Recaps

Qing Mengzhu, Zhao Hexi, and Ming Chunxi prepared pond snails, and Zhou Yan cooked them with pickled bamboo shoots. As they shared the meal, Qing Mengzhu and Ming Chunxi reminisced about eating snails together when they were younger.

• Qing Mengzhu and Zhao Hexi clipped the tails off the pond snails and asked Zhou Yan to help cook them the next day.
• Zhou Yan brought his own seasoning sauce, cooked a plain portion for the otter, and stir-fried the rest with Qing Mengzhu's pickled bamboo shoots.
• Qing Mengzhu fed the otter its snails and gave the dogs and red fox dried meat instead.
• Zhou Yan served the snails, and Zhao Hexi, Ming Chunxi, and Qing Mengzhu praised their taste and remembered eating snails after school.
• Qing Mengzhu teased Ming Chunxi about how he used to eat snails with him despite being particular about cleanliness, and Ming Chunxi said he had wanted to rebel against his good-student image.

Qing Mengzhu and his friends shared river snails with their pets after the animals protested, then discussed the coming winter planting season while harvesting peppers and tomatoes. Qing Mengzhu said he would decide what to plant in his fields over the next few days.

• The dogs and red fox confronted the otter over its river snails, so Qing Mengzhu boiled and fairly divided a portion among all four animals.
• The four animals showed the humans their different ways of eating the snails, amusing Zhao Hexi and Zhou Yan.
• Qing Mengzhu and the others picked peppers and tomatoes, which were sent to restaurants, factories, customers, and canneries.
• Qing Mengzhu gave tomatoes to the dogs, red fox, and otter while they rested from the harvest.
• The workers asked what crops would be planted in the rented and personal fields, and Qing Mengzhu said he would consider suitable winter vegetables soon.

Qing Mengzhu bought seeds and investigated growing Sichuan pepper, then found an expensive Tuli variety in the Interstellar Mall that he and Ming Chunxi wanted but could not yet afford. They planned to save Star Coins by selling their farm goods and left the purchase for later.

• Qing Mengzhu bought seeds from the local shop and learned from the owner about Sichuan pepper varieties grown nearby.
• Qing Mengzhu researched Sichuan pepper and discussed growing it with Ming Chunxi, who suggested checking the Interstellar Mall.
• Qing Mengzhu found eleven Sichuan pepper listings and Ming Chunxi chose the eighteen-thousand-Star-Coin Tuli Sichuan Pepper seeds.
• Qing Mengzhu worried that they had only a little over seven thousand Star Coins and that selling their stored goods would make next month harder.
• Qing Mengzhu and Ming Chunxi discussed the Mall's interest in medicinal plants, and Ming Chunxi reassured him that their farm goods could eventually fund the seeds.

Qing Mengzhu tried to raise enough Star Coins, then signed up for an Interstellar Mall Morning Glory breeding competition with Ming Chunxi. The chapter ended with them checking whether the seed they had soaked overnight had begun to sprout.

• Qing Mengzhu and Ming Chunxi tried three Star Coin prize draws, winning a net 290 Star Coins, but still fell short of their goal.
• Zhao Hexi noticed Qing Mengzhu's worry, encouraged him not to rush, and shared a melon whose grower Qing Mengzhu could not remember.
• Qing Mengzhu found a ten-day Morning Glory breeding competition offering up to ten thousand Star Coins and signed up for fifty Star Coins.
• Qing Mengzhu retrieved the thick-shelled seed, soaked it in lukewarm water with Luring Grass, and placed it on the windowsill overnight.
• Qing Mengzhu and Ming Chunxi checked the soaked seed the next morning to see whether it had sprouted.

Qing Mengzhu struggled to germinate an unfamiliar seed and, after it still showed no growth, discovered that the Interstellar Mall sold their bamboo vinegar as a seed-germination aid. He decided to make more bamboo vinegar and set off with Ming Chunxi to gather bamboo.

