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RTTRAAB 15
Returning to the Ranch as a Breeder 回到牧场当饲养员
Please support the author!
Source: https://www.jjwxc.net/onebook.php?novelid=6763363
Chapter 15
Most of Shi Wen’s sheep had completed their quarantine.
Cautiously, he released the newly purchased flock to mingle with the established herd, guiding them to pastures further away from the house.
Three thousand mu of pastures was no joke—trying to cover that on foot would’ve killed him.
These days, he herded on a motorcycle: driving the sheep out at dawn, rounding them up at dusk.
The sheep moved slowly, and there was no way for Shi Wen to hurry them — he could only take his time.
Just this one task would take over an hour.
What Shi Wen didn’t know was that while he was herding the sheep out to pasture, Zhu Ji had already been waiting at the gate with his assistant for a while.
Fanning himself with his hand, Zhu Ji looked off into the distance and muttered, “Didn’t the divination say Shi Wen would be home? Can we really find him like this?”
Assistant: “He might take a while to show up. Why don’t you wait in the car? I can call and check.”
Zhu Ji glanced up at the blazing sun. “Let’s both wait in the car. I’ll make the call.”
The assistant quickly logged into the internal system and found the phone number Shi Wen had left.
Zhu Ji dialed the number.
Shi Wen kept his phone on him at all times. When he felt it vibrating, he pulled it out and saw an unfamiliar number from N City. Slightly puzzled, he answered, “Hello?”
It went through! Zhu Ji perked up and adjusted his tone before introducing himself, “Hello, I’m Zhu Ji, the office director of the Provincial Office for The Bureau of Anomalous Affairs.”
Shi Wen hadn’t expected a government official to be calling and took a moment to process. “Director Zhu? What can I help you with?”
Zhu Ji replied, “Ahem, we received your test data yesterday and would like to pay you a visit to obtain more detailed information. Are you home right now?”
Shi Wen hadn’t expected it to be someone in a leadership position and took a moment to process: “Director Zhu? What can I help you with?”
Zhu Ji replied, “Ahem, we received your test data yesterday and wanted to visit in person to gather some more detailed information. Are you home right now?”
“I am,” Shi Wen said. “When were you thinking of coming by?”
“We’re already at your front gate,” Zhu Ji said, sitting in the car and looking straight ahead. “If this isn’t a good time, we can always schedule another visit.”
“I’m free—please wait a moment, I’ll be right there,” Shi Wen replied before hanging up. “Give me five minutes.”
He hopped on his motorcycle and headed straight for the entrance of the ranch, arriving right on time within five minutes.
Zhu Ji and his assistant were already waiting at the gate.
Shi Wen parked his motorcycle by the roadside and bent down to unbolt the latch for them. “Sorry to keep you waiting—I got here a little late.”
“Not at all, not at all—it’s our fault for showing up unannounced. A bit rude on our part,” Zhu Ji replied.
He didn’t blink as he fixed his gaze on Shi Wen, an internal string of exclamations running through his mind.
Shi Wen was dressed simply in a T-shirt and jeans, but his bone structure was strikingly refined. When he lowered his head slightly, long lashes casting shadows over eyes tinged with a hint of gray-blue, it was as if even the wind softened around him.
Zhu Ji stared in a daze, and in his mind echoed that sentence from Yan Ke Xing: “I have my own selfish reasons.”
Damn, the real person is a hundred times more handsome than the photos—who wouldn’t have selfish motives?! Even he was starting to feel tempted!
Shi Wen pushed open the wooden gate and gave a bright smile. “All done—come on in. Sorry to have kept you waiting.”
Zhu Ji replied, “I’m a friend of Yan Ke Xing. Just treat me as a friend too—no need to be so formal.”
Shi Wen smiled again. “Alright.”
Zhu Ji introduced his assistant Duan Kuo to Shi Wen with a smile: “As Hua Nation’s only Awakened with the Qilin blood lineage, we’ve long wanted to visit and see if you needed any support. But with our workload, we couldn’t break free until now.”
Shi Wen nodded: “I appreciate the effort.”
“Just doing our job,” Zhu Ji said, scanning the surroundings. “Mind giving us a tour of the ranch?”
This very ranch had been bestowed to Shi Wen by the Bureau of Anomalous Affairs.
Near N City, ranches of comparable scale charged at least 150,000 yuan in annual rent—and their facilities couldn’t hold a candle to his.
Yet the Bureau of Anomalous Affairs had granted him 40 years of free use. And if his Qilin bloodline remained stable by then? The land would likely stay his indefinitely.
It was practically a permanent deed.
With stakes this high, Shi Wen could hardly refuse Zhu Ji and Duan Kuo their tour.
Shi Wen led Zhu Ji and Duan Kuo deeper into the ranch, heading first to the livestock barn.
Stepping from the sun-drenched pastures into the dim barn, all three men blinked as their eyes struggled to adjust.
Before Shi Wen could speak—
“Ruff! Ruff! RUFF!”
The puppies housed inside erupted into barks, their sharp little voices slicing through the gloom.
Shi Wen glanced between Zhu Ji, Duan Kuo, and the enthusiastically barking puppy, making a silent assessment: These two are probably not on the same level as Yan Ke Xing’s blood lineage.
After all, when Yan Kexing was around, even this spirited pup wouldn’t dare make a peep.
Unaware of Shi Wen’s internal evaluation, Zhu Ji crouched down to meet the barking puppy at eye level. “Quite the lively puppy you’ve got here! What’s its name?”
Shi Wen tapped the cage lightly to hush the pup. “The noisy one’s Le Wa, and the quiet one’s An Wa.”
Zhu Ji reached out to playfully tease the puppies: “Quite unique names.”
Shi Wen smiled: “They’re named after blessings—‘Joy and Peace’ (Ping An Xi Le) and ‘Contentment in Adversity.’ (Sui An Er Yu) I just brought them home, so they’ll need a few days to adjust before going out to pasture.”
As Zhu Ji straightened up, he surveyed the livestock shed with admiration. “This ranch has truly come alive under your care.”
Shi Wen guided them through the livestock shed, introducing the cattle, sheep, dogs, and geese, then led the way to the backyard to show off the vegetable patches he’d planted earlier.
The ranch had been under his care for less than two months, so the improvements were still modest. Yet even now, the entire operation showed signs of revitalization—a palpable sense of renewal in the air.
After the tour, Zhu Ji turned to Shi Wen. “Based on your overall progress, we can classify you as an intermediate-level Awakened now.”
Shi Wen was startled: “That fast?”
He distinctly remembered the manual’s requirements: 500+ in both Divinity and Abilities for intermediate rank. While his Divinity had cleared the threshold, his Abilities still lagged over 100 points behind.
Zhu Ji smiled: “Technically, you’d need to wait longer—but your bloodline is exceptionally rare, and your progress remarkable. We’re making a special exception. An early promotion benefits you.”
Shi Wen expressed his thanks.
“No need—it’s our duty,” Zhu Ji said. “With your status, you can apply for special development funds now. If anything comes up, contact me or Duan Kuo directly.”
He added Shi Wen on WeChat, exchanged numbers, and had Duan Kuo do the same.
They didn’t linger at the ranch—after exchanging contacts, they departed.
Once they’d left, Shi Wen mulled it over, then texted Yan Ke Hang: [Just had a visit from Director Zhu.]
A while later, Yan Ke Hang—likely squeezing in a reply between tasks—responded: [Zhu Ji? They conducted an on-site evaluation?]
Shi Wen: [Yeah! He said I qualify as an Intermediate Awakened now. I can apply for special funding via the Bureau’s official site later.]
Yan Ke Hang: [The Bureau’s grants have very flexible criteria—you can try to aim for the higher tiers when applying.]
Shi Wen: [Director Zhu said the same. If the application is approved, it’d take a huge load off.]
Yan Ke Hang stared at those words —until a colleague’s call snapped him back. He flipped his phone face down, setting it aside.
That evening, with his chores done, Shi Wen settled in front of his computer.
On the computer screen, the Bureau of Anomalous Affairs’s website was strikingly minimalist.
He navigated to the grants application page.
Awakened are ranked from Low-tier to High-tier —then finally, Divine-tier. Eligible funding ranges from tens of thousands to hundreds of millions. There was even a greyed out option - the Divine-tier. Funding for Divine-tier Awakened was listed as a locked option—Shi Wen couldn’t even access the page.
Just what kind of beings qualify as Divine-tier?
The thought suddenly conjured Yan Ke Hang’s image.
Could he be Divine-tier? That would explain the insane clearance level around him.
Shi Wen stared blankly at the screen for a long moment before shaking himself back to reality—and redirecting his focus to the Intermediate-tier funding options.
Intermediate-tier Awakened could request funding in the hundred-thousand-yuan range—from 100,000 to 900,000, with varying documentation required for each tier.
After carefully reviewing the examples, Shi Wen settled on applying for the 300,000-yuan grant.
His ranch was already fully operational: 115 sheep, 2 dairy cows, 30 geese, and 3 puppies—a sizable operation by any standard.
And with Zhu Ji himself acknowledging his rare bloodline and rapid progress, that ought to count as a legitimate edge in his application.
Worst-case scenario, he could always downgrade to the 200,000-yuan tier next month.
For now, Shi Wen meticulously filled out the forms—snapping photos where required, uploading datasets, attaching purchase records—determined to secure the funding in one shot.
With the money, he could reinforce the ranch’s wire fencing, upgrade the livestock barn and maybe invest in farm machinery.
Perhaps thanks to Zhu Ji’s personal endorsement, the application was processed very smoothly.
In just a week, the first tranche of 50,000 yuan landed in Shi Wen’s account.
Staring at the suddenly healthier balance, he felt a swirl of emotions.
A five-digit sum—so achingly familiar it nearly brought tears to his eyes.
With funds now in hand, he contacted Zhang De Yuan to inquire about purchasing cattle, asking if he had any viable leads.
Zhang De Yuan called the moment he saw Shi Wen’s message: “What kind of cattle are you after? Any specifics?”
“Just dairy cows—local brown breeds,” Shi Wen replied. “Budget’s tight. If the price is right, maybe three to five cows?”
Two cows were pitifully few for this ranch.
The sprawling pastures practically ached for more bovines—letting it go underutilized would be criminal.
Upon hearing the request, Zhang De Yuan replied: “Dairy cows don’t come cheap—you get what you pay for. Prices are especially steep right now. Finding a bargain will be tough.”
“Keep an ear out for me, Zhang-ge,” Shi Wen said. “Worst case, I’ll check the livestock bazaar.”
“Stick with local breeders,” Zhang De Yuan warned. “There’s a nasty wave of sick cattle going around. Heard three farms got saddled with sick cattle recently.”
Sick cattle? Shi Wen asked: “What kind of outbreaks are we talking about?”
Zhang De Yuan: “We’re seeing mucosal disease, bluetongue, brucellosis…all that you can think of. The constant rains has made livestock prone to illness. Skvir’s been running ragged—treating some, culling others.”
“Culling?” Shi Wen pressed. “Is it by safe disposal? Burning? Or even burial?”
“Something like that. Dead livestock can’t be left in pastures—they must be hauled back for processing to prevent secondary contamination. It is not just Skvir, I have been helping with the sick cattle too. If you’re buying, wait for better weather.”
A thought struck Shi Wen. “Do people sell sick cattle? Will the price be a lot cheaper?”
Zhang De Yuan paused: “Sick cattle?!”
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Footnote:
Tranche: a portion of something, especially money.
Lmao, I just realise the ML’s name is Yan Ke Hang, not Yan Ke Xing (damn chinese words).
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RTTRAAB 14
Returning to the Ranch as a Breeder 回到牧场当饲养员
Please support the author!
Source: https://www.jjwxc.net/onebook.php?novelid=6763363
Chapter 14
The rescued wild donkey lay on the ground, its body caked in thick mud, two large eyes blinking exhaustedly—it was utterly drained.
A waiting veterinarian hurried over for examination before announcing it was essentially unharmed, just suffering from extreme fatigue.
Shi Wen also stepped forward to verify—true enough, beyond complete exhaustion, the animal was fine.
After briefing the lead rescuer, Yan Ke Xing guided Shi Wen back to their vehicle, ready to return him to N City to collect the puppies.
The two settled into the car, Shi Wen pulling the seatbelt across his chest with a click. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed Yan Ke Xing studying him. Instinctively, he brushed a hand over his cheek. “Do I have something on my face?”
Straightening up, he leaned toward the rear view mirror to inspect himself — his reflection showed nothing but clean skin, not a speck of mud, his complexion even healthier than before.
Puzzled, he turned back to Yan Ke Xing with a questioning look.
Yan Ke Xing responded: “I recall you wearing glasses when we first met.”
“Oh those—” Shi Wen leaned back into the seat, “I stopped wearing them because they got in the way of work. It doesn't really affect me anyway.”
Noticing Yan Ke Xing's expression, he added: “I still wear them for reading though.”
As Yan Ke Xing started the engine, he asked: “So is your prescription still accurate?”
“Should be accurate enough?” Shi Wen wondered if this was just small talk or something more. “Glasses are hard to get perfectly fitted—most are just close approximations. Why do you ask?”
Yan Ke Xing insisted: “Just suggesting you might want an eye exam. Your old prescription probably doesn't fit well anymore.”
Shi Wen dismissed casually: “No need, really. I can make do.”
“You shouldn't ‘make do’ with vision care.” Yan Kexing navigated a turn. “ Since we're already here, N City People's Hospital has excellent ophthalmology¹. Might as well get it checked.”
Two hours later, their vehicle rolled into the hospital’s open-air parking lot.
Shi Wen stared up at the bold characters reading “N City People's Hospital”, half-convinced Yan Ke Xing had slipped him some kind of persuasive elixir—how else had he been talked into this so easily?
Yan Ke Xing swung the car door open and stepped out first: “Come on, I'll accompany you through the examination.”
Left with no rebuttal, Shi Wen could only follow.
This was his first time having someone accompany him to a medical visit since his parents’ divorce—an oddly touching experience that had him stealing frequent sidelong glances at Yan Ke Xing as they walked.
On a weekday, the hospital wasn’t particularly crowded.
Soon, it was Shi Wen’s turn.
Sitting across from the ophthalmologist, he answered routine questions until the doctor asked: “What was your previous prescription? Was it professionally measured at a hospital?”
“Just at an optical shop,” Shi Wen admitted. “Left eye 1.5 diopters, right eye 3.2.”
The doctor looked up to study Shi Wen’s eyes. “These don’t look like 3.2 diopter eyes,” he remarked. “Adult myopia patients rarely maintain such clarity.”
“Maybe it’s all the greenery I've been looking at lately?” Shi Wen offered.
The doctor scribbled out a referral for further tests.
Yan Ke Xing accompanied him through every step—as if the renowned professor had conveniently forgotten his academic duties for the day.
The test results came back swiftly. When Shi Wen resumed his seat opposite the doctor, he noticed the physician studying him.
Catching the subtle shift, Shi Wen tensed instantly. “Doctor, is there something wrong with my eyes?”
“The problem,” the doctor said as he rotated the report toward him, “is that your vision is 5.3 in both eyes. You could qualify as a fighter pilot with these numbers.”
Shi Wen: “That can't be right. I've worn glasses for years.”
His reflexive denial gave way to dawning realization—the test couldn’t be wrong. He had clearly seen even the tiniest letters at the bottom of the chart during the exam.
So had the Qilin bloodline altered his physiology?
Shi Wen turned to Yan Ke Xing standing beside him.
Yan Ke Xing was reviewing the results with downcast eyes, his dense eyelashes casting delicate shadows.
‘Advisor Yan has strikingly beautiful eyes—and apparently no vision problems either.’ Shi Wen noted silently.
The test results were clear: Shi Wen’s eyesight was perfect, his eyes in impeccable health with no underlying issues.
After the doctor finished explaining, he dismissed him.
Clutching the report, Shi Wen followed Yan Ke Xing out of the hospital.
Seated in the car, he kept staring at the test results, his face still etched with disbelief.
After fidgeting with the document for a while, he suddenly looked up at Yan Ke Xing: “You're not purely human either, are you?”
Yan Ke Xing halted mid-motion as he started the car and turned to face him fully.
Their gazes locked.
Yan Ke Xing suddenly smiled—a full, crinkling expression that carved deep laugh lines around his eyes.
At such close range, the sheer force of his beauty hit Shi Wen like a physical blow, nearly shattering his composure.
“Why do you say that?” Yan Ke Xing asked.
Shi Wen ticked off the evidence: “You didn’t even blink at my question—plus you’ve been observing me for a while now, even dropping hints!”
Yan Ke Xing nodded: “True enough. I’m not fully human.”
A dozen implications flashed through Shi Wen’s mind, but what escaped his lips was: “Does that make you my senior then?”
Yan Ke Xing’s lips quirked again: “Call me ‘Senior Yan’ if you’d like. I don’t mind.”
Shi Wen flushed crimson under the sudden onslaught of charisma, jerking his sight away. “I mind! Here I thought we were brothers² , and you’ve been angling for seniority all along?”
Yan Ke Xing guided the car out of the parking lot.
After a steadying breath, Shi Wen ventured: “What is your lineage—can you disclose it?”
“My lineage is classified for now,” Yan Ke Xing replied, “But given your growth rate, you’ll likely earn clearance soon.” A pause. “I’d assumed my hints were obvious. You’re just noticing now?”
Shi Wen mentally retraced every interaction with Yan Ke Xing—realizing with dawning clarity that the man had never bothered to conceal his nature.
That first encounter... What had Yan Ke Xing said exactly?
“I know who you are.”
The phrasing now took on new weight: Yan Ke Xing probably knew about him beforehand.
Shi Wen flexed his fingers absently.
Thank god he was just a simple rancher—no one expects a rancher to be a genius.
Dealing with these razor-sharp manipulators? He’d be sold off before realizing the auction had started.
His gaze shifted to Yan Ke Xing, now steering the wheel behind sunglasses.
Yan Ke Xing's strikingly sharp nose and chiseled profile looked downright handsome behind those sunglasses.
With that height and bone structure—yeah, no way he’s 100% human.
They drove to collect the two puppies.
Both remembered Shi Wen instantly—the spirited one pressed its snout through the cage bars, sniffing eagerly with soft yip-yip whimpers of recognition, though it stayed quiet.
Perhaps Yan Ke Xing’s presence kept the puppies subdued—they barely dared to whimper.
Shi Wen returned to the ranch laden with supplies.
As they unloaded everything, Yan Ke Xing reminded him: “Don’t forget your tests.”
Maybe it was their shared background, but Shi Wen felt an unexpected ease with Yan Ke Xing now. “Relax, I’ll get to it soon.”
“Alright, I’ll head back now.”
“Drive safely. Text me if anything comes up.”
Shi Wen watched Yan Ke Xing's car disappear down the road before carrying the puppies’ cages into the barn.
Hei Wa had noticed the newcomers earlier—but with Yan Ke Xing present, the loyal dog had restrained itself. Now, freed from that imposing presence, it erupted into frantic barks at Shi Wen.
—Woof! Woof! WOOF!
Shi Wen scooped Hei Wa into his arms, rubbing the dog’s neck soothingly. “Easy now—these little recruits are here to help you out. You're the boss here, so act like it.”
Hei Wa shot a disgruntled look at the puppies, then back at Shi Wen, and continued its indignant Arf! Arf! protest.
No amount of coaxing worked.
The two newcomers clearly grasped the hierarchy already—even the usually bold puppy didn’t dare misbehave, shrinking cautiously into a corner. The pecking order had been established in seconds.
The new puppies had to be quarantined anyway.
With the two puppies safely isolated, at least there was no risk of fights breaking out. That part didn’t worry Shi Wen much.
The real challenge was Hei Wa—green-eyed with jealousy over the newcomers. Some serious appeasement was in order.
Shi Wen took Hei Wa whether he went, and even unpacked treats to feed Hei Wa, showering the dog with pats and praises until its tail regained its proud, upright sweep. Soon, the appeased dog was shadowing him happily again.
After pacifying Hei Wa, Shi Wen went to cut fodder for the quarantined flock of seventy-eight sheep, and ushered all the cattle, sheep, and geese into their pens. It was only after completing these tasks did Shi Wen finally have a free moment to test himself with the Bureau of Anomalous Affairs’s kit.
In the N City office at the J Province Supernatural Management Division, Director Zhu Ji was processing documents via office software.
He was focused intently on his work when a soft notification chimed from the internal office system. A click of his mouse brought a starred document to the top of the screen.
He opened it—only to find a set of personal test data.
Test data?
Zhu Ji instinctively checked the timestamp—18:53.
Real-time data.
His eyes dropped to the details.
The subject’s name glared back at him: Shi Wen.
The bolded metrics below read:
Divinity: 538
Abilities: 364
The numbers were modest—the subject hadn’t even reached intermediate levels yet.
Yet Zhu Ji remembered all too clearly—just over a month ago, these numbers had been less than half their current values!
Scrolling down, he found the attached comparative data from May 6th:
At that time, Shi Wen’s Divinity was at 222, while his Abilities was a mere 150!
How could his aptitude skyrocket so quickly?
Zhu Ji shot up from his chair as if scalded, bending forward to scrutinize the data on the large screen.
He double-checked. No mistake.
No wonder his subordinates had escalated this to him urgently!
In his century-long career, he’d never witnessed anything like this!
This kid’s potential is off the charts!
Without a second thought, he grabbed the phone and called Yan Ke Xing: “Old Yan, we’ve got a situation! That novice Awakened you recommended? His latent talent is terrifying!”
Yan Ke Xing’s response was calm: “And?”
“And?!” Zhu Ji hunched over the data again, voice rising. “You’re not even surprised? Is there anything else that you ain’t telling me?!”
“Did you forget - he’s my friend?” Yan Ke Xing paused. “I told you he was exceptional. And driven.”
“That’s it?!” Zhu Ji’s voice crackled through the receiver. “Give me a professional assessment, not just praise! He’s not even here to hear it!”
“I have my own selfish reasons, thus I can’t be professional about this.”
Zhu Ji: “???”
Zhu Ji: “You’re WHAT?!”
Zhu Ji took the phone he had been holding between his shoulder and ear, and glanced at the contact name.
He suspected he had dialed the wrong number and reached someone else by mistake.
Otherwise, how could he possibly have heard the words “I have my own selfish reasons” coming from Yan Ke Xing’s mouth?
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Footnote:
1. the branch of medicine concerned with the diagnosis and treatment of disorders of the eye.
2. Like a bro, not that family tree kind of brother
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RTTRAAB 13
Returning to the Ranch as a Breeder 回到牧场当饲养员
Please support the author!
Source: https://www.jjwxc.net/onebook.php?novelid=6763363
Chapter 13
“Xing Xing Pet Hospital—”
Following the navigation, Shi Wen arrived at the entrance of a pet hospital. He glanced up at the sign above the door, then pushed open the glass door and stepped inside.
The moment he entered, the room full of cats and dogs fell silent for a brief second—before erupting into chaos. Nearly all the animals in the pet shop turned to look at him, barking and meowing in an alternating chorus.
The puppies, especially, were so excited that they seemed ready to break into a tap dance inside their cages. They poked their snouts through the bars, barking enthusiastically at him with all their might.
Observing the commotion, the few people standing in the pet shop all turned to look at him in unison.
Shi Wen froze for a moment—he hadn’t expected his natural rapport with animals to be this strong.
From behind a shelf, a young woman poked her head out and greeted: “Hello?”
Shi Wen pulled out his phone: “Hi, I contacted you on WeChat—I’m here to see the two dogs up for adoption.”
“Oh, it's you!” The girl tried her best to calm the excited cats and dogs, then pointed toward a corner. “The two puppies are over here. Please take a look.”
Shi Wen looked in the direction she had pointed to and immediately spotted the two little dogs in a large cage on the bottom shelf.
Both were native shepherd dogs with golden backs and white bellies. Judging by their size, they couldn’t have been weaned for long.
One of the puppies stood tall, chest puffed out, its bright eyes fixed intently on Shi Wen. Its mouth curled slightly, as if grinning at him with keen interest. When their eyes met, it let out a spirited “Woof!”
The other puppy had curled itself into a semicircle, lying limply on its front paws with half-closed eyes, its fluffy face full of dejection.
It was remarkable how two puppies from the same litter could have such completely opposite temperaments.
Shi Wen crouched down and, judging that neither puppy showed any aggressive intent, reached into the cage. He started by petting the lively one.
The energetic pup's fur was thick and plush, smooth no matter which way he stroked it—head, belly, even paws—and the little dog didn’t protest at all.
The little puppy even stuck out its pink tongue, flopped onto the bottom of the cage and rolled over to expose its white belly. It gently patted Shi Wen's hand with its paw, clearly inviting him to rub its tummy.
Shi Wen obliged, and the puppy responded with soft “yip-yip-yip” whimpers, nuzzling insistently under his hand until his heart melted completely.
The energetic puppy kept wriggling and rolling around the cage in pure delight. At one point, it bumped into the dejected pup, who let out an almost human-like sigh before shuffling aside with visible resignation.
Unable to suppress a smile, Shi Wen reached over and gently stroked the gloomy puppy's head.
The dejected puppy seemed to like Shi Wen just as much, burying its fluffy head into his palm and resting there motionless.
Cupping the melancholy puppy's head in one hand, Shi Wen had no choice but to use his other hand to gently stroke its neck.
Not to be outdone, the energetic puppy grew impatient and began pawing at its sibling's head, trying to nudge its own way into Shi Wen's embrace. It let out pleading little “yip-yip” whines, demanding attention of its own.
Just then, the girl—having finally calmed the other animals—walked over and chuckled at the scene. “My, my,” she remarked, “looks like we've got a bit of a rivalry going on here!”
Shi Wen looked up with a smile: “They're just lively.”
“That's only for you. With everyone else—” The girl pointed at the energetic puppy, “—this one has a ‘come near me and you're dead.’ energy. Barks so hard his whole tail shook with effort. My ears ring all day from his nonsense.”
Then she gestured to the gloomy puppy. “And this one? Buries his head under his paws no matter who comes, basically screaming 'don't freaking touch me' with his whole body.”
The girl: “At this rate, I'm terrified I'll never get them adopted.”
Shi Wen chuckled, his eyes crinkling as he flashed a bright, white-toothed smile.
The girl's voice softened: “You seem to really click with them. If you like them, why not take them home? Do you live in the city or out in the pastures?”
“In the pastures,” Shi Wen replied. “I'm actually looking for a couple of herding dogs.”
“Well, these two would be perfect then,” the girl said. “They've got great builds and they're sharp as tacks—just a tad... unique in personality. But since they clearly adore you, I doubt that'll be an issue.”
Shi Wen stood up: “I'd like to adopt them. What's the procedure?”
“I just need your ID, phone number and address for our records,” the girl said briskly. “We need that information to do follow-up visits, that's all. As long as you treat them well, there are no other requirements.”
