Chapter 161: Zhou Qinglang Wants to See Lin Xiaodou

Looking at the breathtaking scenery before her, Lin Xiaodou took a deep breath.

Instantly, a faint scent of fresh grass and damp earth washed over her.

All her initial fatigue was swept away, leaving behind only overflowing joy and a deep sense of wonder at the vast grassland.

Lin Xiaodou suddenly felt that she had made the right choice in coming here.

She set down her luggage and ran off after the two fellows ahead of her.

Watching the three young lasses bounding across the lush green grass, Old Man Wang’s eyes crinkled into a smile.

Youth was truly wonderful; even when utterly exhausted, they still possessed such boundless energy.

The Great Prairie Pasture had arranged for a Mongolian man to pick them up and guide them.

The Mongolian man was named Batu, a powerfully built fellow standing nearly two meters tall.

He had a bronze complexion, broad shoulders, a thick back, and knotted muscles, exuding an uninhibited, rugged aura from head to toe.

Upon seeing him, Liu Yan'er could not help swallowing nervously.

She muttered in a low voice, "Goodness, this Mongolian man is built like a little mountain."

Perhaps hearing her voice, Batu suddenly looked over in her direction.

Liu Yan'er hurriedly hid behind Zhu Damei.

Thus, his gaze fell upon Zhu Damei, stopping abruptly for a second.

Zhu Damei glared at him and bellowed in a loud, booming voice, "What are you staring at!"

Zhu Damei’s mother was from the Northeast, and having grown up surrounded by it, she had picked up quite a bit of the Northeastern dialect.

Batu didn't understand what she meant at first.

Once it registered, he flashed an eight-toothed, goofy grin and said:

"I just thought... you look rather pretty."

Zhu Damei stumbled on her feet: ......

Was something wrong with this guy's eyes?

Ever since she was little, people had teased her for having coarse features that lacked femininity; no one had ever told her she looked pretty.

Batu picked up Old Man Wang's luggage, hurried over to Zhu Damei's side, and asked:

"Comrade Zhu Damei, let me help you with your luggage."

Zhu Damei rolled her eyes: "Do I look like someone who can't carry her own luggage?"

This fellow definitely looked down on her!

Saying she looked pretty just now must have been a deliberate taunt!

Batu wasn't annoyed at all by her fierce scolding.

Instead, he scratched the back of his head sheepishly and said:

"I just wanted to help you, that's all."

Zhu Damei turned her head away: "I don't need any man's help!"

Lin Xiaodou and Liu Yan'er exchanged glances, both of their eyes flashing with gossipy amusement.

They hadn't expected Zhu Damei to have a blossoming romance on the very first day they arrived at the great prairie.

It was a pity this lass was completely oblivious to it.

The group boarded a tractor driven by Batu and bumped along for over an hour before finally reaching their destination.

At the main gate of the pasture base.

The pasture director and several veterinary consultants had been waiting there for quite some time.

Seeing them arrive, the group immediately came forward warmly:

"Welcome, everyone, to the Great Prairie Pasture. Thank you for coming to support us, it is our utmost honor!"

After a round of polite pleasantries.

The pasture director personally escorted them to the veterinary station dormitories.

"You've all been traveling and enduring hardships for so many days. Rest for today, and we can discuss the issues tomorrow."

Old Man Wang originally wanted to say no, as he wanted to examine the problematic herd of cattle, sheep, and horses right away.

Before the words could leave his mouth, however, Lin Xiaodou pressed him down:

"Old Man Wang, your body needs rest. There's no rush for just today."

Old Man Wang had always been stubborn; once he got working, he could go days and nights without closing his eyes.

Even an iron body couldn't withstand that kind of abuse, let alone Old Man Wang's extremely frail health.

Hearing Lin Xiaodou speak up, Old Man Wang could only nod: "Fine, then."

Most of the housing at the Great Prairie Pasture consisted of yurts.

The veterinary station dormitories were divided into two yurts—one for women and one for men.

Each yurt had to accommodate twenty to thirty people, housing even more people than the communal platform beds at the Guizhou pig farm.

Lin Xiaodou was very unaccustomed to such a setting, but figured she would just make do for a few days.

When the time was right, she would see if she could spend some money to arrange a separate yurt for themselves.

Perhaps the train ride over those past few days had been too exhausting; after eating lunch, Lin Xiaodou and the others went straight to sleep.

They slept soundly for a good ten-plus hours, waking up feeling thoroughly refreshed.

Lin Xiaodou and the others washed up, and just as they stepped out of the yurt, they ran into Old Man Wang, who was coming to look for them.

Old Man Wang was all hustle and bustle: "Let's go, let's go. I heard another batch of cattle and horses died early this morning. We need to hurry over to the veterinary station and find out what's going on."

Aside from Zhu Damei, who had to report to the slaughterhouse, Lin Xiaodou and the others hurried over to the veterinary station.

