Chapter Summaries

Shi Wen negotiated a deal with Lin Huaizhuo to sell his sheep through Lin’s connections, while Lin Huaizhuo learned more about Professor Yan’s influence. Shi Wen continued tending his ranch, unaware of the conversation between Lin Huaizhuo and Lin Chengqian.

• Lin Huaizhuo offered Shi Wen sixty yuan per jin for his sheep, and Shi Wen proposed a guaranteed minimum price with any proceeds above it split equally.
• Lin Huaizhuo and Shi Wen signed an agreement for delivery on February 7, and Lin Huaizhuo transferred a one-hundred-thousand-yuan deposit.
• After lunch, Lin Huaizhuo asked Lin Chengqian how long Professor Yan and Shi Wen had been together and explained Professor Yan’s importance.
• Shi Wen continued fertilizing the pasture grass as he prepared to expand his planting the following year.

A severe cold wave brought hail and a blizzard to Shi Wen’s ranch, prompting him and Yan Kexing to check the livestock in the middle of the night. They found the animals safe in the heated barn and stayed there together as the storm raged outside.

• Shi Wen covered the hay bales as damp weather arrived, then the temperature plunged when rain and hail gave way to a blizzard.
• Shi Wen and Yan Kexing went out to check the livestock barn, while Cong Zai, Langwa, and the two tiger cubs settled back to sleep.
• Yan Kexing steadied Shi Wen against the fierce wind as they struggled across the slippery ground to reach the barn.
• Shi Wen reassured the frightened working dogs and checked the livestock, including the pregnant ewes and cows, and found them safe in the heated barn.
• Shi Wen checked the red blizzard alert and leaned against Yan Kexing as they talked about the dangers of the storm and the comfort of having a companion.

During a severe blizzard, Shi Wen and Yan Kexing cared for the livestock and checked their beehives before setting out to patrol the wilderness for animals. They encountered Fu Meng and his companions riding through the snow, and Shi Wen called to ask where they were going.

• Shi Wen and Yan Kexing comforted each other through the night and agreed to look for wild animals when the storm eased.
• After returning from the livestock shed, Shi Wen took a hot shower and went to bed, then woke to deep snow the next morning.
• Shi Wen and Yan Kexing cleared snow, fed the animals, and prepared extra feed and heat for the livestock.
• Shi Wen and Yan Kexing checked the beehives in minus forty-two-degree weather and added heat packs to the coverings.
• Gong Jiang delivered an off-road vehicle, and Ge Yue and Lin Chengqian joined Shi Wen and Yan Kexing to record data during the extreme weather.
• Shi Wen and Yan Kexing encountered Fu Meng and his companions riding through the snow, and Shi Wen called out to ask where they were going.

Shi Wen and his companions searched the snowy roads for stranded animals and found a sheep, then followed the scent of wolves to a culvert. There, Shi Wen and Yan Kexing discovered an old wolf acquaintance sheltering alone.

• Shi Wen and Fu Meng's groups exchanged information and split up to search different routes.
• Shi Wen spotted a frozen sheep that was still alive, photographed it, and brought it into the car with Gong Jiang.
• Gong Jiang and the others recorded conditions as the group drove through the remote, snowbound area.
• As the group turned back, Shi Wen caught the scent of wolves, and Yan Kexing suspected they were hiding in a culvert.
• Shi Wen and Yan Kexing left the others in the car and found a single wolf inside the culvert, one they already knew.

Shi Wen and Yan Kexing found the injured wolf king in a culvert and brought him back to the ranch for care. After feeding him and asking Sikewell for help with his badly injured leg, Shi Wen joined the others for hot pot, and Sikewell arrived to treat the wolf.

• Shi Wen and Yan Kexing found the wounded wolf king in a culvert and decided to take him back to the ranch.
• Shi Wen carried the wolf king to the vehicle, where the others admired him and learned his thigh was badly injured.
• Shi Wen put the wolf king in a separate pen, fed him beef, and sent Sikewell pictures of his wound.
• Shi Wen agreed to look after a lost sheep until its herder could collect it, then returned to the courtyard for milk tea.
• Shi Wen and the others prepared and ate hot pot, and Sikewell arrived at the ranch.

Shi Wen and Yan Kexing helped Sikewell treat the injured wolf king, then invited him to share hot pot. After dark, Shi Wen offered the city visitors rooms for the night, and Yan Kexing suggested that Shi Wen stay in his bedroom; Shi Wen agreed, then joined him after showering.

