Chapter 15

There was a hoe in the storage room. Shi Wen took one, sharpened it on a stone, and went to reclaim the backyard.

There were actually perennial shrubs on the grassland, but they did not grow very tall. Their leaves had only just emerged, making them inconspicuous. In truth, their roots were numerous and deep, making them quite difficult to dig up.

In the backyard, Shi Wen dug out shrubs while picking up stones. Before long, he was so hot he could no longer wear his jacket, working in only a short-sleeved shirt and long pants.

He had reclaimed nearly half the backyard when he heard the puppy barking up front. Its voice was full of warning. Something had clearly happened.

He immediately abandoned what he was doing, grabbed his hoe, and ran to the front.

When he reached the front yard, he saw Fu Meng standing outside the ranch's wire fence with someone in tow.

Seeing Shi Wen come out, Fu Meng called loudly, "I was just about to call you. This is Dr. Skewell, the veterinarian sent by the livestock office. He's here to vaccinate the village cattle and sheep and tag their ears."

Shi Wen hurriedly said, "I saw it in the group chat. Come in through the wooden gate—just pull back the latch. Black Kid, they're guests. Don't bark."

When Shi Wen had moved here, he had joined the village public group chat. Everyone posted any news there, including the information about the vaccinations.

It was Shi Wen's first time meeting Dr. Skewell. He hurried forward and held out his hand to shake hands, only to realize it was covered in mud. Embarrassed, he wiped it on himself. "I was reclaiming land just now, so it's a little dirty."

Skewell smiled and extended his hand. "Mine was just touching cattle and sheep. It might not even be as clean as yours."

Shi Wen smiled, shook his hand, and led them into the ranch.

It was already early May, and the grass in the pasture had begun to grow. Everywhere he looked was a fresh, tender green.

Various little wildflowers were mixed among that green, though none stood out. Overall, it was still a sea of tender green.

Fu Meng turned to look around. "Your pasture is really nice. There are so many dandelions and wild chives. You can dig them up."

Shi Wen said, "There really are a lot. I dug up quite a few while reclaiming the land. Unfortunately, they're a little bitter. I don't like eating them, so I gave them all to the sheep."

Fu Meng said, "That's not bad either. If sheep eat more of them, their meat will be especially tender."

As they walked through the pasture, they soon spotted the flock of sheep.

Skewell examined the flock. "It'll probably be hard to do this outside. How about we drive them back into the shed?"

Shi Wen immediately said, "Sure. Rest for a moment, and I'll herd them over now."

Fu Meng said, "Let's herd them together. It'll be faster. I'll take the left, Skewell the right, and Shi Wen, you drive them from behind."

The three of them walked toward the flock and slowly began herding the sheep.

The puppy stood where it was, tilting its head as it watched for a while. It seemed to understand what they were doing, then barked and ran over. It darted left, then right, using its own strength to drive the flock into a light trot toward the livestock shed.

Fu Meng had not expected such a small dog to be able to herd sheep. He exclaimed, "Last time, I said I'd help you look for a sheepdog. I didn't expect you to buy such a good dog so quickly."

Skewell also said, "Your dog really is excellent. It has great agility and endurance, and it's especially rare for it to be this smart. Once its frame grows out a little more, you could consider using it as a stud."

Shi Wen smiled. "It really is good. As for being a stud, we'll have to see later. It's still too young."

With the puppy helping herd the sheep, they only needed to head straight for the livestock shed, which saved them a great deal of trouble.

The ranch did not look large, but it was actually not small. They walked across the grassland for six or seven minutes before reaching the shed, and each of them had worked up a slight sweat.

Abruptly walking from the sun-drenched grassland into the cool, shaded shed, Shi Wen's vision went dark for a moment. He could not see the things in front of him clearly and needed a brief moment to recover.

The puppy, however, showed no reaction at all. It pattered over to Shi Wen's feet and sat down, proudly puffing out its chest as it waited for his praise.

Shi Wen bent down and stroked its head. "Black Kid, well done."

As he spoke, he pulled out a handful of meat treats from his pants pocket and fed them to it.

Every dog had its own personality. Black Kid especially needed positive reinforcement, and with it, it was even more enthusiastic about working.

While Shi Wen fed the dog, Fu Meng and Skewell were examining the surroundings.

He did not keep many sheep, and the livestock shed had been built to proper standards. Shi Wen cleaned it every day and disinfected it every few days.

Therefore, although it was a livestock shed, it was still very clean. There was barely any smell of manure, only the faint scent of disinfectant.

Fu Meng said, "No wonder your sheep are so white and plump. You really put effort into this."

Shi Wen said, "Mainly because I don't keep many. If I had more, I probably couldn't manage things so meticulously. Doctor, how do we do this?"

Skewell said, "Wait a moment. I'll prepare the medicine first. Later, you just need to help me hold the sheep's heads."

Skewell opened the medicine case he carried with him, took out syringes and medicine bottles, and explained to Shi Wen, "This is the Sheep Four-in-One, Three-Prevention Vaccine. It prevents sheep sudden death, sheep enterotoxemia, sheep black disease, and sheep intestinal toxemia."

Shi Wen nodded repeatedly to show that he understood.

Skewell said, "I'll give the injections first, then attach the immunization ear tags. The government pays for both, so there's no charge. Afterward, I just need to register them."

Shi Wen had no objections. For public safety, livestock raising would certainly be regulated. He had known that before coming to the ranch.

After Skewell gave a simple explanation and saw that Shi Wen understood everything, he carried the medicine case into the sheep pen.

Shi Wen and Fu Meng went in as well.

Shi Wen and Fu Meng caught the nearest sheep, each taking hold of one horn.

Skewell clamped the sheep between his legs, pinched the muscles in its neck with his left hand, and held the syringe in his right, injecting the medicine at an angle into the neck muscle.

The sheep let out a loud "Baa—," startling the other sheep in the shed into restlessness.

Skewell's movements were swift and steady. After giving the sheep its injection, he took out the ear-tag pliers, quickly punched a hole in its ear, then took out an ear tag and fitted it in place.