Chapter 420: Livestock Raising

Chapter 420: Livestock Raising

This way, they won't have any excuse to refuse payment for their labor.

Whether in ancient times or today, labor deserves its due reward—a principle that holds true everywhere.

At that time, they can offer more wages to the families of these workers, thereby also addressing the environmental issues in their homes.

Village Headman Zhao was unaware of Mo Jiuye's arrangements. After calming down, his first thought was that the Mo family would need to hire people to raise so many livestock and poultry, just like they do for farming.

"Old Ninth, there are quite a few people in our village. Wouldn't it be better to hire familiar faces rather than strangers?"

His words were direct, without any beating around the bush.

Mo Jiuye couldn't agree to Village Headman Zhao's request since he already had plans for the livestock and poultry.

"Uncle Zhao, we have suitable candidates for the livestock raising."

Pausing for a moment, Mo Jiuye looked at the villagers and said loudly, "But don't be discouraged. My wife and I have discussed it, and soon these animals will give birth. We can sell the young ones at a low price.

If anyone wants to raise them, feel free to buy from us. Moreover, we can provide you with the techniques for raising dairy cows."

Hearing Mo Jiuye's refusal, the villagers felt a bit disappointed, but they were quickly drawn in by what he said next.

Especially when Mo Jiuye mentioned dairy cows, which was a very new concept to them.

Village Headman Zhao spoke on behalf of everyone.

"Old Ninth, are the dairy cows you mentioned this one?" He pointed to a black-and-white cow.

Mo Jiuye sent Liang Hao and others to arrange for the livestock and poultry first while he stayed behind to patiently explain to everyone.

"The cow Uncle Zhao is pointing to is indeed a dairy cow..."

He explained the situation of dairy cows as he understood it.

Although the villagers had never heard of dairy cows, they were not unfamiliar with milk.

Initially, the Cui family raised a female cow. After it gave birth, the excess milk was sold in the city at a high price to wealthy households for money.

However, the yellow cow raised by the Cui family did not produce much milk. Even if there was any extra, it was only a small amount and very precious.

But Mo Jiuye had just said that these cows, called dairy cows, could produce dozens of pounds of milk daily if properly raised. This number was mind-boggling.

If they could really produce that much milk, even if the dairy cows were expensive, it would be worth pooling their money to buy one.

Village Headman Zhao had this idea, and so did the other villagers.

Everyone crowded around Mo Jiuye.

"Old Ninth, are you serious?"

"Old Ninth, how much does a dairy calf cost? I'll buy one from you after selling my grain this autumn."

"Old Ninth, you're not lying to us, right?"

Mo Jiuye understood the villagers' desire to earn more money.

"Don't worry, I mean what I say. The price of the calves will be fair. Additionally, if you want to raise pigs and sheep, you can also buy from me once they start breeding."

That was all he needed to say. The livestock raising was already assigned to the families of Liang Hao and others, and it wouldn't change.

As for the villagers, they could start with small-scale raising. As long as they took good care of the animals and didn't let them die, they would surely make money.

The villagers were honest and simple people. Seeing Mo Jiuye speak so confidently, no one pressed further.

Thinking about it, instead of working for others to earn money, it might be more profitable to learn how to raise livestock themselves.

The only issue was the initial capital, which they still needed to figure out. After all, cattle and sheep were expensive. If not, they would have started raising them long ago.

"Since Old Ninth has spoken so clearly, let's all try to save up some money during this period. When the time comes, we can follow the Mo family's example and raise a dairy cow."

Village Headman Zhao's words silenced those who still wanted to say something. He then waved his hand, dismissing everyone.

Mo Jiuye had brought back so many livestock and poultry, and he knew he would have to explain himself, but he was used to such tasks and handled it without any pressure.

The cattle and sheep were directly taken to the pasture, where fences had been installed around the grassland in advance.

The shepherd dogs, prepared ahead of time, were already guarding the area. Now that the cattle and sheep were released, none of them tried to escape.

The families of Tao Ran and others would only need to feed and clean up after the animals on a daily basis.

The pigsty was built according to modern farm standards by He Zhiran, complete with ventilation and drainage systems.

The chicken coop extended from the foot of the mountain up the slope.

This design was inspired by He Zhiran's previous experience, where free-range chickens were popular.

Free-range chickens are raised in a scattered manner, allowing them to forage within a fixed area.

When choosing the location, He Zhiran noticed that the area had a lot of earthworms, which reproduce quickly, providing ample food for the chickens.

It is said that chickens that regularly eat insects have firmer meat, and their eggs have deeper yolks and a richer flavor.

Ducks and geese prefer areas with water sources, so the farm was built near a small stream.

They discovered this stream when buying the barren land. Initially, the officials planned to exclude the stream's area from the purchase, but He Zhiran and Mo Jiuye insisted on including it to facilitate future duck and goose raising.

The scale of the Mo family's farm was large, and even with the many livestock and poultry brought back today, it still seemed spacious.

Mo Jiuye intended to swiftly resolve these matters before his wife gave birth, so he could be at ease and accompany her during her confinement.

Thus, Mo Jiuye led people into the city for three consecutive days, each time using the same method to transport poultry and livestock back home.

After several days of hard work, the poultry and livestock in the farm finally reached a considerable scale, temporarily meeting their ideal breeding numbers.

At the same time, Mo Jiuye also invited Tao Ran's family to come and work here, as per the original plan.

Upon hearing that they would be working and earning their due compensation, Tao Ran and his family no longer held back.

Within five days, Mo Jiuye finally settled all the affairs of the farm.

During these five days, Fifth Brother and Sixth Brother also accomplished a significant task on the mountain.

The gunpowder was finally successfully developed, and Fifth Brother, following the method provided by He Ziran, had packed the gunpowder into bamboo tubes, which, when ignited and thrown, exploded with an effect that matched their expectations.

Once again, it was an afternoon, and He Ziran and Mrs. He were sitting under the grape arbor in the courtyard, enjoying the coolness, when they heard several explosions.

But this time, the explosions were markedly different from the previous ones.