Chapter 275 Wang Family's Ewe Giving Birth
"Xiaoxia has to work hard if she wants to tell a good story." Tian Yan touched her face and said with a smile.
Xiaoxia nodded confidently: "I will."
Praise is the best source of motivation for children. Unfortunately, most parents don’t know this and only treat their children with endless belittlement and criticism.
After all, you don’t need a certificate to have a baby.
"Let's go back to the room and change your clothes." Xiulan said, holding her daughter's hand.
They returned to the courtyard. After Xiulan changed Xiaoxia's clothes, Tianyan wanted to teach her paper cutting, but Xiaoxia shook her head and said, "Teacher, I want to learn to read."
Tian Yan smiled and said, "Okay, I'll teach you how to read."
Someone was looking after Xiaoxia, and Lin Heng looked at Xiulan and said, "Then I'll drive to Huangtan River to put down a shrimp cage."
Xiulan nodded: "Go ahead, be careful of snakes."
Lin Heng nodded, put two shrimp cages and some peanut cakes in the car, and drove to Huangtan Town.
This little bit of peanut cake was bought by Xiulan and I after asking the price. It is specially used as bait.
It felt nice to drive alone and enjoy the breeze in the evening. He did not go to the town but stopped in Baima Village. The Huangtan River here was seven or eight meters wide, enough for shrimps to survive and grow.
After finding a place with slow current and lush aquatic plants, Lin Heng put the shrimp cage filled with peanut cakes as bait into the place. After making sure there was no problem, he turned around and left.
The sky was dim and the breeze was pleasant. Lin Heng returned home humming a little tune.
"Hurry up and wash your hands and have your meal. Tian Yan will also be eating here with us today." Lin Heng walked into the room and Xiulan looked at him and said.
"You are so shameless to eat for free." Tian Yan said with a smile.
"This isn't called freeloading, this is called doing me a favor." Lin Heng said with a smile, and the dishes were served after he washed his hands.
Most of the dishes on the table were braised meat, as well as venison fried with coriander and bacon fried with toon.
Tian Yan was shocked when she saw this: "Xiu Lan, you are too polite. It's all meat, venison."
Xiulan smiled and said, "It will go bad if I don't eat it. Please help me."
"Then I will help you." Tian Yan picked up the chopsticks and smiled. "This food is so good. It really whets my appetite."
Lin Heng first picked up a piece of coriander and venison with chopsticks, then ate some tripe, picked up a few slices of deer liver for Xiulan, and tasted a slice himself.
Deer meat tastes very good. I have been eating it every day recently and I feel that my yang energy is a little too strong. Even at night, I feel hot all over even when I wear an autumn coat.
He didn't say much, just ate while listening to Xiulan and Tian Yan's conversation.
After finishing dinner slowly and taking a break from the heat, it was time to go back to bed. After washing up, Lin Heng coaxed Xiaoxia to rest, then went to Xiulan to vent his anger and discuss the plan to have a baby.
After several hard battles, the two fell into a deep sleep.
The next morning, just after dawn at six o'clock, there was a violent knock on the door in the backyard.
“Boom boom boom!”
"Son, open the door quickly. The ewe has given birth."
Along with the knock on the door, Lin's mother's voice followed.
"The ewe gave birth?" Lin Heng opened his eyes in a daze and said in surprise.
"Then let's get up and take a look." Xiulan yawned, sat up, searched for the underwear that was thrown around last night, and started to get dressed.
"Coming, coming." Lin Heng responded and got up quickly, getting dressed.
"Mom, I want to pee." Xiaoxia also woke up rubbing her eyes and said in a daze.
"Go open the door for mom, I'll help Xiaoxia get dressed."
Xiulan put on her black underwear and lifted the quilt and said.
"Okay."
Lin Heng walked out and opened the back door to the backyard. His mother got up very early every day.
"Have the sheep finished giving birth?" Lin Heng asked his mother.
"I think it came at midnight yesterday. When I came to milk in the morning, I found that the placenta had already fallen off."
Mother Lin nodded and smiled, "How many did you guess?"
Lin Heng said casually: "Two, it can't be three."
Sheep usually have two to three calves. This sheep's belly was quite big before, so he estimated that there were two.
Mother Lin smiled brightly: "That's three. Our family is really lucky this year. This sheep gave birth to three lambs in the first litter."
"Really three?" Lin Heng's eyes widened. Generally speaking, most goats have two babies in their first litter. If they are unlucky, they may have one. Three is definitely extremely lucky.
"There are indeed three, but one of them is not in good health and can't stand up now." Lin's mother said with a smile.
Lin Heng also said excitedly: "That's it, Mom, wait a moment while I go get some food for the ewe."
After saying that, he went back to the house to prepare things.
"A ewe gave birth to three lambs?" Xiulan asked in surprise.
"Yes." Lin Heng said as he poured the bran.
Xiulan said happily, "Luckily we didn't kill it for meat last year. This sheep is really good for wealth."
