Chapter Summaries

After the rain, Shi Wen found the ranch’s wild chive flowers had grown more abundantly than the year before, and he invited friends to pick them before making a large batch of chive flower sauce. He shared jars with the members, and Qile Moge called to praise the sauce.

• Shi Wen noticed the ranch’s wild chive flowers were especially plump and fragrant after the rain.
• Shi Wen invited Fu Meng, Zhang Deyuan, Chang Qingqing, and their families to pick chive flowers, while he harvested the rest and left some for the livestock.
• An Wa and Fu Wa fought a dozen dogs while exploring the village, so Shi Wen brought treats to apologize to the dogs they had beaten.
• Shi Wen asked Chang Qingqing and Xin Xianghong to help make chive flower sauce, with Yan Kexing carefully measuring the ingredients.
• Shi Wen sent two jars of sauce to each member, and Qile Moge called to tell Shi Wen how much he loved it.

Shi Wen and Qile Moge discussed selling Shi Wen’s chive blossom sauce, while customers across City B praised its flavor and sought to buy more. The chapter ended with members of a ranch group chat sharing ways to eat the sauce, including on steak.

• Qile Moge urged Shi Wen to apply for certification and sell jars of chive blossom sauce, suggesting a price of 388 yuan each.
• An old man in City B enjoyed the sauce with mantou until his son tried it and agreed it was delicious.
• The old man and his son planned to eat the sauce with hotpot mutton at a family meal.
• Members of a group chat praised the sauce, discussed buying it through the ranch’s membership program, and shared ideas for eating it.
• One group member recommended spreading the sauce on fatty, medium-well steak.

After the ranch’s chive blossom sauce and eggs sold out, Shi Wen planned a more impressive September membership gift and chose woolly pork as the featured product. He arranged for two woolly pigs to be slaughtered, and Tang Dahe arrived with Shi Wen’s friends to help.

• Shi Wen saw the ranch’s membership count rise to 364 after the chive blossom sauce became popular, and he and Yan Kexing discussed developing new products.
• Shi Wen listed possible September gifts, including goose eggs, pumpkins, and soybeans, but Yan Kexing suggested adding woolly pork as the featured product.
• Shi Wen and Yan Kexing decided to slaughter two woolly pigs and arranged to hire a pig butcher.
• Shi Wen asked his friends to help find a butcher and set the slaughter for Saturday.
• Tang Dahe arrived at Shi Wen’s ranch as friends gathered to help, and Chang Qingqing and Xin Xianghong heated water for the slaughter.
• Tang Dahe directed the group to use iron hooks to bring the two woolly pigs out of the pigsty.

Shi Wen and the others slaughtered his two sheep pigs, saved their coats, and prepared a feast from the meat and organs. The villagers gathered around Zhang Deyuan’s wok to eat slaughter-day stew, praising the pigs’ rich, free-range flavor.

• Shi Wen and the group struggled to restrain and slaughter the two large sheep pigs, while Chang Qingqing and the other women collected their blood.
• Shi Wen had the pigs’ coats shaved off and saved, then Tang Dahe singed and butchered the pigs into cuts of meat.
• Everyone helped prepare the meat and ingredients, and Zhang Deyuan volunteered to cook slaughter-day stew.
• Zhang Deyuan cooked pork, organs, pig’s blood, and garlic shoots in a large wok, then called everyone to eat.
• The villagers shared the stew and praised its tender, flavorful meat as reminiscent of the free-range pork they had eaten as children.

After processing the sheep pigs, Shi Wen learned their pork had an Ability value of 212 and qualified as a Variant Ingredient. He and Yan Kexing decided to acquire more sheep pigs and refine their breeding plan, while Zhu Ji arranged to collect future samples.

• Shi Wen and the others processed the pigs into lard, sausages, smoked pork, and ham, then shared pork with everyone who helped.
• Yan Kexing prepared a meat-rich meal for the household’s little ones, and the next day he and Shi Wen collected creeping pine for smoking sausages.
• Shi Wen read Zhu Ji’s messages and learned the sheep pig pork had an Ability value of 212, qualifying it as a Variant Ingredient.
• Shi Wen told Zhu Ji he expected the second-generation fat-tailed sheep to score even higher, and Zhu Ji agreed to collect samples at New Year.
• Shi Wen and Yan Kexing decided to buy more sheep pigs, including sows, and Shi Wen contacted Abudu about finding the seller.
• Shi Wen recorded lessons from raising the sheep pigs and began planning a more carefully managed breeding and feeding program.