After inquiring, they learned that over the past month, thousands of cattle, horses, and sheep on the great prairie had died without warning.

The veterinarians at the prairie veterinary station were completely helpless. They had asked for outside aid, but after those attempts failed, they had no choice but to report the matter to the central authorities.

Old Man Wang’s reputation for medical skill was quite famous in Guizhou.

As soon as the Guizhou leadership learned of the matter, they immediately arranged for Old Man Wang to be sent over.

Old Man Wang's reputation as a miraculous physician was indeed well-deserved.

Simply by listening to the pasture director recount the events, he already had a general direction in mind.

"Quickly, take me to see those sick herds of cattle and sheep. I need to verify something!"

Soon, the director led the group to an isolated area enclosed by fences.

Due to the massive number of sick livestock and the fear that the disease would spread to other healthy animals,

the veterinary station had previously taken measures to quarantine all the infected livestock.

Seeing this, Old Man Wang could not help nodding in praise: "You did a good job with this."

Walking inside, they saw many sick cattle, horses, and sheep lying all over the ground in disorder.

Their breathing was rapid, white foam drooled from their mouths, and their abdomens were distended—a truly distressing sight.

Old Man Wang looked around, his brow furrowing deeply.

Then he put on a surgical gown and performed an autopsy on a horse that had died not long ago within the enclosed environment.

Finally, he identified the cause of the animals' illness.

It was animal anthrax! A highly contagious animal disease.

Old Man Wang had once read about it in a medical book.

Such outbreaks were generally caused by contaminated animal carcasses, water sources, or feed, which allowed the infection to spread.

Not only were herbivores extremely susceptible to infection, but humans were too!

Old Man Wang hurriedly asked the director if anyone had been feeling unwell recently.

The director replied that indeed, a few staff members had developed blisters on their arms and thighs.

Fearing trouble, he had already arranged for those individuals to be treated at a nearby hospital, and so far no major problems had arisen.

Hearing this, Old Man Wang breathed a sigh of relief and then shared his conclusions with everyone.

Upon hearing what he had to say, everyone present was terrified.

They were not only astonished by Old Man Wang's speed in diagnosing the issue, but also terrified that the infectious disease could cause human fatalities.

Old Man Wang reassured them: "Now that the cause has been found, there's no need to worry. We need to take the following steps..."

Soon, under Old Man Wang's direction, everyone began carrying out rescue and treatment work in an orderly manner.

In less than half a month, all the afflicted cattle, sheep, and horses were completely cured.

The pasture director was overjoyed and immediately applied to his superiors to have Old Man Wang stay and work at the pasture permanently.

The Great Prairie Pasture boasted a huge number of livestock—over a hundred thousand head—making it the largest meat-breeding base in the country, so the superiors attached great importance to it.

Upon hearing the director's request, headquarters agreed without the slightest hesitation.

Thus, Old Man Wang was successfully intercepted and recruited by the Great Prairie Pasture, along with Lin Xiaodou and Liu Yan'er.

When Director Hu, far away in Guizhou, learned of this, his mind went completely blank.

It was one thing to steal Old Man Wang away, but why kidnap the talented Lin lass as well?

Alas, he was left with no words, tears streaming in his heart!

......

To thank Old Man Wang and the others for their help over the past few days, and to welcome them to the team,

the pasture director decided to host a bonfire party in three days to celebrate.

A great many people were invited to this bonfire party.

It included not only the pasture employees, but also nearby prairie nomads and friends from the research institute.

Because the research institute was located deep within the great prairie and wasn't far from the pasture,

their food procurement—especially regarding meat—was sometimes purchased directly from the pasture.

Consequently, the directors of the pasture and the research institute enjoyed a good relationship, so they extended an invitation as well.

Lin Xiaodou had originally planned to use her free time to find a chance to visit her old friend Zhou Qinglang.

Now that she learned someone from the research institute might come to the bonfire party, she restrained herself.

Perhaps Zhou Qinglang would come, and they could meet up right then and there.

......

Meanwhile, at the research institute.

Xiao Kaile rushed excitedly into Zhou Qinglang's room and announced:

"Boss, there's a bonfire party at the pasture in a couple of days. Leadership has arranged for a few of us brothers to go unwind. Are you going?"

Zhou Qinglang was reading a book and didn't even raise his eyebrows: "I'm not going, I have other things to do."

Xiao Kaile urged: "Go on! You won't regret it if you go. I heard there are lots of pretty girls there."

Zhou Qinglang put down his book, smiled, and shook his head:

"You go. Find me a sister-in-law early on so I don't have to listen to you nagging every day."

"No way!" Xiao Kaile nearly jumped up: "I don't want to get married, I still want to live carefree for a few more years!"

Thank goodness he chose an isolated profession like researching.

Even if his family urged him to marry, it was hard for them to track him down.

