Recaps

Qing Mengzhu gave Di Caiyong peppers instead of selling them, while the Interstellar Mall rated his latest batch Fine Grade. Nian Xinfei and his students sampled the peppers, praised their quality, and planned a way to help Qing Mengzhu promote them.

• Qing Mengzhu explained that he would postpone pricing his peppers, then gave Di Caiyong a large basket to make up for mishandling their earlier discussion.
• Qing Mengzhu sent ripe peppers to Nian Xinfei, and Jing Chi delivered them along with preliminary test results showing promising quality.
• Nian Xinfei invited his students to Swallow Garden, where they tasted dishes made with the peppers and praised their flavor and texture.
• Nian Xinfei told Jing Chi that restaurants would accept the peppers but might undervalue them, and asked him to request another ten jin for a plan the following week.
• Qing Mengzhu promptly sent Jing Chi another ten jin of peppers at the right stage of ripeness.

Nian Xinfei brought chef Zhou Yan to Qing Mengzhu’s farm after Zhou praised the flavor of Qing’s chili peppers and expressed interest in buying them. During their visit, Zhou sampled Qing’s vegetables while Nian examined the chili plants and asked about their cultivation, leaving Qing ready to tell him how much he had harvested.

• Nian Xinfei gave Qing Mengzhu’s chili peppers to his chef friend Zhou Yan, who praised their layered flavor and said his restaurant wanted to buy them.
• Nian Xinfei and Zhou Yan visited Qing Mengzhu’s farm, where Zhou admired the surroundings and tasted the ripe tomatoes.
• Qing Mengzhu let Zhou pick vegetables, while Nian asked whether anyone stole them and learned that a surveillance camera watched the fields.
• Nian Xinfei examined Qing’s unusually lush chili plants, took photos, and asked permission to pick samples.
• Qing Mengzhu told Nian Xinfei that he had kept a detailed planting log, and Nian asked for a copy and about the chili harvest.

Qing Mengzhu showed Nian Xinfei his pepper harvest and detailed growing records, while Zhou Yan cooked a meal that impressed them both. Zhou Yan offered to ask his group’s purchasing department about buying the peppers, but cautioned that the group might not be able to use the full harvest.

• Nian Xinfei praised Qing Mengzhu’s pepper yields and estimated that production would rise as the plants matured.
• Qing Mengzhu sent Nian Xinfei his pepper-growing records, and Nian Xinfei praised their detail and scientific methods.
• Zhou Yan cooked six dishes with Qing Mengzhu’s ingredients, and Qing Mengzhu and Nian Xinfei admired the food.
• Qing Mengzhu decided not to raise a pepper sale himself, but Zhou Yan offered to have his group consider buying them.
• Zhou Yan warned that his group’s restaurants might not need as many peppers as Qing Mengzhu could produce.

Qing Mengzhu secured buyers for his fresh and dried peppers, earning enough to feel financially secure for the next two years. As word spread through the village, he kept his contracts private and explained to curious neighbors that the buyers imposed strict quality requirements.

• Zhou Yan brought a procurement chief to taste Qing Mengzhu’s peppers, and they signed a contract for regular shipments at 120 yuan per jin.
• Qing Mengzhu shared the news with Ming Chunxi, Zhao Hexi, and Nian Xinfei, then arranged a celebratory meal with Zhao Hexi.
• Qing Mengzhu dried his ripe peppers in the courtyard, where Zhou Yan introduced him to Di Xing, a foreign-trade worker.
• After tasting the dried peppers, Di Xing signed an exclusive contract to buy all of Qing Mengzhu’s dried peppers for 1,000 yuan per jin, with first refusal rights for the following year.
• Villagers began talking about Qing Mengzhu’s pepper sales, and he told Di Caiyong and Tan Wenlei that the peppers sold well but buyers enforced strict requirements.

Qing Mengzhu discussed his successful pepper crop with Tan Wenlei and Di Caiyong, then decided to return to the mountains to forage for mushrooms. He took Zhao Hexi into the remote mountains, where they began hiking along an overgrown trail.

• Tan Wenlei praised Qing Mengzhu’s pepper-growing skill and agreed to sign up for next year’s pepper varieties.
• Di Caiyong explained that a trading company wanted Qing Mengzhu’s dried peppers to accompany its premium fried mushrooms.
• Qing Mengzhu recalled the mountain mushroom season and decided to visit the patches he had found earlier.
• Qing Mengzhu invited Zhao Hexi to join him, and Zhao Hexi drove over to stay the night.
• Qing Mengzhu drove Zhao Hexi and the dogs deep into the mountains, then led him along a narrow trail while clearing the way with a brush knife.

