NOVPUBChapter 143: Chapter 143 The First Challenge
Chapter 143 -143 The First Challenge
Fang Xiaoshan looked at his uncle and aunt’s house, now finally his new home, and felt delighted. On a whim, he secretly took twenty yuan from Fang Jiansheng’s cabinet and went out to gamble again, reasoning that even without him at home, his wedding would still be arranged properly.
Meanwhile, Bai Xiao had all his luggage ready, planning to leave for school a week early. Now, he still had about ten days to stay at home, but something serious had happened to his family.
Early that morning, Li Haiping ran into the house in a panic, “Mom, Auntie, the pigs… the pigs in the pigsty are not well.”
Startled, Bai Yue quickly slipped on her shoes and rushed towards the pigsty.
Bai Xiao followed closely behind.
Upon arriving at the pigsty, they were both stunned. The five small pigs in the pen were now all lying askew, motionless, and whimpering; it seemed they were not going to make it.
Bai Yue was terrified; these pigs were their family’s entire livelihood.
If they all died, not only would the hundred yuan go down the drain, but what would they rely on for their future livelihood?
“Xiao, what should we do? What can we do?”
Bai Xiao calmed down. He could heal the little pigs himself, but he couldn’t keep treating animals whenever there was an issue. He couldn’t always act as if he were the vet on duty at an animal clinic. If his sister wanted to live her life independently, she had to overcome the challenge of pig farming on her own. He might be able to help temporarily, but he couldn’t assist her forever.
He couldn’t use his special ability to let his sister live like that for the rest of her life. That wouldn’t be helping; it would be hurting.
“Sis, hurry and find Wang Yan; he might have a solution.”
Upon hearing this, Bai Yue immediately felt encouraged. At first, she had been so flustered that it hadn’t even occurred to her to think of Wang Yan. But now, after Bai Xiao mentioned him, she quickly came around, knowing no one did pig farming better than Wang Yan’s family.
She instantly ran out.
Bai Xiao sighed; it really was true that man’s plans could not compare to those of heaven.
Such experiences, perhaps it was better for his sister to encounter earlier rather than later so that she could bear them sooner.
Pig farming, indeed, could make one wealthy if done right. But as the old saying goes, “A fortune in livestock doesn’t count.”
Animal husbandry is hard, dirty work, dealing with animal excrement, poor breeding conditions, and no days off all year round, because the animals need to be fed and cared for daily. Even with all this toil, one worries about things not going well, paying for feed, vaccines, labor, and various utilities, all the while fearing that after all the hard work, they might just break even or worse, suffer a loss due to market fluctuations and lose everything they’ve invested!
Animal farming is too risky!
This was why Bai Xiao didn’t support Bai Yue’s reliance on it for a living. It could all be lost in the blink of an eye.
But this harsh lesson had to be endured by Bai Yue herself. Even if Bai Xiao tried to explain, Bai Yue might not believe it.
Wang Yan quickly followed Bai Yue over.
As he walked into the pigsty.
Wang Yan couldn’t help but frown, rolling up his sleeves and squatting down. He started checking the piglets’ mouths, noses, and eyes, shaking his head continuously while examining them.
Soon he stood up and shook his head, “Today, let’s start with some medicated water. I’ve already brought some. Mix a small packet with a bowl of water, dissolve it, and drench the pigs with it. If the pigs are a bit more spirited by tomorrow morning, then they will have pulled through. If not, I’m afraid there’s nothing more that can be done. These piglets caught a cold and have been having diarrhea. I told you the other day to lay some dry straw in the pigsty. You must have forgotten.”
Bai Yue muttered guiltily, “It’s my fault. All my fault. I wanted to clean the pigsty a bit more to prevent disease, so I cleared away the straw. This is all on me.” And with that, she burst into tears.
Wang Yan was at a loss for how to comfort her. This was the biggest problem faced by people who didn’t know pig farming techniques.
“Stop crying. I’ll leave the medicine with you. I will administer the first dose now, and you will have to drench them with the next dose tonight. Watch how I do it, so you don’t injure the pigs. I hope it works.”
Bai Yue quickly nodded, “Okay, Brother Wang, I’ll watch and learn!” These pigs were the lifeblood of their family.
She and her three sons had been treating these pigs like ancestral gods. It had been less than a week, and such a problem had arisen with the pigs. Bai Yue, wanting to save them no matter what, would even learn to slaughter them if necessary, gritting her teeth through it.
Wang Yan disapprovingly shook his head, “This is a man’s work. You, a woman, might…” The piglets were still small, and she could handle them alone, but once the pigs grew, even a grown man might struggle, let alone a woman. But there was no man in the house, and the three boys weren’t much help yet.
Li Haiping stepped forward, “Uncle, let me do it. I’ll learn from you!” He was already sixteen and felt that he had to support the family. He must take care of the household like a man, doing what his mother couldn’t.
Bai Yue shook her head, “No, I’ll do it!”
Although she didn’t know how to medicate pigs, she knew it wasn’t easy; otherwise, Wang Yan wouldn’t have said it was a man’s job.
“Never mind, the epidemic prevention stations usually give injections, but your piglets might not even make it with an injection. It would be much simpler that way, but the station charges two yuan per injection, and it’s not guaranteed to work. I’ve seen too many piglets that couldn’t be saved from diarrhea even with injections. So let’s just try my family’s home remedy and leave it to fate.”
Bai Xiao watched Wang Yan administer the medicine to the pigs and then gestured for him to wash his hands in the front yard. Wang Yan didn’t stand on ceremony and washed his hands, then said, “I’ll be going back now. If things really don’t improve, come and get me!” He looked at Bai Yue as he said this.
Bai Yue nodded her head. Today’s events had left her still reeling. Wang Yan glanced at the somewhat bewildered Bai Yue, sighed, and left with long strides.
The mood in the household dropped to a low point afterward; no one spoke. With the pigs being ill, everyone seemed disheartened.
All morning they were distracted. Bai Yue kept running to the pigsty to check on the piglets, and seeing them become increasingly listless caused her heart to sink. The piglets were already in this state; she couldn’t begin to imagine how they would manage once they grew bigger.
Suddenly, Bai Yue felt her future was clouded with uncertainty. Had she lost her mind, thinking that life would be so simple? Now her three sons would suffer alongside her. From being spirited just a few days ago, she had become utterly dispirited.
Come evening, Wang Yan actually returned. This time he taught Bai Yue hand by hand how to administer the medicine. After sweating profusely Bai Yue finally managed to medicate the pigs. She thanked him profusely, and Wang Yan left with his flashlight.
That night, Bai Yue couldn’t sleep a wink, worrying about the pigs in the sty. Barely waiting for dawn, she rushed to the pigsty and saw the five piglets, which had miraculously gotten up and were now energetically crowded at the feeding trough eating. Her heart, which had been suspended in worry, finally settled.
It appeared that their family had weathered this first crisis.