• Shi Wen went with Sikewell to examine the wolf king, and Yan Kexing and the others followed.
• Shi Wen and Yan Kexing muzzled and restrained the wolf king while Sikewell treated its wounds, splinted its injured leg, and gave it injections.
• Shi Wen invited Sikewell to eat hot pot and insisted on paying the cost of the wolf king’s treatment.
• Shi Wen urged Gong Jiang, Lin Chengqian, and Ge Yue to stay because the dark roads were dangerous, and Yan Kexing arranged the sleeping rooms.
• Shi Wen agreed to share Yan Kexing’s bedroom and entered it after showering and drying his hair.

Shi Wen and Yan Kexing shared a bed, kissed for the first time, and Yan Kexing stopped things there, telling Shi Wen to sleep. The next morning, Shi Wen found Yan Kexing making food for the dogs and greeted him with another kiss.

• Shi Wen nervously chose the left side of Yan Kexing's bed, then admitted he liked men and had avoided sharing a bed with friends.
• Shi Wen kissed Yan Kexing's cheek goodnight, and Yan Kexing caught him and kissed him at length.
• Yan Kexing stopped their intimacy and told Shi Wen it was not the right time; Shi Wen soon fell asleep, and Yan Kexing drew him into his arms.
• Shi Wen woke the next morning, remembered their kiss, and hurried to wash up.
• Shi Wen found Yan Kexing cooking and kissed him good morning; Yan Kexing pulled him back, returned the greeting, and Shi Wen asked whether the dogs' food was ready.

Shi Wen and Yan Kexing checked the ranch after the blizzard, then received horse meat and sausage from Fu Meng and decided to gather creeping pine. They drove into the mountains with Gong Jiang, Ge Yue, Lin Chengqian, and the two tiger cubs, reaching a snowy mountainside to begin their outing.

• Shi Wen fed the dogs and wolf king, checked the wolf king's wounds, and gave it medicine.
• Shi Wen and Yan Kexing walked the ranch and found everything in order after the blizzard.
• Fu Meng brought Shi Wen and Yan Kexing horse meat and sausage, then explained the local custom of burning creeping pine to protect livestock from illness.
• Shi Wen and Yan Kexing agreed to gather creeping pine, and Fu Meng directed them to a mountain where it grew abundantly.
• The two tiger cubs clung to Shi Wen, so Yan Kexing agreed to bring them along for wilderness training.
• Gong Jiang drove the group into the mountains, where Shi Wen and Yan Kexing got out with the cubs at the snowy mountainside.

Shi Wen and Yan Kexing gathered creeping pine while the tiger cubs practiced hunting in the snow. After the cubs brought Shi Wen a dead grey-backed falcon and he sent them off to eat, they returned with a branch of silverberries.

• Shi Wen and Yan Kexing found creeping pine near a windy mountain pass and led the group to a sheltered spot to cut its branches.
• Shi Wen and Yan Kexing watched the cubs chase and exhaust a bird while practicing their hunting.
• The cubs brought Shi Wen a dead grey-backed falcon, but he thanked them and told them to eat it themselves.
• Shi Wen asked the group to rest in a sheltered spot after they had gathered enough creeping pine.
• The cubs returned carrying a branch of reddish-orange fruit, which Shi Wen recognized as silverberries.

Shi Wen and the others gathered oleaster berries with help from two tiger cubs, then enjoyed a fragrant fire and a hearty dinner at home. As the snow began to melt, Yan Kexing confirmed that he and the others would soon leave for a week to survey the area.

• The two tiger cubs brought Shi Wen oleaster branches, and Lin Chengqian spotted berries beneath the snow.
• Shi Wen sampled the sour berries, then picked sweet ones while Yan Kexing gathered berries to make oleaster cakes.
• Shi Wen lit creeping pine branches in the courtyard, and Yan Kexing explained the custom of burning them to ward off the cold.
• Shi Wen and the others ate dry-pot horse meat and floral tea, and Lin Chengqian said they would soon survey the area.
• Yan Kexing told Shi Wen that the group might be gone for about a week, while melting snow left the grassland muddy.

After helping remove frozen goitered gazelles, Shi Wen began planning next year’s forage crops and discussed his ideas with Yan Kexing. Yan Kexing offered to ask a friend who researched alfalfa about seeds for a promising new variety.

