Chapter Summaries

Lu Ao and Song Zhou prepared for their first New Year together, shopping in New Luzhou and making their home feel like theirs as a couple. Song Zhou wrote beautiful spring couplets, and Lin Gongshang asked him to write some for his family too.

• Song Zhou dried the prepared fish maw after using his aura to warn nearby animals away from it, and offered to teach Lu Ao the skill.
• Lu Ao caught Mouse Grouper, collected Miiuy Croaker fish balls, and sent the New Year gifts to Weng Qian before the holiday shipping cutoff.
• Song Zhou and Lu Ao chose to shop in New Luzhou, where they bought New Year goods and replaced much of the home's furnishings.
• Song Zhou wrote and hung spring couplets in the yard while Lu Ao slept beside Chubby.
• Lin Gongshang praised Song Zhou's calligraphy and asked him to write spring couplets for his family.

Lu Ao and Song Zhou celebrated their first New Year together in Lu Family Village, sharing meals and festivities with their neighbors and friends. On the fourth day, they attended a banquet in Qianyong City, where Lin Yunqiao asked Lu Ao about buying fish fry for his nearly completed Marine Ranch.

• Lin Gongshang asked Song Zhou to write auspicious Spring Festival couplets, and Song Zhou later wrote them for every household in Lu Family Village.
• Lu Ao and Song Zhou cleaned their home, visited Lu Ao's parents' graves, and prepared a lavish New Year's Eve dinner together.
• Lu Ao and Song Zhou welcomed the New Year together, then hosted Lin Gongshang and other friends for hot pot on the first evening.
• Lu Ao and Song Zhou spent the second and third days of the New Year relaxing at home before attending a boat captains' banquet in Qianyong City.
• Lin Yunqiao asked Lu Ao about his nearly finished Marine Ranch and said he wanted to buy fish fry.

Lu Ao investigated suppliers for his Marine Ranch and followed Lin Yunqiao to a fry farm to inspect its abalone. Old Xu showed him five ponds of abalone, and Lu Ao and Song Zhou were left to assess the local stock.

• Lin Yunqiao offered to introduce Lu Ao to a friend with a large surplus of abalone fry, and Lu Ao agreed to visit after lunch.
• Boat captains approached Lu Ao with business connections, but he collected their cards without committing to any purchases.
• Lin Yunqiao drove Lu Ao and Song Zhou to the suburban fry farm, where they met Old Xu and learned what kinds of fry he raised.
• Old Xu led Lu Ao and Song Zhou to five abalone ponds and confirmed that Lu Ao wanted local abalone rather than Ocean Abalone.

Lu Ao inspected Old Xu's local abalone and other marine stock for his planned Marine Ranch, then agreed to buy a range of young sea life and paid a deposit. After dinner at Old Xu's home, Lu Ao and Song Zhou left to find a place to teleport, and Lu Ao asked why Song Zhou had said so little during their business discussions.

• Lu Ao told Old Xu he wanted local abalone for the Marine Ranch, and Old Xu showed him hardy young Wrinkled Disk Abalone bred by the province's Benthic Biology Laboratory.
• Old Xu explained the local abalone's lower returns and higher survival rate, then offered Lu Ao abalone and other young marine stock.
• Lu Ao asked about sea cucumbers, Giant Grouper, Black Seabream, Ornate Spiny Lobsters, kelp, and laver, and Old Xu offered to source them.
• Lu Ao and Song Zhou inspected the young stock, agreed on low prices, and paid Old Xu a deposit while waiting for the Marine Ranch and Artificial Fish Reefs to be ready.
• Old Xu and Lin Yunqiao persuaded Lu Ao and Song Zhou to stay for dinner, where they ate seafood Old Xu had raised.
• After leaving, Lu Ao and Song Zhou searched for a place to teleport, and Lu Ao asked Song Zhou why he had barely spoken during the business discussions.

Song Zhou supported Lu Ao's plans for a Marine Ranch, and Lu Ao explained how he would establish its habitat and raise sea cucumbers and abalone. The next morning, trucks carrying equipment arrived in Chongxin Village, drawing villagers to the shore to watch.

• Song Zhou reassured Lu Ao that he supported his work and wanted to help with the Marine Ranch.
• Lu Ao told Song Zhou that Artificial Fish Reefs would arrive soon and that he planned to establish marine plants before releasing abalone and sea cucumbers.
• Song Zhou warned that the animals might escape, but Lu Ao said he would avoid enclosing the ranch and believed they would stay where food was available.
• On the seventh day of the new year, several loaded trucks arrived in Chongxin Village, and villagers guessed their cargo was for Lu Ao's Marine Ranch.
• Curious villagers headed to the shore, where a crowd had gathered to watch the trucks and the sea.

