My 1995 Small Farm.

It was already 1 p.m. when we returned to Chenwangzhuang.

When Wang Susu saw him carrying the earthenware jar back, she asked curiously, "What's this? Is it wine that my brother gave me?"

Chen Ling smiled mysteriously: "It's not wine, but it's more valuable than wine."

He opened the lid of the earthenware pot, and Wang Susu peeked inside, then took a step back in fright: "Leech? Why are you catching this?"

"It's very useful."

Chen Ling placed the earthenware pot in a shady spot, pulled Wang Susu to sit down, and explained in detail the medicinal value of leeches, the resources of Yaowang Village, and his own ideas.

Although Wang Susu had read many medical books, this was the first time she had ever heard of using live leeches to treat illness.

However, she trusted Chen Ling's judgment; if he said it was useful, then it must be valuable.

"So what do you plan to do?" she asked.

"First, cultivate them," Chen Ling said. "Like cultivating sterile maggots, cultivate clean medical leeches, then test their efficacy and summarize the experience."

"Will this work?" Wang Susu asked with some concern. "Leechs suck human blood, after all. Will the patient be able to tolerate it?"

"Take it slow." Chen Ling was optimistic. "Maggots are so scary, but Li Lianjie used them too. The key is the effectiveness. As long as it can really cure the disease, even the scariest method will be accepted by people."

He paused, then said, "Moreover, leech therapy has existed in traditional Chinese medicine since ancient times, so it's not unusual. It's just that people use it less now, which is why it feels unfamiliar. Rediscovering it is both a way of preserving tradition and an innovation."

Seeing the light in his eyes, Wang Susu knew he had made up his mind, so she said no more, only saying, "Then be careful not to get bitten."

"Don't worry, I know what I'm doing," Chen Ling said with a smile.

Then he added, "It's about to rain again, I'm going to go check on the forest farm."

There are cattle and sheep in the forest, and also so many dogs.

"You really are something... You just came back from Fenglei Town, haven't even had a sip of water, and you're already heading to the forest farm again."

Wang Susu watched as Chen Ling placed the earthenware jar containing the leeches in a shady spot, and couldn't help but scold him playfully, but her eyes were filled with heartache, "There's still food warming on the stove, you can eat it first before you go."

Chen Ling dusted off his hands, walked to the well, scooped up a ladle of water, gulped down a few mouthfuls, wiped his mouth with satisfaction, and laughed:
"No, on the way back, I passed through several villages. The villagers greeted me from afar. One gave me two boiled eggs, another gave me a pancake, and some even insisted on pulling me into their houses for a bowl of mutton soup."

Its belly was already full, and even the little blue horse had been fed the finest bean feed; it was full of energy right now.

As he spoke, he walked to the gate of the courtyard and gently patted the little blue horse's neck.

The little blue horse affectionately nuzzled his palm with its head, snorted, and gently pawed at the ground with its hooves, indeed looking ready to pounce.

Chen Ling patted his wife's hand and laughed, "I'm just worried about the forest farm. There are so many livestock there, and with all this rain, I'm afraid something might happen. Let's go check on them before the rain starts again, so I can feel at ease."

Wang Susu knew he was a worrier, especially when it came to livestock, which he valued more than anything else. So she didn't stop him anymore, but simply reminded him, "Don't stay too long. If the weather looks bad, come back quickly. Take your raincoat with you; the weather can change in an instant."

"Understood," Chen Ling replied, taking the worn military raincoat from behind the door and draping it over his arm before turning and leaving again.

He nimbly flipped onto the horse's back and shouted, "Giddy up!"

The little blue horse trotted steadily, carrying Chen Ling out of the farm and along the familiar dirt road toward the forest farm.

The water on the village road had not completely receded, and the horses' hooves splashed up tiny droplets of water as they passed over it.

Sure enough, the villagers he encountered along the way, whether they were carrying shovels to check their fields or busy repairing their own courtyard walls, all greeted Chen Ling warmly.

"Fugui, you're back!"

"Going to the forest farm? Be careful on the road, it seems that the section of the road to the west has been washed away again."

"Uncle Fugui, my two pigs haven't been eating much these past few days. Could you take a look at them when you have time?"

"..."

Chen Ling responded to each point, offering reminders where necessary and agreeing to those that were agreed to.

He used to feel annoyed by interacting with people too frequently.

Now, however, he quite enjoys this feeling of being trusted.

The little blue horse followed obediently behind him without needing to be told.

……

As we approached the forest farm, the smell of livestock gradually intensified in the air, but it wasn't unpleasant.

It is a vibrant scent that blends the aromas of grass, feed, and animal body odor.

