My 1995 Small Farm.

Chapter 161 Veterinarian
At six o'clock in the morning, Chen Yuqiang and his companion called out from outside the door.

Today is the eighth day of the intercalary eighth month in the lunar calendar, a day for the village market.

These few people who went into the mountains, as long as they don't have anything to do at home and aren't busy in the fields, all go to the market today.

Hearing someone call him, Chen Ling responded loudly and got up to pack his things.

He was going to take the rabbit to the market to sell.

The litters of rabbits at home have grown up. He and Wang Susu have taken good care of them, and they are all plump and fat, ready to be sold.

With the next litter of rabbits about to be born, he also plans to buy two sheep so he can sell the rabbits at the market and free up space.

Chen Ling grabbed the ears of the straw-yellow rabbits and stuffed them into the cage.

There were about thirty rabbits, packed into three large cages.

Yu Qiang and Chen Ze helped him, and the three of them each carried one to the brigade.

Today we're going to the market by tractor.

We didn't have these things in the village before. They were brought over from the county after the flood. They weren't hand-operated; they were the kind with a steering wheel.

The construction team used this tractor to mix mud before.

It's simply a matter of removing the V-belt from the diesel engine, attaching the cover, connecting it to the mixer, and then you can mix the mud.

When the construction team left, they didn't take the tractor with them; they left it temporarily at the brigade headquarters, saying the county government wanted it for the villagers to use in building houses and repairing dams.

It's old enough, though; the chimney is broken in two.

When they arrived at the brigade, the lights were on in the yard, and Wang Lixian and a few others were tidying up the miscellaneous items on the tractor and then filling the fuel tank and water tank on the diesel engine.

Once everything was packed up, the task of driving the tractor naturally fell to Chen Ling.

Many other people also have meetings.

But we dare not drive on the mountain road.

"Yubin, you guys come down first, I'll start the machine..."

"Hehe, Uncle Fugui, just shake it. We're sitting in the truck bed and won't bother you."

These kids knew they were going to the market, so they got up even earlier than the rest of the group. Once they climbed up, they were so sleepy they didn't want to come down.

"If I turn the tractor around and then drive it out of the yard, what if I bump into you? Get off quickly."

Upon hearing this, the young men jumped off the truck bed with grins on their faces.

Chen Ling gripped the crank handle, moved it to reduce pressure, and slowly cranked it a couple of times.

Don't tell me yet.

This tractor looks old, but the machine is quite nimble and doesn't feel heavy at all when you crank it.

"Huchihuchi..."

After shaking it a few times, the machine got hot, and the tractor started chugging and belching out a plume of black smoke.

"Wow, this smoke smells so good."

"I think it smells good too. Uncle Fugui, do you also turn cars with a crank handle?"

"Cars don't use cranks; there's a key under the steering wheel. You just turn it by hand and it starts. It's much more advanced than a tractor."

Chen Ling sat on the tractor, turned around, and drove slowly out of the brigade's courtyard, making several turns.

"Get on the bus! Did you bring everything?"

Chen Ling shouted loudly.

The tractor's chimney was broken, and the machine was so loud that people couldn't hear it at all unless they shouted.

"It's all there."

"Fugui, be careful on the road. There are many ditches and bumps on the mountain road, so drive slowly."

The mothers of Chen Yubin and the other boys were worried, so they came over and stood near the tractor to give them some instructions.

"understood."

"..."

"Don't worry, Second Sister-in-law. Fugui drives a car all the time, so a tractor won't be a problem for him."

I pressed the clutch, shifted into gear, and the tractor sputtered out of the village. The headlights on the front of the tractor were very bright, illuminating the dim sky.

Several women saw the tractor off to the village entrance, watching it drive further and further away until it disappeared from sight.

"Let's go around Taoshugou. They've built a road there, and it's wider and smoother than the one in Kinmen Village."

After crossing a mountain ridge, Chen Ling drove onto a mountain road heading due west, at which point Wang Lixian promptly reminded him.