• Qing Mengzhu soaked and planted the seed, then fed it to a hazel grouse and replanted it after recovering it from the bird's droppings.
• Qing Mengzhu checked the pot for seven days, but the seed still had not sprouted with just over two days left in the countdown.
• Qing Mengzhu searched the Interstellar Mall for germination products and found their bamboo vinegar listed for 250 Star Coins.
• Ming Chunxi explained that the Mall's higher resale price reflected its risks, and Qing Mengzhu decided to distill more bamboo vinegar.
• Qing Mengzhu woke before dawn to gather bamboo, and Ming Chunxi joined him so they could carry it down together.

Qing Mengzhu made bamboo vinegar and soaked the dormant Morning Glory Flower seed in it as a last attempt to make it sprout. The seed sprouted and grew a bud, and an extraordinary fragrance woke Qing Mengzhu and Ming Chunxi before dawn as they went to inspect it.

• Qing Mengzhu cut bamboo, extracted bamboo sap, and made bamboo vinegar while Zhao Hexi checked on his health by phone.
• Qing Mengzhu soaked the Morning Glory Flower seed in bamboo vinegar, then replanted it with Ming Chunxi.
• The seed sprouted overnight, and Qing Mengzhu confirmed that the green stalk had grown from the Morning Glory Flower seed.
• The flower bud swelled through the day, and Qing Mengzhu and Ming Chunxi expected it might bloom the next morning.
• A delicate fragrance woke Qing Mengzhu and Ming Chunxi before dawn, and they went to the windowsill to inspect the flower.

Qing Mengzhu and Ming Chunxi admired their Morning Glory Flower before submitting it to the Interstellar Mall contest, where it won second place. With the prize money, Qing Mengzhu bought Sichuan pepper seeds, began preparing them for planting, and considered renting terraced fields to grow them.

• Qing Mengzhu and Ming Chunxi admired the blooming Morning Glory Flower with Dharma Protector and Guard, then submitted it just before the contest deadline.
• Four days later, Qing Mengzhu and Ming Chunxi learned their flower had won second place and saw that a white Morning Glory Flower from a cultivation plane had taken first.
• Qing Mengzhu received five thousand Star Coins in prize money and bought the Sichuan pepper seeds he had saved in his favorites.
• Qing Mengzhu soaked the Sichuan pepper seeds in alkaline water, fresh water, and bamboo vinegar solution, then placed them in seedling cups in the field.
• Qing Mengzhu asked Qing Yukai about renting a mountain for his roughly 3,200 seeds, and Qing Yukai suggested renting unused terraced fields instead.

Qing Mengzhu rented terraced fields near the road and bamboo grove, then began organizing workers to clear and prepare them for Sichuan pepper cultivation. When a cold snap arrived, he tasted mountain-raised pork ribs and eagerly reserved both pigs the farmer had left.

• Qing Mengzhu received offers from village families to rent their terraced fields and chose nearby plots from several landowners.
• Qing Mengzhu signed low-rent contracts, then asked Zhao Hexi to send workers to clear and deep-plow the overgrown fields.
• A cold snap reached Pingkou Village as Qing Mengzhu and the workers cut grass in the terraced fields.
• Tan Wenlei brought Qing Mengzhu several racks of ribs, and Qing Mengzhu decided to buy a mountain-raised pig after tasting them.
• Qing Mengzhu called the pig farmer and reserved both of the remaining pigs.

Qing Mengzhu and Ming Chunxi prepared cured pork with Zhou Yan’s help, then Ming Chunxi won a five-jin portion of spirit beef in an Interstellar Mall promotion. The next morning Qing Mengzhu cooked beef chow mein and proposed inviting Auntie and He Xi to dinner that evening.

