My 1995 Small Farm.

Chapter 192 Master Dog

“Oh—oh—oh——”

As the rooster crowed loudly, dawn broke.

As the golden sunlight shone down, the village shrouded in a thin mist gradually became clearer.

On a quiet winter morning, the mountain is peaceful.

However, today, an uninvited guest arrived at Yaowang Village, breaking the tranquility.

The intrusion of strangers caused all the dogs in the village to bark incessantly.

It was Han Ninggui and his group.

They arrived quite early.

It was only a little past six o'clock, and Chen Ling's family had just finished making breakfast.

Wang Qingzhong then led the five of them over.

We agreed on this yesterday in town: when we arrived at Yaowangzhai, we should go directly to Wang Qingzhong's house, because his house is the third one at the entrance of the village, so it's easy to find.

"Huh, you only brought two dogs?"

Chen Ling was in the yard at that moment, accompanying his father-in-law as he fed the little yellow dog.

It was quite strange to see that they only had two hunting dogs with them.

Last time they had more than a dozen large hunting dogs.

Today their team consisted of only five people and two dogs. Of the five, besides the young man from yesterday, the other two were middle-aged men around forty years old.

The two dogs, one red and one white, were chained up and followed closely beside the lynx.

Compared to the group Chen Ling had seen last time, this group was pitifully small.

"Two dogs are enough. They are both good hunting dogs that Xiao Lin has trained for more than two years. With an old general like him, one can do the work of several others."

Han Ninggui laughed.

Lynx pointed to the two dogs and introduced them to Chen Ling: "This is the Xiangxi Red Wolf I told you about last time. It has a good hunting instinct and a strong wolfish nature. This other one is a native Guangdong pine dog that a friend gave me. I thought it was good-looking and gave it to my elderly relatives to keep as a pet. I didn't think much of it at first, but after raising it for a while, I found out that it is actually a natural-born hunting dog..."

The Xiangxi Red Wolf he described was a large, muscular dog with short, red fur all over its body. It had a long face, large, erect ears, and a thick muzzle, and was very similar to the Soviet Red Wolf, except that its fur was dark red without any other colors, making it look extremely intimidating.

The white pine dog, with its short to medium-length fur, slightly smaller size, red nose, red eyes, erect ears, and slightly curled tail, lacked the fierceness of the Xiangxi red wolf. Instead, it appeared quite handsome and rather good-looking.

The two dogs, who had followed the people up the mountain, were originally going to sit down next to the lynx and rest with their tongues hanging out when they entered the yard. But now they held their breath and stared intently at Heiwa and Xiaojin, not daring to even breathe loudly, looking very cautious.

Heiwa and Xiaojin paid no attention to them, as they were happily playing with the little yellow dog behind Wang Cunye.

"Is that white dog a Five Red Dog? It's really beautiful."

Chen Ling looked it over and then exclaimed in genuine admiration.

"Yes, it's a Five Red Dog. No matter what you look like, its appearance, paws, teeth, or nose, it doesn't look like a good hunting dog at all. You really can't tell at all."

Lynx still finds it surprising, as he rarely misjudges dogs, but it was still a pleasant surprise.

The father-in-law chimed in, "Your dog is indeed beautiful, especially the red one. Where did you get these dogs?"

"The red dog is from western Hunan, and the white dog is from Guangdong Province."

"Wow, that's so far."

"It's alright, most of the time I get them through friends. My teacher is often away from home, so he'll bring them back for me on his way..."

The lynx then gently patted the heads of his two dogs to soothe their uneasy emotions.

Then he looked at the little dog next to Wang Cunye, which was biting and nibbling at the dog that was fussing around Heiwa: "Uncle Wang, did you buy this little dog at the market yesterday?"

"Yes, Tiger Head Yellow, you've heard of Tiger Head Yellow, right? It's our fiercest hunting dog. Once it enters the forest, it's faster than a wolf..."

"Of course I know that. Aren't those two from the Fu Gui family? But those two tiger-headed yellow dogs of his are a bit too fierce. They didn't do anything, but my two dogs didn't dare to move."

"I can't help it," the lynx said helplessly.

The other three people in the group behind him were quite surprised, as it was the first time they had ever seen a lynx's hunting dog be frightened by other dogs.

They also walked up to him and asked him all sorts of questions.