The first thing that catches the eye is the cattle-raising area enclosed by wooden fences.

Before you even get close, you can hear a series of steady "mooing" sounds coming from inside.

Chen Ling reined in his horse and looked through the fence.

There were more than a dozen yellow cattle standing or lying down leisurely.

The most striking sights were the cows, many of them with noticeably swollen bellies and gentle, peaceful eyes, slowly ruminating.

Several robust bulls paced around the perimeter of the herd, acting as a watchdog.

The workers at the farm are from the village; it's Old Niwai's eldest son, Chen Dajiang.

He was carrying a bucket to add hay mixed with soybean meal and salt to the trough when he saw Chen Ling. He quickly put down the bucket and came over: "Fugui is here! I was just thinking of telling you these past few days. Our herd of cattle, which were bred in the spring, looks like they're all pregnant now!"

Especially that big stud bull that Boss Liang brought over, it was truly impressive; every cow it mates with has a stable pregnancy.

Chen Ling beamed with joy, dismounted, and approached the fence for a closer look: "Good, good! It's good that she's pregnant! Now our herd can expand even further."

Is the feed adequate? This pregnant cow needs plenty of nutrition.

Don't worry!

Chen Dajiang patted his chest and said, "Following the formula you prescribed, the concentrate feed was increased by 10% compared to usual, alfalfa was plentiful, and as you said, we fed them the kind of feed you brought every few days. The cattle are in great spirits, and their coats are glossy and shiny."

Chen Ling nodded, then looked at the large bull in the herd.

These are the three cows that Liang Yuemin bought back then.

Initially, they bought a mother and her child to raise, but later, feeling that wasn't enough, they bought three more.

As a result, neither of the two elders could be properly cared for, so the body was given to Chen Ling.

The creature seemed to sense its master's arrival, raising its head and mooing loudly in Chen Ling's direction, its voice carrying a hint of affection.

The female water buffaloes around it were also clearly pregnant, so it seems this guy is not lagging behind in reproducing.

"What about the deer herd?" Chen Ling asked again.

"The deer herd is even more delightful!"

Chen Dajiang led Chen Ling toward the deer-raising area next door.

“Sika deer are timid, but for some reason this year they are unusually calm.”

"The mating went smoothly, and now it seems she's most likely pregnant."

"The lynx owner said that these deer antlers are of good quality and can fetch a good price."

The fence around the deer enclosure was higher, and the sika deer inside, just as Chen Dajiang had described, appeared very peaceful. They were elegant in posture, and the pregnant does were even more plump.

When they saw someone coming, they only pricked up their ears alertly, but did not panic and run away.

The antlers of several male deer looked very fresh, covered with brownish-yellow down.

How are the sheep?

Chen Ling glanced through the fence at the distant sheep-raising area, where he could hear the incessant bleating of sheep.

"Sheep are another story altogether, those things can reproduce a lot! They were bred in the spring, and they're all pregnant now, not one of them has been lost."

"The rams sometimes fight over ewes, but Erhei and the others come over for a stroll every now and then, and they're all much more well-behaved," Chen Dajiang said cheerfully.

Chen Ling nodded in satisfaction.

It seems that with thorough preparations and the subtle influence of the spiritual water in the cave, the livestock in the forest safely weathered the long rainy season and ushered in a bountiful breeding season.

This foreshadows greater profits and population expansion in the coming year.

"What about the dog farm? I heard they've had quite a few puppies recently?" Chen Ling asked as he led the little blue horse toward the dog farm.

"Wow! The dog farm is buzzing with excitement!"

Chen Dajiang immediately perked up, "The dogs that Boss Lynx brought back from the city, along with the good breeding dogs we kept locally, were bred this spring, and now is the perfect time for them to have puppies!"

"In just the past two weeks, they've had five or six litters of puppies, probably thirty or forty in total!"

"Erhei has become a very busy 'dog,' wandering around the dog farm every day. He is more attentive than us workers. All the big and small dogs respect him, which is strange."

As they talked, the two arrived at the dog kennel area.

The dog farm is divided into several large fenced areas, including an activity area for adult dogs, a maternity kennel, and a puppy breeding area.

Before you even get close, you can hear a variety of barking sounds coming from inside—high-pitched, low-pitched, and childlike—all intertwined and full of energy.

Chen Ling tied his horse to a pillar outside the dog arena and went inside.

The first thing that catches the eye is the puppy breeding area.

In several small nests made of bricks and planks, lined with dry grass, a bunch of furry little creatures are rolling around, playing, and suckling at their mother's breast.

Some of them had just opened their eyes, and their eyes were as bright and shiny as black grapes.

