Chapter 58 (continued)

Since we have some time now, let's apply some base fertilizer to the ranch.

Winter weather is the most unpredictable; in just a couple of days, another cold wave will hit.

Along with the cold wave came abundant moisture.

Shi Wen can clearly feel that the air is much more humid, and the wind that blows by carries a damp smell.

Therefore, he had to cover the hay bales piled in the warehouse with thick plastic sheets to prevent them from getting moldy due to the humid air.

The temperature hadn't completely dropped that day, but the rain had already started.

As evening fell, rain mixed with hail pelted the pasture with a thud.

Shi Wen when I looked out the kitchen window today, the hailstones looked like ice shards; they were white, not translucent.

So many hailstones, each the size of a marble, fell and quickly covered the dry grass in a thick layer, like a layer of tiny sugar balls.

As the hail fell, the temperature dropped rapidly, falling directly below zero degrees Celsius.

Shi Wen worried that the livestock would get cold, so he and Yan Kexing braved the wind and snow to add two loads of coal to burn, trying their best to make the heating more effective.

The hail was just the beginning. By nightfall, a blizzard had arrived, with large snowflakes reducing visibility to less than five meters.

The violent wind rattled the doors and windows—it was the sound of debris from the pasture being swirled up and slamming against them.

Along with the wind and snow came a terrible cold.

Shi Wen could feel that the temperature had dropped by at least ten degrees Celsius; it must be around minus twenty or thirty degrees Celsius now.

Shi Wen got out of bed, wrapped himself in his coat, grabbed a flashlight, opened the door, and headed to the livestock shed to check on things.

The blizzard was too strong, and he was worried that the livestock in the barn would be frightened, especially the many pregnant females. If they were frightened, they might miscarry, which would be a huge loss for the ranch.

Shi Wen opened his door, Yan Kexing's door was also opened.

The two bumped into each other, Shi Wen was startled. "Yan Kexing, what are you doing out here?"

"I heard you making that noise, so I came out to see what was going on," Yan Kexing asked. "Where are you headed?"

Shi Wen buttoned his coat up tightly, sniffed, and said, "I'm going to the livestock shed to keep watch. The blizzard is too strong; I'm afraid the livestock will be frightened."

Yan Kexing then said, "I'll go with you."

"No need, it's not like we're going outside," Shi Wen refused. "You've worked so hard all day, go and get some sleep."

Yan Kexing insisted, "I'll go with you."

Shi Wen had no choice but to stop trying to persuade him.

When the two of them got up, Cong Zai and the two Hu Zai also got up, raised their tails high, walked over, twirled around at their feet, and rubbed against their legs affectionately.

The Langwa belatedly got up and barked in a childish voice, "Woof."

Shi Wen scratched Cong Zai's chin and coaxed them to sleep, "It's nothing, go back to sleep."

Cong Zai rubbed against his leg. "Mmm."

Shi Wen let Cong Zai, Langwa, and the two Hu Zai go to sleep, and then Yan Kexing.

As soon as the two stepped out, Shi Wen could even close the door behind him, Kuang Feng shoved him.

If he hadn't been gripping the doorknob tightly, he would have tripped and fallen on the spot with that push.

Nevertheless, he was blown off balance and slipped, falling backward at an angle.

Just then, Yan Kexing reached out and grabbed his hand tightly, steadying him, and then turned on the flashlight. "Let's go."

The wind was really strong. Shi Wen felt like he had been slapped by the fan several times. His face, exposed to the air, quickly went numb, especially his ears, which hurt so much that he wondered if they were about to fall off.

The main courtyard was only a short distance from the livestock shed, but the two still had great difficulty walking there.

The ground was so slippery that the hailstones turned into beans on the ground, and they could easily slip and fall into the mud.

The wind brought too much debris, especially bits of grass.

Shi Wen often had to squint to avoid being hurt by debris in the wind.

The two of them walked into the livestock shed, their feet sinking into the muddy water.

Shi Wen tightly grasped Yan Kexing's warm and strong hand. At this moment, he was extremely grateful that Yan Kexing here. Otherwise, if he had been left alone, he would have been in a very sorry state.

Once inside the barn and the outer gate was opened, the restless dogs rushed over, crowding in front of the two men.

Shi Wen observed them by the light of a flashlight and saw that each dog seemed quite frightened.

However, thanks to their outstanding qualities, they remained steadfast in their posts as working dogs, and did not run away out of fear.

Shi Wen stroked each of the dogs' heads and praised them, "Well done."

The dogs barked.

The wind was so strong outside that all the livestock were awake.

Even the four pigeons huddled in a corner of the coop, making uneasy cooing sounds.

Fortunately, they burned enough coal at night, so the temperature inside the livestock shed is still acceptable and hasn't dropped too low.

At least this temperature won't pose a threat to livestock.

Shi Wen checked each of the pregnant ewes and cows, and seeing that they were all fine, he quietly breathed a sigh of relief.

Only then did Shi Wen feel like sitting in the haystack and taking out his phone to check the weather forecast.

We are currently under a red blizzard warning. The authorities have sent several text messages advising people not to go out, as going out now could be life-threatening.

Shi Wen, standing next to Yan Kexing, "I don't know why, but I feel much more at ease when I sense that you're here."

Yan Kexing put his arm around his shoulder. "Having companions always makes you feel at ease."

Shi Wen, "Are there many blizzards here? In the past, for example?"

"Not often, but sometimes it can drop to minus forty or fifty degrees Celsius. If you encounter this kind of weather outside, it could be life-threatening," Yan Kexing said in a low voice. "In this kind of weather, it's best to strictly follow the advice of the relevant departments and stay home."

Shi Wen the howling wind outside the livestock shed. "In this kind of weather, even if you wanted to go out, the wind would blow you back."