At this moment, Gao Xiulan saw them standing in the courtyard talking, so she quickly brought out a few stools for them to sit down.

The group quickly thanked them and gave the children some small toys to play with.

"Dad, have Lynx take a look at this puppy for you. He specializes in raising hunting dogs and knows everything about them."

After sitting down, Chen Ling said.

Wang Cunye then grabbed the little yellow dog and showed it to the lynx.

The lynx picked it up and examined it for a moment, then frowned slightly: "This puppy probably hasn't shed its fur yet. Apart from its fur, I can't see any obvious tiger-head yellow features, but its breathing is quite steady. Did Fugui pick this out for you?"

"Yeah, he picked it out for me."

"That's good. If you raise this puppy properly, it will have great stamina. It was playing around while eating just now, and its breathing wasn't even out of control..."

The lynx nodded in approval.

As soon as the little yellow dog was put down, the little guy wiggled his little bottom and ran to the dog he had brought, jumping and playing around, making a series of clear and tender barks.

The lynx added, "That's brave, that's good. But his personality is a bit too lively, and he's just a small male dog, not suitable to be a hunting dog."

"Haha, I never intended to raise it as a hunting dog."

Wang Cunye's requirements were simple: he just wanted to find a clever and fun little dog to keep him entertained.

Chen Ling also explained, "My dad wanted a mischievous dog like Heiwa. If he's too quiet and doesn't respond when called, he might be suitable as a hunting dog, but not as an elderly person to keep."

The lynx was very surprised to hear this.

It's not surprising that Wang Cunye chose such a dog.

Instead, he found Chen Ling's description of Heiwa strange: "Heiwa is naughty and mischievous? Really?"

His impression of Heiwa was still that of the imposing black dog who led the village dogs to confront their dozen or so hunting dogs, and who bit off the neck of one of the hunting dogs in a few strokes, a fierce and sturdy dog ​​like a lion.

How could it be mischievous?
Chen Ling smiled helplessly upon hearing this: "Don't be fooled by its seemingly respectable behavior. Once you get to know it, you'll know that this silly thing isn't as steady as Xiao Jin. It's full of energy but has nowhere to use it. When we built the house, we gave them two spacious doghouses, and it was only excited for two or three days before it started digging holes in them. We filled them in, and it dug again in a couple of days. We filled them in, and it dug again. It digs deeper than a rabbit. Now I'm too lazy to bother with it..."

Heiwa was lying on the ground, idly munching on leaves. When it heard people talking, it quieted down, looked at them with a puzzled expression for a while, then changed to two more leaves and continued munching.

The lynx glanced at Blackie, still not quite believing it, and said, "It's probably because it has too much energy. You should take it to run around in the mountains more often. Hunting dogs can't stay at home all the time."

As she spoke, she looked at Heiwa with great pity. Such a good dog, forced to dig a hole at home to vent its frustration. The mountains and forests are its true domain.

I thought to myself that I should give Fugui a good talking-to when I go into the mountains this time. I should encourage him to run around in the mountains more often when he has nothing else to do. I can't let these two good dogs go to waste.

As for the two dogs he brought, after realizing that Heiwa and Xiaojin ignored them, they gradually lowered their guard and lay down at his feet, panting with their tongues hanging out.

I can finally get some rest.

They chatted as breakfast was served.

Wang Susu and Gao Xiulan brought out breakfast, placed it on the table, and then invited everyone to eat.

"Have you all eaten? If not, have some food at our house before you go out."

"We ate, we ate in town, sister-in-law, you don't need to worry about us..."

Han Ninggui helped move the stools over and said with a smile, "The steamed meat cakes at the dock in your town are delicious and filling, so we bought a lot of them."

"Sigh, we can't just eat steamed meat cakes. Everyone should drink some porridge later."

Wang Cunye also said.

Han Ninggui and the others could not refuse, so they had no choice but to sit down and drink another bowl of porridge.

The steaming hot porridge warmed my heart.

The group sighed repeatedly, saying it was so much better to have acquaintances around; they didn't have to worry about being ripped off, and they even had porridge to drink. It was much better than being in an unfamiliar place.

After a pleasant meal, everyone packed their things and prepared to set off.

They all had tents and basic necessities.

