What Kind of Heroine Is a Wild Yak!?

In her senior year of high school, at the age when she was most sleep-deprived, Jiang Ying overslept... and woke up in another world. The words on the classroom blackboard were still clear in her mind: “The future is unwritten. You and I could both be dark horses.” Gazing at the endless wilderness before her, Jiang Ying thought, “Oh my, teacher, I'm not a dark horse. I'm a black yak!” Jiang Ying had become a baby wild yak on the plateau. She had a round head, a broad muzzle, and a plump, round body. Her four little legs were like sturdy pillars. She was adorable, but with no parents, she was a little orphan yak. A herdswoman found her and took her home, feeding her with her grandson's baby bottle. To get her hands on the only bottle in the house, Jiang Ying had plenty of fights with the little grandson, who had rosy cheeks from the highland sun. Just as she had found herself a long-term meal ticket in the form of a cow mom, she received a notice from the authorities: wild yaks were a first-class nationally protected species, and private ownership was prohibited. Jiang Ying, who had been getting along very well with the herdswoman's family, said, “Hey, humans! Ever heard of manners?” The good news was that Jiang Ying was still young, so she wouldn't be released into the wilderness just yet. After leaving the herdswoman's home, she could continue living at a ranger station. Before she even reached the station, she found a battered little dog. The little dog's life had been full of hardship. Jiang Ying later discovered that he was actually a working dog employed by the government. One day, Jiang Ying overheard the little animals of the wilderness gossiping about her dog. They had even given him the nickname “Wilderness War God.” Jiang Ying thought it was hilarious. Her “shadow dog,” the whiny little jealous creature who buried his head in a hole in the ground, had absolutely nothing in common with a mighty name like “War God,” did he? On the wind blowing in from the wilderness, Jiang Ying caught a familiar scent. She turned around and saw a big dog running toward her. After hundreds of days and nights by her side, his gaze had grown sharp, his forehead broad and his head square. He was imposing even at rest, nothing like the battered little dog he had once been. A surge of pride rose in Jiang Ying's heart: I really did raise my little dog well. This novel is also known as: The Days I Spent Picking Up Strays in the Wilderness Find a battered little dog, raise him. Find an orphan Tibetan antelope, raise it. Find a wolf cub from the wolf king's family, raise him. Find a yak king weighing a whole ton, and Jiang Ying says, “I can't raise this one.” She mutters, “I'll give him a haircut and set him free.” Then the yak king ends up with a bowl-cut fringe that looks like it was chewed off by a dog. Jiang Ying stammers, “Y-you probably don't need to look in a mirror anytime soon, right?” The yak king is pleased: At last, my fringe doesn't get in my eyes. Reader's Guide: 1. This isn't a story about animals alone. The two-legged folks at the ranger station are adorable too. 2. Some supporting characters meet tragic ends. If that bothers you, read with caution. 3. The heroine will not turn back into a human. 4. The heroine goes through pain, growth, and warmth. The ending should count as a happy one. 5. To distinguish their sexes, all animals in this novel are referred to as “he” or “she.” 6. The original blurb has been revised. 7. This is a very long reader's guide. Updates come every evening before 9 p.m. Happy reading! Theme: The Earth belongs to more than just humans.