Already fond of the two pups, Shi Wen pulled out his ID to register, then picked up some dog food, treats, and basic veterinary supplies from the shop.
Unsure what the puppies might prefer, he selected several large bags of high-quality pet snacks—the kind with premium ingredients.
Unsure what the two puppies might prefer, Shi Wen grabbed several large bags of premium pet treats.
Not forgetting Hei Wa, he also stocked up on Hei Wa’s favorites: beef jerky, dried beef cubes, and other beef-based snacks. Bringing home new puppies shouldn’t make Hei Wa feel neglected.
As he was selecting the goods, his phone suddenly rang.
Pulling it out, he saw the caller ID flash “Yan Ke Xing” across the screen.
Shi Wen hastily tossed the pet treats into his shopping cart and gestured toward his phone to the shop assistant, signaling that he needed to step outside to take the call.
Before the girl could respond, he was already striding briskly toward the exit.
Once outside the pet shop, Shi Wen answered Yan Ke Xing’s call.
Yan Ke Xing cut straight to the point: “Shi Wen, are you free? I need your help with something.”
Shi Wen: “What do you need? Just say it.”
Yan Ke Xing explained, “A Tibetan wild donkey has fallen into a marsh. It’s highly stressed and won’t let anyone near. We need your help to calm it down so we can safely pull it out.”
Without a second thought, Shi Wen agreed: “No problem. Which marsh area? I’m in the city right now. I’ll arrange for transport immediately.”
“Northern foothills of the Agona Mountains,” Yan Ke Xing replied, then added upon hearing Shi Wen's readiness, “You’re in N City? I’m in the outskirts. Send me your location and I’ll come pick you up.”
“Hold on, I’ll send you the location on WeChat.”
Shi Wen quickly shared his address via the app, ended the call, and hurried back into the pet hospital. He asked if the two dogs could stay temporarily until he returned from his urgent matter.
The girl agreed without hesitation.
Before long, Yan Ke Xing arrived in his vehicle.
Yan Ke Xing wore a white dress shirt with suit pants, his sleeves rolled up to the elbows to reveal lean, well-defined forearms.
The moment Shi Wen saw him like this, he knew Yan Ke Xing hadn’t planned for fieldwork today—someone must have called him in about the Tibetan wild donkey.
Shi Wen quickly dismissed his speculations and opened the passenger door to get in.
The interior carried Yan Ke Xing’s subtle scent, crisp as spring mist in a forest. As soon as Shi Wen settled into the seat, it enveloped him.
All other thoughts in his mind instantly vanished as Yan Ke Xing completely commanded his attention.
Shi Wen fumbled slightly with the seatbelt to steady himself before asking: “I’ve never seen a Tibetan wild donkey before—is the situation serious?”
“There are plenty in the Agona Mountains; you get to see one soon.” Yan Ke Xing replied as he made a U-turn, steering them toward the outskirts. “What brought you to the city today?”
“I recently bought another flock of sheep. Hei Wa might struggle to manage them alone, so I thought about raising more herding dogs.” Shi Wen explained. “This pet hospital happened to have some up for adoption, so I came to take a look.”
“Did any catch your eye?”
“Picked out two, and I’ve already completed the adoption paperwork. I’ll come back for them after we handle this situation.”
As they talked, Shi Wen noticed Yan Ke Xing seemed unusually familiar with the workings of his ranch.
Their conversation flowed effortlessly, without the slightest generational gap.
Their conversation carried them all the way to the marsh where the Tibetan wild donkey was trapped.
Even before getting out of the car, Shi Wen could see a ring of vehicles and a crowd gathered ahead. From this angle, nothing but cars and bobbing heads filled his view.
He shifted positions several times before finally catching glimpses of the stranded animal through gaps in the crowd.
The wild donkey was nearly submerged, with only its neck and a sliver of its back still visible above the dark mud.
From what was visible of its head, the Tibetan wild donkey appeared utterly exhausted, with thin scabs of dried blood marking some wounds—likely sustained during earlier rescue attempts.
The marsh formed a stark dividing line: would-be rescuers on one side, and on the other, a gathered herd of wild donkeys observing the scene.
These wild donkeys, with their golden backs and white bellies, looked plump as stuffed cotton toys, far more adorable than Shi Wen had ever imagined.
He and Yan Ke Xing approached the scene.
Many in the rescue team noticed their arrival and turned to greet them—primarily Yan Ke Xing.
The herd of wild donkeys also detected the newcomers, raising their heads to emit surprisingly delicate “ee-aw”s —they sound higher-pitched than domestic donkeys, and almost birdlike in quality.
Shi Wen spotted a rescuer in waders, secured by a waist rope, standing on planks laid across the marsh as he attempted to lasso the trapped animal.
Though some mud had been cleared around the perimeter, they hadn’t managed to reach the donkey itself yet.
The Tibetan wild donkey was completely uncooperative—not only dodging every attempt but also stretching its neck to bare its large teeth, trying to bite its would-be rescuers.
The rescue team members were splattered head-to-toe in mud, looking thoroughly disheveled.
The crowd parted to let them through, and Yan Ke Xing led Shi Wen to the front.
Someone updated them wearily: “This is the situation. We’ve rescued all the other wild donkeys, but this one has sunk too deeply into the mud and is fighting us at every turn. We just can’t get it out.”
Yan Ke Xing gave a nod: “I've brought an expert to assist.”
All eyes turned to Shi Wen.
Though his unique heritage gave him unique abilities, Shi Wen hardly considered himself an expert. Hastily deflecting, he asked: “How did the wild donkey end up in the marsh anyway? Don’t they usually stick to their established trails?”
During the car ride, Shi Wen had skimmed some information about Tibetan wild donkeys—known for their wariness and tendency to follow specific pathways.
The rescuer explained: “It was racing against a car and accidentally charged straight into the marsh.”
Shi Wen’s eyes widened as he recalled the materials he'd read : “So it really did run in there itself?”
Tibetan wild donkeys were known for their habit of racing vehicles—whenever cars passed nearby, they’d give chase, determined to outrun them at all costs.
This time, perhaps too focused on the competition, one had failed to watch its path and plunged headlong into the marsh.
So that's why it’s stuck so deep—it charged in at full speed.
His gaze shifted to the trapped wild donkey, and he suddenly found its predicament oddly endearing in its foolishness.
After grasping the situation, Shi Wen pulled on a pair of waders provided by the rescuers, secured a safety harness around his waist, and—with the team’s assistance—began carefully approaching the mired animal.
He moved with deliberate slowness. The wild donkey stared unblinkingly at him, its large eyes brimming with a dopey innocence that belied its substantial size.
As Shi Wen drew closer, the wild donkey sniffed vigorously but showed no resistance—let alone made any attempt to bite.
Maintaining eye contact, Shi Wen cautiously placed a hand on the animal’s neck.
The donkey responded with a soft “Ee-aw—”
Finding the creature growing more docile by the second, Shi Wen turned toward the crowd, ready to signal for someone to throw the rescue rope.
Before he could even speak, Yan Ke Xing had already taken one end of the rope and tossed the other near him: “Be careful.”
Shi Wen picked up the rope and nodded in acknowledgment.
Surveying the length of rope, he made his decision—looping it around the wild donkey’s abdomen first, then threading it behind the front legs before bringing it up to the neck to form a harness.
Miraculously, the donkey remained docile under his touch, neither biting nor struggling. Its plump frame and the treacherous marsh terrain made the operation challenging—Shi Wen had to practically drape himself over the animal’s back just to maneuver the rope beneath its belly.
As he worked to free the wild donkey, the animal’s warm, musky scent enveloped him. The smell was not exactly pleasant, yet it carried a strangely comforting familiarity unique to livestock.
The most challenging part was securing the rope around its abdomen. Once that was done, threading it behind the front legs and around the neck proved far easier.
With the harness in place, Shi Wen turned toward the crowd and called out, “I’m no good at knots, can someone tie this off properly?”
To haul an animal this size, they’d need an exceptionally sturdy knot—anything less might come undone mid-rescue, forcing the poor creature to endure the ordeal all over again.
Shi Wen had never mastered complex, heavy-duty knots, though he'd heard some experts could tie remarkably secure ones that still came apart easily when needed.
Just as someone from the crowd started to respond, Yan Ke Xing handed off his section of rope to another rescuer: “I’ll do it.”
Rolling up his sleeves, Yan Ke Xing carefully followed the path Shi Wen had taken through the marsh.
The wild donkey was wary of Yan Ke Xing, turning its head away while letting out nervous "ee-aw" calls.
Shi Wen immediately stroked the donkey’s neck to calm it, preventing any sudden movements that might drag them both deeper into the marsh.
The wild donkey had been vocal at first, but as Yan Ke Xing drew near, its protests dwindled into uneasy silence.
Not only did it stop calling, it actually began to tremble slightly.
Noticing the animal’s reaction, Shi Wen shot Yan Ke Xing a curious glance, though he wisely kept his observations to himself.
Yan Ke Xing took hold of the rope, his slender fingers deftly weaving an elegant slipknot with just a few practiced motions.
He gave it a firm tug—the subtle flex of his arm muscles revealing perfectly defined contours beneath his rolled-up sleeves.
Shi Wen found himself averting his gaze slightly.
The knot held impeccably; the more tension applied, the tighter it cinched, showing no signs of loosening.
“Ready.” Yan Ke Xing said to Shi Wen. “Let’s step back now.”
Shi Wen nodded and retreated slightly, though he kept his footing on the wooden planks, poised to assist if needed.
Once they’d cleared the immediate rescue zone, the team on shore began pulling the rope taut with coordinated effort.
The wild donkey lurched forward as the rope tightened, letting out panicked brays while its hooves churned violently against the mud.
The herd of wild donkeys on the opposite shore erupted into panicked cries upon witnessing their companion’s distress, their calls tinged with alarm and agitation.
Soon, the marshlands echoed with a chaotic chorus of "ee-aw" calls from every direction—to Shi Wen, the cacophony felt almost like being surrounded by amusement park noise.
The trapped donkey’s violent thrashing sent muddy water flying. While the churned-up marsh appeared looser, its suction grip had actually intensified.
The lead rescuer shook his head at the scene. “This isn’t working. We need to bring the vehicle over for a controlled pull.”
Yan Ke Xing quickly assessed their surroundings and pointed ahead: “If we use a vehicle, it mustn’t go beyond that shrub line.”
The lead rescuer nodded immediately: “The marsh starts right behind those shrubs, correct? Understood.”
Under the veteran’s direction, the team secured the rope to their vehicle and began executing a slow, mechanical pull.
The wild donkey brayed loudly and struggled as it was being pulled in.
Shi Wen rushed forward to soothe the panicked wild donkey, joining Yan Ke Xing in attempting to lift the creature’s legs free from the clinging mud.
Several volunteers, seeing their efforts, carefully made their way across the wooden planks to assist.
Under Shi Wen’s calming influence, the donkey’s stress responses diminished noticeably. Though it struggled when others approached, it no longer attempted to bite anyone.
Noticing this situation, the lead rescuer dispatched two more team members to reinforce their efforts.
Working in tandem—some scooping away mud while others pulled—the team gradually wrestled the wild ass free from the marsh’s grip.
After over two hours of coordinated effort, the donkey’s legs finally emerged with a soft pop, marking the end of its grueling over ten-hour ordeal.
The surrounding crowd erupted in spontaneous cheers and applause.
“We did it!!”
“Thank goodness! All that work paid off!”
“Finally! We got the donkey out!”
Standing beside Yan Ke Xing amidst the jubilant uproar, Shi Wen found himself swept up in the collective euphoria—clapping along with unrestrained enthusiasm, his face alight with exhilaration.
Observing his reaction, Yan Ke Xing turned and offered a quiet smile before joining in the applause with soft claps.
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RTTRAAB 12
Returning to the Ranch as a Breeder 回到牧场当饲养员
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Source: https://www.jjwxc.net/onebook.php?novelid=6763363
Chapter 12
At dawn, Shi Wen hauled the collected cattle and sheep manure to the fermentation pit in the corner of the ranch using a wheelbarrow.
The ranch had three large fermentation pits in total—whether built by Shi Wen’s grandfather or originally part of the ranch, they were all located in the northwest corner, far from the house and water sources.
After Shi Wen took over, he put one of them into use.
As the livestock numbers grew, he’d transport a mix of manure, urine, and soiled bedding straw from the barns via wheelbarrow every two days, dump it into the pit, seal it with a lid, and let it compost anaerobically¹ .
This process is crucial for maintaining the ranch’s hygiene and safety.
During fermentation, thermophilic anaerobic bacteria in the pit multiply rapidly, generating heat that kills pathogenic bacteria, viruses, parasites, and their eggs in the waste.
Only after this natural sterilization can the manure safely be used without endangering the ranch's soil, water sources, vegetation, or livestock.
With the current hot weather, the fermentation cycle can be completed in just over two months.
His ranch doesn't cultivate much produce, so there wasn’t a need for all that processed manure. Once fully fermented, he’d just call the nearby fertilizer factory to collect it.
It wouldn’t fetch much money, but having an outlet meant no longer worrying about waste disposal—a trade-off Shi Wen found perfectly acceptable.
The morning sun beat down, heating his back until sweat prickled his forehead.
He’d just finished dumping the last load, and before he had a chance to seal the fermentation pit, Hei Wa started barking urgently from the far side of the pasture.
From the tone and urgency of the barks, Shi Wen could tell that he had visitors.
He hastily parked the wheelbarrow and hurried toward the ranch entrance.
Even from a distance, two familiar figures came into view: Zhang De Yuan and Fu Meng, both of whom he’d just met yesterday.
Putting together Fu Meng’s message from last evening, Shi Wen guessed he’d come along to mediate the visit.
Shi Wen quickened his pace, calling out as he approached: “Why didn’t you call ahead?”
Fu Meng chuckled: “Was just about to when we spotted you coming from afar.”
With that, Fu Meng flipped open the gate latch and ushered Zhang De Yuan inside.
When they met, Zhang De Yuan passed a gift box into Shiwen’s hands, his sun-weathered face flushed with earnest gratitude: “We owe you big time for yesterday. Had the vet confirmed it—it was bluetongue disease, mildly contagious. If you hadn’t warned me, the losses would’ve been brutal.”
Shi Wen smiled and waved it off: “I just noticed something odd and mentioned it—really didn’t do much.”
Zhang De Yuan shoved the gift box firmly into his hands: “You saved my hide. Now that all the sheep are either treated or isolated, the situation’s under control. You are a savior, so just accept the damn gift.”
Fu Meng, watching their back-and-forth, deftly pivoted: “So Shi Wen, how’d you spot the issue? Skvir said it was still in the incubation period—even he needed a thorough exam to catch it.”
Zhang De Yuan’s eyes locked onto Shi Wen, equally curious.
This was tricky to explain. Shi Wen’s ability to spot livestock anomalies relied entirely on a gut instinct.
Just as most people might struggle to identify sick animals but easily notice illness in humans, he simply knew—something about the creatures’ energy or posture would feel off.
After a pause, he offered: “Just a hunch. Those sheep looked lethargic, their faces slightly swollen… different from the healthy ones nearby.”
Zhang De Yuan sighed in admiration: “That’s some sharp observation—I’d never have noticed.”
Shi Wen chuckled: “Comes with spending every day with sheep, I guess. You pick things up.”
He led them inside for tea.
As they settled around the table, Zhang De Yuan cut to the chase after some small talk: “Fu-ge mentioned you’re looking to buy sheep? Rams or ewes? Meat breeds or breeding stock? Tell me what you need—I’ll keep an eye out.”
Fu Meng: “Old Zhang here knows every lane and pasture around—he’s got better sources than I do. If anyone can find quality stock, it’s him.”
Shi Een nodded: “My budget is tight. Ideally, I’d want young ewes—breeding quality if possible. But if not, I’ll raise them as meat stock and sell them either this or next year.”
Veteran herders could spot breeding potential at a glance. Everyone in the trade knew the signs.
Snagging decent breeding stock at a bargain? Possible. But top-tier genetics for cheap? Never happened.
Top-tier breeding sheep could sell for tens of thousands, even millions—far beyond Shi Wen’s current means.
Sure, loans were an option, and authorities might fast-track approvals. But rushing into debt felt unnecessary. He preferred to build skills steadily for a year or two before scaling up.
After Shi Wen laid out his goals, Zhang De Yuan fell silent, thinking deeply.
Was this request harder than expected? Shi Wen studied his face: “Zhang-ge, is it that difficult to source?”
“No no, don’t misunderstand.” Zhang De Yuan snapped out of his thoughts. “You’re basically wanting to pick through average young ewes to find ones with decent breeding potential, right?”
Shi Wen nodded.
“Here’s what I’m thinking,” Zhang De Yuan said, rubbing his chin. “The sheep I just bought are also local young ewes. If you’re willing to sort through them, why not come pick from my batch? I’ll give you wholesale pricing.”
Wait—that was an option?
Shi Wen’s eyes widened.
Zhang De Yuan quickly clarified: “These sheep were bought as meat stock—all unbred young ewes around six months old. If you comb through them, you’ll definitely find some with breeding potential. You saw them yesterday: local heritage breed, decent bone structure. I pre-screened them, so they’re better than average market stock. Just… hope you won’t think it’s beneath you?”
“Beneath me?!” Shi Wen snapped to attention: “Zhang-ge, this is incredibly generous—You're treating me like your own brother with this kindness.”
Fu Meng cut in: “Zhang-ge’s famous for his fairness.”
Shi Wen paused to consider—the idea actually made solid sense.
When buying sheep elsewhere, he’d always had to pick through herds for decent candidates anyway, rather than purchasing certified breeding stock outright.
And the selection pools out there were far smaller.
Leaning forward, he asked: “Zhang-ge, what’s your usual purchase price when sourcing these sheep?”
Zhang De Yuan: “I buy live sheep by weight—recent purchases are all bought at 19 yuan per jin.”
Shi Wen said: “Then how about this? I'll pick from your stock at 20 yuan per jin—one yuan premium. So that would be 21 yuan per jin. Fair?”
At that rate, each resold sheep would net Zhang De Yuan 40-50 yuan profit—a more than decent margin.
Zhang De Yuan waved his hands: “No need, no need! Why would I charge you more?”
Shi Wen chuckled: “Business and friendship should stay separate. How much advantage would I be taking, hand-picking from your stock?”
Fu Meng backed him up: “Even brothers keep clear accounts. Shi Wen’s proposal’s solid—no one loses. Get this right, and you might have a steady partnership.”
Shi Wen added: “Zhang-ge, if you insist on the cost price, I’d be too ashamed to buy from you at all.”
Zhang De Yuan gave the proposal a thought, then compromised: “Tell you what—come inspect the sheep first. If any catch your eye, we’ll talk numbers. No pressure if they don’t.”
“That works.” Shi Wen nodded in agreement.
After securing the gate and leaving Hei Wa on guard duty, he rode with Zhang De Yuan to his ranch.
Zhang De Yuan had already isolated the bluetongue-infected sheep yesterday, so the pens were less crowded today, making it easier to inspect the flock at a glance.
Shi Wen scanned the enclosure — the remaining sheep all appeared healthy.
The Bluetongue disease is caused by the bluetongue virus, which relies on insect vectors for transmission, making it relatively manageable to control.
With Skvir, a seasoned old vet, overseeing treatment, there was nothing to worry about.
Zhang De Yuan led them to the first enclosure to begin the inspections.
The young ewes, already sheared, were easy to observe.
Shi Wen moved methodically through the flock, quickly spotting a ewe with excellent bone structure and conformation². He checked her teeth— it had a good dentition, confirming her as prime breeding material.
Zhang De Yuan recognized his interest instantly and handed him a spray can.
Without ceremony, Shiwen marked the ewe’s rump with a bold “1”—his first selected candidate.
It was indeed satisfying to pick out the best ewes from the flock.
Especially considering that Zhang De Yuan's family didn’t just have a few thousand sheep—they had over ten thousand. There were even several large barns in their backyard, all packed with sheep.
No wonder he got so anxious yesterday when there was the slightest possibility that some of his sheep might be sick.
With that many sheep here, if an epidemic really broke out, the losses would be massive.
Shi Wen picked only the best of the best—after looking through over ten thousand sheep, he finally selected seventy-eight ewes.
Zhang De Yuan had been in the sheep trade for many years, and with just one glance, he could tell that every sheep Shi Wen had chosen was top-tier. He couldn’t help but exclaim: “You’ve really got a sharp eye for this. Give it a couple of years, and your ranch will definitely be one of the best in the whole town—maybe even the whole city.”
Shi Wen turned and smiled: “I hope so too. Zhang-ge, we’re going with the price we discussed earlier, right?”
Zhang De Yuan named the price he’d already had in mind: “If you’re going to be working with me long-term, then let’s settle at 19.8 yuan. We’re like family—gotta give you a bit of a deal. Besides, 19.8 sounds like a lucky number³.”
Zhang De Yuan was sincerely offering a good deal, so Shi Wen was naturally happy to accept.
With Fu Meng as a witness, they weighed the sheep and completed the payment.
Zhang De Yuan's sheep were semi-mature ewes, each weighing over forty jin (around 20 kg). Shi Wen bought seventy-eight of them, and over sixty thousand yuan was paid out in one go.
Fortunately, it was summer and the pastures were lush, so there was no urgent need to stockpile feed — otherwise, he would’ve had to take out a loan.
He hoped this batch of sheep would bring in a decent return, so that things would be a bit more comfortable for him financially next year.
After the sale, Zhang De Yuan asked Shi Wen a favor: “There’s one more thing I’d like to trouble you with — about the bluetongue disease issue. Could you help me keep it under wraps? Some people tend to blow things out of proportion and rumors spread easily. Don’t worry, I’ll definitely send the sheep for inspection before selling them — only the ones that pass quarantine will be sold.”
Since Shi Wen had just gotten a good deal, he couldn't possibly refuse such a small request.
He readily agreed: “Don’t worry, Zhang-ge — I’m not the type to gossip.”
Zhang De Yuan grinned and said: “Just giving you a heads-up.”
After completing the handover, Zhang De Yuan drove the truck himself and delivered the sheep to Shi Wen’s ranch.
As usual, Shi Wen placed the new flock in the farthest livestock shed to keep them in quarantine for a while. He would only let them out after confirming they were disease-free.
With so many more sheep at home now, relying on just Hei Wa, his one and only dog, clearly wouldn’t be enough.
Shi Wen took the opportunity to ask Fu Meng and Zhang De Yuan to help him keep an eye out for affordable local sheepdogs.
After all, the winters here were harsh, and dogs from other regions might not adapt well to the local climate and conditions. If they got sick, it’d be tough on both the dogs and their owner— it was definitely not worth the trouble.
Fu Meng agreed to help him look, and just a couple of days later, he sent Shi Wen a video with a message:
[You said you were looking for a sheepdog—see if these two little guys fit the bill?]
[Someone picked them up and dropped them off at the pet hospital—they’re looking for someone to adopt them.]
[Judging by their looks, I think they’re purebred sheepdogs. If you’re interested, just reach out to the person in charge of the adoption.]
Fu Meng also sent along the pet hospital’s business card.
Shi Wen tapped on the video to take a look.
Two little yellow puppies were squeezed together in a cage—big eyes, broad noses, sturdy paws. Though a bit skinny, they were unmistakably purebred sheepdogs.
They looked like a good fit.
Shi Wen tapped open the business card and decided to contact the pet hospital to find out more.
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Footnote:
Anaerobically = without oxygen - It describes processes or conditions that do not require oxygen or occur in the absence of oxygen.
Conformation = the shape or structure of something, especially an animal.
Looking it up, here’s is why I think why 19.8 (十九块八) sounds lucky:
9 (“九”, jiǔ) sounds like “久”, which means long-lasting or eternal.
8 (“八”, bā) sounds like “发”, short for 发财 (fā cái), meaning to get rich or prosper.
Therefore, the full number “十九块八” (shí jiǔ kuài bā) sounds auspicious, suggesting “lasting prosperity” or “long-term wealth”.
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RTTRAAB 11
Returning to the Ranch as a Breeder 回到牧场当饲养员
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Source: https://www.jjwxc.net/onebook.php?novelid=6763363
Chapter 11
Ever since Shi Wen returned from picking Ba Chu mushrooms, the weather hasn't been great, and it even rained several times.
These past few days, except for the geese, all the other livestock have been kept in the livestock shed and fed there. Shi Wen has been busy cutting grass and cleaning the cattle and sheep pens.
Finally, when the weather cleared up a little, Shi Wen let the two cows out to graze freely, while the sheep remained penned up.
The flock of sheep seemed a bit unhappy and started bleating loudly.
The noise made Shi Wen’s ears ache.
Around nine in the morning, Shiwen heard Hei Wa barking outside and hurried out. Sure enough, he saw Fu Meng riding on his motorcycle at the ranch gate.
Shi Wen quickened his pace and called out: “Fu-ge! The gate isn’t locked—just lift the latch and you can come in.”
Fu Meng raised his hand, flipped the latch open, and rode his motorcycle inside: “You didn’t let the sheep out?”
Shi Wen: “I wouldn’t dare let them out? My sheep have gotten so wild lately—once they’re out, it’s hard to herd them back in.”
Fu Meng laughed heartily: “Looks like your sheep have really settled into their new home.”
“A little too well—they’re still protesting in the pen right now.” Shi Wen walked over to Fu Meng’s motorcycle and led him toward the sheep pen. “Thank goodness you’re here, otherwise I wouldn’t know what to do.”
As they talked, Hei Wa noticed the commotion and excitedly scampered over, its four short legs spinning like wheels.
Out of the corner of his eye, Shi Wen noticed Hei Wa and raised his hand to give a signal.
Hei Wa saw it and immediately stopped in its tracks, tilting its head to observe for a moment before turning and trotting off toward the two cows instead.
Fu Meng observed the gesture and asked: “You’ve trained Hei Wa to understand hand signals now?”
“It’s exhausting to shout commands from far away, so hand signals are easier for him to recognize, and there is less chance for confusion.” Shi Wen smiled warmly. “Hei Wa’s pretty clever; it picked it up with just a little training.”
Fu Meng: “Your pup here is really thriving too—looks so strong and sturdy.”
The two of them chatted as they walked into the livestock shed.
All thirty-seven sheep were penned inside, and upon hearing footsteps, they erupted into loud, thunderous bleating.
The noise was so overwhelming that Fu Meng’s ears rang: “Damn, your sheep really know how to make a racket!”
Shi Wen gave a wry smile.
As they walked further inside, each sheep looked plump and fluffy, as if wrapped in cotton candy.
Fu Meng casually grabbed one, holding its horns while giving its wool a firm squeeze. He turned to Shi Wen and remarked: “This one alone must have at least two or three jin (1-1.5 kg) of wool on it.”
Shi Wen sighed, “I originally planned to shear them in another two months, but with this much wool, they’d probably die of heat by then.”
Fu Meng gripped the sheep's horns firmly: “Let's get started. Tie it up front?”
