Chapter 243: Taking the Dairy Cows Home

“To be honest, I don’t know exactly what breed it’s crossed with, but here in our Ancheng, they’re all this kind of Dutch cow.”

The middle-aged man said with a smile.

“Alright then. Those are the three-year-old dairy cows. I’ll pick one out.” Lin Heng nodded and added.

“They’re all over here.”

The middle-aged man led Lin Heng and the other two to the cowshed on the left.

These cows were all lactating, with very large udders. With just a gentle squeeze from the middle-aged man, white milk flowed out.

“See, these are all good dairy cows. They can produce forty to fifty catties of milk a day,” the middle-aged man said with a smile.

Lin Heng nodded and asked Elder Brother to help hold a cow steady so he could pry open its mouth to check its teeth.

Cows don’t have upper teeth, only four pairs of lower teeth. Generally, the milk teeth grow in about four to five months after birth. Then, each year, a pair of permanent teeth grows in to replace the milk teeth.

A three-year-old cow should still retain one pair of milk teeth, which is easy to identify by prying open its mouth.

After checking two cows, these dairy cows were indeed three years old, with no issues there.

Next was selecting based on appearance. First was the body; taller and larger was definitely better. Then he looked at the head and neck, the eyes, the hooves, the rump, the abdomen, and so on.

The most important thing was observing the udder, as it was the most crucial part of a dairy cow.

Lin Heng had specifically studied knowledge in this area. He went through each item one by one, talking as he inspected. The more he talked, the more the cattle farmer realized he had encountered an expert.

In the end, Lin Heng had his eye on three of the best ones, but hadn’t yet decided which specific one to choose.

As for diseases or anything like that, he ruled them out immediately. In his previous life, as someone involved in animal husbandry, Lin Heng had taught himself veterinary skills. While not exceptionally skilled, he could identify common ailments.

Lin Heng looked at the owner and said with a smile, “Boss, let’s not beat around the bush. How about five hundred yuan for one three-year-old dairy cow plus a five-month-old calf?”

The middle-aged man shook his head firmly. “That’s completely out of the question. It has to be at least seven hundred. That’s my bottom line. Any less and I’d be taking a huge loss.”

Lin Heng also shook his head. “The adult dairy cow is valuable, but four hundred fifty is not a low price. The calf is worth fifty yuan at most. Four hundred fifty plus fifty makes five hundred, which is very reasonable.”

The owner shook his head so hard it seemed like it might fall off. “No, no, I really wouldn’t make any profit at that price. Six hundred for the pair, that’s my bottom line.”

“Your bottom line was seven hundred just a moment ago. You’re not being very honest.”

The owner: “…”

“Let me put it this way, I don’t absolutely have to sell. If you want to buy, that’s the price. And think about it, you’re taking home three cows. These dairy cows are all pregnant and will produce another calf by the end of the year,” the owner added.

“Of course, otherwise they wouldn’t be so expensive,” Lin Heng said with a smile.

Dairy cows only produce milk when they are pregnant. The fate of every dairy cow in its lifetime is to be pregnant, produce milk, get pregnant again, produce milk again, repeating this cycle until death, when it is finally slaughtered and sold for meat.

After another ten-plus minutes of haggling, the owner stuck firmly to six hundred, refusing to lower the price by even a single cent.

“Alright, alright, I can’t out-talk you. Take me to pick out the calves. And we agreed, you have to get me a frame to secure the cows.”

Finally, Lin Heng waved his hand and said. He really didn’t have enough time; otherwise, he would have gone to check out other cattle farms.

But this price wasn’t too much of a loss either.

“That’s all easy to arrange. Please come this way.”

The owner said, beaming with joy.

Naturally, Lin Heng chose a bull calf, specifically for breeding purposes back home. After picking for a while, he finally chose a relatively cute little calf.

Dutch cows are classic large spotted cows with black and white patterns, and they look quite attractive.

For the large dairy cow, Lin Heng ultimately chose one that had just become pregnant two months ago and had entered a new lactation cycle.

After selecting them, they were led out, guided up onto the truck via a wooden plank, and then secured with a steel-welded frame to prevent the cows from falling off and getting injured due to bumps on the road.

Once everything was secured, they set off back to Taibai City.

“Probably won’t get back until after dark.”

Lin Heng glanced at the sky and sighed. It was already two-thirty in the afternoon, and it would take at least four hours to get back to Red Maple Village.

“Let’s go, time to head back.”

Lin Heng nodded, got on the vehicle, and drove off towards home. But before that, he needed to add a bit more fuel. The fifty liters of gasoline he bought earlier was only half left; it would probably be just enough for the return trip.

But to be safe, Lin Heng went and added another ten liters to the gasoline drum. Even though there was a large truck following, that truck ran on diesel, which he couldn’t use.

Before leaving, he spent another thirty yuan to buy two battery-powered ultraviolet lamps, twenty yuan for a large lead-acid battery, and bought some small toys that were either unavailable or very expensive in Taibai City.

