novelaction Chapter 199: Being clever but being misled by cleverness
Chapter 199: Being clever but being misled by cleverness
Li Xiangyang and Wang Ergou divided the hay and bean cakes into several piles and stacked them neatly.
"Let's try giving them a small amount first," Li Xiangyang said, taking a small bundle of hay and putting it into the trough.
The livestock slowly gathered around and began to eat. At first, it was normal, but gradually, they ate faster and faster. The water buffalo, in particular, ate with the most eagerness.
"They seem to like it very much." Seeing this, Wang Ergou added some more hay.
The two men were pleased to see the livestock eating so heartily. An hour later, the fodder was almost gone, so Wang Ergou added some more. This time, he even mixed in a few pieces of soybean cake.
"Ergou, look at Lao Hei." Li Xiangyang suddenly noticed the old water buffalo's unusual behavior. "It seems a bit off."
Old Black was eating too fast and had started shaking, and his belly was noticeably more swollen than usual. The other animals, though not as obviously, were also unusually excited, eating and fighting over the food.
"This..." Wang Ergou walked closer to examine it, "Did you eat too much?"
Li Xiangyang carefully observed the other livestock and found that they all had similar issues. Although not as severe as Lao Hei, they were all eating too quickly.
"This is bad!" Li Xiangyang's expression changed. "These livestock are usually underfed, and suddenly feeding them so much good food could easily injure them! Er Gou, quickly gather up the fodder!"
The two men frantically tried to clean up, but it was too late. Old Black was already lying on the ground, his belly swollen and he was grunting incessantly. The other livestock were also beginning to show signs of discomfort; some were shivering, and others were kicking their hooves.
"We're doomed! We're doomed!" Wang Ergou paced anxiously. "If something happens, we can't afford the consequences!"
"Don't panic!" Li Xiangyang decided immediately. "You stay here, I'll go get Doctor Qian!"
In those days, unlike in later generations, there was no such profession as veterinarian.
In the countryside, any doctor can cure anything.
Li Xiangyang ran all the way to Doctor Qian's house and explained the situation, panting.
"Aren't you two just messing around?" Upon hearing this, Doctor Qian immediately put down the medicine pot he was holding, grabbed his medicine box, and headed out. "If they choke to death, it'll be a disaster! It'll delay spring planting, and you two will definitely be criticized and reprimanded. Hurry up!"
Despite his advanced age, Dr. Qian is remarkably agile.
A short while later, the two ran to the livestock shed. Doctor Qian carefully examined each animal, shaking his head repeatedly: "Luckily you found them early. If you had come any later, these animals would have surely died from overeating."
As he spoke, he took several packets of medicine from his medicine box: "Go boil some water, make it lukewarm, not too hot. Divide each dose into three servings and give them to the patient."
Li Xiangyang and Wang Ergou got busy following Dr. Qian's instructions.
Giving medicine to livestock is no easy task, especially when the animals are already in distress and simply won't cooperate.
The two of them had been working on it for most of the day, and their clothes were soaked with sweat.
“You’re all too hasty,” Dr. Qian said calmly, watching them bustle about. “Livestock are like people; they need to be fed gradually. These animals are usually not well-fed, and you’re suddenly giving them so much good food—how can they handle it?”
“Dr. Qian, we were wrong,” Li Xiangyang said sincerely.
"Remember this for next time," Dr. Qian said as he packed his medicine box, "the amount of hay and soybean cake must be increased gradually. Give them only hay for the first three days, and once they've adjusted, add a little soybean cake each day. This way, they won't get hurt."
"How long will it take to get enough to eat?" Wang Ergou asked.
“It will take at least half a month,” Dr. Qian said. “Don’t try to cut corners. Someone must stay with us tonight. I’ll check back later. Call me immediately if anything seems amiss.”
After seeing Dr. Qian off, the two collapsed to the ground.
"Brother Xiangyang," Wang Ergou said with a bitter face, "thank goodness we didn't leave, otherwise..."
“Yes,” Li Xiangyang wiped his sweat, “raising livestock isn’t easy. It seems we need to learn the ropes.”
The black cat squatted on the haystack, tilting its head to look at the two disheveled people.
The little tiger lay dozing to the side, seemingly unconcerned about its owner's frantic efforts.
The moon rose, and the barn finally quieted down.
Li Xiangyang and Wang Ergou took turns keeping watch until the next morning, when they were finally able to relax.
After daybreak, Dr. Qian came to check on them again. Seeing that the livestock had recovered, he left with peace of mind.
Li Xiangyang and Wang Ergou exchanged a glance, both seeing weariness in each other's eyes.
"Brother Xiangyang," Wang Ergou said, rubbing his aching shoulders, "our whole plan is ruined now."
Li Xiangyang pondered for a moment: "Not entirely. Think about it, one person can look after these animals, while the other can do other things, right?"
“That makes sense,” Wang Ergou’s eyes lit up, but then dimmed again. “But who will stay behind to look after the livestock?”
Li Xiangyang glanced at the sky outside: "Here's what we'll do. You stay here. I'll go hunting in the mountains, and we'll split the catch in half."
"That won't do!" Wang Ergou exclaimed anxiously. "It's too dangerous for you to go up the mountain alone. Why should I get all the benefits without doing anything? We're partners all the time, and I've already taken advantage of enough..."
Li Xiangyang laughed: "You can't say that. Think about it, if I weren't being clever, why would you take this job? Alright, it's settled then. Besides, if you stay here, you can see Hongxia more often, right? And didn't you say you wanted to learn to read? Now you have the perfect time to learn!"
Upon hearing this, Wang Ergou's face showed some interest: "That's true... Alright, let's do it that way. But you have to be careful going up the mountain."
"Don't worry," Li Xiangyang patted his shoulder, "I'm not some greenhorn who's just learning to hunt. Besides, Xuanmao and Xiaohu are with us."
The two little guys perked up their ears as soon as their owner mentioned them.
“I’ll do it,” Wang Ergou said, “but you have to promise me you won’t try to catch any dangerous prey.”
"Understood," Li Xiangyang said with a smile. "You stay here and keep watch. I'll go prepare, and we'll head up the mountain tomorrow."
And so, the division of labor between the two was settled.
Although plans can't keep up with changes, this arrangement is not bad.
Wang Ergou was able to see his sweetheart and even learn to read.
Li Xiangyang, on the other hand, was able to concentrate on hunting.
Before leaving, Li Xiangyang added, "Remember what Dr. Qian said: gradually increase the amount of hay and soybean cake. If the livestock show any unusual behavior, go see him immediately."
"Understood," Wang Ergou replied. "You can go now without worry."
Watching Li Xiangyang's departing figure, Wang Ergou sighed.
I thought I could find an easy job, but I was too clever for my own good and ended up stuck here.
However, the thought of seeing Ma Hongxia often made this arduous task seem less unbearable.