My 1995 Small Farm.

Chapter 333 The Lynx Kills the Dog, Leaving Only Chicken Feet
The sky remained overcast for two days, and on the evening of the third day, small snowflakes, like grains of salt, began to fall from the sky.

As the first snow fell, the temperature on the mountain dropped sharply.

Fortunately, Chen Ling's family had installed a heated kang (a traditional heated brick bed) a few days earlier, and it had been burning for two days, providing a very pleasant experience.

That night.

It's snowing outside.

In the warm and bright bedroom of the wooden building, Wang Susu quietly did needlework under the lamp. Gao Xiulan had made a lot of clothes for the child, and relatives and friends had also given her many, so there was no need to make any more.

This is for Chen Ling. He often goes out to travel and wears out his clothes quite a bit.

She was making clothes, and Chen Ling was watching TV beside her, exchanging a few words every now and then.

"It's just that Zhenzhen's winter vacation started early this year, so we sent her back home before she stayed too long. Otherwise, in this weather, she would definitely have been freezing."

"Yes, we just took her back yesterday, and it started snowing today..."

"By the way, when I went back to the village, my second brother and sister-in-law weren't too busy lately. They said that if I didn't send Zhenzhen back, they would come to pick her up in a few days and also visit you and the child. They said they didn't come for the Mid-Autumn Festival and wanted to come over."

“Sigh, my second brother and sister-in-law are really something. This is our fault. We haven’t been able to go home for the New Year for several years in a row. How can we blame them for not coming for the Mid-Autumn Festival?”

"Yes, that's what I said too. We've come all this way, we can't let them get away."

Upon hearing this, Wang Susu simply smiled, her almond-shaped eyes clear and bright.

Upon seeing this, Chen Ling gently stood up and asked, "Is Rui Rui asleep?"

"Yeah, he's been asleep for ages. Look how soundly he's sleeping, like a little pig."

Chen Ling then walked over, picked up her son and placed him on the small bed next to the kang (a heated brick bed), and grinned at her.

Wang Susu knew exactly what it meant. Her pretty face flushed instantly, and she lightly scolded, "What's wrong with you lately? You're always thinking about this."

Chen Ling blinked and silently uttered two words to her: "Second child."

"Pah, turn off the light now, and don't even think about turning it on again."

……

The matter of having a second child is self-evident and needs no further explanation.

As for whether having a second child so soon will harm one's health?
That's a minor issue.

Chen Ling never worries about this.

Wang Susu didn't care.

Her first pregnancy went so smoothly and her body recovered so quickly that, according to the doctor, having a second child at this point wouldn't be a problem.

The young couple had been enjoying themselves for too long and forgot to bring their son to bed.

When Rui Rui woke up, the little guy was completely bewildered.

She looked at her father, then at her mother, as if asking, "Why am I in my crib?"

The couple couldn't help but smile at his adorable appearance and quickly carried him back to the kang (a heated brick bed).

……

A light snow fell overnight.

In the early morning, the air was thick with mist, and as the temperature plummeted, the mountains and forests were covered with frost, while the wheat fields were blanketed with a thin layer of snow.

Looking out, wisps of morning mist flow between the mountains and fields, creating a breathtaking scene.

A bunch of chubby puppies crawled out of their kennels early in the morning and followed behind two big dogs, frolicking and playing in the snow.

Noticing that Chen Ling and Wang Susu hadn't shown up for a long time, she ran to the door of the warm room, arched the curtain, and called for them to come out.

But Chen Ling definitely can't play with them today.

He's been quite busy these past few days.

After dropping off Wang Zhenzhen yesterday, guests started arriving one after another today, and one thing after another kept Chen Ling busy from morning till night.

It turned out that Chen Ling hadn't gone to the market to sell eggs for too long, so some people came looking for him on their own.

While selling eggs, Fang Boming, nicknamed "Little Sheep," came over and gave Chen Ling two red envelopes, asking him to take some time to give them to Wang Lixian as a gift for Si Ni'er.

I also bought some eggs before I left.

It means not wanting Chen Lingbai to help.

That shows they put a lot of thought into it.

This whole ordeal took up most of the day.