• Qing Mengzhu shared farm-raised pork with Zhou Yan, who helped make cured pork and sausages.
• Qing Mengzhu and Ming Chunxi hung the cured meat on the roof to dry and kept Dharma Protector and Guard away from it.
• Ming Chunxi redeemed a five-jin portion of spirit beef from the Interstellar Mall, and they extracted it in the kitchen and stored it in the refrigerator.
• The next morning, Qing Mengzhu cooked beef chow mein with the spirit beef and praised its rich flavor and tender texture.
• Qing Mengzhu suggested having the spirit beef again that evening and inviting Auntie and He Xi over for dinner.

Qing Mengzhu prepared a dinner for Ming Lexin, Zhao Hexi, and Ming Chunxi, with the four animals also waiting to eat. The meal was still cooking when his guests sampled the beef stew and begged for more.

• Qing Mengzhu invited Ming Lexin and Zhao Hexi to dinner, and both agreed to come.
• Zhao Hexi arrived first, petted Guard, the otter, and the red fox, then Ming Lexin and Ming Chunxi returned to join him.
• Qing Mengzhu and Ming Chunxi began preparing dinner, including beef stew with dried bamboo shoots and tomatoes.
• Qing Mengzhu and Ming Chunxi tasted the stew, and Ming Lexin, Zhao Hexi, and the animals gathered at the kitchen door after smelling it.
• Qing Mengzhu gave the guests and animals small tastes of beef, then chased Ming Lexin and Zhao Hexi out when they asked for more.

After Qing Mengzhu and Ming Chunxi hosted a meal and overnight guests, they discovered the red fox was furious because the two dogs and otter had stolen its buried beef stew. Qing Mengzhu compensated the fox with jerky, and later learned from Tan Wenlei and Feng Ningxiang that his peppers were thriving while other farmers’ late-autumn crops struggled.

• Qing Mengzhu and Ming Chunxi served the beef and bamboo shoot stew, and Ming Lexin and Zhao Hexi stayed overnight after enjoying the meal.
• Qing Mengzhu and Ming Chunxi found the red fox barking at the dogs and otter after the three animals had dug up and eaten its hidden stew.
• Qing Mengzhu gave the red fox the little ones’ jerky as compensation and scolded the dogs and otter, while the fox stayed close to him and ignored them.
• Zhao Hexi and Tan Wenlei discussed the red fox’s attachment to Qing Mengzhu and his knack for attracting animals.
• Tan Wenlei and Feng Ningxiang told Qing Mengzhu that his peppers remained healthy and large while other farmers’ late-autumn peppers were failing.

Qing Mengzhu investigated why his peppers were still thriving in autumn and invited Nian Xinfei to examine them. Nian Xinfei bought more plants for research, leaving both their teams curious about the peppers’ unusual resilience.

• Qing Mengzhu visited local pepper fields and learned that ordinary pepper plants lost their leaves and stopped producing when the weather turned cold.
• Qing Mengzhu contacted Nian Xinfei, who sent him cultivation records showing that the five pepper plants he had received were producing less and had suffered more pests and disease than Qing Mengzhu’s plants.
• Nian Xinfei and his students visited Qing Mengzhu’s five mu of peppers and were astonished that the plants remained lush and highly productive.
• Nian Xinfei suggested the peppers might be unusually resistant to cold and asked to buy more plants for study, while Qing Mengzhu agreed and said his company might research them too.
• Nian Xinfei’s group bought five pepper plants to investigate whether they had undergone a genetic mutation and potentially extract genes for gene-editing research.

Qing Mengzhu confirmed Di Xing would keep buying their chilies and worked with Feng Ningxiang and the others to extract fresh bamboo sap. The sap sold well after an influencer promoted it, and the chapter ended with Zhao Hexi telling Qing Mengzhu that a major pharmacy wanted to discuss a partnership.

• Qing Mengzhu called Di Xing, who agreed to keep buying all the chilies they could supply.
• Qing Mengzhu and Feng Ningxiang's group heated bamboo to extract fresh bamboo sap, and Qing Guozhi ordered three kilograms at a discount.
• Qing Mengzhu and Zhao Hexi discussed the sap's high price, careful production, and positive online reviews.
• An influencer's video made the fresh bamboo sap more popular, and sales began to outpace production.
• Zhao Hexi said a nationally famous pharmacy had contacted them about a business partnership.

