sinovels Chapter 94 I didn't, I didn't, don't talk nonsense.
Chapter 94 I didn't, I didn't, don't talk nonsense.
Chapter 94 I didn't, I didn't, don't talk nonsense.
The summer heat is always unbearable; even people can't stand the heat, let alone pigs.
Xu Chunsheng carried a bucket of water into the thatched hut, picked up a pig feed shovel to scoop out the uneaten grain from the pig trough, poured in the water, and simply rinsed the trough clean.
Then some new pig feed was added to the old sow's food. The weather was hot, and even though a fan was set up for the old sow, the air blowing out was still hot, and the hut was still unbearably stuffy.
In addition, as the time for the sow to give birth drew closer, she often paced back and forth in the pen, making anxious grunts, which made those who heard her tense up as well.
Xu Chunsheng and his family all knew that with the weather so hot now, the closer they got to the day of the piglets' birth, the more vigilant they had to be.
The reason why many piglets have a low survival rate is that the sow was not properly cared for when she gave birth.
Some newborn piglets were not removed in time and were trampled to death by the mother sow.
Some sows, after giving birth, cannot eat and produce milk, and the piglets that cannot get milk end up starving to death.
Lately, the whole family hasn't dared to relax for a moment, checking on the pigsty every now and then:
Clean up any uneaten pig feed from the previous meal promptly, and then add clean pig feed.
If the pigsty gets dirty, it needs to be washed and dried promptly to prevent the sow from becoming suffocated and delaying the birth of her piglets.
Several more tense days passed, and Xu Chunsheng would make a point of checking on the sow at the thatched hut every night before going to bed.
Tonight was no different. Seeing that it was sleeping soundly and didn't seem like it wanted piglets, Xu Chunsheng finally felt relieved and went to sleep.
After worrying about the sow and piglets for several days, Xu Chunsheng was also a little tired and fell asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow.
In his hazy state, someone whispered softly in his ear, "Chunsheng, I miss you so much. Why don't you come to see me?"
"Have you forgotten about me?"
Upon hearing the voice, Xu Chunsheng's heart trembled, and he quickly denied it, saying, "I didn't, I didn't, don't talk nonsense."
Xu Chunsheng stepped forward, reached out and hugged the woman in front of him, buried his head in her neck, and greedily inhaled her scent.
His hand gently caressed the woman's back, his lips pressed against her warm neck, slowly moving upwards—to her ear, cheek, and corner of her mouth—before he could touch her soft lips: "Xu Erwa! Has your old sow given birth to piglets?"
The woman's urgent voice exploded in Xu Chunsheng's ears, and Xu Chunsheng was jolted awake, his heart pounding wildly.
Still feeling the heat of the night, the old sow let out one anxious and painful scream after another, which was particularly disturbing and jarring.
Xu Chunsheng raised his hand and vigorously wiped his face to wake himself up. He grabbed the shorts from the bedside and put them on. Bare-chested, he turned on the light and walked straight towards the pigsty.
When they arrived at the pigsty, Xu's father was already waiting there. Seeing that Xu Chunsheng had also arrived, he asked him, "You've been going to the pigsty a lot these past few days, but I actually heard the noise before you did."
Xu Chunsheng recalled that lingering dream and felt a little embarrassed: "I'm a bit tired today, and I slept very soundly last night."
Outside the pigpen was a basket filled with dry straw, along with clean linen, scissors, and a pair of bamboo fire tongs.
Mr. Xu arrived early and placed these things outside the pigpen well in advance. These things were prepared in advance to avoid being in a panic and not being able to find them when the sow gave birth.
The father and son leaned against the fence of the pigpen, nervously watching the old sow inside.
The temperature was much better in the early morning than during the day, and the fan was whirring, but the two of them didn't feel cool at all; instead, they were covered in sweat.
The sow, who had been sleeping peacefully, was now tense, panting heavily, kicking her limbs, her abdomen heaving violently, and her tail clenched tightly, in pain as she kept getting up and lying down.
Every now and then, heart-wrenching screams rang out. Finally, the first piglet, still wrapped in its amniotic sac, landed on the haystack.
Xu Chunsheng climbed into the pigpen, took the bamboo fire tongs, and carefully walked towards the sow. With swift hands, he picked up the piglets on the ground and placed them in the basket outside the pigpen.
"Dad, come and tear off the amniotic sac and wipe the piglet's mouth and nose!"
After putting the piglet down, Xu Chunsheng was too lazy to climb in and out. He simply leaned against the pen wall and quietly stood guard next to the sow, watching her give birth. He would take away the next piglet as soon as it was born.
Outside, Mr. Xu deftly tore open the transparent amniotic sac, then grabbed clean straw and carefully wiped away the mucus and amniotic fluid from the piglet's mouth and nose, finally drying the wet piglet.
Xu Chunsheng stayed by the sow's side, steadily holding down the restless sow and gently soothing her, preventing her from turning over or twisting around.
Xu Chunsheng gently soothed the old sow, "Lie down slowly, take your time, I'm right next to you."
He didn't know if this would work, but it was agonizing to just stay here without doing anything.
When a sow gives birth, she is in pain and panicked, and is particularly prone to becoming agitated and moving around. If people are not paying attention for even a moment, or if they arrive too late, some piglets may be crushed or injured.
One head, two heads, three heads—
Piglets were born one after another, and every time one came out, Xu Chunsheng would immediately pick it up and hand it to his father.
Father Xu would take over, tear open the placenta, wipe the pig clean, and pry open the pig's mouth to let it breathe. Once he confirmed that the pig could make noises and move its limbs flexibly, he would immediately put it in the basket on his back, completely eliminating the risk of it being injured by the sow.
The thatched hut was stuffy and hot, and the two of them were sweating profusely from their work. Xu Chunsheng's bare upper body also provided a good source of mosquitoes for his entire family.
The sticky, hot air carried a faint smell of blood, which lingered around their noses as the fan blew it back and forth.
The sow gave birth to eight or nine piglets in succession. The pig was no longer as energetic as before, and her grunting subsided. She lay on the ground, panting heavily.
The birth time for the next few piglets kept getting longer and longer. After waiting for another ten minutes or so, and still no new piglets were born, Xu Chunsheng pulled one out of the pen: "They've probably all given birth. How many were there in total, Dad?"
"I think it was thirteen or fourteen? I've kind of forgotten."
The two pointed to the piglets in the basket and counted them again. There were fourteen piglets in total, lying on the dry hay, grunting and snoring.
The two of them let out a long breath, raised their arms, found a clean spot, and wiped the sweat from their faces.
Looking at the piglets huddled together, grunting and squealing, the two breathed a sigh of relief and laughed easily: "The second litter had fourteen piglets, and the third litter will definitely have no fewer than that."
Xu Chunsheng nodded in agreement. After worrying about this for more than half a month, things were finally starting to calm down.
After settling the piglets in, the two of them washed off the filth.
From then on, she had a good night's sleep.