Even in the afternoon, there was no rest. First, Liang Yuemin and his family came over to visit.

But I hadn't even gotten comfortable sitting down yet.

Then Ermaolv's youngest son came to visit and told Chen Ling that he was no longer going into the mountains to hunt pigs.

Chen Ling was stunned for a moment after hearing this. Later, he remembered that when they were planting wheat, he had chatted with this kid and mentioned that they would go hunting in the mountains together when it snowed.

I didn't expect him to still remember this.

Just as I was realizing what was going on, he said, "A large lynx has appeared in the mountains and killed six good hunting dogs from Kinmen Village. We dare not go there."

"What? The lynxes are out again?"

Upon hearing this, not only Chen Ling, but everyone in the room, adults and children alike, were startled.

Liang Hongyu asked, still in a daze, "What's a lynx?"

After hearing Chen Ling's explanation, they realized how terrifying lynxes are; killing a dog is as easy as turning one's hand, and most dogs don't even dare to resist.

"Fugui, you mustn't go into the mountains lately. I didn't expect that after the leopard left, a lynx came instead. When I heard that you went to hunt a leopard last time, I was so scared that I broke out in a cold sweat."

Liang Hongyu was quite worried about her eldest nephew, fearing that he was still young and impetuous and might act rashly.

Chen Ling quickly replied, "Yeah, I've only been setting traps and catching a couple of pheasants lately, I haven't gone into the mountains."

After saying that, he asked Er Maolu's youngest son, "Xiao Chao, do you know where this lynx came from? Is it near the wetlands?"

Wang Wenchao shook his head: "No, Uncle Fugui, it's over at Mopan Mountain. It's closer to Jinmen Village. The old hunters in Jinmen Village say that these lynxes are incredibly fast. They can appear anywhere on the mountainside, but their feet never touch the ground. They run like they're floating, leaving no footprints. Even when it snows, they leave no trace. If you encounter one in the mountains, it will either hurt a person or a dog. They told us not to go into the mountains now."

"I see. That's a real pity."

Chen Ling sighed softly. He had originally thought that if he couldn't catch the leopard, catching a lynx would be good too. Last time, he carefully laid bait near the natural animal trail in the deep mountains, but no one took the bait.

The lynx is too far away now, out of reach of the whip. If it were closer, we could lay bait again and try to lure it onto the hook.

Wang Wenchao assumed he was also disappointed about not being able to go into the mountains, so he shook his head and sighed, "Yes, after the coldest days of winter, the weather gets colder and colder, and the wild animals in the mountains have all grown thick fur, and their pelts are very expensive."

There's a layer of snow now, it's the perfect time to catch them.

Unfortunately, the lynx appeared at this crucial moment, which really spoiled the mood.

Upon hearing this, Liu Yinhuan blinked and asked curiously, "This... after it snows, it's so cold in the mountains, shouldn't wild animals hide and not come out? How come they're easy to catch?"

When she asked this question, everyone exclaimed in surprise, agreeing that it made sense.

"Sister-in-law, things in the mountains aren't what you think."

Chen Ling shook his head: "Sister-in-law, you're only thinking about the cold from the snow. You also have to consider that they'll be hiding in their burrows and going hungry. Food is hard to find when it snows. Even if wild animals can survive a day, they won't last two or three. When they can't stand the hunger anymore, they'll come out of their burrows..."

At this time of year, they not only leave footprints in the snow after leaving their nests, but also tend to roam a wider area than usual due to the scarcity of food. This makes hunting in the mountains much easier for hunters than at other times.

Wang Wenchao had initially only vaguely understood, knowing only that prey was easier to find after snowfall, but he couldn't explain the specific reasons. Now, after hearing Chen Ling's explanation, he nodded eagerly, saying, "Uncle Fugui is right, that's exactly the point. It's such a shame not to go into the mountains now. This year, the wild animals in the mountains are like a swarm of birds, just waiting to catch them after the snowfall. And then a big lynx popped out... tsk, really..."

"That's all for now, Uncle Fugui. You stay home and entertain the guests. I'll come find you again when I can go into the mountains."

