Chapter 6
Fortunately, this scene was expected. Ji Yang’s heart only ached for a moment. Seeing them all run out, full of life and vigor, she was relieved.
It seemed that the space could indeed be used for breeding.
Ji Yang provided the little ones with food and water bowls, then cheerfully set off for her next destination—a pig farm.
She had assumed there would only be one breed of pig at the farm, but to her surprise, when she got there, there were several!
There were many breeds of black pigs alone.
Ji Yang stared at the chubby pigs in the breeding area, lamenting that her space was too small. Otherwise, she would buy four of each breed to avoid inbreeding and enrich her future meals.
Fortunately, while Ji Yang was struggling with her decision, a staff member kindly explained, “Pigs don’t actually need that much space. Basically, a three-to-four-square-meter area can raise two. But you have to do a good job of cleaning. Pigs have high intelligence; if it’s too dirty and messy, it will affect their mood, and the meat won’t taste as good.”
Ji Yang was delighted and began to calculate the space. The area for the chickens, ducks, and geese was ten square meters. They were still small now, and even when they grew up, it would be barely enough—provided they didn’t start attacking each other as the staff member had mentioned.
Of the remaining forty square meters, the pigs, cattle, and sheep could each occupy about eleven to twelve square meters. And since they were still young and small, by the time they grew up, her space might have expanded again.
If it didn’t expand for a while, the pasture grass should have grown by then, which would free up another fifty square meters for raising them.
It was actually enough.
After finishing her calculations, Ji Yang decisively said, “Then give me a pair of each kind!”
The staff member smiled. “No problem. If you have any questions about feeding, you can contact me anytime. Our farm’s dedicated veterinarian is also available.”
Ji Yang nodded to show she understood.
Then, with the air of a tycoon, she bought a year’s worth of feed for these piglets.
With that settled, she went to a cattle and sheep farm. This time, she didn’t need too many breeds. Due to the geographical location, the cattle here were yellow cattle, and she got two pairs.
They were a bit big, so they would have to be squeezed for the time being.
The sheep were just ordinary mountain goats.
They were all sheep, so Ji Yang wasn’t picky and bought two pairs.
The four young lambs could be transported directly in the van. The sheep farm was a private one, and the owner was handling it himself. Beside him, a black Kazakh Shepherd dog was anxiously pacing, occasionally biting the owner’s trouser leg to try and pull him away, while also trying to herd the sheep away to escape.
But the sheep were tethered and couldn’t move at all. Urged on by such a large dog, their legs were all trembling.
The owner scratched his head in embarrassment. “My Xiao Hei usually takes care of the sheep. He gets upset every time I sell them.”
Ji Yang’s heart stirred. She had read about this type of dog. It was a kind of herding dog that grew to be large and extremely fierce as an adult, capable of fighting wolves.
She had planned on getting a dog, mainly for security. Dogs have sensitive hearing. Living alone, if someone came to her door, a dog would surely be the first to know.
Now that she had her space, she wasn’t worried about being able to afford one.
She had just been running around everywhere before and had planned to pick out a puppy in the last two days to avoid not having time to care for it and it accidentally freezing to death in the middle of winter.
But now that she had run into one, she asked, “Does your dog have puppies? I’d like to get a dog too.”
The owner’s eyes lit up immediately. “Yes, yes, yes! I was just planning to sell them at the market during the New Year. Come and have a look, boss. There are five in total, pick any one you like.”
Ji Yang didn’t stand on ceremony and followed the owner to the dog kennel.
The shepherd dog, called Xiao Hei, was still worried about the lambs and didn’t notice them for a moment. The owner quickly pulled out a few chubby puppies from the kennel. They all had the same fur color as the mother dog, were of very good stock, exceptionally soft, and felt fantastic to the touch.
The owner enthusiastically promoted them, “This kind of dog is loyal and fierce. It’s very safe for a girl to have one. You won’t be afraid even if a bad person sneaks in; it can bite them half to death. My litter is just two months old, and Xiao Hei has already started training them. They’ll definitely be even more formidable in the future! Back then, I had to ask someone specially to get Xiao Hei…”
Ji Yang already wanted to buy one, and with the owner’s glowing description, she was even more tempted. She didn’t care if it was just a sales pitch. She checked the puppies and found them all healthy and very lively.
When she held them, their four paws kicked with great force.
So, in less than five minutes, she had chosen a relatively gentle female puppy. This was the only one that licked her hand when Ji Yang held it.
Of course, the price was also delightful: four thousand five hundred.
Ji Yang couldn’t be bothered to bargain and paid directly. As she turned her head, she noticed that the mother dog seemed to have discovered what was happening and rushed over warily. The owner intercepted her and tied her with a thick dog chain.
The owner skillfully took out a piece of dried mutton and stuffed it into the dog’s mouth to soothe it, then breathed a sigh of relief. He quickly put the remaining two lambs into the van and urged her to get in. “Drive away quickly. I won’t dare to let her off the chain for the next two days.”
Ji Yang: “…”
—
After visiting all the farms, Ji Yang passed by the warehouse on her way back and conveniently collected the feed that had already been delivered. She then quickly called other feed factories to arrange for a continuous supply of feed.
She could grow plants in her space, so she wasn’t worried about what the poultry would eat, but Ji Yang felt that if something could be settled with money, it was better to just use money.
Therefore, for the next two days, before going out every morning, Ji Yang would first feed the puppy she had named Xixi.
A two-month-old puppy could already eat meat. Ji Yang didn’t plan to feed it dog food long-term, only ordering some for emergencies. Normally, she would just cook various meats.
A little bit of pork, beef, and chicken, minced in the early stages and mixed with goat’s milk.
Later on, she could feed it meat directly.
