Chapter 19

Yang Bufan saw Jiang Qishen from far away, well‑dressed, standing at the intersection. When she got close, she pulled a food plastic bag from her backpack. The watch inside. Handed it to him.
Jiang Qishen frowned: “What’s this look?”
“Didn’t want to dirty your watch.”
Jiang Qishen took the bag. Said sarcastically: “Did you go to the moon on the way?”
“I was herding alone today. A bit slow. How long did you wait?”
“Not long. Just got here last night.”
“Hahaha, really, how long?”
“Been standing here since I was born.”
Yang Bufan laughed loudly. Finished laughing. Said: “Really inconvenient to have you come to my place today.”
Jiang Qishen paused. Tone got sharper: “What, hiding someone at home?”
“Relatives came. Mom and Dad are entertaining them.” Yang Bufan said. “Next time you can come get it directly.”
“Next time.” Jiang Qishen stared at her. Repeated those two words.
Yang Bufan nodded. Said “yeah.” Looked up at him. Met his eyes for two seconds. For some reason, suddenly looked down at his hand.
Jiang Qishen noticed her gaze. Withdrew his hand.
A slight strangeness rose in Yang Bufan.
“What relatives?” Jiang Qishen seemed deliberately changing the subject.
“Oh, my cousin uncle.”
Yang Bufan sorted it out. “He borrowed 100,000, didn’t pay back. I sued him. Got a court text yesterday. Refused pre‑litigation mediation, asked to file. He came today.”
Jiang Qishen gave her a look.
“What, can’t sue?”
Jiang Qishen thought: *Really like winking at a blind person. No默契 at all.*
Yang Bufan had drunk two cups of coffee before leaving today. Felt great. Too lazy to argue. The coffee machine was an Italian automatic from platform subsidies. Maybe because the beans were good, surprisingly delicious.
Suddenly, in her peripheral vision, she noticed a sheep chewing another sheep’s ear. Shot forward. Swung a windy slap at the sheep’s head.
“Don’t eat your colleague!”
This shout was full of energy. Startled over two hundred sheep. All turned. Stretched necks. Ears up. Eyes fixed on her.
The beaten sheep had already run off. Left one with a bleeding ear. Mouth wide. Dragged out a complaint.
Yang Bufan checked the wound. Not big. Luckily had diluted potassium permanganate solution. Could clean and disinfect first.
She used manual restraint to hold the sheep. One hand held its head. Other hand searched the bag for potassium permanganate.
Couldn’t find it after searching. Suddenly a long, strong hand appeared in her vision.
“Looking for what?” Jiang Qishen helped search the bag. Said.
“Yeah, that bottle.”
Jiang Qishen stared at this water bottle with the label torn off. Asked: “How to use it?”
“Pour on the wound. Rinse three times.”
Yang Bufan held the sheep. Jiang Qishen unscrewed the cap. Stood far away. Stretched his arm. Afraid the liquid would splash on him.
Liquid accurately poured on the sheep’s ear repeatedly. Diluted the blood. Revealed the tender red wound.
Potassium permanganate was irritating. The lamb cried in pain.
After cleaning, Jiang Qishen screwed the cap back on, put it in the bag. Before Yang Bufan let go of the sheep, had already gracefully moved far away.
The lamb ran off. Next second, heard Yang Bufan cry nervously: “Hey! Where are my sheep?!”
Jiang Qishen followed her gaze. Where were half the sheep at this intersection?!
Really bizarre. Such a big flock, right under their eyes, disappeared like a match‑three game.
Yang Bufan gripped the whip. Eyes unfocused, looked into the distance. Lips tight. Rare unease and tension.
“It’s over.” She said.
“What’s over?”
“Nothing. You go first. I need to find my sheep.”
Yang Bufan was about to run. Jiang Qishen grabbed her back.
He knew her style best. When nervous, lost all sense, acted randomly. Seeing her like this, panicked, if she searched, she’d be like a headless fly. Very inefficient.
“Get in the car.”
Jiang Qishen decided immediately. Long strides, opened the door. “There’s only one road. This much time, can’t have gone far.”
Yang Bufan quickly got in. Lao Zhang hit the gas. Drove far. On the way, met Second Uncle. Yang Bufan quickly called stop, asked.
Second Uncle said: The lead sheep led the flock toward Guangyao Pavilion.
Yang Bufan’s face went white. Collapsed into the seat. Didn’t speak.
The car drove past Guangyao Pavilion, stopped. Ahead was farmland and wasteland. Car couldn’t go in.
