HLM -Chapter 806 Shepherd’s Melody

Little Wang was tough-skinned and used to this kind of “braking.” After rolling twice on the grass, it quickly bounced up and trotted over to Wang Bo, pawing at him with its claws.

“Is it scolding you for dodging just now?” Zhang Rui teased as he came up, scratching Little Wang’s neck.

Little Wang was the only animal they could actually touch. The Zhuang Ding, the Queen, and the chubby cat brothers were all too sensitive and wouldn’t let anyone get close. As for the Commander? Anyone daring to reach a hand out would get an earful for sure.

The liger had no sense of vigilance toward humans—just a bit timid. In fact, it wasn’t wary of anyone. Back at the animal base, it would even play with the umbrella lizards.

Naturally, everyone was most interested in Little Wang. After all, it was a liger—something you couldn’t even see in domestic zoos, let alone cuddle for photos.

When they first met it, everyone had been terrified that the beast might suddenly get angry and tear them apart.

But that very night, during the welcome party, Little Wang shamelessly went from person to person begging for food. That was when they realized that this fierce-looking creature actually had the gentlest temper.

A crowd soon gathered around to scratch its itches—one of the liger’s favorite enjoyments. It instantly sprawled on the ground with eyes half-closed, even lifting one of its hind legs.

Zhao Xiaohui happened to be behind it, so when it lifted its leg, that “big thing” underneath was exposed, making the girls squeal and stumble back in embarrassment.

Those with boyfriends, though, weren’t as flustered. Li Jiayi giggled, poking at it with her finger. “Aren’t you ashamed, Little Wang? What are you lifting your leg for?”

Eva quickly pressed its leg down, but Little Wang innocently turned its head to look at her and stubbornly spread its leg again.

Eva shot it a glare. It instantly squeezed its legs together and held them tight, not daring to move.

Wang Bo clapped his hands, signaling Little Wang to get up. Then he said, “Do you guys want to try herding sheep? It’s the easiest job out here.”

“Herding sheep? What for?” Fan Dong asked curiously.

Wang Bo pointed at the grassland. “You should know goats like to completely clear a patch of grass. They start with the tender leaves, and once those are gone, they dig up the roots.”

“So, after about a week in one area, you’ve got to drive them somewhere else. If you don’t, the grass won’t grow back.”

Normally, Peterson handled the rotation of grazing grounds, but this time it was assigned to Eva. Still, he responsibly came over to teach everyone the basics of herding sheep.

“First, walk around among them a few times so they get used to you. Don’t start herding right away—rams have bad tempers and aren’t easy to deal with.”

“Once they’re used to you, there’s a process. You drive the sheepdogs, the sheepdogs drive the lead rams, and the lead rams guide the flock. Don’t think you can control the whole herd yourself—that’s impossible.”

“When the flock starts moving, ride your horses along the sides to supervise. Let the sheepdogs see you working—never leave everything to them. It’s not that they’re lazy, but if they don’t see your guidance, they’ll start doubting whether what they’re doing is right.”

While Peterson instructed the group, Wang Bo chatted with Allen Malone, who’d been staying at Mackson’s tack shop and often dropped by the animal base to play.

“The wild horses here have great potential,” Malone said. “Especially the foals born recently—if I were you, Mayor, I’d start a stud farm. You’d be proud of them.”

Wang Bo folded his arms. “Developing a horse ranch based on wild horses? That might not be a great idea. But since you’ve got a good eye, maybe it’s worth a try.”

Malone’s eyes lit up. “If you think I’ve got a good eye, then I’ve got another idea—let Tuhao Jin enter the racetrack! Let it win the world championship!”

Eva happened to lead Tuhao Jin over at that moment. The short, stout horse was trailing behind Black Horse King with a rather mischievous air.

Wang Bo chuckled. “You think it can do it? Tuhao Jin’s already an adult horse. Starting race training now might be too late.”

Malone shook his head. “No, it’s not an adult—it’s a young horse. I believe it’s smart enough. Absolutely no problem.”

Wang Bo waved Tuhao Jin over. The horse reluctantly took one last sniff at Black Horse King’s rear, then dashed forward like a cannonball—always as fast as ever.

Once Peterson’s briefing was done, it was time to get to work. Wang Bo lined up Tuhao Jin, Black Horse King, and Peterson’s old steed, letting everyone take turns learning how to ride.

When the three horses stood together, Tuhao Jin looked left and right, then took two steps forward, putting half its body ahead.

Wang Bo pushed it back, laughing. “What are you doing? Trying to show off?”

Tuhao Jin stubbornly moved forward again.

Malone grabbed Wang Bo’s arm, his face glowing with excitement. “Don’t stop it, Mayor! That’s the finest trait a horse can have—ambition and fighting spirit! It thinks it’s special, that it deserves to lead. That pride is incredible—you must nurture it!”

Peterson nodded in agreement. “I rarely see horses like this. That spirit—it’s inborn, not trainable. It’s what makes a champion racer.”

Wang Bo nodded. Both men were experts, after all.

While Peterson continued teaching horse riding, Wang Bo took the chance to say, “How about this—you become my project manager for building the stud farm? I can tell you’ve taken a liking to Sunset Town.”

Malone’s thin, weathered face lit up with joy. “I’d love to! I really like Sunset Town—but I love these fine horses even more!”

Since there were too many people and not enough horses, Peterson had to pick those with better riding talent for herding duty.

The first group to mount up ended up being all girls—Li Jiayi, Zhao Xiaohui, and another girl named Liu Shanshan.

Wang Bo glanced at the men standing around and barked, “What are you all doing just standing there? None of you can ride a horse?”

Song Jiashu laughed awkwardly. “It’s not that… hehe… we just thought we’d let the ladies go first.”

“Yeah, yeah, let them have their fun,” Zhou Haojie added with a grin. “What’s so great about herding sheep anyway? Not my thing.”

Wang Bo turned to Fan Dong. “And you, Captain Fan—why the hell are you squatting there?”

Fan Dong grimaced. “Scraped my balls earlier. Hurts to stand.”

Wang Bo: “…”

Eva put a saddle on Little Wang’s back and tentatively climbed up.

Little Wang was a beast, sure, but not as tall as a horse—though far more muscular and broad-bodied. Sitting sideways on the saddle in a proper “lady’s riding” pose, Eva looked rather elegant as the liger carried her in a gentle trot.

Wang Bo pulled out his phone, found the song “The Shepherd Dog,” and handed it to Eva. “Let’s go, shepherd girl!”

Eva giggled, patted Little Wang’s head, and without needing reins, the big cat started off toward the flock.

The princes followed—Crown Prince in the lead. As they approached the herd, they instantly understood what to do and rushed to find the lead rams, driving them in Eva’s direction.