Shi Wen quickly helped to drag the sheep forward by its horns: “Let’s head to the empty shed next door. My sheep are a bit feisty—I’m gonna have to secure its legs too.”
Together, they tied the horns to the railing to immobilize its head, then bound its front and hind legs in pairs.
Shi Wen pulled over an extension cord, while Fu Meng plugged in the electric shears. With a buzz, the shears came to life, and he started shaving downward from the sheep's back.
The electric shears buzzed loudly as Shi Wen kept his head down, both steadying the sheep and carefully observing the shearing technique.
In their region, sheep could be shorn two or three times a year. This time, Fu Meng was here to help—but next time, Shi Wen would have to do it alone. He needed to learn it properly.
Fu Meng worked with practiced ease. The electric shears hummed steadily as he swiftly cleared the wool from the sheep’s back. Then, shielding the ewe’s udder with one hand, he began trimming the belly wool.
The shorn fleece piled up thick and heavy, tangled with grass blades, seeds, dirt, and other debris. Shi Wen kicked the clumps aside, then went to fetch the next sheep—pausing just long enough to herd the freshly shorn one back into the pen.
The freshly shorn sheep still looked plump, with no bones visible at all. It seemed unaccustomed to its now-short fleece and shook itself vigorously several times.
Fu Meng grabbed the sheep and lifted it to gauge its weight: “Must be around 20 to 25 kilograms now, your sheep grows pretty fast!”
Shi Wen chuckled: “I’ll weigh it properly one of these days.”
They then moved on to shear the second sheep.
The second sheep proved less cooperative—it squealed like a stuck pig when it was its turn.
Hei Wa, hearing the commotion, came trotting over and stood watch with his tail erect.
The vocal sheep quieted down at the sight of him, clearly intimidated by Hei Wa.
With Hei Wa's imposing presence, the rest of the shearing went much smoother. Towards the end, Shi Wen even took over the shears himself for the final few sheep.
Though the shearing job was a bit uneven—almost like a dog had chewed on the fleece—it was done.
By next shearing season, Shi Wen could probably manage just fine on his own.
Shi Wen released the freshly shorn sheep to graze, then returned to help Fu Meng stuff the harvested wool into burlap sacks.
His sheep might not have been large in size, but their fleece grew abundantly. When they finally weighed all the shorn wool, it came out to seventy-three jin and six liang (roughly 36.8 kilograms).
Fu Meng was genuinely surprised: “Damn, that’s a lot of wool! Want me to introduce you to a wool buyer? You’ll probably be dealing with them regularly from now on.”
“I’d really appreciate that, Fu-ge.” Shi Wen agreed immediately. “Take a breather first—let’s grab lunch before heading out.”
After the meal, the two rode off on their motorcycles, each loaded with a hefty sack of wool, toward another town.
Half an hour later, they arrived at the gates of a ranch.
The ranch gate stood open, so Fu Meng rode straight in with Shi Wen following behind.
Shi Wen glanced around, noticing the unusually large number of sheep pens here—each packed with what looked like at least two thousand young ewes, all mid-sized.
The sheep were crammed tightly inside the sheds, with no room to spare. Were they being fattened up, maybe? Is that why they weren’t let out to graze?
As he studied the setup, Fu Meng had already struck up a conversation with the ranch owner, Zhang De Yuan.
Fu Meng introduced them to each other.
Only then did Shi Wen realize that Zhang De Yuan was the largest sheep dealer in the area—he handled all sheep-related business in the area.
Shi Wen and Fu Meng unloaded the wool sacks from their motorcycles.
Zhang De Yuan opened the bags and inspected the contents carefully.
Fu Meng patted the wool sacks: “Freshly sheared today—it’s still warm. We came straight to you knowing you’d give a fair price.”
Zhang De Yuan inspected the first sack, then grinned as he opened the second: “Shi Wen, this is premium-grade wool. Grade 1¹ .”
Shi Wen smiled back: “Guess all that careful rearing paid off.”
After thorough checks to confirm the wool’s dryness, consistent quality, and lack of debris, Zhang De Yuan made his offer: “Grade 1 fleece is going for 65 yuan per jin these days. Does that work for you?”
The price matched Shi Wen’s ideal expectations.
He agreed promptly: “Sounds good.”
The three then carried the wool to be weighed.
The wool amounted to a total of 73 jin and 6 liang (≈36.8kg). At 65 yuan per jin, Zhang De Yuan rounded up the payment to 4,785 yuan for Shiwen.
Shi Wen stared at the payment notification on his phone, a swirl of emotions rising in his chest.
This was the first real profit he’d seen after all those months of tending to the sheep.
Once the accounting was settled, Zhang De Yuan invited them for tea, first leading them to a faucet by the wall to wash up.
The sheep pens stood just next door.
Shi Wen kept glancing over as he washed his hands, his movements distractedly half-hearted.
Zhang De Yuan watched him for a moment, and asked out of curiosity: “Shi Wen, what are you looking at?”
Shiwen looked up at him, hesitating.
A flicker of unease crossed Zhang De Yuan’s mind. He forced a chuckle: “Out with it—you got an eye out for my sheep or something?”
Shi Wen pointed toward the sheep pen: “Those few sheep over there seem a bit off—the ones near that brown-faced sheep with what looks like a beard.”
“No way?” Zhang De Yuan's expression instantly darkened. “These sheep are ready for market—there can't be anything wrong!”
Shi Wen: “They really do seem sick, and it looks like it might be spreading. If possible, you might want to call a vet to check.”
Zhang De Yuan muttered under his breath: “How could this be? I just brought these sheep in—they were all checked.”
Fu Meng, overhearing the conversation, gave Zhang De Yuan’s shoulder a reassuring pat and mediated: “How about we get Skvir to take a look? Better safe than sorry. You’ve built your business here over the years—wouldn’t want to risk your reputation by selling sick sheep, right?”
Zhang De Yuan stared fixedly at the sheep: “But they look fine. I inspected every one myself.”
Fu Meng: “Then a quick check will just be extra insurance, yeah?”
Zhang De Yuan: “...Let me check them again.”
The mood had soured, and no one was in the spirit for tea anymore.
Fu Meng took his leave with Shi Wen.
Zhang De Yuan didn’t say much, but his troubled expression and heavy demeanor spoke volumes.
It left Shi Wen feeling uneasy.
After leaving Zhang De Yuan’s place, Fu Meng tried to reassure Shi Wen: “Honestly, I wouldn’t have noticed anything wrong with those sheep if you hadn’t pointed it out. But now that you mention it, they did seem off. You’re probably right.”
Shi Wen sighed: “With so many sheep bought at once, it’s no wonder he’s upset.”
Fu Meng: “Livestock trading’s always a gamble. If it weren’t, everyone would be doing it. Don’t overthink it—Skvir’s skills are top-notch. Early detection means it’s fixable.”
Shi Wen nodded: “Just saying. It’s rough.”
Fu Meng: “Let's head back for now. Once he realizes what happened, he'll probably come thank you properly.”
The two went their separate ways home.
Shi Wen remained distracted, unable to stop thinking about the sheep at Zhang De Yuan's ranch.
After working for a while, he finally went inside and started flipping through veterinary books, searching for any common livestock diseases that might match the symptoms he'd observed in Zhang's sheep.
Evening rolled in.
A message from Fu Meng popped up on WeChat:
[It's confirmed - Zhang De Yuan's sheep have bluetongue disease². Skvir's already handled it. Not too serious - just needs isolation treatment and disinfection."]
Bluetongue disease!
He hadn't been mistaken after all.
Shi Wen felt relieved and quickly replied on his phone:
[Was the damage serious at Zhang De Yuan's ranch?]
Fu Meng:
[Basically no real loss. Bluetongue isn't that dangerous - it is treatable once diagnosed.]
[But if you hadn't spotted it and it spread after the incubation period, that would've been bad news.]
Shi Wen: [What a relief. I was worried I might have been mistaken.]
Fu Meng: [Haha, I knew you'd be worried, so I made sure to update you.]
Fu Meng: [He actually just told me how grateful he is. Said he'll definitely come thank you in person once things settle down in a couple days.]
Shi Wen: [That's really not necessary. I barely did anything.]
Fu Meng: [No no, let him do this. It's the custom around here - when someone helps this big, thanks are owed.]
[If he comes, just serve him two rounds of tea - that'll settle the debt. Otherwise he might feel awkward about it.]
When it came to social etiquette, Fu Meng as a local understood these things far better than he did.
Shiwen replied after some thought: [Got it. Thanks for the advice, Fu-ge.]
Fu Meng: [No problem. Building local connections is always good for you anyway.]
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Footnote:
I went to research a bit on how the wool grading system works, but it can be quite confusing (Wool are not graded by numbers, but instead “Fine, 1/2 Blood, 3/8 Blood, 1/4 Blood, Low 1/4 Blood, Common, and Braid”). So, I will just do a direct translation and translate it as Grade 1.
Bluetongue disease, a viral illness spread by biting midges, severely impacts sheep, causing various symptoms like ulcers, sores, and swelling of the lips, tongue, and head. Sheep are more susceptible to showing obvious clinical signs than other ruminants. The disease can also lead to reproductive problems and malformed or dead lambs.
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RTTRAAB 10
Returning to the Ranch as a Breeder 回到牧场当饲养员
Please support the author!
Source: https://www.jjwxc.net/onebook.php?novelid=6763363
Chapter 10
The woods have numerous ‘mouse trails’ created by the wood mice.
Shi Wen studied these tiny paths and could roughly estimate the population of the rodents.
There were quite a lot of them here—likely the dominant species in the area.
After mentioning this to Yan Ke Xing and the others, Shi Wen chose a different mouse trail and led the group forward.
The trees in the poplar forest grew sparsely, and with the flat terrain, walking was relatively easy.
Shi Wen moved forward while carefully scanning the ground. Suddenly, he spotted several dark dots on the soil ahead.
Had they found them so quickly?!
His excitement surged as he hurried over, eyes fixed on the black specks in front of him.
“There really are Ba Chu mushrooms!” Shi Wen turned to Yan Ke Xing, grinning. “Following the wood mice actually worked!”
Yan Ke Xing: “How many are here?”
Shi Wen: “One, two, three... six. Looks like there are six.”
Gong Jiang craned his neck: “Wait—aren’t there two more by those leaves? That black bit poking out?”
The group crouched down together.
Shi Wen gently brushed away the fallen leaves and soil around the Ba Chu mushrooms, exposing them fully before using a small knife to slice them off at ground level.
Wild mushrooms tended to collect more dirt and grit—uprooting them would make cleaning difficult, so cutting just the above-ground portion was the better approach.
One, two, three... Shi Wen counted silently as he worked. Including the two Gong Jiang had spotted, they ended up harvesting a total of nine Ba Chu mushrooms.
This patch of Ba Chu mushrooms are quite large—no wonder the wood mice marked this spot. They probably treat it as their pantry.”
Shi Wen glanced at Yan Ke Xing as he wrapped up his harvesting: “Seems like that’s all of them?”
Yan Ke Xing gave a nod: “We’ve cleared the patch.”
Shi Wen rummaged through his pocket and, before leaving, pulled out a handful of boiled sunflower seeds, placing them on the ground.
Ge Yue stared at him in surprise: “Shi Wen, what are you—”
“We raided the wood mice’s food stash,” Shi Wen said. “The least I can do is replenish it a bit.”
Lin Cheng Qian couldn’t help interjecting: “You really don’t have to. There are definitely Ba Chu mushroom spores around here—new ones will sprout by tomorrow. And sunflower seeds might not even be part of the local mice’s diet.”
Shi Wen insisted, “I checked. Wood mice eat both grass seeds and nuts—their diet is pretty broad. These sunflower seeds are just boiled in plain water, so they’re safe for them.”
Lin Cheng Qian: “You’re such a romantic.”
The tips of Shi Wen’s ears turned faintly pink: “Call it a toll for guiding us.”
Yan Ke Xing: “It’s good to have the means to respect nature—and still choose to do so.”
Gong Jiang chimed in: “A handful of sunflower seeds brings joy—you can add them or leave them out, it doesn’t make much difference. Just follow your heart.”
Shi Wen nodded.
Yan Ke Xing patted Shi Wen on the shoulder and then turned to Lin Cheng Qian, saying: “It’s always good to maintain a level of judgment.”
Lin Cheng Qian nodded seriously, his gaze full of trust as he looked at Yan Ke Xing.
Shi Wen glanced at Yan Ke Xing out of the corner of his eye.
This guy really knows how to stay fair and balanced.
But there was no denying his considerate nature.
Following the mice trails to locate the Ba Chu mushrooms turned out to be far quicker than their earlier haphazard search.
Shi Wen picked another mice trail and led Yan Ke Xing’s group forward.
This time, the path didn’t lead to Ba Chu mushrooms—instead, they found a patch of wild strawberries.
But the plants had only just begun to flower; fruiting season was still far off, leaving them empty-handed.
After two more attempts, Shi Wen started to get the hang of it: The key was to follow fresh trails—ones frequently used by the wood mice. Only then would their chances of a good harvest improve.
After figuring this out, the group's success rate in finding Barchu mushrooms jumped from one-in-five to one-in-three.
After just over two hours of searching, everyone's baskets were half full—far more efficient than their usual haphazard foraging.
To Shi Wen, the mice trails in the forest were now as obvious as fireflies in the night. Yet, Gong Jiang and the others couldn't spot a single one. Even when Shi Wen pointed them out, they still struggled to make sense of them.
Since the mouse trails were so distinctive—yet impossible for the others to spot—Gong Jiang went out of his way to take detailed photos for reference.
The five of them moved as a group.
Every time Shi Wen harvested a patch of mushrooms, he made sure to leave a handful of sunflower seeds for the wood mice.
Slowly, his backpack was emptied of every last kernel.
Ge Yue and the others took out the sunflower seeds from their pockets to contribute—soon, those were all gone too.
With the last handful of seeds scattered, Gong Jiang gazed at the basket full of Ba Chu mushrooms: “Before we came, I thought I’d be happy just finding enough for a pot of soup. At this rate, we might even have enough to stir-fry a whole extra dish!”
Ge Yue: “Enough for two or three dishes, honestly! Today’s haul is huge—we’re returning triumphant!”
Yan Ke Xing glanced at Shi Wen: “Let’s call it a day, shall we get some food first?”
Shi Wen’s eyes lit up with anticipation: “That restaurant you mentioned—the one that cooks Ba Chu mushrooms really well?”
“Mn,” Yan Ke Xing affirmed. “I’ll take you all there.”
With that, he led them through the forest, orienting their path back toward the main road. Before long, they were back at the car.
This time, it was Lin Cheng Qian's turn to drive. He set the restaurant Yan Ke Xing had mentioned as their destination and headed there for lunch.
By the time they arrived, it was already past three in the afternoon - the restaurant's quietest hours. Shi Wen glanced around and noticed there wasn't a single man in the place, just a group of aunties in ethnic costumes preparing ingredients.
They clearly recognized Yan Ke Xing.
As soon as they spotted Yan Ke Xing, one of the aunties hurried over with a bright smile: “Professor Yan! What’ll it be today?”
Yan Ke Xing motioned to Gong Jiang to hand over the Ba Chu mushrooms: “I’ve brought some friends to try your specialty. Mind cooking these up for us?”
“Wow! You gathered so many!” The auntie’s voice boomed cheerfully as she hefted the basket. “Must be three or four jin¹ at least? Let me weigh them.”
She set the basket on the counter, transferred the mushrooms into a plastic bag, and plopped them onto the scale: “Look—three jin six liang (≈1.8kg)! Want ’em all cooked, or just half?”
Yan Ke Xing glanced at Shi Wen, signaling him to make the call.
For five adults, this amount of Ba Chu mushrooms wasn't excessive. After a brief consideration, Shi Wen suggested: “Shall we cook them all?”
Yan Ke Xing: “Then we'll have them all cooked into multiple dishes, and have a mushroom feast.”
Auntie:"Excellent! We'll make Ba Chu mushroom chicken soup, stir-fried Ba Chu mushrooms with beef, crispy fried Ba Chu mushrooms, garlic sautéed Ba Chu mushrooms, and I'll add a side of stir-fried pea shoots to balance the meal?”
Yan Ke Xing gave an approving nod: “That works—we'll leave it to your expertise.”
The auntie chuckled cheerfully as she carried the Ba Chu mushrooms to the kitchen.
The group settled at their table, sipping tea and nibbling on the complimentary appetizers while awaiting their mushroom feast.
As Yan Ke Xing and his companions—seasoned field researchers and proper academics all—fell into easy conversation, Shi Wen found himself quietly enthralled. Sitting among them and listening to them talk, he felt like he'd been granted a glimpse into an entirely new world.
As their conversation flowed, the first dish arrived— the Ba Chu mushroom chicken soup.
The serving auntie proudly explained: “Our chicken soup's been simmering since morning—made with free-range local poultry. The Ba Chu mushrooms were added later. Go on, have a taste!”
She lifted the lid from the earthenware pot, releasing a cloud of fragrant steam. Golden broth swirled beneath, its rich aroma of aged poultry and earthy mushrooms flooding the small private room.
Shi Wen had arrived only mildly hungry. Now, assaulted by this olfactory symphony, his stomach roared to life with urgent demand.
Lin Cheng Qian picked up the ladle and served the soup, handing the first bowl to Yan Ke Xing.
Yan Ke Xing accepted it with both hands, then immediately offered it to Shi Wen.
Shi Wen hurriedly half-rose to receive it, but Yan Ke Xing deftly maneuvered past his grasp, setting the bowl directly before him: “Careful—it's hot.”
Flustered, Shi Wen offered repeated thanks.
Soon, everyone had a bowl of golden chicken soup before them, its surface shimmering with a thin layer of chicken fat.
Shi Wen skimmed aside the oil, gently ladled a spoonful of broth, and blew on it to cool before tasting.
Instantly, the rich flavor of umami bloomed across his palate.
In that moment, he couldn't even begin to describe the flavor profile of the Ba Chu mushrooms—there was only this all-consuming, luxurious depth of flavor.
The rich umami of wild mushrooms blended perfectly with the savory depth of chicken broth, steaming hot—it practically crackled and danced on the tongue.
After the first sip, a lingering sweetness rose subtly, so fragrant and rich that it enticed him into taking another.
Only after drinking nearly half the bowl did he finally scoop up a Ba Chu mushroom.
Simmered to perfection, the mushroom had soaked in the broth, becoming plump and glossy—far more voluptuous than in its raw state—glistening temptingly in the spoon.
He took a light bite—the Ba Chu mushroom had a remarkable crunch, utterly unlike other fungi—crisp yet brimming with savory richness.
An explosion of umami, far more intense than any ordinary mushroom, burst across his palate. At that moment, Shi Wen no longer wanted the soup; all he craved was a bowl of steamed rice to balance the intensity.
So damn good… Gotta have it with rice.
Shi Wen glanced around impatiently.
Yan Ke Xing, who was sipping his soup, glanced at him and asked the auntie to bring a bowl of rice.
Shi Wen, bowl in hand, was stunned. Before he could even ask Yan Ke Xing, "How did you guess?", the auntie returned with a large plate of stir-fried Ba Chu mushrooms and beef.
The beef was sliced paper-thin yet generously wide, while the mushrooms were scattered among the meat like delicate blossoms. Freshly wok-fried and still steaming, the dish glistened with a light brown glaze—irresistibly glossy and fragrant.
Shi Wen immediately forgot about talking. He scooped rice into his bowl and eagerly picked up a piece of mushroom to savor.
The Ba Chu mushrooms had soaked up every drop of the beef's juices, their natural umami perfectly enhanced yet balanced by the meat's richness, creating a harmonious blend.
With each bite, the savory broth, the mushrooms' deep earthiness, and the subtle kick of garlic and chili flakes all burst forth in perfect symphony.
This dish was made to pair with rice!
Shi Wen could hardly believe it—the stir-fried Ba Chu mushrooms with beef actually surpassed even the chicken soup version in flavor and depth. It was simply extraordinary.
He shoveled a huge mouthful of rice into his mouth to accompany the Ba Chu mushroom.
So incredibly delicious!
It was worth it to endure a two-and-a-half-hour journey just for these mushrooms.
The restaurant's pacing was impeccable—before he could even finish the stir-fried beef with Ba Chu mushrooms, the dry-fried and garlic-infused Ba Chu mushroom dishes arrived in quick succession.
Shi Wen devoured two full bowls of rice and two servings of soup in one go, so stuffed he didn’t dare speak—as if a single word might send everything surging back up his throat.
Slumped in his chair, he basked in that drowsy, contented bliss of a truly satisfying meal.
Meanwhile, Gong Jiang and Lin Cheng Qian were still polishing off the last bites, pouring the remaining sauces from the stir-fried beef with Ba Chu mushrooms and garlic-infused Ba Chu mushrooms over their rice for one final indulgence.
Ge Yue leaned back in her chair: “That meal was so good I’m sweating down my back.”
Shi Wen nodded inwardly—he too was flushed and perspiring from the feast. It was that delicious, the kind of meal that made all life’s troubles melt away.
“We should come back to forage for Ba Chu mushrooms again next year, if we get the chance.” Shi Wen declared.
The moment Gong Jiang heard this, he dropped his chopsticks and mumbled through a mouthful of food to Lin Cheng Qian: “Record this, quick—your Shi-ge just promised to take us mushroom-hunting again next year!”
With a sideways glance at Yan Ke Xing, Shi Wen replied with , “Go ahead and record it. If you guys don't mind, I actually enjoy working with you.”
Gong Jiang responded with complete sincerity: “You're the expert who can spot 'rodent trails' while picking mushrooms—why on earth would I mind? If you didn't have your ranch, I'd be begging you to join our team. Just imagine how much more we could discover! Right, Professor?”
Yan Ke Xing's gaze lingered on Shi Wen for a moment before he finally nodded. “Mm.”
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Footnote:
1 jin = 0.5 kg
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RTTRAAB 09
Returning to the Ranch as a Breeder 回到牧场当饲养员
Please support the author!Source: https://www.jjwxc.net/onebook.php?novelid=6763363
Chapter 9
That evening, after closing the ranch gate, Shi Wen washed up and sat on the chair in his room. He took out his phone and opened WeChat.
There were many people who had been trying to reach him on WeChat. He briefly replied to a few, then scrolled down his contact list, looking for Yan Ke Xing's name.
Both Yan Ke Xing and Gong Jiang were in his contact list.
The difference was, Gong Jiang's name appeared much earlier in the list, while Yan Ke Xing—after exchanging just a few words on the day they added each other—hadn’t spoken to him since.
Shi Wen scrolled up and down the list, hovering over Yan Kexing’s profile picture several times, but in the end, he didn’t dare to disturb him.
Eventually, he tapped into Gong Jiang’s chat instead and asked about the goitered gazelle.
Gong Jiang replied instantly:
[You’re still awake?]
[The goitered gazelle has stabilized. The vet said he’ll need about two more weeks of treatment before he can be released.]
[I’ll let you know when it’s time for his release.]
Shi Wen sighed in relief: [That’s great.]
After sending the message, he hesitated, then added a sticker to wrap up the conversation.
Scrolling through his contacts again, he soon lost interest and tossed his phone onto the table. Picking up a pen, he began writing today’s husbandry log.
The two quarantined cows had now been isolated for six days. In another two days, they could finally be released into the pasture to graze freely—no more confinement is needed.
The lambs have grown a bit—it’s time to administer the deworming medication.
Hei Wa’s due for his vaccinations—
Shi Wen had barely written a few words when his phone buzzed, lighting up as it vibrated against the desk.
He picked it up and tapped into WeChat, only to find another message from Gong Jiang.
Gong Jiang:
[Peeking out.jpg]
[Shi Wen, my advisor invited you to pick Ba Chu mushrooms (Helvella leucopus)¹ in Li County. Wanna go?]
[If yes, we can swing by to pick you up tomorrow.]
[It’s a two-and-a-half-hour drive—we’ll be back by evening, no overnight stay.]
[Harvesting Ba Chu mushrooms is pretty fun; you’d probably enjoy it.]
Shi Wen gripped his phone: [I’m in!]
[Thanks for taking me along!]
[What time tomorrow? I’ll get ready.]
Gong Jiang: [My advisor says we’ll reach you by 8 am.]
Shi Wen: [No problem, that works for me. I’ll wait for you guys tomorrow morning.]
Gong Jiang: [See you tomorrow.jpg]
Since he had an outing planned, Shi Wen woke up at 5 am the next day.
He cleaned the livestock pens, topped up the hay and water, let the sheep and geese out to pasture, fed the puppy, and then released the puppy out to roam as well.
After completing his chores, he took a shower and changed into casual long sleeves and pants. He packed some snacks for lunch and waited for Yan Ke Xing and the others to arrive.
At exactly 7:58 am, their car pulled up at the ranch gate.
Shi Wen was genuinely surprised: “You really meant it when you said ‘eight o’clock’, huh?”²
Gong Jiang glanced at him waiting by the ranch gate with his backpack: “You're also right on time waiting here, aren't you?”
After exchanging a few words, Shi Wen got into the vehicle.
It was a seven-seater. Lin Cheng Xian sat in the front passenger seat, Yan Ke Xing took the middle row, and Ge Yue occupied the back.
Shi Wen greeted each of them in turn. Not wanting to squeeze in with the girl, he naturally took the empty seat next to Yan Ke Xing.
Yan Ke Xing was reviewing documents, his strikingly handsome features accentuated by the metallic-framed glasses perched on his tall nose bridge.
Shi Wen took a quiet, steadying breath, willing his racing heartbeat to calm down.
Perhaps Shi Wen was sitting too stiffly—
From the back seat, Ge Yue held out a bag with a smile: “Shi Wen, try these locally grown sunflower seeds. They’re boiled, unsalted, and won’t cause heatiness.”
Shi Wen hurriedly accepted them: “Thanks.”
Ge Yue waved a hand: “No need to be polite! These seeds are seriously tasty.”
Shi Wen nodded politely, took a handful of seeds, and handed the bag back.
Ge Yue pushed it toward him again: “Keep it. When these were handed out yesterday, I specifically asked for an extra bag for you. How’s your ranch been lately?”
Shi Wen: “Not bad.”
Leaning slightly toward her, he lowered his voice and began sharing updates about the ranch.
Before long, Lin Cheng Xian in the front seat joined the conversation, and Gong Jiang occasionally chimed in as well.
The atmosphere inside the car quickly grew lively.
Amidst all this, Yan Ke Xing remained focused on his documents.
Shi Wen stole glances at him. As the vehicle sped through the open wilderness, the light and shadows flickering across his face, Yan Ke Xing seemed to glow faintly in the shifting illumination.
The car raced down the highway.
Shi Wen didn't realize when he'd dozed off, but when he awoke, the vehicle was already parked amidst a poplar forest.
It was springtime, and the poplars had sprouted tender green leaves.
