Chapter Summaries

Shi Wen and Yan Kexing planned to pick wood ear mushrooms with Ge Yue, but Shi Wen discovered the sheep-pigs had wandered up the mountain. He and Yan Kexing rode out to find them, leaving the dogs to herd the other livestock.

• Shi Wen and Yan Kexing agreed to take Ge Yue up the mountain to gather wood ear mushrooms the next day, provided she could keep up with her paper.
• Shi Wen found the sheep-pigs missing from their pen and used the app to see that they had gone into the mountains through an open gate.
• Shi Wen blamed himself for leaving the gate open and possibly underfeeding the sheep-pigs, then told Yan Kexing what had happened.
• Yan Kexing joined Shi Wen for breakfast, and they set out on horseback to search for the sheep-pigs.
• The dogs barked and went to herd the cattle and sheep while Shi Suo carried Shi Wen and Yan Kexing up the mountain.

Shi Wen and Yan Kexing found that the sheep pigs had roamed the mountain and eaten nearly every plant and crop they could reach. After seeing them devour chestnuts, Yan Kexing suggested they might be useful against invasive plants, though Shi Wen was unsure whether they could digest everything.

• Shi Wen and Yan Kexing found sheep pigs grazing across the mountain and discovered they had stripped wild blueberries and greens bare.
• Shi Wen saw the pigs eating nearly all the apples in the orchard and worried that they might get sick from eating so many things, including rotten apples.
• Shi Wen told Gong Jiang and the others in the group chat that the sheep pigs had eaten all the wood ear mushrooms, but invited them to come see for themselves.
• Shi Wen and Yan Kexing found sheep pigs squeezing chestnuts from their sharp husks and eating them with the shells.
• Yan Kexing suggested the sheep pigs might be developed to help deal with invasive plants, while Shi Wen wondered whether they could digest such a varied diet.

Shi Wen and the others struggled to herd 129 sheep pigs down the mountain until Heiwa and the other dogs gathered them and drove them back to the pasture. The next morning, Shi Wen checked their droppings and found the pigs were healthy despite eating everything edible on the mountain.

• Ge Yue, Shi Wen, Yan Kexing, and Gong Jiang tried to herd the sheep pigs down the mountain, but the pigs scattered and resisted them.
• Shi Wen rode down with Shi Suo to explain the problem to Heiwa and Fu Wa, whose howls summoned the Wolf King and An Wa.
• Heiwa and the other dogs rounded up the sheep pigs and drove them down the mountain into their pasture.
• Shi Wen decided the household needed more dogs and asked the dogs to bring home puppies, then sought sheepdog recommendations through a WeChat group.
• Shi Wen inspected the sheep pigs' droppings the next morning and found them normal, with undigested chestnut shells and tree roots.

Shi Wen planted local fruit trees and discovered that Cong Zai had brought home a newborn sheepdog puppy. He wrapped the puppy warmly and asked the group chats who it belonged to, but no one had claimed it yet.

• Shi Wen checked that the woolly pigs were healthy, then cleaned and disinfected their shed.
• Shi Wen planted fruit saplings on the mountain with help from Laibao, while Yan Kexing offered to help over the weekend.
• Shi Wen and Yan Kexing found Cong Zai watching over a tiny puppy outside their door.
• Yan Kexing checked the puppy, and Shi Wen saw that it looked like a healthy, promising local sheepdog.
• Shi Wen wrapped the puppy in a wool towel and sent its photos to the group chats, where people said it was not theirs.

Shi Wen took in a puppy Cong Zai had brought home, then discovered Wolf King, An Wa, and Fu Wa had stolen three more puppies from their mother. When the mother dog arrived and argued with his dogs, Shi Wen went outside and told them to stop barking and deal with the problem.

• Shi Wen borrowed goat's milk from a villager to feed the puppy Cong Zai had brought home.
• After planting fruit trees all day, Shi Wen returned to find Wolf King, An Wa, and Fu Wa with three puppies they had stolen from their mother.
• Shi Wen asked around in WeChat groups whether anyone had lost puppies, but no one claimed them.
• That night, a mother dog arrived and argued loudly with Heiwa, Le Wa, and Fu Wa while the other dogs watched.
• Shi Wen went outside to stop the barking and told the dogs to solve the problem instead of arguing.