• Shi Wen joined Fu Meng and other villagers in hauling frozen goitered gazelles from the valley and disinfecting the ground.
• The herders discussed next year’s planting and livestock plans, and Fu Meng urged Shi Wen to arrange seeds and labor early.
• Shi Wen researched forage crops and decided he might plant alfalfa, sainfoin, and Chinese wild rye together.
• Shi Wen explained his planting plans to Yan Kexing, who offered to ask a friend about seeds for a higher-yield, more nutritious alfalfa variety.

Shi Wen organized a village-wide order for J University’s Purple Star No. 5 alfalfa seed, and 340 households signed up for a total of 125,800 jin. After learning the order’s size, Shi Wen asked Yan Kexing to confirm whether his friend could supply enough seed; an assistant named Qu Jiaojiao arrived to coordinate.

• Yan Kexing told Shi Wen that Purple Star No. 5 seed could be bought in bulk for about twenty yuan per jin, and he sent him the research papers and experimental data.
• Shi Wen discussed the new forage with Fu Meng and invited villagers to order seed, while making clear that everyone would pay the seller directly.
• Herders from Shi Wen’s village and nearby villages placed orders, and Fu Meng helped register them until the December 25 deadline.
• Fu Meng told Shi Wen that 340 households had ordered an average of 370 jin each, totaling 125,800 jin, and Shi Wen promised to check whether the supply was available.
• Shi Wen asked Yan Kexing to confirm the large order, and Yan Kexing’s friend sent Qu Jiaojiao to coordinate with them.

Shi Wen expanded his ranching plans by arranging forage-seed trials and contracting renovations for the livestock sheds. Ge Yue then introduced the possibility of collaborating with her doctoral-student childhood friend on a smart-ranch project.

• Shi Wen declined to join Qu Jiaojiao’s forage-planting experiment, introduced her to Fu Meng, and learned that more than a thousand herding households had signed up.
• Shi Wen adjusted feed for his pregnant livestock, stopped milking the cows, and discussed the high costs of breeding with Fu Meng.
• Fu Meng connected Shi Wen with A Sai’s construction crew, and Shi Wen signed a contract to renovate and expand the livestock sheds.
• Shi Wen paid 300,000 yuan for the first construction stage and arranged for A Sai’s crew to begin work at the ranch.
• Ge Yue asked whether Shi Wen planned to build a smart ranch and told him that her childhood friend, a doctoral student researching modern animal husbandry in Australia, needed a ranch for her graduation project.

Shi Wen recruited Yang Yiqing to help develop smart facilities at the ranch, and she returned to China to work with him. After she arrived, she recognized that the Wolf King was faking his limp, and Shi Wen welcomed her to the ranch.

• Ge Yue introduced Shi Wen to her friend Yang Yiqing, and Shi Wen and Yan Kexing reviewed Yang Yiqing’s impressive résumé and papers.
• Shi Wen and Yang Yiqing got along during their conversations, and she flew back to China to meet him at the ranch.
• Shi Wen and Yan Kexing picked Yang Yiqing up at the airport and brought her to the ranch, where the Wolf King came out to greet them.
• Yang Yiqing noticed that the Wolf King’s limp was fake, and Shi Wen realized the wolf had recovered but was pretending to be injured for free meals.
• Shi Wen showed Yang Yiqing around and settled her in at the ranch, then Ge Yue and the others joined them for lamb hot pot with the tiger cubs.

Yang Yiqing settled into life at Shi Wen’s ranch and began helping improve its renovation plans and sheep business. As a buyer prepared to inspect the flock, she urged Shi Wen to highlight the lamb’s distinctive flavor rather than rely only on standard grading criteria.

• Yang Yiqing learned from Ge Yue that Cong Zai had defeated the Wolf King, then joined everyone for hot pot and discussed the ranch’s first batch of fat-tailed sheep with Shi Wen.
• Ge Yue stayed overnight with Yang Yiqing, who described the ranch as a wildlife lover’s paradise and said she was excited to work with Shi Wen.
• Yang Yiqing brought new design plans and research to the ranch, persuading Shi Wen to add 1.5 million to the renovation budget and winning over A Sai and the workers.
• Lin Huaizhuo reached a preliminary agreement with a sheep buyer, who arranged to visit the ranch and inspect the flock.
• Yang Yiqing told Shi Wen that the lamb’s nutty fragrance and rich, tender flavor were its greatest selling points and should be emphasized when grading it.

