Chapter 29

Although Jinguang's health issues are concerning, he is just a baby gorilla who is only five months old. While it is said that scientists have found that baby chimpanzees may be smarter than human infants of the same age, human babies only surpass chimpanzees after nine months. Regardless of whether this is true, even if baby chimpanzees are indeed smarter than infants at this age, he is still just a baby.

"Dongfeng, Jinguang is your big brother, don't scare your big brother!" Qi Ping found it amusing. The four of them—Dong, Nan, Xi, and Bei—seemed curious about the sudden addition of several new family members. The two baby parrots were still in their small nest, out of sight, but the little gorilla, who often followed Qi Ping, was a source of great curiosity for them.

"Don't be afraid. They are your little brothers, the dog brothers. They might be a little bigger than you now, but when you grow up, you will have to protect them." Looking at Jinguang hugging his leg, Qi Ping smiled and bent down to pick up the little gorilla. As for the gender, Jinguang's little penis confirmed it.

Baby chimpanzees, like humans, need emotional and physical support. Chimps that receive care tend to feel less anxious. Although Jinguang had been at home for two days and seemed to be adapting well to the place with abundant spiritual energy, he was still a bit nervous and felt more at ease only when he was close to Qi Ping.

Qi Ping had prepared milk for the little one, and Jinguang immediately took it. The little guy sat on the floor, holding the bottle and started drinking. It seemed that over the past two days, he had found his "sibling" to be quite friendly. While drinking the milk, Jinguang had a mischievous thought and wanted to feed his sibling.

"Now you're comfortable at home, aren't you? Don't worry." Qi Ping smiled and patted the little guy's head. The little guy looked a bit top-heavy, which is common for baby gorillas, with a large head and light-colored fur on the belly. With long arms and relatively long legs, he was quite a handsome little guy.

Seeing Jinguang gradually getting along with Dong, Nan, Xi, and Bei, Qi Ping was very happy. Although the environment here was great, it was still somewhat unfamiliar for the young Jinguang, who was still a bit scared. However, the situation was slowly improving because the place was comfortable, Qi Ping was kind to him, and there were no threats here.

Liang Shanbo and Zhu Yingtai were the most carefree. The two little parrots immediately stretched their necks when they saw Qi Ping, as they were hungry. Fortunately, Qi Ping had bought special food for the parrots from a pet store; otherwise, he wouldn't have bought such parrots.

However, there was one good thing: raising them from a young age made them more familiar. Qi Ping was confident that even though many Congo parrots often quarrel with their owners, he believed that in a place with abundant spiritual energy, they would get along well. Qi Ping didn't plan to put leg chains on them; he wanted them to run around freely.

"I'm going to the town in a bit. Do you want to come with me or stay and play with them?" Seeing Jinguang doing somersaults on the ground, Qi Ping laughed. It seemed the little guy had completely adapted to the place and was now playing with Dong, Nan, Xi, and Bei.

Jinguang naturally wanted to go with Qi Ping, but when he took a few steps, Dong, Nan, Xi, and Bei stopped him. Jinguang didn't fuss this time; it seemed he understood that he should stay home and play with his brothers, not go to town.

"Be good, don't grab or bite things. I'll bring some toys back for you if you behave." Qi Ping patted each of the little ones' heads. He realized that they were now playing together and had many games.

Qi Ping indeed needed to go to town to hire a small construction team. He didn't have much money left, but building a small poultry house wouldn't cost much. It was just a simple poultry house, but he still needed some necessary equipment.

Although he only planned to raise a hundred or so chickens, he didn't need a hot air furnace or an automatic feeder. He intended to raise free-range chickens, not caged ones. In the U.S., there are standards for eggs, such as conventional, cage-free, free-range, and organic certified.

Qi Ping really didn't have much money left. Buying pets was expensive, and his recent expenses had been significant. The farm's expenses also added up, and now he had less than $200,000 left. He needed to tighten his belt and keep some cash on hand.

"Did you contact the farm workers you mentioned, Aunt Zhao?" After marking the location for the poultry house, Qi Ping continued with the expansion of the forest.

"I've contacted them. They are all honest people who have worked with us before." Aunt Zhao was happy. Working for Little Qi was very comfortable, and the treatment was good, so she thought of a few familiar coworkers when the forest needed more workers. "They are Mexicans. Don't listen to the bad things people say about Mexicans; there are bad people among them, but there are also good people. It's the whites who often spread lies; in fact, there are more bad people among whites!"

"Tell them to come quickly. If they don't come soon, you'll be swamped. Just dealing with pests will keep you busy. Fortunately, there are no major pest problems now, or it would be a big issue." Qi Ping was relieved that the spiritual energy was becoming more abundant, and the vegetables were growing rapidly, but so were the weeds. With only four workers, they were overwhelmed.

"They'll definitely be here by tomorrow or the day after. They are in Napa Valley, helping with grape planting." Aunt Zhao said, hoping they would arrive soon. The forest was developing too quickly, and they were short of hands.

Since they were coming, Qi Ping was relieved. He was optimistic about the quality of these workers since Aunt Zhao recommended them and knew their backgrounds. Meeting people like Huang Siqing was lucky, but there were still many lazy and dishonest people in the U.S.

Qi Ping wasn't racist; he believed that as long as they worked well, everything would be fine. If anyone caused trouble, he wouldn't be lenient. He was a good person who wouldn't provoke others unless provoked.

After settling these matters, Qi Ping felt he could relax a bit. Dealing with small issues every day was manageable, and he didn't want to be busy all the time. In simple terms, this was just getting by, muddling through each day.

When he got home, Qi Ping was exasperated. It seemed he had returned a bit too late. Although Dong, Nan, Xi, and Bei had improved and didn't cause much destruction when he was away, they were still a bit mischievous. Now, with the addition of a baby gorilla, things had gotten much worse. Their destructive power had increased exponentially.

Clearly, the little ones were stunned when they saw Qi Ping enter. Jinguang, sitting on the table with a grape in his hand, looked at Qi Ping with wide, innocent eyes. Dong, Nan, Xi, and Bei, who were on the floor, weren't looking up at Jinguang anymore. They thought it was best to run away after causing trouble, as they often did.

"Well, now I have a troublemaker like Jinguang. I won't be able to keep anything in order." Qi Ping was helpless. He realized that the house would never be quiet again and would only get more lively.

Dong, Nan, Xi, and Bei scattered, and Jinguang seemed to know he had done something wrong. Looking at the messy table and floor, the little guy smiled apologetically, a classic ingratiating smile!

Qi Ping rubbed his forehead, realizing he hadn't disciplined them well enough. They were still too young. He knew he had to be stricter with their education and discipline, or things would get worse. As for Liang Shanbo and Zhu Yingtai, although they were still young, he needed to be proactive in preventing trouble.