Shi Wen’s ears returned to normal, and he prepared his ranch’s September gift boxes while expanding his woolly pig herd. The chapter ended when he saw a video of the tigress he and Yan Kexing had released in the Agouna Mountains, running across a road near people and vehicles.

• Shi Wen woke to find his beast ears had changed back to normal, and Yan Kexing suggested the Variant Ingredients had restored his energy.
• Yan Kexing made Shi Wen a double burger, and Shi Wen spent the following week tending smoked sausages and meat for the September gift boxes.
• Shi Wen sent members lard, sausages, beans, goose eggs, and a pumpkin, and they praised the gift in the group chat.
• Shi Wen visited a woolly pig breeding farm, bought a hundred pigs, and quarantined and vaccinated them before adding them to his herd.
• Shi Wen watched a video of the tigress from the Agouna Mountains racing across a road as people filmed her, but he could not identify her location.

Shi Wen learned that a tigress from the Agouna Mountains had wandered into a neighboring county and went with Zhou Hongzhong to retrieve her. He found the exhausted tigress hiding behind a haystack, reunited with her, and took her back to his ranch.

• Shi Wen saw news about a tiger on WeChat, and Zhou Hongzhong called to say the tigress was wandering through a neighboring county, possibly toward Shi Wen's ranch.
• Shi Wen agreed to help bring the tigress under control, told Yan Kexing he was going with Zhou Hongzhong, and joined the officials' vehicle.
• Shi Wen found the exhausted tigress hiding behind a haystack on a ranch and called out to her.
• The tigress recognized Shi Wen and rushed to nuzzle him; he comforted and gently scolded her before leading her into the vehicle.
• Shi Wen took the tigress back to his ranch while Zhou Hongzhong prepared to submit a report.

Shi Wen and Yan Kexing welcomed the tigress back to the ranch for a visit, then took her home to the mountains the next day. They also visited the male tiger, who happily greeted them and ate the meat they brought.

• Shi Wen asked Captain Zhou to explain in his report that the tigress had not meant to attack anyone, and Zhou agreed not to harm her as long as she stayed in the mountains.
• The tigress visited Yan Kexing and became jealous when she saw the little snow leopard, frightening it into stumbling away.
• Shi Wen soothed the tigress by showing her the house and assuring her that the little snow leopard was not allowed inside, then he and Yan Kexing fed her and let her stay overnight.
• The next morning, Shi Wen and Yan Kexing returned the tigress to the mountains, urged her not to come down again, and went to visit the male tiger.
• The male tiger happily rubbed against Shi Wen and Yan Kexing, ate the meat they brought, and listened as Shi Wen warned him not to come down or attack people or livestock.

After the tigress left eight piles of dung around the ranch, Shi Wen cleared them and began spreading fermented manure across the pasture. While fertilizing near the saxaul trees, he found nine ripe Hami melons and invited Yan Kexing, Gong Jiang, and the others home to share them.

• Shi Wen and Yan Kexing found eight piles of tiger dung around the ranch, which Shi Wen shoveled into the fermentation tanks.
• Shi Wen checked a manure tank and decided to fertilize the pasture with its finished fertilizer.
• Shi Wen drove the fertilizer spreader across the pasture, then began fertilizing the saxaul trees by hand.
• Shi Wen discovered nine ripe Hami melons hidden among the grass and gathered them.
• Shi Wen sent Yan Kexing a photo of the melons and invited him, Gong Jiang, and the other two to dinner; Yan Kexing returned home with them that evening.

Shi Wen and Yan Kexing hosted Gong Jiang and the others for a meal, and Gong Jiang told the story of Fan Jiancheng’s repeated failures growing Hami melons. A few days later, Fan Jiancheng visited Shi Wen’s ranch, bringing radish seeds and receiving the melon Shi Wen had promised.

