Arc 3The Tiger Cubs Arrive

Shi Wen expanded his ranch, adopted new animals, harvested hay and wool, and found a prized breeding ram. After helping Yan Kexing rescue two orphaned tiger cubs, Shi Wen agreed to raise them at the ranch with Yan Kexing’s help and official support.

  • Shi Wen bought 304 wethers, adopted Cong Zai to protect his corn, and watched the cat catch field mice while tending his growing flock.
  • Shi Wen cut and baled hay, then helped forest police relocate protected Ephedra rhytidosperma from his pasture.
  • Shi Wen adopted the stray Malinois as Fu Wa, sheared his 414 sheep, sold their premium wool, and bought the breeding ram Eight Treasures.
  • Shi Wen traveled with Yan Kexing to investigate poachers and joined the search for tiger cubs whose mother had been killed.
  • Shi Wen and Yan Kexing found two cubs in a mountain den, fed them, and brought them to the rescue team for care.
  • When the cubs refused food and grew dangerously weak, Shi Wen agreed to raise them temporarily at his ranch with Yan Kexing, permits, expert support, and a monthly subsidy.
  • Yan Kexing brought the cubs to the ranch and moved into Shi Wen’s room, while their friends helped monitor the cubs and photographed their first successful bowel movements.
Chapters 51–75 Vol. 1 Read

Ch. 51Chapter 23

Shi Wen bought 304 wethers from Mulati and brought them back to his ranch to fatten for the New Year. After quarantining them in separate sheds, he found the flock settled in calmly as he worked to feed and care for them.

  • Zhang Deyuan told Shi Wen that his friend Mulati had wethers available for eighteen yuan per jin, and Shi Wen agreed to go choose some.
  • Shi Wen examined Mulati’s flock and selected 304 wethers, paying a little over 250,000 yuan for them.
  • Shi Wen brought the new sheep to his ranch and kept them in newly completed sheds for quarantine.
  • Shi Wen cut grass daily to feed the larger flock and supplemented it with rapeseed cake, mineral feed, and salt blocks.
  • Shi Wen observed that the new wethers were quiet and settled in well, which he attributed to his animal-raising talent and their being castrated rams.

Ch. 52Chapter 23 (continued)

Shi Wen discovered that small animals had been damaging his silage corn and decided to get a cat to deal with the pests. He adopted a friendly black cat named Cong Zai and brought him home, where he planned to let him adjust before roaming the ranch.

  • Shi Wen found more than seventy corn seedlings bitten off and replanted the gaps.
  • Shi Wen asked his friends to help find a kitten that could catch field mice.
  • Luo Qinggui contacted Shi Wen about a black stray cat at Star Pet Hospital.
  • Shi Wen met the affectionate black cat, adopted him, and named him Cong Zai.
  • Shi Wen bought cat supplies and kept Cong Zai indoors while he settled in.

Ch. 53Page 53

Shi Wen discovered that Cong Zai was both a fierce fighter and an accomplished hunter when he took the cat to the cornfield to catch the animal damaging the seedlings. Cong Zai swiftly caught a large field mouse, proving he could protect the crop.

  • Shi Wen found Cong Zai roaring at Le Wa and An Wa, then scolded all three to treat one another kindly.
  • Shi Wen carried Cong Zai to the cornfield and showed him the damaged corn seedlings.
  • Cong Zai ran ahead through the field without disturbing the seedlings and growled at a hole.
  • Cong Zai used the growl as a feint, chased a field mouse into another hole, and caught it in under three minutes.

Ch. 54Chapter 24

Shi Wen praised Cong Zai for catching a giant vole, then shared photos that sparked comments from his acquaintances. The next morning, he found the dogs and cat had lined up their vole catches as gifts, and he fled to prepare their food.

  • Cong Zai caught a giant vole and proudly brought it to Shi Wen, who praised them and declined the offered prey.
  • Shi Wen posted photos of Cong Zai and the vole, and he chatted with Yan Kexing about the cat’s name.
  • Ge Yue and Lin Chengqian admired Shi Wen’s ranch and discussed visiting or studying its animals with Gong Jiang.
  • The cats and dogs kept Shi Wen awake by racing around at night, though he forgot to discuss it with them the next morning.
  • Shi Wen found the three dogs and Cong Zai presenting a row of big voles, but he insisted he did not eat them and hurried away to get their food.
  • Cong Zai, Heiwa, Le Wa, and An Wa carried their voles toward the livestock shed.

Ch. 55Chapter 24 (continued)

Shi Wen prepared to make hay after Fu Meng advised him that the pasture grass was ready to cut, then began mowing it in good weather. He left the dogs checking the next plot as he rested with them and Cong Zai before returning to work.

