Fu Meng

Biodata

Background

Fu Meng was already the village chief when Shi Wen returned to inspect the ranch inherited from his grandfather, Shi Jingbo. He knew the property’s livestock sheds, farmland, and drainage ditches thoroughly, and had helped deal with Shi Jingbo’s sheep after the older man’s accident 3.

His household raises cattle and sheep. Alongside his village duties, he takes paid construction work to support his family, accepting responsibility for Shi Wen and Yan Kexing’s fencing project when he needs additional income for his two children 244 326 536.

Appearance

• Complexion and build: Introduced as a dark-skinned young man 3.
• First outfit: A leather jacket and rubber boots 3.
• Cold-weather clothing: Wears thick leg coverings and gloves for an early-morning market trip even in May; during a snowy patrol, he wears a thick hat, scarf, and face covering 17 143.
• Voice: Described as deep 535.

Personality

Fu Meng is openly hospitable. On their first meeting, he invites Shi Wen to dinner, shows him around the ranch, and offers a motorcycle ride into town because taxis are difficult to find nearby. His family later regularly welcomes Shi Wen for milk tea and meals 3 16 49 537.

He combines practical judgment with sincere concern. He helps Shi Wen establish local connections, but also visits personally to discourage his risky idea of buying sick livestock. Shi Wen considers him shrewd yet sincere and trusts him to supervise a large construction crew 26 35 326.

His care for animals is tempered by responsibility for village safety. When an aggressive stray Malinois appears, he checks local group chats for an owner and approaches Shi Wen about taking it in. Although reluctant to have the dog caught and removed, he will not leave it wandering near children 61 62.

Fu Meng is realistic about the difficulties facing small herders. He acknowledges that family operations struggle against large farms and that livestock farming carries high risks for limited returns. Nevertheless, he becomes an enthusiastic supporter of Shi Wen’s efforts to improve local cattle and sheep 170 408.

Abilities & Skills

Livestock Husbandry

• Sheep handling and shearing: Restrains sheep securely and uses electric shears with practiced ease, allowing Shi Wen to learn by assisting him 25.
• Breeding management: Recognizes ewes in heat and discusses breeding plans with other herders 65.
• Feeding advice: Recommends concentrate feed for young lambs and advises Shi Wen on growing silage corn 6 40.
• Hay preparation: Explains when grass is ready to cut, the need for suitable weather, and the dangers of baling damp hay, including mold and spontaneous combustion 55.
• Limits: Is not a veterinary professional and cannot diagnose the cause of a dog’s difficult labor 406.

Local Knowledge and Connections

• Recommends a reliable feed seller, agricultural workers, a construction crew, and a source of distillers’ grains 6 40 153 335.
• Explains local customs surrounding gratitude and reciprocal hospitality, helping Shi Wen navigate relationships with other herders 26.
• Takes Shi Wen blueberry picking and shares information about mountain resources such as caterpillar fungus and ginseng 59 197.
• Suggests using fruit-sorting machinery to separate large quantities of chive blossoms from grass and debris 532.

Organization and Supervision

• Assists Sikewell with household livestock registration and vaccination visits 16.
• Recruits workers, discusses contracts, supervises fencing work, and reconciles accounts with Shi Wen 326 338.
• Coordinates village purchases, infrastructure fundraising, storm checks, and livestock exhibition arrangements 152 275 348 379.

Relationships

• Shi Wen — Neighbor, close friend, and eventual livestock-raising partner. Fu Meng initially guides him through local ranch life; Shi Wen later helps treat his cows and market his beef. Shi Wen describes them as practically family 3 245 591.
• Chang Qingqing — Wife and partner in managing their livestock. They work together through the milk crisis and consult one another before agreeing on a discounted beef sale to Shi Wen 245 591.
• Fu Senze — Son; joins the family’s blueberry-picking outing and later appears at a family dinner with Shi Wen 59 537.
• Fu Ningjia — Daughter, also called Ningning. Her encounter with a dog in labor brings Fu Meng and Shi Wen to Zhao Yongqiang’s home 137 406.
• Fu Meng’s parents — His father helps bring the cattle home, while his mother and Chang Qingqing prepare dinner. Fu Meng translates his father’s difficult-to-understand Mandarin for Shi Wen 536 537.
• Yan Kexing — Friend and collaborator. Fu Meng thanks him for helping solve the cows’ milk problem and works for him and Shi Wen on the mountain fencing 247 326.
• Zhang Deyuan — Local sheep dealer whom Fu Meng introduces to Shi Wen. They also share concerns about Shi Wen taking unnecessary risks with sick animals 26 35.
• Fu Boxiu — Friend and fellow rancher. Fu Meng introduces him to Shi Wen as a source of Dolan sheep; their shared surname helped draw Fu Meng’s attention when they first met 185 186.
• Sikewell — Collaborator in livestock registration and vaccination work; later treats Fu Meng’s cows for their rumen-flora problem 16 247.

