Chapter 1087: Little Cow

Xia Shiyi gently tugged Tan Qi's hand and asked softly, "Sister Qiqi, aren't dairy cows black-and-white spotted?"

Tan Qi stared at the large yellow-furred animal being pulled down the slanted wooden board, equally baffled. "This might be an evolved breed."

Makes sense! Xia Shiyi kept observing. "Even though it's an evolved breed, its teeth are flat and its hooves don't have sharp claws, so its attack power isn't high."

Tan Qi grew more cautious. "Look how strong it is—getting kicked or headbutted by it would still be dangerous."

With his sharp hearing, Tang Huai glanced at the cow, then at the two little ones hiding far away—children born after the Catastrophe—and felt a pang in his heart. Today's kids really are so different from the ones before the Catastrophe. "Dairy cow just means a cow with high milk yield. There are black-and-white spotted ones, yellow-and-white spotted ones, brown ones, red ones, and so on. This little dairy cow is a new small breed cultivated by Lan City Base—strong adaptability and disease resistance, and a gentle temperament."

A gentle temperament was very important, and the smaller size made it safer—Tan Qi was tempted again.

"Qiang element content 4.3‰, green-light quality." After confirming the cow's quality on-site, Xia Qing paid 100,000 points to purchase the dairy cow.

Seeing a cow sold for so much, the lords—including Tan Qi—saw the light in their eyes dim once more.

Too expensive—they couldn't afford it. Besides, even if they scraped together 100,000 points, they didn't have Xia Qing's boldness. Because raising livestock is riskier than growing crops. If this little cow died or its quality dropped due to fright, illness, attacks by carnivorous animals, or failing to adapt to the new environment, those 100,000 points would be down the drain.

Buying a 100,000-point cow to raise on their own territory—the lords would definitely not be able to sleep at night without standing guard over it.

Kuang Qingwei laughed to warm up the atmosphere. "Brother Huai, can we take a look at your sheep?"

Tang Huai was very generous. "Of course! Anyone who wants to see them, hop on the truck—let's go to my territory!"

"You got it!" Having come this far, everyone naturally followed along to take a look.

Xia Shiyi didn't want to crowd onto the same truck with so many people; she wanted to stay at Territory Three to look at the cow. But Tan Qi wanted to go see the sheep, so she obediently climbed onto Tang Huai's truck too, standing close to the door.

After watching her allies walk off into the distance, Xia Qing led the little cow back toward her own territory. But one tug didn't budge it, and a second tug made it pull back.

Xia Qing silently stared at the little cow—about the same size as Sheep Lao Da—for a few seconds, confirmed it wasn't a brain-domain evolver, then coaxed it gently. "Come on, let's go back to the territory."

The little yellow cow not only pulled back but also shook its head, trying to break free of the rope and escape.

Xia Qing simply picked it up and carried it into the territory.

"Moo—" With all four hooves off the ground, the little cow struggled in fear and let out a frightened cry.

"Don't be scared, I won't drop you. Once we're down the slope, I'll let you walk on your own." Carrying the little cow—about the same weight as Sheep Lao Da—down the bumpy slope, Xia Qing walked steadily and surely.

"Moo—" The little cow was scared and kept calling out.

Sheep Lao Da, eating grass in the forage shed, and Wolf Lao Er, dissecting a rabbit by the fish pond to feed the fish, both heard the commotion and hurried over to check.

"Moo!!!" Catching the blood-soaked scent of the wolf, the little dairy cow grew even more frightened and kicked Xia Qing several times while struggling.

Sheep Lao Da saw its little brother getting hurt and charged forward with heavy thuds. Xia Qing immediately called out, "Lao Da, I'm fine! Lao Er, quick, hold Sheep Lao Da back!"

The cow she'd bought for 100,000 points hadn't even touched the ground yet and had already taken a headbutt—she might have to slaughter it by nightfall.

Wolf Lao Er leaped and landed right in front of Sheep Lao Da, soothing it in just a few moves.

Only then did Xia Qing set the struggling little cow down, let it hide behind a tree, and nimbly tied the rope to the trunk.