Standing by the roadside, they gazed at the endless expanse of fresh greenery. Delicate wisps of milky-white mist drifted among the trees, moist and crisp, making Shi Wen feel as though his entire being was being nourished by the scene.
The five of them each retrieved a small basket from the trunk, equipped themselves with a small knife, and split into two teams to enter the woods.
Shi Wen was paired with Yan Ke Xing.
None of the other three had quite the courage to team up with their advisor, so Shi Wen volunteered to join Yan Ke Xing.
They stepped off the roadside and into the forest.
The forest floor was littered with dried branches and fallen leaves from previous years, now overgrown with a patchwork of new weeds, making the search surprisingly difficult.
Shi Wen trudged through the woods, his steps uneven as he navigated the undergrowth. After twenty minutes of searching, he still hadn’t found a single Ba Chu mushroom.
Yan Ke Xing was several dozen meters away, combing the same general direction.
Shi Wen called out to him, “Yan Kexing! Any luck over there?”
Yan Kexing: “Found a few.”
“Really?”
Shi Wen clattered over to Yan Ke Xing’s side—and sure enough, a sparse layer of Ba Chu mushrooms lined the bottom of his basket.
He actually found some!
The Ba Chu mushrooms were easy to recognise—their white stems crowned with wood-ear-like caps made them impossible to confuse with anything else.
Shi Wen looked up, staring at Yan Ke Xing in disbelief: “How did you find so many?”
Yan Ke Xing: “Luck, perhaps?”
“Our luck is on completely different levels!” Shi Wen glanced at his own empty basket and declared decisively, “I’m sticking with you!”
Yan Ke Xing glanced at him: “This way.”
He changed direction, and Shi Wen hurried after him.
The two walked side by side through the woods. Before long, Yan Ke Xing spoke up: “There’s one ahead.”
“Where?” Shi Wen widened his eyes, scanning the ground covered in dried branches and leaves. After a long moment, he finally spotted a dark shape slightly to the left and pointed. “Over there—is that it?”
Yan Ke Xing gave a nod.
Shi Wen quickly stepped forward and crouched down—there it was, a small Ba Chu mushroom nestled in the undergrowth.
Excitement flashed in his eyes as he pulled out his knife from the basket. With careful precision, he sliced the mushroom at its base, then swept the fallen leaves back over the cut stump.
Holding the mushroom between his fingers, he lifted it to eye level, examining it closely.
The Ba Chu mushroom was about the length of his finger—plump, with a pale stem and dark cap, exuding a rich, fungus aroma.
He gave it a sniff before placing it gently into his basket: “This’ll make an incredible soup.”
Yan Ke Xing: “If we gather enough, I’ll take you to an old restaurant that specializes in Ba Chu mushrooms.”
“There’s actually a place like that?” Shi Wen’s interest instantly sparked. “Let’s keep looking—we should be able to scrape together enough for a meal.”
Gradually, Shi Wen realized something: Yan Ke Xing knew these woods intimately— his sharp eyes always caught traces of Ba Chu mushrooms long before he did.
Meanwhile, despite his own fruitless searching, Shi Wen stumbled upon something unusual.
Spotting a particular fallen branch, he pointed at it and turned to Yan Ke Xing: “Don’t you think this branch is placed… suspiciously well? Almost like someone arranged it here on purpose?”
Yan Ke Xing was still carefully examining the branch. He was about to answer when Ge Yue’s clear voice called from behind: “Professor, you made it this far too? What’re you looking at?”
Shi Wen turned to see Ge Yue and the others emerging from the woods. His eyes flicked to their baskets—each holding only a few lone Ba Chu mushrooms—before answering: “I think this branch might be placed as some kind of marker.”
The moment he said it, all three of them craned their necks to look.
Gong Jiang commented: “The woods are full of branches—this one doesn’t seem special. Which one are you referring to?”
Shi Wen crouched, picking up a random twig to point at the suspected marker: “This one. I’ve noticed several like it—their length, color, and alignment are subtly different from the rest.”
The trio stared hard but saw nothing unusual.
Ge Yue said: “It probably isn't a mark, right? Even if someone wanted to leave a mark, they wouldn’t do it on the ground.”
Lin Cheng Qian: “Could it be local mushroom pickers? They might have been afraid that they wouldn’t find the spot without markings, but also worried others would notice them.That’s why they made the marks especially hidden.”
Shi Wen shook his head, indicating he didn’t know.
Yan Ke Xing replied, “If there really are marks, we’ll know once we follow them.”
No one else had noticed the markings—only Shi Wen could see them.
So it fell on him to lead the way, following the marks as they pressed forward.
Less than five minutes later, Shi Wen saw the markings pointing toward a peach tree.
By now, early summer had arrived. Most of the peach blossoms had already fallen, leaving behind small, unripe fruit.
Beneath the tree, the ground was carpeted with pink petals.
Judging by the intact petals, it seemed no one had been here before.
Shi Wen looked at the peach tree in confusion, then turned to examine the branches that had led them here: “The branches were pointing precisely to this peach tree. I just don't see what's so special about it?”
Gong Jiang circled the area: “There are no Ba Chu mushrooms nearby—this probably isn't a clue left by mushroom foragers.”
Shi Wen shook his head: “I'm not sure either, but the branches definitely pointed here.”
Yan Ke Xing pondered and said: “It might be the work of a wood mouse.”
Gong Jiang: “No way? Do wood mice really have a navigation system?!”
Shi Wen, Ge Yue and Lin Cheng Qian looked utterly bewildered.
Yan Ke Xing glanced at them and explained: “Research has shown that wood mice have the habit of setting up markers for navigation, mainly to guide them to food sources.”
Shi Wen found it hard to believe: “You mean actual mice in real life? Like field mice?”
Yan Ke Xing replied: “They're both rodents. You can look up pictures if you want. I’ve rarely seen local wood mice around here.”
Gong Jiang added: “I haven’t seen them either. But if these are their markers, then if we backtrack, shouldn’t we be able to follow them to their burrow?”
As he spoke, Gong Jiang looked at Yan Ke Xing expectantly.
Yan Ke Xing said calmly: “I wouldn't know how to spot the markings.”
At this, everyone's gaze shifted to Shi Wen.
Shi Wen hesitated: “I'm not sure…”
Gong Jiang: “We'll know once we backtrack. Who would've thought that while searching for Ba Chu mushrooms we'd stumble upon such fascinating creatures? From what I've read, they do feed on flowers and such—this peach tree must be a stable food source for them.”
Yan Ke Xing was taking photos nearby and gave an acknowledging “Mmm.”
Meanwhile, Shi Wen was browsing information about the wood mice on his phone.
According to the data, these rodents did indeed inhabit this area and were known for their habit of setting up navigation markers.
Once they finished taking pictures, Shi Wen led the group in the opposite direction along the markers.
He still found it hard to believe.
Could such tiny creatures really be this intelligent—even capable of leaving trail markers?
The four of them followed Shi Wen as he traced the markers, twisting and turning through the undergrowth.
After nearly twenty minutes of winding their way, they finally stood before a small earthen burrow.
Shi Wen bent down and found himself staring straight into a pair of round, pitch-black eyes.
Inside the small earthen burrow, a slender little mouse with tawny and black fur huddled trembling, its tiny front paws raised defensively as if frozen in a "scared stiff" pose.
Shi Wen exclaimed: “There really is one! So this is a wood mouse?”
As he spoke, he leaned in closer for a better look.
Yan Ke Xing reached out and grasped Shi Wen's shoulder, pulling him back gently: “Don't get too close—it might carry hantavirus ³ or other pathogens.”
His fingers were slender and warm, and with that single touch, Shi Wen became acutely aware of his right shoulder.
Clearing his throat self-consciously, Shi Wen replied: “Right, got it.”
Lin Cheng Qian buzzed with excitement: “Now that we've found the wood mice, does that mean we can follow their trails to locate the Ba Chu mushrooms? They know these woods way better than we do, right?”
Gong Jiang: “That's actually a solid idea. Let me snap a few more photos. This wood mouse is adorable—I wonder if we can feature it in our journal.”
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Footnote:
I couldn’t find a common name for the Ba Chu Mushroom, so here is the scientific name
My friends are never on time when we meet up, be grateful Shi Wen! Www
A virus of a genus carried by rodents and causing various febrile haemorrhagic diseases, often with kidney damage or failure.
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RTTRAAB 08
Returning to the Ranch as a Breeder 回到牧场当饲养员
Please support the author!Source: https://www.jjwxc.net/onebook.php?novelid=6763363
Chapter 8
The newly purchased livestock must never be mixed with the existing herd at the start. They need to be quarantined for a period of time to ensure no diseases are present before merging the herds.
Even with just two cattles, Shi Wen didn’t dare cut corners on this procedure.
He decided to stable both cows in the two innermost pens.
After bidding farewell to Fu Meng and the helpers, Shi Wen led the temperamental cow all the way from the ranch entrance to its pen—while the scrawny one needed no guidance, obediently trotting in on her own.
Approaching the livestock shed, the temperamental cow planted herself at the entrance, stubbornly refusing to take another step inside.
Shi Wen gave her hindquarters a firm push. Though she didn't kick or charge at him, she dug in with all four hooves splayed wide—classic bovine obstinacy on full display.
Just as expected from a troublemaker.
Shi Wen could do nothing with the stubborn animal for now, so he tied it to a nearby railing and went to fetch some rapeseed cake. He figured he might as well cut some fresh grass while he was at it.
Since both cows would be kept in the barn without access to grazing, the task of gathering grass fell entirely on Shi Wen.
The May pasture grew noticeably taller each day, the grass now reaching about ankle height—perfect for easy cutting.
With a sickle in hand, Shi Wen soon filled a shoulder pole’s worth of fresh fodder¹.
As Shi Wen carried the load past the sheep pen, Hei Wa heard his movement and came darting out. The little dog trotted after Shi Wen, barking excitedly with its tail wagging furiously.
Balancing the shoulder pole, Shi Wen nearly stepped on the pup darting underfoot. “Stay away, don’t cause any trouble.” he laughed, shooing Hei Wa away.
Hei Wa kept following as Shi Wen walked on—sniffing left and right, occasionally letting out sharp barks. The unfamiliar scents clearly had Hei Wa buzzing with excitement.
Entering the cattle barn, Hei Wa’s gaze snapped to the temperamental cow tied to the railing.
The temperamental cow spotted the little furball too, glaring and bellowing a defiant “Moo!”
Hei Wa fired back without hesitation: “Woof! Woof!”
The cow was tethered but not the dog—Hei Wa closed in, chest puffed out, barking loudly.
Then the cow lowered its head, positioning itself for a head butt.
Hei Wa clearly wasn't about to let this cow challenge its authority. Crouching low, the little dog prepared to charge headfirst into battle.
The standoff between canine and bovine was seconds away from turning violent.
Shi Wen quickly set down his shoulder pole and strode forward. With one firm hand on Hei Wa's back, he pressed the feisty dog down before scooping it up entirely: “You're just a munchkin and you are already picking fights?”
Dangling in midair, Hei Wa kicked its legs furiously and let out an indignant “Woof!”—clearly not ready to back down.
Shi Wen lowered his head and rubbed his chin against the dog's furry crown, chuckling: “Wait till you're a bit bigger, then the two of you can settle this outside.”
He then turned and gave a stern look at the temperamental cow: “And you—stop picking fights!”
Having temporarily subdued both animals, Shi Wen carried the freshly cut grass to the feeding trough, crumbling rapeseed cake into it as well.
The distinct oily fragrance of the rapeseed cake wafted through the air.
The scrawny cow ambled over to the feeding trough, gave the fodder a tentative sniff, then began nibbling at the grass.
Meanwhile, the temperamental cow—who absolutely smelt the fragrant feed—completely forgot about her canine adversary. She moved her hooves, shifting left then right as she strained against the tether. Unable to free herself, she directed a prolonged, pleading “Mooooo!”.
After placing the feed, Shi Wen gave the restless animal's neck an amused pat. “I thought you didn’t want to enter the shed, hmm?”
The cow, of course, couldn’t understand his teasing—her entire being focused on wrangling free toward that irresistible aroma.
Shi Wen untied the rope—this time, without any urging, the cow sauntered into the shed on her own and immediately buried her muzzle in the grass, chewing with gusto.
Leaning against the fence, Shi Wen observed the temperamental cow: “Turns out you’re just a glutton at heart. All that ‘temper’ melts away with some fresh fodder—guess you’re not that hard to deal with after all.”
The cow didn’t even lift her head, wholly absorbed in eating.
Shi Wen reached out and patted her neck: “Maybe I should call you ‘Hao Pi Qi’² instead. Here’s hoping you’ll mellow out properly. May you eat well and grow strong.”
Shi Wen chuckled to himself, then turned to the scrawny cow: “You’ll be ‘Da Ge Zi’ ³—here’s hoping you grow into that name someday.”
The frail cow responded with a “Moo—”.
With both cows christened, Shi Wen fetched his tools and started to clean the livestock shed.
Before, his sweeping and disinfection had been cursory at best. Now that these two were settling in, a thorough scrub-down was non-negotiable—every corner needed proper sanitation.
As he scattered lime disinfectant across the floor, Shi Wen eyed the bare ground thoughtfully— he needed to dry some grass soon, or maybe he could just buy straw outright.
Without a proper layer of bedding, the pen would turn into a muddy nightmare once the cows started relieving themselves. Straw would absorb the mess, keeping things cleaner and making daily cleaning far easier.
Plus, the soiled straw and waste could be piled together for composting.
His planning was interrupted when Hei Wa’s frantic barking jolted him back to the present.
Shi Wen assumed Hei Wa was picking another fight with Hao Pi Qi and called through the fence, “Hei Wa! That’s enough!”
But the little dog did not heed his instructions and kept barking—its entire body taut, even the base of its tail quivering with effort.
Suspicious now, Shi Wen draped the rag over the rail and stepped out to intervene. To his surprise, Da Ge Zi remained obliviously engrossed in her feed inside the pen, utterly ignoring the ruckus.
Hei Wa held his head high—but its barks weren’t aimed at the cows. They were directed toward something beyond the shed.
Hei Wa's relentless barking sent Shi Wen's gaze darting toward the pitch-black expanse beyond—where the grassland melted into inky nothingness. A sudden chill crawled up his spine.
What did this little canine see? Why is it barking so incessantly?
His mind raced through a catalog of horror tropes: A moonless night, this remote location...if something sinister lurked out there, no one would hear a struggle.
Hei Wa was still barking. Shi Wen tried to peer outside, pricking up his ears to listen for any movement.
He wasn’t sure if it was just his imagination, but he thought he heard a mournful cry.
Before long, a faint trace of blood drifted into his nostrils—so subtle, yet sharp enough for him to catch.
At that moment, Shi Wen had a gut feeling—this scent of blood might not be from a human. It came from some kind of animal, perhaps even a large wild one.
It was too late, and the night outside was too dark.
Shi Wen didn’t dare to risk going out to check, so he called the police instead.
After hearing his report, the police told him to stay inside the ranch and that they would be arriving soon.
Shi Wen secured the shed door tightly, his mind too unsettled to focus on any more work.
Hugging Hei Wa's neck, Shi Wen sat on the small folding stool in the livestock shed, waiting quietly.
After about twenty minutes, lights and noises approached in the distance - the police had arrived.
Picking up the flashlight from the windowsill, he fastened a leash to the highly alert Hei Wa: “Come on, Hei Wa.”
The dog immediately ran to Shi Wen’s feet. Once leashed, Hei Wa followed him outside, occasionally looking up at its owner.
It was a summer night, the howling wind rushed past them, bending the newly grown grass flat.
Before Shi Wen and Hei Wa could even leave the ranch, they spotted a crowd gathered in a circle on the road—voices clamoring, lights flashing chaotically. Police cars stood like a fortress along the roadside. And then, Shi Wen caught it—a thicker, heavier stench of blood.
This time, the metallic tang was laced with the unmistakable musk of an animal. Now he was certain—whatever was hurt, it wasn’t human.
“Who’s there—?”
Before Shi Wen could get close, someone shouted from a distance.
“I'm the one who called the police,” Shi Wen replied, stepping forward with Heiwa. “I came to see if there's any way I can help.”
A flashlight beam swung toward him, and Shi Wen tilted his head slightly to avoid the direct glare.
The light was quickly lowered, “Thanks for coming.” the voice said. “Did you hear anything unusual earlier?”
Shi Wen: “No. I only realised something was wrong when my dog started barking at something outside, and then I caught the smell of blood.”
The officer pressed a few more questions, but Shi Wen genuinely knew nothing—he’d simply acted on a bad feeling and called the police.
As he spoke, he stepped closer—
—and abruptly locked eyes with a strikingly handsome, towering man.
At that moment, all the bustling around him seemed to fade into a blur—only the man's figure stood out in sharp clarity.
Shi Wen's throat moved as he swallowed, then raised a hand in greeting: “Professor Yan.”
Yan Ke Xing gave a slight nod: “I had a feeling it'd be you who called this in.”
“I smelled blood from the ranch.” Shi Wen explained.
After exchanging greetings, Shi Wen turned his attention to their surroundings.
There, in the center of the crowd, lay an animal with long horns, a tawny back, and a white belly—curled up by the roadside.
The creature's face bore striking patterns, like intricate markings on a ceremonial mask. One glance was all it took for Shi Wen to recognise it: a male goitered gazelle.
Somehow, the gazelle had been badly injured. Its hindquarters were a mangled mess of flesh and blood—the source of that warm, pungent metallic scent hanging thick in the air.
Shi Wen's fingers twitched involuntarily as he watched the police bandaging the gazelle: “May I take a closer look?”
Someone nearby glanced at him and nodded: “Go ahead.”
Approaching cautiously, Shi Wen knelt before the wounded animal.
The gazelle fixed its large, round eyes on him and let out a long, mournful cry that tugged painfully at Shi Wen's heartstrings.
Shi Wen gently stroked the gazelle's head, noticing its body temperature was noticeably higher than a human's.
The docile creature lowered its head obediently under his touch. As Shi Wen withdrew his hand, the gazelle even gave him a soft lick.
“How bad are the injuries?” Shiwen asked quietly, addressing the person tending to the wounds.
“Hard to say for now. We'll need to transport it back for a proper veterinary examination.” The responder replied, looking up. “Large wild animals like this are remarkably resilient—they usually pull through.”
Only then did Shi Wen realise the person bandaging the wounds was none other than Gong Jiang, his long trench coat making him momentarily unrecognisable.
“It's you!” Shi Wen whispered in surprise. “Do you guys collaborate with the police?”
Gong Jiang chuckled softly: “More or less. We happened to be nearby when the call came in, so we tagged along to investigate and collect some samples.”
“Collect samples?” Shi Wen echoed.
Gong Jiang: “Exactly. Look at all this blood on the ground—we can just collect samples from here instead of drawing more from this guy.”
Shi Wen's gaze dropped to the small pool of blood on the pavement. “Won't it dry soon? Shouldn't you collect it first?”
Gong Jiang: “My advisor already took samples earlier.”
Gong Jiang spoke while he moved to bandage the other side.
His movement must have touched a tender spot—the moment the gauze made contact, the gazelle jerked violently. Its injured leg lashed out in a desperate backward kick.
Gong Jiang barely avoided the attack, throwing himself backward so abruptly that he landed hard on the pavement.
With its lower half now free from restraint, the gazelle twisted its body. Forcefully dragging its mangled hind leg, it struggled to rise and flee.
Shi Wen reacted in a flash—one arm wrapping around the gazelle's neck, the other gripping its horn. “Easy now,” he murmured, “it'll be over soon.”
As he spoke, his fingers gently stroked the gazelle's neck.
Whether soothed by his touch or exhausted from pain, the gazelle gradually stilled, then slumped back onto the ground.
Gong Jiang wiped sweat from his brow: “We rushed here in such a hurry we didn't bring any sedatives. Thank goodness you could calm it down—if it had bolted, there's no way we could've restrained it.”
Shi Wen felt a belated unease, though he replied: “You would've managed—there were enough of you here.”
Gong Jiang simply shook his head and crouched down to resume his work.
Once the bandaging was complete, they carefully transferred the gazelle into a metal transport crate.
With Shi Wen present, the animal remained docile, allowing itself to be guided inside without resistance. The entire process—from securing the latch to loading the crate into the vehicle's rear—went smoothly under his calming influence.
Gong Jiang pulled out a camera to document the gazelle's condition.
Seeing his assistance was no longer needed, Shi Wen took a step back.
As he glanced around, his eyes landed on Yan Ke Xing—who, at some unnoticed moment, had taken hold of Hei Wa's leash and was now watching him intently.
Shi Wen quickly moved to approach them.
Yan Ke Xing handed the leash back to him: “Your dog behaved perfectly. What's its name?”
“Hei Wa— ‘Hei’ as in black, ‘Wa’ as in baby.” Shiwen replied, looking down at the happily wagging dog. “Though it is never this well-behaved for anyone else.”
As he spoke, Shi Wen sniffled slightly.
Yan Ke Xing looked at him: “Is the smell of blood bothering you?”
Shi Wen: “It's alright.”
Yan Ke Xing reached into his pocket.
Shi Wen expected him to pull out a pack of cigarettes and was about to decline—when instead, a single peppermint candy rested in Yan Ke Xing’s open palm.
“Thought I’d offer a smoke?” Yan Ke Xing’s eyes glinted with amusement as he held out the mint. “We’re in the mountains often. Smoking is prohibited there.”
Shi Wen: “Are you always like this?”
Yan Ke Xing: “Like what?”
Shi Wen rubbed his nose with the back of his hand. “Just... always knowing what people are thinking.”
Yan Ke Xing: “Lucky guess.”
Skeptical, Shi Wen looked down and plucked the peppermint from Yan Ke Xing's palm with delicate fingers. He unwrapped it in one swift motion and tossed it into his mouth.
Instantly, an icy, bitter flavor exploded across his tongue.
Shi Wen froze, eyes widening as he stared at Yan Ke Xing.
Holy—! That was way more potent than he’d expected.
Yan Ke Xing chuckled beside him—this time, his amusement was unmistakable, bright enough to see even without trying.
Yan Ke Xing said: “We're done here. You should head back.”
Shi Wen: “What about you guys?”
Yan Ke Xing: “We will be heading back too.”
Shi Wen rolled the mint against the roof of his mouth with his tongue. “Then I’ll get going first. Goodnight.”
Yan Ke Xing: “Goodnight.”
With the mint still dissolving on his tongue and Hei Wa's leash in hand, Shi Wen walked on. Only after putting some distance between them did he glance back—there stood Yan Ke Xing, right where he'd left him, now raising a hand in farewell as their eyes met.
Shi Wen returned the wave before turning back toward the ranch, crunching the remnants of the peppermint between his teeth.
The metallic stench of blood was gone now, replaced entirely by the crisp and bitter bite of mint.
Damn. It works so well.
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Footnote:
Fodder = food, especially dried hay or straw, for cattle and other livestock.
Hao Pi Qi = 好脾气 =Sweet-Temper
Da Ge Zi = 大个子 = Biggie / Big size
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RTTRAAB 07
Returning to the Ranch as a Breeder 回到牧场当饲养员
Chapter 7
Please support the author!
Source: https://www.jjwxc.net/onebook.php?novelid=6763363
Shi Wen spent a solid day working in the backyard and managed to clear over half an acre of land.
This was only possible because the land had been cultivated before—aside from some shrubs, there were no stubborn obstacles.
If he had tried to clear some wild, untamed land of the same size, it would’ve taken him at least eight to ten days.
By evening, the sky was ablaze with intense, fiery clouds.
Shi Wen had a quick bowl of noodles, took a shower, then grabbed a box of chocolates and a box of gummy candies before hopping on his motorcycle to head to Fu Meng's house.
Fu Meng lived in the village.
Most households in this resettlement village didn’t have their own pastures. When it came time to graze livestock, people had to drive their cattle and sheep out to the open grasslands—or even into the mountains if they had larger herds.
It was now peak summer, and many families had already taken their livestock deep into the mountains’ summer pastures, leaving the village feeling somewhat empty and quiet.
Shi Wen rode his motorcycle through the village lanes and pulled up right outside Fu Meng's house. He knocked on the door.
A woman's voice called from inside: “Who is it?”
The voice grew nearer, and before Shi Wen could answer, the heavy iron gate creaked open with a squeak. A kind-looking middle-aged woman peered out from behind it.
Shi Wen hesitated for a moment, wondering how best to greet her.
The woman smiled first: “You must be Shi Wen, right? I'm Chang Qing Qing, Fu Meng's wife.”
Shi Wen quickly greeted her and offered the gifts: “Hello, sister-in-law¹! I'm here to see Fu-ge.”
Chang Qing Qing waved them off: “You didn’t need to bring anything just to visit!”
Shi Wen insisted: “These are for the kids.”
As the two were still chatting at the doorway, Fu Meng lifted the door curtain and stepped out: “Shi Wen, you're here! Come on in for some tea.”
Turning to Chang Qing Qing, Fu Meng explained: “He wants to grow some vegetables but can't find seedlings anywhere, so I told him to come get some from us.”
Chang Qing Qing: “What kind of seedlings do you need? Let me go sort some out—they're all piled up in the backyard.”
Shi Wen hurriedly said: “Anything will do! Sister-in-law, just give me whatever extras you have—a few plants of any kind would be great.”
Chang Qing Qing: “Alright, I know what to pick. You two go ahead and have your tea.”
Fu Meng ushered Shi Wen into the living room and lifted the thermos to pour him a cup: “We have salty milk tea here—not sure if it’s to your taste, but give it a try.”
“Thanks, Fu-ge.” Shi Wen cradled the cup with both hands and took a sip. “This is richer than what I’ve had in the city.”
Fu Meng grinned: “Nothing beats homemade. You know exactly what goes in it.”
Shi Wen: “Is this made with cow’s milk or goat’s milk?”
“Today’s batch is made with cow’s milk, but we’ve got goat’s milk too if you’d prefer. A bunch of ewes dropped spring lambs this year, so we’re swimming in milk—enough to spare for cheese and casein.” Fu Meng topped up Shi Wen’s cup halfway. “Have some more if you like it!”
Shi Wen grinned: “It’s delicious. Maybe I’ll get my own cows this year—I aim to start milking by next summer.”
Fu Meng: “Actually, I wanted to talk to you about the livestock bazaar.”
‘Bazaar’ means market. Around here, there are several ethnic groups living together, so some local words came from minority languages.
Shi Wen nodded, urging him to continue.
Fu Meng: “The village agreed to head to the livestock bazaar on the 21st. They’ll have way more cattle and sheep there than at our local market—you might find exactly what you need. Want to tag along? If you are, I can swing by and pick you up.”
Shi Wen: “Absolutely! I was just thinking about going. Perfect timing—count me in!”
“Alright then, make sure you get up early on the 21st,” Fu Meng said cheerfully. “If you find a good cow, I'll help you transport it back so you won't need to arrange separate transport.”
