Chapter 10: The Ram

Ji Ling watched as Secretary Li rambled on without giving a definite answer. Amused, Ji Ling patted her clothes and stood up politely. “Secretary Li, it’s getting late. If you still need to discuss with the other officials, that’s fine—we can wait. But you know, I’m a bit worried.”

“Worried about what?” Secretary Li couldn’t help but follow Ji Ling’s lead.

“Well, think about it. If you take too long to decide, the livestock breeding project will be delayed. Livestock doesn’t grow overnight. If the higher-ups arrive early and we’re not prepared, wouldn’t that be a problem?” Ji Ling rubbed her hands together, looking a bit troubled.

Secretary Li’s heart skipped a beat. All his earlier hesitation and excuses had been to coax Ji Ling into agreeing so they could bask in some good fortune when the leaders came. But now, hearing Ji Ling’s words, he realized she was right—if the livestock project failed, there would be no joy to share, only misfortune.

“Secretary Li, don’t be hard on yourself. We can think of another way. I recall Red Flag Village nearby also breeds livestock, right?” Ji Ling suggested gently.

“No way. How could Red Flag Village compare to us? They only have a few scattered animals. We, in terms of livestock breeding, are no braggers—we’re practically seasoned experts,” Secretary Li said self-importantly, blocking her path as if to show off his pride.

“You’re so impatient! I was just hesitating whether to give you a few head of livestock now, so you can raise them and we can compare data from both sides—that would be more accurate, wouldn’t it?” Secretary Li praised his own quick thinking. “Come on, just ahead is the livestock area. Do you want our breeders to help you pick, or will you choose yourself?”

“When it comes to breeding, your staff are certainly the experts. But since you’ve offered, I’ll take a look myself,” Ji Ling said without hesitation. She had studied many books on breeding in preparation for this.

The livestock pens in Wang Family Village were quite spacious—one advantage of rural life was plenty of land.

Following her plan, Ji Ling headed straight for the sheep pens. The enclosure was well-lit, with a drainage channel at one end near the wall for easy removal of waste to keep the area dry. Inside, sheep either lay chewing cud or stood bleating softly.

“This ram is impressive,” Ji Ling said, eyes fixed on a robust, energetic male sheep before her.

If she wasn’t mistaken, this was a high-quality stud ram, whose genetic quality directly affected the flock’s productivity. During breeding season, one ram could inseminate hundreds of ewes, producing numerous offspring.

As Ji Ling was mentally calculating, Secretary Li spoke. “You’ve got a sharp eye, girl. This is the best stud ram in our village—truly a treasure to the locals.”

Ji Ling flashed a perfect smile. “Secretary Li, Uncle Li, we don’t intend to buy this ram. We want to borrow it. You wouldn’t want us to buy ewes only for their young to be weaklings, would you? That would be a real problem for after-sales quality.”

Secretary Li was momentarily speechless, feeling a pang of regret. After some internal debate, he reluctantly agreed. “Alright, it’s settled then. If the ewes you buy get pregnant, you must return this ram—and make sure it’s well taken care of.”

Ji Ling saw the seriousness in Secretary Li’s face. She understood how important this collective asset was and nodded solemnly in assurance.