  • Shi Wen photographed the pasture and asked Fu Meng whether it was time to cut the grass, and Fu Meng advised him to wait for good weather and ensure the hay dried completely.
  • Shi Wen checked eight years of weather records, chose a suitable period, and rented a hay tedder and booked a baler.
  • Shi Wen drove the cattle and sheep out to graze, then used a mower to cut the grass in plots the livestock had left mostly untouched.
  • Shi Wen gave the dogs water and jerky, then also offered Cong Zai water and jerky while the animals rested with him.
  • Shi Wen sent Heiwa, Le Wa and An Wa to check another plot, and they ran off to surround it from three directions.

Ch. 56Page 56

While finishing his mowing plan, Shi Wen recognized a suspicious plant on the ranch as a protected species and alerted the forest police. Yan Kexing arrived with them, and Shi Wen led the group to the unusually lush Ephedra rhytidosperma.

  • Cong Zai and the other little ones inspected the plots for animals while Shi Wen mowed the pasture over six days.
  • Shi Wen spotted a familiar-looking clump of grass and sent photos to Yan Kexing for identification.
  • Yan Kexing identified the plant as second-class nationally protected Ephedra rhytidosperma and told Shi Wen to call the police.
  • Shi Wen contacted the forest police, left the plant and the surrounding grass untouched, and continued drying the cut grass while he waited.
  • Yan Kexing arrived on horseback with the forest police, and Shi Wen led them to the large, lush Ephedra rhytidosperma.

Ch. 57Chapter 25

Shi Wen arranged for Zhou Hongzhong’s team to relocate the spotted ephedra on his ranch, then introduced Cong Zai to Yan Kexing. After their fingers touched, Shi Wen felt an unexpected flutter, while Cong Zai nervously met Yan Kexing.

  • Shi Wen asked Zhou Hongzhong to relocate the five spotted ephedra, and Zhou exchanged WeChat details with him.
  • Yan Kexing stayed at the ranch after Zhou Hongzhong and the others left with the plants.
  • Shi Wen told Yan Kexing he had worried the protected plants might put his ranch at risk, and Yan reassured him.
  • Shi Wen brought Cong Zai to meet Yan Kexing, and their fingers brushed as Yan took the cat.
  • Shi Wen felt his heart skip as he met Yan Kexing’s gaze, while Cong Zai trembled in Yan’s arms until Yan gently soothed him.

Ch. 58Chapter 25 (continued)

Shi Wen finished drying and baling his forage and stored it in the warehouse, then hurried to bring his cattle and sheep home as rain threatened. The village group reported that other farmers’ freshly cut grass was at risk of getting soaked.

  • Yan Kexing stayed overnight at Shi Wen’s home, helped him make the bed, and said he would visit again during his next break.
  • Shi Wen tested the dried forage, confirmed its moisture content was suitable for hay, and baled and stored it in the warehouse.
  • When clouds and cool, damp wind signaled approaching rain, Shi Wen rode out with the dogs to bring the cattle and sheep home.
  • Shi Wen and the dogs drove the cattle, sheep, and geese toward the livestock shed before the rain arrived.
  • Villagers discussed the coming rain in the village WeChat group and worried about their freshly cut grass.

Ch. 59Page 59

Shi Wen helped Old Man Ma and the villagers save their hay from the rain, then arranged to go blueberry picking with Fu Meng the next day. The group set off for the mountain with Fu Meng's family, Shi Wen's cat, and his three dogs.

  • Shi Wen secured his livestock and joined villagers carrying Old Man Ma's hay into storage before the rain arrived.
  • Old Man Ma's family served milk tea and butter to the helpers, who praised the couple's grandchildren.
  • Shi Wen asked Fu Meng about the wild blueberries, and Fu Meng offered to take him picking the next day.
  • Shi Wen arrived at Fu Meng's house with his cat and three dogs, and Fu Meng's family prepared to leave for the mountain.
  • Chang Qingqing agreed to let Fu Senze ride behind Shi Wen, and the group set off on their motorcycles.

Ch. 60Page 60

Shi Wen went blueberry picking in the mountains with Fu Meng, the children, and the animals, and discovered that his sense of smell could lead him to especially delicious berries. He followed a sweet fragrance to bushes bearing large, dark blueberries.

