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Lin Chengqian marveled, "Mr. Shi, you know these fish far too well. You say where they are, and that's exactly where they are."

Shi Wen smiled. "Just luck. Shall we keep looking?"

Gong Jiang said, "Yes, yes, yes."

The four of them worked all morning and completed more than half the sampling.

Gong Jiang wanted to finish it in one go, but Shi Wen suggested, "How about lunch first? We can have something simple at the ranch. It'll be quick, and we can rest a little."

Gong Jiang said, "That's too much trouble for you."

Shi Wen said, "What trouble? It's just a simple meal. Come on, let's eat."

The puppy had run around with them at first, but eventually got too tired and went back to the yard to sleep.

When Shi Wen and the others returned, they saw the puppy lying in the sun, sleeping soundly with its little paws as a pillow.

Shi Wen softened his footsteps and stopped talking. The three behind him copied his movements and tiptoed inside.

The puppy's ears twitched. It seemed not to sense any threat and continued sleeping deeply.

Once inside, they finally relaxed again.

After working under the sun for so long, everyone was unbearably hot.

Back in the cool house, after drinking some water and resting briefly, they began to feel sleepy.

They had worked hard that morning, and Shi Wen was too lazy to make a grand meal. He simply boiled noodles in plain water, sliced some cucumber, tomatoes, and braised beef, opened jars of pickled mustard greens, soybean paste, and chili sauce, and brought everything out. They mixed it together and ate—a perfectly decent lunch.

After lunch, they rested for an hour before continuing their work.

It was past four in the afternoon by the time they had covered every ditch, taken all the necessary photos, and collected all the necessary samples. Only then did the work come to an end.

Ge Yue looked around and let the evening breeze, gradually turning cool, blow over her. "Brother Shi, there are so many kinds of fish here. It's practically a tiny fish repository."

Shi Wen said, "Maybe because it was abandoned for several years and nobody disturbed it, so the fish multiplied."

Lin Chengqian shook his head. "There are plenty of bodies of water in the wild that nobody disturbs, but they don't have this many species of fish. Your place is simply special."

Shi Wen said, "The aquatic plants in the wild aren't as good, and there isn't as much food. My grandfather ran this ranch a few years ago, and nutrient-rich water flowed into the ditches. The aquatic plants here must have grown differently."

At the mention of aquatic plants, Gong Jiang said, "The grass here really grows well. It would probably be suitable for raising some geese."

Shi Wen's heart stirred. "Raise geese? Would that affect the fish in the ditches?"

Gong Jiang assessed, "Probably not. Your ditches are all more than half a meter deep, and they're open waters. Water flows in and out, and the fish can move around with it. If they sense danger, they can simply swim elsewhere. They won't stay here."

Ge Yue cut in, "One of the purposes of environmental research and conservation is to help people live better. Brother Shi, this is a private ranch, not a nature reserve. You don't need to worry so much."

"Now that you mention it, I really am tempted." Shi Wen thought it over, then said regretfully, "Unfortunately, the market around here doesn't sell geese. It won't be easy if I want to raise some. When I have time, I'll look somewhere farther away."

Gong Jiang said, "I know a place that sells geese. If you need it, I can give you the address."

Ge Yue immediately caught on. "Is it the geese Teacher Yan bought before? Those geese were so delicious!"

Lin Chengqian said with considerable interest, "The batch we bought last winter? Those were the best geese I've ever eaten in my life."

Shi Wen, listening beside them, was thoroughly tempted. "Were they really that delicious?"

Gong Jiang said, "They really were. That farm's geese are especially good. The meat is tender and flavorful, and they've won several gold and silver awards at national agricultural exhibitions."

Ge Yue said, "Don't worry, Brother Shi. My advisor has very high standards. Anything that catches his eye can't be bad."

Gong Jiang corrected her, "High standards, not picky."

Ge Yue said, "Fine, fine. High standards, not picky."

Hearing them say this, Shi Wen decisively asked for the address. "Where is it? I'll find time to go ask about them."

Gong Jiang said, "I'll send it to you on WeChat later."

"How about we go eat goose today? It's been a long time since we had goose from that place. We can take Brother Shi to have a look too, so he doesn't get lost finding the way." Ge Yue looked at Lin Chengqian. "Senior Brother Lin, what do you think?"

Lin Chengqian said, "No problem on my end. I want goose too."

Gong Jiang looked at Shi Wen. "Then shall we go eat goose? We can treat you to a meal."

Shi Wen smiled. "I'll treat. You're still students, while I'm already working."

Gong Jiang said, "It's fine. Put it on my advisor's tab. He reimburses our meals whenever we're on field trips."

Ge Yue said, "Right. Brother Shi, you worked with us all day, so you count as staff too."

Shi Wen really did want to buy geese, so hearing this, he stopped refusing.

They packed up their things, got into the car, and drove to another small town.

After driving for over an hour, they arrived outside a farmhouse restaurant at the foot of a mountain.

The restaurant was open for business, and its muddy gravel parking lot was packed with vehicles bearing license plates from all over the country.

One look at the scene told Shi Wen that the food here had to be good. Otherwise, so many people would not have come all the way to such a remote place.

They got out and entered the restaurant. Ge Yue and Lin Chengqian went to queue up for a table, while Gong Jiang took Shi Wen to find the owner.

The owner looked to be in his forties and was busy in the back courtyard with a cigarette dangling from his mouth.

The moment Gong Jiang saw him, he called out, "Brother Ma, we're here to buy geese from you."

Ma Bingjun took the cigarette from his mouth. "Oh, you were doing fieldwork nearby today? Sure. Do you want braised goose or some other kind? How many? I'll give you a discount."

Gong Jiang said, "Not adult geese. We want goslings. My friend here wants to buy them."

Shi Wen stepped forward and greeted him.

Ma Bingjun frowned. "Goslings are a little difficult. The recent batches have already been reserved, and the orders are booked through next year."

Gong Jiang smiled. "He's my advisor's friend. Please help us think of a way."