Chapter Summaries

Shi Wen and the others harvested a second hornet’s nest while the Wolf King and Chasing Clouds found more nests nearby. With several discoveries waiting, Shi Wen organized two teams to search separately, leaving the group ready to split up.

• The Wolf King led Shi Wen and the others nearly a kilometer to another hornet’s nest, while the little fox and little snow leopard failed to find any.
• Zhu Ji and Gong Jiang put on the beekeeping suits and spent more than twenty minutes trying to remove the fiercely guarded nest.
• The Wolf King signaled Shi Wen that he had found another nest, and Chasing Clouds soon called from above to show that it had found a different one.
• Shi Wen suggested splitting into teams to follow the Wolf King and Chasing Clouds, and Ge Yue chose to go with Chasing Clouds while Lin Chengqian chose the Wolf King.
• Shi Wen assigned himself to lead Lin Chengqian and Yan Kexing to lead Ge Yue.

Shi Wen and the others searched the mountains for hornet nests, while Lin Chengqian tried to take one down on his own. Shi Wen discovered that the Wolf King had gathered his old wolf pack to help find nests, and invited the wild wolves to visit the ranch for a feast.

• Zhu Ji and the others returned with a hornet nest, then helped Lin Chengqian and Ge Yue put on protective suits and split into groups.
• Lin Chengqian went ahead in his suit to take down a smaller hornet nest while Shi Wen and Zhu Ji waited nearby.
• The Wolf King ran off with the other animals, and Shi Wen followed their tracks after Lin Chengqian made slow progress.
• Shi Wen found the Wolf King, the dogs, and thirteen wild wolves gathered together in a clearing.
• Shi Wen realized the wild wolves had been helping find hornet nests, then invited them to ride to the ranch for a celebratory feast.

Shi Wen and the others finished collecting hornet pupae, then rested with the Wolf King’s old pack while they ate. A wild wolf sought Shi Wen’s attention, and he discovered a sting wound beneath a lump on its neck.

• Shi Wen patted the Wolf King and returned to find Lin Chengqian still collecting pupae and undeveloped hornets from a nest.
• Shi Wen and Lin Chengqian met Yan Kexing and Ge Yue, who had already collected a larger nest with Chasing Clouds’ help.
• Shi Wen called the Wolf King and Heiwa over, and the Wolf King arrived with its old pack of wild wolves.
• Shi Wen and the others rested and ate, feeding vegetables to Laibao and the other herbivores and beef to the dogs and wolves.
• A wild wolf rubbed against Shi Wen, and he found a lump on its neck and uncovered a sting wound.

Shi Wen discovered that the wild wolves had been stung by hornets and organized the group to continue searching for nests. Before they could split up, they found a badger, which attacked White Tiger and sprayed him with a foul-smelling mist.

• Shi Wen found hornet-sting bumps on the wild wolves and promised to help them deal with the nest if they were stung again.
• The group rested beneath a tree, then Shi Wen directed Chasing Clouds and the Wolf King to lead separate search teams.
• The dogs and wolves called out in warning, so Shi Wen and the others hurried toward them instead of splitting up.
• Shi Wen recognized the surrounded animal as a badger, which the group also knew as a zha.
• The badger lunged at the little ones, scratched White Tiger, and sprayed him with a stinking mist that made him retch.

Shi Wen released a nursing badger caught by the dogs and wolves, and the group discussed the growing wildlife population and a possible protected area. After collecting more hornets' nests, they returned to the ranch and prepared dinner together.

• Shi Wen stopped the Wolf King and the others from killing the badger and released it after Yan Kexing noticed it was nursing.
• Gong Jiang attributed the increasing wildlife to environmental improvements, and Yan Kexing suggested establishing a protected area.
• Shi Wen cleaned White Tiger's nose, but White Tiger continued retching and glared at the Wolf King.
• Shi Wen and the others collected two more hornets' nests before returning to the ranch.
• Shi Wen checked the livestock and poultry while the others extracted hornets and pupae for frying and freezing.
• Yan Kexing fried the hornets and pupae while Shi Wen washed vegetables and chatted with him as dinner came together.

Shi Wen and Yan Kexing hosted a feast of fried bee pupae and larvae for their guests, then walked them back to the village. After returning home, they found Changfeng outside the livestock shed, whimpering and upset about the badger.