Yang Bufan said nothing. Got out. Charged forward like a bull. That torn‑ear lamb also caught up. Followed behind her. Eager, like going to collect a prize.
Just as enthusiastic as its owner.
Jiang Qishen sat in the car, unmoved. This afternoon he’d attended a branch meeting. Going back to Shenzhen. Tomorrow, financial services expo. Schedule packed.
Tonight, after getting home, workout, could take a bath, work a bit, then sleep early. Rest up.
He had lots of important things to do. Absolutely couldn’t waste time in this place, on Yang Bufan’s doomed farming.
The sheep—let her handle it. Even if they all got lost, died, that was just how things went.
He’d already told her. Farming risks were uncontrollable. Had to be ready for total loss. She had to digest it. Accept it.
“To Longdu branch.” Jiang Qishen said.
Lao Zhang glanced at the boss in the rearview. Silently started the car.
Scenery flew past outside. Jiang Qishen took out his phone, opened Yang Bufan’s profile. Hesitated. Typed.
Not kicking her when she was down wouldn’t prove how right his prediction was.
“I told you before. Farming isn’t as simple as you think.”
Deleted.
“Regret it now?”
Deleted.
“Found them yet, idiot.”
He gloated darkly for a while. But in the end, sent nothing.
He clicked into Yang Bufan’s Moments. Saw her holding a stinky lamb, laughing carelessly. This person really had no baggage. Boring.
A strange emotion spread.
How long would it take her to search alone?
Really something. This idiot was so single‑minded. He was right here. What couldn’t he handle for her?
Didn’t have a mouth?
What time was it? Still clinging to her ridiculous self‑respect. Not asking for help now. By the time she found the sheep, they might’ve gone through three or four generations.
Jiang Qishen pulled out sanitizing wipes. Wiped his hands. Harder and harder.
Lao Zhang glanced in the rearview again. Hesitated. Prepared. Finally spoke.
……
……When the car drove back to Guangyao Pavilion, Jiang Qishen looked at the vast farmland ahead. Lips tight. Felt dizzy.
Probably proximity made you similar. Yang Bufan had inevitably left him many bad habits. Made him make this unrealistic, meaningless decision.
So fucking ridiculous.
Him, a diamond bachelor at the top of the food chain, going into fields to find sheep. If not for Yang Bufan, he’d never have any connection to this kind of place in his lifetime.
This subtle sense of being controlled made him very uncomfortable.
Furious.
Lao Zhang saw his increasingly dark, suppressed expression. Even his breathing got quieter. Afraid he’d use it as an excuse, curse him for using up all the oxygen here.
Fine. Jiang Qishen took a few no‑rinse sanitizing wipes, stuffed them in his pocket. Treat it as charity. Help this person one more time. Just this once.
He added Lao Zhang and Yang Bufan to a group. Shared real‑time location. Yang Bufan’s urgent, short breaths came through the speaker. Didn’t need to ask. Still hadn’t found them.
Confirmed each other’s positions, and the area where the sheep were most likely, Jiang Qishen divided three routes. The three started a carpet search.
Yang Bufan ran fast. Guangdong summer sun so fierce. But her face was pale.
The area she was searching had large farmland. All planted with corn. Corn stalks were sweet, high calories. Sheep loved them. But all the farmland had been sprayed with pesticide.
Dad said a few days ago the sheep were scratching their ears, wanting to go there. Drooling.
What she feared most was the sheep running to this farmland. So she came here first.
Sheep eating others’ crops, compensation was minor. Most important: after eating, would they survive?
These sheep were the family’s life and fortune.
If the fucking sheep all died, she didn’t want to live either.
The more she thought, the angrier, the more urgent.
This whole way was mud after rain. Yellow mud stuck to feet. One step, one footprint. Luckily no sheep hoof prints. As the destination got closer, her heart relaxed a bit.
Lao Zhang’s out‑of‑breath voice came through the phone: “Xiao Yang, my area, no sheep either. There’s a lake here. Did I go too far?”
Definitely not there. Sheep weren’t smart, but wouldn’t jump in water.
Yang Bufan told him to go back the way he came. Just finished. Jiang Qishen said: “At the jujube orchard. Come here.”
“Okay.” Yang Bufan said.
The economy had been bad these two years. This jujube orchard wasn’t contracted. Abandoned. So grew tender green grass. After Dad applied to the village head, they’d been herding here lately.
So the sheep already knew the way.
Yang Bufan exhaled. Wiped her face. Legs went weak. Hurried toward Jiang Qishen’s position.
Actually she wanted to ask if any sheep were missing. But thought it was unnecessary to trouble others. Better to go count herself.