"I want to see the lamb." Xiaoxia said, waving her hands.
"Mom will take you to see it." Xiulan took Xiaoxia there first.
Lin Heng made wheat bran, added white sugar, brown sugar and a little salt, added water and stirred evenly, and then took it to the back mountain.
The ewe has been led out and is being raised separately. Two lambs are sucking milk from the young ewe, while another lamb has weak legs and cannot stand up.
Lin Heng placed the food in front of the ewe, and it sniffed and opened its mouth to drink. While the ewe was eating, he checked its condition and found that there was no inflammation of the reproductive mouth, which made him feel relieved.
Mother Lin supported the fallen lamb and said, "Look, son, this little ram can't stand up. It's a bit troublesome."
Xiaoxia also squatted down and asked curiously: "Dad, why doesn't this lamb drink milk?"
Lin Heng squatted down and looked at the lamb, and judged: "It's not a big problem. It's just that the ewe is pregnant with too many and the nutrition is not enough. We can just use a bottle to feed milk, and there will be no problem in a few days."
If it were in a natural environment, this lamb would most likely not survive, but with human intervention, there would be no big problem.
"Then keep it alone to prevent it from being trampled. I will come to feed it milk later." said Lin's mother.
Xiulan replied, "Mom, go herd the cattle. I'll feed them later."
"That's fine." Lin's mother nodded.
The three of them isolated the lamb and milked it first. After looking after the lamb, Xiaoxia went to check on her own melon seedlings. Then she turned around and asked her daily question, "When will the melon seedlings bear fruit?"
After patiently answering his daughter's questions, the three of them returned home. Lin Heng heated up the milk and Xiulan found a pacifier. After they finished drinking, she poured some into the bottle to feed the lambs.
Xiaoxia wanted to go along, so Lin Heng had no choice but to take her with him to the back mountain.
Xiulan handed over the pacifier, and the lamb immediately began to suck it, looking very hungry.
"Mom, I want to feed you." Xiaoxia hugged Xiulan's arm and said coquettishly.
"Come, let's feed the sheep together." Xiulan pulled her over to feed the sheep together.
"Little lambs, grow up quickly." Xiaoxia was so happy feeding the sheep, her face full of smiles.
After feeding, Xiulan walked over to look at the female musk deer and said with emotion: "Fortunately you planted three acres of pasture, otherwise it would be difficult to raise the livestock at home. But how many livestock can be raised on three acres of pasture? We already have ten livestock now, and when the cows and musk deer are grown, there will be more than ten."
Lin Heng replied, "Under normal circumstances, one acre of pasture can support two cows and twelve sheep. My mother often lets them graze, so it's no problem for her to support fifty or sixty animals on three acres."
Xiulan nodded, and after thinking about it carefully, she roughly understood.
He went back to the room and made some breakfast. It was only seven o'clock when he finished eating, which was too early for Lin Heng.
He took a breath, opened the door and walked towards Red Maple Mountain, picking up a slingshot by the way.
After going to Hongfeng Mountain to take a look, they found that the water depth of the pond had reached 50 centimeters after a night of ponding. When Lin's father saw Lin Heng coming, he smiled and said, "How is it? Is the water depth okay?"
Lin Heng nodded: "Okay, I'll go back and get some manure, and Dad, go dig me some water peanuts from the dry land."
Hearing this, Father Lin was immediately confused: "Why are you pulling manure?"
"Spread it in the pond to create fertile water so that you can raise shrimps later." Lin Heng said with a smile. Most people really find it difficult to understand why manure is used to raise shrimps.
Spreading fermented organic fertilizer into the pond can effectively promote the growth of algae in the pond and provide food for the newly released shrimp fry.
Natural bait is very important. Now the water in the shrimp pond is crystal clear. The normal visibility for shrimp farming is 30 centimeters, but shrimp farming veterans like Lin Heng will control the visibility at around 15 centimeters.
This way the water will be richer and contain more natural algae, so the investment cost will be lower. However, it requires very mature technology, and if you are not careful it may lead to a disaster.
After Lin Heng explained it, Father Lin finally understood and nodded, "As long as you are sure, I will go dig peanuts for you after dinner."
"Then I'll go back." Lin Heng turned around and walked back.
After returning to the house, he first went to the old house to take out the wooden cart, and then went back to the house to find the snakeskin bag.
In the yard, Xiaoxia and the little girl Yang Qing from the village were playing with a ball. Lin Heng took a look and went into the house to get the bag.
"What are you going to do?" Xiulan asked curiously.
"Dig manure to feed the pond." Lin Heng explained.
"Then I'll help you."
Xiulan went back to the house, changed her clothes, then took two pairs of leather gloves and worked with Lin Heng.
Lin Heng did not refuse his love for working with his wife, so he let Xiulan hold the bag while he shoveled the manure.
Xiulan looked at the pile of manure that had been fermented last winter and asked, "Is this enough?"
