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Shi Wen ate until beads of sweat formed on the tip of his nose.

Only after breakfast did the two of them head to the lamb market.

The lambs were kept in wooden cages, all under three months old and mostly local Fat-Tailed Sheep.

There were several breeds of Fat-Tailed Sheep in the country, such as Altay Fat-Tailed Sheep, Inner Mongolian Fat-Tailed Sheep, and Shandong Fat-Tailed Sheep. When buying lambs, people generally chose breeds raised locally.

Local breeds suited the local soil and climate, fell sick less often, and their meat had distinctive local qualities.

Fat-Tailed Sheep were sheep.

Goats were rarely seen here.

Sheep mainly fed on grass and fodder, while goats more often ate leaves, roots, and stems. There were plenty of grasslands here and few mountains, so sheep were better suited to being raised here.

Shi Wen started with the first wooden cage. Like the others, he checked the teeth, the limbs, and the coat color, then pinched the backs... He looked quite professional.

Fu Meng was astonished. "You have experience raising sheep?"

Shi Wen looked up. "I've read books."

Fu Meng laughed. "What's in books isn't quite the same as reality."

Shi Wen said, "Then I can only combine what I learned from the books with my own instincts. Once I've picked them out, I'll have to ask Brother Fu to give them a once-over."

Shi Wen had already realized that Fu Meng had come to the market today specifically intending to help him pick lambs, though Fu Meng had not said so outright.

Fu Meng immediately agreed. "Sure."

While they were talking, Shi Wen sensed that the sheep beneath his hand was somewhat different from the others.

It was not the sort of difference that could be measured by any specific standard. He simply had a vague feeling that this sheep was unlike the rest.

He lowered his head to look.

It was a ewe.

It was probably no more than three months old, with a white face, small hooves, and small ears. Its whole body was fluffy, exceptionally snow-white and adorable, with a very fine coat.

Shi Wen reached toward its back. After touching its muscles, he gave it a gentle pinch and found that the fat on its back was a finger-width thick. It was fairly plump.

The little sheep lifted its head and stared wide-eyed after being pinched, bleating, "Baaah!" Its cry was clear and adorable as well.

Shi Wen felt its fleece again. This sheep's wool was quite good too.

He looked at its legs. They were straight, without bowed legs, splayed legs, or any other issues.

These indicators all passed. Shi Wen was already eighty percent satisfied as he pried open the lamb's mouth.

The lamb had rice-grain teeth growing from its lower jaw, white and neat. It was clear that its teeth were excellent.

Sheep only had lower teeth, with no upper teeth—only a hard dental pad above. As long as the lower teeth were good, the mouth was considered good.

Shi Wen rubbed the sheep's back, then turned to ask the middle-aged woman selling it, "Auntie, how much is this sheep?"

The woman straightened up and enthusiastically introduced it. "This lamb is a fine one. It's the best sheep in our family. Buy it as a breeding ewe, and I guarantee it'll give you a whole flock of good sheep. If you truly want it, 600 will do."

Before Shi Wen could reply, Fu Meng's eyes widened beside him. "Auntie, are your sheep made of gold? A sheep this good only costs 300 at most elsewhere."

The woman stood with her chest out. "If you can buy them for 300, I'll take as many as you can get!"

Fu Meng said, "Even so, it doesn't need to cost 600. There are good sheep all over the market. Yours is good, but other people's aren't bad either. I'd say 320 at most."

The woman said, "320 is too low. If you really want it, I'll knock off 50. Take it for 550!"

Shi Wen followed with an offer. "350."

The woman repeatedly waved her hand. "350 won't do. If you really want it, I'll give it to you for 530."

Shi Wen's target price was under 500. As Fu Meng had said, the sheep was indeed good, but not uniquely so. If it went over 500, he would pass.

The two sides haggled for several minutes before the woman finally sold it for 420.

After selling the sheep, the woman handed Shi Wen the spray paint she was holding and told him to mark it himself.

Shi Wen sprayed a "1" on the sheep's rump, representing the first sheep he had bought. After he finished buying them all, Fu Meng would drive the three-wheeler to the entrance of the market and have the stall owners help herd the purchased sheep onto it. Otherwise, they would be difficult to take away.

This was how sheep were bought here.

The two left the stall.

Fu Meng lowered his voice and said to Shi Wen, "You've been hiding your talent. You're pretty good at picking sheep."

Shi Wen said, "I learned it all from books. Thanks, Brother Fu, for helping me bargain."

Fu Meng said, "I only said a few things casually. You're quite good at bargaining yourself."

Shi Wen smiled. As someone who had worked for a living, he really was quite good at bargaining.

The two continued browsing the stalls.

Shi Wen went through them one by one. Some had sheep he liked, while others did not.

The sheep he chose were not only those everyone thought highly of. Some looked ordinary but gave him a good feeling. Since they were not expensive, he bought them as well.

After picking out more than a dozen sheep, several young people gradually began following Shi Wen.

Shi Wen glanced at them. Their faces were unfamiliar, so they were probably not from his village.

When the young people met Shi Wen's gaze, they took the initiative to speak. "Hey, which village are you from? Did you just come back? You're amazing at picking sheep!"

Shi Wen stopped. "Breeze Village. Did you come back to raise sheep too?"

The young man said, "We've always raised sheep in the village. We hadn't seen you before. Want to add each other on WeChat?"

They were all from the same area, and there would likely be plenty of chances to deal with one another in the future.

Shi Wen readily exchanged WeChat contacts with the young people.

The young people invited him to go horseback riding, herding, and drinking with them sometime.

Shi Wen said that if he had the chance, he definitely would.

The young people approaching him was only a minor interlude. After parting with them, Shi Wen continued buying sheep.

He made his decisions quickly and did not drive the prices down too harshly. After two or three rounds of bargaining, he could generally buy them.

After spending the whole morning browsing, Shi Wen had bought thirty-seven lambs: thirty-two ewes and five castrated rams.

Castrated rams were relatively docile and could graze alongside the ewes. When the time came, they could be sold for meat together.