With their plans settled, the two continued chatting over their milk tea.
Before long, Chang Qing Qing came in carrying a basket of vegetable seedlings and handed it to Shi Wen: “Take a look and see if these are enough. If you're missing anything, just let me know—I can ask around to see if other families have some to spare.”
Shi Wen peered into the basket.
The basket held several types of vegetable seedlings, each root ball wrapped in fist-sized clay lumps. Neatly stacked like a basket of dumplings, they looked almost like works of art.
Shi Wen felt a surge of gratitude: “Thank you, sister-in-law. These are more than enough for me to plant.”
After bidding farewell to Fu Meng's family, Shi Wen rode his motorcycle home. Flipping on the backyard light, he wasted no time getting the seedlings into the ground.
Cross-referencing between visual inspection and a plant identification app, he recognized eggplant, chili pepper, cucumber, pumpkin, and pole bean seedlings—truly everything he needed.
Living on his own, he didn’t need much to begin with.
After planting the seedlings and taking a shower, Shi Wen sat at the table and carefully counted his savings.
Livestock farming required significant upfront investment, and now he was down to just over 70,000 yuan in savings—and that was only thanks to the 5,000-yuan subsidy the Bureau of Anomalous Affairs had given him this month.
If he couldn’t turn a profit this year, things would get tough next year.
On the morning of the 21st, Shi Wen woke up early. After feeding the sheep, dogs, and geese and eating breakfast, he waited at home for Fu Meng.
Around 5 am, Fu Meng called, telling him to come out to head for the livestock bazaar.
When Shi Wen stepped outside, the sky was still dark, a muted gray-purple.
Dew clung thickly to the pasture grass on both sides of the path. After walking just a short distance, his pant legs were soaked through, sticking coldly to his skin.
Shi Wen tightened his jacket and greeted Fu Meng.
Fu Meng was driving the same three-wheeled truck Shi Wen had seen before.
Even in May, Fu Meng still wore thick leg wraps and gloves.
Shi Wen climbed aboard, and Fu Meng set off again. The truck's headlights cut through the dim morning light, their beams stretching far into the distance.
After driving for a while, their vehicle joined up with others from the village.
The convoy consisted of three-wheelers and light trucks—mostly empty, though two were loaded with livestock, clearly headed for sale at the bazaar.
The two-hour journey brought them to the livestock bazaar just as the sun broke over the horizon, flooding the plains with golden light.
The bazaar teemed with people. They parked their vehicles on the sandy outskirts and followed the crowd toward the bazaar’s heart.
Even before reaching the main area, Shi Wen spotted rows of food stalls lining the open ground.
The aroma of steaming food washed over him. He caved and bought two beef buns.
The bazaar’s layout resembled their local market, just vastly larger and brimming with far more goods.
Shi Wen glanced around, and Fu Meng advised: “The cattle section's further in. This bazaar moves fast—if you spot a good one, decide quick, or someone else’ll snatch it up.”
“Got it. Fu-ge, I’ll head over to check the cattle first—you all take your time here.”
“Just call if you need anything.”
Fu Meng’s group had broader goals—besides trading, they were scouting market trends, so their time spent browsing was longer than Shi Wen’s.
After a brief exchange, the two parted ways.
Shi Wen headed toward the cattle section.
The area was a living catalog of bovine breeds—brown cattle, yellow cattle, dairy cows, highland cattle……Virtually every domestic breed could be found here, justifying the bazaar’s reputation as the region’s largest.
However, one look at the prices made his stomach drop.
Shi Wen circled the area once—even the youngest calves carried price tags no lower than 5,000 yuan.
With limited funds, he treaded carefully, hesitant to make any hasty bids.
The cruel arithmetic of the market soon became clear: the cattle he could afford didn’t meet his standards, while those he admired offered poor value. After circling around the area, he still walked away empty-handed.
“Hey! Don’t get so close!”
A loud shout rang out—Shi Wen initially thought it was directed at him and jumped, swiveling toward the commotion.
There stood a gray-bearded old man yelling, though not at him, but at another potential buyer examining his cattle.
The outburst startled the entire crowd; heads turning toward the old man.
Before anyone could react further, another voice cried out: “Ow!”
“Told you not to get so close!” the old man snapped.
“I didn’t have time to dodge! Damn, your cow’s got a temper. It bit me—do I need rabies shots now?”
“Rabies shots for a cow bite? You are the one who got too close, so I won’t be compensating for anything!” the old man retorted.
This was Shi Wen’s first time seeing a cow bite someone. The victim’s cheek bore a vivid horseshoe-shaped mark- the cow bit him pretty hard.
Almost instinctively, Shi Wen edged toward the bovine.
A circle of onlookers gathered.
The biter turned out to be a young heifer².
Shi Wen looked closer and noted her broad frame, excellent conformation, and surprising muscularity—clearly a locally bred purebred.
This kind of bovine was prime breeding stock, though the price tag remained a mystery.
He took a few steps forward.
The bitten man was haggling fiercely with the old man: “How many people has your damn cow bitten? And you still want 8,000 for it?”
The old man fired back: “If it weren’t for the temper, it’d be 12,000!”
“But it does have a temper!” The man countered. “Make it 7,000 and you can save yourself the hassle of dragging it to every bazaar.”
The old man stood firm: “Once it’s yours, who’s it gonna bite? 8,000. I won’t sell for anything less.”
“Even if it can’t bite people, it’ll still bite other livestock! You expect me to keep it isolated in its own pen? Make it 7,200 and call it a deal.”
“For 7,200, I’d rather raise it myself!” the old man scoffed.
“7,500—that’s my final offer. I raise 500, you drop 500. Let’s just get this done. Have you forgotten this damn cow bit me?”
“8,000. If you won’t take it, I’ll just try again at the next bazaar.”
“Hey! Every extra day you keep her, you’re burning cash on feed! And hauling her to each bazaar eats up time and fuel. With all this back-and-forth, that’s 500 yuan right there!”
But the old man dug in his heels. No matter how the man haggled, he wouldn’t budge an inch.
Finally, the bitten man snapped: “Fine! Keep your damn cow! Let’s see who’s crazy enough to pay 8,000 for a bad-tempered cow!”
With that, he shoved through the crowd and stormed off, still rubbing his wounded arm.
The crowd thinned as spectators lost interest, leaving only a handful circling the heifer—but no one was making any offers.
The old man sat slumped on the side, clutching his cattle whip, face stormy with frustration.
After observing the animal intently, Shi Wen pushed through the onlookers. “Mind if I take a closer look?”
The old man: “Nothing less than 8,000.”
Shi Wen smiled: “I’ll take a look first.”
Hearing Shi Wen’s response, the old man responded gruffly: “Don’t stand behind her—she kicks too.”
Well, damn, Shi Wen thought. A biter and a kicker? This heifer’s got an attitude.
Wary of another bite, he avoided inspecting the brown heifer’s mouth.
He circled the cow, quickly determining that it was a young heifer just over a year old.
Cows can typically reproduce around two years of age, and a normal brown cow which is two years old could easily sell for twenty to thirty thousand. The old man's asking price of eight thousand was truly not expensive.
However, its bad temper might make breeding difficult to succeed when the time comes.
Shi Wen continued examining the cow, growing more satisfied the more he looked at it.
The heifer stood quietly, letting Shi Wen examine it. He then tentatively touched its neck and checked its teeth—the heifer didn’t resist at all, behaving so docilely that it seemed like a completely different animal compared to before.
The old man hadn’t expected the cow to be so tame under Shi Wen’s hands, and neither did Shi Wen.
Someone nearby chuckled and said, “Seems like this cow’s taken a liking to you, young man.”
The old man watched Shi Wen eagerly, his expression brightening a little—perhaps because he sensed a deal might actually happen.
Shi Wen patted the cow's back.
It really was a fine animal—on the market, cows of the same quality never went for less than twelve thousand.
Even if it had a bit of a temper, that wasn’t a big deal for him. After all, he had plenty of empty cowsheds. If he took it back, keeping it in a separate cowshed wouldn’t be a problem at all.
Soon, Shi Wen made his decision: “Old man, I'll take this cow.”
The old man pushed himself up from the rail, half-standing as he insisted, “Eight thousand, not a single cent less.”
Shi Wen smiled: “Eight thousand it is, then.”
Only then did the old man fully straighten up: “This here's a good cow. Train her right after you take her home, and you won't regret it.”
Shi Wen chuckled as he settled the payment with the old man.
After confirming the payment had gone through, the old man handed the rope to Shi Wen.
Someone in the crowd teased the old man: “Pretty pleased with yourself now, eh?”
The old man nodded firmly: “Damn right. This young man's got good judgment.”
Shi Wen smiled as he led the cow away. Before long, his eyes landed on another dairy cow—this one scrawny and clearly being sold for meat.
Among all those tall, sturdy cattle, none had caught Shi Wen's eye—yet this scrawny dairy cow inexplicably warmed his heart, stirring an impulsive urge to buy her.
Leading his newly acquired cow, he went to inquire. The seller explained that this cow was worn out from calving, and it can't breed anymore - it was only good for beef now, and that he was pricing it at 9,300 yuan.
Shi Wen carefully examined the cow's condition. Drawing on his professional knowledge and intuition, he concluded that this cow had good breeding potential and likely still room for recovery.
At just over four years old, if properly nursed back to health, she could easily bear five more calves.
After some haggling, he finally secured her for 9,000 yuan—adding the frail but still fertile cow to his purchase.
With two cows now in tow, Fu Meng’s three-wheeler was overloaded. In the end, they had to enlist the help of another villager to transport the animals back.
At this bazaar, most of the villagers that were selling cattle had cleared their stock, while buyers left largely empty-handed, their rows of vehicles standing vacant.
When Fu Meng put in a good word, a fellow agreed readily, even praising Shi Wen’s knack of picking cattle: “That young heifer you picked? A solid choice. Pair her with quality studs³, and in a few years, you’ll have a prime herd.”
“I hope so too.” Shi Wen gave the cow’s back a light pat. “Here’s wishing her temper would improve— I would hate to see my investment go sour.”
The moment he said this, someone gasped in recognition: “So you’re the one who bought that stubborn old man’s notorious cow! I knew she looked familiar!”
“This cow was so foul-tempered she got returned. But watching her now with you, she doesn't seem to be that bad.”
Shi Wen chuckled: “No worries. I don’t have much animals at my place. I’ll stable her separately, and hopefully, given time, even the sourest temper will sweeten.”
“Looks like she’s taken a shine to you.” another cut in. “That old man really had it tough.”
That sounded like a backstory. Shi Wen asked: “What’s the old man’s situation?”
The man grinned: “Truth be told, it’s happy news—he was selling the cow to fund his granddaughter’s dowry.”
Shi Wen paused, then laughed: “Guess I’ve caught some wedding luck then.”
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Footnote:
Cultural nuance: Addressing her as “嫂子” (sister-in-law) reflects respectful familiarity in rural Chinese context, even without blood relation.
Heifer: a young cow, especially one that has not yet given birth to a calf
In animal husbandry, "stud" refers to a male animal, often a stallion or bull, kept primarily for breeding purposes
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RTTRAAB 06
Returning to the Ranch as a Breeder 回到牧场当饲养员
Chapter 6
After bringing the goslings home, Shi Wen temporarily kept them in the livestock shed.
There wasn’t a proper poultry shelter on the ranch yet—he’d have to build one once the goslings grew a bit bigger.
The geese seemed to adapt well to the shed’s environment. The nearby sheep paid them no mind, treating the geese as if they didn’t exist.
The puppy, on the other hand, was full of curiosity—constantly staring at the geese and was even itching to pounce on them.
Shi Wen spent two days teaching it—it barely managed to suppress its instincts, though it still stared intently at the geese every day with bright, eager eyes.
That day, after the sun came out, Shi Wen went to the livestock shed to check on the sheep and planned to let the geese out afterward.
Unexpectedly, as soon as he entered, he saw the puppy staring unblinkingly at the flock of geese, its eyes gleaming with excitement.
Shi Wen bent down and lightly flicked the puppy on the forehead, saying: “Those geese are worth a tenth of your own value — they're expensive. No pouncing on them, got it?”
The little dog, whether it understood or not, turned to Shi Wen and gave a loud bark.
Shi Wen chuckled, ruffling its fur: “You’ve got quite the bark, huh?”
He then moved on to check the sheep's feed and water troughs.
The rapeseed cake mixed with dry grass he’d set out the night before had been completely eaten. As for the salt block in the salt trough, it still had plenty left — no need to top it up for now.
A lot of rapeseed cake crumbs and bits of hay had fallen into the water trough, so Shi Wen needed to drain it, scrub it clean, and refill it with fresh water.
While he worked methodically, the little dog darted around at his feet.
The pup was still tiny, and the sheep had grown used to its presence; it wove in and out of the flock without causing much of a stir.
Instead, the sheep called out to Shi Wen with bleating cries.
They had grown a bit bigger now, and their voices had deepened — no longer as soft and cute as when they first arrived. Even just from their heartier bleats, they sounded plumper and more robust.
The sheep's condition looked fine, and their droppings seemed normal too.
Today's feeding had gone smoothly, so it was time to let them out to graze.
Shi Wen opened the main gate of the shed, then unlocked the pen.
Led by the head sheep, the flock slowly ambled outside.
Shi Wen gestured to the puppy: “Hei Wa, front right.”
The little dog immediately scrambled forward on its short legs, circling toward the right as it ran: "Woof woof!"
A wave of commotion rippled through the flock and the sheep picked up their pace, herded along faster with Shi Wen and the puppy flanking them from either side.
They were soon driven out into the open pastures, onto a patch of grassland that hadn't been grazed the day before.
Once he confirmed the flock had reached the grazing area, Shi Wen called out: “Hei Wa, come here.”
Dadada—The puppy came trotting over, tongue lolling, and sat down at Shi Wen’s feet.
Shi Wen fished a piece of jerky out of his pocket and placed it in his palm for the puppy to eat: “The flock’s in your care now, alright?”
The puppy barked: “Woof!”
The pasture’s ditches had all been cleared recently, and the water now flowed smoothly, with one stretch running right past the backyard.
With a water source nearby, it should be convenient to grow some plants in the backyard.
After inspecting the area, Shi Wen found signs that the backyard had been cultivated before. The dark soil looked very fertile and had already been well-tilled. It would be easy to reclaim the land and plant just about anything.
He thought about following the local villagers and planting some vegetables in the backyard. That way, when he got busy and didn’t feel like going into town to buy groceries, he could just pick some fresh produce from his own yard.
There was a hoe in the storage room. Shi Wen grabbed one, sharpened it with a stone, and started working the land in his backyard.
There were actually a lot of perennial shrubs on the grassland, but they didn’t grow very tall. Right now, they were just starting to sprout leaves and weren’t very noticeable. However, in reality, their roots were extensive and deep, making them quite difficult to dig up.
In the backyard, Shi Wen was busy uprooting shrubs and picking up stones. Before long, he was so hot that he had to take off his jacket, working in just a short-sleeved shirt and long pants.
He had cleared the backyard for a while when he suddenly heard the puppy barking in the direction of the front yard. There was a clear warning in its voice — something was definitely wrong.
Without caring about the work he had been doing, Shi Wen grabbed his hoe and rushed toward the sound.
Running to the front yard, he saw Fu Meng standing outside the ranch’s wire fence with another man.
Seeing Shi Wen come out, Fu Meng called out loudly: “I was just about to call you! This is Dr. Skver, a veterinarian from the Animal Husbandry Office. He’s here to vaccinate and tag the village’s cattle and sheep.”
Shi Wen quickly said: “I saw the notice in the group chat. You can come in through the wooden gate — just slide the latch open. Hei Wa, they’re guests, no barking.”
When Shi Wen first moved here, he had joined the village’s public chat group. Whenever there was anything important, they would announce it there — like this vaccination matter.
When Shi Wen first moved here, he had joined the village’s public group chat. Whenever something came up, everyone would post it there — the vaccination was mentioned in the group as well.
This was Shi Wen’s first time meeting Dr. Skver. He quickly stepped forward and stretched out his hand for a handshake, but as soon as he did, he noticed it was covered in dirt. Embarrassed, he wiped it against his clothes. “I was just clearing land,” he explained. “My hands are a bit dirty.”
Dr. Skver laughed and extended his hand anyway. “I was just handling cattle and sheep — my hands are probably even dirtier than yours.”
Shi Wen chuckled and shook his hand, then led them into the ranch.
It was already early May, and the grass in the ranch had begun to grow, spreading a blanket of tender green as far as the eye could see.
Speckled among the fresh green were all sorts of tiny wildflowers. However, they weren't very noticeable — the dominant color was still green.
Fu Meng turned to look around and said: “Your pasture's looking really good — lots of dandelions and wild onions. They are ready to be dug up.”
Shi Wen replied: “Yeah, there’s a lot. I already dug up a bunch when I was clearing the field. But they’re a bit bitter, and I don't really like them, so I just gave them all to the sheep.”
Fu Meng: “Feeding it to the sheep isn’t a bad idea — if they eat a lot of these, it actually makes their meat even more tender over time.”
Walking into the pasture, they soon spotted the flock of sheep.
Skver assessed the flock: “It might be tricky to handle them out here. How about herding them back to the shed?”
Shi Wen immediately replied: “Sure, you two take a break — I'll go round them up now.”
Fu Meng: “Let's round them up together, it’ll be faster. I'll go left, Skver, you take the right, and Shi Wen, you will chase from the back.”
The three of them made their way toward the flock, gradually herding the sheep.
The three of them walked toward the flock and began herding the sheep at a slow pace.
The little dog tilted its head and watched for a moment. Seemingly understanding what they were trying to do, it barked and dashed forward, running to the left and then to the right, single-pawedly herding the flock into a light trot toward the livestock shed.
Fu Meng hadn’t expected the young dog to be able to herd sheep already. Amazed, he said: “Last time I said I’d help you look for a herding dog, but it turns out you’ve already gotten yourself a good one.”
Dr. Skver added: “Your dog is excellent — agile, with great stamina, and impressively smart. If its frame grows a bit bigger, you could even consider using it for breeding.”
Shi Wen laughed: “It really is a good dog. As for breeding, let’s put the topic aside for now — it’s still too young.”
With the little dog helping to herd the sheep, they just needed to head straight for the livestock shed, which made things much easier.
Although the pasture didn’t look that big, it was actually quite large. It took them six to seven minutes of walking across the grassland to reach the livestock shed, and each of them broke out in a light sweat.
Stepping from the sun-drenched grassland into the cool shade of the livestock shed, Shi Wen felt his vision go black for a moment and couldn’t quite see clearly. He paused briefly to steady himself before his sight returned to normal.
The little dog, however, showed no sign of fatigue. It trotted over to Shi Wen’s feet, sat down proudly with its chest puffed out, and waited expectantly for Shi Wen’s praise.
Shi Wen bent down and patted its head: “Good job, Hei Wa.”
As he praised Hei Wa, he pulled a handful of meat treats from his pocket and fed them to the dog.
Every dog has its own personality, and Hei Wa was especially motivated by positive reinforcement — the more praise it received, the more enthusiastic it became about working.
While Shi Wen was feeding the dog, Fu Meng and Dr. Skver were surveying the livestock shed.
Shi Wen didn’t have many sheep, and the livestock shed was built very properly. He also cleaned it daily and disinfected it every few days.
As a result, even though it was a livestock shed, it remained very clean — there was hardly any smell of manure, only a faint scent of disinfectant.
Fu Meng said: “No wonder your sheep are so plump and healthy. You really take good care of them.”
Shi Wen:“It’s mainly because I don’t have that many sheep. If I had a larger flock, I probably wouldn’t be able to manage things so meticulously. Doctor, what should we do next?”
Dr. Skver: “Hold on, I’ll prepare the medicine first. I’ll just need you to help me hold the sheep’s heads later.”
Dr. Skver opened the medical kit he carried with him, took out a syringe and a vial, and explained to Shi Wen: “This is the quadrivalent vaccine for sheep. It prevents Lamb Dysentery, Braxy, Black Disease, and Enterotoxaemia.”
Shi Wen nodded repeatedly to show he understood.
Dr. Skver said: “I’ll give them the injections first. Once the vaccinations are done, I'll place the immunization ear tags. Both of these are government-funded, so there’s no charge. Once we’re done, I’ll just need to do a record of everything.”
Shi Wen had no objections. He knew that for public safety, livestock farming would naturally be subjected to supervision — this was something he had understood even before coming to the ranch.
After giving a brief explanation and seeing that Shi Wen was clear about the process, Dr. Skver carried the medical kit into the sheep pen.
Shi Wen and Fu Meng followed him inside.
They then grabbed the nearest sheep, each holding onto one horn.
Skver clamped the sheep between his legs, pinched the muscles on its neck with his left hand, and used his right hand to inject the vaccine into the sheep's neck muscle at an angle.
The sheep let out a loud “Mehh—”, startling the other sheep in the shed and causing a commotion.
Skver moved quickly and steadily; after giving the injection, he swiftly took out the ear tag pliers, punched a hole in the sheep’s ear, and then attached the tag.
In less than half a minute, the entire process was completed.
Once released, the sheep bolted back into the flock.
Shi Wen quickly reached out and caught a second sheep, with Fu Meng helping him to hold it steady.
Meanwhile, Skver swiftly changed the needle, drew up a fresh dose of vaccine, and got ready to vaccinate the next one.
In less than half an hour, all 37 sheep were vaccinated and fitted with ear tags.
Shi Wen: “That's it? It's done already?”
Skver: “We still need to register them. Also, you should keep an eye on the ear tags. Sometimes, when sheep get too close to wire fences, the tags can get caught. If the sheep struggle, their ears might tear. If that happens and their ears get injured, make sure to treat them promptly—otherwise, the wounds could get infected and attract maggots.”
Shi Wen was somewhat aware of this as well. Once a sheep has an open wound, flies can lay eggs in it, leading to maggot infestation. If left untreated, the maggots will feed on the wound, multiply rapidly, and spread. In severe cases, they might even consume the entire sheep.
As a beginner, this terrifying issue was something he had to guard against.
He had already bought fly-repellent ointment and planned to apply it to the sheep in the next couple of days.
Shi Wen closed the sheep pen’s gate and led the two men out.
His house was right next to the livestock shed, so it would be more comfortable to do the registration there—at least there were chairs to sit on.
The inside of the house was surprisingly clean—nothing like the typical home of a bachelor.
Shi Wen invited the two men to sit at the dining table and brought out some fruit and tea.
Since he didn’t have any cow’s or goat’s milk yet, the tea he served was plain, not milk tea.
If they wanted milk tea, they’d have to wait until at least next year.
Fu Meng and Skver didn’t mind at all.
The three of them sat around the dining table as Skver recorded details about Shi Wen’s sheep—breed, age, origin, and health status.
Later, this information would be entered into a computer system by specialists, and Shi Wen could even check his flock’s records through a dedicated app in the future.
Shi Wen had left both the front and back doors open, allowing a breeze to flow through the house.
Once the registration was done, Fu Meng glanced toward the backyard: “So, you were clearing the backyard today?”
Shi Wen: “Yeah, it hasn’t been cultivated in years, so I need to deep-plow and sterilize the soil, then let it rest for a few days before planting. Fu-ge, do they sell vegetable seedlings at the market? Which street are they on? I don’t think I’ve seen any.”
Fu Meng: “Don’t think there are seedlings, but the supermarket carries vegetable seeds. Why bother buying that stuff? Just come to my place and take some. If you buy fake seeds from outside, you might spend a whole year growing who-knows-what.”
Shi Wen was surprised: “There are fake vegetable seeds?”
Fu Meng: “Like seeds from out of town. Take tomatoes, for example—ours are local heirloom varieties, sweet and sandy-textured. The ones you buy outside might grow into bland, hard tomatoes - it’s totally different. That’s what we call ‘fake seeds.’”
Skver chimed in: “Same with greens too. The ones bought from outside stay tough no matter how long you cook them—they just don’t taste right.”
Hearing this, Shi Wen quickly changed his mind: “Then Fu-ge, I’ll swing by your place this afternoon to get some. When will you be home?”
Fu Meng: “You could come now if you want—my wife and children are at home.”
Shi Wen smiled: “I’ll drop by this afternoon. That way, we can have a proper chat without holding you up now.”
Fu Meng nodded: “Sure. I’ll head out with Skver first—got more vaccinations to do at other farms.”
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Translator’s Comments:
Skver = Shi Wei Ke Er
Pukes blood at the medical terminologies
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RTTRAAB 05
Returning to the Ranch as a Breeder 回到牧场当饲养员
Chapter 5
The weather has been great these past few days.
Shi Wen has been busy cleaning out the ditches on the ranch.
With a ranch that spans 494 acres (3,000 mu), it's really too big—if he doesn't hire help, it'll probably take him nearly a month to do it all by himself.
Every day, he herds sheep, clears the ranch, and now he’s added dog training to the list.
The newly bought puppy was indeed smart. In just two short days, it had already learned that when Shi Wen called “Hei Wa” it meant Shi Wen was calling for it.
As soon as he shouted “Hei Wa”, the puppy would dash over on its four stubby little legs, running fast and eager. DaDaDaDa-
Training it was pretty meaningful.
This day was no different—once the sun came out, the weather turned warm and the outdoors was bright. Shi Wen came out with a pouch of meat cubes to train the puppy.
The moment the puppy saw Shi Wen, it immediately ran over, rubbing up against him and sniffing hard, making little whimpering sounds from its nose.
Shi Wen crouched down and rubbed the puppy’s neck, smiling: “Time to start today’s training. Let’s do our best, Hei Wa.”
The puppy: Woof!
Shi Wen led the puppy to the grassland outside. Each took their place, standing a short distance from the other.
Shi Wen called out: “Hei Wa, front left!”
The puppy, which was standing still and waiting for commands, immediately followed Shi Wen’s hand gesture and ran in a circle to the front left. It ran straight back to Shi Wen’s feet, sat down obediently, and tilted its head up at him. Woof woof!
Shi Wen bent down and rubbed the puppy’s head: “Good job, Hei Wa!”
After he was done praising, he rewarded the puppy with a piece of homemade jerky.
The little pup puffed out its chest and barked even louder with its young voice: Woof woof!
Shi Wen ran forward a few steps and waved his hand again, calling out, “Hei Wa, left front!”
The puppy continued circling to the left front, once again running up to Shi Wen’s feet, waiting eagerly for praise and another piece of jerky.
Both of them repeated the same set of commands and movements.
Shi Wen wasn’t in a hurry at all—training a dog required patience and care, with constant repetition and correction.
He planned to spend a month helping Hei Wa get familiar with the pasture and learn these basic commands, while also letting it grow a bit stronger.
Hei Wa was born a little weak, so it needed some good nourishment.
The way it was now, if Shi Wen had it herd sheep, it kind of felt like he was making the poor puppy do child labor.
