Chapter 263: Chicken Coop

Chapter 263: Chapter 263: Chicken Coop

In three days, Xiaqing built a chicken coop that was thirty square meters in area and three meters high.

Like the sheep pen, the coop’s four walls were load-bearing brick. The roof was constructed with wooden beams and purlins, topped with rafters. Three layers of reed mats were laid over the rafters, followed by a layer of rainproof cloth for insulation. The outermost layer was a synthetic resin tile roof.

The Green Light Chickens were the most important poultry in her territory and needed special protection. Xiaqing was a professional builder. The coop she built would not collapse unless it was hit by fist-sized hail, battered by Level 8 or higher winds, or rammed by a Strength Evolver like Sheep Leader.

Besides making it sturdy and secure, Xiaqing also solved the problem of the chickens entering and exiting the coop. She no longer had to carry a cage around to gather them in the evening and let them out in the morning.

She designed the coop with one door for herself and one window for the chickens.

The coop was in the western part of Xiaqing’s yard, serving as the west building. She put the door on the east wall, making it convenient for her to enter to feed the chickens, collect eggs, and check on their safety. To ensure the hens could lay their eggs in peace, Xiaqing built a whole row of straw nests. Even if all six hens wanted to lay eggs at once, they wouldn’t have to wait in line for a spot.

The small window for the chickens was on the West Wall, one and a half meters off the ground.

The barren yard to the west of the coop was originally cleared by Xiaqing for growing vegetables. After discovering the planting area on the mountain slope, she moved the seedlings to the terraces there, leaving the western yard empty.

After finishing the coop, Xiaqing fenced off the entire western yard and covered it with insect netting to use as a chicken run. This ensured the chickens had plenty of space to roam.

After repairing the aluminum alloy door and window she had salvaged from the ruins and installing them on the coop, Xiaqing released her eleven chickens and one goose into their new home.

At dawn, the chickens would jump through the window into the run to peck around. After dark, they would hop back up to the window and enter the coop to roost on their perches for the night. If there was Harmful Rain or other dangers, Xiaqing just had to close the window to keep her precious Green Light Chickens safely inside.

As for the Red Light Goose? After confirming that it not only lacked any special Evolutionary Ability but was also more cowardly than the Black Feathered Rooster, couldn’t guard the home, and would contaminate the Green Light Chicken manure, Xiaqing had already contacted Zhong Tao to trade the goose for points when they came by.

After securing the chickens in the coop, Xiaqing called over her companions: Sheep Leader and the wolves who were recovering from injury and illness. She led them in a circle around the chicken run and carefully instructed them, "The three of you need to circle the run like this a few times every day. We can’t let any little thieves steal and eat our chickens."

Stopping in front of the coop door, Xiaqing pointed at it and said to the sheep and two wolves, "This building is for the chickens. They’re too weak. If they get out, they’ll be caught by hawks, Weasels, foxes, or bobcats. So, after this door is opened, it must be closed immediately to keep the chickens from running out."

"Watch how I open and close this door." After speaking, Xiaqing demonstrated how to work the door for the sheep and two wolves.

If it were just the two wolves, Xiaqing would have simply told them not to open the door. They weren’t very curious and would have definitely obeyed. But Sheep Leader wouldn’t listen. It believed it was the master of this territory, and it had to be able to go wherever it pleased within it.

If it couldn’t get in, it would throw a tantrum. No matter how sturdy the door was, it wouldn’t withstand the ramming of its head.

After demonstrating a few times, Xiaqing singled out Sheep Leader first. "Leader, come over and try to open it."

Sheep Leader narrowed its eyes and didn’t move a hoof.

Xiaqing didn’t get annoyed and called to the Broken Waist Wolf, "Broken Waist, you come over. Can you try opening the door?"

The door was a simplified version of a security door, posing no difficulty for the Broken Waist Wolf, who had been listening attentively. It stepped forward, lifted a paw to pull the handle, pushed the door open, and entered the coop. Then, it pawed the door to push it open again and walked out.

A piece of iron tied to the doorframe with a rope swung the door shut with its own weight.

"Very good!" Xiaqing immediately praised the Broken Waist Wolf. "As expected of a Brain Domain Evolution Wolf! You’re smart, a first-class learner, and you succeeded on your first try without letting any chickens out. This is your reward."

Xiaqing handed the Broken Waist Wolf a piece of jerky. The wolf lifted its head, signaling for Xiaqing to stuff the jerky into its saddlebag. Xiaqing had put the saddlebag on the wolf before the third Harmful Rain and hadn’t taken it back since.

It wasn’t that she didn’t want to take it off; the wolves considered it their private property and wouldn’t return it to Xiaqing. So, she had only removed the Yi Stone from inside.

Xiaqing stuffed the jerky into the saddlebag, gave the Broken Waist Wolf’s thick fur a good ruffle, and called to the Sick Wolf, "Second, you come try."

The Sick Wolf also completed the task successfully and looked up at Xiaqing with its clear eyes. Xiaqing immediately stuffed the jerky into its saddlebag. "Good job, Second. As expected of a wolf a few years older, you’re a first-class learner. But be careful when you go in and out from now on. Don’t let the chickens escape."

Having received the jerky, the Sick Wolf wagged its tail and grinned.

Then, without needing to be called, Sheep Leader stepped forward to complete the task. It walked up to Xiaqing and lifted its big head. Xiaqing immediately stuffed a food ration into its mouth. "Our Leader is amazing too, the smartest sheep there is."

After the inspection, Xiaqing’s face turned stern. She looked at the three creatures before her and said in a serious voice, "Anyone who opens this door and doesn’t close it properly, letting the chickens out, will be punished. If Sheep Leader opens this door without permission, you’ll lose your rations and get a beating."

"If Second opens it without permission, no meat porridge for you. If Broken Waist opens this door..." Xiaqing stared at the calm-faced Broken Waist Wolf and threatened menacingly, "If Broken Waist opens this door, that bald patch on your back will never grow fur again. Understand?"

With a smug look on its face, Sheep Leader stared at the door behind Xiaqing and chewed its cud, but Xiaqing could tell it understood.

The Sick Wolf squatted beside them with an obedient expression, while the clever Broken Waist Wolf was already checking the medicated patch on its back.

Satisfied, Xiaqing handed each of them a basket. "Alright, I’m going to make lunch. You three go patrol the territory and catch insects. When you get back, we’ll eat."

Once the Broken Waist Wolf was able to walk again, Xiaqing had also given it jobs: patrolling the territory daily, killing pests to feed the chickens and fish. Just yesterday, it had even brought Xiaqing a nest of mice that had just moved into the territory and led her to where it had found them. It had been praised profusely by Xiaqing and rewarded with a piece of jerky.

After the two wolves and the sheep left, Xiaqing pulled out her phone to check the time and, while she was at it, the Red Squirrel’s location. The little guy had been scared off by the Head Wolf and hadn’t come to her windowsill for water in three days.

Right now, it was staying in a newly found tree hollow in Zone Three of Mountain 49. The hollow was in a tall Red Light pine tree, a good fifteen meters off the ground. The Red Squirrel probably thought the height would protect it from wolves, as it had moved all its stored food from two other hollows below five meters into this new nest.

Xiaqing had climbed up to check while it was out gathering food in the morning. There were no peanuts in its nest yet.

At ten o’clock the next morning, the patrol and supply exchange truck arrived on the road that ran through the middle of Territories One through Ten.