Shi Wen followed Yang Yiqing’s advice and presented his ranch’s mutton alongside other grades to show restaurant owner Duan Haoying its quality. Duan was impressed and agreed to buy sheep at 135 yuan per jin, leaving Shi Wen to prepare the sale.

• Yang Yiqing urged Shi Wen to promote his mutton by comparing it with other premium meat and building a brand.
• Shi Wen bought several grades of local mutton for a tasting with Duan Haoying, whom Lin Huaizhuo brought to inspect sheep for New Year banquets.
• Duan Haoying praised the sheep and tasted the grilled mutton, correctly identifying Shi Wen’s as exceptionally tender and delicious.
• Duan Haoying offered 130 yuan per jin for live sheep, and Lin Huaizhuo negotiated the price up to 135 yuan per jin.
• Shi Wen prepared to file the required report and asked Fu Meng, Zhang Deyuan, and others to help with the sale.

Shi Wen sold his three hundred sheep for a large profit and celebrated with friends, neighbors, and Yan Kexing. After sharing his happiness about their growing family and future, Shi Wen slept through the morning and woke at noon.

• Lin Huaizhuo paid Shi Wen in advance for the sheep, earning Shi Wen more than 2.66 million yuan and over a million yuan in profit.
• Shi Wen invited everyone who had helped him to a roast-lamb meal, while A Sai brought wine and Xin Xianghong and the other women brought vegetables.
• The wolf king stole and ate the sheep's innards, then tried to feed some to Langwa, who resisted.
• Shi Wen and Yan Kexing shared the bonfire meal and later walked home hand in hand.
• Shi Wen proposed renovating their home together, and he and Yan Kexing told each other how happy they were with their life and family.
• Shi Wen fell asleep after drinking and woke up at noon.

Shi Wen considered expanding his breeding flock after Yang Yiqing presented calculations supporting a larger operation. As wet, warming weather kept the livestock indoors, he and Yang Yiqing continued feeding and caring for them.

• Duan Haoying praised Shi Wen's lamb after sharing a video of his granddaughter enjoying it, and Shi Wen promised to send him more next year.
• Shi Wen found the seed potatoes Xin Xianghong had brought and thanked her before eating the meal Yan Kexing had prepared.
• While cleaning the sheepfold, Shi Wen discussed the ranch's breeding ewes with Yang Yiqing and said he would only buy livestock that met his standards.
• Yang Yiqing showed Shi Wen her plan for raising fifteen hundred breeding sheep alongside fifteen hundred meat sheep, and he admitted her figures nearly persuaded him.
• Because damp weather made grazing risky for pregnant livestock, Shi Wen and Yang Yiqing stayed at the ranch to oversee renovations and care for the animals.

Shi Wen noticed that the dogs and the Wolf King were unusually reluctant to eat and suspected they were finding food outside. With Yan Kexing’s help, he fitted cameras to Fu Wa and Le Wa, then discovered that the Wolf King was stealing corn kernels from the livestock shed.

• Yang Yiqing told Shi Wen she planned to leave on February second and would travel home with Ge Yue.
• Shi Wen noticed the dogs and the Wolf King acting unusually excited outside and then struggling to eat their dinner.
• Shi Wen told Yan Kexing he suspected the animals were finding food outside, and Yan Kexing suggested using animal cameras to follow them.
• Shi Wen attached cameras to Fu Wa and Le Wa and watched their movements with Yan Kexing after the dogs ran off.
• Shi Wen discovered through the camera footage that the Wolf King was stealing corn kernels from the livestock shed.

Shi Wen and Yan Kexing watched the Wolf King, tiger cubs, and dogs carry food beyond the ranch fence and set a baited trap at a burrow. They waited for the hidden animal to emerge, while Shi Wen guessed the burrow belonged to a marmot but could not identify what was inside.

• Shi Wen and Yan Kexing saw Heiwa, Hu Zai, and the other animals carry corn and meat out of the ranch.
• The Wolf King, tiger cubs, and dogs jumped over the wire fence and ran toward the mountain, leaving Langwa and Cong Zai behind.
• The animals placed corn kernels and meat in a trail outside a dark burrow, then hid in the dry grass to wait for prey.
• Shi Wen and Yan Kexing watched the motionless burrow and discussed whether it housed a marmot, fox, or another animal.