"Your merit points are 350, redeem for a pregnant ewe, deduct 200 merit points... Ding dong, redemption successful."
"Baa..."
A Jiu was startled awake by the sound. She opened her eyes and exclaimed, "My goodness!"
A large, snow-white ewe with a bulging belly was baaing with its mouth askew.
"Oh, daughter, it's real!" Cai Lihua was excited. She got up from the fire and walked around the ewe.
She cautiously reached out to touch its horizontally expanded belly. "This... this can at least give birth to two or three. I'll have to make a hemp rope, just in case it runs away, that would be a shame."
A Jiu stared intently at the ewe. It was so white that not a single speck of dark hair could be found in the firelight.
It looked as fluffy as if it had just taken a bath. Its large eyes seemed to be smiling. "Baa..."
A Jiu tentatively reached out to touch it. The ewe squinted comfortably, baaing non-stop. It lowered its head and its nose twitched, moving towards the roasted apple by the fire.
A Jiu's heart melted instantly. "Oh my heavens, it's so beautiful, who would bear to eat its offspring?"
A Jiu even subconsciously used her stick to nudge the apple out and offered it to the ewe's mouth. She hugged her knees and warmed herself by the fire, watching the mama sheep eat the apple with delight.
The slightly charred skin of the apple instantly stained the mama sheep's lips black.
It looked like a young lady wearing black lipstick, making A Jiu cover her mouth and giggle.
"Jiu'er, do you have any more apples? Mother must feed this ewe well. When it gives birth to offspring, and its offspring give birth, we won't lack for meat."
Cai Lihua, from somewhere, had gathered a bunch of withered foxtails and was carefully rubbing them in her palm to make a rope.
"Baa... Baa..."
The mama sheep, after finishing, stared intently at the apple A Jiu was holding.
As the ewe was happily munching, its distended belly suddenly began to churn.
A Jiu immediately recognized it. "Mother, it's going to give birth."
"So soon?" Cai Lihua was stunned. She quickly dropped the rope in her hand and went forward to stroke the ewe's belly.
The ewe baaed twice, and then amniotic fluid began to flow from its hindquarters.
"Jiu'er, quick, bring some leaves to cushion it, or the lamb will be hurt when it lands."
"Oh, coming!" A Jiu didn't understand, but following her mother's instructions, she quickly gathered a large armful of dry leaves and spread them on the ground.
The ewe instantly stopped baaing. A Jiu watched as the first little lamb, wrapped in a semi-transparent membrane, landed. The ewe quickly licked the thin film.
Once the little lamb's body was licked clean, it stood up unsteadily.
Its delicate pink skin was covered with a layer of curly white wool, making A Jiu want to touch it.
On its back?
"Mother, is its back broken?" A Jiu suddenly noticed that there were two strip-like areas on the ewe's back with no wool, revealing its tender, fair skin.
"It's fine, perhaps the wool hasn't grown properly," Cai Lihua said, busily wiping the lamb's body with grass leaves, especially around its nose, wiping it with extra care.
"Goodness gracious, this..."
Meng Shaode rushed back, carrying a large black bird, and froze upon seeing the scene.
"Where did this lamb come from?"
"Don't shout, come and help." Cai Lihua had her hands on a ewe's leg. It was clear that this leg had come out first, and she feared it was being suffocated.
Meng Shaode casually dropped the large bird he was carrying and quickly went to help.
"Holy cow, it's so prolific! Can we feed them all?"
Meng Shaode was dumbfounded.
Hearing her father's words, A Jiu realized that this ewe giving birth to four lambs was indeed excessive.
As expected, the next two lambs that came out were noticeably smaller. After landing and being licked clean, they remained motionless, in their birth posture.
"What... what should we do?" Cai Lihua was so anxious that she pressed her index and middle fingers together to perform CPR on the little lambs.
A Jiu looked at the lambs, which were no bigger than a week-old puppy, and felt heartbroken.
She knew how to perform acupuncture on people, but what could she do for sheep?
"Let me try." Meng Shaode rolled up his sleeves, grabbed a lamb, and began to blow air into its mouth.