Chapter 156: Pallas's Cat Catches a Mouse

Once outside, Zhong Di did not immediately put the Pallas’s cats down. Instead, he wandered around the vicinity, taking them to see the free-range chickens and pigeons.

The moment the Pallas’s cats laid eyes on the poultry, they adopted a predatory stance. It is an instinctive reaction for these wild creatures to view such animals as prey. Zhong Di intended to teach them a lesson; he didn’t want them hunting his chickens every few days. Of course, even if they did catch one, there wasn’t much he could really do about it.

"Sigh... being a parent is exhausting. You want to raise them well, but you can’t scold or hit them," Zhong Di muttered to himself. "Listen here, Mao-Mao and the others: you absolutely cannot touch these chickens. They belong to us. This is the empire I’ve built for you, so don't go destroying it yourselves!"

Zhong Di poured his heart into the lesson, explaining things from every angle, from the chickens to the rabbits, and from the rabbits to the pigeons.

*Whoosh!* Suddenly, Big Mao leaped to the ground and charged straight at the chickens. Fortunately, the netting kept him out. Zhong Di quickly scooped him up.

So much for that. It was clear the kitten hadn’t understood a word. Zhong Di gave up on the education for now; the kids were still young, and a father needs a bit of patience. With that thought, he stopped worrying about the details.

*Rustle!*

As he strolled through the Herbal Garden with the cats in his arms, Zhong Di suddenly heard a rustling sound. Big Mao lunged from his arms and dashed toward a corner. The second and third kittens fidgeted, but ultimately did not jump. At over six feet tall, Zhong Di was quite high up; only Big Mao was bold enough to take the leap, while the others were a bit more timid.

A few seconds later, Zhong Di watched as Big Mao dragged a mouse out of the grass. Not bad! For such a small creature, he was fast, and the mouse was a decent size, too. In the world of cats, Zhong Di could easily crown Big Mao the king. Considering these Pallas’s cats were still quite young, catching a rodent of that size was impressive.

After catching the mouse, Big Mao instinctively retreated to a corner, making protective sounds over his food. Zhong Di realized that if Big Mao was practicing, Second Mao and Third Mao shouldn't be left behind. He tapped into his unique ability to connect with the ground’s vegetation, gathering information.

Hmm... it seemed there were quite a few mouse burrows around here!

When had his orchard become a paradise for mice? Zhong Di had his theories. Modern orchard production relied heavily on pesticides—sprays for the leaves, drenches for the roots, and toxic chemicals for weed control, such as glyphosate and paraquat. After all that, the watering caused the pesticides to leach deep into the soil, crowding out the mice’s living space.

His farm, however, offered plenty of delicious food and a clean subterranean environment. It was no wonder the mice loved it here; Zhong Di knew exactly why they were congregating on his land.

The sun climbed toward the zenith. By early September, the heat was no longer as scorching, which was perfectly fine by Zhong Di.

"Second Mao, Third Mao, there’s a mouse over there. Go get it!" Zhong Di directed the kittens toward the pests while tracking their exact locations.

The two kittens seemed to grasp his intent and began to hunt by instinct. After a while, they successfully caught two small mice. Compared to Big Mao’s catch, theirs were significantly smaller, but it was still progress.

Wait, why did this feel so strange? Usually, parents teach their children life skills, but here he was... teaching them how to hunt. It felt a bit ridiculous.

"Sigh, such a taxing life. Ever since I started raising these little ones, I’ve been pushing myself way too hard."

"Zhong Di, what are you muttering about?"

Just as Zhong Di was instructing the cats, he heard Shao Hong’s voice. *Oh no...* What had he just been saying? If someone heard that, they’d think he had lost his mind.

"It’s nothing. What’s up?"

"Oh... it’s time to eat. Let’s go," Shao Hong said, feeling a bit puzzled. He had clearly heard something about being "taxed" and "pushing himself." He figured that with how the farm was developing, Zhong Di must be working incredibly hard to support it all.

"What’s for lunch?" Zhong Di always looked forward to the meals. It wasn't for any special reason other than the anticipation—it felt like receiving a little surprise every day.

"Mutton soup."

"Excellent! That stuff is delicious." Zhong Di’s eyes lit up. The mutton soup prepared by Zake was truly exceptional.

"How are the Pallas’s cats adjusting?" Shao Hong patted Big Mao’s head, and the kitten didn't pull away.

"Not bad. At this rate, a few more times and they should be settled in."

"By the way, I’ve given the greenhouse matter some thought. I’ll handle the purchase of fruit trees and seedlings, but the cleanup will need to be on your end." Zhong Di took the opportunity to delegate the greenhouse preparations to Shao Hong, ensuring that once the supplies arrived, they could start immediately without wasting time on prep work.

"Sure, tell me what you need," Shao Hong replied, looking pleased. He had expected Zhong Di to take a while to come up with a plan, so he was surprised by the quick turnaround.

"The greenhouse is mostly ready, but we need to clear out the concrete debris and all the plastic waste. After that, dig out about twenty centimeters of soil—not too deep. The edges near the ridges haven’t been planted with anything, and the topsoil is quite saline-alkaline, so it needs to be removed."

"Since we’re planting crops that prefer acidic soil, once you’ve cleared it out, spread a layer of our sheep manure—three, four, or five centimeters thick—then till it and water it. While you’re at it, you can use the high temperatures to steam the greenhouse to kill off any pathogens."

Zhong Di provided a detailed, step-by-step description. He believed in analyzing each situation specifically; if he explained it clearly the first time, it would save trouble later. To simplify, the whole process was just about enhancing soil fertility, sterilization, and flushing out the salt.

However, if he had just said that to Shao Hong, Shao Hong wouldn't have known where to start. It was better to be thorough. Zhong Di wasn't the type of boss who dumped vague, incomprehensible tasks on his staff just to watch them struggle. Some bosses think being cryptic shows off their "strategic vision," but in reality, most of them have no idea how to do the work themselves. They treat their employees as tools meant to solve problems, but if the employee is expected to know everything and do everything perfectly, they might as well run their own business.

Zhong Di didn't subscribe to that philosophy. He preferred to be clear, practical, and effective.