Lin Heng shook his head: "It's definitely not enough. If we only use manure, one acre of pond will need more than 200 kilograms. Here, we can have at most 2,000 kilograms of manure. But it doesn't matter if it's not enough. We can use the rest to spread urea or use inorganic fertilizer."
There are many ways to fertilize a pond, and it is not necessary to just spread manure.
"I understand." Xiulan nodded.
After the bags were filled, Lin Heng transported them to the wooden cart. After they were loaded, he took the red dates over to pull the cart.
After the manure was pulled to Hongfeng Mountain, it could not be thrown directly into the pond. Instead, it was poured on the edge of the pond. Lin Heng went to the warehouse to get some quicklime and sprinkled it inside for disinfection.
After disinfection, the pond needs to be poisoned again to kill all the plankton and small fish, and then fertilize to increase the amount of algae in the water.
Although the water in the mountain stream is clear and clean, there are a lot of plankton, as well as eggs of some fish and other insects. If you don't disinfect the algae, they will be eaten up, making it difficult for the water to become fertile.
Another thing is that some of the shrimp's natural enemies can be killed in advance to avoid unnecessary losses.
Breeding is all about details. Only when the details are paid well can you guarantee that there will be no failure. These details are all accumulated bit by bit through experience, so novices always fail to raise shrimps well.
After a busy morning, Lin Heng finally moved all the manure to Hongfeng Mountain. Each bag weighed about 100 kilograms, and he moved 15 bags, which was 1,500 kilograms.
We can only guarantee 100 kilograms of organic fertilizer for a pond, which is a bit too little for an acre of pond. We will have to add more inorganic fertilizer later.
"Son, I've dug some peanuts for you." Father Lin pointed at the ground and said, there were a lot of them by the field, and he dug five baskets full.
"That's almost enough." Lin Heng nodded, and after a quick check, he threw the peanuts into the pond.
There are few terrestrial water peanuts. If you throw some in each pond, they will grow quickly. These water peanuts are mainly used for shrimps to hide. Tender leaf shrimps can also use them. Sprinkling bait on the water peanuts is also convenient for shrimps to eat.
You don't need a lot of this thing, just one line along the edge of the pond is enough. Too much will easily cause the shrimps to lack of oxygen.
Lin Heng just dotted some here and there, and in less than ten days or half a month it would grow into a large area.
After planting peanuts with his father, Lin Heng asked, "Dad, do you have any work to do this afternoon?"
Father Lin shook his head: "There is not much work to do. The fields are ready. We are just waiting to plant rice tomorrow."
Lin Heng said, "Then you can look after Xiaoxia this afternoon. Xiulan and I will go to the river to catch shrimps."
Father Lin smiled and said, "I was just thinking about taking Xiaoxia with me this afternoon. I heard that she told stories to the children in the village yesterday and it spread all over the village. I want to listen, too."
He wants to show off his granddaughter.
"She is ready to continue speaking today." Lin Heng said with a smile.
After chatting for a while, Lin Heng turned on the water pump to fill the four indoor hatching pools with water. It didn't need to be too deep, thirty centimeters would be enough, and he could add more water slowly later.
After finishing, Lin Heng pulled a cart of hay back, unloaded the horse, and fed the hay to the animals. He also took a look at the lambs and the musk deer, fearing that something might have gone wrong.
Seeing Lin Heng coming back, Xiulan said, "I'll be here when you come back. Let's have oil-splashed knife-cut noodles for lunch."
"Okay." Lin Heng said with a smile, and washed his face with a basin of water. Although it was cloudy today, the weather was not cool at all, but rather very hot and humid.
However, Xiulan's sliced noodles were really good. After taking a sip, Lin Heng was surprised and asked, "Are there patchouli leaves in this garlic chili?"
"Yes." Xiulan nodded. She knew that Lin Heng liked to eat this.
"It's delicious. I like Patchouli, Garlic and Chili the best."
Lin Heng stirred it and took two deep breaths. This mixed aroma was so great, it was absolutely perfect for eating noodles.
After dinner, Xiulan took some newly bought plastic bags and said, "Please help me transfer the venison jerky."
This plastic bag is similar to a sugar bag and can be sealed, making it very suitable for storing dried meat.
"good."
Lin Heng nodded and ate a piece of jerky first. The jerky was now completely dry, and when you tore it apart with your hands, you could see distinct shreds of meat, with a rich aroma that made you want to swallow it.
The more you chew it, the more delicious it tastes. After packing the dried meat, Xiulan put it in a large cabinet so that she can take it out and eat it whenever she wants.
In the sultry afternoon, except for feeding the lamb, the three of them stayed in the house. Lin Heng picked up a book and read it, while Xiulan continued to read the book she had not finished before.
At four o'clock in the afternoon, Lin's father came to pick Xiaoxia up to go out and play.
After Xiaoxia left, Xiulan couldn't wait to say, "Let's go catch shrimps."
(End of this chapter)
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