Story Role / Major Arcs

Helping Shi Wen Establish the Ranch

Fu Meng first approaches Shi Wen because he sees a stranger entering private ranch property. After learning that he is Shi Jingbo’s grandson, he welcomes his return and advises him to repair the ranch promptly before the spring lamb-buying season passes 3.

He takes Shi Wen to the livestock market, helps assess and bargain for lambs, and transports the purchases in his three-wheeler. He also introduces Shi Wen to Old Sun’s feed shop 4 5 6.

His assistance expands beyond livestock purchases: his household supplies local vegetable seeds and seedlings, he arranges additional transport when Shi Wen buys two cows, and he later provides fermented manure and recommends workers for reclaiming the cornfield 16 18 40.

Ranch Work and Village Life

Fu Meng teaches Shi Wen to shear sheep and later joins the herders hired to shear a flock of 414. After finishing, the group also cleans the livestock barns and pens 25 65.

Their friendship develops through shared meals, chive-blossom harvesting, blueberry picking, and winter fishing. Fu Meng also brings horse meat and sausage after a blizzard and explains the local practice of burning creeping pine in courtyards and livestock sheds 49 50 59 121 148.

Community Projects and Emergency Work

The Dairy Cows’ Milk Crisis

Fu Meng seeks Shi Wen’s help when his cows begin producing milk with a fermented smell and spoiled taste. The animals appear healthy, and laboratory tests find no bacteria or toxins, leaving him and Chang Qingqing worried about whether to stop milking or sell the cows 244.

Feeding them forage from Shi Wen’s ranch reduces the strange smell, but the underlying problem is eventually traced to their rumen flora. Sikewell administers medicine, and the milk returns to normal the following day 245 246 247.

Relieved, Fu Meng brings a large slaughtered sheep to thank Shi Wen and Yan Kexing. He also offers labor in return, agreeing to help round up Shi Wen’s much larger flock for treatment 247.

Livestock Improvement and Cooperation

Fu Meng supplies local breeding history when Shi Wen adopts an old-bloodline fat-tailed ram. He explains that the local sheep population has declined in quality and that some herders have introduced outside stock to improve their earnings 110.

He later tells Shi Wen that he wants to buy improved cattle if the breeding program succeeds. As their cooperation develops, Shi Wen checks his pregnant ewes, and Fu Meng offers him a village place on a visit to Renying Ranch to learn about marbled beef production 170 543.

Fu Meng also helps prepare clean, heated, ventilated individual pens for Shi Wen’s pet lambs 575.

The Beef Partnership

Fu Meng’s household raises an exceptionally large castrated young bull weighing 1,903 jin. Shi Wen accompanies him to slaughter and observes that most comparable local brown cattle weigh only a little over 1,000 jin, strengthening his resolve to improve regional cattle germplasm 588.

After tasting the beef, Shi Wen proposes marketing it through his sales channels. Fu Meng credits intensive day-and-night care, while he and Chang Qingqing acknowledge that their cattle have also benefited from Shi Wen’s pasture 589 590 591.

Shi Wen and Yan Kexing’s Wedding

At the wedding, Fu Meng explains that the herders’ gift money reflects remembered favors and reciprocal obligations. He tells Shi Wen that he and Yan Kexing have become part of the community, now participating in its weddings, funerals, and continuing exchanges of kindness 606.

Notable Quotes

“No need to thank me. We’re neighbors. If you move here, things will be a little livelier around here too.” 3

“Everyone sees what you’re like day to day. Don’t they know you by now? The alfalfa you recommend can’t be bad.” 152

“You two have really become part of this community.” 606