“Going home!!”

Lin Hai also cheered, looking excitedly at the scenery around him as he faced the wind.

The sky was azure blue, and in the distance, enormous chimneys belched rolling white smoke. Beside them stretched endless green wheat fields, the wind causing waves of wheat to surge like a turbulent sea.

Filled with anticipation for the future, everyone headed towards the direction of home.

Gradually, the sun set, and everything seemed draped in a layer of sunset glow. The tall and majestic Qinling Mountains slowly appeared on the horizon, growing larger and larger until they disappeared from view.

Then, the quiet and peaceful small city of Taibai City also came into sight. It was already five forty, and the sky had grown dark.

Turning on the headlights, the group sped up. But even so, they still encountered roadblocks, people with clubs blocking the way and demanding money.

They only managed to pass by reluctantly after tossing out ten yuan, and that was only because the transport truck belonged to a state-owned enterprise.

“Damn it, they even rob people who say they’re from Taibai, real animals.”

After driving a distance away, Lin Hai cursed angrily.

“Locals specializing in cheating locals, nothing strange about that,” Lin Heng said with a cold laugh.

“Then we’d better hurry up, it’s too scary down here,” Lin Hai said.

Even without him saying it, Lin Heng had already started accelerating, but they still couldn’t avoid it. It wasn’t until it was completely dark that they reached the city proper.

Then, with Lin Heng leading the way in front, they headed towards the direction of Red Maple Village.

The mountain road without cement made the journey even slower, but thankfully, they didn’t encounter any more roadblocks along the way. By the time the vehicle drove into Red Maple Village, it was already past seven in the evening.

Two bright lights, one in front and one behind, appeared on the pitch-black road, immediately attracting the attention of many villagers.

“The truck stopped under the Lin family’s house, it’s the Lin family’s vehicle.”

“Of course, besides Lin Heng, our village doesn’t even have a motorcycle, let alone anything else.”

“Wonder what they’re hauling, looks like quite a lot of stuff.”

“Go over and take a look, then you’ll know.”

…

Village life was too monotonous. With even a little bit of excitement, even late at night, a crowd would gather to watch.

“Lin Heng, why are you guys back so late?”

On the road, Father Lin, Mother Lin, Xiulan, Liu Juan, and a group of villagers were all gathered.

“We left Ancheng late, and buying things delayed us. I’ll tell you the details when we get back,” Lin Heng shook his head helplessly.

“What, you went to Ancheng?”

“That’s the provincial capital, what’s it like?”

“Why go all the way to Ancheng? And why did you buy two big spotted cows?”

“Are these dairy cows? How much did they cost?”

The women like Liu Lan and Li Caifeng on the side had the most questions, firing them one after another.

“Yes, we went to Ancheng to buy some things,” Lin Heng said with a smile.

After saying that, he turned to look at his father and said, “Dad, Mom, Xiulan, all of you come help unload the goods. Move everything to my courtyard first.”

“Okay,” Father Lin nodded.

Lin Heng, Elder Brother, and Lin Hai got on the truck to help unload, while the others carried things into the house.

“So many saplings, are you really planning to plant trees?”

“We’ll help too.”

The villagers were also very enthusiastic, coming over to help carry things. While carrying, they could also see what Lin Heng had bought.

Lin Heng couldn’t very well refuse, so he could only let them help.

With a large group of villagers, the saplings were quickly moved.

“My goodness, there are so many machines too.”

“Lin Heng, how much did all this cost?”

“What are they for?”

After moving the saplings, seeing the pile of machines inside, there was another round of exclamations. One or two would be one thing, but there were seven or eight machines here.

“They’re for fish farming. Altogether, over a thousand,” Lin Heng didn’t hide it, saying casually.

“Hiss!”

“Over a thousand!!”

The villagers fell speechless upon hearing the price. The things on this truck were getting more and more expensive.

How did Lin Heng have so much money?

Hearing their discussions, Lin Heng just smiled, feeling very pleased inside but not showing it. He and Elder Brother moved the machines down and carried them into the house.

After moving the machines back, only the dairy cows were left. The two cows had been blown by the wind the whole way, and with so many people around, they were a bit stressed.

They took down the steel frame, used door planks to make a ramp, and went through quite a bit of trouble to pull the two stressed cows to the back hill.

Since there was no place to put them, they could only temporarily use Hongzao’s horse pen, forcing her to spend a night under the eaves. They really didn’t dare let these travel-weary cows freeze again at night.

Lin Heng secured the ox and went out to drive the car, seeing that the Village Party Secretary and Village Head had also arrived.

“Lin Heng, were all these things purchased from Ancheng?” Tian Dongfu inquired with a smile.

“Yes, they were all bought in Ancheng,” Lin Heng nodded.

“When are you planning to plant them?” Tian Dongfu asked again. He had been waiting for Lin Heng to plant the fruit trees, hoping that once good profits were seen, he could encourage the whole village to follow suit and prosper together.

