Chapter 16 (continued)

Shi Wen's offer to buy sick cattle had come up in the course of conversation.

Once the words were out, though, he felt the idea really could work.

He had been raising livestock for nearly two months, and some of them had fallen ill during that time.

But every time one got sick, he spotted it immediately and gave it medicine in time.

There had not been a single problem on the entire ranch since he took it over.

Even Big One, the sick cow he had bought earlier, had visibly improved after he cared for it for a while. Its once-prominent, bony frame had filled out, and its coat had grown glossy.

He was, after all, the only person in Hua Country with the Qilin Bloodline, and Shi Wen could sense that he had a special talent for caring for livestock.

Perhaps he really could take good care of sick cattle.

Besides, losing livestock to illness was a huge loss for any owner.

If he bought sick livestock cheaply, the sellers could recoup some of their losses, while he could buy livestock at a lower price and save on costs. It was a win-win situation.

Shi Wen briefly explained his thinking.

Zhang Deyuan still disagreed. "I know you young people have ideas of your own, and you really do raise livestock well, but buying sick animals is no small matter. You might never have seen an animal that's truly sick. When things get serious, the whole ranch has to be shut down and disinfected. Ten years of earnings wouldn't cover a single year's losses."

Shi Wen said, "It probably won't come to that. I'll check them before buying, and if they're in especially bad shape, I won't buy them."

Zhang Deyuan said, "Even if you check them, where will you quarantine the animals you bring back? What if they infect your other livestock? What if they contaminate the whole pasture? Shi Wen, I'm not trying to pour cold water on your plans or stop you from making money. Sick animals really are hard to deal with. One mistake could cost you dearly."

Shi Wen sighed softly. "I know. Brother Zhang, if you didn't really think of me as a brother, you wouldn't have said all this. I'll think it over."

"You'd better not think about it at all." Zhang Deyuan sighed too. "For a young person, nothing matters more than taking steady steps and earning money with peace of mind."

Afraid Shi Wen didn't understand the risks, Zhang Deyuan made a point of telling Fu Meng about it.

Fu Meng was dumbfounded too. He hadn't expected Shi Wen to have such an idea.

As an older brother figure, Fu Meng came over in person for a heart-to-heart with Shi Wen, doing his best to talk him out of it.

After coming up with the idea, Shi Wen had looked up quite a lot of information and had become convinced that it really was feasible.

Soon, Sikewell found out too.

Sikewell said to Fu Meng, "Young people really can have no sense of these things. Once he's seen more, he'll understand."

Sikewell sought Shi Wen out and suggested that he work as a veterinary assistant for a while and see more before deciding.

Shi Wen didn't turn down the veteran's offer of help. So, when he wasn't out grazing his livestock, he accompanied Sikewell as a veterinary assistant, visiting households to treat their animals.

That day, Shi Wen put on rubber shoes and a long coat, picked up the medical kit, and went to a herding family's home in the neighboring town to treat a sick cow.

Sikewell said to Shi Wen, "I've already been here twice. Their cattle have mucosal disease, so be careful in there."

"Mucosal disease?" Shi Wen recalled what he knew about it. "Doesn't it have a fairly high mortality rate?"

Sikewell nodded gravely. "Once symptoms appear, the mortality rate can reach ninety percent."

Shi Wen's heart sank.

They drove up to the herding family's home.

The gate outside the ranch wasn't locked; it was only held loosely shut by a latch.

Sikewell led Shi Wen straight through the gate and toward the family's home deeper inside the ranch.

Before they reached the house, Shi Wen heard a vehicle approaching.

He turned and looked ahead to the side. A dark-faced middle-aged man was driving a three-wheeler down the mountain. A middle-aged woman sat beside the driver's seat, and an elderly woman sat in the rear bed. Beside her lay a dead cow, its four legs pointing skyward, with flies buzzing around it.

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

Sikewell sighed. "Another one died?"

The middle-aged man nodded gravely.

Sikewell stepped forward to examine it, and Shi Wen followed.

The dead cow gave off a terrible stench. It probably wasn't the stench of decay after death, but one caused by the disease.

Even through his mask, the smell made it hard for Shi Wen to breathe.

Keeping his expression calm, he leaned in for a look. He could see a large amount of bloody mucus around the dead cow's mouth and nose. Its skin was ulcerated too, and its hooves were badly rotted.

The dead cow's belly was so swollen that its four legs stuck sharply upward, and Shi Wen could easily see the damaged coronary bands.

After offering the herding family a few words of comfort, Sikewell took out his notebook and made a record. He also took photos as evidence, then said, "This cow needs to be taken away and buried. I'll have someone drive over, and we'll disinfect the place afterward."

The man of the house nodded.

After finishing his notes, Sikewell said, "Let's go check on the three sick cows that are left first."

The owner's remaining three sick cows were quarantined in an old, disused cowshed.

Shi Wen followed behind. As soon as he stepped inside, he smelled a mixture of fodder, manure, wood, blood, sick cattle, damp air, and other things. It was foul enough to be called a stench.

It was the worst smell he had encountered since becoming Sikewell's assistant.

Sikewell's expression didn't change as he went straight to examine the sick cows.

The lighting in the old cowshed was dim, and insects flew back and forth around the lights.

The family's child had come in at some point and stood nervously behind the adults.

Shi Wen took a look around, then quickly focused his attention on the sick cows.

The cows were lying down. When they saw the strangers, they shifted uneasily deeper into the shed, which set them panting heavily.

Their breath stank. When they opened their mouths, saliva dribbled out and hung from the ulcerated sores. The sight made Shi Wen feel physically nauseated for a moment.