Lu Ao and the villagers deployed all 512 Artificial Fish Reefs into the sea, then shared a celebratory meal. As spring progressed, the village quieted while Lu Ao, Song Zhou, and Old Chen turned to planting vegetables and tending the mountain orchard.

• Lu Ao organized villagers and workers to load and deploy 512 Artificial Fish Reefs, while Lin Gongshang and an old villager discussed how fishing had changed.
• Lu Ao warned everyone that rain was coming, but found he could not disperse the widespread spring rain clouds.
• The villagers finished dropping the reefs into the sea before a light drizzle began, and Lin Qiyan and Lin Gongshang handed out cigarettes and candy.
• Lu Ao and Song Zhou treated the helpers to lunch at a town banquet with seven tables.
• As young villagers left to work in the cities, Lu Ao and Song Zhou planted vegetables, while Old Chen managed the mountain and the orchard blossoms and bees flourished.

Lu Ao tended new plantings on land and at the Marine Ranch, where an Artificial Fish Reef was attracting fish and growing algae. He arranged for Old Xu to deliver Kelp and Wakame seedlings, which arrived the next morning for planting.

• Lu Ao asked Old Chen about the orchard, and Old Chen reported that the Green Plum and Loquat trees were bearing abundant fruit and offered to help find buyers.
• Lu Ao ordered Honeysuckle seeds, soaked them, and scattered them along the fence at the foot of Haining Mountain, where sprouts appeared within two days.
• Lu Ao inspected the Artificial Fish Reef and saw algae growing on it as fish, shrimp, and crabs gathered nearby.
• Lu Ao and Song Zhou agreed to plant Kelp, Wakame, and Laver the following afternoon, and Lu Ao arranged for Old Xu to deliver seedlings.
• Old Xu brought the Kelp and Wakame seedlings in a van, and Lu Ao accepted his assurance that the delivery contained the ordered quantities.

Lu Ao and Song Zhou planted Kelp and Wakame seedlings on the seafloor using glue, but a storm threatened to sweep away their work before the seedlings could take hold. Lu Ao feared they would have to replant and delay releasing Abalone and Sea Cucumber seedlings, while Song Zhou appeared to have thought of a solution.

• Old Xu delivered Kelp, Wakame, and Laver seedlings to Lu Ao, and Lu Ao checked that the shipment was complete.
• Old Xu arranged to contact Lu Ao in a week about the Abalone and Sea Cucumber seedlings.
• Lu Ao and Song Zhou carried the Kelp and Wakame seedlings to the reefs and planted them on the seafloor, securing them with glue.
• A storm brought strong winds and huge waves soon after they finished planting, threatening to dislodge the seedlings.
• Lu Ao said they could not safely disperse the vast rain clouds or calm the wind, but Song Zhou smiled, prompting Lu Ao to ask whether he had a solution.

Song Zhou taught Lu Ao to infuse the newly planted Kelp and Wakame with life force so they could withstand the approaching storm. The seaweed thrived, and after enjoying some for dinner, Lu Ao considered selling it and continued monitoring the underwater plants in the following days.

• Lu Ao realized that they could protect the Kelp and Wakame by infusing them with life force instead of trying to stop the storm.
• Song Zhou taught Lu Ao how to transfer life force across the large area planted with Kelp and Wakame, making the seaweed plump and healthy.
• Song Zhou harvested a small amount of Kelp, and Lu Ao reluctantly agreed to take it home despite worrying about damaging the young plants.
• Lu Ao and Song Zhou ate the Kelp with garlic and bird's-eye chili sauce, and Lu Ao suggested selling Kelp and Laver along with their other seafood.
• Lu Ao spent the following days inspecting the growth of the Kelp, Wakame, and Laver underwater.

Lu Ao found his farming waters thriving with marine life and worked to protect the Abalone and Sea Cucumber he planned to raise. He visited Lin Manzhang with a bucket of Sea Star before the family moved to the county town, where Lin offered to sell him his boat.