“Within the next few days. The saplings weren’t brought with soil and can’t be kept for too long,” Lin Heng said.

After chatting briefly, Lin Heng went down to drive the car. Tian Dongfu went into the courtyard, where Lin Heng’s Elder Brother explained the specifics to him.

Lin Heng first drove the car back into the yard, then found a spot for the driver to turn around, with no intention at all of inviting him inside for a meal.

Mainly, he felt upset about losing ten yuan on the road today, and he had also eaten dinner in the city during the afternoon.

However, this driver also needed to report back to the transport team, so he didn’t linger. He lit a cigarette and left.

By the time Lin Heng returned to the yard, the villagers who had come to watch the excitement were already starting to leave, all discussing animatedly. The most talked-about topic was which was more profitable, farming crops or planting fruit trees.

When Lin Heng entered the house, Tian Dongfu and Zhao Xiancheng were already on their way out. He didn’t try to keep them either, as there were many tasks to handle tonight.

Once everyone had left, he went to close the gate.

The saplings and such were all moved into the house, piled up in the main hall. The machinery and other items were placed in the study.

Mother Lin looked at the items filling the rooms and asked curiously, “How much did all this cost in total?”

“Three thousand yuan,” Lin Heng stated openly, not hiding it.

Mother Lin opened her mouth, and after a while said, “That’s even more than I expected.”

Father Lin shook his head and said, “I heard from your brother that the seedlings you bought didn’t need to be this big, it’s too wasteful of money. This must have cleaned out your entire savings, right?”

Lin Heng looked at everyone, thought for a moment, and said, “I still have some money left, no need to worry. I know what I’m doing when it comes to spending money.”

“Besides, if you have any questions, ask my brother. I need to rest a bit, have some tea. I’m exhausted.”

Waving his hand, Lin Heng plopped down onto a seat, not wanting to move at all.

He had been busy all day today and had ridden the motorcycle for three hours. Every part of his body was aching.

“Here, I’ve already poured the tea for you.”

Xiulan brought a pot of tea and some biscuits from the bedroom and handed them to him.

As long as she saw Lin Heng was fine, she wasn’t in such a hurry to ask what had happened on the road.

Lin Heng poured a cup and drank it down, then couldn’t help but take a deep breath. It felt so comfortable.

“I’ll go cook, the vegetables were chopped a long time ago,” Xiulan said another sentence and went into the kitchen.

“I’ll go help Xiulan cook,” Liu Juan also followed into the kitchen.

“Daddy~”

Xiao Xia struggled free from her aunt Caiyun’s arms and burrowed into Lin Heng’s embrace.

She had missed him terribly after not seeing him for three days.

“Good baby, go get the cushion for me. Daddy’s bottom hurts,” Lin Heng kissed her little face and said with a smile.

“Okay, Daddy.”

Xiao Xia trotted over to the bedroom to get the cushion.

Father Lin and the others were discussing how to plant these fruit trees and where would be most suitable. They also talked about some methods they had heard through hearsay.

Lin Heng listened and shook his head repeatedly. Many of the ideas in their experience were wrong. Just like farming, they only knew how to plant but didn’t understand the fundamental principles behind it.

It was a case of knowing the “what” but not the “why.”

He pointed to the few books placed over there and said, “You don’t need to ask others or inquire about anything. Those books over there are all about modern orchard management, the best methods verified by countless scientists.”

The experience passed down by ancestors wasn’t entirely unusable, but a lot of it was wrong, or simply not suited to modern agriculture. To run an orchard well, one still needed to study and learn from books.

“Let me see,” Father Lin curiously picked one up. He didn’t know many characters and could only understand some pictures.

Caiyun then picked one up and read it aloud. Some of the issues they had been debating endlessly had clear answers in the book.

“Daddy, here’s the cushion.”

Not long after, Xiao Xia came back cheerfully with the cushion.

Lin Heng placed it under his bottom and sat much more comfortably, though truthfully, he wanted to lie down even more now.

After Caiyun read for a while, Father Lin nodded and said, “You know, what this book says actually makes a lot of sense.”

“Naturally, these are the optimal solutions proven through scientific experiments,” Lin Heng said with a smile.

“Also, I bought seeds too, Dad. Just wait and see this year. With fertilizer and these seeds, the crops from ten mu of land will yield more than what they get from thirty mu.” Lin Heng pointed at the seeds over there and added.

“Three times more? Aren’t you exaggerating a bit?” Father Lin didn’t believe it. Could the seeds he bought really be that amazing?

Lin Heng nodded. “This is just a conservative estimate. Three times is the minimum. You’ll see when the time comes. By next year, everyone in the village will be buying seeds to plant.”

“Well then, I’ll have to see this for myself,” Father Lin said curiously. Lin Heng had been boasting about how good the seeds he bought were, and now he wanted to see it with his own eyes.

(End of Chapter)