"Okay, then let's go to Peach Tree Valley today."

Upon reaching the Jinshui River, Chen Ling turned south again. As the terrain gradually rose, a small village came into view, with houses scattered along both banks of the Jinshui River, numbering no more than a hundred households.

As we drove the tractor across the bridge and out of the small village, the sky gradually brightened.

A cool morning breeze brushed against my face, and the mountains still stretched out under the sky. Fortunately, the mountain road had been widened considerably after the repairs, and was now three or four meters wide. The road surface was also covered with a layer of gravel and fine sand, so it wouldn't get muddy when it rained.

"Damn it, if it weren't for this flood, I doubt anyone would have bothered to repair this road."

"That's right. This road used to be so narrow that even a donkey cart would have one side hanging over the edge, which could scare a person to death, let alone a tractor."

Now the mountain road is wide and the journey is much smoother; the twenty-odd miles pass in a flash.

I left the village at 6:30 and arrived in the township in a little over an hour.

At this time, there weren't many people at the market, and the stalls were just starting to be set up. As for the breakfast stalls, those selling fried dough sticks, wontons, steamed buns, and paomo (pita bread soaked in mutton soup) were already crowded with people eating and talking loudly, though it was hard to tell what they were saying, but the atmosphere was full of life and warmth.

Chen Ling drove the tractor straight there and found a sunny, spacious spot not far from the mule and horse market. He parked the tractor horizontally, lowered the side panels of the trailer, and helped everyone unload the game and rabbits from the trailer, placing them all in front of him.

With fewer people around, Chen Ling didn't want to stay at the stall all day. After tidying up, he said, "I'm going to take a look around the mule and horse market. Does anyone want to come?"

"We're not going."

"Uncle Fugui, what are you doing? Buying livestock again?"

"Hmm, let's see if they sell sheep."

He actually wanted to go to Luomashi to ask someone where Lao Ba lived.

After all, no one would sell a pregnant ewe.

They all wait for the lambs to be born, raise them a bit bigger, and then sell them.

The only option was to ask a mule and horse broker to help them find one.

When we arrived at the mule and horse market to the west, there were still very few people. There were only a few scattered people leading a few donkeys, as well as cattle and horses, squatting under the trees and talking.

He went over, offered him a cigarette, and asked around. Old Ba's reputation was indeed impressive; he immediately found out where he was.

"Old Ba isn't home right now. He's at the livestock station with his eldest son-in-law. Go find him there."

"The livestock station? It's the northernmost one, past the health center, right? I've passed by there a few times, but there's never any sign."

"Yes, that's it. The sign is on the door frame behind the old locust tree outside. There's a wooden board hanging there. You'll see when you get closer."

"Okay, I'll go take a look."

After leaving Luomashi, Chen Ling didn't go through the health center. Instead, he headed north, circled around the outskirts of Changle Village, and eventually arrived at the livestock station.

The livestock station in the township has been around for quite some time.

The main gate consisted of two narrow, rusty black iron doors, only about 1.5 to 1.6 meters wide. There was a small slope at the entrance, and on the left was an old locust tree with lush branches and leaves. Sure enough, a long wooden board was nailed to the door frame behind the tree. It was painted white and had the words "Changle Township Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Station" written on it with a brush, but it had already turned yellow and faded.

Chen Ling glanced around and went inside. The floor was paved with blue bricks, and wisps of smoke rose from the chimneys. He hadn't taken more than two steps when a dog barked.

"Is anyone there? Is Old Bago here?"

"Wang Wang Wang..."

Upon seeing a stranger enter, a stray dog, chained up, jumped around near a jujube tree, barking incessantly.

"Who?"

A hunched-over, sallow-faced old man poked his head out from the east side of the house.

It was that old mule and horse broker, Old Batou.

He paused for a moment upon seeing Chen Ling, then smiled and said, "Oh, aren't you...that guy?"