• Shi Wen fed the wild wolves and the little ones before joining everyone for dinner.
• Everyone eagerly ate Yan Kexing’s fried bee pupae and larvae, and Zhu Ji asked to come back for more.
• Gong Jiang and the others volunteered to clean up, then stayed in the village while Zhu Ji planned to share a room with Lin Chengqian.
• Shi Wen and Yan Kexing walked their guests to the village and returned home.
• Shi Wen heard a whimper, found Changfeng lying outside the shed, and comforted him as he seemed distressed about the badger.

Shi Wen discovered that the white tiger had been overeating to spite the Wolf King, while wild animals increasingly invaded his ranch for its unusually potent forage. After testing the forage and discussing costly fencing options with Zhu Ji, Shi Wen was left considering how to keep the animals out.

• Shi Wen found that the white tiger had eaten too much, gave it digestive medicine, and later discovered it had stolen the Wolf King's food to get back at him.
• Shi Wen and Yan Kexing discussed the growing number of small animals digging into the ranch and the danger of letting their animals drive them off violently.
• Shi Wen learned that the ranch's forage attracted animals because its Ability values far exceeded those of ordinary wild grass.
• Zhu Ji suggested raising the ranch's wire fence, but Shi Wen objected that animals could still dig underneath it.
• Zhu Ji proposed fencing off the bottom of the ranch as well.

Shi Wen and Yan Kexing decided to bring Hu Zai and the tigress back to the ranch to help deter the wildlife, and secured approval to do so. They drove a truck up the mountain, where the tigress came running down to meet them.

• Shi Wen and Zhu Ji agreed that digging the ranch fence deeper would be costly and ineffective, so Shi Wen lifted the restriction on the young animals hunting and planned to relocate any captured wildlife.
• Yan Kexing suggested inviting Hu Zai and the tigress back to the ranch, and Shi Wen agreed that their presence could help keep wild animals away.
• Shi Wen asked Zhou Hongzhong to arrange approval to bring both tigers down, and they agreed the tigers would stay on the ranch for about five days before being released.
• After receiving an approval slip, Shi Wen and Yan Kexing borrowed a cattle truck and drove up the mountain to fetch the tigers.
• Shi Wen called to the tigress, and she raced down the mountain to meet them.

Shi Wen and Yan Kexing brought the tigress and male tiger back to the ranch, where the two settled in among the other animals. Shi Wen gave them rules for working at the ranch and prepared to feed them, leaving him and Yan Kexing with a large amount of meat to handle.

• Shi Wen persuaded the tigress to ride with them and stayed in the back to keep her calm while Yan Kexing drove to collect the male tiger.
• The male tiger joined them, and Shi Wen and Yan Kexing discussed the tigers' maturity and whether they might find mates.
• Shi Wen and Yan Kexing drove both tigers back to the ranch, where the smaller animals initially reacted warily before getting used to them.
• Shi Wen told the tigers to follow instructions and not hunt the ranch's livestock.
• Shi Wen and Yan Kexing gathered meat to feed the tigers and began the laborious task of preparing it.

Shi Wen and Yan Kexing let two tigers spend a week at the ranch, where their scent deterred nearby wild herbivores. After the tigers returned to the mountains, their scent continued to keep most animals away from the ranch.

• Yan Kexing and Shi Wen fed the two tigers meat and let them mark the ranch, while the livestock and little ones gradually grew accustomed to their presence.
• Cong Zai ignored the tigers, and Yan Kexing told Shi Wen that Cong Zai and the others treated Shi Wen as the ranch's real boss.
• The two tigers' presence drove most wild herbivores away from the ranch, and Shi Wen celebrated by petting and feeding them.
• White Tiger came to Shi Wen for attention, but left in a huff after Shi Wen teased the cat about its scent and hunting skills.
• After a week, Shi Wen and Yan Kexing took the reluctant tigers back to the mountains, where the male tiger ran off after saying goodbye.
• The tigers' scent continued to keep most wild animals away, though some herbivores dug burrows and grazed nearby.