• Lu Ao found that the algae he and Song Zhou had nurtured had attracted abundant marine life, and he worried wild creatures might crowd out or eat the Abalone and Sea Cucumber he planned to cultivate.
• Lu Ao gathered Sea Star from the seabed to protect the Abalone and brought the catch to Lin Manzhang's family as a parting gift.
• Lu Ao and Lin Manzhang discussed the family's upcoming move to the county town, where Lin Manzhang and Ye Zhiying would begin new jobs and their children would attend school.
• Lu Ao confirmed that his Sea Cucumber and Abalone fry were ready to bring back from Old Xu's place, and he agreed to help Lin Manzhang move.
• Lin Manzhang offered to sell Lu Ao his boat for six thousand yuan.

Lu Ao bought Lin Manzhang's boat at a fair price and agreed to help Lin Manzhang and Ye Zhiying move to the county town. The next morning, Lu Ao and Song Zhou inspected Old Xu's delivery of live Sea Cucumbers and Abalones before settling payment.

• Lu Ao raised his offer for Lin Manzhang's boat to eight thousand yuan, and Lin Manzhang accepted the money and gave Lu Ao fishing gear as a bonus.
• Lu Ao told Song Zhou that Lin Manzhang and Ye Zhiying were moving the day after tomorrow, and Song Zhou decided to help them move.
• Song Zhou told Lu Ao to feed Chubby dog food, and Lu Ao teased Chubby before giving him some.
• Old Xu delivered baskets of live Sea Cucumbers and Abalones to Lu Ao early the next morning.
• Song Zhou checked the seafood's vitality, and Lu Ao examined the fry and began a further inspection before paying Old Xu.

Lu Ao purchased sea cucumber and abalone juveniles from Old Xu and negotiated a separate deal for prawn fry. After teleporting to the sea with Song Zhou to release the juveniles, Lu Ao discovered three unfamiliar bottlenose dolphins in his leased waters.

• Lu Ao checked the sea cucumber and abalone shipment, confirmed its quality, and paid Old Xu.
• Old Xu offered ordinary prawn fry, and Lu Ao negotiated to buy two thousand jin at seven yuan twenty per jin.
• Lu Ao and Song Zhou decided to teleport to the sea so Lu Ao could place the juveniles in the spots he had chosen.
• Lu Ao entered the water in Dragon Form and sensed several large creatures he had not seen before.
• Song Zhou and Lu Ao identified three bottlenose dolphins, and Lu Ao suspected they had followed their prey into the area.

Lu Ao and Song Zhou encountered a pod of dolphins at their Marine Ranch and learned that one had been injured by a boat propeller. After releasing the Sea Cucumber and Abalone, they went to check on the dolphins.

• Lu Ao calmed the dolphins, and Song Zhou gave the injured dolphin vitality, though he explained it could not heal the wound.
• Lu Ao learned that the dolphin had been hurt by a boat propeller and that the pod had come to the Marine Ranch because they sensed it could help them recover.
• The dolphins explained that others had gone hunting and that they had avoided eating the ranch’s fish so they would have food while recovering.
• Lu Ao told the dolphins not to eat the ranch’s fish and offered to bring them food.
• Lu Ao and Song Zhou spent more than two hours releasing Sea Cucumber and Abalone into the Marine Ranch, then went to check on the dolphins.

Lu Ao treated an injured dolphin and learned that the Heavenly Dao had acknowledged him after he connected with the intelligent dolphin leader. The dolphin recovered in his Marine Ranch while Lu Ao continued managing the ranch and released more seafood into the sea.

• Lu Ao sensed intelligence in the female dolphin's eyes, felt stronger, and learned from Song Zhou that the Heavenly Dao had acknowledged him.
• Lu Ao left the dolphins in his Marine Ranch, bought wound medicine in town, and returned to treat the injured dolphin.
• Lu Ao used life force to help the dolphin recover, and it settled quietly among the pod as the dolphins stayed in the ranch.
• Over the next ten days, Lu Ao helped Lin Manzhang move, released Ornate Spiny Lobsters and prawns from Old Xu, and began feeding the growing stock.

Lu Ao enjoyed feeding the Marine Ranch and playing with the Dolphins, who had settled in and become his companions. He discovered that one injured Dolphin had a same-sex partner, and Song Zhou planned to visit the ranch with him the next day.

• Lu Ao continued feeding the sea animals and prepared extra food for the well-behaved Dolphins, who stayed near the Marine Ranch for over half a month.
• Lu Ao played ball with the Dolphins in his Dragon Form, enjoying their company and getting exercise.
• Lu Ao told Song Zhou that several Dolphins were pairs of lovers and that the injured Dolphin had a same-sex partner.
• Song Zhou offered to visit the Marine Ranch with Lu Ao the following day.

