After the snow leopard family emerged from the tent, little boss followed suit, bringing along several wolf pups.
Inside the tent, aside from Song Wei, none of the others were human.
Seeing that the weather was clear and it likely wouldn’t rain, they took out the beef jerky from the previous day and laid it out to dry again.
After breakfast, they herded the sheep toward the foot of the mountain.
Little boss trotted along eagerly with the five wolf pups in tow.
Along the way, they discovered mushrooms sprouting from the grass after the rain.
There were few edible varieties of mushrooms in this area, and even Feng Tingxuan couldn’t identify many of them, so they only picked the ones they recognized.
Morels, button mushrooms, grassland mushrooms, and a type of white mushroom.
The rain had brought forth quite a number of mushrooms.
Little boss and the wolf pups curiously pawed at the basket, sniffing it over and over.
Finally, little boss ran off. A few minutes later, it returned, wagging its tail and barking, running back and forth.
It was clearly trying to get them to follow.
As it turned out, little boss had found a large patch of edible mushrooms.
Unfortunately, the five little helpers ended up causing more harm than good.
By the time little boss led them back, the mushrooms had already been destroyed by the five pups, chewed into bits.
They even looked up with innocent expressions, as if nothing had happened.
Song Wei: Clenches fists angrily!
She tapped each of the five wolf pups on the head and poked their foreheads. “Can you guys behave and stop causing trouble?!”
Little boss was also furious, barking and chasing after the five pups, nipping at their tails.
For a moment, the air was filled with the immature barks of the dog and the yelps of the wolf pups—it was all a bit too noisy.
Song Wei turned and walked away without looking back.
Little boss trotted along eagerly behind her.
The five wolf pups whined and whimpered as they followed.
The sheep moved slowly, and by the time they reached the foot of the mountain, their basket was already filled with mushrooms.
“Let’s go, we’re looking for cordyceps now.”
Song Wei whistled, and Dahei came trotting over.
“Dahei, keep an eye on the sheep for us, will you? If you can lead a herd of horses, I’m sure managing the horses, cattle, and sheep here won’t be a problem for you.”
The black horse snorted, seemingly uninterested in responding.
Song Wei: “I’ll give you some fruit jam when we get back.”
At the mention of fruit jam, Dahei’s ears twitched.
“And I’ll bake you some bread.”
The shrewd black horse expressed its agreement through action, trotting into the herd on all fours.
Now Feng Tingxuan felt relieved.
It had to be said that Dahei truly lived up to its reputation as the leader of the horse herd. Its herding skills were exceptional—when it ran ahead, the herd followed, and even the lead sheep was no match for it.
The three of them, along with little boss and the five wolf pups, made their way up the mountain.
It didn’t take long for Song Wei to spot what she was looking for.
“Uncle, is this it?”
The exposed tips of the cordyceps were tiny and inconspicuous among the shallow grass—those with poor eyesight would easily miss them.
Feng Tingxuan came over to take a look and dug it out with a small hoe.
A worm-shaped object with a grass-like sprout emerged in Feng Tingxuan’s hand.
“This is it. This cordyceps is quite large. You’ve got sharp eyes, niece, to find it so quickly.”
Song Wei giggled proudly.
Cordyceps were quite valuable, but given the current social conditions, fewer people came to search for them.
Even if they found some, they had to find ways to sell them discreetly to avoid drawing attention.
Song Wei had no plans to sell them here. She had already discussed it with Lin Zhen—they would take the cordyceps to other places to sell.
Cordyceps were small, and it took several strands to make even a small handful.
Song Wei and Lin Zhen both had keen eyes, but after half an hour, they had only managed to gather five small handfuls.
Little boss followed them for a while, and Feng Tingxuan amusingly picked up a strand of cordyceps and handed it to him.
“Little boss, go search for this.”
He was just teasing the little guy, but to his surprise, little boss sniffed it, wagged his tail, stuck out his tongue, and ran off.
Song Wei’s somewhat irritated voice reached Feng Tingxuan and Lin Zhen’s ears: “I said, could you guys please stay away from me!”
The two men looked over and saw Song Wei reach under her belly, pulling out a fluffy little ball with all four legs flailing.
Four other pups were right beside her.
They had been searching for cordyceps by lying flat on the ground, which was easier on their backs and allowed for a more thorough search.
The five wolf pups loved following Song Wei around, almost as if they had adopted her as their mother.
“Go away, go away. Don’t get in the way of me making money.”
Feng Tingxuan and Lin Zhen couldn’t help but laugh at the scene.
“Woof, woof~”
Little boss’s bark caught their attention. Feng Tingxuan looked over and saw the little guy lying in one spot, his round, watery eyes fixed on him as if calling him over.
Feng Tingxuan indeed went over and discovered a cordyceps.
He was pleasantly surprised. “Little boss, did you find this?”
“Woof~”
The little one was not only adorable but also so clever and well-behaved—how could anyone not love him?
Feng Tingxuan patted little boss’s head, thinking it might have been a coincidence.
But when little boss barked again and he found another cordyceps, Feng Tingxuan was stunned.
“Wait, you can actually find these?”
The evidence suggested he really could.
By the third discovery, Feng Tingxuan was completely convinced that the little guy could help them find cordyceps.
Overjoyed, he picked up little boss and kissed its head.
“Hahaha… Little boss, how are you so smart?”
Feeling its owner’s joy, little boss wagged its tail happily.
Feng Tingxuan called out to Song Wei and Lin Zhen.
“Come quick, look! Little boss can find cordyceps. He’s amazing!”
Feng Tingxuan was genuinely excited.
Such a clever dog would accompany him in herding in the future.
This little one was his companion here.
Holding little boss, the gloom that had been weighing on Feng Tingxuan’s heart began to lift.
His life ahead was not just darkness—it held infinite hope.
The three of them, along with the little dog (excluding the five troublemaking wolf pups), continued searching for cordyceps until the afternoon.
They only took a break to eat the pre-made flatbreads they had brought.
In total, they gathered about fifty jin (approximately 25 kilograms) of cordyceps.
These things were incredibly hard to find.
As they descended the mountain, their eyes were filled with smiles.
The herd was still in good condition—Dahei had led them well, and not a single sheep had gone missing.
Back at the campsite, they busied themselves preparing dinner.
The sunset dyed half the sky red. Dahei happily nibbled on a wheat cake spread with fruit jam, while the three of them sat on a small hillside, watching the herd under the setting sun. Their hearts were more relaxed than ever.
“Thank you,” Feng Tingxuan said, holding little boss and smiling—a smile free of shadows.
The tension that had long been etched on his brow finally eased.
“This is the best gift I’ve ever received.”
To him, little boss meant more than any expensive gift ever could.
Song Wei patted little boss’s head. “I’m glad you like him, Uncle. And you won’t be staying here forever. There will be a day when you return.”
Feng Tingxuan gazed at the distant landscape. “Alright, then I’ll wait for that day.”
Song Wei thought to herself, It won’t be long now.
After dinner, Song Wei looked around but couldn’t find the snow leopard or its cubs.
“They’re gone,” she said with a shrug.
Thinking she might be sad, Feng Tingxuan comforted her, “Snow leopards are wild animals. They can’t be tamed.”
“I know,” Song Wei replied without any trace of sadness.
“Good thing I took plenty of photos, hehe.”
She would develop the pictures as soon as she returned.
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