Qing Mengzhu and Zhao Hexi prepared the rented ponds while deciding to postpone planting lotus, then Zhao Hexi visited to see Little Otter’s large mandarin fish. Zhao Hexi went fishing in the river himself but caught only two small crucian carp.

• Qing Mengzhu rejected a pharmacy’s offer to partner on fresh bamboo sap and told Zhao Hexi to announce that production would stop because they had enough bamboo vinegar.
• Zhao Hexi posted the announcement, and the remaining fresh bamboo sap sold out within seconds.
• Qing Mengzhu and Zhao Hexi oversaw the cleanup of eight rented ponds and decided to leave their banks intact and postpone deciding whether to grow lotus.
• Qing Mengzhu invited Zhao Hexi to dinner after Little Otter caught an edible mandarin fish weighing 8.24 jin.
• Zhao Hexi hurried to fish near Qing Mengzhu’s pond but caught only two small crucian carp after several hours.

Qing Mengzhu, Ming Chunxi, Zhao Hexi, and their animal companions went on an autumn outing into the mountains to forage. They reached a Japanese raisin tree, and Qing Mengzhu prepared to use a bamboo pole to pick its fruit.

• At dinner, Zhao Hexi talked about losing a strong fish, and Qing Mengzhu suggested he fish near Little Otter the next day.
• Zhao Hexi realized Dharma Protector and Guard were jealous after he praised Little Otter, and Tan Wenlei suggested he take the dogs into the mountains to make amends.
• Qing Mengzhu arranged a Sunday mountain trip with Ming Chunxi and Zhao Hexi, and the red fox and Little Otter insisted on joining them.
• Qing Mengzhu drove the group to a cleared spot halfway up the mountain, where Zhao Hexi checked the foraging map and they headed to pick Japanese raisins.
• Qing Mengzhu led everyone to a tall, old Japanese raisin tree and brought out a bamboo pole to reach its fruit.

Qing Mengzhu, Ming Chunxi, and Zhao Hexi gathered Japanese raisins and wild chestnuts on the mountain, with their animal companions joining in. They continued picking chestnuts together after tasting how fragrant they were.

• Qing Mengzhu climbed a tree and knocked Japanese raisins down for Zhao Hexi, Ming Chunxi, and the little ones to collect.
• Qing Mengzhu climbed down, and Zhao Hexi took Dharma Protector, Guard, the fox, and the otter ahead to find wild chestnuts.
• Dharma Protector and Guard playfully nudged Zhao Hexi as he tired on the uphill path, and he found a wild chestnut tree after stepping on a burr.
• Qing Mengzhu explained the difference between wild chestnuts and chestnuts, while Dharma Protector cracked open a burr and ate its nut.
• Ming Chunxi used the bamboo pole to knock chestnuts down, and one chestnut fell into his hair.
• Zhao Hexi tasted a wild chestnut, praised its fragrant flavor, and the three of them gathered and separated more chestnuts from their burrs.

Qing Mengzhu, Ming Chunxi, and Zhao Hexi gathered chestnuts, shared lunch, and went searching for wild tea trees in the mountains. After picking tea leaves, Qing Mengzhu sent Zhao Hexi away so he could secretly use the Mall Assistant to find a high-quality tea tree.

• Qing Mengzhu and the others gathered chestnuts, then stopped for lunch and homemade milk tea.
• Zhao Hexi learned that wild tea trees grew nearby and persuaded Qing Mengzhu and Ming Chunxi to go find them.
• The group crossed a thorny slope to reach the tea trees, where they picked a basket of leaves to try.
• Zhao Hexi proposed taking tea trees home, and Qing Mengzhu suggested bringing back cuttings instead.
• Qing Mengzhu sent Zhao Hexi and the four little ones farther away, then told Ming Chunxi he planned to use the Mall Assistant to find the best-quality tea tree.