Guangyao Pavilion to the jujube orchard was far. Didn’t expect Jiang Qishen to get there in just a few minutes. He was fast.
At the jujube orchard, it was already eleven. Cicadas chirping. Blue sky, white clouds. Endless grassland stretched to the horizon. Black pearls of lambs dotted it. Fur glossy, reflective. Some lying, some standing, some grazing. Content.
Jiang Qishen, face dark, was vigorously scraping mud from his leather shoes on the grass.
He looked up. Saw Yang Bufan running toward him, face excited. Messy hair pulled straight by wind. Pale face turned red. Eyes bright. Red skirt flying. Like Ponyo running at a cliff.
Wanted to laugh.
How did this idiot get into college back then?
But his steps slowed. Thought: *Cheap verbal thanks won’t do. Don’t need material things. But what other thanks should I ask for?*
Just as he was lost in thought, Yang Bufan ran past him. Then heard a furious shout from behind: “Chen Yong! I’ll castrate your dad!”
“Today I’ll castrate you first, then call the slaughterhouse!”
Jiang Qishen’s half‑formed smile slowly faded.
Turned around. Saw Yang Bufan beating up that strong lead ram. The lead ram’s nickname was “leader.” The flock’s only leader. Also the only sheep that still had a dick.
Other sheep listened to it most. Today it led the rebellion.
Jiang Qishen thought this ram named “Chen Yong” looked familiar. This posture, back muscles, large size… The more he thought, the more déjà vu.
Chen Yong?
Jiang Qishen felt strange. More imbalance and dissatisfaction. What kind of country bumpkin name? A sheep called “Chen Yong.”
His mood suddenly cooled.
Jiang Qishen was lost in thought here. Yang Bufan had already beaten Chen Yong a hundred rounds. But she didn’t control her strength. The whip was meant to intimidate. Didn’t expect it to jump. One whip hit its back. Immediately raised a red welt.
Both person and sheep froze.
When she was little, if she got angry and beat a toy, she’d be afraid it would come back for revenge, kneel and kowtow to apologize. That was the kind of person she was.
When Jiang Qishen came to, saw Yang Bufan following Chen Yong’s butt, apologizing. “You jumped, that’s why it hit you.”
“I didn’t mean it.”
Chen Yong only left her a strong, desolate back. Then sat down, looked at the sky, howled.
……
What the fuck kind of ridiculous scene was this. Jiang Qishen cursed internally.
Yang Bufan just remembered Jiang Qishen. Put down her backpack. Said in surprise: “You haven’t left? Let me count first.”
Jiang Qishen didn’t speak. Looked at her sarcastically.
Yang Bufan divided the sheep into groups first, then counted one by one. Some naughty sheep didn’t cooperate. She had to run back and forth, scolding, driving. Exhausted. Sweating.
Jiang Qishen thought her grouping method was primitive.
Now there were automatic sheep counters. Just wear sensors, automatically identify sheep count and location. Their suppliers had this tech. Very mature. But more suitable for large farms, enclosed.
Even without such advanced tech, at least get a border collie. Border collies were better at herding than people. Much smarter.
Watching her run around excitedly, like playing, Jiang Qishen thought: *If she could make money farming, Mazu must’ve been confused.*
More than ten minutes later, Yang Bufan finally finished counting. Big and small. Not one missing.
Hot. She walked through the jujube grove. Soft grass underfoot. Damp, sweet earth smell.
She turned toward the stream. Cupped stream water, washed her face. Instantly felt refreshing cool. Heat all gone.
Back to the original spot, she pulled a big red water bottle from her bag. Gulped.
Just now, sweating like rain. Clothes smelled. She pulled out perfume. Sprayed on her philtrum. Right. Now she was so poor she only sprayed perfume on her philtrum.
Couldn’t smell it herself. Fine.
Jiang Qishen shook his head.
Yang Bufan said: “I’ve wanted to buy a border collie. Wouldn’t be so tired. But looked at a few, none suitable. When I find a suitable one, I’ll buy it.”
“There won’t be any suitable ones.”
“Is that so? Any recommendations? Under 100,000, around 300 yuan is fine haha.”
Jiang Qishen was about to respond. Yang Bufan had a premonition. Immediately cut him off: “Okay okay, you don’t need to say it, shut up!”
She put down the perfume. Jiang Qishen glanced. His home still had a bottle of this perfume’s couple version.
Yang Bufan pulled a roll of white checkered cloth from her bag. Spread it under the shade. Sat down. Then waved to Jiang Qishen: “Want to come rest?”