Zhou Qinglang smiled: "Then why do you always nag in my ear about pretty girls? My ears are growing calluses."

"I'm just all talk, you know me." Xiao Kaile chuckled, then asked again: "You're really not going?"

Zhou Qinglang: "Not going. I don't like joining in that kind of hustle and bustle."

Xiao Kaile blinked his eyes, revealing a crafty smile:

"Even if... an old friend of yours is there, you still won't go?"

Zhou Qinglang paused slightly: "An old friend?"

Xiao Kaile winked and nudged him: "Yep, an old friend."

"Not interested." Zhou Qinglang lowered his head and went back to reading his book.

Xiao Kaile stamped his foot: "Oh, Boss, aren't you even a little bit curious!"

The corners of Zhou Qinglang's lips curled upward: "Not curious."

Xiao Kaile scratched his head in exasperation.

He was the type who couldn't keep a secret, so in the end, he simply confessed:

"You should know about how a lot of livestock had problems over at the pasture recently. I told you about it before..."

Xiao Kaile roughly recounted the events of the past few days and continued:

"I heard the pasture director is holding a grand bonfire party specially to celebrate those veterinarians staying."

He had learned of this from a few aunties who came to buy food.

Aside from work, his favorite pastime was eavesdropping on gossip and fun tidbits everywhere, which made him exceptionally close to those aunties.

Zhou Qinglang: "And so what? What does that have to do with me?"

Xiao Kaile chuckled: "I heard that group of veterinarians was invited from a pig farm in Guizhou, and the leader's surname is Wang—an old man.

What a coincidence, the veterinary station where that Lin Xiaodou person is from is in Guizhou, and the head of the veterinary station is surnamed Wang. Don't you think it could be them?"

Lin Xiaodou had mentioned these things in a letter before, and Xiao Kaile just happened to catch a glimpse of it.

Zhou Qinglang raised an eyebrow: "Probably not. Comrade Lin didn't mention this matter to me."

Xiao Kaile argued: "How do you know it's impossible? I heard they were veterinary reinforcements invited temporarily, and these kinds of things are emergencies."

The book in Zhou Qinglang's hand didn't turn a page, and Xiao Kaile knew he had listened:

"Why don't you go take a look? If it turns out not to be them, we can just come back early~"

"Alright." Zhou Qinglang's gentle voice sounded, "Let's go then."

......

As night fell, the vast prairie was blanketed by a brilliant array of starlight.

In an open patch of grass, a roaring bonfire lit up the entire prairie, and a grand bonfire party was underway.

Many people dressed in Mongolian attire gathered around the bonfire.

They laughed merrily, conversing with great enthusiasm, their faces radiant with happiness and joy.

By the fire, the aroma of roasted meat filled the air, making people's mouths water.

In a corner, Zhou Qinglang and Xiao Kaile had arrived quite early.

Xiao Kaile stretched his neck to look around: "It seems they haven't arrived yet. These must all be pasture employees and local nomads."

"No rush." Zhou Qinglang expertly turned the roasting meat, acting as if he didn't care at all.

The tender, juicy chunks of meat sizzled over the fire, their golden-brown crusts emitting an enticing aroma.

Xiao Kaile couldn't help swallowing: "Boss, your roasting skills are truly top-notch. I can't wait to eat."

Zhou Qinglang: "If you want to eat, roast your own. I have a use for these."

If it truly was that lass Lin Xiaodou, this roasted meat naturally had to be for her.

He had freeloaded off her cooking for a full month previously, so it was about time he let her taste his culinary skills.

At this thought, a gentle smile touched the corners of Zhou Qinglang's mouth.

Xiao Kaile curled his lips.

Hmph, what a fellow who prioritized romance over friendship!

......

Because the location of the bonfire party was rather far from the veterinary station.

Lin Xiaodou and the others were brought over by Batu on an ox cart.

Batu drove the ox cart to the vicinity of the bonfire, parked it, reached out his hand, and said:

"Old Man Wang, let me help you down first!"

Old Man Wang nodded and descended from the ox cart with the aid of his arm.

After settling Old Man Wang, Batu looked longingly at Zhu Damei on the ox cart.

Zhu Damei instantly blushed as red as a monkey's backside.

Batu had been showing favor to her constantly over the past few days, and even with her dense nature, she knew this man had feelings for her.

Being pursued for the very first time, the usually bold and carefree Zhu Damei grew shy.

Not knowing what else to do, she could only try her best to avoid Batu and stay out of his sight.

On the way to the bonfire party, Lin Xiaodou and Liu Yan'er had already comforted her, telling her to let things take their natural course.

Seeing Batu look over at her again right now, Zhu Damei flushed with shyness.

......

From quite a distance away, Xiao Kaile spotted the figures on the ox cart.

He hurriedly said: "They're here, they're here! Look!"

Zhou Qinglang's eyes lit up as he raised his head to look...