Chapter 238: A Day of Hard Work, Wolves and Chickens

After hanging up the phone, Xia Qing felt the clock ticking even louder.

It was September ninth—she had farmland to manage, needed to prepare against migrating birds, pick chestnuts and team up for pine nut gathering. Time was tight.

The pits dug up while clearing out Xiang-evolved crops in the greenhouse were already filled in, and the Xiang Grass was gone for good. Xia Qing decided today she’d clear all the Xiang Grass roots from her territory.

No way she’d get it done alone—this called for teamwork. She hauled the three-meter-wide modified iron rake from the storeroom, grabbed some toon leaves and called out, “Boss Sheep, want to help dig up Xiang Grass roots?”

Boss Sheep, who loved heavy labor, immediately trailed after her as they left the village for work.

The iron rake was basically a supersized pitchfork. Xia Qing harnessed Boss Sheep into a leather strap and rope, dangled some toon leaves up front, then climbed onto the rake herself—three meters wide and sturdy underfoot. She gave the signal. “Boss Sheep, let’s roll!”

“Baa!” Boss Sheep replied with giddy excitement, hauling the rake and Xia Qing across the field. Whatever Xiang Grass stubs and roots the weed trimmer left behind all got scooped up, caught in the iron wires of the rake.

Once the wires were stuffed full of Xiang Grass clippings, she’d rake them down into a pile. After drying, they’d burn the lot. Job done.

For the two Strength Evolution lords in Territory Three, this method of clearing Xiang Grass was perfect.

Seeing her modification succeed, Xia Qing shouted, “Boss Sheep, keep it up! This beats the iron plow any day. We’ll clear the whole lot before sunset!”

“Baa!” Boss Sheep reveled in the work, charging ahead with the rake.

Hearing the noise outside, the Alpha Wolf yawned, shut its eyes and went back to sleep.

About a quarter of the Xiang Grass in Territory Three’s farmland had been cut with the weed trimmer. The rest was already uprooted by Xia Qing, Hu Zifeng’s squad and Qi Fu’s team. Only the part trimmed by the machine needed raking now.

For Boss Sheep, who thrived on muscle work, this sort of no-holds-barred job was the definition of fun. Before he knew it, the work was finished—and it wasn’t even three in the afternoon yet. Sundown was still far off.

Over two thousand mu of flat farmland gleamed with the earthy scent of rich soil. Countless birds flocked down, pecking at bugs hidden in the dirt.

Inside the chicken enclosure, the Black-feathered Rooster was having none of it. He flapped his wings and made a ruckus. After piling the Xiang Grass roots together, Xia Qing opened the gate for the chickens. “Alright, out you go—have at those bugs.”

After three months, the chickens had grown big. With no raptors circling in the sky and nowhere left for predators to hide now that the Xiang Grass was gone, she figured it was safe to let her flock roam.

The Black-feathered Rooster dashed out first, sending the bug-eating songbirds fluttering away. Xia Qing perched on the Xiang Grass pile with her slingshot, ready to play bodyguard for her chickens.

If any bird dared peck at her precious Greenlight Chicken, she’d thump it good!

A few warning shots with clumps of earth as ammo, and even the normally rowdy Evolved Magpie learned to behave, flying off to hunt bugs elsewhere.

After a triumphant strut, the Black-feathered Rooster picked a spot not too far from Xia Qing and scratched the dirt for insects. Six hens—yellow, white, and speckled—followed close behind, busy digging and eating. Four other roosters immediately launched into one-on-one squabbles.

The Redlight Goose, wandering about, wasn’t under Xia Qing’s protection. It wasn’t for eating anyway.

Nor did the four fighting roosters warrant her attention—she didn’t need to keep too many roosters; one or two was enough.

But as Xia Qing was deciding which chicken she’d eat first, the Wolf Pack strolled out from the village.

Leading the way was the Wolf with the Spinal Injury. Behind him came the Sick Wolf. Last was the Alpha Wolf, swiftest of the lot. Judging by their direction, the three were marching straight for her.

It was the first time the Wolf with the Spinal Injury had roamed the territory on its own. Now that the brace was off, unlike the Wolf with the Broken Leg, it didn’t go wild—sauntered along at its own deliberate pace.

The moment the wolves appeared, every bird took flight. The Redlight Goose and the wrestling roosters rushed to join the rest of the chickens. The Black-feathered Rooster shielded the hens with his body, feathers on his neck bristling—all business, ready for a showdown.

Turns out, whether a chicken has a cage or not makes all the difference when wolves show up.

Makes sense though; wolves are predators, after all. Never mind the chickens—facing an unfamiliar wolf pack, even as a human, Xia Qing would probably react worse than her chickens set loose.

She chuckled and ruffled Boss Sheep’s wool. “Boss Sheep, your buddies are here.”

Boss Sheep lifted his head, gave a lazy glance, then flopped back onto the pile of grass roots. He was beat. Not moving.

Three wolves—technically, two wolves and a wolfdog—came to a stop before Xia Qing. She beamed. “Number Two, Spinal Injury, how’re you two feeling?”

The wolfdog, Number Two, shuffled over and rubbed his scrawny body against Xia Qing’s leg before sitting beside her. The Alpha Wolf lounged on a grass pile, watching the chickens with half-closed eyes. The Wolf with the Spinal Injury turned to sniff the ointment on his back, glancing skyward at Xia Qing, clearly displeased with the smell.

His message was obvious. Xia Qing caught on and explained, “You’re not fully healed yet. Now that the brace is off, you need to keep using the ointment for at least another month. It doesn’t stink that much, right?”

The Wolf with the Spinal Injury stared quietly at the Alpha Wolf for a moment, then shifted his gaze back to Xia Qing.

In the sunlight, the Alpha Wolf’s fur shimmered like polished oil. Xia Qing figured out what the Wolf with the Spinal Injury was getting at, and gestured as she spoke. “When you stop using ointment, your fur here will grow back. Fur, right here, will cover over again. It’ll look just as splendid as Her Majesty’s coat.”

He seemed to get the idea, stood up, and hopped onto the grass pile beside the Alpha Wolf. Nestled down, he started grooming his fur. After nearly two months of wearing a brace, the hair on his back had been neglected for ages.

He was a male, and even bigger than the Alpha Wolf. Once he healed fully, he’d be a force to reckon with. Would the pack go after their enemies once they recovered?

Xia Qing stared at her bug-hunting chickens and birds, picturing a wolf-snake-bear showdown—now that would be epic! “Number Two, who was fighting over your territory back in July? Was it the snake or the bear? I’m betting the bear, right?”

Judging by the wounds on the Wolf with the Broken Leg and the Wolf with the Spinal Injury, they didn’t look like snake bites.

She rambled on. “If there’s another fight, think you guys could take them? Or will you need backup? If your pack’s got the dough, I could broker a deal with the Azure Dragon Unit for you. Her Majesty plus Yang Jin—unstoppable combo.”

Number Two and the Alpha Wolf kept quiet, but the Wolf with the Spinal Injury lifted his head to watch Xia Qing, deep in thought.

Seeing his interest, Xia Qing kept going. “You’ve never met Yang Jin, have you? Human. Top-speed evolver, super strong, razor sharp—and, let me tell you, a top-tier looker. Knows how to use his charm, too. But the other day a yellow weasel made him puke—hahaha!”

She couldn’t help herself, flopped onto the grass pile, and burst out laughing. Boss Sheep huffed and kicked her several times in indignation.

Crazy. She’d been going a bit nuts for days now—no end in sight.

“Xia Qing, you there?” Tang Huai’s voice crackled through the walkie-talkie.

Knocked to the ground, Xia Qing rubbed her sore cheeks from laughing and pressed the button. “Yeah, I’m here.”

Huh?

Tang Huai asked, “What’s got you so happy? Share it—let everyone in on the fun!”

The crazy sheep had spent all day wreaking havoc in Territory Three. Tang Huai was itching to ask just what she and the sheep had been up to, but didn’t dare—didn’t want a chewing out from his old man.

Once her cheeks stopped aching, Xia Qing’s tone turned frosty. “What do you want?”