  • Shi Wen and the others rode up the mountain with Heiwa and the other dogs, then began picking wild blueberries in an alpine meadow.
  • Shi Wen tasted the fresh blueberries while the dogs, Cong Zai, and the children eagerly ate and gathered berries.
  • Fu Senze told Shi Wen that Heiwa and the other dogs had found bushes with exceptionally sweet blueberries.
  • Shi Wen realized he might be able to use his sense of smell to identify the best berries and went ahead to investigate.
  • Following a rich, sweet fragrance, Shi Wen found bushes covered with large, dark blueberries.

Ch. 61Chapter 26

Shi Wen sent Yan Kexing wild blueberries and homemade jam, and Yan Kexing said he liked them and would bring pastries in return. The next day, Fu Meng told Shi Wen about a stray Malinois in the village and asked whether he wanted it for the ranch.

  • Shi Wen picked blueberries with Fu Meng, Chang Qingqing, and their family, then brought his harvest home.
  • Shi Wen made blueberry jam and sent Yan Kexing a basket of berries and two jars of jam.
  • Yan Kexing said he enjoyed the berries and jam and promised to bring Shi Wen blueberry pastries.
  • Shi Wen collected wool from the sheep shed and planned to sell it to Zhang Deyuan before shearing the sheep for autumn.
  • Fu Meng told Shi Wen that a fierce stray Malinois had appeared in the village and asked if he wanted it for the ranch.

Ch. 62Chapter 26 (continued)

Shi Wen rescued a wary, starving Belgian Malinois from the village and brought it to his ranch, where he quarantined it in the old livestock shed. His three dogs reacted jealously, but he soothed them with food and told them to stay away from the shed for now.

  • Fu Meng told Shi Wen that a stray dog in the village needed to be taken away, so Shi Wen went to find it.
  • Shi Wen gradually earned the Malinois's trust by feeding it dried meat and gently petting it.
  • Shi Wen put a lead on the Malinois, brought it home, and settled it in the old livestock shed with food, water, and bedding.
  • Shi Wen's three dogs blocked him after he left the shed and showed their displeasure at the unfamiliar dog.
  • Shi Wen comforted the dogs with affection and treats, then told them to avoid the old livestock shed.

Ch. 63Page 63

Shi Wen tried to keep the new Belgian Malinois isolated, but it escaped twice, raising worries about the danger it posed around the village. After noticing Le Wa acting guilty and realizing the shed door had been opened from outside, Shi Wen suspected one of his dogs had helped the Malinois and asked villagers to check their surveillance footage.

  • Shi Wen fed the Malinois less generously than Heiwa, Le Wa, and An Wa while keeping it isolated from them.
  • Shi Wen found the Malinois missing from the livestock shed, searched for it, and brought it back when it returned muddy and hungry.
  • The Malinois escaped again and a villager reported seeing it wandering in a ditch near the village entrance, so Shi Wen brought it back.
  • Shi Wen noticed Le Wa fleeing guiltily and realized the shed door had been opened from outside, leading him to suspect another dog had let the Malinois out.
  • Shi Wen called nearby camera owners and asked them to check their surveillance footage for the escape.

Ch. 64Chapter 27

Shi Wen discovered that An Wa had deliberately led the Malinois away and abandoned it, but the dog soon bonded with the other animals, including An Wa, and Shi Wen named it Fu Wa. The next morning, Fu Meng and the herders arrived early to help shear sheep, while Shi Wen prepared food and welcomed them with milk tea.

  • Shi Wen watched surveillance footage showing An Wa luring the Malinois into a ditch with jerky and leaving it behind.
  • Shi Wen confronted An Wa, scolded it, and banned it from meat and milk for three days.
  • Shi Wen let the Malinois roam freely while he prepared to find it a reliable adoptive home.
  • The Malinois played with Heiwa, Le Wa, and Cong Zai, and even An Wa began playing with it.
  • Shi Wen decided the Malinois belonged with the family and named it Fu Wa.
  • Fu Meng and several herders, including Old Man Ma, arrived early to shear sheep, and Shi Wen served them milk tea while cooking chicken.

Ch. 65Chapter 27 (continued)

Shi Wen hosted herders for breakfast before they helped shear his 414 sheep, producing far more wool than he expected. Zhang Deyuan arrived to buy it and offered seventy yuan per jin, surprising Shi Wen with the price increase.

  • Shi Wen served breakfast and milk tea to Fu Meng, Old Man Ma, Ma Kang, and the other herders, who praised his animals and his milk tea.
  • At the sheepfold, Old Man Ma and Fu Meng pointed out that some of Shi Wen’s ewes had come into heat, and Shi Wen discussed breeding plans with the herders.
  • Shi Wen and the hired herders sheared all 414 sheep, then weighed 1,738 jin and six liang of wool.
  • After shearing, Fu Meng and the others cleaned Shi Wen’s livestock barns and pens instead of leaving when their work was done.
  • Shi Wen called Zhang Deyuan to buy the wool, and Zhang offered seventy yuan per jin, prompting Shi Wen to ask why the price had risen.