Shi Wen and Yan Kexing settled a dispute with a mother dog whose puppies the ranch dogs had brought home, and she stayed to nurse them. Yan Kexing then left for S City to investigate suspected pine wilt disease, leaving Shi Wen concerned that dead pines on their mountain might also be infected.

• Shi Wen recognized that the barking mother dog was likely looking for the three puppies the Wolf King and the other dogs had brought back.
• Shi Wen had Heiwa, Le Wa, Langwa, and Fu Wa bring out the puppies, and Yan Kexing fed the mother dog until the dispute ended.
• Shi Wen made the mother dog a bed under the eaves and prepared chicken soup for her, while she also nursed Cong Zai's puppy.
• Yan Kexing told Shi Wen he would travel to S City for about a week to investigate suspected pine wilt disease.
• Shi Wen researched how pine wood nematodes spread through pine sawyer beetles and worried that dead pines on their mountain might be infected.

Shi Wen helped cut down infected pine trees with Laibao, earning the locals’ praise and a gift of pine nuts. When Yan Kexing returned from a business trip, the two reunited intimately.

• Shi Wen took Laibao into the mountains to chop pines and burn their roots as part of clearing the trees.
• After learning that pine wood nematodes had spread locally, Shi Wen volunteered through a group chat to help an acquaintance cut trees and bring Laibao.
• The workers and pine owner praised Shi Wen and Laibao, and Shi Wen said he was helping because neighbors had supported his family before.
• After a day of work, Shi Wen accepted a bag of pine nuts from the host in addition to his wages.
• Yan Kexing returned after a week away, and he and Shi Wen shared an intimate reunion.

Yan Kexing returned to the ranch, where he and Shi Wen spent a rainy day roasting pine nuts and baking treats for the animals. Fu Meng visited to ask Shi Wen to contribute to the village road repairs.

• Yan Kexing roasted pine nuts while Shi Wen relaxed and talked with him about planting pine trees on the mountain.
• Shi Wen shared pine nuts with the dogs, and Yan Kexing baked pine nut cookies for the ranch animals.
• Shi Wen fed cookies to the dogs, other animals, horses, and cattle around the ranch.
• Fu Meng visited Shi Wen and explained that the villagers were raising donations to repair their rough road.

Shi Wen donated to the village road repairs, then settled into ranch life after the mother dog left and he adopted her puppies. As autumn turned colder, he planted lacebark pines and prepared the ranch and beehives for winter.

• Shi Wen donated five thousand to the village road repairs, and Fu Meng explained how the costs and accounts would be handled.
• Shi Wen noticed the mother dog had disappeared and, after waiting several days, adopted and named the four puppies.
• Shi Wen planted a batch of inspected lacebark pines on the mountain after the weather cleared.
• Shi Wen declined Yan Kexing's suggestion to move or split the beehives because winter was near and the mountain lacked enough nectar plants.
• Shi Wen ordered padded hive covers and prepared the ranch for winter by stocking fodder and firewood and checking the animal sheds and flues.

Shi Wen discovered that the horses at home had gone into heat, and the mares were interested only in Shi Suo, who fled from them. He arranged to send Shi Suo and Yan Shi to Baoye A Sai’s place for a while.

• Shi Suo followed Shi Wen up the mountain and stayed close to him all day, then was surrounded by the mares when they returned home.
• Shi Wen realized Shi Suo had been avoiding the mares’ attention and found that the herd had entered breeding condition.
• The mares rejected the other stallions and pursued Shi Suo, who remained uninterested and kept running away.
• After watching the horses for several days without seeing them mate, Shi Wen asked Baoye A Sai to take Shi Suo and Yan Shi for a few days.
• Baoye A Sai agreed to host both horses and promised to use their fodder for them.

