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The male homeowner heard this and said, "Then we'll have to discuss it."

The homeowner's family went inside to talk it over.

Skewell said somewhat helplessly, "If you really want to buy them, I'll call some people over to witness it. Three adult cows—we need to make the transaction clear, so neither side backs out afterward."

Shi Wen said, "Sorry for the trouble."

Before long, Skewell called over several respected old herders from nearby to discuss the cattle sale.

When the old herders arrived, they first tried to persuade Shi Wen. They knew he meant well, but buying sick cattle really required careful consideration.

Shi Wen again stated that he had thought it through.

The old herders then discussed the price with the sick cows' owners.

In the end, the owners sold the three cows to Shi Wen for three thousand each.

All three were adult cows weighing over six hundred kilograms. They were three-year-old females, and if they had not fallen ill, each would have had a market value of at least twenty thousand.

But the cows were so seriously ill that they were practically impossible to sell. If they died, there would also be a great many procedures involved in contacting a veterinarian for harmless disposal.

Being able to sell them for three thousand each now meant the owners of the sick cattle had not lost out either.

With the old herders as witnesses, both sides drew up a written agreement and completed the handover. Backing out was strictly forbidden.

If either side reneged, they would not only face legal trouble, but their reputation would be ruined as well.

After Shi Wen bought the cows, he could not hire an ordinary vehicle to transport them for fear of contaminating it. In the end, Skewell called someone to bring over a vehicle used for harmless disposal and specially helped Shi Wen transport the sick cows home.

Shi Wen's warehouse had been unused for years and stood completely empty inside.

Once the sick cows were delivered, Shi Wen settled them in the warehouse, barely managing to get them situated.

Skewell checked the sick cows again and instructed Shi Wen, "You need to maintain strict isolation here. After examining the sick cows, you must disinfect your entire body before coming into contact with healthy cattle or sheep."

Shi Wen nodded. "I understand."

Skewell patted him on the shoulder and sighed. "Good luck."

Chapter 17

In the morning, after Shi Wen drove the cattle and sheep from the livestock shed out to graze, he returned to check on the sick cows in the warehouse.

The three sick cows had been at his home for over a week. Two of them had visibly improved and could already stand.

When they saw him, one of the improving cows let out a long moo and stepped toward the railing, wanting to sniff him. The other improving cow paced in place, looking quite lively.

The severely ill cow, however, had worsened further. It lay on the hay and showed little reaction when it heard him enter. Its eyes were extremely cloudy, flies buzzed around it, and it looked like it was not going to last much longer.

Shi Wen wore a mask and gloves, along with a long coat and rain boots, as he examined the sick cows one by one.

The ulceration around the mouths and lips of the two improving cows had already scabbed over, while the sores on the severely ill cow had become increasingly rotten.

Shi Wen could clearly sense that the most severely ill cow could not be saved.

Even if he had the Qilin True Spirit rather than merely the Qilin Bloodline, there was probably nothing he could do.

Through his glove, Shi Wen stroked the head of the most seriously ill cow and silently sighed.

The sick cow beneath his hand blinked with difficulty. There was almost no light left in its eyes.

After checking on the cows, Shi Wen carried in fresh grass from outside and mixed in concentrated feed and mineral powder. Once he had carefully prepared the feed, he gave it to the three cows.

After feeding them, he began cleaning the cowshed.

The cow dung, urine, and contaminated hay all had to be cleared out. Then he disinfected the floor with quicklime before replacing it with clean hay.

As Shi Wen bustled back and forth, the breathing of the most seriously ill cow grew louder and louder.

Shi Wen put down his broom, walked over, knelt halfway to the ground, and gently placed his hand on the sick cow.

Pale red saliva flowed from the sick cow's mouth and nose. The light faded from its eyes, and under Shi Wen's watch, it slowly stopped breathing.

Shi Wen had expected it, but even so, the sight made his chest tighten.

He took off his gloves, walked outside the warehouse, and called Skewell to tell him that one of the sick cows had died.

Skewell was the town's official veterinarian and was also responsible for disease prevention. Since a sick cow had died, Shi Wen had to inform him.

After listening, Skewell said, "I'll bring people over to handle it right away."

Shi Wen said, "All right. I'll wait for you at home."

After hanging up, Shi Wen touched his pocket.

At that moment, he especially wanted to smoke a cigarette and find someone to talk to.

Unfortunately, his pockets were empty, and the person he wanted to find was busy too.

Skewell arrived quickly.

A young man came with him, and they drove a truck together to the warehouse entrance.

Skewell introduced him to Shi Wen. "This is my assistant, Tang Duohai. Where's the dead cow? Let me take a look."

Shi Wen nodded to Tang Duohai and answered, "It's in the warehouse. I couldn't move it."

Shi Wen led them inside. The dead cow lay quietly on the ground, flies buzzing around it, while a murky stench filled the entire warehouse.

So as not to affect the two cows that had improved, Shi Wen had specifically led them behind the warehouse and tied them there.

Skewell crouched on the ground and, wearing gloves, examined the dead cow. After confirming that it was completely dead, he had Tang Duohai take photos and told Shi Wen to fill out the forms and upload the information.

Once that was done, Tang Duohai drove the forklift off the back of the truck and loaded the cow's corpse onto it.

Cows that died from this kind of illness had to be transported to a designated site and deeply buried for harmless disposal.

The entire process was paid for by the government. Shi Wen only needed to cooperate.

After the carcass was loaded into the sealed truck bed, Skewell and Tang Duohai stayed behind to continue clearing out the remaining feed, manure, and other waste from the warehouse, then thoroughly disinfected it with disinfectant.

The three of them worked for most of the morning before they barely managed to finish cleaning up.

Skewell stood up and pounded his lower back. "How are the two cows you have left?"

Shi Wen said, "They've improved, but they're a little agitated. Their mucous membranes are congested and swollen, and their genitals are still bleeding."