sinovels Chapter 73 Rumor Debunking Conference
Chapter 73 Rumor Debunking Conference
Who dropped the dead rat? That's a good question.
Once this question was raised, the pig farm fell silent, with only the large exhaust fans humming loudly.
Those present looked at each other with a hint of speculation on their faces, and no one spoke first.
The air in the pig farm was stirred up by the exhaust fans, carrying a peculiar fishy smell that lingered around their noses.
Party Secretary Li coughed lightly, and seeing that everyone's eyes had turned to him, he spoke to break the tense atmosphere:
"This matter will be investigated later. As you have all seen, there is nothing wrong with any of the pigs. If you have any clues, please provide them privately. Do not cover up or spread rumors."
"Let's go out first. We still have the mixing area and the warehouse to check."
As soon as seven or eight people came out, they were surrounded by people outside:
"How's it going?"
"Is there a problem?"
Looking at the crowd gathering in front of him, Party Secretary Li raised his megaphone and shouted:
"Don't panic, everyone. The veterinarian just checked and the pigs are fine. We're going to check the factory and the pig feed mixing area now. We'll talk all at once after we've finished checking everything."
No one specifically warned against following the inspection outside the pigsty, so after Xu Chunsheng opened the warehouse door, some people curiously followed him in, while others stood guard at the door and peered in.
The veterinarian first checked the crushed cornmeal to see if it was moldy or dark:
Pick up a tool and turn the cornmeal out from underneath. Grab a handful, rub it in your hands a few times, break it apart, and check if any clumps of grain are damp or moldy inside. Finally, hold the cornmeal to your nose and smell it.
"The cornmeal is fine; it doesn't clump together or have a musty smell."
Then they checked the area where the corn and bran were piled up, looking for any dampness or standing water on the ground. They also had someone move the bags aside to check for signs of rat gnaws in the corners.
"The ground is dry and there are no signs of rat activity, but any grain that has leaked out of the bags needs to be cleaned up promptly."
Finally, Veterinarian Zhang asked Xu Chunsheng to take him to the feed mixing area for inspection. He mainly checked whether the prepared feed had become damp or moldy, and also inspected the tools to see if there were any spoiled residues.
Veterinarian Zhang put down his tools and first told Secretary Li and Xu Chunsheng that all the examinations were completed. Then he addressed the onlookers who had gathered around:
"Let's not gather around here anymore, let's go outside and talk in the courtyard."
A huge crowd emerged from the house, all looking towards Xu Chunsheng, waiting to hear the result.
Of the two cadres who came with Secretary Li, one was recording the inspection results, while the other was observing the people around him and occasionally striking up conversations with them.
The cadre who was helping with the recording held the megaphone to his mouth:
"Fellow villagers, please listen to me."
The noisy discussions among the villagers in the courtyard fell silent instantly after the official finished speaking.
"The test results are in. There are no problems with the Xu family's pig farm, and the pigs are not sick. Everyone can rest assured."
Hearing this, everyone felt relieved, and many echoed the sentiment:
"It's good that you're alright."
"Luckily, there's nothing wrong. If I had gotten sick, how much compensation would I have had to pay?"
After everyone exchanged a few words, the cadre continued:
"Don't just worry about other people's pig farms. This rumor has been spreading like wildfire, which serves as a reminder to everyone."
"We've invited Veterinarian Zhang to share some methods for preventing diseases in pigs. Everyone should listen and learn from him."
After he finished speaking, he handed the megaphone to Dr. Zhang, who then began to explain the method to everyone:
"First of all, the hygiene of the pigsty is important. No matter how many pigs you raise, the pigsty must be cleaned every day to remove the manure and prevent it from fermenting and breeding bacteria in the pigsty."
"When the weather gets hot, if the pig manure isn't cleaned up in time, flies and mosquitoes will crawl on it. Not to mention the pigs, people will feel uncomfortable looking at it. If you're unlucky, rats might crawl over the pig manure and then run into other rooms. It smells awful."
These words made everyone present laugh, but the thought of such a scene did make them feel rather uncomfortable.
"Everyone has quicklime in their house, right? Every three to five days, grab a handful of quicklime, mix it with water, and sprinkle it in the pigpen. It's low-cost and has a good sterilization effect. Don't try to save time by piling it up for several days before rinsing it off. Most sick pigs are caused by the pens being too stuffy and dirty."
"Next, let's talk about food..."
Veterinarian Zhang explained everything from the pen's environment and disinfection methods to the feed, and finally, how to isolate the problematic pigs. He also praised the Xu family's pig farm for its excellent management.
"In terms of hygiene, Xu's pig farm does a very good job. It is cleaned every day, rinsed every three days, and then disinfected with alcohol."
"If you can't afford alcohol for home use, you can use lime water. It has the same effect, but the smell is stronger. You must use it after the pigs have eaten their fill, so that they won't lick it."
"This time, the Xu family's pig farm was inspected one by one in front of everyone. The pigs' body temperatures were normal, and there were no symptoms of any disease."
After Veterinarian Zhang finished speaking, the courtyard, which had been filled with quiet discussion, instantly became lively:
"Looks like I'll have to clean the pigsty more when I get back."
"The leftover pig feed in the trough also needs to be emptied out to prevent it from rotting."
……
Seeing that the discussion wouldn't end anytime soon, Party Secretary Li raised the megaphone and interrupted:
"Listen to me one last time: the hygiene at Xu's pig farm is excellent, so you can rest assured. Don't believe everything you hear or be misled by others anymore."
"We are already investigating the case of someone losing a dead rat. If anyone has any leads, please contact me privately. The reward promised by Xu Chunsheng for the leads will still stand."
After Secretary Li finished speaking, his expression became more serious:
"Since everyone's here today, let me reiterate: deliberately dumping dirty things and dead animals into someone's pig farm is intentionally harming livestock, and this is extremely serious. Once verified, we will not let it go unpunished!"
"Fortunately, this time it did not cause any serious consequences. Before the matter is thoroughly investigated, we should confess our mistakes to the village committee as soon as possible and apologize to the Xu family. Then everything can be discussed."
After Secretary Li finished speaking, he handed the megaphone to Xu Chunsheng, indicating that he should also say a few words:
"Thank you all for your help today. I also appreciate the efforts of the cadres and Veterinarian Zhang in coming to conduct the examination. Secretary Li has already explained the matter, so I won't go into it again."
"The good news is that the pigs are fine this time. Whoever did this should come forward and admit their mistake, and I will let this matter go and never pursue it further."
"If we find out who did it, the outcome will be different."
"Dear neighbors, please come to my house for a meal later as a way of thanking you all for being here today to witness for the Xu family."
Only a few people left; the rest headed towards the Xu family's house.
Before long, only Secretary Li and two cadres remained at the pig farm, as Veterinarian Zhang had been invited home for dinner by Xu's father.
"Chunsheng, what are your plans regarding the pig farm?"