Chen Ling brought his newly bought hoe; Wang Cunye had made a wooden handle for him when he returned yesterday afternoon, and it was just the right size. Besides that, he also brought his father-in-law's bow and arrows.

Wang Qingzhong was carrying a steel fork and a hunting knife for cutting meat.

It was only a little past eight o'clock when they went out. In the golden morning light, Wang Cunye and Wang Qingwen followed them out, ready to see them off for a while.

After leaving Yaowang Village, you must first worship the mountain god.

This is the same as the worship of the local earth god in Chenwangzhuang.

When going into the mountains to collect herbs or for any hunting-related activities, one should greet the mountain god or the local earth god to show respect.

Otherwise, if they displease the two grandfathers, they will hide the precious herbs and drive away all the prey, leaving those who enter the mountains empty-handed and empty-handed, without gaining anything.

However, fewer people went into the mountains this time.

Unlike the hunting trips of half the village of Chenwangzhuang, they only lit incense and offered prayers.

There's no need for offerings or firecrackers then.

After the worship ceremony was completed, Wang Qingzhong led the way for everyone.

Wang Cunye was then pulled aside by Han Ninggui and others for a long chat.

The main purpose was to inquire about rare and exotic wild animals and medicinal herbs that are not commonly found in the mountains.

"Hey bro, have you seen this thing in this photo before?"

Han Ninggui held up a stack of photos and pointed to the top one, asking him to identify it.

The photo shows a strange creature, black with two short antlers, resembling neither a deer nor a sheep, being photographed under a thick, large tree.

"That's a mountain donkey."

Wang Cunye recognized it at a glance. "This thing runs like a gust of wind and likes to run up cliff edges. It's very difficult to catch."

"Did you really have this here?"

"Of course, we used to see them often when we were collecting herbs, but now we see them less often, maybe once every two or three years."

Han Ninggui learned that the creature in question is scientifically known as the serow, also called the mountain donkey or the mountain donkey, or the rock donkey. It has similar habits to the blue sheep, and likes to run and climb on steep mountain ridges and cliffs. Nowadays, it is becoming increasingly rare.

After questioning Wang Cunye, Han Ninggui felt he had gained a lot. He then asked about several wild animals and herbs. Wang Cunye had seen most of them, but they were all the same; these things had become increasingly rare in recent years, even in the last decade. Seeing the confusion and doubt on the faces of the lynx and the others, Chen Ling knew that this was due to indiscriminate hunting and the excessive use of pesticides.

Animals like the leopard used to frequently appear in villages, and were easy to encounter when walking at night.

But now they're gone, largely because leopards kept getting poisoned after accidentally eating dead rats and rabbits in the fields, scaring them away.

After all, the pesticides used at this time were extremely toxic.

"After passing the tea mountain, we will have to walk along a steep path called 'Pig Trough Road,' so please watch your step."

Wang Qingzhong then offered a reminder.

After passing this section of road, we slowly entered the depths of the mountains and forests.

The group stopped.

Lynx released the two dogs, and Chen Ling gave orders to Heiwa and Xiaojin.

The four dogs rushed into the woods and began chasing each other.

This time, no one was needed to follow along as a chaser to help drive the prey.

These four dogs can go chase the mountain by themselves.

This was agreed upon before we came.

To determine which of the four dogs was the best.

Otherwise, if unfamiliar hunting dogs are put together, they are likely to fight. It is better to put them in the mountains and forests first and let them compete based on their abilities.

It's like they've gone through a break-in period.

Good hunting dogs are temperamental, have a strong sense of self-respect, are battle-hardened, and possess their own pride.

So when they met, neither of them would give in.

This situation is also easy to handle.

As the saying goes, "Let's see what makes a mule and a horse."

No matter what kind of hunting dog it is, as long as it runs two laps in the mountains, its endurance, speed, and even the sharpness of its sense of smell and hearing will be greatly improved...

You'll know once you compare them.

It is clear who is strong and who is weak.

This cannot be faked.

Whoever catches the prey first is the winner.

One minute, two minutes, three minutes...

They didn't wait long, only about five minutes.

Xiao Jin was the first to return to his original spot, carrying a fat rabbit in his mouth. He trotted over to Chen Ling and put the rabbit on the ground.

Following closely behind was Heiwa, who caught a squirrel.

The squirrel wasn't dead yet. As soon as Heiwa put it down, it tried to run away, but Heiwa grabbed its tail and played with it for a while.

The two dogs' performance amazed Lynx and the others.

"That's amazing, a round trip in five minutes..."

There's no need to compare anymore.

Whether it's the catch or the hunting speed, Chen Ling's two dogs are superior.

It's okay if you're not convinced.

They can go catch them again.

A piece of cake.

The lynx had no choice but to whistle to call his two dogs back.

Good hunting dogs are intelligent; they also realize they've lost.

After running back, he wasn't discouraged; he just looked at Heiwa and Xiaojin with a less wary and guarded gaze than before.

Dogs and wolves look very similar.

Wolf packs have a strict hierarchy.

Even dogs need to be ranked to determine who is superior.

But what they have in common is that they all admire and obey the strong.

Only the dog that can win deserves to be the head hunter.

"I'm impressed, truly impressed. I knew your two dogs were powerful, but I never imagined they were this powerful..."

The lynx has always had a competitive mindset.

He was especially intrigued when he heard Zhao Dahai mention that Chen Ling's dog had fought off a pack of wolves and killed several of them.

Because he often went into the mountains to catch wolves in order to breed his dogs, the dogs he raised were very powerful.

Unexpectedly, we still lost.

"To be honest, over the years, whenever my dogs went into the mountains with people, they were always the lead dogs. I never thought they would become the supporting dogs today."

The lynx sighed, squatted down, and reached out to comfort his two dogs.

The head dog is the head hunter.

When hunting dogs are chasing each other in the mountains or encircling each other, the lead dog has the highest status among all the hunting dogs.

As the name suggests, it is the lead hunting dog.

Apart from the lead dog, the other dogs are called helper dogs.

These are dogs that help drive away and harass prey, playing a supporting role.

A helper dog obeys the alpha dog.

That's why we have to rank them.

Chen Ling didn't feel proud of this at all.

It would be strange if your own dog lost.

However, they still said, "They were just lucky; they took advantage of the location and became local bullies."

"No, no, no, this isn't a local bully. If you raise it properly, it'll be a proper master dog."

"That's what Lynx said, his tone serious."

Looking at Heiwa and Xiaojin, she couldn't hide her envy.

Master Dog is also a dog.

However, it is one of the most intelligent and powerful dogs out there.

It's considered good if only one out of a hundred can be produced.

The master is a diligent, fast-moving, and resourceful man. He can run errands, find people, keep people, and handle orders.

It means it can hunt large prey on its own, such as wild boar and wild deer.

Once found, it can leave the large prey behind on its own.

It can stay on its own without the cooperation of people or other dogs.

In addition, it can also support, shout, and retreat.

After intercepting a large prey, if it encounters danger and withstands the resistance, it will call for help from its companions and will retreat at an appropriate time if things look bad.

"Haha, come on, calling them 'master dogs'? You're exaggerating their abilities."

Chen Ling smiled.

The others laughed along with them.

Master Dog sounds mysterious.

In fact, many alpha wolves in wolf packs can do these things.

Of course, a tiger can do it alone.

This requires extremely rich hunting experience and fairly accurate judgment.

Hunting dogs need to be trained gradually after living with humans for a long time, so it is very difficult to find a master hunting dog.

The group continued on their way.

At this point, the primary and secondary aspects become very clear.

The lead dog walks ahead of the hunter.

A dog that follows a person is a helper dog.

So Xiao Jin walked in front, while Heiwa and the other two dogs followed beside him.

Now Wang Cunye is leading the way to the place where we encountered the golden monkeys the day before yesterday.

After crossing a cliff and passing the ridge from which you can see Liangkou Village, you soon arrive at your destination.

"This is it. Look, there are so many monkey hairs on the ground, and here, here you can even see blood."

Wang Cunye pointed to the vicinity of the big tree and said.

Upon seeing this, Han Ninggui led his men over and carefully collected the monkey hair.

At the same time, at Chen Ling's prompting, Xiao Jin cautiously began to sniff around.

Two days and two nights passed.

The traces and scent left by the golden monkey are no longer obvious; this has become a kind of subtle, unpleasant smell.

But it's clear that this won't stump Xiao Jin.

Soon, it started barking softly, wagging its tail at Chen Ling's feet, indicating that it had successfully found the troublemaker and was ready to be deployed at any time.

(End of this chapter)