Qing Mengzhu and Ming Chunxi gathered wild tea branches, fruit, mushrooms, and chestnuts with Zhao Hexi and their animal companions, then returned home to prepare the harvest. The tea branches were left to soak for planting, and the group shared a meal as Zhao Hexi put off responding to work messages.

• Qing Mengzhu found two Good Grade+ wild tea trees and cut branches to take home, while Ming Chunxi lent him his jacket.
• Qing Mengzhu let Dharma Protector, Guard, the red fox, and the otter carry wild kiwifruit as they climbed the mountain.
• Qing Mengzhu and Ming Chunxi agreed to arrange an examination and neutering appointment for the two dogs the following week.
• Qing Mengzhu soaked the tea branches in rooting powder and fried five-spice wild chestnuts, while Zhao Hexi sampled them and took some unseasoned chestnuts to the red fox and otter.
• Zhao Hexi silenced repeated work messages during dinner, and Qing Mengzhu and Ming Chunxi thanked him for his hard work.

Qing Mengzhu learned that content-farm videos had twisted Chef Fan Donghua’s remarks about Zhuxi’s tomatoes into a negative review. After Zhou Yan explained the misunderstanding, Qing Mengzhu sent Fan Donghua fresh produce, and Fan began featuring Zhuxi’s vegetables in his livestream.

• Qing Mengzhu, Ming Chunxi, and Zhao Hexi watched videos misrepresenting Fan Donghua’s comments about Zhuxi’s tomatoes, and Ming Chunxi and Zhao Hexi decided to investigate.
• Zhou Yan explained that Fan Donghua had only said the tomatoes’ strong flavor could overpower celery and onions in soup, and Qing Mengzhu said he did not blame Fan.
• Qing Mengzhu harvested celery and onions and sent portions to Zhou Yan and Fan Donghua, who said he would use them on his livestream.
• Fan Donghua introduced Zhuxi’s tomatoes, onions, and celery during his cooking livestream, while viewers questioned whether the company was sponsoring him.
• Qing Mengzhu and Zhao Hexi watched the livestream as Fan Donghua and his team began preparing tomato and seafood noodles.

Qing Mengzhu, Zhao Hexi, and Ming Chunxi watched Fan Donghua make tomato seafood hot pot, then recreated the dish at home with a fish caught by the otter. After tasting the soup, they fed some of the meat and rice to Dharma Protector, Guard, and the other animals.

• Fan Donghua cooked tomato seafood hot pot on a livestream, and he and his apprentice praised its rich flavor as viewers watched.
• Qing Mengzhu, Zhao Hexi, and Ming Chunxi decided to make the dish, and Qing Mengzhu took the otter to catch a large mandarin fish.
• The three prepared tomato soup at home and tasted its flavors before adding salt or soy sauce.
• Ming Chunxi set aside fish and meat for the animals, and Zhao Hexi fed Dharma Protector and Guard before going to feed the red fox and the otter.

Qing Mengzhu and Zhao Hexi strengthened their farm’s business ties, planned new vegetable sales, and harvested honey from their Chinese milk vetch field. The harvest ended with Gu Benshu reporting that the permit to produce Insect-Killing Bacillus had been approved.

• Zhao Hexi fed the red fox and otter, then warned the fox not to hide its favorite food in the bowl.
• Qing Mengzhu sent Fan Donghua vegetables and two live hazel grouse as a gesture of goodwill, while discussing the gift and new packaging plans with Zhao Hexi.
• Qing Mengzhu and Zhao Hexi decided to wait before selling radishes and cabbages and went to watch Tan Wenlei and Feng Ningxiang harvest honey.
• Qing Mengzhu and the others tasted the wildflower honey, then Zhao Hexi arranged to share it with the staff and Gu Benshu.
• Gu Benshu told Zhao Hexi that the pesticide production and business permit had been approved, allowing industrial-scale production of Insect-Killing Bacillus.