Shi Wen prepared his heavenly horses for breeding, then had Sikewell confirm that all nine mares were in foal. He also arranged for Sikewell to examine and vaccinate the four new puppies, who gathered when Shi Wen called them.

• Shi Wen adjusted the horses’ lighting and feed to encourage breeding while letting the mares choose their mates.
• The mares entered heat again without Shi Suo present and paired with the stallions.
• Shi Wen asked Sikewell to examine the horses, and Sikewell confirmed that all were healthy and in foal.
• Shi Wen asked Sikewell to check and vaccinate the puppies, then called Miao Wa, Xing Wa, Shun Wa, and Xi Wa to gather.

Shi Wen and Sikewell vaccinated Shi Wen’s four wary puppies, using meat-flavored deworming pills to calm them. Sikewell also checked Shi Wen’s pregnant horses and reassured him that their daily running would not endanger their foals.

• Shi Wen fed and petted the puppies before Sikewell arrived to examine and vaccinate them.
• The four puppies scattered when Shi Wen and Sikewell prepared for their checkups, and Miao Wa barked and dodged Shi Wen’s attempts to catch it.
• Sikewell gave Miao Wa a meat-flavored deworming pill and a shot, then examined and vaccinated the other puppies in the same way.
• Shi Wen took Sikewell to see his pregnant horses, worried that their running might make them lose their foals.
• Sikewell examined the horses and told Shi Wen they were healthy and that their running would not cause them to lose their foals.

Shi Wen gave Zhou Hongzhong manure to help his unit grow Ephedra rhytidosperma, then agreed to supply fertilizer to Jiang Yanhan’s wildlife rescue team. The chapter ended with Jiang Yanhan paying Shi Wen four thousand yuan and the two parting on good terms.

• Shi Wen let his horses roam freely and took extra care of his pregnant ewes as their due date approached.
• Zhou Hongzhong asked Shi Wen for manure after his unit’s Ephedra rhytidosperma plants failed to produce seeds, and Shi Wen offered two truckloads for free.
• Shi Wen continued tending his pastures and mountains, preparing forage and flowers to support his livestock and bees.
• Jiang Yanhan called to ask whether Shi Wen would sell fertilizer to his wildlife rescue team, explaining it could help grow fodder for rescuing wild animals.
• Shi Wen agreed, and Jiang Yanhan arrived the next day with four thousand yuan, which Shi Wen accepted after Jiang Yanhan insisted.

Shi Wen and Yan Kexing agreed to spend a weekend helping with ranch work, then invited their friends to harvest the mature radishes in their backyard. As Yan Kexing cooked radish and cured pork rib stew, the group paused harvesting to eat lunch together, leaving a few cartloads of radishes to move afterward.

• Shi Wen and Yan Kexing discussed making time for each other and decided to harvest the backyard radishes on a weekend.
• Gong Jiang, Ge Yue, and Lin Chengqian arrived to help pull the mature radishes and tease Shi Wen about cooking for them.
• Shi Wen and the others harvested huge radishes while gathering the leafy tops to feed the ranch animals.
• The dogs helped pile up radishes, while the horses and brown cattle ate some as they worked.
• Yan Kexing cooked radish and cured pork rib stew, and the group stopped with a few cartloads left to eat lunch after feeding the animals.

Shi Wen harvested and shared his unusually crisp, sweet radishes, while discussing winter supplies and saved seeds with Yan Kexing and Fan Jiancheng. Zhu Ji arrived with the Abnormal Affairs Bureau’s test results, which he said were very good.

• Shi Wen and Yan Kexing shared a meal and decided to send radishes to Fan Jiancheng and the members, along with slaughtered geese for the December delivery.
• Shi Wen chopped leftover radish greens and fed them to the Bresse chickens and geese.
• Fan Jiancheng called Shi Wen to praise the radishes and asked whether he had saved seeds; Shi Wen said he had left a few plants to flower and set seed.
• Shi Wen told Fan Jiancheng that he had sent radishes to the Abnormal Affairs Bureau for testing.
• Zhu Ji delivered the test report and reassured Shi Wen that the results were very good.

