Chapter 179 Insulated Pigsty
"It's always good to be prepared."
Next, I told the base elder about the wolf pack's unusual behavior, and he immediately became serious after hearing what I said.
"Not only should we prepare for extreme cold, but we should also prepare for strong winds. As you said, it's normal for temperatures to drop in winter. If temperature drops are normal, then other natural disasters might happen."
The base elder nodded, indicating that he would make thorough preparations.
After delivering the message, the truck turned around and left without stopping.
On the way back, I was thinking about what other preparations I needed to make for the extreme cold.
When the first extreme cold snap arrives, the supplies we stockpiled will be enough to withstand the second extreme cold snap.
I have everything, from coal for heating to essential food items like oil, salt, and grains, and even medicine.
This autumn's harvest of dried vegetables is more abundant than in previous years; if we eat them sparingly, they will last for a long time.
The immediate priority is to improve the insulation of the pigsty so that a stove can be lit there, eliminating the need to keep the livestock indoors.
Another particularly tricky problem to solve is the wolf pack that asked me for help. When the extreme cold comes, I can't really keep the wolf pack indoors!
Building a house for the wolf pack is impractical; not only would there not be enough bricks, but it would also take a very long time.
Why not dig a cave dwelling on the steep cliffs on either side of the path outside the courtyard? Then, pile some dry grass at the entrance of the cave dwelling and hang a curtain, which will be enough for the wolves to keep warm.
When we arrived in town, I stopped the car.
There aren't many materials available at home for insulating the pigsty; only straw and plastic sheeting are available.
Moreover, the straw will also be used as fuel, and simply covering it with plastic sheeting might not be enough to keep the pigsty warm.
I parked the car in front of a row of houses and began my frenzied raid.
If there were any old curtains or tattered quilts in the house, they would tear them all down and throw them into the car.
While collecting quilts, I still remembered that I was missing a writing desk.
When we found the third house, we saw a decent writing desk and it took a lot of effort to move it into the car.
After collecting more than 20 large cotton quilts and several curtains, I drove straight home.
When I got home, I moved the desk down to the yard and put it there before moving it inside. Then I started working on insulating the pigsty.
Unlike the first extreme cold that struck, I didn't know exactly when it would arrive. Faced with an entirely unknown future, all I could do was act as quickly as possible and race against time.
The open area of the pigsty was sealed off when the temperature dropped in late autumn. First, a layer of straw was laid on the roof, and then old cotton quilts were laid directly on the roof.
A row of plastic sheet roofs was left on the sunny side, without any quilts, to allow sunlight and lighting to enter; the rest of the roof was completely covered.
To ensure stability, the four corners of the quilt were nailed to the roof.
After laying out the quilt, a layer of plastic sheeting was placed on top, and the edges of the plastic sheeting were reinforced with wooden strips and nailed to the wall.
There's a ventilation opening in the corner, but it's currently closed because I think the airflow from the gap in the doorway is sufficient for ventilation.
After all the blankets were laid out, there were still a few left.
These cotton quilts look the cleanest. They're being dried in the yard, sprayed with alcohol and disinfectant inside and out. Once they're dry, they'll be used to cover the cages in the chicken and rabbit pens.
Enter the pigsty and clean the chicken coop, pigsty, and rabbit pen.
Pigs have designated areas for resting, sleeping, and excretion. In the clean areas where pigs rest, a thick layer of straw is laid out.
The chicken coop and rabbit cage are placed in their respective pens. They roam outside during the day and return to their cages to sleep at night.
Wrap cotton quilts around the chicken coop and rabbit coop respectively, and line the inside of the coop with dry straw. When the weather gets very cold, the chicks and rabbits can huddle together to sleep, which will keep them warmer.
A cotton curtain was hung at the entrance of the pigsty, and after two days, the livestock's den was finally kept warm.
Next came the arduous task of digging cave dwellings, which was perhaps the greatest contribution I could make to the wolf pack in my life.
Outside the courtyard gate, the path is flanked by earthen walls made of the mountainside. I plan to dig a cave dwelling in the western wall of the mountainside.
The soil here is relatively compact and shows no signs of cracking or collapse, which meets the conditions for digging cave dwellings.
And being close to home makes it convenient to dig cave dwellings, and if anything happens after the wolves settle in, I can promptly discover and take care of them.
Moreover, if any bad guys come to my house again, the wolf pack will be right at the door, able to protect me directly.
This is simply the perfect location for a cave dwelling.
Calculate the required size for the wolf pack, draw a rough outline on the outside with a fire poker, and then start digging.
The cave dwelling doesn't need to be very large, just big enough for a pack of wolves to live in.
I dug down hard with a shovel, and the soil inside was very hard. This meant that it was indeed suitable for digging cave dwellings, but it also meant that I was going to suffer a bit.
After removing the outer 30 centimeters of soil, the hard soil inside became difficult to dig with a shovel.
He went back to the yard, got a pickaxe, first used the pickaxe to dig down the soil, and then used a shovel to remove it.
They dug intently for a whole day, but only managed to dig about 0.8 meters deep.
As I rubbed my sore arms that evening, I ate dinner while thinking that this job wasn't something to rush, and I had to take it one step at a time and not overwork myself.
The temperature hasn't dropped to minus 30 degrees Celsius in the last few days. Since the wolves are willing to spend the night here before the cave dwelling is dug out, they can stay in the yard for now.
When I woke up the next day, both my arms were in terrible pain. I knew I had to take this huge project of digging a cave dwelling slowly.
After having a hearty breakfast, I picked up my shovel and pickaxe and started digging again.
I'm more skilled than yesterday, and digging with the pickaxe is much easier.
The soil that was dug up was pushed to a corner with a wheelbarrow and piled up; it might be useful later.
As the weather grew colder, the conditions became increasingly difficult, from digging cave dwellings while wearing thin cotton-padded coats to digging cave dwellings while wearing military overcoats.
But the dogs didn't seem to mind the hardship. While I was digging the cave dwelling, they would cause trouble nearby, either curling up inside to sleep or diligently digging at the soil next to the pickaxe with their two paws.
While cursing the dog, he worked diligently and conscientiously for 10 days, finally digging a cave that was more than one meter wide and more than six meters deep.
I called four dogs in to try it out, and it seemed like it would be enough.
After using shovels to smooth out the protrusions around the cave dwelling and thoroughly cleaning the inside, the cave dwelling was finally completed.
Thick layers of straw were laid into the cave dwelling, and then several large cotton quilts were placed on top, making it look soft and warm.
They carried the straw down from the slope and piled it up in large quantities at the entrance of the cave dwelling, leaving only a slightly smaller entrance for the wolves to enter and exit.
It can reduce the entry of cold air, and it is also windproof, making it look extremely warm.
Not only did several dogs stay inside and refuse to come out, but even Tie Dan'er came to join in the fun.
"Come home with me quickly, Tie Dan'er, or a pack of wolves might come and eat you up."
I tried to scare Tiedan with my words, but it wasn't afraid at all and slept soundly in the cave.
As darkness fell, I climbed into the cave, pulled out the iron egg, threw it inside, and closed the door.
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