pjbooks Chapter 25 White Creek Ranch
Chapter 25 White Creek Ranch
The sheep pen is very low, and people have to bend over to walk in. The windows are also very small, only about the size of a brick, making it very dark inside. You have to use a flashlight to go in.
This was specifically built this way for insulation.
After all, given the limited conditions at present, it is impossible to build the tall, spacious, and standardized enclosures that we will see in later generations.
In those days, people weren't very particular about things, let alone building sheep pens to be grand or luxurious.
The main focus is on providing shelter from the wind and rain, without prioritizing comfort.
The bottom two rows of the sheep pen have a stone foundation, one meter above that is made of mud bricks, and above that is the roof.
To prepare for heavy snowfall, the roof was specially designed as a triangular roof like those in southern China, making it easier to shovel snow.
As for the trees around the sheep pen, they were all cut down, some for firewood and some for building materials for the sheep pen.
This winter's snowfall was exceptionally heavy, causing trees to break and collapse. Shan Yaowen didn't want the sheep pen he had worked so hard to build to be destroyed by falling trees.
So the surrounding area was cleared out.
"Not bad, not bad at all!" After being carried around the sheep pen, Father Shan nodded in satisfaction.
Although he didn't know why the second brother went to such lengths to build this shed, since the sheepfold was already finished, he didn't want to spoil the mood now that it was built, especially when the sheep had just entered.
"Good kids, this is your territory from now on." Shan Yaowen squatted down and patted the three puppies.
"Woof woof woof~"
Seeing the three little ones working so hard, Shan Yaowen nodded in satisfaction.
The three puppies are a bit small, but we don't need them right now. This winter, the sheep will mostly stay around the sheep pen and won't be released until next spring, by which time the puppies will have grown quite a bit.
"Mosquito, are you really planning to train this bird?" Dog Egg poked the large bird tied to the entrance of the sheep pen with a stick.
"Yes, things are all done here, and I'm going to start training the hawks." Shan Yaowen patted the dog and then got up to go to his place to get the dogs' food bowls.
A small room was also built in the sheep pen so that Shan Yaowen could stay there.
Although it's close to home, he's worried about not being able to leave the sheep here to keep an eye on them, since they've just been herded back.
Besides, he doesn't live here all the time, so a small room is enough for him to rest in.
"Erguo~ Aren't you going back to sleep?" The little sister looked at the bed and bedding in the small house next to the sheep pen and was a little unhappy.
All she wanted to do was sleep with Erguotou (a type of Chinese liquor).
"Little Shanshan is all grown up now, she needs to sleep by herself." Shan Yaowen rubbed the little one's head. "But when your second brother builds a big house, you can come and sleep here."
"real?"
"certainly."
"When will Second Brother build a big house?"
"Next year, when the sheep have grown up and we can sell them for money, then we can build it."
"Can't the sheep grow up and be sold now?"
Shan Yaowen picked up his little sister and smiled, "She's not growing up that fast."
"What about the puppy? Isn't it going back either?"
"The puppy needs to help Second Brother watch the sheep, otherwise Second Brother's sheep won't grow up."
"Oh, then you little dogs, help your second brother watch the sheep! Don't be lazy."
"Woof~"
Seeing this, the mother chuckled and said, "She only listens to her second son. A few days ago, she insisted on sleeping with the dog, and we couldn't even touch it."
"Is Awen really planning to build a new house next year?" Zhang Du watched the harmonious scene with a smile.
"We'll see, but whether we repair it here or not."
"I know this one, it stinks!" A little boy stood next to Zhang Du, raising his hand and shouting.
"Oh, Xiao Bai actually knows it smells bad. Who picked up sheep droppings to eat when they were a kid?"
"It wasn't me."
Seeing Zhang Xiaobai's protesting expression, Shan Ping smiled and wiped her son's hands. "Go eat, leave the sheep here for now."
"By the way, Brother Yaowen, does your ranch have a name?" Lin Nian, who hadn't said much until now, suddenly asked.
Upon hearing this, Shan Yaowen paused for a moment. "Name?"
"Yes, I see that state-run ranches and ranches in other surrounding towns all have names."
Upon hearing this, Shan Yaowen looked at the vast expanse of white snow before him and blurted out:
"White Creek Ranch".
In his previous life, this place was actually called by a different name, but Shan Yaowen felt that the name was not good and did not fit the mood. He had thought that if he took over this ranch, he would change the name immediately.
When Lin Nian asked for his name, this was the name that came to his mind.
The ranch matters were basically settled by the time the sheep returned.
The ranch is now on the right track, and from today onwards, Shan Yaowen will focus his energy on the ranch.
After finishing his meal and settling the last bit of his wages from the forest farm with Uncle Lin, Shan Yaowen was left with only a pitiful six yuan.
My brother-in-law is still helping me collect straw. Although 100 yuan is a lot, the money is being spent at an alarming rate due to the price of 1.2 yuan per kilogram.
Zhangjiayan still manages to collect a considerable amount of straw. Many people have sold the straw they kept for winter firewood. For them, nothing can stop them from making money. As for firewood, they have nothing else to do but go up the mountain to chop firewood.
After finishing the ranch business, Shan Yaowen didn't immediately start making money; instead, he planned to train the eagles first.
This silly bird is living too comfortably and has gotten quite fat. Shan Yaowen can't bear to see it so comfortable. Moreover, once it's trained into an eagle, it will be like having an extra pair of eyes to see the sky when he goes into the mountains.
Not to mention digging for medicinal herbs, hunting is definitely a great help, and in some ways, it's even more useful than hunting dogs.
Shan Yaowen had only heard of others training eagles before, but he had never tried it himself, so he decided to ask his seniors for advice.
"Mr. Bai, is he here?" Shan Yaowen asked the man named Bai Hui.
An old Taoist priest; when Shan Yaowen fell ill, Shan's mother invoked him to "seek divine healing."
The old Taoist priest used to be quite prestigious, after all, he was the only Taoist priest in their town, and people would ask him to preside over any matters.
Later, there was a period when the movement to overthrow feudal superstition was popular, and he was also overthrown, but fortunately he survived.
Now that the overall situation has improved, he has returned to his old profession, but he doesn't dare to be as high-profile as before. He doesn't have any other skills, so he just relies on this little skill to make a living.
As for why Shan Yaowen sought him out, it was because he remembered that when the old Taoist priest was in his prime, he had also raised an eagle and would take it with him wherever he went, living a very prestigious life.
"Oh, it's Yaowen. What's wrong?" Bai Hui opened the door and, seeing Shan Yaowen, assumed he had come to see him for a medical checkup.
It turned out that they came for the matter of training eagles.
Bai Hui readily agreed to teach Shan Yaowen how to train eagles after Shan Yaowen paid him the due amount.
For the old Taoist priest, whether it was a secret or not was no longer important; as long as he could make money so that he could live a better life for the rest of his days, that was enough.
"Thank you for your trouble, Mr. Bai. I'll send you a big pheasant when it's done."
"That's great."
Bai Hui's cloudy eyes brightened slightly. "Training a hawk is a time-consuming process. When do you plan to start?"
"Today."
"Alright, where's the eagle? Let me check first."
Shan Yaowen brought Bai Hui back home. When Bai Hui saw Shan's father lying in bed, she made a point of checking on him first.
After packing their things, the two went to the ranch.
After all, the pasture is also important; we can't just neglect the sheep for the sake of training eagles, can we?