Ji Yang hoped it would grow up to be big and fierce, able to fight alongside her. At the very least, it should be able to stand guard for her while she slept and immediately alert her if someone approached the door. Otherwise, being all alone, she would be too busy to handle everything.
After feeding the dog, Ji Yang would go to the warehouse to collect supplies. Breakfast was a quick bite in the car. Of course, this “quick bite” was also cooked food she had previously hoarded from her space—various steamed buns and soy milk, perfect for eating while driving.
For the last two days, various types of feed arrived at the warehouse one after another. She also ordered takeout to collect cooked food.
With the New Year just around the corner, fewer shops were open, but with careful searching, she could still find something to her taste. When she returned at night, she could also pick up a wave of packages at the community entrance. Her schedule was packed.
When she got home, she would be greeted by Xixi’s enthusiastic welcome.
Ji Yang suddenly felt the warmth of a home.
As expected of the good dog I chose.
The little one adapted quickly. Apart from being a bit scared on the first day and needing to be held and coaxed by Ji Yang for a while, by the second day, it had become a little tripping hazard, following her everywhere and pouncing on her in welcome when she came home.
This continued until the third day of the apocalypse countdown.
Today was New Year’s Eve. Apart from some miserable workers and bosses, everyone was joyfully preparing for the New Year with their families.
Ji Yang was also in a good mood.
The newly emerged living space was just as she had imagined. The plants grew much faster. The pasture grass she had sown had already sprouted tender leaves today.
At first glance, the tender shoots emerging from the dark soil were very inconspicuous, but from a higher angle, a rough look revealed that a vibrant green hue was already floating on the originally pure dark brown soil!
This discovery kept Ji Yang happy all day.
She hadn’t originally planned to put up couplets to create a festive atmosphere, but in keeping with the occasion, she ordered some from the supermarket. When the delivery arrived, she enthusiastically started putting them up.
She happened to run into the family across the hall, who were also busy.
Ji Yang was quite surprised. This was a relatively new residential building. Logically, many people would go back to their hometowns or to their parents’ places for the New Year. When she had gone out these past few days, she had clearly felt that there were fewer people in the community than when she first moved in.
But her neighbors across the hall hadn’t gone back. Instead, the son, daughter-in-law, and granddaughter of the elderly couple had come back.
The family of five was gathered together, lively and bustling.
Ji Yang could hear the lively sounds from across the hall when she opened the door to get her delivery.
“Hey, hey, hey, it’s crooked on the left!” a young female voice cried out anxiously. “Dad, let me do it, let me do it.”
“Couldn’t you just tell me which side is crooked?” the middle-aged man said, unwilling to give up, frowning.
The girl stomped her foot. “I did tell you, but you have to listen!”
The father and daughter bickered back and forth. Noticing that Ji Yang was also putting up couplets, they cast a few curious glances her way.
Due to her past life, Ji Yang was very sensitive to being watched and noticed it immediately. But the gaze wasn’t malicious, just curious as to why a young girl was putting up couplets all by herself during the New Year. So, she ignored it and continued to focus on her own task.
She was using a level to position it correctly before starting to paste.
“Holy crap!” the girl exclaimed, stunned by this operation.
While she was still dazed, Ji Yang had quickly pasted the couplets, all neat and tidy. Just as she was about to put away the level, the girl ran over and said hesitantly, “Hi, my name is Li Yi, I live across from you.”
Ji Yang was a bit surprised but nodded. “Hello, I’m Ji Yang.”
Li Yi was relieved when she responded. The girl had looked so cold just now that she was afraid she would be ignored. It was good that she responded. She scratched her head in embarrassment and said, “Could I borrow this level? The way you put yours up is so perfect! We still haven’t put them up in our kitchen and on our doors.”
They have to put them up in so many places?
Ji Yang didn’t understand, but she didn’t refuse. “Sure.”
It was still a time of peace. It was normal for neighbors to be friendly and borrow things. She should enjoy this final period of harmony.
Li Yi took the level and happily went back to show off. Soon, sounds of laughter came from across the hall.
Ji Yang had already gone back inside. She checked the time; it was already past four in the afternoon. The New Year’s Eve dinner she had ordered was due to be delivered after five. Even if she was eating alone, it had to be a lavish meal.
And she had ordered from more than one restaurant.
She had conveniently pre-ordered New Year’s Eve dinners for the next year, the year after, and the year after that.
As for further down the line… she couldn’t find any suitable restaurants, so she could only hope for her cooking skills to improve and make it herself.
But what arrived before the New Year’s Eve dinner was Li Yi, returning the level. She also brought a plate of dumplings and a plate of various fried New Year’s goods. “Thank you for the tool. My family made these, they’re delicious.”
Ji Yang was stunned for a moment. The corners of her lips twitched slightly, revealing a faint smile. “Thank you.”
“Hey, I should be thanking you. This thing is really useful. I should buy one too, so I don’t have to struggle with my dad for half a day when we put up couplets next year,” Li Yi said with a smile.
Ji Yang wasn’t overly polite. She accepted the gift and asked her to wait a moment. She went back, transferred the food to her own plates, and then took out a large watermelon from her space.
Out-of-season fruits were quite common now, just a bit more expensive. It was unlikely that people living here couldn’t afford them. Li Yi didn’t refuse, and the two parted on friendly terms.
Then, the New Year’s Eve dinner arrived.
Special staff from the restaurant delivered it to her door. Ji Yang joyfully took out the dishes one by one. There were vegetables, soup, fish, and meat—a very rich spread.
Just as Ji Yang was about to enjoy her meal, a call came in.
It was Ji Anfeng.
Hah.
At a time like this, he finally remembered me.
Ji Yang silently declined the call and blocked the contact information of his entire family. She had almost forgotten about that old man, letting him disturb her enjoyment of a good meal.