Ch. 66Page 66

Shi Wen earned 147,730 yuan selling premium-grade wool and asked Zhang Deyuan to help him find high-quality breeding sheep. After inspecting several flocks, Shi Wen remained unwilling to settle for a ram that did not meet his standards, despite the risk of missing the breeding season.

  • Shi Wen learned that his 1,738 jin of wool was premium grade and sold it to Zhang Deyuan for 147,730 yuan.
  • Shi Wen declined Zhang Deyuan’s suggestion to focus on wool sheep and said he wanted to breed sheep valued for both meat and wool.
  • Shi Wen hired Zhang Deyuan to help him find good local breeding sheep, but rejected the sheep he inspected over several days.
  • Shi Wen inspected the flock of a sheep-breeding family with a 300-year history and still found no ram he liked.
  • Zhang Deyuan urged Shi Wen to choose a suitable ram before his ewes’ next heat, but Shi Wen insisted on continuing the search.

Ch. 67Chapter 28

Shi Wen visited a livestock company with Yan Kexing to find a breeding ram for his ewes. He was captivated by Eight Treasures, an acclaimed ram whose pedigree and offspring made him a promising choice.

  • Shi Wen treated his 105 ewes with deworming medicine while Yan Kexing waited at the ranch.
  • Shi Wen and Yan Kexing traveled to another city to inspect purebred fat-tailed sheep at a livestock company.
  • Shi Wen found the ordinary breeding rams there unimpressive, so Bai Yan led him to the ram he had reserved.
  • Shi Wen was immediately smitten with Eight Treasures, and Bai Yan explained the ram's distinguished lineage and successful offspring.

Ch. 68Chapter 28 (continued)

Shi Wen tried to negotiate for Eight Treasures, an aging but exceptional breeding ram, while Bai Minghui decided to inspect the ewes that would mate with him. After seeing Shi Wen’s ranch and flock, Bai Minghui praised their condition, leaving the ram purchase still unresolved.

  • Shi Wen examined Eight Treasures’s record and decided he wanted to buy the ram, though he planned to negotiate over his age and price.
  • Bai Minghui arrived, greeted Shi Wen and Yan Kexing, and asked to inspect Shi Wen’s ewes before agreeing to sell Eight Treasures.
  • Bai Yan drove Bai Minghui, Yan Kexing, and Shi Wen to Shi Wen’s ranch, where Bai Minghui admired its size and abundant forage.
  • Shi Wen led Bai Minghui to the grazing ewes, and Bai Minghui praised their healthy builds and grazing conditions.
  • Shi Wen accompanied Bai Minghui as he approached the ewes, which calmly allowed the old professor to examine them.

Ch. 69Chapter 29

Shi Wen bought Bai Minghui’s breeding ram, Eight Treasures, and used him to breed his ewes, which all appeared to become pregnant. After arranging for someone to watch the ranch, Shi Wen left with Yan Kexing, who had asked him for help.

  • Bai Minghui praised Shi Wen’s well-raised ewes and sold him the breeding ram for thirty-eight thousand.
  • Shi Wen disinfected Eight Treasures, settled him into a separate shed, and later marked his chest with paint before bringing him to the ewes.
  • Eight Treasures bred every ewe in a week, while Shi Wen marked the ewes and monitored their condition.
  • Eight Treasures lost weight and grew listless from breeding, so Shi Wen gave him concentrated feed and time to recover.
  • Shi Wen agreed to help Yan Kexing, paid Old Man Ma to watch the ranch, and left with Yan Kexing before daybreak.

Ch. 70Page 70

Shi Wen learned that Lin Chengqian and his fellow students had found evidence of a tiger poaching case while conducting research in Leni County, and he joined them in recognizing the discovery’s significance. As Yan Kexing drove them onward, Shi Wen’s easy conversation with him left the students marveling at how gently their professor treated him.

  • Shi Wen found Lin Chengqian injured in the back seat and learned that he had been hurt while fleeing gangsters.
  • Yan Kexing explained that Lin Chengqian and his fellow students had discovered someone trying to sell a dead tiger during their research in Leni County.
  • Lin Chengqian revealed that he had contacted the seller to stall him, but the students were discovered and chased before they could get help.
  • Shi Wen and the others condemned the poachers and discussed the ecological importance of the suspected local tiger.
  • Shi Wen impressed Yan Kexing with his knowledge of tiger genetics, while Lin Chengqian and the others privately compared Yan Kexing’s gentle manner with Shi Wen to how sharply he scolded them.