Shi Wen and Zhou Hongzhong monitored wild wolves that had come to hunt near the ranch, while the Wolf King kept them away from the ranch animals. After Yan Kexing suggested the cats Shi Wen had seen might be wildcats, Shi Wen found a friendly gray-and-orange cat and earned its trust with jerky.

• Shi Wen spotted the Wolf King's former pack hunting outside the ranch and told Zhou Hongzhong, who recorded the wolves and said they were being monitored.
• Shi Wen and Zhou Hongzhong discussed keeping the wolf pack's numbers under control, while the Wolf King drove wolves away from the ranch.
• Shi Wen told Yan Kexing he had seen cats, and Yan Kexing suggested they might be Asiatic wildcats.
• Shi Wen searched the next day and found a gray-and-orange cat that cautiously approached him for jerky.
• After eating several pieces of jerky, the cat rubbed against Shi Wen's knee, and he stroked its head.

Shi Wen discovered that the cat he had been petting was a Chinese mountain cat and helped Zhou Hongzhong take it for a checkup. When Shi Wen returned to the ranch, Cong Zai smelled the other cat and became angry, leaving Yan Kexing to tease Shi Wen about it.

• After Xi Long identified the cat in Shi Wen's photos as a possible Chinese mountain cat, Shi Wen confirmed its identity online.
• Zhou Hongzhong called Shi Wen, and Shi Wen told him the Chinese mountain cat was male and still there.
• When Zhou Hongzhong and his team arrived, the startled cat tried to flee, but Shi Wen calmed him and helped secure him in a cage.
• Shi Wen asked Zhou Hongzhong to tell him when they planned to release the Chinese mountain cat, then returned to the ranch.
• Cong Zai smelled the other cat on Shi Wen and angrily smacked his leg with his paw.
• Yan Kexing noticed Cong Zai's mood and asked Shi Wen if the Chinese mountain cat was the reason.

Shi Wen made Cong Zai tomato-braised beef brisket to make up for petting the Chinese mountain cat, then checked on the cat’s recovery and release plans with Zhou Hongzhong. Zhou said the team planned to release her at Quenched Gold Mountain and invited Shi Wen to come along if he was worried.

• Shi Wen decided to make Cong Zai tomato-braised beef brisket, and Cong Zai eagerly ate his share.
• Shi Wen suspected Cong Zai might have pretended to be angry to get the dish, and Yan Kexing agreed it was possible.
• Zhou Hongzhong told Shi Wen the Chinese mountain cat was healthy and would be released after nearly a week in care.
• Yan Kexing explained that Chinese mountain cats were uncommon, stayed in roughly the same areas, and could have difficulty breeding successfully.
• Zhou Hongzhong said the team planned to release the cat at Quenched Gold Mountain the following Monday, and invited Shi Wen to join them if he was concerned.

Shi Wen joined Zhou Hongzhong’s team to release a desert cat, while Zhu Ji visited the ranch for a meal and a checkup of the animals. The team rejected their first release site after spotting an Asian wildcat, but at the next site the caged desert cat reacted fiercely.

• Shi Wen agreed to accompany Zhou Hongzhong’s team on Monday and asked Zhu Ji to watch the ranch while he was away.
• Zhu Ji arrived early at the ranch, where he and Shi Wen discussed planned construction and sheep’s milk; Yan Kexing prepared the requested salted egg custard buns and goose with pickled chilies.
• Shi Wen joined Zhou Hongzhong’s team and learned that they had implanted a small tracking chip in the desert cat.
• At the first release site, Shi Wen spotted an Asian wildcat, so Zhou Hongzhong’s team documented it and decided not to release the desert cat there.
• At the next site, the desert cat bristled and yowled inside its cage.

Shi Wen helped Zhou Hongzhong’s team release a desert cat in an alpine meadow and spotted signs that other desert cats lived nearby. Back at the pasture, he reunited with Yan Kexing, and they decided to catch fish for dinner.

• Shi Wen judged that the desert cat felt threatened at the first release site, so he chose an alpine meadow instead.
• Zhou Hongzhong and his team released the cat, and Shi Wen pointed out mouse holes that could provide it with food.
• Shi Wen spotted signs of a kitten and later saw the released desert cat watching them as they set up an infrared camera.
• After returning home, Shi Wen inspected the pasture and met Yan Kexing, who had just come back from work.
• Shi Wen and Yan Kexing planned to make fish in red sour soup and set off to catch fish from the ditch.

