"The temperature is dropping. What should I do with my chickens and pigs? And my big mule." Jiang Yue was very distressed as she looked at the poultry and livestock jumping around in the nest.
In two months, the pigs would have been ready for their first breeding and the chickens would have started laying eggs, but heavy snow would have definitely dampened their enthusiasm for producing offspring.
This won't do. It will delay their family's breeding plans.
But when I first built the kang, I forgot to make one for them. The main reason was that no one had ever done this before, and no one would be so generous as to provide a greenhouse for poultry and livestock.
"Put some more straw on the table. It will keep you warm and make cleaning easier."
Other families may be short of straw, but they have no shortage of straw at all, as it is piled up like a mountain.
Jiang Yue nodded, "That's all we can do. Let's see how things go. If they can't hold on any longer, we'll put them away. How can we grow delicious meat without weathering the storm?"
If we can survive this, we can hatch dozens more next spring. By then, Jiang Nian in our family can eat eggs three times a day!
Just do it! She was afraid of a sudden drop in temperature, and she wouldn't be able to rush into anything at the last minute.
Fortunately, this job is not difficult. Take out a pile of straw, stick it to the trunk of the osmanthus tree, and then tie it tightly with a rope.
As for the nests for the animals, it is even simpler. Just lay the mats in each nest.
I had also bought a few large bamboo chicken coops from Changjiang Dashu, a villager from the village above, and set them up inside the chicken coop. I covered the coops with a thick layer of straw, and with dozens of furry creatures huddled together, it was quite warm.
"Hey, can we also do the same thing and make a cage this big for the pigs? That way it would be like building a warm new home for them."
"Can the pigs stay here?"
Pig farming requires a ventilated space, so pig houses are different from chicken houses.
"Give it a try, it's not expensive anyway."
Jiang Yue felt that they couldn't rely too much on the space. Who knows, it might disappear one day. They always had to try to adapt to the real environment.
Last time, they'd traded two dried fish for four chicken coops, and Jiang Dashu's family was incredibly grateful. Although they occasionally caught small game from the nearby hills, they mostly dried it and stored it, much to the children's cravings.
What's more, the dried sea fish Jiang Yue gave was salty!
The pig cage to be made this time is too big, so Jiang Yue has to ask in advance whether they can make it.
The two men walked over, each carrying a large sack.
Many people on the road stared at Jiang Yue, all of them feeling surprised. Such a pretty young lady was actually a strong woman, able to carry such a large sack, so bulging, it must be very heavy.
When he arrived at Jiang Dashu's house, he was also frightened and hurried to take it.
Until Jiang Yue put down the sack with a smile.
"Hey, what are you doing?"
The two entered the house and opened the bag.
"So much straw!" Jiang Er's wife came over to take a look and her eyes widened.
Two large sacks of straw, packed thickly!
They took away all the rice straw grown on government farms, and refused to share it with the common people. They had to dry the weeds before lighting any fires.
Now it was Jiang Er's wife who was at home taking care of the children and making straw sandals. She was pregnant, and with luck, she would give birth before next summer and be able to support the baby.
There were no contraceptive methods those days, so being able to get pregnant after moving to the city was considered a blessing.
"Uncle, we're in a hurry to make four large cages, each about the size of three chicken coops. Do you think it's possible?"
Jiang Dashu was shocked. The chicken coop he had made before was not small to begin with, and to make one this big...
But looking at the two large sacks of straw, he had to bite his teeth and agree. He worked from morning till night and could finish the job in two days.
If we had this straw, winter would be easier. Poor families didn't have thick clothes to wear, so most of them stuffed straw into their clothes and quilts to keep warm.
"Okay! We'll send it to you the day after tomorrow!"
Jiang Yue took out two more pieces of red cloth, each five feet long.
"Uncle, aunt, here are these two pieces of cloth. One is for you as a housewarming gift, and the other is for Pingya as a wedding gift."
The Jiang family had a large family and had just built a two-story house. They had no financial resources and didn't care about whether the smell would dissipate, so they just moved in.
Pingya was two years younger than her, and now at seventeen, she was well into marriageable age, so there was no point in delaying. She had already been promised a marriage to the Hu family, two blocks away. Jiangshan had personally contacted them and had decided on a good match.
Pingya's face turned red when she heard that Jiang Yue was giving her a wedding gift.
Gao's waist still hurts, but she can get out of bed.
She knew Jiang Yue's personality well, and she also wanted these two pieces of cloth. It was a big gift! They didn't dare to exchange such a large piece of cloth for firewood at the store.
She took it with a smile, exchanged a few pleasantries, and then Jiang Yue and the other man left.
Jiang Dashu felt a little uncomfortable, as if he was always asking others for things.
Gao rolled her eyes at him. "They only give gifts when they don't need it, but every gift you give touches their heart. And you say nice things, too. That's what you call talent!"
"I'm not feeling well either, but what can I do? It's our fault we don't have anything. What are you doing? Go find some bamboo and make what they want quickly and well. That's the only way to be worthy of them!"
After saying that, she excitedly pulled her daughter back to the room, left one piece of cloth for her grandchildren to mend their clothes, and gave the other piece to her daughter to keep in the bottom of the box!
Jiang Dashu sighed and felt that what his wife said made sense and he should get to work quickly.
After Jiang Shan returned home and saw the things Jiang Yue had sent, he said nothing. He and his father worked from morning till night, and their hands were cut more than a dozen times. They finished four large cages within two days and delivered them to Jiang Yue's house before dark.
Jiang Yue received the goods and expressed her satisfaction.
Now that the pigs refuse to enter the cage, forget it. Just lay some straw there first. When the weather gets cold, they will find a nest by themselves.
Jiang Yue took out a large newly made mattress, spread it over the entire bed, and then lay on it in a spread-eagle position without moving.
Jiang Nian was still holding a large quilt in his hands. Seeing that she didn't move, he threw the quilt with both hands, covering her perfectly.
Then he lay sideways on the bed, pressing on her.
"Ah, my slim waist is ruined~" a muffled voice came from below.
Jiang Nian smiled and said, "This new quilt is great. It can even talk."
Jiang Yue reached out her hand from underneath and patted him.
"Take the blanket away quickly, I'm so hot."
"I thought you were cold. If you weren't going to cover yourself, then why did you take it out?" he said as he folded the quilt.
Jiang Yue finally breathed a sigh of relief and smoothed her hair. "Tonight I observed the celestial phenomena and calculated with my fingers that the temperature will definitely drop."
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