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The middle-aged man had clearly spotted them. He drove straight over and greeted Skewell.

Skewell sighed. "Another one died?"

The middle-aged man nodded heavily.

Skewell stepped forward to inspect it, and Shi Wen followed.

The dead cow gave off a foul stench. It was probably not the smell of decay caused by death, but the stench brought on by illness.

Even through his mask, Shi Wen found the smell so overpowering that he could barely breathe.

Keeping his expression calm, he leaned in to inspect it. He could see large amounts of bloody mucus around the dead cow's mouth and nose, while its skin had ulcerated. Its hooves were also badly rotten.

Because the dead cow's belly was swollen high, its four legs stuck up sharply, allowing Shi Wen to easily see the damaged coronary bands.

After offering the herding family a few words of comfort, Skewell took out a notebook to make records and photos for evidence. "This cow will need to be taken away and buried later. I'll have someone drive over, then disinfect the place afterward."

The male owner nodded.

After finishing his records, Skewell said, "Let's go look at the other three sick cows first."

The three remaining sick cows had been isolated in an abandoned cowshed.

Shi Wen followed behind. The moment he entered, he smelled a nauseating mixture of fodder, dung, wood, blood, sick cattle, and damp air. It was truly foul.

Since becoming Skewell's assistant, this was the worst smell he had ever encountered.

Without changing expression, Skewell went straight to examine the sick cows.

The lighting in the abandoned cowshed was dim, with insects circling the lamps.

At some point, the family's child had come in and was standing nervously behind the adults.

Shi Wen surveyed the surroundings before quickly focusing his attention on the sick cows.

The sick cows were lying down. At the sight of strangers, they uneasily shifted deeper into the shed, their movement setting off wheezing, labored breaths.

Their breath carried a foul odor. When they opened their mouths, saliva dripped out and hung from their festering sores, making Shi Wen feel physically nauseated for a moment.

He quietly adjusted his expression.

As though he could not smell the stench at all, Skewell calmly stepped forward to examine the sick cows. He used saline to wash their ulcerated mucous membranes while speaking with the owner.

Shi Wen went over to help while observing the cows.

Once Mucosal Disease took hold, there was no particularly effective treatment. They could only use medication to ease the symptoms, strengthen the animals' resistance, and let the cows slowly recover.

But judging from the situation, the cows were not improving. The treatment was probably ineffective as well.

The owner's family seemed to understand that too.

After Skewell switched off his flashlight and said, "I'll come back in a couple of days to check on them," the whole family's eyes instantly reddened. The male owner's cheek twitched, while large tears seeped from the old man's clouded eyes.

Shi Wen did not know how he could see so clearly in that moment. He distinctly saw the old man rapidly wipe away his tears with his thick-knuckled hands, yet he could not wipe away the tears and snot that kept falling.

Shi Wen turned his head away, only to see the despair in the male owner's eyes and the ashen pallor of the female owner's face.

An indescribably bleak atmosphere hung over the dilapidated cowshed.

Shi Wen curled his hand into a fist, helplessly clutching the hem of his clothes.

For a family that made its living by herding, these sick and dead cows might have been their living expenses, medical bills, or their children's school fees.

Shi Wen could not bear to look any longer. Lowering his head, he followed Skewell to wash his hands.

Having suffered such a heavy blow, the owner's family did not come out to see them off.

Skewell lowered his voice. "Livestock getting sick is a devastating blow to a herding family. Even doctors have far too many diseases they can't cure. You'd better give up the idea of buying sick cows."

Shi Wen washed his hands. After a moment of silence, he said softly, "I still want to try."

"What did you say?" Skewell glared at him, even stopping his handwashing. "Do you have a fever?"

Shi Wen lowered his head and continued washing his hands.

He still wanted to do something.

Hua Nation was so vast, yet he alone had awakened the Qilin Bloodline. He had already gained quite a lot from it and made quite a bit of money.

Although there was not much money in his accounts yet, his actual assets were quite considerable.

Since he had already received the benefits, he ought to do something, right?

Those with ability should do more. Otherwise, why had heaven allowed him to awaken?

Countless thoughts spun through Shi Wen's mind. He said quietly, "Let's buy them. I want to see if I can nurse them back to health."

Skewell said, "Where are you going to keep them if you buy them?!"

Shi Wen had already thought it through. "They can stay temporarily by my warehouse."

Shi Wen explained his plan. He could temporarily keep the sick cows near the warehouse and vaccinate the cattle and sheep at home with the live attenuated freeze-dried vaccine. With the vaccine and proper isolation, there should not be any problems.

Skewell felt as if Shi Wen had been possessed. No matter what he said, Shi Wen still wanted to buy them.

At Shi Wen's request, Skewell felt as though he had been possessed too, and actually went to ask about the price for him.

When the male owner heard that Shi Wen wanted to buy the sick cows, his mouth fell open. He stared at Shi Wen. "You want to buy these three sick cows?"

Skewell nodded.

The male owner stared at Shi Wen and carefully explained in imperfect Mandarin, "These cows are already very seriously ill. They might die as soon as you take them home. The cow outside died from this disease."

Shi Wen was equally serious. "I know. I've studied it. I can try raising them."

The male owner thought for a moment. "Are you doing this out of kindness? There's no need. We can still hold on. These cows really aren't going to make it. You'll regret buying them. My family has raised cattle for generations. They'll be very hard to save."

The female owner clasped her hands tightly, looking at Shi Wen with gratitude and sorrow. "We can't take advantage of you."

Shi Wen said, "These three cows may not be saveable here, but they might still have a little hope if they go to my place. I want to try."