Shi Wen and Yan Kexing spent a peaceful day at the ranch, catching fish and caring for the animals. The chapter ended with Shi Wen noticing that their pregnant sows had lost their appetites and were unusually lethargic.

• Yan Kexing spotted small animals hanging from the ranch fence, and Shi Wen explained that the little ones had caught them to protect the vegetation.
• Shi Wen and Yan Kexing agreed to leave the prey hanging briefly, then remove it before it rotted or attracted predators.
• The pair caught fish and returned home to prepare dinner as the little ones came running to eat.
• Shi Wen shared homegrown watermelon with the little ones and tended to vegetables drying in the sun.
• Shi Wen found the pregnant sows lounging in a corner and showing no interest in the watermelon rinds, so he entered the pigpen to check on them.

Shi Wen cooked a soupy corn mash to tempt his pregnant sows after finding them listless and off their feed. The sows ate better, and he decided to make cooked feed part of their routine before harvesting more corn for the household.

• Shi Wen checked the sows and, finding no obvious illness, called Sikewell, who suggested the heat had reduced their appetites and recommended cooked, easily digested feed.
• Shi Wen harvested nearly ripe corn, cooked it with pumpkin, rice, and the cobs, and gave some of the mash to the little ones.
• The pregnant sows ate the cooked feed more eagerly, easing Shi Wen's worry about their nutrition.
• Shi Wen decided to cook feed for the sows regularly and considered planting another crop of corn because they had grown too little for eating.
• Shi Wen harvested more sweet and glutinous corn, cooked a large batch, and called the little ones over to eat.

Shi Wen shared the ranch’s corn with the little ones and Yan Kexing, then arranged to harvest the crop. After picking began, he and his helpers found protected birds nesting in the field and had Zhou Hongzhong relocate them; the harvest left Shi Wen planning to dry most of the corn and test the rest for customers.

• Shi Wen fed corn to the little ones and shared an extra piece with Heiwa while relaxing beneath the veranda.
• Yan Kexing returned, and he and Shi Wen ate corn together before deciding to make savory corn cakes for dinner.
• Shi Wen planned the harvest, hired Fu Meng, Chang Qingqing, and Xin Xianghong to pick five mu by hand, and arranged for machines to harvest the rest.
• The group found bird nests, including nests belonging to protected species, so Shi Wen called Zhou Hongzhong to relocate the birds and their nests.
• Fu Meng, Chang Qingqing, and Xin Xianghong picked sixty-three sacks of corn, and Shi Wen decided to dry fifty sacks and send thirteen for testing before possibly sharing some with customers.

Shi Wen and his friends husked and dried corn at the ranch while he cooked corn and mung bean soup. Zhu Ji arrived to eat and take some corn for testing, and the chapter ended with Shi Wen offering everyone mung bean soup.

• Shi Wen called Zhu Ji and invited him to the ranch for corn soup, asking him to take some corn for testing.
• Shi Wen cooked mung bean soup and corn while Fu Meng, Xin Xianghong, and Chang Qingqing helped husk the corn.
• Shi Wen used a small forklift to spread the husked corn on the grass to dry.
• Shi Wen served the freshly cooked corn, and Chang Qingqing praised the local sweet corn and its potential as seed for the next crop.
• Zhu Ji arrived, ate corn with everyone, and helped turn off the pressure cooker.
• Shi Wen called out to ask whether everyone wanted mung bean soup.

Shi Wen and his friends shared corn, soup, and spring honey, and Zhu Ji reminded him to check the hives for fritillary honey. The next day, workers harvested all 300 mu of corn, splitting the crop between silage and dried fodder while the dogs kept the livestock away.

• Shi Wen served fresh corn and explained that the stalks would be used for silage while the ears were dried.
• Shi Wen and Yan Kexing made corn soup with cured pork ribs and beef bones, then served mung bean soup with honey.
• Zhu Ji identified the honey as late-spring honey and asked Shi Wen when he would harvest the summer honey.
• Shi Wen agreed to check the hives after the corn harvest and asked Zhu Ji to test some corn before sending it to members.
• Two hired workers and Fu Meng's group harvested the corn, with dogs keeping the eager livestock away from the fields.