Qing Mengzhu took Zhao Hexi mushroom hunting in the forest, teaching him to recognize edible varieties and avoid poisonous ones. After gathering a basketful, they stopped to rest after a tiring morning.

• Qing Mengzhu led Zhao Hexi to a patch of truffles, and they gathered them before covering the spot with leaves.
• Qing Mengzhu gave Zhao Hexi a branch to search for mushrooms, and they found edible songbaojun and coral mushrooms with help from Guard.
• Qing Mengzhu marked the coral mushroom patch on his phone and led Zhao Hexi to a thriving patch of termite mushrooms.
• Qing Mengzhu and the dogs showed Zhao Hexi more mushrooms, including purple cortinarius, morels, wood ear, milkcaps, and false matsutake.
• Qing Mengzhu warned Zhao Hexi not to pick uncertain mushrooms after he mistook amanitas for termite mushrooms.
• After searching for most of the morning, Qing Mengzhu and Zhao Hexi found a clearing to rest and eat as Zhao Hexi's knees trembled.

Qing Mengzhu and Zhao Hexi returned from mushroom picking and began preparing their haul before it spoiled. Qing Mengzhu fried the mushrooms with garlic, chilies, and sauces, and Zhao Hexi was delighted by the first batch as Qing Mengzhu started cooking the next.

• Qing Mengzhu and Zhao Hexi descended the mountain with baskets of mushrooms, then drove home while the exhausted dogs and Zhao Hexi slept in the car.
• After a nap, Qing Mengzhu and Zhao Hexi sorted, scraped, and washed the wild mushrooms.
• Zhao Hexi fetched dried chilies from the roof and learned that Qing Mengzhu had installed a rain-sensing retractable awning to protect them.
• Qing Mengzhu fried the mushrooms in batches with garlic, dried chilies, and several sauces while Zhao Hexi helped prepare the ingredients.
• Zhao Hexi tasted the first batch and praised its rich, savory flavor as Qing Mengzhu began frying the second batch.

Qing Mengzhu and Zhao Hexi enjoyed fried mushrooms, then went to the pond to collect traps and bring the ducks home from the heat. They discovered the otter shared fish with a red fox and the dogs, while Zhao Hexi befriended the otter.

• Qing Mengzhu and Zhao Hexi ate several bowls of rice with fried mushrooms and planned to pack the leftovers for later.
• Qing Mengzhu and Zhao Hexi walked to the pond to retrieve the traps and bring the ducks back to the yard because of the heat.
• Qing Mengzhu explained that fish entered the pond from the river and sorted the catch, releasing some small fish, shrimp, and crabs to grow.
• Qing Mengzhu and Zhao Hexi watched the otter catch fish for the red fox, which ate some and buried another for later.
• The otter gave fish to Dharma Protector and Guard, and Qing Mengzhu realized the dogs visited the pond for snacks.
• Zhao Hexi took a fish from the otter, and he played with it alongside Dharma Protector and Guard.

Qing Mengzhu and Zhao Hexi fed watermelon to the otters and red fox, then shared breakfast before heading out to harvest vegetables. The chapter left Zhao Hexi questioning the freshness agent a villager used on vegetables, while Qing Mengzhu explained that it was a nontoxic chitin coating.

• Qing Mengzhu herded the ducks home with Zhao Hexi, who learned they would be ready to eat in about a month.
• Qing Mengzhu shared fresh watermelon with Zhao Hexi and left pieces for the otters and red fox, which came out to eat them.
• The next morning, Zhao Hexi insisted on joining Qing Mengzhu to harvest vegetables, and they ate noodles with several homemade side dishes first.
• At the fields, Zhao Hexi saw a villager soak harvested vegetables in a freshness agent and asked Qing Mengzhu about it.
• Qing Mengzhu explained that the agent was a nontoxic chitin coating that helped keep vegetables fresh.

Qing Mengzhu and Zhao Hexi finished a morning of farm work, then Qing Mengzhu searched the Interstellar Mall for a way to protect his freshwater shrimp. He bought spirit beast jerky to try on the animals and, after tasting it himself, fed pieces to Dharma Protector and Guard.

• Qing Mengzhu showed Zhao Hexi around the vegetable field, where Feng Ningxiang, Qing Yuqin, Miao Lan, and Qing Pingdun were harvesting and packing produce.
• Qing Mengzhu and Zhao Hexi picked vegetables, helped Di Caiyong weigh and pay for them, and carried chilies and tomatoes home to dry.
• Zhao Hexi asked about the freshwater shrimp, and Qing Mengzhu explained they would hatch in about ten days and need to be raised in the incubation tank before release.
• Qing Mengzhu browsed the Interstellar Mall for a way to protect the shrimp and ordered spirit beast jerky that could strengthen animals and increase their intelligence.
• Qing Mengzhu tasted the jerky, then gave pieces to Dharma Protector and Guard, who eagerly ate them and asked for more.

