Chapter 314

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Protagonist:

Chai Mi

Chai Mi actually cared about this old cow on purpose.

The family had raised it for decades, and feelings had developed.

In her previous life, after the family was ruined, no one cared for the old cow, and it later fell ill with a sickness that couldn't be treated.

Finally, the old cow might have died because the calf was too weak.

The old cow also got sick and died not long after.

But in the end, it was still sold by someone to be eaten as meat.

At that time, Chai Mi felt especially powerless, feeling that life was all darkness.

After rebirth, when the calf was snatched by Chai Youde, Chai Mi was extremely angry at that time.

Sometimes, when alive, being able to see hope gives one something to strive for. Even if that hope is very slim, one might PUA oneself in various ways to make oneself strong.

Fortunately, everything is fine now.

The old cow seems to be having a difficult birth, not looking like it's going to die.

"Dad, don't speak first. I've prepared the rope. You first check if the calf is coming out properly. You feel it..."

This is actually technical work.

Anyway, Chai Mi can't do it.

It looks simple to operate, just reach your hand in to see if you can touch the calf's head, then you can confirm.

But Chai Mi really hasn't done it before.

However, Chai Youqing has done it, and when Chai Youqing has something to do, he's especially patient. Although his work is generally average, he's relatively more careful.

Of course, most of the time it's Chai Mi forcing him to be careful.

Chai Youqing heard Chai Mi's order and immediately went back into the house to wash his hands, then used laundry detergent to lubricate his hands, then came out.

"Old Song..."

Whether to call him Uncle or Big Brother, Chai Youqing really didn't know what to call him.

"Old Song, help me hold the cow, don't let it move too much."

Chai Youqing said.

According to how the old Chai family speaks, Song Qingshan is Song Qiuping's biological uncle, Chai Youfu and Chai Youqing are real brothers, so Song Qingshan is Chai Youqing's pure... half in-law relationship. But Meng Shi is also related to another branch of the Chai family, so by that reckoning they're of the same generation.

Anyway, whatever you call him is reasonable.

Song Qingshan wasn't pretentious and just went to hold the cow.

The other few people watched first.

Because Chai Mi was careful, this old cow is now very fat.

Round and plump.

Everyone praised:

"This cow is really big, a full fifteen hundred catties."

"You understated it, I think it's eighteen hundred catties."

"Chai Mi, not saying anything else, your cow is fed very well."

Chai Mi could only smile and say her mother fed it well, her mother was careful.

Chai Youqing touched it and said, turning back: "The head is at the door, it's fine. But this cow isn't lying down, what do we do?"

"Looking at this point, I feel it can't give birth on its own. Pull it hard. Dad, tie the rope well, then the big fellows pull." Chai Mi said.

Chai Youqing then tied a thin rope around a cow's hoof, then tied it to the thick rope.

Because there are two hooves, the thin rope must be tied first, then connected to the thick rope.

Chai Mi found an apron to help out.

After it was ready, the big fellows began to prepare to pull.

"Hold back a moment first, don't pull too hard. Wait until its head comes out, then pull hard." Chai Mi said.

Everyone agreed.

Su Wan originally wanted to help too, but Chai Mi told Su Wan to go into the house to boil water. In a moment, the big fellows will drink tea and eat.

Su Wan went back into the room. Seeing Chai Xiu had nothing to do, she had Chai Xiu coax the child, while she tended the fire herself.

On that side, Chai Mi saw the calf's head slowly coming out, so she told everyone: "Gently, gently. You have many people, pull slowly, let it come out slowly."

After a while, the calf was finally born safely.

Chai Mi and Chai Youqing held the calf, put the calf on the ground, untied the rope on the calf's legs, then untied the old cow's reins.

The old cow eagerly went to lick the calf.

"Everyone, go into the house and drink some water. Today we really counted on everyone. If it weren't for so many people, we really couldn't have done it." Chai Youqing greeted everyone to go into the house.

Most people didn't choose to go into the house, but said: "As long as the calf is fine. There's still work at home, we're going back."

They're all fellow villagers and neighbors, just lending a hand. Drinking tea and eating would be too embarrassing.

"Don't go, don't go. It's just right to eat dinner here tonight." Song Qingshan said: "You few still have to help with work tomorrow. Anyway, it's all one family's matter. Just eat at Chai Mi's house. The sand has already been hauled over. Tomorrow you few help dig a foundation. In the morning Qiu Shui won't wake up and can't host you for a meal. Today is just right to eat early."

Song Qiushui's brothers of the same generation from the Song family couldn't decline either, so they followed into the house.