• Shi Wen and Yan Kexing prepared dinner with Gong Jiang and the others, who caught a rooster for the meal.
• Gong Jiang recounted how Fan Jiancheng’s Hami melon crops had failed for four years before he switched to growing radishes.
• Shi Wen and Yan Kexing confirmed that Fan Jiancheng had become the famous Radish King and moved to Shijia County.
• Fan Jiancheng arrived at Shi Wen’s ranch, introduced himself, and gave Shi Wen a bag of radish seeds.
• Shi Wen welcomed Fan Jiancheng, served him Hami melon and refreshments, and listened as Fan praised the ranch.

Shi Wen planted the Radish King’s seeds and enjoyed the tender seedlings with Yan Kexing. As September grew colder, he arranged to shear and sell wool from his fat-tailed sheep and sheep pigs, while friends helped shear the remaining sheep.

• Shi Wen planted the Radish King’s radish seeds in the former potato field and later cooked the seedlings with noodles for himself and Yan Kexing.
• Shi Wen noticed his fat-tailed sheep shedding their summer wool and asked He Chengzhang to shear them.
• He Chengzhang bought the best-grade wool and had his workers shear Shi Wen’s sheep pigs as well.
• Shi Wen planned to hire workers to shear the wool left on the fat-tailed sheep and sell it to another dealer.
• Chang Qingqing and Xin Xianghong helped with the shearing and praised Shi Wen’s skill at raising livestock.

Shi Wen learned about the many products herders made from wool and decided to have some of his wool processed instead of selling it immediately. He brought a sample to Old Hunchback’s shop, where Old Hunchback agreed to process it separately, and Shi Wen began choosing products from a booklet.

• Chang Qingqing and Xin Xianghong told Shi Wen about wool quilts, blankets, felt, and other products, and Xin Xianghong recommended Old Hunchback as an honest craftsman.
• Shi Wen considered making wool beds for the little ones at home and discussed having wool products made with Yan Kexing, who agreed.
• The next day, Shi Wen took a sample of wool to Old Hunchback’s busy shop in town.
• Old Hunchback examined the wool and praised its softness and quality, explaining that processing it separately would cost more.
• Shi Wen accepted the higher cost, and Old Hunchback offered him a booklet of products and prices so they could decide what to make.

Shi Wen ordered custom wool beds, quilts, clothes, and other goods for the animals at home, then replaced their old bedding with the soft, high-quality products. The animals adopted new washing routines, and Shi Wen ordered a large blower to dry the horses after baths.

• Shi Wen privately ordered Old Hunchback to make woolen goods in different sizes for his animals, earning less from selling wool than he had expected.
• Old Hunchback's family delivered the goods a week later, and Shi Wen and Yan Kexing admired how soft and fragrant the wool quilts were.
• Shi Wen replaced the animals' beds, including the horses' straw, and the dogs began washing and wiping their paws before using their new beds.
• When Gong Jiang and the others visited, they admired the dog beds and accepted Shi Wen's offer of matching wool bedding sets.
• The horses copied the dogs by washing themselves, so Shi Wen bathed them more often and ordered a large blower to dry their coats.

Shi Wen prepared better bathing facilities for the animals and invited Baoye A Sai to shoe Shi Suo and Yan Shi. After Baoye A Sai praised the horses’ condition and intelligence, they agreed to test how quickly Shi Suo could learn beginner dressage movements.

• Shi Wen set up a large drying box and a shower room for the animals, while keeping the snow leopard cub and little fox separate and limiting baths to once a week.
• Shi Wen invited Baoye A Sai and his people to shoe Shi Suo and Yan Shi, whose horseshoes had lasted nearly three months.
• Baoye A Sai remarked that the horses were in better condition than any he had seen and suggested betting that they were smarter than ordinary horses.
• Shi Wen declined the bet and agreed to let Baoye A Sai test Shi Suo’s learning ability by teaching him beginner dressage movements in one day.

Shi Wen and Baoye A Sai fitted Shi Suo with new horseshoes and trained him in beginner dance steps, discovering that he learned with remarkable speed. When Yan Kexing returned, Shi Wen was riding Shi Suo, and Yan Kexing offered to take over.

• Shi Wen and Baoye A Sai tied Shi Suo up, replaced his horseshoes, and groomed him and Yan Shi.
• Baoye A Sai showed Shi Suo an instructional video, then trained him to walk, trot, and sidestep.
• Shi Suo learned quickly and eagerly continued practicing until Baoye A Sai was too tired to ride.
• Shi Wen took over riding Shi Suo, and the two danced around the pasture.
• Yan Kexing returned, teased Shi Wen about struggling to keep up, and offered to ride Shi Suo himself.