Shi Wen and Zhu Ji chose radishes and goose meat as the monthly membership gift, and Shi Wen arranged for neighbors to prepare and deliver it. Cai Yaomin's family received the gift and enjoyed a warming goose and radish stew together.

• Zhu Ji told Shi Wen the radishes had an Ability value of 63, and they discussed the limits of improving crops.
• Zhu Ji helped Shi Wen with work, then praised the meal Shi Wen cooked with ranch ingredients.
• Shi Wen and Zhu Ji settled on giving members radishes and two jin of goose meat, keeping the geese' heads, feet, and organs for themselves.
• Shi Wen hired Zhang Deyuan and others to slaughter the geese, arranged packaging and delivery, and sent the gifts to members.
• Cai Yaomin brought her husband and daughter to her parents' house, where the family cooked the goose with radishes and praised the meal.

A heavy blizzard hit Shi Wen’s ranch, where he and Yan Kexing prepared the animals for the cold and planned a week of winter fun together. The next morning, several ewes began giving birth, keeping the couple busy in the barn.

• Snow and icy pellets began falling, and Shi Wen inspected the ranch while Yan Kexing heated their home.
• Shi Wen and Yan Kexing made a warm dinner, then Shi Wen checked the livestock, young animals, and poultry before bed.
• Yan Kexing told Shi Wen he had arranged a week off, and they planned to ski and invite Gong Jiang and the others to the ranch.
• The next morning, the ewes began giving birth, and Shi Wen and Yan Kexing stayed in the barn to help as the lambs arrived at different times.

Shi Wen and Yan Kexing cared for the ewes during lambing when they heard the tigers approaching through the heavy snow. The tigers returned with prey to share, and the ranch animals gradually welcomed their old friends.

• Shi Wen and Yan Kexing put off their planned vacation while they watched over the ewes and helped with lambing.
• Yan Kexing heard the tigress and the other tiger outside and went to check on them while Shi Wen stayed with the ewes.
• Yan Kexing returned with the two tigers, startling the animals in the livestock shed until Cong Zai recognized them.
• Shi Wen saw that the tigers had brought a deer leg and a goat leg as gifts and thanked them for sharing their prey.
• The ranch animals cautiously approached the tigers, who tucked in their claws and tried to play with their old friends.

Shi Wen welcomed the two tigers and their animal legs, then arranged to slaughter sheep so they could feast after their long journey through the snow. After the ewes delivered 121 healthy lambs, Shi Wen and his guests prepared to choose sheep for slaughter.

• The young animals played together indoors before the two tigers grew sleepy and fell asleep with the dogs and other animals.
• Shi Wen and Yan Kexing decided to slaughter two sheep for the tigers and save the animal legs the tigers brought for the dogs and smaller animals.
• Shi Wen invited Zhang Deyuan, Gong Jiang, and others to help and share the mutton, telling Lin Chengqian that the tigers would get first pick.
• The ewes gave birth to 121 healthy lambs, and Shi Wen finished recording and settling them before joining the sheep slaughter preparations.
• Zhang Deyuan and Lin Chengqian praised the tigers for bringing prey, and Shi Wen returned from calling Zhou Hongzhong to report their arrival and led everyone to choose sheep.

Shi Wen and Zhang Deyuan slaughtered livestock for a feast while the two tigers visited, and Shi Wen reflected that the fierce predators would eventually need to return to the wild. The male snow leopard arrived too, and the tigress competed with him for Shi Wen’s attention.

• Shi Wen chose two sheep that had grown less well, weighed them with Zhang Deyuan, and prepared them along with chickens and geese for a feast.
• Lin Chengqian, Gong Jiang, and Ge Yue discussed how warmly Shi Wen treated the tigers, while Shi Wen overheard them and played with the animals.
• Shi Wen decided the fierce tigers were better suited to hunting in the wild and planned to give them extra chickens before they left.
• Cong Zai brought the male snow leopard to Shi Wen’s home, where Shi Wen welcomed him and rubbed his belly.
• The tigress threatened the snow leopard for competing for Shi Wen’s affection, then settled beside them and exposed her belly too.