Chapter 41

"Don't go," Zhang Deyuan called out to him, "Wait a moment. I'll go get a bag of mutton; you can take it home and eat it."

Shi Wen: "No need--"

"Why not? With so many sheep, if you don't help consume them, how long will it take for my family to eat them all?" Zhang Deyuan rushed into the house, grabbed a bag of premium mutton, and shoved it into Shi Wen's hand. "Here you go. Don't you keep tigers? If all else fails, let the tigers taste our good mutton too!"

The Shi Wen of raising Hu Zai is not a big secret in the surrounding villages.

The main problem is that this matter can't be hidden any longer. If it's not explained clearly and someone finds out, it's guaranteed to be reported by concerned citizens.

Unable to refuse, Shi Wen had no choice but to take the mutton and ride his motorcycle home.

When he returned home, Yan Kexing had just fed the baby pigeons and taken the two Hu Zai and dogs out for a walk.

Old Man Ma and Aini drove all the pigs, cattle, and sheep back into their pens and added water and fodder.

Shi Wen wandered around the house but couldn't find anything he needed to do.

As he wandered around, Cong Zai followed behind him, wandering around with him.

Tired from wandering around, Cong Zai lay down at his feet, revealing its furry belly, and softly meowed at him.

That tiny meow was so sweet it melted Shi Wen heart.

Shi Wen squatted down and gently stroked Cong Zai's soft, warm belly.

Cong Zai hooked its front paws up, spread its hind legs, and meowed even sweeter. "Meow."

Shi Wen stared at it thoughtfully, then lifted it up by its armpits. "Now I know why the two Hu Zai didn't learn from you, but instead learned from the dog?"

The cat tilted its head. "Meow?"

Shi Wen with a heavy heart, "You're just a little male cat, yet you meow so softly. Even Hu Zai have their pride."

The cat stared at him innocently. "Meow."

Listen to that sweet, delicate sound of the clip.

If he were Hu Zai, he'd rather bark than meow!

Chapter 41

Shi Wen and Zhang Deyuan spent almost half a month dividing up the sheep, sorting through all of Zhang's sheep.

Zhang Deyuan contacted major customers across the country without stopping and sold the sheep of all three grades.

Shi Wen returned home to continue managing the ranch.

With the Lunar New Year just a few months away, he plans to adjust the feed ratio again before the holiday to put the fattening of the castrated sheep on the agenda.

Besides rams, pregnant ewes and cows also need to be managed more closely, monitored more frequently, and checked more often, especially those pregnant with twins or triplets, to ensure they give birth to healthy babies.

There were many things to do at the ranch, Shi Wen invited Old Man Ma and Aini to come and help.

With two elderly herders around, they took on a lot of the work on the ranch, and Shi Wen than before.

Every afternoon, he would take Cong Zai and the two Hu Zai up the mountain for a walk, so that the Hu Zai could adapt to life in the forest and also improve their athletic ability.

Perhaps because they've been eating well lately, the two Hu Zai have grown noticeably. They're now bigger than Cong Zai, with thick bodies and legs, and from a distance, they look just like two little dogs.

Shi Wen that we won't be able to take them out next month, otherwise it might be dangerous.

Since that's the case, I'll just have to bring it more this month.

That day, Shi Wen was on the mountain with his Hu Zai and Cong Zai when his phone rang. It was an old herdsman Abudu calling him.

When Abudu makes a phone call, he has the habit of shouting, typical of middle-aged and elderly people. "Shi Wen, are you free these days? My old buddy and I will bring you some bees."

Shi Wen held the phone a little further away. "So fast? I thought I'd have to wait a while longer."

"Almost there," Abudu laughed heartily on the other end of the phone. "It's already snowing on the mountain; we can't keep it here any longer."

Shi Wen, "Then your snow came quite early. We'll probably have to wait a while longer here."

Abudu: "You should still have flowers there, you could raise bees too."

The two chatted for a few minutes, Shi Wen told Abudu that he was always at home and could deliver the goods anytime.

Abudu then made an agreement with him to send bees over the next day.

Early the next morning, Shi Wen prepared to receive the bees.

This time, Abudu's friend will send over six hives of bees. Shi Wen to put two hives each in Pasture No. 1, Pasture No. 2, and Pasture No. 3, separating them slightly to prevent them from fighting. Separating them will also make it easier for them to collect nectar, thus increasing the utilization rate of the pastures.

Despite the cold weather, Abudu's friend drove over in a small open-top tricycle, carrying beehives.

The two old men were in high spirits.

Upon Shi Wen, Abudu turned and looked around, saying, "Your ranch is really nice."

Shi Wen laughed and said, "It took a lot of effort to arrange."

Abudu's old friend is named Reheman, who looks even older Abudu, with white hair and beard, Big One of 1.8 meters, and a sturdy build.

He skipped the pleasantries and went straight to Shi Wen, saying, "I've brought all the bees over, with honey and brood combs inside. Where would you like to move them?"

Shi Wen said, "Take your tricycle there, I'll give you directions."

There was still an empty seat on the back of the tricycle, Abudu out Shi Wen it.

Reheman said to Shi Wen, "Don't touch them, the bees will sting."

Shi Wen looked at the beehive and said, "Why can't I see a single bee?"

Reheman succinctly replied, "He was overwhelmed by the fumes."

Shi Wen: "Hmm?"

Reheman said in a flat tone, "They'll wake up at night. After they've gotten used to being here for a couple of days, they'll start collecting nectar on their own. As long as it's not below freezing, they'll go collect nectar. When it's below freezing, they need to eat honey. You can buy some honey or white sugar to feed them then, or you can buy honey from me."

The car sputtered forward, the wind distorting Reheman's voice into a jumbled mess, but thanks to Shi Wen's excellent hearing, he still managed to understand it.

Shi Wen, "Okay, I understand."

Reheman: "If you have any questions, feel free to ask me. I'll answer simple questions, but for complicated ones, you'll have to pay."