Some of them can already run around unsteadily, barking softly at the arrival of strangers.

Their fur comes in various colors, including wolf blue, yellow and white, pure black, and brown, and they look healthy and lively.

Several workers were feeding the puppies warm goat milk-soaked dough, and they all greeted Chen Ling with smiles when they saw him.

"Where's Erhei?" Chen Ling looked around but didn't see that familiar figure.

"We were just scolding a half-grown dog that was trying to steal our food. It's probably gone to the maternity kennel now," a worker replied.

Just then, Erhei strolled out of the maternity kennel area next door at a leisurely pace.

It is now more and more powerful and majestic, with shiny black fur and sharp and steady eyes.

When it saw Chen Ling, its tail immediately wagged happily. It quickly walked to Chen Ling's side, rubbed its big head against Chen Ling's leg, and made a "woof woof" sound in its throat.

Chen Ling squatted down and vigorously rubbed Erhei's thick neck: "Goodness, you've worked hard, you've managed to keep these little brats in line!"

Erhei understood the praise, nuzzled Chen Ling's leg with its head, then turned around and barked twice towards the pack of dogs.

The once noisy dog ​​kennel suddenly quieted down considerably. The adult dogs that had been barking all lowered their voices, some lying down and some sitting, displaying strict discipline.

It then turned to the puppy area and let out a low "woof." The puppies, which had been somewhat restless, immediately quieted down, and even the mother dogs who were protecting their pups relaxed their guard and continued to lie down and nurse.

Chen Ling nodded secretly.

Erhei, as expected of someone who grew up with Heiwa and Xiaojin, has natural leadership qualities and management skills.

With it around, the daily routine of the dog kennel is indeed much easier to manage.

Accompanied by Erhei, Chen Ling toured the entire dog farm.

Inside the maternity kennel, there were several female dogs about to give birth, and they were being well cared for.

In the adult dog section, although the dogs of all sizes and breeds were mixed, they were surprisingly orderly under Erhei's intimidation and management, with very few unnecessary fights.

The core breeding dogs in the breeding area, including Heiwa's son Damao, and the second-generation wolfhounds that Shanmao brought from Wang Lixian's house, were all plump, strong, and energetic, clearly well taken care of.

The several purebred dogs that Lynx brought from the city have also adapted to the environment here and are in good spirits.

"Although the owner of the lynx wasn't here, he took great care of the dogs and arranged everything. He kept a clear record of when to vaccinate, when to wean, and when to separate them into different pens."

As Chen Dajiang spoke, he handed the notebook to Chen Ling, saying, "Take a look, these are the most recent records."

Chen Ling took the notebook and carefully flipped through it.

The document details each mother dog's birth date, number of puppies, health status, daily feed ratio, disinfection procedures, and more, all written in neat handwriting and clearly organized.

"You said the lynx isn't here? What about the lynx and the sea?" Chen Ling asked Chen Dajiang.

"The owner of the lynx went to the county to contact buyers. He said that the police from other counties wanted to buy our dogs. Our reputation has grown quite a bit since the flood control efforts here."

“Brother Dahai is keeping an eye on things at the fish farm. His wife just got pregnant, so she goes to the hospital a lot. He has to take care of things at home a bit more.”

Chen Ling nodded, very satisfied with the current operation of the forest farm.

"It's a good thing to be able to train police dogs."

“We’ll discuss this carefully when the lynx returns. We can then select a few batches of promising puppies for targeted training. But there’s no rush. We need to lay a solid foundation first and ensure that the dogs we provide are of excellent quality in all aspects.”

Looking up at the sky, I saw that the clouds in the west were starting to gather again, and their color was turning gray.

The wind carried a distinct dampness.

"It's going to rain, I have to hurry back." Chen Ling patted Erhei's head. "Take good care of the house. When the rain stops, I'll take you home and get you some good food."

Erhei licked Chen Ling's hand with his tongue as a response.

Chen Ling mounted his horse and waved to Chen Dajiang and the workers: "You've all worked hard. The weather's bad, so let's call it a day and head home. Be careful!"

"Hey, Fugui, slow down!"

As Chen Ling rode his horse back to the village, he felt a sense of accomplishment, but also a slight worry.

While the situation at the livestock and dog farms is encouraging, this seemingly endless rain is ultimately not a good thing.

Although Zhao Benshan said in his skit that a flood was no big deal.

However, those who have experienced it firsthand will not be dismissed with a casual remark like "it wasn't a big deal."

We still need to be on high alert.

Chen Ling felt that the next step was to help the villagers solve their grain storage problem. (End of Chapter)