Gourd Farm Chapter 68
Translated by Etherna (ko-fi)
Chapter 68: I'll call you Big White from now on
The dog dealer hesitated for a moment. "Young man, bargaining usually isn't this intense. How about we split the difference and call it half?"
"I'm in a hurry too. Can you reconsider?"
The dog dealer stared at Yang Feng for a while but couldn't spot any flaws.
He hadn't spent much money on this dog, and making a good profit with 350 was still possible.
"Cough, 300 is definitely not possible. Add fifty"
"Bark! Bark! Bark!"
Before Yang Feng could respond, the dog inside the cage pitifully barked.
"Fine, I'll give you 350. Quickly, let the dog out."
Seeing the dog whimpering inside the cage, its tail stained with blood, the sight was heart-wrenching. Yang Feng had always liked dogs, and if an extra fifty could make a difference for this suffering animal, he was willing to pay it.
"Do you have a leash? This dog seems wild. If it bites someone after I release it, I won't be responsible."
The dog dealer felt a bit uneasy, especially since the dog kept barking at him, its eyes fixed on him.
"Come over, I'll do it."
Yang Feng approached and pulled out the latch of the iron cage.
"Creak."
The door of the iron cage swung open, but the little dog inside trembled, huddled in the corner and dared not come out.
"Big White, don't be afraid."
Yang Feng crouched down, gesturing to the dog with his hand, trying to establish trust.
After playing with it for a while, he attempted to touch it gently.
Now, Big White didn't look as tense as it did at first. It gradually relaxed its guard and stared back at Yang Feng.
After several attempts, it finally accepted Yang Feng's touch. Yang Feng gently stroked Big White's head, and it seemed to enjoy it, sticking out its tongue and licking his hand.
"This dog is quite lovable. I'll call you Big White from now on."
The dog dealer watched and remarked, "Well, you and this dog seem to have a special connection. It was quite aggressive when we caught it in the house this morning."
"Bark! Bark! Bark!"
Seeing the dog dealer approaching, Big White, who had just been docile, immediately turned aggressive.
The dog dealer quickly took a few steps back, looking scared. "Young man, keep an eye on this beast."
After handing the money to the dog dealer without a word, Yang Feng watched as the dog dealer hastily rode away on his motorcycle. Big White, anxious to follow, started chasing after the motorcycle.
"Big White, come here."
"Whimper~"
Big White was surprisingly understanding. It let out a whine and immediately ran back, wagging its tail and circling around Yang Feng.
"Let's go, I'll take you home."
From then on, Big White was kept in the greenhouse. With some noise in the vicinity, mischievous kids would think twice before approaching when Yang Feng wasn't around.
Upon entering the greenhouse, Yang Feng saw Xia Ying and Wan’er still chatting, but it seemed like they hadn't reached any conclusion.
Wan’er turned around, puzzled. "Yang Feng, why do I hear a dog barking?"
"Bark! Bark! Bark!"
As Wan’er spoke, Big White came running over.
"Oh my god!"
Wan’er was so frightened that she immediately hugged Xia Ying, who was also in no better condition, staring in terror at Big White not far away.
"Yang Feng, quickly get it away from me."
Wan’er was usually quite composed, but now she looked like a three-year-old child scared of a dog.
"Big White, come here."
Big White wagged its tail and trotted away, its head bobbing from side to side.
"He's gone now," Yang Feng said, ushering Big White out of the greenhouse.
Wan’er glanced sideways, confirming that there was no trace of the dog inside the greenhouse. She relaxed a bit and moved away from Xia Ying.
"Wan’er, it's just a dog, no need to be so scared," Xia Ying said.
Wan Er rolled her eyes. "You don't understand. Ever since I was chased and bitten by a dog when I was a child, I've been terrified of them. Every time I see a dog, I get scared."
Looking at Xia Ying trembling in fear, Wan’er asked, "Xia Ying, are you afraid of dogs too?"
"I wasn't before. There was this one time when I was setting up my stall early in the morning. As I passed through a neighboring village, a dog chased me for over a mile. In the end, someone else had to help me retrieve my goods," Xia Ying replied.
Wan Er, who had looked worried just a moment ago, couldn't help but chuckle upon hearing Xia Ying's story.
"Sorry, but I can't help but find it amusing when I hear about people being chased by dogs. It always leads to unexpectedly embarrassing situations," Wan Er said with a smile.
"Yang Feng, where did you find a dog?" Xia Ying wasn't as forgetful as Wan Er. Her eyes were still glued to the door, afraid that Big White might rush back in.
"Oh, I encountered a dog dealer outside. It looked pitiful, so I bought it," Yang Feng replied casually.
Xia Ying turned pale. "No, you need to tie it up quickly. Otherwise, I won't come here tomorrow."
This was the first time Yang Feng had seen Xia Ying protest so seriously about something.
"Don't worry, I planned to tie it up anyway. We can't risk it biting anyone," he reassured her.
Wan’er glanced at the strawberries in front of her and suddenly remembered the reason she had come here today. These incidents had almost distracted her from her main purpose.
"Yang Feng, could you go to the village office later? I need to talk to you about something."
Yang Feng was puzzled. "What could you possibly need me for?"
"I went to a meeting with the village chief today. The city is placing a significant emphasis on the scale and future development direction of our village's greenhouses. They are planning to send technical experts to assist us. It's not me who wants to talk to you; it's the village chief."
Seeing that there was nothing urgent in the greenhouse at the moment, Yang Feng suggested, "Director Liu, should we go now?"
"Yes, I'll accompany you," Wan’er replied.
"Knock, knock, knock."
Yang Feng lightly tapped on the office door.
"Come in directly, the village chief will probably be here in a while," said the voice from inside the office.
Wan’er followed Yang Feng inside. She, along with the village chief and a few others, shared the same office space.
Upon entering, Wan’er poured a cup of tea. "Have a seat first, don't just stand there like a statue."
"Let me tell you, the meeting in the city mainly focused on greenhouse cultivation. Your benefits have increased quite a bit," Wan’er said.
"I don't mind that. As long as we manage the greenhouses well, it's fine," Yang Feng replied noncommittally. His success depended on his own farming skills, not just on technical advancements. However, if there were ways to increase yield, he was willing to listen and learn.
As Yang Feng and Wan’er were discussing, the village chief hastily entered the room.
"Oh, I'm so thirsty."
The village chief picked up the teacup and gulped down half of it before feeling a bit better.
"It looks like we'll have to enhance the ideological education in the village tomorrow. It's either quarrels or fights every other day. Today, the Zhang family and the Yang family quarreled for the whole morning over a few dollars' worth of stuff," he lamented.
Seeing the village chief's distressed expression, Wan’er took over the conversation. "Let me handle this. I'll work out a plan as soon as possible in the next few days."
"Alright, if necessary, impose fines directly. Once it involves money, they'll start taking it seriously," the village chief agreed.
Having been the village chief for so many years, he had become quite the expert in handling various domestic issues—it was practically a negotiation skill.
"The village is planning to support land transfer, encouraging farmers and breeders to integrate their land," the village chief rambled on, but Yang Feng was clearly lost in the details, looking utterly confused.
Wan’er, seeing Yang Feng's confusion, stepped in, saying, "In simple terms, if you want to expand your operation now, you won't face the problems you used to. Once you reach a certain scale, you'll receive supportive policies and subsidies."