Just as Shi Wen was training the dog, the sound of a vehicle came from outside the ranch.
Both man and dog heard it at nearly the same time, but Hei Wa reacted first, barking loudly toward the entrance — both as a warning and an alert.
Shi Wen rubbed Hei Wa’s head and gave its neck a light pat, signaling it to go play on the side, then headed toward the ranch gate to meet the approaching vehicle.
It was Gong Jiang’s team who arrived.
Yesterday, Gong Jiang had contacted Shi Wen, saying they wanted to collect samples from his pasture and investigate the fish population in the stream.
The gate to the pasture was left open, so Gong Jiang and the others parked their vehicle at the entrance, strapped on their backpacks, picked up their equipment, and walked in.
Shi Wen came out to greet them. The little puppy who had been playing nearby trotted alongside him on its four short legs. Tatata—
As they approached Gong Jiang and his team, the puppy lifted its tender little voice and barked loudly—Woof! Woof! Woof!
“Don’t bark.” Shi Wen bent down and pinched the scruff of the puppy’s neck, forbidding it from barking. “They’re guests.”
The puppy heard the command. It looked at Shi Wen in confusion, then at Gong Jiang and his team. It quickly understood and stopped barking.
Gong Jiang: “Already started training?”
Shi Wen smiled: “Yeah, it’s better to start early. It’ll be harder to train once it’s grown.”
Gong Jiang introduced his fellow juniors to Shi Wen.
The male junior was named Lin Cheng Qian, and the female junior was Ge Yue. They were both dressed in outdoor gear.
After everyone exchanged greetings, Gong Jiang said, “Sorry to trouble you.”
Shi Wen: “It’s no trouble at all. Follow me, I’ll take you there.”
He’d been clearing the ditches for the past few days and knew exactly where each type of fish could be found.
Shi Wen said, “Want to check out the schizothoracin first? They usually hang around the section of the ditch a bit eastward.”
Gong Jiang replied, “Let’s go have a look then.”
They carried their equipment to the slightly upper eastern section of the ditch and started looking for fish along the water. Sure enough, they quickly found two schizothoracin.
Gong Jiang and the others took photos and collected samples from the fish, then released them back into the water once they were done.
Shi Wen assisted them from the side.
After storing the sampling tubes, Shi Wen asked, “Shall we continue to gather samples along this ditch? A bit further down, you can spot arctic grayling and barbel sturgeon. Though, I’ve only seen the naked sturgeon once—not sure if we’ll be lucky today.”
Gong Jiang said, “Let’s give it a try.”
As they continued sampling, they also spotted some common small fish. Everyone diligently took photos and collected samples.
Whether it was luck or simply that those fish always stayed within this stretch of the ditch, they really did find the species they were looking for.
Lin Cheng Qian couldn’t help but marvel, “Mr Shi, you called it—they're exactly where you said they’d be.”
Shi Wen smiled. “Maybe I’m just lucky, I guess. Shall we keep looking?”
Gong Jiang: “Yes, yes, let’s keep going.”
The four of them worked all morning and completed most of the sampling.
Gong Jiang wanted to power through and finish it all in one go, but Shi Wen suggested, “Why don’t we eat lunch first? We can have something simple here at the ranch. It won’t take long, and we can get a bit of rest too.”
Gong Jiang said, “That’s really too much trouble for you.”
Shi Wen: “What trouble? It’s just a simple meal. Come on, let’s eat.”
The puppy, who had been running around with them earlier, eventually got too tired and went back to the yard to nap.
When they returned, they happened to see the puppy lying in the sunlight, fast asleep with its little paws tucked under its head.
Shi Wen quieted his steps and stopped talking. The three people behind him followed his lead, walking gently and silently into the yard.
The puppy’s ears twitched, but sensing no threat, it stayed sound asleep.
Once they were inside the house, everyone finally relaxed.
After working so long under the sun, they were all burning up from the heat.
Back in the cool shade of the house, a few sips of water and a short rest brought on a wave of drowsiness.
The morning had been exhausting, and Shi Wen didn’t feel like making anything elaborate. He simply boiled some noodles in plain water, sliced some cucumber, tomato, and braised beef, then opened a few jars of pickled vegetables, fermented bean paste, and chili sauce. After setting everything out, everyone mixed their bowls and dug in — a simple but satisfying lunch.
After lunch and a one-hour rest, everyone continued working.
By around four in the afternoon, they had covered all the ditches. They took all the necessary photos and samples, and the work finally came to a close.
Ge Yue looked around, enjoying the cooling evening breeze, “Shi-ge, the variety of fish here is so abundant; it's almost like a miniature fish encyclopedia..”
Shi Wen:”Perhaps because the ranch was abandoned for several years with no human interference, the fish population has thrived.”
Lin Cheng Qian shook his head: “There are many bodies of water in the wild with no human interference, but they don't have such a wide variety of fish. Your place is unique.”
Shi Wen: “The natural water and vegetation out in the wild aren’t as good, and food sources aren't as abundant either. My grandfather had managed the ranch years before - the nutrient-rich water flowing into the ditches likely made a difference in how the aquatic vegetation grows.”
Speaking of vegetation, Gong Jiang added: “The grass here grows really well. It would probably be a good idea to raise some geese here.”
A thought stirred within Shi Wen: “Raise geese? Won't that affect the fishes in the ditches?”
Gong Jiang assessed the situation: “It probably won’t be a problem. The ditches here are over half a meter deep, and it’s an open water system—water flows in and out freely, so the fish can move freely. If they sense any threat, they can just swim somewhere else instead of staying put.”
Ge Yue chimed in: “One of the goals of our environmental research and conservation is to help people live better lives. This is a private ranch, not a nature reserve, so there’s really no need to be overly cautious.”
“After hearing all that, I have to admit—I’m pretty tempted.” Shi Wen searched his memory for a moment, then said regretfully, “But there aren’t any geese for sale at the local market. It’s not easy to get some around here. Maybe I’ll go a bit farther out one of these days and take a look.”
Gong Jiang: “I know a place that sells geese. If you want, I can give you the address.”
Ge Yue immediately caught on: “Is it the same goose that Teacher Yan bought before? That goose was so good!”
Lin Chengqian said with great interest: “You mean the one we had last winter? That was hands down the best goose I’ve ever eaten in my life.”
Shi Wen, listening from the side, was clearly tempted: “It was that good?”
Gong Jiang: “Absolutely. That farm’s geese are top-notch—the meat is tender and full of flavor. They’ve even won several gold and silver medals at several national agricultural expos.”
Ge Yue: “Don’t worry, Shi-ge, my mentor is super picky — if something meets his standards, it’s definitely top quality.”
Gong Jiang corrected her: “It’s called having high standards.”
Ge Yue: “Fine fine fine, he has high standards, and not ‘picky’.”
Hearing this, Shi Wen decisively asked: “Where’s the address? I’ll find some time to go check it out.”
Gong Jiang: “I’ll send you the address via WeChat later.”
“How about we go have goose tonight? It’s been a while since we’ve had it, and we can take Shi-ge along too, so he won’t have trouble finding the place.” Ge Yue suggested, looking over at Lin Cheng Qian. “Senior Lin, what do you think?”
Lin Cheng Qian replied, “No problem on my end — I’ve been craving goose too.”
Gong Jiang looked at Shi Wen: “So, shall we go have goose? Let us treat you to dinner.”
Shi Wen smiled: “Let me treat you instead. You’re still students — I’m already working.”
Gong Jiang: “Don’t worry, we’ll put it on our advisor’s tab. He usually reimburses our meals when we’re out on fieldwork.”
Ge Yue chimed in: “Exactly. You helped us out all day today, Shi-ge — that basically makes you part of the team.”
Shi Wen was indeed quite interested in buying some geese, so after hearing them say that, he stopped insisting.
The group packed up their things, got into the car, and drove to another small town.
After more than an hour on the road, they arrived at a farmhouse at the foot of a mountain.
The farmhouse was open for business, and the dirt parking lot out front was packed with cars sporting license plates from all over the country.
Just from the sight of it, Shi Wen could tell the food here must be good—otherwise, there wouldn’t be so many people making the trip out to such a remote place.
They got out of the car and entered the farmhouse. Ge Yue and Lin Cheng Qian went ahead to queue and look for a table, while Gong Jiang brought Shi Wen to find the owner.
The owner was a man in his forties, a cigarette dangling from his lips as he busied himself in the backyard.
As soon as Gong Jiang saw him, he called out: “Ma-ge, we’re here to buy some geese from you.”
Ma Bing Jun took the cigarette out of his mouth: “Yo, you guys were doing research nearby today? Sure, do you want braised goose or something else? How many? I’ll give you a discount.”
Gong Jiang:“Not adult geese—we’re looking for goslings. My friend here wants to buy some.”
Shi Wen stepped forward and greeted him.
Ma Bing Jun frowned: “Goslings are going to be a bit tricky. The ones we have have already been reserved. Orders are lined up until next year.”
Gong Jiang smiled: “He’s a friend of my advisor—could you help us out?”
Ma Bing Jun immediately turned his head with interest to look at Shi Wen: “You’re Professor Yan’s friend? Well, I’ve got to show some respect then.”
Shi Wen and Ma Bing Jun locked eyes, staring at each other.
It was clear Ma Bing Jun was waiting for Shi Wen to respond.
Shi Wen held it in for a long moment before finally squeezing out: “We’ve met.”
Ma Bing Jun burst out laughing and stuck the cigarette back in his mouth: “Why so honest? If you’d just nodded and said yes, I’d have sold you the goslings right away.”
Shi Wen glanced up at him, he couldn’t just lie. Yan Ke Xing was nearby, and any lie could easily be exposed.
Gong Jiang laughed from the side: “He really is a friend of my advisor. If you don’t believe it, just ask him next time.”
Ma Bing Jun clicked his tongue: “Who’d dare ask Professor Yan directly? Alright, since you say so, I’ll reluctantly believe you.”
He turned to Shi Wen. “All the goslings I’ve got ready to go are already spoken for. You’re local, right? If you’re confident enough, I can offer you a batch that just hatched—they just haven't been sorted yet.”
Shi Wen agreed immediately: “As long as they’re geese, I’ll take them.”
Cigarette dangling from his lips, Ma Bing Jun motioned for them to follow: “Come on, I’ll show you the geese. How many do you want?”
Shi Wen: “Would thirty be okay? It’s my first year raising them, so I want to start small.”
Ma Bing Jun: “Of course. Since you're not getting that many, I’ll charge you at cost—eighty yuan per gosling.”
There was a small path behind the farmhouse that led to the pasture.
Ma Bing Jun led them through a series of twists and turns until they arrived outside a long row of poultry sheds.
Shi Wen caught the distinct smell of poultry from outside.
They entered one of the sheds, and the owner flipped on the lights. A group of yellow-gray goslings, startled by the sudden brightness, let out a few uneasy honks.
Shi Wen leaned in for a closer look and saw that the young geese were quite large and looked rather sturdy—though their coloring was a bit dull and dusty.
Ma Bing Jun explained: “These are bred from our local geese, and they are omnivorous. They’re still a bit small right now. When you take them back, keep them penned for a couple of days and feed them some corn feed. Once they’ve adjusted to the new environment, you can let them out to graze.”
Shi Wen quickly nodded: “Got it, thank you, Ma-ge.”
Ma Bing Jun stepped aside and gestured for him to go ahead: “Take your pick.”
Shi Wen stepped into the goose pen, watching the goslings honk and scramble away from him. He didn’t have much experience picking geese and wasn’t sure what to look for at first.
After observing them for a while, he ended up choosing thirty that looked bigger and more energetic than the rest.
Ma Bingjun used a wicker cage to pack the goslings for him. After selecting the geese, they temporarily left the goslings in the backyard and went to eat.
It was Shi Wen’s first time tasting locally raised goose, and it was indeed tender and delicious. Compared to duck, it lacked the gamey taste and had a subtle sweetness instead.
Even when simply boiled in plain water with just a bit of salt, the goose was incredibly flavorful—it completely changed his impression of goose meat.
As he ate, Shi Wen couldn’t help but feel a growing sense of anticipation for the goslings.
Once they were grown, would they be just as tasty?
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Translator’s Comments:
Scientists, please have a standard name for each animal, what do you mean 扁吻鱼 = naked-snout carp or big-head schizothoracin? Choose one!!
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RTTRAAB 04
Returning to the Ranch as a Breeder 回到牧场当饲养员
Chapter 4
After Yan Ke Xing and Gong Jiang left, Shi Wen went to the university's official website to look him up.
On the homepage of S University's website, there was a photo of Yan Ke Xing on the first page.
The picture was nice, but it barely captured a tenth of his demeanor in real life.
Scrolling down, Shi Wen discovered that Yan Ke Xing’s team specialised in Integrated Environmental Sciences and had published quite a number of theses¹.
Curious, he clicked on one of the articles to read, but as soon as it opened, the screen was filled with foreign technical terms. Having left his foreign language skills behind after graduation, Shi Wen struggled through the text, stumbling over the words. Still, he could tell that Yan Ke Xing's team was involved in a wide range of research.
What an incredible person.
While Shi Wen was making an effort to read the thesis, Yan Ke Xing was at his desk working.
Two large monitors stood on his desk, filled with densely packed foreign text.
A pair of blue-light filtering glasses rested on his high-bridged nose, reflecting the scrolling text on the lenses before it entered his sharp gaze.
Because the text moved quickly, the flickering reflections on his glasses gave him an almost surreal look.
Yan Ke Xing focused intently on the article in front of him when, suddenly, his phone rang. The soft melody echoed through the study.
Yan Ke Xing pressed the save button on his computer and glanced at the caller ID. He then picked up the phone and held it to his ear: “Zhu Ji.”
Zhu Ji: “You actually picked up. What are you doing?”
Yan Ke Xing: “Working. Do you have something important to tell me?”
He placed extra emphasis on the words “something important”, making his attitude crystal clear.
Zhu Ji: “Ah, right. It’s about the northern slopes of the Agona Mountains—I wanted to get your opinion on something.”
Yan Ke Xing let out a “En”, signaling Zhu Ji to continue.
Zhu Ji quickly seized the opportunity, asking all the questions he had in mind.
As Yan Ke Xing listened, he thoughtfully analysed the information and provided his professional insights.
Their conversation went back and forth for over half an hour.
Zhu Ji let out a relieved sigh: “That's everything I wanted to ask. I really appreciate it—I'll treat you to a meal when you come up to N City.”
“You are welcome,” Yan Ke Xing said, twirling a pen on his desk. “By the way, about the internal testing we discussed before—have you all completed the first phase?”
“It’s done. We’re in the process of finding candidates for the next round. Are you interested in the project?”
“I met someone today who fits your criteria quite well. His ability level is roughly at the beginner stage, but he has pretty good luck and decent character. If you're still looking for people, I would recommend him.”
“That’s a pretty high evaluation coming from you!”
“He helped one of my students,” Yan Ke Xing replied, twirling the pen again before steering the conversation back. “I interacted with him personally—I’m sure he will meet your criterias.”
“Who is he? Let me see if I’ve any impression of him.”
“His name is Shi Wen. He seems to have an animal-related bloodline.”
“Oh, I know him! The Qilin bloodline. His old man was in the Bureau back in the day, so it counts as a sort of a family inheritance. But his lineage is pretty diluted—his readings fluctuate a lot. He only barely hit the threshold this year, which is why he got accepted.”
“I think he has potential.”
“The Qilin bloodline—so far, he’s the only one we’ve discovered in the country. If he can grow into his potential, he’ll be quite exceptional.” Zhu Ji thought for a moment, then continued: “Since you recommended him, I’ll move him up to this batch. Originally, we had placed him in the second batch.”
“I’m just making a recommendation. The rest is up to your consideration”
“Hahaha, I know you aren’t one to play favorites. Don’t worry—if he doesn’t meet the criteria, even if you were the one who recommended him, I definitely won’t approve of it.”
After hanging up, Zhu Ji pulled up Shi Wen’s file from the internal network. After carefully reviewing it, he added Shi Wen to the first batch’s list.
Shi Wen had no idea any of this was happening behind the scenes.
That day, Shi Wen was cleaning out the sheep pen when the phone in his pocket rang.
He answered—it was the delivery man.
Delivery man: “Hi, there’s a package for you—a VIP delivery. Should I leave it at the pickup point, or bring it to you?”
Their place was pretty remote, so packages were usually left at the town’s collection point.
Shi Wen asked: “May I ask what it is? I haven’t bought anything recently.”
“Let me check.” The delivery guy clamped the phone between his ear and shoulder and took a look. “The sender’s info is masked, so I can’t tell—but the packaging looks fancy. Maybe it’s a gift from a friend?”
Shi Wen: “Could you please deliver it, then? Do you have the full address?”
“Yeah, it’s written clearly. I know where it is. If you’re home, I’ll drop it off shortly.”
Sure enough, less than half an hour later, the delivery man showed up and handed the package to Shi Wen.
Shi Wen held the package in his hands and examined it.
The packaging really was quite refined, and the box had some weight to it—but there was no clear sign of who had sent it.
He picked up a pair of scissors from the windowsill and opened the box, revealing a set of test strips and a device. There was also a letter placed on top of the device. He unfolded it and discovered that the package had been sent from the Bureau of Anomalous Affairs' office in Province J.
It actually turned out to be a package sent from within the organization.
Shi Wen muttered silently to himself and quickly skimmed the letter.
The letter stated that this was a testing device distributed to individuals with abilities. By following the instructions in the manual, they can monitor their recent condition.
The device looked a lot like a blood glucose monitor—another form of blood-based testing. He wondered if it had taken inspiration from actual glucose monitors.
Shi Wen carefully inspected the device inside and out. He then opened WeChat, clicked into the official group chat of the Bureau of Anomalous Affairs that he had joined when he came here, and confirmed that this testing activity was indeed taking place. He then messaged the group admin privately to verify it. Only after confirming that the package was genuinely sent by the Bureau did he wash his hands thoroughly and, following the instructions, pricked his fingertip to draw blood. He let the test strip absorb the blood, then inserted the end with the test strip into the device.
The device's screen quickly displayed the results:
Divinity: 222
Abilities: 150
Shi Wen stared at the screen, unsure whether the numbers were accurate.
His previous test results were Divinity 201 and Abilities 137.
If these numbers were accurate, that meant his abilities had increased quite a bit in just the month he had been here?
In other words, raising livestock here was actually helping enhance his overall capabilities and promote the growth of his Qilin bloodline?
After raising sheep here for a while, Shi Wen realized that his Qilin bloodline was indeed quite useful when it came to rearing livestock.
The sheep he raised had excellent appetites, were strong and healthy, never got sick, and grew significantly faster than ordinary sheep of the same breed.
The fact that they never got sick was especially remarkable—any livestock farmer would know that it's virtually impossible to raise animals without contracting some illness.
From raising a batch of sheep from lambs to maturity, there's always some loss along the way. It's never the case that you end up with the exact number you started with.
But his sheep didn’t get sick at all. Compared to ordinary farmers, that alone was a huge advantage.
Shi Wen carefully packed away the test strips and device, planning to follow the instructions and test again in another two weeks to see if there would be any further changes.
Shi Wen wasn’t sure if it was just his imagination, but lately, raising sheep has been going more and more smoothly.
His sheep were well-behaved—every morning when he opened the gate to the pen, they would head out to graze on their own, and by evening, they’d return without needing to be herded.
Maybe it was because the lead sheep was unusually clever.
The lead sheep at his ranch was a small ewe with pure white fleece.
When he bought her, she had been just an ordinary sheep, but now she showed signs of being excellent breeding stock.
In fact, aside from a few castrated rams, most of the sheep in his flock had strong potential as breeders—they had well-proportioned bodies, gained weight quickly, and were large in size. Each one looked like a plump little cloud, absolutely delightful to behold.
Raising sheep had been going smoothly, so Shi Wen began to consider whether he should add other livestock to his ranch.
However, after going to the market twice, he hadn’t found a suitable dairy cow and decided to keep looking.
Before he could buy any cows, Shi Wen received a message about a shepherd dog.
Gong Jiang sent him a message:
[Shi Wen, didn’t you say you were short of a shepherd dog? I’ve seen a few recently, all puppies over a month old. Take a look and see if you're interested.]
[Video] [Video] [Video]
Gong Jiang: [These are local purebred shepherd dogs. The herders say that having a shepherd dog can really ease the workload.]
Shi Wen was a bit surprised. He had only casually mentioned it during the meal, but he didn't expect Gong Jiang to actually remember and help him search for one.
Perhaps it was because Shi Wen had helped Gong Jiang before, and Gong Jiang felt like he owed him a favor?
Since Gong Jiang had already gone through the trouble of finding one, Shi Wen decided to go take a look.
He asked for the specific address.
Gong Jiang quickly replied: [They’re all in different villages, so it might be a bit hard for you to locate them. If you want to go, I can take you. I happen to have some time off these days and can apply for leave.]
Shi Wen thought for a moment and replied: [Guess I'll have to trouble you then.]
He had helped Gong Jiang before, and Gong Jiang had remembered it. It was a bit of a burden on Gong Jiang, so it would be better to let him return the favor.
Gong Jiang was indeed quite happy. He set a time with him for the next day, saying they would go together on a motorcycle.
There’s a lot of grassland here, and it cannot be heavily pressed. If they took a car, the land might never grow grass again after being driven over.
So, aside from the areas with main roads, the common transportation here is usually horses and motorcycles, while light trucks are typically used on the main roads.
The next day, Gong Jiang rode his motorcycle over to the ranch to find Shi Wen.
Shi Wen glanced behind him.
It was just Gong Jiang who arrived, and no one else.
Gong Jiang waved his hand, flashing a bright smile: “Shall we head out now?”
Shi Wen asked: “Have you had breakfast?”
Gong Jiang replied: “Yeah, I’ve eaten. If you haven’t, I can wait for you.”
“I’ve already eaten, I was just worried you hadn’t, so I wanted to ask if you’d like to have something here.” Shi Wen smiled, putting on his helmet and pushing his motorcycle. “Let’s get ready to go then.”
Gong Jiang: “Alright. By the way, purebred local shepherd dogs are quite expensive. I’m not sure if you’ve looked into it.”
Shepherd dogs are working dogs, and their price is indeed not cheap.
A good shepherd dog can even cost as much as a calf.
When Shi Wen had considered buying one before, he had already inquired about the price, so he had no objections to it.
Seeing that Shi Wen was aware of this, Gong Jiang happily led him towards the herders' home.
This area is a multi-ethnic region, where, in addition to the Han ethnicity, there are also many ethnic groups.
Today, they were heading to the home of a herder from one of the minority groups.
Gong Jiang had been working here with the team for over two years and could speak a little of each ethnic group's language.
Shi Wen followed him, riding into the ethnic minority village, and then to a ranch.
The owner of the ranch greeted Gong Jiang in their native language, then turned to look at Shi Wen: “Hello, here for the dogs?”
Shi Wen quickly greeted him: “Yes.”
The ranch owner's mandarin had a strong accent, making it a bit difficult to understand.
Shi Wen listened to his introduction and only understood that there were five puppies, all recently weaned, and none of them had been reserved yet—he could choose any of them.
The dogs were kept outside in a livestock shed, their nest layered with hay. The dam² lay outside the nest, alert and fierce. Because her tail had been docked, she looked more like a wild animal than a dog.
She barked at Shi Wen and Gong Jiang, but the ranch owner quickly stopped her.
The ranch owner led Yan Chi and Gong Jiang to look at the puppies.
All five puppies were black and white, plump and soft like freshly baked cakes, with fluffy fur still covered in bits of hay.
The ranch owner bent down and casually grabbed one, handing it to Yan Chi, signaling him to take a look at it.
Yan Chi took the puppy in his hands, feeling its soft warmth. The little thing whined as it was held by a stranger, using its tiny paws to scratch at Yan Chi's hands, looking quite uneasy.
“Good boy.” Yan Chi gently soothed the puppy, quickly calming it down.
The puppy's plump belly rested in Yan Chi's palm. He checked the puppy's ears and tail, pinched its back through the fur, and examined the width of its nose and bone structure. He then held the puppy by the back of its neck to observe its posture.
The ranch owner spoke a few words in his native language, and upon noticing that Yan Chi couldn't understand, switched to heavily accented Mandarin: “Very good, this puppy, over a hundred years.”
Gong Jiang translated: “What Grandpa’s trying to say is that the breed of dogs he raised here is excellent. They’ve been raising this breed of shepherd dog for over a hundred years.”
Yan Chi gently placed the puppy back and moved to look at another one: “That heritage really goes back a long way.”
The ranch owner proudly said: “My grandfather's grandfather was here!”
Shi Wen looked at each puppy—they were all good, but something was missing. They weren’t quite the shepherd dogs he had in mind.
Observing Shi Wen, the ranch owner could see that Shi Wen wasn't interested,but he wasn’t bothered and invited them into the house for tea.
Shi Wen and Gong Jiang politely declined, as they still needed to hurry to the next place.
The puppies at the second ranch were also good—lively, smart, and with great looks.
Gong Jiang must have specifically helped pick these puppies out. Their quality was better than that of regular puppies, and their bloodlines were pure. They would definitely be excellent for herding.
Shi Wen looked at them and acknowledged their excellent traits, but still, none of them caught his eye.
He felt like something was missing, like there was no connection.
That was until the third ranch.
There were three puppies at the third ranch. Two of them were chubby and sturdier than most puppies of their age, while the third one was a bit weak and frail.
When Shi Wen gently cradled the frail puppy in his hands, the little dog lowered its head and nuzzled his fingers with its damp nose. Its gray-blue eyes locked onto him, and it made soft, whimpering sounds.
After seeing so many puppies today—loving ones, fierce ones, smart ones—none had caught his eye.
But now, as he looked at this one, despite its condition not quite matching the selection criteria, Shi Wen was immediately struck by something. In his heart, he felt that familiar certainty, the feeling of “I don't need to look at anything else; this is the one.”
Now, as Shi Wen looked at this puppy, despite some of its conditions not quite meeting the selection criteria, he was immediately struck by something. He had that feeling of certainty in his heart: “No need to look at anything else, this is the one.”
It was a kind of metaphysical intuition.
Shi Wen trusted his instincts.
Holding the puppy in his arms, he turned to the woman beside him, Nu Er Gu Li, and said, “I’d like to choose this one.”
Nu Er Gu Li glanced at him, then spoke a few words in her native language to Gong Jiang.
Shi Wen didn’t understand, so Gong Jiang translated for him: “This puppy is naturally weaker. Don't choose it just because it looks cute. For a shepherd dog, it's better to pick a strong one.”
If Gong Jiang hadn’t said anything, Shi Wen wouldn't have noticed the puppy’s appearance.
He raised the puppy up to examine it closely.
This one looked like a purebred Border Collie with a strong, upright face, but it was slightly more imposing than the typical Border Collie, with curly fur.
The puppy looked at Shi Wen and then licked his hand with its small pink tongue, letting out a soft whine, which made it even more adorable.
Shi Wen smiled and said, “It's not that I'm just attracted to how it looks. I just feel that it's the right one.”
Nu Er Gu Li listened to the translation, then looked at Shi Wen's expression. Once she confirmed that he was serious, she set the price at 800 dollars.
This price was relatively low compared to other shepherd dogs, possibly because the puppy was a bit weaker.
Shi Wen didn't haggle and paid the price promptly.
The puppy was warm, and Shi Wen gently placed it in the bag, tying it in front of him.
Through the bag, the puppy quietly leaned against Shi Wen's leg, not making a sound or moving.
Shi Wen could feel its warm little body, and his heart almost melted.
Gong Jiang asked: “Do you want to go see more?”
Shi Wen said, “Since we've already come out, let's go see the rest.”
Gong Jiang: “Then let's go take a look, there are two more, not far from here.”
They changed direction and went to the other two places.
The puppies at these two places were also good, but once again, none of them met Shi Wen's liking. He just didn't feel any connection with these puppies.
Being able to find a puppy he liked after just one day of looking, Shi Wen felt very satisfied.
After bidding farewell to Gong Jiang, Shi Wen returned home with the puppy. Using a cardboard box and a blanket, he made a small nest for the puppy by the fence of the livestock shed.
Before parting ways, Nu Er Gu Li repeatedly reminded him that the puppy is a working dog, not a pet, and it shouldn't be brought inside the house.
Shi Wen didn't have much experience in this area, so he decided to follow the original owner's advice.
The puppy's moist eyes were very bright. It was relatively weak but not timid. Living next to the livestock shed, it was used to the sounds of the sheep and the movements of the flock, showing no fear.
At night, Shi Wen made fish soup with rice for the puppy, topping it with several pieces of boiled lamb meat.
The puppy eagerly devoured the food, eating so quickly that its belly became round. Afterward, it gave a soft bark toward Shi Wen.
Shi Wen smiled and petted the puppy's head, then checked the livestock shed again to make sure the sheep pen door was closed properly. Only after ensuring everything was secure did he lock the main gate and head back inside to sleep.
He had been busy all day and needed to rest early.
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Footnote:
Theses : Plural of thesis
Dam: This is the standard term used to describe the female parent of puppies, as opposed to the male parent, who is called the sire.
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RTTRAAB 03
Returning to the Ranch as a Breeder 回到牧场当饲养员
Chapter 3
Shi Wen observed the lambs for several days—they seemed to have adapted well to the pasture. After confirming that there were no issues, he fully devoted himself to the next task.
There was plenty to do on the ranch. Prioritising the tasks, Shi Wen decided to start by clearing the drainage ditches.
The ranch had been left untended for years, and the ditches were severely clogged, overgrown with wild grass.
To someone unfamiliar with the land, it was nearly impossible to tell where the ditches were and where the pastures began—one could easily end up stepping into a ditch without realising it.
With summer approaching, the pastures needed a reliable water source for nourishment. The livestock required clean drinking water, and the rainwater also needed to be drained out through ditches. If the ditches weren’t cleared in time, they would miss the prime growing season, and pasture growth might be mediocre.
That morning, after an early breakfast, Shi Wen put on waterproof pants, grabbed a large hoe, and headed to the edge of the pasture. He planned to start from the upper reaches of the ditch, digging up the accumulated silt at the bottom.
The width of the ditch was over a meter across and about 60-70 cm deep, resembling a small river. In fact, this drainage ditch running through the pasture had originally been expanded from a natural waterway.
In early May, the water was still quite cold.
Shi Wen held onto the edge of the ditch and stepped in cautiously—only to sink straight into the thick mud with a squelch.
It was hard enough just to stand steady, let alone dig out the silt. It was exhausting work.
Luckily, Shi Wen wasn’t in a rush, so he took his time, resting whenever he got tired.
As he dug, he would occasionally spot some fish in the water. Whenever he saw one, he would reach out to catch it and tossed it into a large bucket on the bank.
Since the ditch hadn’t been cleaned for years, there were quite a lot of fish inside. Every so often, he would spot one, and occasionally, he would even catch an eel.
It’s said that this species of eels were originally brought from Hunan Province years ago. Somehow, they adapted to the local climate and grew exceptionally large—much bigger and plumper than those found inland.
Shi Wen caught quite a few, each weighing over a pound. Their backs had darkened to a deep brown.
As the sun climbed higher, the heat burned against his back. After working for a while, he straightened up, stretched, and pounded his lower back before observing the lambs grazing nearby.
His lambs had fully adjusted to the ranch. Every morning after sunrise, he would let them out to graze.
They seemed satisfied with the fresh grass growing in the pastures, eating from dawn till dusk, their bellies round and full. They hardly needed his supervision.
In a few days, when he had some free time, he planned to buy a couple of sheepdogs. With the dogs keeping watch, he probably wouldn’t even need to check on the flock.
He’d also repair the barbed wire fence around the ranch—then everything would be foolproof.
Mechanically, he bent down and continued to clear the ditch. As he worked, his mind wandered aimlessly.
Just then, the noise of his digging startled a fish hiding in the submerged grass. In its panic, it darted out from the grass, hitting Shi Wen’s leg with so much force that it caused a sharp pain.
The fish seemed just as stunned as he was, bouncing off to the side and lying still.
Shi Wen bent down and scooped it up.
This fish wasn’t one of the five-striped black fish that he was familiar with—it looked different.
Could it be a protected species?
Shi Wen thought to himself, then dropped the fish into the bucket. He wiped his muddy hands on a patch of fresh grass, then pulled out his phone from his jacket pocket and snapped a picture of the fish. Just as he was about to look it up, Shi Wen heard a loud shout and the thunder of hooves.
Someone was in trouble!
He turned toward the commotion and saw a horse galloping wildly down the dirt road outside the ranch, kicking up a cloud of dust. Only a thin wire fence separated it from the pasture.
The horse seemed to have gone berserk, charging forward in a blind frenzy.
Shi Wen’s sharp eyes caught sight of the young man clinging desperately to the reins, his body slipping dangerously to one side. His eyes were wide with fear—he was barely holding on, only moments away from being thrown off.
Clearly, the horse had lost control.
Assessing the situation, Shi Wen stuffed his phone into his jacket and yanked his legs free from the mud. In a few quick strides, he slipped through the fence and moved to help.
The charging horse was heading straight for him.
Sensing his presence, the horse instinctively veered to the side.
With this change of direction, the speed immediately slowed down.
The rider grew even more frantic: “Move! Get out of the way!”
Shi Wen hesitated for just a second before bending his knees slightly, getting into position.
If he dodged to the side, the horse might slam into the wire fence or take a nasty fall. That could leave the rider with serious injuries—at best, a broken bone; at worst, a spinal or neck injury with devastating consequences.
There was also the risk of the rider being thrown off and dragged along the ground.
The impact could easily throw the young man off the horse, leaving him to be dragged along the ground.
That would be disastrous.
In an instant, Shi Wen grasped the gravity of the situation.
The horse was almost upon him.
At that moment, he wasn’t sure where his confidence came from — but he was certain that even if he grabbed the reins, he wouldn’t get hurt.
With that thought, he reached out, seized the reins, and yanked hard.
For that split second, it was as if he was possessed by the strength of a titan.
The sheer force of his pull wrenched the horse’s head sideways, abruptly halting its charge. It reared up on its hind legs, letting out a piercing neigh.
Horses were living creatures — they were strong, but they weren’t machines with limitless strength.
The moment Shi Wen pulled on the reins, he let go.
The force from Shi Wen’s pull caused the horse to stagger, and it began to topple sideways.
The young man on its back finally let out a panicked cry: “Ahh—!”
Again, relying purely on instinct, Shi Wen lunged forward, grabbed the man's collar, and rolled to the side.
The next moment, the two of them tumbled together, rolling across the roadside grass in a dizzy heap.
Shi Wen quickly scrambled to his feet, turning his attention to the fallen horse.
The horse struggled to get back on its feet. Shi Wen grabbed the bridle, gave a firm tug, and helped the horse stand up. He then quickly patted the horse’s neck, gently soothing it.
He feared the horse might panic and charge again, causing further harm to them both.
Whether it was the effect of Shi Wen’s Qilin bloodline or his actions, the horse took a few cautious steps, snorted through its nose, and slowly calmed down.
Shi Wen kept an eye on the horse’s expression, and when he saw it was settled, he loosened his grip on the reins.
The horse didn’t go into a frenzy. Instead, it took a few more steps and stood quietly to the side.
Only then did Shi Wen turn to the young man who had just gotten up: “Are you okay?”
Still shaken, the young man shook his head. “I’m fine. If it weren’t for you, I would’ve fallen and gotten dragged by the horse. What about you? Let me see your hand.”
Shi Wen waved it off: “I’m fine. Just a bit of redness, but no cuts or bleeding.”
The young man, Gong Jiang, was full of gratitude: “Thanks again for your help earlier—”
Just as Shi Wen was about to respond, the sound of hooves echoed again.
He turned toward the sound, only to see a man in high boots riding toward them at full speed.
The horse was a fine steed, and the man looked exceptionally handsome—his rapid approach was quite striking.
Shi Wen’s mind went blank, and for a moment, he couldn’t think of anything, staring dazedly at the man.
When the man was still some distance away, he reined in the horse and jumped off: “Gong Jiang, are you okay? Did you fall?”
The young man quickly shook his head: “No, I’m fine. This brother here helped me out.”
While it wasn’t as noticeable when he was on horseback, now that he stood at over six feet with striking features, he exuded an undeniable aura of authority.
Shi Wen briefly made eye contact with him, then quickly looked away.
But he couldn’t help himself, letting his gaze drift toward the man’s long, straight legs, then slowly travel from his exceptionally slender fingers to his Adam’s apple before he forced himself to look away.
When he turned his head, he caught sight of the young man beside him, who had noticed his bold stare—Gong Jiang’s face was practically turning green.
Shi Wen cleared his throat lightly and looked off into the distant grassland.
The man asked: “What spooked the horse all of a sudden?”
Gong Jiang replied: “I’m not sure. I was riding through the forest when it suddenly went wild. Maybe it got brushed by a tree branch.”
“The horse…” Shi Wen interjected, “it was probably stung by a hornet.”
As both of them turned to look at him, Shi Wen pointed at the horse’s ear, which was visibly swollen and red. “A horse’s ears are extremely sensitive. Most likely, it panicked from the pain.”
The man gave a polite nod and extended his hand: “Thank you for saving my student. I’m Yan Ke Xing.”
Shi Wen reached out and shook his hand. “Yan Ke² Xing?”
The man caught the subtle implication in his tone and clarified, “Ke as in Self-discipline and restoration of propriety³.”
Shi Wen responded, “I’m Shi Wen⁴ . Shi as in time, Wen as in well-known. It was just a small effort—no need for thanks.”
Only then did the two finally release their handshake.
Shi Wen lowered his hand to his side, briefly clenched his fist, then relaxed it again. Yan Ke Xing’s hand had been noticeably larger than his.
Yan Ke Xing responded: “I know you.”
As he spoke, Yan Ke Xing’s gaze landed on Shi Wen’s clothes and coveralls, which were splattered with mud.
Shi Wen looked down at himself : “I was just clearing out the drainage ditches in the pasture—right over there. Would you like to come over for some tea? I just caught some fish, so why don’t you stay for lunch at my place? I think this guy—Gong Jiang—looks a bit shaken up. A cup of tea might help him calm down.”
He looked at Yan Ke Xing expectantly. Just when he thought the man would refuse, Yan Ke Xing gave a small nod. “I’ll be troubling you, then.”
The three of them led the horses around to the front gate and walked into the pasture.
Shi Wen closed the fence behind them. “I only just got back recently, so I haven’t had time to fix up the ranch yet. It’s a bit messy, but the grass is growing well. You can let your horses graze here.”
With such a large pasture, even if the horses roamed freely, they wouldn’t disturb the lambs.
Shi Wen then pointed to a large water bucket ahead: “I was just clearing the ditches over there. The drainage canals may not be big, but there are a surprising number of fish.”
Yan Ke Sing and Gong Jiang released their horses and followed Shi Wen over to the bucket.
After working all morning, he had already filled half the bucket. Looking down from above, all they could see were densely packed fish spines.
Yan Kexing took one glance and commented: “One Class 1, one Class 2. Your luck is quite impressive.”
Shi Wen blinked. “Wh-what?!”
Realization dawned on him, and now it was his turn to turn green.
He hurriedly pulled out his phone and unlocked it: “I had a bad feeling when I caught that fish earlier and was about to check. Look, I even had the page open—I just didn’t get the chance!”
Right on cue, the identification page he had opened earlier popped up. The fish he had just taken a picture of appeared on the screen—a big-head schizothoracin, a Class 1 nationally protected species.
Shi Wen: “……”
What kind of rotten luck was this?!
Panicking, he carefully scooped the big-head schizothoracin out of the bucket and released it back into the ditch: “I swear, I’m a law-abiding citizen!”
Gong Jiang was a beat behind, only then realising what they were discussing. He spoke up in support of Shi Wen: “Sometimes people catch them by mistake, but as long as you release them, it’s fine.”
Shi Wen nodded repeatedly: “I was planning to check them all before catching more.”
Yan Kexing, who had just taken a photo of the big-head schizothoracin, didn’t even look up as he said, “I know. Just reminding you.”
“Thanks for the reminder.” Shi Wen reached into the bucket and pulled out another fish that he didn’t recognise—the one that looked the most foreign to him and seemed the most likely to cause trouble.
He placed the fish in the water and tilted the bucket slightly for them to see: “The rest are definitely fine—river perch, roach and eels. I recognise all of them.”
Yan Kexing took another photo and said: “The one you just pulled out is called a schizothorax.”
Shi Wen cautiously asked, “Is that a Class 2 protected species?”
Yan Ke Xing looked up and gave Shi Wen a small smile.
That answered his question. Shi Wen immediately felt his face heat up. He set the bucket down and said, “Which is why I’m inviting you to have lunch here—you can help me to verify.”
Yan Ke Xing replied, “I’ll be intruding, then.”
Shi Wen: “Make yourself at home! It’s getting late, so I should start cooking. What do you guys want for lunch? How about hotpot?”
Shi Wen wasn’t the best cook, but hotpot was always a safe choice. He had the hotpot base ready, and his fridge was stocked with sliced beef and lamb. With some freshly cleaned fish, sliced potatoes, and washed cabbage, everything would be good to go.
The three of them headed to Shi Wen’s house.
He had recently cleaned and disinfected the place, so it looked spotless.
After placing the bucket by the well, Shi Wen led them to the living room and prepared tea for them: “Make yourselves comfortable. I’ll go clean and prep the fish.”
After getting everything ready, Shi Wen clumsily set up by the well.
In the past, when he ate fish, he always had the fish prepared by the vendor and had never tried doing it himself. Now, facing the lively wild fish, he couldn't help but feel a little unsure about handling it.
He struggled by the well for quite a while but didn't manage to clean a single fish.
Yan Ke Xing walked out of the house: "Let me do it."
Shi Wen, still holding the knife, hesitated to hand it over. "Are you sure?"
Yan Ke Xing replied: "We’ve been doing fieldwork for years, I’m a bit more sure than you."
Shi Wen: "...Then I’ll go chop some vegetables."
Yan Ke Xing added: “Have Gong Jiang help you too. Gong Jiang—”
Gong Jiang quickly responded from inside: “Got it!”
The three of them worked together, and soon the hotpot was set up.
Shi Wen looked at the plates of translucent fish meat and said to Yan Ke Xing: “Mr Yan, do you cook at home often?”
Yan Kexing: “Occasionally.”
Shi Wen smiled: “Your family must be lucky to taste your cooking.”
Yan Kexing’s gaze lingered on Shi Wen for a moment longer: “I live alone.”
Shi Wen laughed: “I see, living alone does mean you have to do everything yourself.”
The soup quickly came to a boil, and the three of them were too busy to chat, hurriedly preparing to cook the meat.
The freshly sliced fish fillets were thin and tender. After just a few seconds in the hot red broth, they were cooked.
Shi Wen wasn’t sure if it was because the fish was a wild cold-water species, but the meat was exceptionally tender. He felt like it almost melted in his mouth with just a bite, with the fresh, sweet flavor filling his palate.
He couldn’t taste any fishiness at all, only the rich flavor of the meat.
This fish is so delicious!
Before eating, Shi Wen had 80% of his attention focused on Yan Ke xing, but after tasting the fish, only 20% of his attention remained. He focused entirely on the fish, feeling that it was so delicious it nearly brought him to tears.
Yan Ke Xing also lightly dipped the tender, snow-white fish meat into the sauce. After tasting it, he said: “The fish here is quite good.”
Shi Wen responded: “Right? I think it’s really tasty too.”
Gong Jiang added: “I’ve eaten so many types of fish, and this one can rival the ones caught from sea fishing.”
Shi Wen turned to him: “You've been sea fishing before?”
Gong Jiang: “Yeah, it’s from back in the day.”
As Gong Jiang spoke, he started reminiscing about old times.
While everyone was eating the fish and chatting, Shi Wen kept 20% of his attention on Yan Ke Xing.
Yan Ke Xing wasn’t talkative, but his responses were always clever. His way of eating fish was also particularly elegant, making it clear he wasn’t an ordinary person.
Shi Wen couldn’t help but wonder about his background.
The three of them finished the dishes on the table, and by the end, even the broth in the hotpot had become a little lighter.
Shi Wen poured cold drinks for both of them: “It’s been a long time since I’ve enjoyed a meal like this.”
Gong Jiang raised his cup and clinked it with his: “I haven't eaten so comfortably in a long time. It's really enjoyable dining at your place.”
Shi Wen smiled and said: “Then you should come again next time. Maybe I can get some red willow wood to grill fish, I’ve heard it makes the fish taste great."
Yan Ke Xing: “Pay attention to ecology.”
Shi Wen: “No worries! I definitely won't be chopping down trees recklessly.”
After lunch, Yan Ke Xing and Gong Jiang helped wash the pots and dishes before leaving.
When Shi Wen invited them for a meal, it was partly because of Yan Ke Xing's face and physique, but when they started washing the dishes, Shi Wen truly felt moved.
While Yan Ke Xing was cleaning by the well, Shi Wen quietly asked Gong Jiang: “Gong Jiang, is Mr Yan your leading teacher? Which university are you from?”
Gong Jiang nodded and quietly mentioned a well-known university: “Doctoral advisor.”
Shi Wen: “Doc-doctoral advisor? Mr Yan doesn’t seem that old.”
Gong Jiang confirmed: “You can check it on the official website.”
Shi Wen: “You guys are amazing.”
Gong Jiang responded with a compliment: “Everyone has their own expertise. You manage such a big ranch; that's impressive too.”
After finishing washing the dishes, Shi Wen seemed a little preoccupied.
He escorted Gong Jiang and Yan Ke Xing to the gate of the ranch.
Because of the incident in the morning, Yan Ke Xing and Gong Jiang swapped horses. Yan Ke Xing was now riding the horse that had been stung on its ear.
The horse, unremarkable at first glance, appeared quite majestic under Yan Ke Xing’s ride, giving off a strong and impressive impression.
Yan Ke Xing rode his horse. Lowering his head, he said to Shi Wen: “Goodbye.”
Shi Wen straightened up and waved: “Hope to see you again.”
He wondered if there would ever be another chance to see each other again.
Shi Wen added: “You're welcome to come visit anytime.”
Yan Ke Xing nodded, lightly kicked the horse's flank, and rode away.
Gong Jiang followed behind him, turned around, and said to Shi Wen: “No need to see us off. Go back and rest now.”
Shi Wen smiled and waved, standing in place, watching their figures on horseback gradually fade into the distance.
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Footnote:
A "drainage ditch" is a ditch specifically designed to carry off excess water or sewage, while "ditch" generally refers to a long, narrow excavation in the earth, which can serve various purposes, including drainage.
Here, Shi Wen refer to his name as 燕客(Ke)行, but it is actually 燕克(ke)行
克己复礼 = Self-discipline and restoration of propriety (idiom)
时闻(Shi Wen) = 时间 (time)，久闻大名的闻
拟鲤: roach (a European fish that lives in fresh water)
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Translator’s Comments:
｢( • ﾍ •) Is Yan Ke Xing or Yan Ke Hang?? 行 = Xing / Hang
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Returning to the ranch as a breeder
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RTTRAAB 02
Returning to the Ranch as a Breeder 回到牧场当饲养员
Chapter 2
Shi Wen cleaned the house thoroughly, both inside and out, and then stored away his grandfather’s belongings.
When handling the inheritance procedures, he had arranged for water, electricity, and internet to be connected in advance, so with a bit of tidying up, the place was ready to be lived in.
However, to make it truly comfortable, he would need to renovate it gradually over time.
The living space was easy to deal with. Although the front and back yards were still overgrown, they didn’t affect daily activities and could be handled later.
The livestock sheds, however, were more troublesome.
The ranch had several large sheds for cattle and sheep, as well as a feed storage area.
Due to the cold winters in this area, livestock couldn’t stay outside during the season.
The sheds were spacious, but it was filled with dried manure and old hay, along with chewed-up wooden troughs and aging pipes.
If he wanted to put them back into use, he would need to do a full cleaning and restoration.
Shi Wen rode his motorcycle into the small town.
This small town, under N City’s jurisdiction, was a ranching hub. The main street was lined with storefronts mostly related to animal husbandry, interspersed with a few supermarkets.
Shi Wen had visited the supermarkets several times before and had become somewhat familiar with the small town.
He parked his motorcycle in front of a relatively large veterinary supply store and stepped inside.
The weather was neither gloomy nor sunny today, and the store’s interior felt dim. The shopkeeper, sitting lazily behind the counter, was watching short videos on his phone.
Seeing Shi Wen enter, the shopkeeper took a second glance in his direction and greeted him in slightly accented Mandarin: “What are you looking for?”
Shi Wen pulled out his phone to check the notes he had made the night before.
“I need some disinfectant for my livestock sheds. What kind of chlorine-based disinfectants do you have?”
The shopkeeper pointed to a row of shelves: “They're all here. Take a look and see which one you need. Quicklime¹ is on the bottom shelf.”
Shi Wen glanced at the shopkeeper, then at the shelves.
The store’s selection of disinfectants wasn’t extensive, but it covered the main categories—peroxides, aldehydes, phenols, and chlorine-based disinfectants.
Standing in front of the shelves, Shi Wen found himself momentarily overwhelmed by the choices.
After staring at the plethora of disinfectants, he consulted his notes and compared the prices. Finally, he picked two buckets of Xiao Te Ling, a brand of sodium dichloroisocyanurate disinfectant, with relatively recent production dates, along with two bags of quicklime.
The shopkeeper totaled up the cost. “Hey, you’re from out of town, aren’t you?”
Shi Wen smiled: “You can tell? Are there a lot of outsiders coming in lately?”
“With a face like yours, I’d definitely remember if I’d seen you before. So yeah, it has to be your first time here.” the shopkeeper said, then answered the second question. “Not a huge number of outsiders, but not too few either. You young folks keep talking about ‘returning home to herd sheep.’ You’re one of them, right?”
Shi Wen: “Something like that.”
The shopkeeper locked his phone: “What do you mean ‘something like that’? You definitely are. Which farm are you from?”
Shi Wen: “I’m from the Shi’s Family Ranch just outside the town.”
“I think I remember that place. No one has been there for a long time—I thought they had moved away.”
“No, I'm back now.”
Shi Wen quickly finished his purchase, tied the supplies securely to the back of his motorcycle, and then headed to the supermarket to buy groceries.
The fridge at home was still functioning, and going to town every day for groceries was too much of a hassle. He usually bought a week's worth at a time, focusing on long-lasting vegetables like cabbage, tomatoes, potatoes, and carrots.
Shi Wen spent over an hour shopping in town, eating a bowl of lamb noodles for lunch before finally driving back home.
Once back at home, he put the groceries in the fridge and started cleaning the livestock sheds.
Early that morning, he had already cleaned the sheds once—sweeping out manure and debris, and giving the floor a wash.
Now that the floors had dried, he began applying the lime water.
Slaked lime² was the most commonly used disinfectant here. It was cheap and effective, making wastage less of a concern.
Shi Wen put on old clothes suitable for manual labour, a mask, safety glasses, and a hat, then efficiently mixed the slaked lime in a designated bucket.
According to the internet, slaked lime had to be measured precisely—1kg of quicklime to 350ml of water. If the ratio was off, the disinfecting effect wouldn’t be good, making all the work pointless.
Once the lime solution was ready, Shi Wen disinfected the floors and walls of the livestock sheds and livestock activity areas. Then, he used Xiao Te Ling to sanitise the feeding troughs and water basins, as lime application in those areas was impractical.
The ranch was huge, and he was the only one working. By the time he finished, the sky was nearly dark.
Being the only person on the ranch, he didn’t have much motivation to cook. He quickly cooked up some noodles, scarfed it down, and then lay in bed reading a book.
The next morning, Shi Wen grabbed a hammer, nails and other tools. He planned to repair parts of the livestock shed and the worn-down areas outside the house, and also replace some pipes.
Halfway through, his phone rang—it was his neighbor, the village chief, Fu Meng, whom he had met before.
Shi Wen answered, and Fu Meng’s voice came through: “Hey, Shi Wen, didn’t you say you wanted some lambs? There's a livestock market today, do you want to go? I’m heading there, so I can give you a ride if you do.”
“I want to go!” Shi Wen responded immediately. “Thanks, Fu-ge! When will you get here?”
Fu Meng said: “I'm about to set off. Just wait at home—I’ll be there in ten minutes.”
Shi Wen quickly put away his tools, took off his work gloves, and went inside to change into his normal clothes.
Just as he finished getting ready, he heard the sound of a vehicle outside.
Opening the door, he saw Fu Meng arriving in a three-wheeler, pulling up outside the ranch.
Shi Wen quickly jogged from the house to the entrance of the ranch.
Fu Meng grinned: “I was just about to call you, but you’re already out. The back is a bit dirty—do you want to sit up front with me?”
The back of the three-wheeler was covered in dirt, hay, and trampled dry manure—clearly used for transporting cattle and sheep. It was definitely unsuitable for a person to sit on.
Shi Wen hopped onto the seat beside Fu Meng, grabbing onto the frame of the vehicle. “Thanks, Fu-ge.”
Fu Meng: “No need to be so polite—it's on the way.”
With a sputtering sound, the three-wheeler rumbled toward the town.
The livestock market was also in town, but a bit further down, away from the main street.
Previously, Shi Wen had only explored the main street and had never been to the livestock market before.
As they got closer to the market, more and more three-wheelers and small trucks filled the road, making it increasingly congested and noisy.
Livestock like cattle and sheep became a common sight—some were being transported in vehicles, others were being herded along the road. The air grew thick with the distinct smell of livestock.