Qing Mengzhu fed jerky to Dharma Protector, Guard, the otter, and the red fox, gradually building their trust. Later, Tan Wenlei warned him about declining chili crops, and Qing learned that pests, diseases, and hot, wet weather had reduced yields and raised prices, though his plants still looked healthy.

• Qing Mengzhu called the otter and red fox over and fed them jerky alongside Dharma Protector and Guard.
• The otter and red fox cautiously accepted more jerky, and Qing Mengzhu planned to keep feeding them gradually.
• Tan Wenlei warned Qing Mengzhu that chili plants in the area were yellowing and developing spots.
• Feng Ningxiang and the others explained that chili crops had varied diseases and were affected by the hot, rainy weather and differences in planting schedules.
• Qing Mengzhu learned that local chili yields had fallen and prices had risen, but his plants remained healthy.

Qing Mengzhu agreed to sell five fruiting chili plants to Nian Xinfei, who brought students and a tree spade to remove them. Later, Qing Mengzhu gave Tan Wenlei insect traps and began spraying his tomatoes and chilies with matrine as a precaution against pests and disease.

• Nian Xinfei advised Qing Mengzhu to monitor his chili plants during the hot, humid weather and avoid unnecessary pesticide use.
• Qing Mengzhu agreed to sell Nian Xinfei five chili plants for two thousand yuan each, and they arranged a pickup for the next afternoon.
• Nian Xinfei arrived with Jing Chi and another student, and Jing Chi used a tree spade to lift the chili plants with soil around their roots.
• Qing Mengzhu gave Tan Wenlei sixty yellow sticky insect traps, and Tan Wenlei praised how carefully Qing tended his crops.
• Qing Mengzhu mixed matrine with water and began spraying his tomatoes and chilies to guard against aphids, whiteflies, and virus disease.

Qing Mengzhu received a safety report confirming the Interstellar Mall river shrimp were ordinary East Asian river shrimp with strong farming potential, and Chen Yi helped him prepare a rearing pool. The eggs hatched into zoea larvae, which Chen Yi said could remain in the hatching tank until their feeding organs developed.

• Qing Mengzhu read the testing agency's report and learned the shrimp were safe, high-quality East Asian river shrimp.
• Qing Mengzhu asked Chen Yi for help, and Chen Yi built a temporary rearing pool in the courtyard and advised him on caring for the shrimp.
• Dharma Protector and Guard barked at the hatching tank, where Qing Mengzhu and Chen Yi discovered that the eggs had begun hatching.
• Qing Mengzhu and Chen Yi watched as the eggs hatched into zoea larvae, and Chen Yi advised waiting a day or two before moving them to the rearing pool.

Qing Mengzhu transferred healthy zoea larvae into the rearing pond with Chen Yi’s help, but many died after he began feeding them. Hoping higher-grade food might improve their survival, Qing Mengzhu went to gather lotus plants and decided to try lotus seeds.

• Chen Yi and Qing Mengzhu moved the zoea larvae from the hatchery tank into the rearing pond after checking that the pond was ready.
• Qing Mengzhu fed the larvae soy milk and egg yolk, but many died, so he called Chen Yi for advice.
• Qing Mengzhu checked the Interstellar Mall and researched larval mortality, learning that his losses were within the normal range.
• Qing Mengzhu suspected that higher-grade food might help the larvae and went to his field to gather produce for an experiment.
• Qing Mengzhu chose to gather lotus leaves and flowers, then spotted seedpods and rowed toward deeper water to collect lotus seeds.

Qing Mengzhu found that lotus seed slurry kept his freshwater prawn larvae alive, then prepared his pond to raise them by clearing it with tea seed cake. The larvae developed into mysis, while the pond still needed further repairs and protective netting before they could be moved.

• Qing Mengzhu fed test groups of zoea larvae different lotus seed mixtures and found that every larva given plain lotus seed slurry survived.
• Qing Mengzhu switched the rearing pool to lotus seed slurry, and the zoea larvae stopped dying and molted into mysis larvae.
• Qing Mengzhu estimated that about thirty-five percent of the batch had died, a strong result for a first-time prawn farmer.
• Qing Mengzhu explained to Tan Wenlei that he bought tea seed cake to clear unwanted fish and shrimp from his pond without harming the lotuses with pesticides.
• Qing Mengzhu squeezed tea seed cake liquid into the pond from bags, then climbed out and saw the otter and red fox watching him.

