Chapter 70: Buy It
Translator: Lonelytree
The crowd stopped and looked at Xiao Lingyu in confusion.
Wang Dashan, the man leading the calf, asked, “Miss, what’s the matter?”
Xiao Lingyu smiled and asked, “Uncle, I’m just curious about what is going on.” The calf was crying and asking Xiao Lingyu for help. She couldn’t ignore that even though she was puzzled how a calf could even do all that in the first place.
Wang Dashan was a good-tempered person. He said, “I have a cow at home. She is this calf’s mother. I’m going to take her to the slaughterhouse today. The calf has been causing trouble since this morning. It was ramming against the pen and eventually got out. I was afraid that it might injure others so I had the villagers come to help me catch it.”
Xiao Lingyu was shocked. No wonder the calf was crying. Its mother was about to get slaughtered.
Xiao Lingyu asked politely, “Uncle, may I know why are you getting the cow slaughtered?” Normally, a cow wouldn’t be slaughtered because they would provide milk and be labor force for the family. “Especially when it’s near plowing season.”
Wang Dashan sighed lightly, his expression somewhat helpless. He explained, “The cow is dying. She doesn’t eat or drink. Even the veterinarian can’t do anything. We have no choice but to sell it to the slaughterhouse before…” The cow would be less fresh if it were sold after she died, so she would fetch a lesser price. Wang Dashan didn’t want to do this but he had no choice. He couldn’t keep a cow that couldn’t provide for his family. Such was the plight of a rural farmer.
Xiao Lingyu noticed that when Wang Dashan mentioned the cow, his eyes filled with sorrow. The man really cared for the cow.
Xiao Lingyu couldn’t help but ask, “Uncle, how much are you selling the cow for?”
Wang Dashan was confused, but he still answered honestly, “1200 RMB!” A cow in her prime could go for 3000.
“I’ll give you 1500 for the cow!” Xiao Lingyu said.
The others looked at Xiao Lingyu like she was crazy. Why would she buy a cow that was about to die? Even if she led it to the slaughterhouse, she wouldn’t get a price better than 1200.
Wang Dashan was baffled. He asked, “Miss, may I ask why do you want to buy my cow? Are you going to raise or slaughter it?”
“I’m not slaughtering the cow!” Xiao Lingyu admitted. “However, Uncle, I hope you can agree to another request of mine.”
“What is it?” Wang Dashan said.
“Can you sell me the calf as well? Name a price!” Xiao Lingyu pointed at the calf and said very sincerely.
“Of course!” Wang Dashan was joyful. After all, he had raised the cow for more than a decade. He was attached to her. He was happy that she didn’t have to die.
“But the cow is dying. Miss, it’ll be a big loss for you.” Wang Dashan reminded. He was a very good man. He didn’t have the heart to scam a young girl.
Xiao Lingyu said, “Uncle, don’t worry. I have a way to keep the old cow alive.”
Uncle Wang’s eyes brightened. He nodded. “Miss, really? Okay then! I won’t ask for 1500. I’ll sell you the cow for 1000 and the calf for 500.” The calf could be sold for 700 on the market. “So 1500 in total.”
At that moment, a young man piped up, “Dad, the old cow has already been sent to the slaughterhouse.” The young man’s name was Wang Yunfu.
Wang Dashan paled. He immediately instructed Wang Yunfu, “Go to the slaughterhouse now. Stop them from slaughtering the cow!”
Wang Yunfu immediately ran to the slaughterhouse. Fortunately, the slaughterhouse was not far. It only took ten minutes to cover the distance.
Wang Dashan told Xiao Lingyu, “I’m sorry, Miss. I had no idea my family moved so fast. Please wait here for a moment.”
Xiao Lingyu shook her head and smiled, “It’s okay, Uncle.”
While they waited, Xiao Lingyu chatted with Wang Dashan. She got to know Uncle Wang’s family.
Wang Dashan came from Wang Family Village. They had a richer life than the people of Taoyuan Village. Apart from a few poor families, almost every family had cattle. A few of them even had a cattle farm. The Wang Family Village was also nicknamed the Cow Village because of this.
While Xiao Lingyu and Wang Dashan chatted, a panting Wang Yunfu returned, leading the old cow. Following them was a middle-aged man, who probably came from the slaughterhouse.
The calf being held by Wang Dashan immediately became agitated. It kept spinning around, trying to break free from its reins to get to its mother.
Wang Dashan let it go.
It ran to the old yellow cow’s side and rubbed against its calf. The old cow caressed the calf’s head as if to comfort it. Then, it licked the calf’s face as if wiping away its tears.
Wang Yunfu wiped the sweat off his face. “Dad, luckily I’m a fast runner or the cow would have been killed already.” When Wang Yunfu arrived at the slaughterhouse, the people there already had the old cow on the machine. They were ready to electrocute her to death.
Wang Dashan shivered to hear his son. He sighed. “Good thing you arrived in time.” Wang Yunfu looked at the man behind them. “Dad, we should return the money to Uncle Liu!”
Wang Dashan nodded. “You’re right.”
Wang Dashan took out 1200 from his trouser pocket and handed it to the man. “Datou, sorry for troubling you!”
Liu Datou lost a bit of money from not slaughtering the cow, but since the man didn’t want to sell, he didn’t force it. However, he shook his head and ask, “Brother Wang, the cow is dying. Why did you suddenly decide not to sell it?”
Wang Dashan pointed at Xiao Lingyu and said, “This young lady said she has a way to extend the old cow’s life, so I sold the cow to her.”
Liu Datou looked at Xiao Lingyu and narrowed his eyes. He was puzzled. “Oh? A way to extend a cow’s life? I’ve been in the slaughtering business for two decades already, and I haven’t heard of anything like that. Miss, which village are you from?”
Xiao Lingyu said, “I’m from Taoyuan Village.”
“Her surname is Xiao.” Wang Dashan explained, “Taoyuan Village is where the top-scorer of our county came from a few years ago.”
Xiao Lingyu smiled and didn’t say anything. She didn’t reveal she was that person. She took out 1500 and handed it to Wang Dashan. “Uncle Wang, this is 1500. Do count them!”
Wang Dashan took the money and counted. Then, he nodded. “That’s correct.” He looked at the yellow cow and the calf. He added, “Now, they are yours.”
However, another problem arose.
Wang Yunfu looked around and asked, “Taoyuan Village is quite far from here. How are you going to get back there with two cattle?”
Taoyuan Village was about ten miles away. It was rather difficult for a girl to drive the cows back on her own. In the end, it was Liu Datou from the slaughterhouse who drove Xiao Lingyu back to Taoyuan Village with his truck. The truck was the slaughterhouse’s property. They used to transport meat and livestock.
“Hmm, isn’t that Lingyu? Why is she in Liu Datou’s truck?” Someone saw them on the way and he was confused.
“That is indeed Liu Datou!”
“Why would Lingyu come back with him?”
“I don’t know, but there are two cattle in the truck. Perhaps Lingyu bought them? But that’s so silly.”
Liu Datou drove the truck all the way to Xiao Lingyu’s house. A group of children followed the truck.
Mother Xiao and Father Xiao immediately walked out when they heard the truck. They saw Xiao Lingyu jump out of the car.
Mother Xiao immediately asked, “Girl, weren’t you supposed to go to town and get some seeds? Why did you come back so late? Did you know how worried your father and I were?”
It was almost seven o’clock.
Then, Mother Xiao saw Liu Dahou descend from the driver’s seat. She was confused. “Liu Datou?”
Liu Datou looked at Mother Xiao and smiled. “Yes, it’s me, big sister!”