After the little cow hid, Xia Qing called Sheep Lao Da over. "Lao Da! Come quick and look—I got you a little brother, one that eats grass and chews its cud just like you!"

Sheep Lao Da walked over in a huff, squinting at the unfamiliar animal hiding behind the tree.

Xia Qing made a grand introduction. "Lao Da, Lao Er, this is the new member of our territory—it's the little cow."

Wolf Lao Er grinned, smiling happily.

Lao Da squinted, thoroughly displeased.

Xia Qing asked cheerfully, "Lao Da, are you hungry? Want some corn leaves?"

Sheep Lao Da's eyes lit up at once. "Baa~~"

"Good, I'll strip some corn leaves for Lao Da, and Lao Da stays here to guard your little brother—don't let it run off."

"Baa~~" As long as there's delicious food, Sheep Lao Da is very easy to deal with.

"Lao Da, you're really so dependable—truly worthy of being the lead sheep of our territory, the pride of our territory! Blue Star is more beautiful because of you!"

Confirming that Lao Da no longer showed any intention of attacking the little cow, Xia Qing took Wolf Lao Er to Shed 8 to strip corn leaves, soothing it gently. "Lao Er, cows are herbivores and timid. It's normal for it to be afraid of you, because Lao Er is a meat-eating animal."

Not every herbivore is as eccentric as Sheep Lao Da.

Seeing Wolf Lao Er grinning happily, Xia Qing reminded it not to bite the cow, then began arranging its lunch. "I'll roll out noodles for lunch today—Wolf Lao Er eats spinach noodle soup with freeze-dried food, okay?"

Wolf Lao Er, who loved noodles, immediately grinned even wider. Xia Qing patted its head. "Lao Er, go feed the fish, and don't scare our family's cow."

While Xia Qing was stripping corn leaves, she received a call from Yue Haiying. "The Qiang element content in Yan Meng's body has reached 31‰. His brain has already been eroded by Qiang elements. Even if we give him the Qiang-Suppressant—the most effective recovery agent available—it won't hold on much longer."

Just based on Yan Meng's contributions to the base, it wouldn't be his turn to use such a precious agent as the Qiang-Suppressant.

Under the law, a person whose brain has been eroded by Qiang elements is already classified as a person with limited civil capacity—in other words, Yan Meng can no longer change the will he had previously made.

After he dies, Territory Fourteen will become an unclaimed territory.

Xia Qing replied, "Brother Yue, let's take Territory Fourteen and double the scale of Center Nine. The management style and personnel standards stay the same. You and Yan Yue will have to work hard—prepare a feasibility assessment for incorporating Territory Fourteen into Center Nine by 4 p. m. tomorrow. We'll hold a coordination meeting at 4 p. m. tomorrow."

Yesterday, Hui Three Base held a post-disaster work summary meeting. When Base Commander Qi Zhongye spoke, he mentioned the disaster relief work in Northern District One and affirmed the positive role Center Nine had played in this disaster relief effort. After the meeting, the Agriculture Department sent a notice to Center Nine, requesting Xia Qing return to the Safe Zone to attend an Agriculture Department meeting the day after tomorrow and share the experience of disaster relief in the Northern District One territories at the meeting.

Base Commander Qi Zhongye will also attend this meeting. At the meeting,

Xia Qing must seize this opportunity to propose expanding Center Nine's planting scale. What prerequisite is needed to expand planting scale? Land, of course!

Too many people had their eyes on Northern District One—securing this territory was extremely difficult. But since Xia Qing had spoken up, it meant she was confident. Yue Haiying was thrilled and full of drive. "Director, rest assured—mission guaranteed."

For this to succeed, she still needed a big shot to give it a push.

Which big shot?

In Hui Three, besides Zhang San, who else would dare call themselves a big shot? One word from her idol works better than having Yan Yue write a dozen pages of drafts.

When Xia Qing walked out of the shed carrying a bundle of corn leaves, she cheerfully called her idol. "Brother San, busy today? Want to come to my territory tonight and have a meal with everyone?"