Ch. 71Page 71

Shi Wen joined Yan Kexing in searching a mountain for the orphaned cubs of a tigress killed by poachers. Shi Wen found signs of a tiger and identified a trail it had used regularly, but the cubs had not yet been located.

  • Lin Chengqian complained in the group chat about the difference in treatment, while Gong Jiang and Ge Yue advised him not to compare himself to Shi Wen.
  • Yan Kexing explained that poachers had caused a tigress to fall to her death, leaving at least two cubs too young to survive alone, and invited Shi Wen to help search.
  • At the mountain command camp, Shi Wen chose to look for animal trails with Yan Kexing, while Gong Jiang and the others stayed behind to join another search team.
  • Shi Wen found tracks showing that a tiger had ambushed a large wild boar and recovered a coarse hair, which Yan Kexing shared in the tiger-search group chat.
  • Shi Wen clarified that they had found evidence of a tiger, not the cubs, and continued searching with Yan Kexing until he found a frequently used tiger trail.

Ch. 72Chapter 30

Shi Wen and Yan Kexing found the tiger’s den and discovered two hungry tiger cubs inside. After Shi Wen fed and calmed them, the team took the sleeping cubs to staff for examination and care.

  • Shi Wen followed the tiger trail with Yan Kexing and found the den after walking about eight kilometers.
  • Shi Wen and Yan Kexing heard breathing inside the cave and discovered two frightened tiger cubs hiding in a small opening.
  • Yan Kexing gave Shi Wen goat milk, and Shi Wen fed the cubs until they calmed down and crawled out.
  • Shi Wen carried the cubs from the cave as the arriving team urged him to take them for a checkup.
  • Staff in protective suits took the sleeping cubs for examination and care.

Ch. 73Chapter 30 (continued)

After finding the tiger cubs, Shi Wen tested his rising abilities and began preparing an application for an advanced ability user subsidy with Yan Kexing's help. A leader then asked Shi Wen to raise the traumatized cubs, who were refusing food and drink at the care center.

  • Shi Wen and Yan Kexing returned to the ranch, where Zhu Ji tested Shi Wen and found his Divinity was 827 and his Abilities were 641.
  • Zhu Ji encouraged Shi Wen to apply for an advanced ability user subsidy, and Yan Kexing offered to help write the application.
  • Shi Wen began preparing the subsidy paperwork while Yan Kexing guided him at the ranch.
  • A leader called Shi Wen and explained that the tiger cubs were severely stressed, refusing food and drink, and might not survive.
  • The leader asked Shi Wen to raise the cubs for a while, leaving Shi Wen stunned.

Ch. 74Page 74

After being asked to raise two endangered tiger cubs, Shi Wen weighed the responsibility against his ranch and the safety of its residents. Yan Kexing offered to stay and help, and Shi Wen began negotiating conditions for taking the cubs in.

  • An official asked Shi Wen to raise the tiger cubs, and he said he needed time to consider the responsibility.
  • Shi Wen admitted he wanted to raise the cubs but worried about his workload and the safety of Cong Zai and the other livestock.
  • Yan Kexing offered to stay at the ranch and raise the cubs with Shi Wen, leaving Shi Wen flustered by the prospect of living together.
  • Zhu Ji offered a monthly subsidy of fifty thousand per cub, with Shi Wen's pay separate, and explained the cubs' significance.
  • Shi Wen required stronger three-meter fencing, three separate ranch areas, and an agreement to care for the cubs only until they were about a year old, or less if they endangered the ranch.

Ch. 75Page 75

Shi Wen agreed to raise the two tiger cubs and received them from Yan Kexing, who moved in with him. The cubs began recovering in Shi Wen’s care, and the chapter ended with them finally relieving themselves while Gong Jiang and the others recorded the result.

  • Shi Wen and Zhu Ji agreed on compensation, permits, medical examinations, and expert support for raising the tiger cubs.
  • Yan Kexing brought the two weak, hungry cubs to Shi Wen and moved his belongings into Shi Wen’s room.
  • The cubs recognized Shi Wen, drank warm goat’s milk, and grew more settled in his arms.
  • Gong Jiang, Lin Chengqian, and Ge Yue teased Shi Wen and Yan Kexing about living together, then helped prepare to monitor the cubs.
  • Shi Wen and Yan Kexing massaged the cubs’ bellies in the backyard outhouse until both passed large piles of poop, which Gong Jiang and the others photographed and shared.
Arc 3 of 25
Arc 3 of 25