Forest Ranger, starting from Picking Up a Lynx Girl

The final result of the matter was that Manman handed over its food bowl and the food inside it, promising that from now on, it would eat only after Little Sister Red Panda had finished.

It was pitiful to see.

Manman sighed but the next second, it brightened up and chatted with Chen Ying about Five yuan's worth of dreams, mainly speculating how many of its and Little Sister Red Panda's children would look like it.

"Actually, looking like their mother isn't bad either, she's really beautiful. Her red fur gleams with the sunlight."

Chen Ying was squatting on the stairs, watching Manman with eyes full of infatuation, and sniffed.

Alright then, giant pandas have Mendun'er the beauty enthusiast, and red pandas have an extra admirer in Manman. Fair enough!

After Mr. Sun and Father Yang had finished their work, they also came over and squatted behind the iron gate, looking at the five little ones with affectionate eyes.

"That little girl with the red fur is so beautiful, she looks like a streak of golden red flame when she jumps around. Why don't we call her Jin Yan?"

A group of staff on duty, bored, were chatting up a storm in the group chat.

Chen Ying posted a video of the five little ones and a dozen beautiful photos, making those guys howl with envy.

Especially the snapshot of Jin Yan, which could be described as a "national beauty".

Curled up in a tree, the sunlight piercing through the clouds cast a golden glow, with a backdrop of the yet to fall red leaves on the hillside, as if reflecting the saying "Prosperity and vitality for the New Year".

It made people feel a joyful warmth.

"Manman's taste isn't bad, not like Mendun'er..."

Thinking of Great Bai, the plump beauty of a sister, Chen Ying felt an indescribable stuffiness.

It was said she was doing very well now, almost close to winning over her mate.

Everything was ready, waiting only for Mendun'er to come into heat.

The thought of winter passing and spring approaching meant that the breeding season for little animals would also arrive.

Leopard Sister's promotion last year would soon attract a wave of visitors more overwhelming than Yaomei Peak.

Every day started wonderfully with a group of adorable animals as companions.

Once the shared enclosure presented no issues, Chen Ying went back to the Forest Emergency Station.

These last few days, his focus had been on Black Bear Sister.

Based on the previous estimation, her due date should have been around February, but when he went to see her the day before yesterday, Black Bear Sister was already showing signs of imminent birth.

That prior date was, after all, just an estimate. With wild bears, who knew exactly when she got pregnant.

Still, because she was wild, Chen Ying did not want to disturb her too much. He just paid Little Owl Mother the price of a bowl of shredded meat to fly by and check on her every morning and evening. If anything came up, she would come back and call him, with additional payment for the news.

As a single parent Bird mother, Little Owl Mother, looking to support her child, decisively took on the job.

She needed to hunt in the morning and evening anyway; it just meant flying a little further.

Great Bai and Jiaojiao had grown accustomed to going out to eat, eat, eat during the day and returning to sleep, sleep, sleep at night.

To supplement the two Little Cubs with nutrition, Chen Ying went at six in the morning and ten at night to give them an extra meal of milk and steamed corn bread.

The old monkey had been growing increasingly lethargic lately, spending almost twenty hours a day sprawled on the warm heating platform.

Little monkey was uneasy about leaving the elderly monkey alone at night, so he dragged his little blanket over to sleep alongside him.

Chen Ying felt a premonition that the old monkey might not have much time left and hoped it would make it through New Year's Eve to have a reunion with the little monkey.

The hands of the clock went round and round, unceasing in their tic-tock.

Days and nights passed, the sun rose and set, and finally, New Year's Eve arrived.

Yin Li brought a lot of food over early in the morning.

He had returned to the village on the twenty-eighth of the twelfth lunar month. As there are many customs to follow and being the eldest son at home, it was necessary for Yin Li to return.

But on New Year's Eve, there wasn't much to do after paying tribute to the ancestors in the morning. They had to wait until evening when everyone in the village would gather at the cultural square to light a bonfire, set up a feast, and celebrate the new year together.

Arranging the dinner was not a job for young people like Yin Li.

It was the older generation, Yin Li's grandfather's peers, who managed the customs; the main effort came from the family pillars of Yin Li's father's generation, and below them came the married young people.

At the bottom rung, the unmarried lads like Yin Li were called upon for odd jobs.

In the village, the unmarried girls held a higher status on New Year's Eve than the boys.

Dressed up prettily, their responsibility was to sing, dance, and encourage toasts.

"I've brought you both all sorts of cakes and prepared meat and vegetables, so you don't have to bother tonight. Just set up the pot and boil it."

Nearly a hundred pounds in a large basket, it was almost a feat of strength for Yin Li to carry such a heavy load through the mountain paths in time.

"Have you spoken to your parents about whether you're leaving right after the new year or what?"

"They said there's no rush, just to report by March 1st. Actually, there won't be much to do in March. A lot of the facilities and equipment there are still incomplete. When I arrive, my role will mostly be to supervise the construction."

The area is vast and sparsely populated, with the core zone of the reserve being quite large, and its center situated near the edge of the road.

Yin Li had studied the map and planned to survey the entire reserve thoroughly after joining to have a clear understanding.

Chen Ying nodded and brought a wooden box out of the room.

"This box contains life-saving medicine, handcrafted. You can't buy these outside, and they don't have production batches. You'll have to use your judgment. I've written the usage and ingredients, but not the dosages; you should understand."

Yin Li instantly took the box, wrapped it in a felt cloth, and placed it into his basket.

He trusted that Chen Ying wouldn't harm him. Furthermore, some Chinese medicine formulas can't be widely distributed because the ingredients are too precious, and the quantities too small to be marketed.

But that didn't mean the medicine was ineffective; on the contrary, it's precisely the kind that can save lives.

"Some are specifically for animals. I've placed them in separate bottles with labels. When you get back, keep them aside. There's currently no market for this animal medicine, but the teacher has already obtained the required permit. Use them when necessary without worry, and give me a call if there's a problem."

After the new year, Yin Li would spend a month learning at the Provincial Forestry and Grassland Bureau—mainly training on how to quickly assume various responsibilities at the conservation center, a process casually known as induction training.

However, this training was not at the new reserve but arranged for personnel dispatched from various provinces to convene.

There were several conservation areas and rescue centers established this year; some were old zoos being transformed. The work format had changed from the past, so pre-job training was required.

After Yin Li had left, Chen Ying and Old Gao moved out the stove and put a large iron pot on to stew meat.

The scent of the meat enticed Jinya and Little Jin, who had been hiding and sleeping in the storage, to come creeping out one after the other.

However, what Chen Ying hadn't expected was that Big Gold and the male lynx followed behind them.

So, two more guests had joined the household without anyone informing him?

And what about Big Gold; his injury had healed long ago. Was he waiting around for the feast to start?