Chapter 637: Recovery, Detours, and the Wolf’s Second Chance

Zhang San reviewed the test reports carefully, then turned to the person and the wolf across from him. “Neither of you need to take any more medication for your stomachs. Just stick with a gentle diet for now.”

Xia Qing beamed. “Thank you, Third Brother. Your medicine really works wonders. Er Gou’s stomach was in terrible shape, but you managed to fix it.”

Zhang San snorted. “Yours wasn’t much better than his.”

Xia Qing quickly corrected herself. “My stomach’s been messed up for ten years since the disaster, but after taking your prescription for just a month, it’s almost as good as new! You really work miracles!”

Zhang San just stared at her in silence.

“Isn’t he heavy to hold?” He muttered, clearly irritated by all her chatter.

Still cradling Er Gou, Xia Qing shook her head. “Not at all. He’s shedding so much that if I set him down, you’d have to clean up hair everywhere. By the way, can he eat raw meat again?”

“He can, but don’t give him too much at once. Increase it gradually. If he vomits or has diarrhea, treat him right away.” Ignoring the groggy, sedated wolf in her arms, Zhang San changed the subject. “How many Yi Stones did you use for that batch of red Scourge Grass in the high-risk area at Hill Fifty?”

Xia Qing answered without missing a beat. “Three walnut-sized pieces and one about the size of a pigeon egg. All mid-grade Yi Stones.”

Zhang San didn’t ask where she got the stones. He just pulled four Yi Stones from the drawer and pushed them across the table. “Use them sparingly. The cost comes out of the Hill Fifty soil remediation budget.”

The finances stayed in Zhang San’s hands, but Xia Qing kept the accounts.

“Got it.” Xia Qing put away the stones with a satisfied smile and asked, “Third Brother, when should we remove the Yi Stones?”

Zhang San answered patiently, “This red Scourge Grass is a new, evolved variety. Its roots absorb toxins from the soil, then use a series of chemical reactions to release those toxins into the air through its flowers. That means it’s perfect for purifying contaminated soil and really speeds up cleanup. For the next three days…”

After making plans for the hazardous area, Zhang San asked, “How’s the rice coming along in the valley?”

Xia Qing pulled out her phone and showed him some photos. “Take a look. It’s thriving.”

Zhang San zoomed in and inspected the images, then nodded in approval. “Looks just as good as the rice in my greenhouse. Seems like the valley’s got decent insulation and ventilation after all.”

Xia Qing added, “It’s because you let us study at Territory Seven that things turned out so well. See this healthy patch of seedlings? That’s the J-2 I got from you. Third Brother, how’d you manage to cultivate rice this good?”

Zhang San, much more interested in real questions than empty flattery, launched into a thorough explanation of his breeding techniques.

Xia Qing jotted down notes earnestly. Just as she was getting ready to leave, Zhang San suddenly asked, “Do you think there’s any way to resolve the conflict between the Western Wolf Pack and the Western Territory?”

Xia Qing shook her head. “I can’t see a solution. I’ve only met the Western Wolf Pack twice, but they’re aggressive and violent—and they really hate humans. Their alpha is a huge silver-gray evolved wolf, almost certainly a Brain Evolution type. Plus, they’ve joined forces with a few solitary leopards. Wolves plus leopards—hard to fight. From what I know of wolf packs, they already showed restraint by just tearing up the greenhouses but not killing anyone inside.”

It reminded her of when humans took over the valley in Section Three of Hill Forty-Nine, capturing the wild boars raised by the wolves and building a breeding center. The Northern Wolf Pack made their point by hunting down all the boars at the breeding center. Only then did the humans withdraw from the valley and the dispute was over.

Zhang San leaned back in his chair. “The Base Director called and wants me to make some wolf-repellent pesticide to protect the Western Territory. They want to grow High-Evolution Spinach there this year and don’t want to lose tens of thousands of acres.”

There are fifty plots out west, averaging two thousand acres each. That’s a lot of land to give up.

Always cautious, Xia Qing warned of the risks. “Third Brother, don’t underestimate how vengeful the wolf pack can be. The pesticide might make things worse and next time there’s Devastation Rain, they might destroy more than just greenhouses.”

Zhang San nodded and gave Xia Qing a reminder. “Don’t use or take any medication for now. Wait three months before the next round. What are your plans for the next couple of months?”

“I’ll get the grains and vegetables planted, raise some chickens and fish, and help Er Gou get used to eating raw meat again.” She stroked the sick wolf’s head gently. “Third Brother, how much longer do you think Er Gou has left?”

Zhang San yawned. “He’s only seven. If you put him back in the wild, it’s up to fate how long he’ll last. But if you keep him, he could easily live another fifteen years.”

“Really?” Xia Qing was stunned. “Only seven?”

She’d thought the wolf was over ten years old. “So Er Gou is still in his prime, then?”

“Barely. Just like humans, after the Great Evolution on Blue Star, wolves gained longer natural lifespans—but brutal living conditions mean they rarely reach old age.” With that, Zhang San waved Xia Qing off so he could get to his meal.

Before leaving, Xia Qing traded for a batch of soil fungicide and gave him a basket of eggs, carefully reminding him, “If your cow has twins this spring…”

“It’s only expecting one.”

Xia Qing sighed. Oh well.

Carrying Er Gou back to her territory, Xia Qing set him on a straw mat under the eaves to soak up the sun while she quickly cleared a patch of land, sprayed insecticide and fungicide, set up an insect net, and put her bedding out in the sunlight.

The sedative dose Er Gou got was light—within half an hour, he was shakily on his feet, squeezed through the screen door, and came inside.

Cooking in the kitchen, Xia Qing greeted him with a grin. “Er Gou, Third Brother says your stomach’s all better, so you can slowly start eating raw meat. But for today, let’s have an egg.”

She cracked an egg into his food bowl. “Give it a try. See if you like it.”

Er Gou wolfed down the raw egg, then looked up at Xia Qing with hopeful eyes. He clearly loved it.

No matter how much he liked them, though, even the egg-loving Er Gou never tried to steal them when collecting eggs around the yard.

Xia Qing reached out and stroked his forehead. “If you don’t get sick today, you can have some raw meat tomorrow. Feel like eating frog?”

Er Gou grinned wide, tail wagging with excitement.

“Alright, I’ll go dig one up for you tomorrow.”

After scrubbing the dog hair from her hands and disinfecting, Xia Qing went back to making lunch. In the afternoon, she would need to clear out the new greenhouse’s Scourge Grass, prep the soil, and get ready for planting.

By midday the next day, Er Gou hadn’t had any stomach problems from the raw egg, so Xia Qing fed him half a wild frog.

That half a frog was a gift from the Balding Weasel. Xia Qing ran a test and discovered it was actually a Green Lantern.

That balding one really is a very refined Yellow Weasel.