Chapter 1309: Chapter 1309

It was gentle and cultured, nibbling and chewing in small bites.

Clearly so happy it started humming, yet still eating slowly with care and appreciation.

—This pig is really well-mannered!

But eating this slowly at mealtime, I wonder if it will go hungry? The pigs at home eat like starving tigers...

It seems the first few days will require close attention.

She gave it two last looks, confirmed that the locks on the back cabin were secure, and then greeted, getting into the car with Lun Chuan.

Finally, they set off again!

It wasn’t until the car had gone quite far that Dabao finally realized:

"Ah! I didn’t change clothes or take a photo!"

Then looking at the basket: "Where’s my watermelon?"

The old father remained calm as always: "Our Xiangxiang is so well-behaved, it didn’t make a fuss even knowing we’re parting, just got into the car when told. It doesn’t even like carrots but still ate them..."

His eyes reddened, tears faintly glistening:

"I felt so sorry for our Xiangxiang, so I secretly put the watermelon in there."

"Sigh! Xiangxiang! Watermelons were so expensive during the New Year, I couldn’t bear to buy one for it..."

"True." The mother also chimed in: "Dabao, if you want to eat watermelon, buy it yourself."

The return trip was much faster.

Lun Chuan drove steadily while Song Tan glanced at the rear-view mirror, then suddenly turned around to look back—the sight of Xiangxiang quietly munching away, with its bright red jacket particularly eye-catching.

"It’s way too meticulous, how long has it been eating that carrot?"

If it were any of the pigs at home, they would have devoured the whole carrot in three bites.

Lun Chuan stifled a laugh: "By now, the carrot should be finished; probably working on the watermelon now."

Song Tan was momentarily stunned, then upon realization, couldn’t help but laugh: "Was it Grandpa or Grandma who put it in?"

Lun Chuan finally laughed out loud.

"It was the old man. When closing the car door, I happened to see through the rear-view mirror him stuffing the watermelon in."

Okay, okay! Song Tan recalled the basket of vegetables and fruits she carried; the most indulgent treat in the middle of winter was definitely that watermelon.

She leaned back again: "Once we get home, there won’t be such good treatment."

She looked at Lun Chuan again: "Are you going back to the Imperial City?"

Lun Chuan nodded: "Yes, staying at your place isn’t very convenient—however, after the Lantern Festival, my mom might come over for a while. She needs to supervise the construction of the guesthouse."

Song Tan sighed deeply, then perked up again: "Then... once the guesthouse is built, will you stay here?"

Lun Chuan nodded and reached out to hold her hand: "I want to be closer to you."

"But," he smiled again: "I’ll come over as soon as possible. The flowerbeds at the gate in March are waiting for me to tend to—can I really plant anything?"

"You can!" Song Tan laughed, nodding earnestly: "From then on, it’ll be your place, plant whatever you like—even vegetables."

He silently withdrew his hand.

"No need to plant vegetables, I’ve planned specific color schemes for the flowers, and I’ll need to return to the Imperial City to figure out how to bring over the plants on my terrace."

As for how to bring them...

He thought of those plants that had grown over many years into a large arched trellis, considering the effort to uproot and replant them, and showed a slightly pained expression.

At the Riverside Beach livestock farm.

Today, a strong wind blew over the river, chilling to the bone. Although the sun was still out, the cattle and sheep only wandered out briefly before returning to the barn.

This barn isn’t like the typical ones of professional farmers that only allow limited movement, where the cattle, sheep, and pigs are left to gobble down food and fatten up rapidly in a confined space.

Instead, it’s particularly spacious. Although there are partitions, they don’t block the animals, allowing the cattle and sheep to roam freely.

The downside is they gain weight slowly and require more effort, needing daily cleaning and regular disinfection...

Previously with the help of Wu Lei and Uncle Song Tan’s family, the Zhang Wang’s Family managed fine.

Now just over a week since they left, he’s finding it a bit overwhelming.

Every morning, the first task is to prepare hay and feed them—the new machine is easy to operate, just gather the hay once and leave it there for easy access as needed.

Except the dogs often cause trouble, the two Border Collies refuse to accept the cows and sheep, insisting on being fed first each day...

Sigh! These two little rascals, so many little thoughts, cause both laughter and exasperation when they act up.

Then, when the cattle and sheep are eating, the Zhang Wang’s Family can’t get distracted by other tasks and must carefully observe each one’s condition.