Chai Mi greeted Liu Zhijing: "Da Zhi, you can't go haul sand today anyway. Go help buy some fishwort and anti-inflammatory medicine. This calf is too big; the old cow can't bear the strain. Better give it a shot."

Liu Zhijing agreed directly, then drove the tractor to town to buy medicine.

Song Qiushui pursed her lips: "Hehe."

Then she went over to the calf's side to take a look: "Still quite spirited, looks the part, though it's a bull calf."

"Keep the male too, use it as a breeding bull later." Chai Mi said jokingly.

Song Qiushui laughed too: "Everything's a breeding bull? You really are something."

"Mainly because it looks good, and it's obedient." Chai Mi smiled.

The old cow licked the calf; the temperature was still okay now, the calf wouldn't get too cold. After licking for a while, the old cow went to eat some grass, somewhat unable to keep it up, then hurried back to lick the calf.

Since ancient times there's an idiom: licking the calf, deep affection.

The old cow licking the calf is instinct; and don't look at the old cow's heavy weight and bulky body, but its steps are still quite reliable — it's absolutely impossible for it to step on the calf. Chai Mi was still at ease about this.

It's only during the time before birth that Chai Mi would worry a bit.

Once it's born, there's no problem.

After a while, Liu Zhijing came back driving the tractor "tut-tut-tut".

"Bought two doses of medicine."

"Fine, I'll give you the money later when I have time. In a bit you help give the shot... " Chai Mi said with a smile: "This I really can't do."

Liu Zhijing hurriedly said things like no need for money, but Chai Mi would still give it.

Giving the old cow a shot, naturally Chai Mi doing it was more difficult.

Although the old cow was older, it was still a cow after all. Especially having just given birth to a calf, whoever tried to make it leave the calf, it would fight for its life.

Although usually honest, this time it wasn't having it.

Chai Mi went over carefully, put some cornmeal in the cattle trough; the old cow went to eat, and Chai Mi took the chance to tie the old cow up, then had Liu Zhijing give a shot.

Only then did she untie the old cow, then spread some grass for the calf, and that was it.

"Go inside, rest a bit." It counted as busy more or less done; Chai Mi called Liu Zhijing and Song Qiushui to go inside.

"Don't need to watch a bit?" Song Qiushui asked doubtfully: "I see other people's cows give birth and they all guard them; the calf seems to need to eat its first milk before it's okay."

Although Song Qiushui didn't have much experience raising cows, she couldn't help being a native rural person; hearing the big fellows talk every day, she naturally knew some things.

"Right now the calf hasn't gotten up; what if the cow gets agitated and steps on it?"

Chai Mi wasn't too worried about this; after all, the old cow had given birth to many calves, basically didn't need to be managed.

"Let it serve as a mother itself. I generally don't interfere. It serving itself is better than having someone at the side; with someone at the side, it would get agitated instead. Go upstairs." Chai Mi led Song Qiushui and Liu Zhijing into the room.

After letting the two go in, Chai Mi told Chai Xiu: "You watch those two broken dogs of yours, don't let them go make trouble at the cowshed."

"Sister, I've discovered you, this person, are just purely..."

Chai Xiu wanted to speak but stopped.

Pure f*cking picking faults! Really think I'm young so you can bully me!

"Those two dogs are still in the box, they won't run out; Sister, aren't you worrying a bit unnecessarily?"

"I mean in case they run out, it's easy for the cow to get agitated and step on the calf; also afraid your two things get ruined to death. Besides, I didn't say today; your tone." Chai Mi glared at Chai Xiu: "Understand a bit, not enough for you to show off. I still wouldn't know the dogs are small now? In a few days when they grow up? Really. Just do what you're told. Even learned to talk back."

Chai Xiu grumbled, didn't dare retort, could only say okay.

Su Wan was burning the fire; Chai Xiu was actually coaxing the child.

This era had no electronic equipment; hot water needed a big pot to boil; if there were many people, burning the fire was also a job.

Chai Mi helped bring in some firewood, then washed her hands, preparing to cook and such.

Su Wan saw no one on either side, said in a low voice: "Chai Mi, don't always bully Xiu'er. She's grown up; you always scold her in front of others, she'll be embarrassed."

Chai Xiu was indeed naturally a bit shy and introverted. Although every time Chai Mi scolded her she didn't resist, Su Wan felt that Chai Xiu was sensible after all; always scolding her wasn't too good.

Especially when there were many people, Chai Xiu would be even more embarrassed, occasionally even talking back.

"Ma, who knows what Xiu'er thinks in her head all day; she's not embarrassed. She thinks she knows a lot... the day before yesterday she had nothing to do and even read Capital. In her thinking, she feels I'm bullying her, she has to resist a bit." Chai Mi said helplessly: "Definitely Xiu'er told you behind my back: 'Aiya, my sister always f*cking bullies me...' Ma, if you think of her like that, you're wrong. If I don't manage her, she'll turn the world upside down; one day she'll produce a Chai Family version of Song Qiushui for you..."