"Okay, if we can go, let's go into the mountains together."

Chen Ling responded and saw him out. ...

After Chen Ling dropped Wang Wenchao off, he returned to the house. At this point, the chubby boy saw that there were no strangers in the house, so he stopped circling around Rui Rui and quickly ran to Chen Ling, begging him to take him to see the puppy.

Chen Ling patted his head and said with a smile, "It's so cold outside, I'll call you inside to play."

As he spoke, he called out, "Heiwa, bring the little ones over here."

Two loud barks came from outside, and soon a few chubby little creatures wagged their tails and lined up to push open the curtain and enter the house.

These adorable little creatures were so cute in every way that Liu Yinhuan and her son rushed over to greet them with a cry of delight, their hearts instantly melted by their charm.

There's a saying in rural areas: "A puppy, an old cat, a half-grown chicken."

This refers to the time when their fur is at its most beautiful.

The puppy at this stage is undoubtedly the most deserving of the title.

Qin Rongxian and Liang Hongyu, the elderly couple, couldn't resist walking over and squatting down to tease them.

These chubby little dogs are quite bold and not afraid of strangers. However, after playing with people for a while, they always try to run back to Chen Ling and Wang Susu.

"Uncle, can I take a puppy home to raise?"

The chubby boy played with the dog for a while, then pitifully squatted down at Chen Ling's feet, grabbing his hand and pleading.

"Xiaoming, I'd like to give you one too, but these puppies are special. I need to keep them for a while longer to observe them. They're the offspring of Heiwa and a wolf, and they're very fierce. Taking them home could easily hurt someone..."

Chen Ling smiled apologetically.

Actually, I was planning to bring this up before Wang Wenchao arrived.

When Liang Yuemin and his group entered the farm, they saw a group of puppies following Heiwa around. Out of curiosity, they asked them questions.

Chen Ling said a few words, but before he could finish speaking, Wang Wenchao arrived.

Now I'm hearing Chen Ling bring this up again.

The group quickly added, "We were just about to ask, why is Heiwa paired with a wolf?"

Chen Ling then brought up the matter of Heiwa going into heat.

At that time, Heiwa must have smelled the scent of a female dog in heat, and he also had a strong reaction that he could not control.

But it looked down on ordinary dogs and only stared at Xiao Jin. Later, when Xiao Jin ignored it, it had no choice but to mate with the wolf.

Then he talked about how the wolf pack moved, and how he and his father-in-law went into the mountains to find the wolf dens, and how they went down into the dens to catch the cubs and take them home.

The Liang Yuemin family listened with wide eyes, constantly exclaiming in amazement.

Liang Yuemin listened with a look of longing on his face: "Fugui is really brave, daring to go down into the wolf's den. I wonder what kind of scene is in that wolf's den."

Chen Ling smiled and said, "Didn't I tell you? If you corner the wolves in their den, they'll become cowardly and won't dare to resist?"

Liang Hongyu said, "No ordinary person would dare to go down there. From what you've said, the wolf cave is long and dark, and even with a flashlight, there's hardly any light. It's terrifying."

Then she chided him, "You're a father now, and you still dare to take risks everywhere."

Chen Ling just chuckled when he heard this. Seeing that the old lady's face had turned pale, he assumed that she was too immersed in the story and had been frightened, so he didn't say anything more.

After a while, seeing that he was silent, Wang Susu reminded him, "Hurry up and tell me, why can't we keep these first-generation wolfhounds? Xiaoming is waiting for you to tell me."

"Oh, right, I forgot, I was so busy talking about going down into the wolf's den in the mountains."

Chen Ling glanced at the chubby boy and found him staring at her longingly while holding a little fat dog. She quickly explained the reason to him in detail.

Actually, he's still young and doesn't understand what Chen Ling is saying.

However, after hearing Chen Ling's account of those extraordinary tales about going into the mountains to find wolf dens and descending into wolf lairs, the little boy was already completely shocked.

He then said, "Uncle, can you raise so many puppies? There are ten of them."

"Yes, don't worry, your uncle can afford to take care of you."

Chen Ling smiled and nodded, then said to Liang Yuemin and the others, "It's because of the reasons I just mentioned that I haven't been willing to give them to anyone. I can't give them away in this situation either, because I'm afraid that if they grow up and become wild, they might hurt people. I'll raise them myself for a while and see how it goes."

Liang Hongyu and the others understood his approach: "That's true. Everyone says wolves can't be tamed. These cubs are said to be the first generation of wolfhounds, but they are actually half wolf and half dog. They will definitely be difficult to raise when they grow up."

That's very true. These wolfhounds, if released into the mountains, are no different from wolves. Even if raised at home, they will absolutely bite strangers. This is determined by their wolfish nature; they will absolutely bite people.

Wolfhounds will bite anyone who sees blood, without a doubt.

"Huh? According to you, a dog like that must be fierce by nature. It would definitely be a great help for hunting in the mountains," Liang Yuemin said.

"Yes, let them roam freely in the mountains all day long. As long as they're not kept in captivity, there won't be any other problems."

Dogs can't stay cooped up at home. Even ordinary dogs need to be walked every day, let alone dogs like this.

As long as they get enough exercise every day and someone is there to train and teach them things, there's nothing to worry about.

Chen Ling, in addition to training them as hunting dogs, also wanted to breed and cultivate some excellent local dog breeds.

These chubby little dogs are first-generation wolfhounds.

It was also his first generation of dog breed seedlings.

As they grow older, we can continue to crossbreed with superior female dogs, and I believe we will have good results.

"Hey, if that's the case, then when these puppies grow up, they'll be just as good as a small wolf pack. If you take them into the mountains and encounter those big lynxes, what's there to be afraid of?"

At this point, Liang Yuemin asked again.

"Of course we're not afraid. Lynxes are fierce, but they can only kill a single wolf. They wouldn't dare to attack a pack of wolves."

Chen Ling explained, and seeing the eager look on his face, he stood up and waved, saying, "Let's go, forget about lynxes. These things leave no trace, so you can't usually catch them. Let's go out and set traps. It's snowing, and the pheasants on the mountain can't withstand the cold, so they've all flown down. We can catch them one by one."

Upon hearing this, Liang Yuemin and his son put on cotton hats and followed him outside.

Chen Ling's clothespins and clips were hanging under the eaves, in all sizes, available for immediate use.

You don't need big traps to catch pheasants, small ones will do.

Small-sized suspender covers will also work.

However, Chen Ling didn't use that. Instead, he chose the chain snare he made at home, which was extremely useful. When encountering a flock of pheasants, one snare could catch a whole bunch of them.

He demonstrated it to Liang Yuemin and his son, but seeing their puzzled expressions and lack of understanding, he left the farm and randomly found a spot in the wheat field to demonstrate the mechanism to them.

After opening the rope loop.

Use a stick with a shrapnel in the middle. When the stick touches the middle of a rope loop, that loop will suddenly and instantly tighten, trapping the stick. You can imagine what it would be like if a pheasant stepped on it.

"This intricate scheme is impressive, but it's a bit complicated, and I still don't understand it..."

Qin Rong praised him first, then squatted down to take a look. "I just learned the simple trap you taught me, the kind where you tie a bamboo pole and a small stick with a rope, find a place to trip the stick, and use it to trap birds."

"Yeah, that's easy, but it can only be used to put on small gadgets."

Chen Ling nodded in response, squatted down and separated the rope loops into circles again, sprinkled grain in the middle of the loops, and then weighed down the loops with small clods of soil to prevent them from being blown away by the wind.

Liang Yuemin and his son followed suit and helped him from the side.

"Alright, let's go back. Pheasants like to come down the mountain at dawn and dusk. Let's come back to check again in the evening."

Chen Ling clapped his hands. Pheasants are basically blind after dark. Even if you shine a flashlight on them, they won't dare to move.

Once you've caught it, just go and pick it up with a flashlight; there's no need to worry about it struggling and running away.

What Chen Ling didn't expect was...

What should have been a sure thing turned out to be a complete disaster when they went to check in the evening. All that was left on the snare was a few chicken feet, and not a single pheasant was to be seen; they had all vanished without a trace.

(End of this chapter)