Before long, Shi Wen noticed people selling adult sheep along the roadside.
Adult sheep and lambs were kept in separate areas, and since he was here to buy lambs, he needed to head further inside.
Fu Meng parked the three-wheeler at a designated parking area and walked with Shi Wen into the livestock market. “Shi Wen, have you had breakfast yet? Do you want to grab a bite?”
Outside the market, food stalls lined the streets, offering all sorts of local delicacies—lamb offal soup, beef noodles, sheep fat buns, hot milk tea, yogurt bowls and more.
Shi Wen inhaled the mix of delicious aromas. “Let’s eat something then. Fu-ge, is there anything you want to eat?”
Fu Meng suggested: “How about rice-flour noodles with mutton? I’ll take you to an established shop.”
The two headed to a restaurant specialising in lamb rice noodles.
The lamb, which was freshly slaughtered, was of a species native to the region. It had no gamey smell—on the contrary, it carried a hint of milky sweetness. It was incredibly tender and paired perfectly with chili oil and pickled radish, making for an appetising meal.
Shi Wen ate until beads of sweat formed on his nose.
After finishing breakfast, they finally made their way to the lamb market.
The lambs were kept in wooden pens, all under three months old, and mostly local fat-tailed sheep.
There are several breeds of fat-tailed sheep in the country, such as the Altay fat-tailed sheep, Inner Mongolian fat-tailed sheep, and Shan Dong fat-tailed sheep. When people buy lambs, they usually choose breeds that have been locally bred.
Local breeds are better suited to the local soil, water and climate, making them less prone to disease. The meat also retains the distinctive local flavor.
Fat-tailed sheep are a type of domesticated sheep.
Goats are relatively uncommon in this area.
Since sheep mainly feed on grass, whereas goats prefer leaves, roots and stems, raising sheep is more suitable here due to the abundance of grasslands and the lack of mountainous terrain.
Starting from the first wooden pen, Shi Wen carefully examined the lambs, mimicking the way others were inspecting them—checking their teeth, limbs, coat patterns, and even pinching their backs. He looked like he knew what he was doing.
Fu Meng, watching from the side, was surprised: “Do you have experience raising sheep?”
Shi Wen looked up: “I’ve read books about it.”
Fu Meng couldn’t hold back his chuckle: “What’s in books isn’t quite the same as reality.”
Shi Wen: “Then I’ll just combine what I’ve learnt from books with my own judgment. Once I’m done, Fu-ge, I'd love to have your opinion on my picks.”
By now, Shi Wen had realised that Fu Meng had specifically come to the market to accompany him in picking lambs, though he hadn’t explicitly stated it.
Fu Meng readily agreed: “Sure.”
As they spoke, Shi Wen noticed that the lamb under his hand felt slightly different from the others.
This difference wasn’t based on any specific criteria—he just had a subtle feeling that this lamb stood out from the rest.
He lowered his head to take a closer look.
It was a ewe.
It couldn’t have been more than three months old, with a white face, small hooves, small ears, and a full fluffy coat. Its fur was strikingly white and incredibly cute, with excellent wool quality.
Shi Wen reached out to touch its back, gently pinching its muscles. He found that the fat on its back was about a finger thick—it was quite plump.
The little lamb let out a clear, adorable bleat, lifting its head and staring at him with wide eyes after being pinched.
Shi Wen then ran his fingers through its wool. The fleece was also quite dense and fluffy.
He examined its legs—they were straight, without signs of bowlegs, splayed legs or any other deformities.
With all these aspects checked, Shi Wen was already about 80% satisfied. He gently pried open the lamb’s mouth.
Its lower jaw had neatly arranged, pearly white baby teeth, indicating excellent dental health.
Sheep only have lower teeth; the upper jaw consists of a dense, hard, fibrous pad. As long as the lower teeth were in good shape, the lamb passed.
Shi Wen rubbed its back again, then turned to the auntie selling the lambs and asked: “ Ma'am, how much for this one?”
The auntie straightened up and enthusiastically introduced the lamb: “This little one is a fine one. It's the best we have. If you take it home as a breeding ewe, I guarantee you'll raise a whole flock of good sheep. If you're serious about buying, I'll let it go for 600.”
Before Shi Wen could respond, Fu Meng widened his eyes and exclaimed, “Auntie, is your sheep made of gold? Other people are selling equally good sheep for no more than 300!”
The auntie stood her ground: “If you can find sheep this good for 300, I'll sell you as many as you want!”
Fu Meng countered: “Even so, 600 is too much. There are plenty of good sheep in the market, and yours is great, but others aren't bad either. The most I'd say is 320.”
The auntie shook her head: “320 is too low. If you're really interested, I'll give you a discount—550.”
Shi Wen joined in: “350.”
The auntie waved her hand repeatedly: “350 won’t do. If you truly want it, I’ll give it to you for 530.”
Shi Wen's target price was under 500. As Fu Meng said, the lamb was indeed good, but it wasn’t a one-of-a-kind specimen. If the price exceeded 500, it wasn’t worth it.
After a few minutes of haggling, they finally settled on 420.
With the sale made, the auntie handed Shi Wen a spray can of marking paint, letting him mark the lamb himself.
Shi Wen sprayed a ‘1’ on the lamb’s rump, signifying that it was his first purchase. Once he was done buying all the sheep, Fu Meng would drive the tricycle to the market entrance, and the vendors would help herd the purchased sheep onto the vehicle—otherwise, it would be difficult to transport them.
This was the usual way people bought sheep here.
As they left the stall, Fu Meng whispered: “You’re full of surprises—you really know how to pick sheep.”
Shi Wen replied: “I just learn from reading books. Thanks for helping me with the haggling, Fu-ge.”
Fu Meng laughed: “I was just casually throwing out numbers. You're the one who has a knack for haggling.”
Shi Wen smiled—as a salaryman, his negotiation skills were pretty good.
The two continued browsing the stalls.
Shi Wen went from stall to stall, carefully selecting sheep. Some stalls had good picks, while others didn’t.
Not every sheep he bought was the obvious best choice. Some were rather unremarkable, but they gave him a good feeling. Since they were reasonably priced, he bought them as well.
After picking out more than a dozen sheep, Shi Wen noticed a small group of young men trailing behind him.
He glanced at them—they were unfamiliar, likely not from his village.
Catching Shi Wen's gaze, one of them spoke up: “Hey, brother, which village are you from? Did you just move back? You're really good at picking sheep!”
Shi Wen stopped and replied: “Qing Feng Village. You guys moved back to raise sheep too?”
One of them said: “We’ve been raising sheep in the village for a long while, but we’ve never seen you before. Let’s add each other on WeChat?”
Since they were all from the same area, there would probably be plenty of opportunities to interact in the future.
Shi Wen readily exchanged WeChat contacts with them.
The young men invited him to join them for horseback riding, herding and drinking when he was available.
Shi Wen replied: “If I get the chance, I definitely will.”
The encounter with the young men was just a small interlude. After parting ways with them, he continued shopping for sheep.
He was decisive in his purchases, not pushing too hard on prices—just a few rounds of bargaining, and he was usually able to close the deal.
After browsing the market all morning, Shi Wen managed to purchase 37 lambs—32 ewes and 5 castrated young rams.
Rams tend to be more docile after castration, allowing them to graze alongside the ewes, and they would eventually be sold as meat sheep.
Once the purchases were complete, Fu Meng met up with Shi Wen again and drove the three-wheeled truck over.
The vendors helped herd the lambs onto the vehicle, completely filling it up.
As they settled into the truck, Fu Meng asked: “Do you need anything else? How about some concentrated feed³? The lambs are still young—giving them extra nutrition at night will make them easier to raise.”
Shi Wen asked: “Do you know a good feed store?”
“I’ll take you to Old Sun’s shop,” Fu Meng replied. “His feed is high quality—what you pay for is what you get. He doesn’t cut corners or cheat on weight.”
Shi Wen: “Sure, let’s go have a look.”
The store wasn’t far—just a short ride along the main road and a turn into a side street.
Before long, Fu Meng pulled up in front of a slightly worn-looking storefront and called out: “Old Sun! Got a new customer for you!”
A burly middle-aged man stepped out: “Fu Meng! You brat! Haven’t had a drink together in ages. What will you be buying today?”
“I’m not the one buying,” Fu Meng replied. “My friend Shi Wen here needs some concentrated feed. What do you have in stock?”
Old Sun turned to Shi Wen, who nodded in confirmation.
The shopkeeper was straightforward: “I’ve got everything; it really depends on which kind you want—corn, barley, wheat, mixed grains, bean dregs, bran, rapeseed cake… The rapeseed cake just came in— this year’s batch smells great. Two dollars and thirty cents per kilo. If you’re feeding lambs, I’d recommend this.”
As he spoke, he led them inside the store.
Old Sun pulled out a large sack from the shelf, untied the nylon cord sealing it, and grabbed a handful of the flaky rapeseed cake. “This is the real deal—straight from the source, no additives or fillers.”
As soon as the rapeseed cake was pulled out of the sack, a fragrant aroma filled the air. Shi Wen took a quick glance and immediately knew that this was a high-quality product: “I’ll take fifty kilograms.”
Old Sun: “Nice! Are you picking it up yourself, or should I arrange for a delivery?”
Shi Wen: “You offer delivery?”
“Of course! Why wouldn’t I?” Old Sun replied. “Here, add me on WeChat. You can just tell me what feed you need, and I’ll deliver it right to you.”
Shi Wen added Old Sun on WeChat and glanced over at Fu Meng.
Fu Meng: “Could you handle the delivery this time? We’ve got a truckload of sheep, and there’s no place to store them.”
Old Sun replied: “Sure, I’ll come with you and drop it off, and also get to know the location.”
Old Sun then called his wife out to watch the store, quickly grabbed two bags of rapeseed cake, tied them to his motorcycle, and followed Shi Wen and Fu Meng.
When they arrived at Shi Wen’s place, Old Sun unloaded the rapeseed cake under the eaves of the house and helped herd the sheep into the pen.
Shi Wen had thoroughly cleaned and disinfected the sheep pen in the past couple of days. It was neat, dry, and smelled fresh, with no hint of odor.
Old Sun entered the pen and said: “Wow, someone’s got high standards! In a couple of years, we’ll have another skilled sheep farmer around here.”
Fu Meng laughed: “You sure know how to flatter someone.”
Old Sun chuckled: “Just speaking the truth. You can tell from the way the pens were cleaned and disinfected. And looking at these sheep—Shi Wen picked these, am I right? Old Fu, you wouldn’t have the eye for this.”
Fu Meng: “How do you know?”
“Having known each other for so many years, do you think I don't know what kind of sheep you prefer? This one was definitely picked by Shi Wen," Old Sun said, turning to Shi Wen. “You have a good eye for picking and settling sheep, and you put in the effort. The sheep you raise will surely be of good quality.”
Shi Wen smiled: “I hope so too.”
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Footnote:
Quicklime (calcium oxide) is a disinfectant that can kill pathogens. It's a strong base that's inexpensive and can be used around livestock.
When quicklime is added to water, it yields slaked lime.
Concentrated feed, also known as concentrates, are animal feeds that are rich in energy and/or protein but low in fiber, used to supplement the diet of livestock.
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Translator’s Comments:
( ꩜ ᯅ ꩜;) I struggled between using the term ‘peroxides’ and ‘oxides’ - I chose peroxides in the end because hydrogen peroxide is used as a disinfectant.
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RTTRAAB 01
Returning to the Ranch as a Breeder 回到牧场当饲养员
Chapter 1
“Shi Wen, it's time to get off work.”
“Shi Wen, you’re not leaving yet?”
Hearing the voices, Shi Wen looked up at the clock hanging on the office wall.
It was exactly 5:30 pm—the official time to end work.
He let out a slightly frustrated sigh and looked up at the colleague who had called out to him: “I’m going to have to work overtime for a bit. You guys go ahead.”
His colleague gave him a sympathetic glance: “Did Boss ask you to work overtime again? Well, we’ll head out first. See you tomorrow.”
“See you tomorrow.” Shi Wen replied.
As he spoke, his gaze drifted to the sky outside the window.
April’s weather was at its finest—the setting sun seemed to have melted, spreading across the sky in a breathtaking display of vibrant clouds. The evening breeze carried the scent of spring as it drifted in.
This tiring job…if he could end his work now, he could enjoy the spring breeze and admire the sunset.
Just then, his computer let out a soft ding, pulling him back to reality.
His eyes moved to the lower right corner of the screen, where a new email notification had popped up. The subject line read: “In Regards to the Management for Comrade Shi Jing Bo’s Ranch.”
A personal email?
Shi Wen froze for a moment. It had been a long time since he had seen his grandfather’s name.
His grandfather had passed away nearly three years ago—so what kind of email is this? And what ranch?
Shi Wen clicked on it.
The email opened on his computer, its wording formal and official.
To summarise the email, it stated that his grandfather, Shi Jing Bo, had owned a ranch. This year, Shi Wen had met the conditions for inheritance. The email then asked if he wished to inherit said ranch.
If he did, he could schedule an appointment through an official service platform and go through the relevant procedures.
Instructions for making the appointment were attached below.
Since when did scam emails get this personalised?
Frowning, Shi Wen closed the email.
His parents had divorced when he was in high school, each remarrying and having children of their own. After that, he had never gone back home. During the holidays, he stayed in the school dormitory in college, and after graduation, he rented an apartment.
Three years ago, when his grandfather had fallen and passed away at home during the Lunar New Year, it was his aunt who had informed him about the grave news.
As the third generation in his family tree, he hadn’t expected to inherit anything and never bothered to ask. He had simply attended the funeral.
In the three years since his funeral, Shi Wen hadn’t had the means to visit and pay respects, only burning paper offerings every New Year.
So why was this email sent to him?
Shi Wen continued his work, but his mind was restless, and his efficiency plummeted.
After a while, he couldn’t resist reopening the email.
The service platform mentioned in the email was one he was very familiar with—it was the province’s official service platform, used for things like medical insurance and social security. He used it quite often, and it was even saved in the shortcut bar on his WeChat.
The instructions directed him to make an appointment under a subcategory called “Bureau of Anomalous Affairs”.
Taking out his phone, he followed the email’s instructions, tapping on the “More Services" option hidden on the service platform’s homepage.
There it was—Bureau of Anomalous Affairs.
There really was such a department.
He followed the instructions step-by-step, and before long, a notification popped up:
“Your appointment has been successfully scheduled. Please bring all required documents and arrive at the service center 30 minutes in advance to avoid missing your turn.”
Shi Wen stared at the notification for a long moment.
His appointment was set for 9 am tomorrow. Whether this email was real or fake—he would find out at the service center tomorrow.
An appointment at the government’s service center couldn’t possibly be fake… right?
Although he felt that way, Shi Wen still couldn’t resist stepping into the hallway with his phone and calling his aunt.
She was even more surprised than he was. “What ranch? Your grandfather never owned a ranch! He worked in J Province for a while, helping someone raise cattle and sheep. It wasn’t for long either—he came back for the New Year, and that’s when the accident happened. The owner was kind-hearted and even gave us some money."
“Your dad and your cousin already looked into everything back then, and it was all settled. Who told you otherwise?"
Shi Wen replied: “No one, really. I was just asking. Aunt, how have you been lately? Is your health okay?”
……
After hanging up, Shi Wen forced himself to focus and finish his work. Once he reported to his boss, he naturally requested leave for the next day—and received a long-winded lecture in return.
The next morning.
Shi Wen arrived early at the service center with his ID and waited.
After taking a queue number, it wasn’t long before it was his turn.
The woman behind the service window checked his ID, and then looked at her computer screen before saying: “Your grandfather did, in fact, have a ranch under his name. If you wish to inherit it, you’ll need to undergo another medical examination. Only after confirming that you meet the inheritance criteria can we proceed with the paperwork.”
Shi Wen asked: “Did my grandfather leave a will? Shouldn’t this ranch be inherited by my aunt or my father instead?”
The clerk smiled sweetly. “Your father, aunt, and all other relatives did not meet the inheritance criteria. Only you met the criteria this year. According to the order of inheritance, the ranch should rightfully go to you.”
Shi Wen hesitated: “I don’t quite understand. You said I only qualified this year?”
“According to the reports sent by the hospital, that’s correct,” the clerk replied. “From what I can see here, you briefly met the criteria in 2016 and 2017, and your medical examination last week shows that you've qualified again.”
Shi Wen frowned: “What exactly is this criteria?”
“It refers to meeting the standards for Divinity and Special Abilities,” the clerk explained. Seeing the confusion in Shi Wen’s eyes, she grabbed a booklet from the top right corner of her desk and handed it to him. “This is an informational guide from the Bureau of Anomalous Affairs. You can take a look.”
The Bureau of Anomalous Affairs?
Divinity and special abilities?
Shi Wen took a step back and glanced up at the signage in the hall.
This was indeed a legitimate government office.
And he didn’t seem to be dreaming.
“Do you have any other questions?” the clerk asked.
Shi Wen shook his head.
She gave him a standard eight-tooth smile: “If you have any doubts, you can go to the Military General Hospital in B City for a medical exam. Just inform them it's for the Bureau of Anomalous Affairs, and they will arrange it for you.”
Not wanting to take up any more of her time, Shi Wen took the booklet and started flipping through it.
The booklet was published by the Bureau of Anomalous Affairs, detailing different types of anomalous phenomena and creatures, as well as administrative standards and benefits.
Within the human populace, a small fraction of humans awaken special bloodlines, becoming anomalous beings, and are subsequently placed under the jurisdiction of the Bureau. They were granted certain rights but also had obligations to fulfill.
Shi Wen figured he must belong to this category.
However, he had no memory of awakening such a bloodline. All his medical checkups growing up had been normal.
Had the relevant authorities been hiding the results?
After spending the entire morning at the service center, Shi Wen scheduled a medical exam at B City’s Military General Hospital in the afternoon.
The process went very smoothly—probably because this kind of medical exam was so rare, there was no waiting line. Within just over an hour, his results were ready.
The report was thick.
Sitting on a metal chair next to the printing station, Shi Wen flipped through the report from start to finish, and discovered two previously hidden categories.
One was Divinity, and the other was Special Abilities. Shi Wen had scored 201 in the Divinity category, and 137 in the Special Abilities category. Both scores met the threshold for awakened bloodlines. The analysis at the bottom of the report stated that Shi Wen had awakened the Qilin bloodline—the bloodline of the king of all beasts.
However, both his Divinity and Special Abilities scores were quite low. The threshold for an awakened bloodline was 200 for Divinity and 100 for Special abilities—and he had only barely passed.
No wonder no one had contacted him before, and that he had never known about any of this.
Shi Wen flipped through the results multiple times. Since it was still early, he decided to return to the Bureau of Anomalous Affairs' service center.
He was assigned to the same clerk as before.
When she saw the results Shi Wen had submitted, she smiled and said: “Mr. Shi, your test results show that you have met the criteria. You are now eligible to inherit the mountain ranch in J Province, covering a total area of 3,000 mu (about 500 acres). Would you like to proceed with the inheritance? It's tax-free, and you will receive subsidies. After inheriting the ranch, if your bloodline remains eligible, the usage period for the ranch will be extended to 40 years. Upon expiration, as long as you still qualify, you can continue renewing it indefinitely.”
Shi Wen aske: “According to the handbook, this ranch was allocated to my grandfather by the government?”
“Yes,” the clerk confirmed. “This ranch was assigned by the state, and some of its facilities were also built with government support. After Mr. Shi passed away, none of his descendants met the eligibility requirements, so your family was not notified. It was only after you took your medical examination this year, and only after your results showed that you had met the minimum criteria, were we then able to inform you.”
Shi Wen was stunned.
The clerk noticed his expression and handed him a printed slip of paper: “This contains information about the ranch. If you're interested, you can go take a look first.”
Shi Wen took it: “Thank you.”
“Mr Shi,” the clerk flashed a smile at him, “If you don’t use your special abilities, your bloodline will degrade. At the moment, you are the only person in Hua Guo who has awakened the Qilin bloodline. Although it's faint, I still recommend that you give it a try. Also, please review the confidentiality agreement and related explanation.”
As she spoke, she handed him another booklet.
Shi Wen nodded and thanked her again: “Alright.”
It was Friday, and his job had weekends off, meaning he wouldn’t have to work for the next two days.
After getting home, he paced back and forth for a long time. Finally, he gritted his teeth and booked a flight to J Province.
The address the clerk gave him was in the outskirts of a small town, under the jurisdiction of N City in the J Province, over 130 kilometers from the city —far away from any tourist areas.
Before today, Shi Wen had never even heard of this city, let alone this ranch.
After getting off the plane, Shi Wen first arrived at the small town, then took a taxi to the ranch. Surprisingly, he found his grandfather’s ranch with ease.
Outside the ranch stood an old wooden sign, with the words “Shi Family’s Ranch” scrawled across it in rough handwriting—undoubtedly his grandfather's own brushwork.
Shi Wen stood in front of the sign for a moment. When he looked up again, he felt an unexpected sense of familiarity towards the ranch before him.
He took in the sight.
The ranch was fenced in with mesh wire, with a wooden gate at the entrance.
It was not yet May—the grass on the ranch grew sparsely. From a distance, a faint layer of green could be seen, but up close,it was all dry stubble.
After observing for a while, he pushed open the wooden gate and stepped inside.
Spanning over 500 acres, the ranch was vast. Because the land was mostly flat, the cluster of buildings within was visible even from the entrance.
Shi Wen walked toward the buildings. Along the way, he could still make out faint traces of old paths, with dried cow dung scattered along both sides.
After walking for a while, Shi Wen finally reached the front of the building structures.
Before him was a large courtyard, reminiscent of the traditional Northeastern-style courtyards. Behind it was a single row of—livestock sheds?
The courtyard gate was also wooden, secured with wire mesh. Shi Wen reached out, unhooked the wire, pushed the gate open and stepped inside.
On either side of the courtyard were the remains of vegetable gardens, but they had long since been overtaken by nature. The overgrown, withered grass reached up to his calves.
Shi Wen approached a glass window, wiped away a layer of dust from the outer pane, and peered inside.
Through the window, his eyes landed on a familiar-looking big tea mug sitting atop a table. Beside the mug lay an old lighter.
The sight instantly brought back memories of his childhood—of the days he had spent living with his grandfather.
A small smile tugged at the corner of his lips, but it was accompanied by a wave of bittersweet nostalgia.
“Hey—”
Just as Shi Wen was looking through the window, a voice called out: “Where did you come from? This is private property. You can’t just walk in.”
Shi Wen turned around.
A tanned young man, dressed in a leather jacket and rain boots, was riding a motorcycle towards him. The man stopped at the entrance of the courtyard.
Shi Wen: “Hello, I’m Shi Jing Bo’s grandson—Shi Wen.”
As he spoke, the young man stared at Shi Wen and muttered to himself: “The chin does resemble a bit.”
Shi Wen smiled in response.
The young man introduced himself: “I’m Fu Meng, I live in the neighboring village. Are you coming back to take over the ranch?"
Shi Wen gave a vague response: “Something like that.”
Fu Meng replied: “It’s good that you're back. At the time, your grandfather had just started raising sheep just before the accident. After that, I helped handle the sheep. It’s a real shame.”
The two of them chatted for a while, and Fu Meng then invited him: “You haven’t had dinner, right? Come to my place, if you decide to stay, we’ll be neighbors soon.”
Shi Wen, not quite used to this level of enthusiasm, smiled and replied: "Thanks, but I bought a late-night ticket and need to rush back. I’m afraid I won’t make it."
Fu Meng: “What time is your flight? Did you drive here?”
“No, I’ll take a taxi later.”
“It’s hard to get a taxi around here. Let me give you a ride to the town. Once we’re there, it’s easy to get a cab.”
Fu Meng was very friendly, not only offering to drive Shi Wen to the town but also giving him a thorough tour of the ranch.
He pointed out the various areas, such as where the livestock sheds were, where the farmland was, and even where the ditches ran. Fu Meng knew every inch of the place.
During their conversation, Shi Wen found out that Fu Meng was the village head of the settlement.
It turned out that the old man’s ranch was part of the village, which explained why Fu Meng had come over so quickly after Shi Wen arrived.
Fu Meng continued: “Spring’s already here. If you want to raise cattle and sheep this year, you better get a move on. The ranch needs some repairs, the ditches need clearing, and the spring lambs² are growing up. In a little while, it’ll be hard to find good lambs to buy.”
Shi Wen quickly nodded: “Alright, thank you, Fu ge³.”
Fu Meng: “No need for such formalities. We’re neighbors. If you move here, things will be more lively around here.”
After touring the ranch, Fu Meng drove Shi Wen to the town on his motorcycle so he could buy a ticket to N City.
Shi Wen was heading to N City to catch a flight back.
With Fu Meng’s help, Shi Wen’s trip to the ranch went much more smoothly than he had imagined.
He found himself developing a much stronger fondness for the ranch than he had anticipated.
On Monday, Shi Wen returned to the service center.
He was assigned to the same clerk as before.
When she saw the materials he handed over, she quickly processed his inheritance paperwork.
Once everything was done, she handed him the documents and a separate printed sheet with important notes. She reminded him: “Mr. Shi, once you inherit the ranch, do your best to not neglect it. If you don’t engage in related industries, your bloodline may deteriorate. Every three years, your bloodline needs to be rechecked. If you don’t meet the criteria, the ranch will be reclaimed. All the best!”
Shi Wen understood this condition. After all, it was a benefit, and it was normal for there to be many restrictions. Moreover, the foundation for him receiving this benefit was his bloodline; if the bloodline deteriorated, everything would naturally be reclaimed.
A bit excited, Shi Wen looked up and smiled: “I understand. Thank you.”
The staff member returned the smile: “You're welcome. Congratulations, we look forward to hearing good news from your ranch.”
After confirming that all the necessary paperwork for the ranch was completed, Shi Wen handed in his resignation at the company, arranged to cancel his lease with his landlord, and gradually sent his belongings to the small town near the ranch.
The small town didn’t offer home delivery for parcels. Everything had to be picked up from the designated delivery points.
Half a month later, Shi Wen appeared at the ranch again.
However, this time, he didn't have to resort to climbing through the fence. With the key he received from a staff member of the J Province Bureau of Abnormal Affairs, he walked straight through the front gate.
In the half-month absence, the grass on the ranch had grown even greener, and the soil felt more damp.
He walked along the long path and entered the front yard, using the key to open the house door.
As soon as the door opened, the musty smell and the scent of dust hit him.
Shi Wen looked at the old furniture and the various belongings left behind by his grandfather.
From now on, this would be his home.
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Footnote:
Crop stubble is the leftover straw, leaves and stems of plants after harvest. It can also refer to the chaff and straw that comes out of the harvester.
Spring lamb refers to a young lamb that is between three and five months old.
In such instances, I will translate Brother as ge.
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Translator’s Comments:
Me, a video editor, learning ranching terminology at 2 in the morning. *clap clap clap*
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