Lu Ao and Song Zhou visited the Marine Ranch, where Lu Ao considered whether the dolphins could stay and guard it. As the pod settled in and began protecting the ranch’s fish and shrimp, Lu Ao named the injured dolphin Aduo, its mate Ada, and several others.

• Lu Ao and Song Zhou took their boat to the Marine Ranch, where the dolphins gathered around Lu Ao and played with him.
• Lu Ao wondered whether the dolphins might stay and guard the ranch, while Song Zhou raised concerns about human attention and the dolphins’ well-being.
• Lu Ao observed that the pod had made the ranch its home and was protecting its fish and shrimp from outside animals.
• When a crab entered the ranch to eat abalone, the injured dolphin caught and ate it, then nudged Lu Ao for attention.
• Lu Ao named the injured dolphin Aduo and its mate Ada, then began naming the other dolphins in the pod.

Lu Ao's Marine Ranch attracted visitors after a pod of twenty-seven Dolphins settled nearby, and Weng Qian proposed building a hotel to turn the remote village into a luxury destination. Lu Ao rejected the idea to protect his ranch and his privacy, while Weng Qian continued trying to persuade him.

• The twenty-seven Dolphins stayed near Lu Ao's Marine Ranch for over half a month, and March brought a steady stream of visitors hoping to see them.
• Tourists also came to admire Lu Ao's mountain, its fruit trees, and the enormous Lionhead Geese, making the village a popular attraction.
• Weng Qian called Lu Ao and suggested he start an agritainment business to take advantage of the visitors.
• Weng Qian proposed partnering to build a hotel and flying wealthy tourists to the village by helicopter.
• Lu Ao refused, saying he would not let a hotel disrupt the Marine Ranch, but Weng Qian insisted his team could handle the business without troubling him.

Lu Ao persuaded Weng Qian to consider developing an uninhabited island into a hotel and wedding venue, using its scenery and wildlife to attract visitors away from the crowded dolphin-watching area. Weng Qian visited Chongxin Village to inspect the site, and Lu Ao began showing him the village and island.

• Lu Ao rejected Weng Qian’s plan to bring crowds to his village and proposed developing a nearby island instead.
• Lu Ao outlined a joint hotel project featuring dolphins, other wildlife, outdoor activities, and weddings, and Weng Qian agreed to inspect the island.
• Lu Ao visited the island and had Lin Qiyan photograph its scenery to persuade Weng Qian.
• Weng Qian arrived at Chongxin Village on a weekday, and Lu Ao met him at the village entrance.
• Lu Ao showed Weng Qian the preserved old village and then the newer houses, whose disorderly layout disappointed Weng Qian.

Lu Ao explained why Weng Qian’s plan to open a hotel in the village would be difficult, then took him by boat to see the remote marine ranch and island area. The boat crossed beyond the village shoreline, but the island had not yet come into view.

• Lu Ao told Weng Qian that the village lacked the infrastructure and facilities needed to support a hotel, and Weng Qian understood his concerns.
• Lu Ao brought Weng Qian to his family home, where Chubby greeted them, and Weng Qian declined to meet the Lionhead Geese.
• Lu Ao explained that dolphins lived in the deeper waters of his marine ranch and could be fierce if provoked.
• Lu Ao took Weng Qian by boat toward the island, and Weng Qian admired the clear sea and considered the area’s potential as a tourist destination.
• Lu Ao pointed out that they had passed beyond the village shoreline into a quiet area with underwater cliffs, but after twenty minutes the island was still out of sight.

Lu Ao took Weng Qian to inspect a lush island with white beaches, a former volcano, and a natural hot spring as a possible hotel site. After exploring the island and discussing its construction challenges, they reached the summit and Lu Ao described how it looked in the rain.

• Lu Ao steered the boat to the island and told Weng Qian that its former volcanic activity had created a natural hot spring.
• Weng Qian admired the island’s white-sand beach, while Lu Ao explained that local children no longer visited as they had when he was young.
• Lu Ao warned Weng Qian about hidden shellfish and led him up the gentle hill to assess the island for hotel construction.
• Lu Ao explained that the island had limited freshwater and would likely need seawater desalination for a hotel.
• Weng Qian touched the warm water in the jade-and-white hot spring before he and Lu Ao climbed to the summit.
• Lu Ao told Weng Qian that rain brought mist through the distant mountain forests, making the island look like a fairyland.