Chapter 185: Chapter 184: Life Is Getting Better

[1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7? 6?—]

Little Sand Cat scratched its head frantically; it could only count up to five.

Black Jungle Cat twitched its whiskers, glanced into the rescue station, and licked its paws: [Missing a few is no big deal, Little Xu Station Chief has plenty of eggs.]

[Stop counting, child, I’m afraid you’ll get dizzy.]

Little Sand Cat had to give up.

And the culprits had already become a tumbling ball of orange fur, fighting for the biggest meatball inside the rescue station.

The days that followed were uneventful, and Xu Ying lived a fulfilling life.

Now the Qiao family’s construction team had reached the desert, and besides the pet hospital starting up, Qiao Yanli had arranged a construction team for Xu Ying, giving her free rein to build whatever she wished.

So Xu Ying rubbed her hands and began planning homes for her big and small friends at the rescue station.

More than half a month passed.

On the six new camel sheds, Xu Ying wiped the sweat off her forehead and looked at her handiwork with satisfaction.

She chose sturdy poplar wood as pillars to set up a semi-open sunshade in the sheltered area of the rescue station. The roof was covered with double-layer sunshade netting, able to filter the scorching sunlight while maintaining ventilation gaps.

Each shed was a good three square meters in size, covered with fine soft sand dug from a dry riverbed. Six Bactrian camels were leisurely crouching within, their thick feet comfortably sinking into the sand.

The feeding area was crafted with the most care—Xu Ying converted disused oil barrels into six automatic water troughs connected to a newly-drilled deep well.

Whenever a camel nudged the lever with its nose, the cool well water would gurgle out. At this moment, “Mountain Peak,” the big guy in the herd, was demonstrating the novelty, with other camels watching intently, occasionally letting out “ruru” exclamations.

Behind the rest area, Xu Ying used discarded tires to enclose a sand bath zone, piled with sifted fine sand mixed with anti-parasitic herbal powder.

The mischievous “Little White Nose” was already eagerly rolling around in it, stirring up clouds of medicinal-scented sand, prompting its companions to follow suit.

The most unique feature was the row of “scratch posts”—Xu Ying secured several dead saxaul tree trunks into the sand, with bristle brushes of varying hardness tied to them.

The camels could scratch to their heart’s content, easily brushing off any burrs or camel thorns trapped in their coats.

An older camel was squinting, rubbing its chin back and forth against the softest brush, its mouth foaming with pleasure.

“Scratching” is a particular little hobby of the camels. Their thick fur can easily harbor parasites, and the scent left from scratching is a communication method. Camels scratching each other also strengthens their bond.

New friends shouldn’t overshadow old ones.

The Gobi Bear had been getting by in the desert and often helped out at Xu Ying’s rescue station.

Xu Ying squatted on the sand beside the rescue station, her fingertips lightly tracing the freshly drawn design, the edges of the wood still carrying the scent of fresh sawdust.

The bear den she designed wasn’t large, but it was solid—four thick poplar woods buried deep in the sand, propping up a semi-open sunshade that shields from wind and sand without making the Gobi Bear feel confined.

Beneath was a thick hay mattress, soft and dry, its favorite texture.

In the corner, she stacked stones to form a shallow water trough, connected by a thin pipe from the rescue station, with fresh water slowly flowing in, creating tiny ripples at the bottom.

“This way, you won’t have to go far to find water.”

She said softly, patting the edge of the trough.

The Gobi Bear slowly approached, its moist nose touching the water’s surface, then looked up at her, its bright eyes reflecting light.

Xu Ying smiled and pointed to the other side of the shelter—where there’s a low wooden box, padded with old blankets she dug out of the rescue station’s storage, with soft cloth sewn along the edge to prevent splinters from scratching its skin.

“It’s windy at night; you can sleep here.”

The Gobi Bear smiled, showing two rows of big teeth, clumsily climbed into the wooden box, its huge body sinking into the blanket, rubbing comfortably and letting out a low purring sound from its throat.

Xu Ying squatted beside it, gently combing the tangled hair on its neck with a special brush, the sunset pouring on them, casting long shadows on the sand.

And the modern small farm sponsored by the Feng Yun couple had been put into use.

The desert dawn barely crossed the horizon when the silver-gray farm house began to operate.

Solar panels shimmered faintly blue, absorbing the sun in the desert.

Xu Ying pushed the door open, greeted by the moist scent of soil.

The crackling sound of the temperature control system evoked a sense of being in a factory, as the supplementary lighting on the vertical cultivation racks gradually illuminated, bestowing each tender seedling with a gentle warm glow.

The drip irrigation system clicked gently into operation, tiny water mists falling, the droplets formed on the leaves refracting the morning light, flourishing verdantly and bringing comfort to the heart.

The sand meatball vines wrapped around the trellis, spreading open, with immature fruits hidden amongst dense leaves, poised to blush a festive red in a few days.

Xu Ying gently brushed her fingers over the fuzzy stems and leaves, already envisioning their plump and juicy appearance when ripe.

Made into sweet and sour meatball egg drop soup, or mixed with a drizzle of Gobi wild honey sent by villagers from Dongqing Village, they would be the most delectable little meatballs in the desert!

Next to them, drought-resistant cucumber vines were growing with abandon, tender green tendrils entwining the trellis and blossoming with tiny pale yellow flowers.

The earliest cucumbers to form were only finger-thick, their skins covered in fine fuzz. In ten days, the freshest ones could be picked, chilled in well water, smashed, drizzled with fragrant vinegar and minced garlic for a crisp, refreshing taste that dispels a whole day’s heat.

The desert asparagus on the bottom layer of the cultivation rack had just broken ground, with shyly peeking pale purple shoots.

These delicate shoots required careful nurturing, but in twenty days, the first batch would be harvest-ready.

Xu Ying squatted down, lightly touching the tender buds with her fingertips, already planning a stir-fried asparagus dish, enhancing its natural sweetness with just a pinch of salt and some olive oil.

The most delightful surprise was the cactus vegetable. The thick pads had long lost their spines, their dark green flesh appearing especially succulent in the morning light.

In another half month, these gelatinous young pads would be ready for harvest. She planned to try making a chilled cactus salad, slicing and chilling them, then tossing with lemon juice and cilantro—a tangy appetizer perfect for hot summer days.

The temperature control panel chimed softly, displaying the optimal environmental parameters for plant growth. No wonder the biotechnology company opened by the professor has such a high level of tech!

Xu Ying adjusted the rhythm of the drip irrigation system, watching as the clear water slowly seeped into the cultivation substrate.

Looking at her modern farm, Xu Ying placed her hands on her hips, filled with satisfaction. Turning around, she was startled by the “wildman” standing outside the glass house.

On closer inspection, it wasn’t a wildman but Liu Kai, who was tasked with a tree-planting mission near her rescue station.

He was disheveled from planting—his hair untidy, face weary, and clothes dirty.

Liu Kai wore a wry smile, unable to resist giving himself a few slaps whenever he recalled the bet he made with Xu Ying.

All because he was dazzled by Xu Ying’s luxury car at that moment.

At this time, Liu Kai knocked weakly, “Little Xu Station Chief, Director Yi asked me to bring you an important message.”

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep