Who knows! As soon as I returned to the mountains to farm, I encountered a natural disaster.

If it weren't for the sudden appearance of wolves last year, the two of them had no choice but to build a wooden fence so that the cattle and sheep could graze safely inside. Otherwise, according to the rules of previous years, the two of them would have warmed up every time after the New Year. Afterwards, go out to the meadow to check out the situation.

This year, I only drove by when I was going to get gasoline. Zhao Yeqing pressed down the car window and took a few glances. He didn't take a look outside the pine forest or the lake where the wolves loved to hang out.

Mu Xi's idea was for the two of them to drive there directly and walk around the area to check out the situation. It was always much safer in the car.

It's only around two o'clock in the afternoon. Zhao Yeqing nodded, "Okay, let's just drive there in the pickup truck. If it's safe, I want to get some sandy soil back."

The watermelon doesn't grow well. When they planted it in the vegetable garden outside last year, the two brought back a truckload of sandy loam soil to improve the soil quality outside. They planted it in the yard this year. The soil was a bit sticky and not suitable for its growth.

It's okay. There is a wooden fence outside now. It's enough to leave two dogs at home to look after the house. Take two dogs out to look out. If there is danger, you can immediately warn. The lake is relatively empty and there are not many plants in the view. It's not easy. Being attacked by animals due to the terrain.

The two of them didn't hesitate, they picked up their tools and called the dog, got into the car seat, stepped on the accelerator and rushed out.

Maybe because there were a lot of carnivore activities last year, the herbivores in the meadow this year have become much more cautious, a bit like the original world. Unlike in previous years, the carnivores were driven away and the herbivores were not threatened and were nearby. There is almost no human activity.

As a result, deer and other animals on the meadow moved frequently, and the meadow land closest to the lake was almost eaten away.

Driving all the way here, I saw some of the wild grass on the meadows had been eaten, and some were as lush and green as tall as the wheels of a pickup truck.

After walking around, I could only see a few deer in the distance. There were no skeletons or carcasses left by the hunted deer, and no traces of wolves were found.

Mu Xi's hand on the steering wheel relaxed a little, and he guessed: "Maybe he left, but not necessarily. I haven't heard that wolves like to stay in places where they can return to the south."

Zhao Yeqing was convinced, even a wolf wouldn't wait for this damn weather.

Finding nothing unusual, the two drove the car directly to the lake and stopped.

A group of sika deer were frightened away, leaving a string of small deer hoof prints on the sand.

The two spent an hour filling the bucket and sat by the lake to rest.

There were many animal activities on the lake, including unfamiliar birds, a few of which Zhao Yeqing recognized at a glance.

"The one with brown mixed with gray and white is the wild goose, right?"

(picture here)

Before Mu Xi could answer, Zhao Yeqing was a little surprised and said, "That's for sure. Last year, I said I wanted to get a wild goose and tame it back. If I hadn't come here and saw it this time, I would have almost forgotten about it."

He stood up, pulled Mu Xi and ran towards the grass beside the lake.

The egg-laying period of wild geese is during the period between spring and summer. It's not that Zhao Yeqing knows wild geese, but most wild birds lay eggs at this time, including the wild ducks that have been domesticated and raised at home.

The two rummaged around in the grass and found a few wild goose eggs without much effort.

Mu Xi knew the geese fairly well. There was a lake outside the protected area where he used to work that would attract the geese to inhabit. Sometimes, some of these eggs would be taken away by official staff for artificial incubation.

He explained: "The geese lay an egg every few days after mating. The pair of geese you just saw on the lake are mating."

Zhao Yeqing picked up six eggs from the grass, leaving two inside. Hearing this, he clicked his tongue twice, "On the water? Tsk."

After that, he looked at the eggs in his hand, put two more eggs back, and said, "The wild geese have a good relationship. Let's leave two more for them."

The pair of wild geese still communicating closely on the lake are definitely not the parents of this clutch of eggs. Wild geese live in groups, and there are many wild geese swimming on the lake further away.

Zhao Yeqing felt a little guilty when taking the eggs. Mu Xi took the eggs in her arms and comforted him: "Usually the female geese will incubate. The ones in this nest are probably dating. They are in a good relationship and can regenerate every time." If you can give birth to more than a dozen children a year, don’t worry about these four.”

When I was looking for wild goose eggs just now, I also found a lot of wild duck eggs. There is no shortage of duck eggs in the house now, so Zhao Yeqing didn't reach for them anymore.

After returning home, these duck eggs were placed in the duck nest and given to the mother duck to hatch.

I was worried that the mother duck would not accept it, so I put the egg in the duck's nest and rubbed it several times before handing it to the mother duck. When I saw that the mother duck did not reject it, I left with peace of mind.

Zhao Yeqing's original intention of raising all the livestock in her family was to eat meat, with the exception of the wild geese. For her, the wild geese were a necessity.

Geese were domesticated from wild geese. Although there are wooden fences now, some longer snakes will still crawl in, and some that cannot crawl in will still crawl in through holes.

At this time, only the goose can stand at the front and drive these uninvited guests out.

From the day he started incubating eggs, Zhao Yeqing has been looking forward to the stars and the moon for the birth of the wild goose. Mu Xi said that the incubation period is usually more than 20 days.

Zhao Yeqing waited until the fifteenth day, when the wheat had turned yellow and was about to be harvested, and finally saw the first wild goose cub.

It should be because the wild goose eggs are laid one by one, and the hatching times are also different. The appearance of the ducklings is also very different. Now is also the hatching time of the ducklings. The young wild goose is mixed in with the ducklings. Very conspicuous in the crowd.

Mu Xi said: "This looks like the egg of a swan goose. You can tell the breed of the young swan goose by looking at its coat color. The feathers all over the body are brown, and the coat color from the top of the head to the back of the neck is a light yellow texture."

The newly born baby swan geese, like other chicken and duck babies, are somewhat bald, but after half a day they are no longer the same. After another two days, the whole body is covered with fine, soft down.

If it weren't for the worry that these gut creatures wouldn't be able to control their physiological reactions, Zhao Yeqing would have really wanted to pick it up and put it in the palm of his hand.

If you want to successfully domesticate wild geese, you have to wait until they are older and then use scissors to cut off their wing feathers so that they will not fly away after autumn.

The fish pond next to the grain field has also been fenced, just in case the cattle and sheep are greedy for the little grapes. The mountain grapes have been artificially cultivated for so long after being transplanted. They are top-dressed every time before the fruiting period. On weekdays, the fish pond is also surrounded. Don't forget to serve it.

The fruit produced now is much larger than before, and the sweetness has been improved. It can be said that it has reached the level of being delicious.

It is not yet its fruiting period. After spring, its vines will send out fresh and green leaves and new stems, almost blocking the fish pond below from any sunlight.

After the ducks and swan geese at home entered the pond, they enjoyed the shade underneath and the coolness of the water. They closed their eyes comfortably on the water.

Then Zhao Yeqing saw that the little swan goose's feathers had not even grown yet, so he took out a lively little fry from the water and swallowed it in his stomach.