and rocked.

Professor Zhong and his wife also suffered as a result, taking turns caring for the child at night.

Every night, when the baby cries, Professor Zhong quickly gets up and fumbles to get a diaper.

He's old and his eyesight isn't good. Several times he put the diaper on backwards, which made the baby cry even harder.

One night, the child cried for a full hour, and Professor Zhong held and rocked him until late into the night, until his arms went numb.

The next morning, I woke up coughing and my voice was hoarse.

Today, Aunt Zhong can't take it anymore.

She had a chronic headache problem, but after living in Chenwangzhuang for more than half a year, it gradually got better.

As a result, her daughter-in-law got pregnant, and she started getting up at night to help take care of the baby. Her head started hurting again, and she also developed a low-grade fever.

Du Juan felt sorry for the baby and wanted to take care of the child at night herself, but Professor Zhong refused, saying that she had only just finished her postpartum period and needed to rest properly. He said that the two of them, the elderly couple, would be fine and would get through it.

In this situation, the lynx naturally couldn't just stand by and watch, so it quickly stepped in to help.

I stayed up all night again, so I got up early to find Chen Ling.

"What's there to say about whether you can or not? Susu can get your medicine prescribed while she's taking care of the baby."

Chen Ling patted him on the shoulder, knowing that the old man felt guilty. He had been slacking off for a while, which had exhausted his parents, and he was starting to feel uneasy.

Now even people are starting to be polite to him.

"You should let your uncle and aunt drink more goat milk. I've told you so many times. Goats eat all kinds of grass, so their milk is very nutritious and rich in nutrients. It can replenish everything. Look at Dahai, his kidney deficiency has been cured, and he can even have a second child..."

Lynx smiled wryly upon hearing this: "I wish I could, but my parents don't like the taste of goat's milk."

Goat milk has a strong, fishy smell.

Goats are especially heavy.

Actually, the fresh milk was fine; neither Chen Ling nor Wang Susu thought it had any taste.

The main problem is that even if it's cold, it will still have a smell after being left for two days.

Some people just can't drink this.

"Alright, I'll think of a way for you another day. The old man's health depends on rest and eating good food like these."

Chen Ling thought for a moment and said, "Look at my father-in-law and mother-in-law. Last year, they were busy taking care of the kids. We have two kids, and nothing happened."

"I'm not just saying this lightly; you'll see when you try it yourself."

Goat milk is nourishing, and Chen Ling's goat milk is especially nourishing.

Aside from their daily meals, Chen Ling basically didn't take care of the health of the two elderly people, Wang Cunye and Wang Cunye, for fear that the effect would be too obvious.

Later, it turned out that the goat's milk was so plentiful that the couple couldn't bear to feed it to the dog. Chen Ling, his wife, and their child couldn't finish it all, so they drank it themselves.

And her health gradually improved. (End of Chapter)