"I've been waiting for you for several market days, but you haven't come. How's your little white calf? It must be hard to raise."

"Thank goodness you came early this time. Let me grab a bite to eat, then I'll take you to pick out a good big animal..."

Upon hearing this, Chen Ling waved his hand and said, "It's alright, I'm not in a hurry. Brother Ba, you eat first. But I didn't come here to buy livestock. I wanted to ask you to help me find two ewes with lambs."

"Oh, okay. The lambs are out in season now, it's not hard to find ones with lambs." "What are you going to do with them?"

"I want to buy some to produce milk for my family to nourish their bodies."

Chen Ling explained.

"Okay, I'll ask around for you later. Don't worry, I have a good reputation in these surrounding villages."

If you can't find it at the market, I'll look for it in the village.

Once Old Ba understood, he readily agreed.

Chen Ling naturally knew how capable this old mule and horse broker was, so he sat down next to him and waited for him to eat.

"Da, isn't Erwazi's sheep just born? They have plenty of milk."

At this moment, a square-faced man wearing glasses came out of the kitchen carrying pots and pans. After putting them in the yard, he smiled at Chen Ling and said, "Young man, ewes only start producing milk about ten days before giving birth to lambs. Lambs that are still pregnant are not as good as those that have already given birth."

"Otherwise, you'll have to take care of the ewe after buying it, and if you live far away, who knows what might happen to it after you buy it."

"Yes, I know that too."

Chen Ling nodded and then said, "Actually, I can do both. The distance is not a problem, I have a way to deal with it. But the key is whether the other party is willing to sell."

"Oh, you've hit the nail on the head. Meat is ridiculously expensive this year. Families with lambs or piglets are reluctant to sell them."

The man echoed, saying to Lao Ba, "Da, after you finish eating, take your little brother to Erwazi's house and see what's going on there. I won't go."

"Row."

……

By the time Lao Ba finished eating, the sun was already high in the sky.

Old Ba slung his medicine box over his shoulder and led Chen Ling north out of Changle Township.

The wild trees were scattered north of the village. After walking less than two miles along the dirt and stone path, we arrived at a house.

Calling it "someone else" isn't accurate. Looking at the dumped manure around the area and the size of the farm, it's clearly a chicken farm.

Once inside, the courtyard is long and narrow from north to south, with long chicken coops on the east and west sides, and a stone-paved ground in the middle.

A bald man with puffy eyes, uneven eyes, and a mustache was in the yard, barefoot, mixing feed with an iron shovel.

I was a little surprised to see Old Ba leading a stranger over.

"Uncle Ba, what brings you here?"

"Why can't I come? I can treat the same illnesses your brother can."

"Tell me, Erwazi, what's wrong with your chickens?"

Old Ba walked up to the chicken coop with his hands behind his back, looked through the window and asked.

"I don't know what's wrong with my chickens these past few days, they keep having diarrhea. Now many of them have red anuses. If this continues, their intestines will come out."

Erwazi said with a worried look on his face.

"Did they switch to new feed?"

"Huh? It's been changed? Uncle, how did you know?"

"This sounds like enteritis. Is it affecting the laying hens, or the roosters too?"

"Well, I didn't notice that. I'll go take a look."

Erwazi quickly dropped his shovel and ran barefoot into the chicken coop.

Lao Ba and Chen Ling followed them over.

The chicken coop didn't smell good; it had a hot, pungent odor, mixed with the fishy smell of chicken, which was very unpleasant.

The two hadn't even gotten close yet.

Then Erwazi cried out in a panic, "Uncle, come quick! Why are so many chickens dead?"

Upon closer inspection, it was indeed found that a large number of chickens had died, including both roosters and hens, at least a dozen or so.

"I haven't even had my meal yet, and they just gave me some feed, and it's only been a short while..."

Erwa was so anxious that he stomped his feet, causing the hair on both sides of his bald head to tremble wildly. He was extremely worried.