Chai Xiu, who was coaxing the child, rolled her eyes, coldly snorted, and went inside.

Su Wan's face was awkward; this really was what Chai Xiu said. But hearing Chai Mi explain like this, it seemed to make a bit of sense. Chai Xiu at such a young age started learning to be the master of the house, resisting her sister... this had a bit of Song Qiushui's tendency.

Not saying Song Qiushui is bad, but the family has three kids; if every single one is arrogant and domineering, then don't do anything else, just fight all day from now on.

Today the eldest and second fight, tomorrow the third and second fight again; indeed not too good.

Put that way, Chai Mi managing is still right.

"Then don't say it when there are many people; you scold her secretly behind their backs." Su Wan said.

"Deal." Chai Mi smiled.

Then arrived at the West Wu Zi, sat on the kang; in the room were only Chai Mi and Chai Xiu, and the third child in Chai Xiu's arms.

"I see you've been eating too well recently, not accepting discipline anymore. Tomorrow you run the house; morning you cook."

Chai Xiu didn't speak, head lowered.

Chai Mi pursed her lips: "If you don't get up to cook, you'll see how I deal with you."

"I don't know how."

"So..."

"So I don't know how."

"Don't f*cking waste words." Chai Mi said: "Originally it was me letting you do it; it's all things you can do, yet you make a fuss. I didn't let you do things you can't do."

Chai Xiu thought a bit, seemed it really was so.

That means she was wrong...

"Honestly coax the child, don't let the dogs run wild. Saves me having no time and still having to go manage the cow." Chai Mi finished, paused: "Right, when I'm not home, you remember. Tell Cun Ma not to cross the line; then tell your dad, when feeding the cow, remember to feed dried grass; some grass in summer gets damp and has heated up, can't be fed. If fed, the calf gets diarrhea, hard to handle. Remember?"

Chai Xiu absent-mindedly nodded.

Chai Mi also had no time to bother with Chai Xiu, went to the East Wu Zi to entertain guests.

So many people came today, must be enthusiastic after all.

Chai Mi first found Liu Zhijing: "Da Zhi, call your dad over later. If your mom isn't busy, come over together and eat a bit too. You've been running around busy, and in a couple days I'll still need to trouble you with something else."

"Then I'll go home in a bit and tell my dad."

"Right, I'm busy here too. What's your dad been busy with lately?"

Liu Zhijing spread his hands: "Don't know, he's never home day after day, don't know what he goes off to do. If you ask, he just says he's busy in the Village. Problem is I don't know where he goes either."

Chai Mi smiled and said: "After all he's the Village Chief, being busy is normal."

Actually Chai Mi knew, Liu Zhanggui was just that sort, well-intentioned at heart, but in recent years because of the Divorce, he often went to other people's houses to mooch meals.

He couldn't cook himself, so he went to mooch.

Plus he himself was the Village Chief, Sanjiacun had a large population, over five thousand people, over one thousand plus households, this alone — so many Families, day in day out, Liu Zhanggui definitely couldn't be idle.

Just the first stretch of time, their Laozhai was enough to keep Liu Zhanggui busy.

Of course, Laozhai didn't provide meals.

But other people's houses, if there were other matters, such as weddings and funerals, they'd all look for him, and afterwards they'd all provide meals too.

Liu Zhanggui couldn't report to his family every day, where he went today, where he'd go tomorrow.

Anyway wherever there was something, they looked for him, he had to go.

"I heard my dad say, you recently set up a stall and went to the County too, business over there is especially hot. The first couple days, hot enough that Song Qiushui beat gongs and drums to promote it." Liu Zhijing had also heard it from others: "Qiu Shui is indeed quite interesting. She ran to your Second Uncle's Wu Zi and made a scene, and your Second Uncle had his father-in-law give him a few Big Slaps."

Chai Mi covered her mouth and laughed: "That I really didn't know. But this matter can't be blamed on Qiu Shui either, the two of us went to set up a stall, Chai Min was idle with nothing to do and went to Find Fault, how could Qiu Shui be happy? In this lifetime no one has ever dared to Find Fault with her, let alone her eldest niece? So she went. But I really didn't know, my Second Uncle got beaten again."

"Could he not get beaten?" Liu Zhijing laughed: "Da Lao Song said your Second Uncle is nothing, others working now earn thirty-fifty a day, he earns seven Yuan/Dollar a day. Still have to count the meal allowance... if he didn't get beaten, that would be strange."