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Perhaps because of a good start, the birth of the puppies was relatively easy; the mother dog gave birth to three puppies in a row without encountering any difficulties.

Just as they were delivering the puppies, a harsh voice came from outside. "What are you all doing here?"

Fu Ningjia's timid voice rang out from outside. "Grandpa Zhao, the puppy is about to give birth..."

"You dare to come and join the fun when you're about to give birth?" Zhao Yongqiang interrupted her. "Aren't you afraid the dog will get so hurt it'll come out and bite you? This is utter nonsense!"

As he spoke, Zhao Yongqiang pushed open the door and walked into the courtyard.

Zhao Yongqiang was taken aback Shi Wen and Fu Meng in the courtyard.

Shi Wen said, "Uncle Zhao, your dog is having a difficult birth. We saw it and came to help with the delivery."

"Hey, why are you bothering with the dog giving birth?" Zhao Yongqiang hurriedly asked, "How's the birth going? What medicine did you use? Does it cost money?"

Shi Wen laughed and waved his hand dismissively, "We're all from the same village, why would I need money?"

Fu Meng: "No money needed. My daughter saw that this dog was having a difficult time giving birth, so we volunteered to come and help."

"Thank you so much. It must have been really difficult to get the puppies out." Zhao Yongqiang craned his neck to take a look. "One, two, three, four, five, six... six puppies? I'll have to make some mutton soup to nourish them."

Shi Wen, "There are seven babies, and one puppy is still in the womb, positioned high up. It'll give birth after it recovers a bit."

Zhao Yongqiang: "Seven of them? That's really not easy."

Zhao Yongqiang paced back and forth in the yard a few times, and seeing that he couldn't really help, he went to the kitchen to cook mutton soup.

Shi Wen, the aroma of mutton soup filled the air.

The soup boiled, Zhao Yongqiang ladled out a large bowl. "Give this to the dog, so it'll have the strength to give birth."

Shi Wen looked at the large bowl filled with minced mutton and broth, nodded, and said, "Let it cool down a little before feeding it."

Zhao Yongqiang: "I'll pour it into its bowl first, and it'll eat a bite or two once it recovers."

Shi Wen said, "Pour some cooled boiled water in; it can eat it when it wants."

Zhao Yongqiang nodded quickly and went to find some cool boiled water.

The mother dog was indeed very hungry. As soon as Zhao Yongqiang poured the mutton soup into her bowl, she couldn't wait to sniff it, then picked up a piece of hot mutton and ate it while panting.

Production may have exhausted its strength; it is now completely indifferent to everything else and only wants to eat.

Shi Wen gently stroked its neck, without urging it.

After the mother dog finished eating a large bowl of mutton, she finally had enough energy to give birth to her seventh puppy.

The seventh puppy was a white dog with only a thin layer of downy fur, making it look like a small mouse.

Shi Wen placed it near the mother dog's mouth, and the tired mother dog dutifully licked it.

The seven newborn puppies varied in strength, but all were still alive.

Shi Wen checked them one by one and saw that they had started to nurse, which put her mind at ease.

They were up and about from dawn till dusk, so Zhao Yongqiang invited them to stay for mutton soup.

The mutton soup was from the same pot that the dog mother drank from, and Shi Wen and Fu Meng both politely declined it.

The children were still waiting outside the door. Because Shi Wen and Fu Meng were there, they bravely came over to see what was happening after the mother dog gave birth.

Fu Meng taught the little guys not to go near a mother dog that is giving birth, or a mother dog that has just given birth and is still taking care of her puppies, because these dogs are more aggressive and could easily get bitten if provoked.

Whether the children listened or not, they all nodded in unison.

Shi Wen them like this, Shi Wen found them adorable and couldn't help but pat one of the children's heads. "It's getting late, hurry home. Your families are definitely waiting for you."

Shi Wen's family was also waiting for him.

When he returned, Yan Kexing had prepared the meal and was sitting at the table with a book, waiting for him to come back and eat.

Shi Wen took out his phone and checked it, finding that Yan Kexing had already sent a message asking when he would be back for dinner.

Shi Wen put her phone back in her pocket, pushed open the door and went inside. "I just helped deliver a puppy, the situation was a bit complicated, so I haven't checked my phone and didn't see your message."

"It's alright." Yan Kexing closed the book. "Are you hungry?"

Shi Wen rubbed his stomach. "I wasn't hungry before, but this aroma makes me hungry."

Yan Kexing smiled and said, "Come and eat quickly."

Both of them had large appetites, and there were four dishes on the table.

One of the dishes was bright green, Shi Wen I'd never seen it before.

He couldn't resist picking up a piece with his chopsticks first. "What is this?"

Yan Kexing: "Pea shoots, chicken soup with pea shoots, do you like it?"

Shi Wen popped a piece into her mouth, and the tender pea shoots, enveloped in chicken broth, had their raw, astringent taste washed away, leaving only freshness and tenderness, as if carrying the breath of spring.

"This is delicious!" Shi Wen's eyes lit up, and she picked up another piece with her chopsticks. "Are these pea shoots from our backyard? I haven't checked on them for several days, and they've already sprouted?"

Yan Kexing: "It's sprouted, and it's growing very well. We can already pick the seedlings and eat them."

Shi Wen immediately thought of another type of seedling, "Are our pumpkin seedlings ready yet? I'd like to eat pumpkin vines too."

Yan Kexing: "Then it'll probably take a month or two. Do you want some bean sprouts? I can sprout some for you."

Shi Wen, "Eat! It's been so long since I've had bean sprouts. If you use soybeans from our own farm to sprout them, they'll definitely turn out great."

Yan Kexing: "I'll send it out on Saturday."

Days passed peacefully in their lives.

Another half month has passed in the blink of an eye. They've had two rain showers here, and with each shower, the pasture turns a little greener.

If after the first rain the pasture is still in a state of "grass that looks green from afar but is not visible up close", then after the second rain, tender grass shoots will indeed sprout.

The grass on both sides of the ditch, in particular, has grown leaves that are more than an inch long.

Their geese love these leaves; every day when they're let out, they run to both sides of the ditch.