"Is your feed wrong? What new feed did you switch to?"

"New feed? I noticed these chickens aren't laying eggs as much in the fall, so I bought a few bags of machine-made feed from the feed mill..."

"That can't be right, Uncle. I've bought them in previous years, and nothing's ever happened."

"Then why do you think the chicken is like this?"

Old Ba pointed his finger, and the intestines of several chickens were pecked out. It started with the chickens having diarrhea and prolapsed anuses, and then it escalated to them pecking each other's anuses. Pecking anuses is addictive, and within five days, all these chickens will die.

They are extremely wealthy, except for animals with fur.

Avian diseases spread extremely quickly, killing large numbers of birds in a single night.

“Normally, chickens get enteritis, but it’s not this severe.”

Seeing that Erwazi still didn't quite believe it, Chen Ling reminded him from the side, "This year's floods soaked a lot of grain, making it inedible. In the end, it was all taken to several feed mills in our county..."

Upon hearing this, Erwazi's expression immediately changed.

"Damn them! How dare they cheat me! I'm going to find these bastards and demand an explanation."

"What are you doing? Running to the feed mill now? Are you going to save these chickens?"

"Huh? Is there any way to save you, Uncle?"

"It can be saved. Do you still have the old feed?"

"Yes, enough to last a day."

"That's enough. Mix this packet of powder in and I'll give these chickens an injection first."

As Old Ba spoke, Erwazi hurriedly took the medicine bag and walked out, giving Chen Ling an apologetic smile.

"I didn't expect things to be so complicated on his end. If you have something to do, go ahead and take care of it."

"It's okay, I'm not in a hurry."

…While there was no rush, Chen Ling noticed that the old man was taking too long, so he stepped forward to help him give the chickens injections. Each injection was used to inject one-third of the chickens, and with three chickens injected at a time, the two of them worked together quite quickly.

"Erwazi, quickly clear out the dead chickens, open all the doors and windows to let in some fresh air, and go to the livestock station to get me some medicine injections..."

"Hey uncle, is this guy the new veterinarian at the station? He's really quick at his job, much faster than you."

"When did you start being so cheeky? Hurry up and get the medicine needle."

After Erwazi left, Lao Ba watched as Chen Ling filled a small vial with injection fluid using a syringe, grabbed a chicken, and injected it, demanding that it be injected exactly one-third, no more, no less, with perfect precision.

He couldn't help but nod approvingly, saying, "Your hands are really steady, and you learn so quickly. It's rare to see a young man like you..."

Then he told Chen Ling that over the years, no one wanted to do this job, especially young people, who complained that it paid little money and that treating livestock was very dirty.

Nobody wants to be a veterinarian.

In the past ten years, there have been no more than five veterinarians in the entire Changle Township, who are both epidemic prevention workers and veterinarians.

Old Ba said that this job is only sought after when there is a need for it, and that it is not as popular as being a mule and horse broker on ordinary days.

Chen Ling had always wondered why he also possessed such skills as a veterinarian.

Old Bah said he was originally a veterinarian.

Otherwise, how could one be a good mule and horse broker without some real skills? But he never expected that he would become famous as a cattle and horse broker instead of as a veterinarian.

"If any of the livestock in the family have any problems in the future, just come to the township and call me. The station chief is my eldest daughter's son-in-law."

"Haha, sure."

"Hey, do you need any more people at your livestock station?"

Chen Ling asked with a smile.

"Sure, what's wrong? You really want to do this?"

Old Ba was very surprised. He thought the young man was handsome and fair-skinned, and didn't look like a farmer at all. How could he have thought of becoming a veterinarian?

Chen Ling nodded in agreement.

This livestock station is nobody's business; there are only a few people there, and nobody cares about them. They don't have much to do, so it's not a big deal for him to just be a figurehead.

Whether or not you work in this industry is not important at all.

The key point is that, with this title, if you raise your own poultry and livestock a little better, no one will bother to ask questions.

(End of this chapter)