Shi Wen admired Yan Kexing’s riding and learned the horseback dance steps with his guidance. After discussing Baoye A Sai’s struggles breeding Tianma horses, Shi Wen agreed to buy two and try breeding them himself.

• Yan Kexing rode Shi Suo through graceful dance steps, impressing Shi Wen, and then taught him to ride the steps with him.
• Several days later, Baoye A Sai watched Shi Wen perform the steps and praised both his skill and Shi Suo’s perceptiveness.
• Baoye A Sai explained his goal of breeding Tianma horses capable of competing internationally and asked Shi Wen to train some horses.
• Shi Wen offered to buy two Tianma horses and try breeding them, and Baoye A Sai eagerly agreed.

Shi Wen carefully took over Baoye A Sai’s family herd of Heavenly Horses and settled the horses at his ranch. As heavy rain approached, he rushed to move his hay bales into storage.

• Shi Wen consulted an industry veteran, researched racehorses and Heavenly Horses, and decided to buy Baoye A Sai’s herd.
• Shi Wen declined Zhu Ji’s offer to help him apply for a large state subsidy, saying his ranch no longer needed the money.
• Shi Wen and Baoye A Sai agreed on a six-million price for twenty young Heavenly Horses and signed a contract.
• Baoye A Sai transported the horses to Shi Wen’s ranch, where Shi Wen quarantined them and had Sikewell examine, vaccinate, and tag them.
• After receiving a warning about approaching heavy precipitation and falling temperatures, Shi Wen worked through the day to move his hay bales into storage as the pigeons flew around him.

Shi Wen and his friends finished preparing the ranch for the storm, then heard a strange impact outside once the rain began. After checking the sheds and confirming all the animals were safe, Shi Wen was left without an explanation for the sound.

• Shi Wen covered the beehives and, with Yan Kexing, Gong Jiang, Ge Yue, and the others, moved the hay bales into the warehouse.
• The group rested indoors with honey water and watermelon while discussing the unusually warm, humid weather.
• As the rain began, Shi Wen heard a distant thud, and Yan Kexing confirmed that he had heard it too.
• After the rain eased, Shi Wen and the others went outside to investigate the sound.
• Shi Wen checked the livestock and poultry sheds and found all the animals safe, with every pigeon back in its loft.

After a tornado swept fish onto the ranch, Shi Wen and the others gathered the catch and planned a barbecue. They returned home with plenty of fish and vegetables and prepared to grill for everyone.

• Shi Wen, Yan Kexing, Gong Jiang, Ge Yue, and Lin Chengqian walked through the rain-soaked ranch and found a live crucian carp in the grass.
• Yan Kexing spotted more fish, and Shi Wen suspected the earlier dull sound came from fish landing on the pasture.
• Shi Wen checked online and confirmed that a tornado had carried fish from a natural lake onto the ranch.
• The group gathered many edible fish, finding them concentrated in one area, and carried about ten each back home.
• Shi Wen proposed a barbecue, Yan Kexing began marinating the fish, and Shi Wen planned to invite the little ones to the veranda.
• Ge Yue and Lin Chengqian picked baskets of vegetables for the barbecue.

Shi Wen, Yan Kexing, and the others prepared a charcoal grill feast, sharing the food with the eager little animals. They especially enjoyed Yan Kexing’s grilled eggplant, and Shi Wen asked for another just as the animals began crying for a taste.

• Everyone prepared ingredients and sauces while Yan Kexing made aromatic infused oil and a food processor plan for grinding fish for the little ones.
• Shi Wen, Ge Yue, and the others grilled meat, vegetables, and fish as the little animals begged for food.
• Shi Wen carefully deboned fish for Cong Zai, then tossed other pieces down for the animals to scramble over.
• The group ate grilled skewers and wild cold-water fish while chatting and feeding the little ones.
• Yan Kexing brushed garlic sauce and scallions onto soft grilled eggplant, which the group quickly ate and praised.
• Shi Wen asked for another eggplant as the hungry little ones cried out for a share.