Chapter 422 - 182: Work Uniforms_2
Compared to the lack of manpower, letting a group of untrustworthy subordinates master weapons capable of killing oneself is evidently more of a disadvantage than an advantage.
The idea of actively recruiting new members through external expeditions flashed in Chen Zhou’s mind, but he suppressed it.
Now is not the time to use this new idea; when the time is ripe, he will naturally think about external expansion.
...
He walked straight to Sunday, led him to the iron cage, and while telling him how to unlock the latch, he explained the important aspects of herding cattle—
To be safe, before opening the cage door, you must bind the cattle’s hooves with hemp rope to prevent them from sprinting out of the cage.
Additionally, when herding cattle, focus your attention on the bull.
Like sheep, there is a leader in a herd of cattle, and the others usually follow the leader. As long as you control the bull, a lot of effort can be spared with the cows.
When herding cattle, try to use gentle methods; do not shout or whip the cattle to avoid provoking their "bull temper."
Especially that big bull, if it goes crazy, more than a dozen people might not be able to hold it back.
Chen Zhou suggested that Sunday cut some tender grass that the cattle like to eat and use food to lure them to follow, and the process can be slow, making sure to control the cattle’s temper.
After all, these two cattle are new to this unfamiliar environment, and once they get annoyed, they will be hard to manage in the future.
...
While explaining to Sunday how to herd the cattle, Chen Zhou tested the two cattle’s attitude towards Sunday, and the result was very satisfactory.
From what he could see, the cattle have already developed some fondness for Sunday, which can make the herding work smoother.
As Chen Zhou was talking, Sunday listened intently, and when they reached the part about herding cattle, he couldn’t help but ask a question—
"Since the cattle tend to run around, why not tie a rope around its neck and lead it that way?"
This naive question, like a clumsy joke, made Chen Zhou burst out laughing.
He spent a good amount of time explaining to Sunday how heavy and powerful such a large creature is.
If it doesn’t want to move, relying on one or two people’s strength to drag it away is simply impossible.
If it were a calf, some exceptionally talented people might be able to move it.
But this is a behemoth weighing at least 1,500 pounds, or close to a ton; even if it doesn’t throw a tantrum and stands quietly, it’s like a small mountain of meat.
Dealing with such creatures, gentle methods should be the main approach.
Furthermore, the Simmental Cattle is a breed cultivated by humans for hundreds of years, naturally having quite a gentle temperament; Chen Zhou believes that with Sunday’s current level of intimacy with the bull, driving it to the mountain shouldn’t be too difficult.
However, considering the breeding bull’s potential for aggression, after explaining the key points, Chen Zhou gave another couple of instructions.
If you notice the cattle getting angry, be sure to dodge promptly, climb a tree or slip into the woods, and never think you can handle this bull with your own strength, nor should you attempt to confront it with force.
Sunday is a talent that has been painstakingly developed and is trustworthy; the bull is the hope for the island’s future animal husbandry.
Chen Zhou doesn’t want to see either party harmed.
...
Learning more about cattle from Chen Zhou added some confidence to him.
To complete the work as soon as possible and not delay the evening feast, Sunday decided on the spot to start herding the cattle.
Knowing that such large creatures can sometimes be quite sensitive, before opening the cage door, Sunday called a halt to all the ongoing work of the natives.
Then he threaded a pre-prepared rope through the gaps in the iron cage bars and tied hobbles on the feet of the two cattle, just like tying sheep’s feet.
Luckily, the iron cage was small enough that the cattle couldn’t turn around or kick, otherwise preparing the hobbles would have taken several times longer.
After ensuring the hobbles were tight enough that the cattle couldn’t easily shake them off, Sunday pulled out the latch and swung the cage door open.
The two cattle, trapped in the cage for almost a day, finally saw the light of freedom and eagerly walked out.
When the Simmental breeding bull, standing nearly 170 cm at the shoulder, stepped into the sandy ground, even though the natives had long known this guy ate grass and was not a carnivorous beast, they couldn’t help but shout in astonishment.
Cattle are large mammals from the continent, and the island’s meager resources can’t support such giants.
Before reaching the island, the largest creatures the natives had seen were the big fish in the sea.
Even a giant grouper or tarpon over two meters in length, which the natives might not see a few times in a lifetime, seemed particularly small compared to this bull.
...
The native’s exclamations and focused gazes made the bull unsettled.
The discomfort from the bonds on its feet added to this emotion.
It stopped its forward steps, looking toward the whispering people in the distance with a wary eye.
"Moo~"
The bull let out a deep bellow, adjusting its body angle slightly and starting to paw the sandy ground with its front hooves.
This was a warning signal of an impending attack, indicating that if the "hostile creatures" continued to ignore its warning, it would lower its head, show its horns, tense its muscles, and launch an official charge.
Noticing that the giant beast beside him was not in a stable mood, Sunday quietly raised the whip in his hand.
The natives, seeing from afar the weapon that could bring them pain, immediately fell silent, closing their mouths and lowering their heads, fearing being remembered by this nemesis and getting whipped in a while.