Married to a man in Northwest China, the delicate wife with a soft waist is spoiled rotten by the ro

Chapter 49 Dog or Wolf?

"Beast?"

As someone who traveled from the 21st century, "beast" was a term that Ji Sisi only encountered online.

Shen Zichen walked ahead and explained to her, "Snow leopards and wolf packs often appear in these mountains, but the probability of them appearing is very low. We are at the foot of the mountain, so we won't encounter them."

"But there are pikas over there, lots of them. They're tiny and cute, I think you'd like them."

Ji Sisi, who was following behind, swallowed hard and asked the question that was on her mind.

Can you eat pikas?

Shen Zichen paused slightly, then turned to look at Ji Sisi, "What did you just say?"

Seeing Shen Zichen's reaction, Ji Sisi thought that pikas were protected animals, and hesitated for a few seconds before explaining.

"I mean, would anyone catch pikas to eat? Rabbits are such nice... such cute animals, I don't think anyone would eat them."

Shen Zichen continued walking forward.

“Pikas are agile and love to burrow in the grasslands, making them harder to catch than regular rabbits. The villagers all have to work to earn work points and don’t have time to catch them, so they come up to try their luck when they’re gathering firewood.”

The two walked and talked, and soon arrived at their destination.

The grasslands here are noticeably lusher, the flowers are more vibrant, and they are closer to the snow-capped mountains, making them much more striking than the previous area.

Ji Sisi stood on the grassland. The wind blew across the grass, making it surge forward like ocean waves, outlining the direction of the wind. The wind whistled in her ears, and her hair fluttered in the wind.

This scene truly reflects the poem: "The sky is vast and the fields are boundless; the wind blows the grass low, revealing cattle and sheep."

If you walk any further, you will reach the Cordyceps Mountain that Shen Zichen mentioned. Ji Sisi squats down and sees three or four Cordyceps in her field of vision.

Ji Sisi began her joyful cordyceps-digging journey, and gradually, she and Shen Zichen drifted apart.

Ji Sisi dug with increasing enthusiasm, completely unaware that she was going upwards.

Before digging, Ji Sisi made it clear that after this, they would dig once a month and she would personally take the digs to the county town to exchange them, so that Shen Zichen could dig up more this time and have more emergency funds on him.

Shen Zichen was so engrossed in digging for cordyceps that he didn't even look up.

After an unknown amount of time, Ji Sisi's neck started to ache. She lay down on the spot, raised her hand to rub her sore neck, and prepared to rest for a while.

Ji Sisi had just closed her eyes, ready to quietly experience the charm of nature.

A faint groan reached her ears. Ji Sisi opened her eyes and looked around with her clear gaze, but found nothing unusual.

She had just closed her eyes again when she suddenly remembered Shen Zichen's instructions. She opened her eyes abruptly and found that Shen Zichen was no longer around.

Thinking of the wild beasts Shen Zichen mentioned, Ji Sisi put away the caterpillar fungus, slung her basket over her shoulder, picked up a small hoe, and prepared to go down the mountain.

Just as she was about to leave, the faint voice came again.

It sounded a bit like a puppy whimpering. Ji Sisi stopped in her tracks, hesitating whether to go and investigate.

The animal seemed to have a telepathic connection with her, calling out whenever she hesitated.

Finally, Ji Sisi closed her eyes and cautiously walked towards the source of the sound.

A small, gray-brown wolf lay on the withered grass, its breathing barely rising and falling. Its fur was matted, and there was a bloody, mangled wound on its back, with flies buzzing around it.

Upon seeing someone, the wolf howled even louder, its pitiful cries softening the hearts of those who heard them.

Ji Sisi dared not approach. Was it a wolf or a dog? She rubbed her eyes, trying to figure it out, but all she could think of were images of Alaskan Malamutes and Huskies.

Ji Sisi shook her head, trying to shake the image of the two silly sled dogs out of her mind.

Perhaps sensing Ji Sisi's hesitation, the little wolf's howl became even more pitiful and louder than before, each cry trying to break through her heart.

Ji Sisi took a deep breath and made up her mind.

Wolves are social animals, so if this is a wolf, it was probably abandoned and is so badly injured that it's unlikely to survive. A dog would be a better match.

Ji Sisi carefully picked it up. "Let's go, I'll take you home. It's better to be in my hands than to wait to die. I'll do my best to save you."

After being held in someone's arms, the wolf cub stopped howling and stayed quietly.

Ji Sisi had only taken two steps when she bumped into Shen Zichen.

Shen Zichen looked anxious and asked breathlessly, "Why did you come up here all by yourself?"

When he looked up, he realized Ji Sisi was gone. He was filled with anxiety and hurriedly went to look for her.

"I'm sorry, I was too engrossed in the game. By the time I realized it, we were already halfway down the slope. Don't worry, I'm fine. Let's go down first."

Shen Zichen noticed the little wolf cub that Ji Sisi was holding and his expression changed.

"What did you pick up? A wolf or a dog?"

Shen Zichen and Ji Sisi were equally puzzled.

Young wolves look no different from puppies, and few people can tell the difference unless they are professionals.

Ji Sisi shook her head. "I don't know either. It seems to have been bitten by some wild animal. Seeing how pitiful it was, I couldn't bear to leave it there to die, so I brought it down."

As soon as Ji Sisi finished speaking, the little wolf seemed to understand her and let out a soft whimper.

"It could also be a wolf. I suggest you don't bring it home. If you get targeted by a pack of wolves, it could be a very troublesome situation and could get you into trouble."

Shen Zichen advised Ji Sisi to give up.

The little wolf in Ji Sisi's arms, afraid of being abandoned, stretched out its paws to paw at her arm, and then buried its head in Ji Sisi's arms.

Ji Sisi asked Shen Zichen, "Do wolves know how to act cute...?"

Shen Zichen froze on the spot, beginning to doubt his guess.

This is even more affectionate than a dog; it can't be a wolf.

"I'm not sure, but I'm not afraid of the 'what if' scenario..."

Before he could finish speaking, the little wolf poked its head out at Shen Zichen, trying to gain sympathy, and let out a soft whimper.

Ji Sisi understood Shen Zichen's concerns, and she had already made her own plans.

"I know what you're worried about. I'll put it back once I've healed it."

Seeing that Ji Sisi had made up her mind, Shen Zichen could only nod and stop trying to persuade her.

Ji Sisi put the wolf cub in her backpack and carried it down the mountain to go home.
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Ji Sisi took out some of the medicine she had stored, as well as some Xinjiang goat milk powder that a merchant had sent her before, which was said to be very nutritious. She took it out to make milk powder for her goat.

Ji Sisi was worried about being bitten while applying the medicine, so she specially brought a pair of thick gloves. However, the little wolf remained quietly lying on the ground throughout the entire process, trembling in pain without making a sound.

This scene made Ji Sisi feel a pang of heartache. She took off her gloves and stroked its soft head.

"Good boy/girl! Shall I give you a name?"

The little wolf stared at Ji Sisi with its pair of dark, shiny eyes without saying a word, as if it were tacitly agreeing with her.

Ji Sisi stroked its head and fell into deep thought.

After a moment, Ji Sisi tentatively asked, "How about calling you Little Gray or Little Brown? I see your fur is grayish-brown, or you could call me Little Gray-Brown?"

The little wolf lay on the ground unresponsive, just staring at her without making any movement.

"You don't like it?"

Ji Sisi wondered, "They even picked out a name for this dog?"

(End of this chapter)