Qing Mengzhu bought Spirit Pearl Dregs from the Interstellar Mall, hoping they would benefit his ponds. After receiving the two small bags, he buried them in brocade pouches in his long ponds under cover of darkness.

• Qing Mengzhu scooped poisoned fish and shrimp from the pond before driving the ducks over, leaving the otter upset that its pond fish were gone.
• Qing Mengzhu shared jerky with the otter, the red fox, Dharma Protector, and Guard, then bought extra packets after they begged for more.
• Qing Mengzhu found discounted Spirit Pearl Dregs in the Interstellar Mall and decided to spend nearly all his Star Coins on two bags.
• Qing Mengzhu retrieved the Spirit Pearl Dregs, packed them into brocade pouches, and buried one in the mud at the center of each long pond.

Qing Mengzhu’s lotus ponds suddenly flourished, and their tender lotus seeds impressed Tan Wenlei and Qing Guozhi. He offered to give Tan Wenlei lotus roots for planting next year and visited Qing Guozhi, who had just returned to the village.

• Qing Mengzhu’s lotus ponds filled with flowers and new leaves, drawing curious neighbors who asked about his fertilizer.
• Qing Mengzhu warned Tong Jiangang that tea seed cake could harm the crayfish he raised among his lotuses.
• Tan Wenlei tasted Qing Mengzhu’s lotus seeds, praised their flavor, and asked to buy lotus roots for his mountain pond next year.
• Tan Wenlei told Qing Mengzhu that Qing Guozhi might have returned, so Qing Mengzhu picked lotus pods and went to visit him.
• Qing Guozhi welcomed Qing Mengzhu home and shared the fresh lotus pods with him over tea.

Qing Mengzhu gave Old Master Qing Guozhi dried vegetables and lotus plumules, which the old man brought home for his son Qing Xun. After drinking the tea, Qing Xun’s recurring mouth blisters nearly healed, and he sent Qing Mengzhu a gift box in thanks.

• Qing Mengzhu offered Old Master Qing Guozhi dried lotus plumules and vegetables, and the old man happily took them home.
• Old Master Qing Guozhi invited Qing Xun to dinner and served dishes made with Qing Mengzhu’s vegetables alongside lotus plumule tea.
• Qing Xun drank the tea and swallowed the plumules, though he doubted they would help his work-related stress.
• The next morning, Qing Xun noticed his mouth blisters had almost healed, and his wife praised the village produce.
• Qing Xun arranged a gift box for Qing Mengzhu, which reached him within two days.

Qing Mengzhu welcomed Ming Chunxi for a weeklong visit and learned that he had been feeling some pressure from work. During the visit, Ming Chunxi helped with farmwork, and the two released Qing Mengzhu’s shrimp postlarvae into the ponds, leaving Qing Mengzhu uncertain about how many would survive.

• Qing Mengzhu agreed to host Ming Chunxi for a week and prepared his room for the visit.
• Ming Chunxi arrived while Qing Mengzhu was picking peppers, then helped him carry and dry the harvest.
• Ming Chunxi admired Qing Mengzhu’s shrimp larvae, and Qing Mengzhu asked whether he had been under pressure; Ming Chunxi admitted that he had.
• Ming Chunxi spent his vacation doing farmwork with Qing Mengzhu and said he wanted physical work after leading a demanding project.
• Qing Mengzhu and Ming Chunxi carried the postlarvae to the ponds and released them, and Qing Mengzhu asked the nearby otters and red foxes to guard the shrimp.

Qing Mengzhu hosted Zhao Hexi after inviting him to join Ming Chunxi, and the three spent the next day working and relaxing together. They checked that most of the shrimp had survived in Qing Mengzhu’s pond, and Zhao Hexi later headed out to fish and take the ducks to forage.

• Qing Mengzhu finished checking the pond’s protective netting and embankment, then went home with Ming Chunxi.
• Zhao Hexi learned from Ming Chunxi’s Moments that he was staying with Qing Mengzhu and drove over that night to escape his family’s blind-date pressure.
• The next morning, Ming Chunxi and Zhao Hexi helped Qing Mengzhu pick vegetables before visiting the lotus pond.
• Zhao Hexi tasted Qing Mengzhu’s lotus seeds and admired their flavor, while Qing Mengzhu and Ming Chunxi checked that most of the young shrimp had survived.
• After spending the hot afternoon indoors, Zhao Hexi went to fish and offered to take the ducks out to forage.

Qing Mengzhu discovered that one of his ducks had laid a fertilized egg, then decided to cook a drake with Ming Chunxi and Zhao Hexi. After Zhao Hexi expertly prepared the duck, Qing Mengzhu began cooking it with pickled water spinach stems, chilies, and garlic.

• Zhao Hexi rushed back to show Qing Mengzhu a warm, pale blue-green duck egg, and Ming Chunxi confirmed it was fertilized by holding it to the sun.
• Qing Mengzhu used the Mall Assistant to identify a drake and learned that his ducks were Good Grade+; he chose one for dinner.
• Qing Mengzhu weighed the drake at 5.7 jin, and Zhao Hexi volunteered to slaughter, scald, and pluck it.
• Qing Mengzhu and Ming Chunxi prepared the other ingredients while Zhao Hexi expertly finished cleaning the duck.
• Qing Mengzhu stir-fried the duck with pickled water spinach stems, chilies, garlic stalks, and garlic shoots as the meal began to take shape.

Qing Mengzhu, Ming Chunxi, and Zhao Hexi shared a hearty farmhouse meal before feeding the animals and watching the otters and red foxes hunt. Zhao Hexi was startled when a red fox and an otter swiftly killed and shared a water snake, and Qing Mengzhu reassured him that the area’s small animals were manageable.

• Zhao Hexi, Qing Mengzhu, and Ming Chunxi ate duck and vegetables, then cleaned the kitchen together.
• Qing Mengzhu took duck to the otters and red foxes, who eagerly ate while the dogs begged for more.
• Zhao Hexi followed Qing Mengzhu and Ming Chunxi to watch the animals hunt at the pond.
• An otter surfaced as a large water snake swam toward shore, and a red fox sprang from the grass and killed it.
• The otter and red fox shared the snake, while Qing Mengzhu told the shaken Zhao Hexi that small animals were common but usually feared people.

Qing Mengzhu and Ming Chunxi inspected their thriving shrimp ponds and discussed protecting the lotus pods from thieves. After Tan Wenlei suggested using geese as guards, Qing Mengzhu decided to raise some and went to look for goslings, but their ordinary quality disappointed him.

• Zhao Hexi left after the weekend, leaving Qing Mengzhu and Ming Chunxi to work and live together.
• Qing Mengzhu and Ming Chunxi inspected the ponds and found that the river shrimp were thriving among the lotus leaves.
• Tan Wenlei suggested raising geese, which Qing Mengzhu could use to guard the ponds and drive away intruders.
• Qing Mengzhu asked around for goslings, and Qing Guozhi advised him to visit a hatchery.
• Qing Mengzhu and Ming Chunxi visited hatcheries, but Qing Mengzhu found the goslings' quality unimpressive and continued searching the Interstellar Mall for fertilized goose eggs.

Qing Mengzhu visited Longhao’s hatchery with Ming Chunxi and selected 172 high-grade Chuanhui 99 goslings. After bringing them home, he planned how to raise them alongside his other animals.

• Ming Chunxi arranged for Qing Mengzhu to visit Longhao’s hatchery, and they agreed to go the next morning.
• Qing Mengzhu studied Longhao’s goose breeds before driving with Ming Chunxi to the hatchery.
• Qing Mengzhu used the Mall Assistant to identify and select the hatchery’s Fine Grade+ goslings.
• Qing Mengzhu chose 172 Chuanhui 99 goslings, paid for them, and drove them home.
• Qing Mengzhu kept the goslings indoors with Longhao’s feed and told Dharma Protector and Guard not to frighten them.
• Qing Mengzhu planned to take the goslings to the pond the next morning and build separate pens for the geese and ducks.

Qing Mengzhu and Ming Chunxi built pens and settled the geese into the ponds, where the flock thrived. After Ming Chunxi left, Qing Mengzhu discovered his older tomatoes were aging, and ended the chapter finding the ponds empty when he went to bring the geese home.

• Qing Mengzhu and Ming Chunxi followed Qing Pingdun's directions to cut bamboo and built a duck pen and goose pen, while reinforcing the hazel grouse enclosure.
• Qing Mengzhu's 172 geese adapted to a vegetable diet, divided themselves between the ponds, and helped drive away animals that threatened the shrimp.
• Ming Chunxi returned to work after promising to visit Qing Mengzhu again in August.
• Tan Wenlei and Nian Xinfei identified the older tomato plants' decline as normal aging and advised Qing Mengzhu to focus on the new crop and rotate to radishes afterward.
• Qing Mengzhu went to herd the geese back at dusk but found the ponds empty, and asked the otter and red fox if they had seen the flock.