After receiving the company’s permit to prepare a microbial community, Qing Mengzhu and Zhao Hexi learned that the Northern Research Institute of the Huaxia Academy of Sciences wanted to collaborate on a Biological Missile project using Insect-Killing Bacillus. Qing Mengzhu decided to study the proposal and negotiate the collaboration himself.

• Gu Benshu showed Qing Mengzhu and Zhao Hexi the company’s approved permit and explained that its documents were publicly available.
• Gu Benshu told them that the Northern Research Institute of the Huaxia Academy of Sciences had invited the company to develop a Biological Missile using Insect-Killing Bacillus.
• Gu Benshu explained that the technology used parasitic wasps to deliver targeted viruses to pest eggs, and said he favored collaborating with the institute.
• Qing Mengzhu discussed the opportunity with Ming Chunxi, who suggested treating it as valuable training and publicity despite limited financial returns.
• Qing Mengzhu decided to study Biological Missile technology and negotiate with the institute himself, then researched insect virus epidemiology before approaching its representatives.

Qing Mengzhu returned from signing a research contract with the Northern Research Institute of the Huaxia Academy of Sciences, then agreed to Zhao Hexi’s suggestion to cook one of their geese. Zhou Yan came over to prepare the nearly fourteen-jin goose, and Ming Chunxi arrived home as it cooked.

• Qing Mengzhu signed a contract with the Northern Research Institute of the Huaxia Academy of Sciences to share research and collaborate on projects led by Gu Benshu.
• Qing Mengzhu returned to the village on November 21, and Zhao Hexi persuaded him to cook one of their geese.
• Qing Mengzhu and Zhao Hexi caught a goose by the pond and invited Zhou Yan to prepare it.
• Zhou Yan weighed the goose at thirteen jin and six liang, then used an electric plucker to help prepare it.
• Ming Chunxi came home while the goose cooked, petted the dogs, and Qing Mengzhu greeted him from the kitchen.

Qing Mengzhu and Ming Chunxi hosted Zhou Yan and Zhao Hexi for a feast of stewed goose and ice wine, and Qing Mengzhu drank enough to become tipsy. While alone in the bedroom, he accidentally spent all his Star Coins on half a skill book, then proudly told Ming Chunxi about it.

• Qing Mengzhu and Ming Chunxi fed the dogs goose before joining Zhou Yan and Zhao Hexi for dinner.
• Zhou Yan served stewed goose and ice wine, and the group enjoyed the meal together.
• Qing Mengzhu drank too much wine, so Ming Chunxi carried him to bed and later returned to the guests.
• Qing Mengzhu searched the Interstellar Mall for spirit wine, repeatedly tried to buy unavailable items, and accidentally purchased Elementary Soil Science (0.5) with all his Star Coins.
• Ming Chunxi found Qing Mengzhu sitting up and heard him announce that he had bought half a book, then wrapped him in a blanket and pressed him back onto the bed.

Qing Mengzhu accidentally absorbed half of an Elementary Soil Science skill book, leaving him dizzy but with new knowledge and experience. After the Interstellar Mall forced an update that revealed buying the book had been a bug, he used what he had learned to draft a soil improvement plan and took it to Zhao Hexi.

• Qing Mengzhu showed Ming Chunxi the half skill book in the Interstellar Mall, tapped it, and absorbed its contents, which made him dizzy and unwell.
• Ming Chunxi stayed with Qing Mengzhu through the night and worked from home the next morning while Qing Mengzhu recovered.
• Qing Mengzhu found an update notice in the Interstellar Mall, and after updating, discovered the soil science book had only been available to intermediate members.
• Qing Mengzhu realized the skill book had greatly improved his understanding of soil science and began planning to increase organic matter in the terraced fields.
• Qing Mengzhu wrote a detailed soil improvement plan, Ming Chunxi reviewed it and offered suggestions, and Qing Mengzhu took it to Zhao Hexi.