Chapter 595: Buying a Cow

Yu Lin walked around that cow twice, growing more pleased the longer he looked.

Its coat was glossy, its build well-proportioned, and its eyes were bright and moist, revealing a hint of spirituality.

He patted its back; the cow didn't dodge, merely turned its head to glance at him, its gaze gentle.

"All right, you'll do." Yu Lin nodded.

Ning Ya stood to the side, hands in her pockets, her expression complex.

"You want to buy it?"

"Or steal it? Am I that kind of person?"

Ning Ya thought for a moment, then nodded: "Indeed not."

Yu Lin had already been looking around.

Not far from the grassland stood a stone-built hut, with farming tools piled against its walls and several dried cowhides hanging at the door.

An old man sat on the threshold, head lowered, fiddling with something.

Yu Lin walked over.

The old man lifted his head, revealing a face weathered by wind and frost.

His skin was tanned dark brown, his wrinkles like dried riverbeds.

He gave Yu Lin a once‑over, then glanced at Ning Ya standing behind him, his eyes holding a hint of curiosity.

"Hello." Yu Lin said in Greek.

At his current cultivation level, learning a language is merely a thought away.

The old man nodded and replied in a sentence spoken with a heavy accent.

"Hello."

Yu Lin pointed to the cow on the grass.

"That cow—are you selling it?"

The old man blinked, followed his hand to look, then smiled.

"You've taken a liking to it?"

"Mm."

The old man fell silent for a moment, then rose and brushed the dust from his pants.

He walked to the edge of the pen, leaned against a wooden post, and watched the cow grazing.

"This cow has been with me for many years."

His voice was slow and leisurely, as if speaking of something long past: "Its mother I raised from a calf; when she gave birth, it was a difficult delivery, and I guarded them for three days and three nights to keep them safe."

"From the time it was young, it's been different from other cows—smart, perceptive of human feelings; you call it, it understands; you're happy, it's happy too."

"If you're not happy, it stands silently by your side, neither lowing nor moving, just standing there."

As he spoke, he reached into his pocket, felt around, pulled out a piece of dry hard bread, broke off a small bit, and waved it at the cow.

The cow lifted its head, sauntered over, snatched the bread from his palm, chewed it, then glanced at Yu Lin.

"It's followed me and endured much hardship." The old man patted its back, "When it was young it could still work; now that it's old, it can't do much, so I've kept it merely as a companion."

Yu Lin said nothing.

The old man looked at him, his eyes holding a touch of scrutiny: "You're not from around here, are you?"

"No."

"Then why are you buying it?"

Yu Lin thought for a moment: "I have a cow at home; I'm getting it a companion."

The old man blinked, then burst out laughing.

His laugh was hearty, carrying far across the open grassland.

"Getting a companion for a cow? Interesting, interesting."

"It follows me, can graze on this grassland, see the mountains, see the sea; following you would be no better than.........."

"All right, enough talk—I'll pay three times the market price."

Hearing that, the old man's eyes lit up, and he immediately said:

"Deal!"

He pulled a rope from his pocket, slipped it over the cow's neck, tied a slipknot, and handed the end to Yu Lin.

"Here you go."

Yu Lin took the rope, and with his other hand pulled a stack of bills from his pocket.

He didn't count them, just handed them over.

The old man lowered his head to glance at it, satisfied with the thickness, and nodded:

"Mm, from today on it's yours."

"Its name is A Li Ya; it likes apples, dislikes pears."

Yu Lin nodded.

The old man said nothing more, turned, and went inside.

The door closed softly behind him.

Yu Lin led the cow back the way he'd come.

Ning Ya walked beside him, sighing:

"This old man said all that just to jack up the price........."

"I actually thought he really liked this cow."

Yu Lin shrugged: "Who says it isn't?"

"Just buying it is enough."

In the stone cottage, the old man sat at the table, clutching the stack of cash in his hand, watching the grass outside the window.

Yu Lin led the cow and Ning Ya, their backs gradually receding into the distance.

Until they vanished completely.

Sunlight filtered through the window shutters, bathing his face in a warm glow.

He stared for a long time, then suddenly scratched his head.

"Strange," he muttered, "why don't I remember this…"

He furrowed his brows, tried hard to recall, but couldn't remember when he had raised that cow, how he raised it, or how long.

The memory seemed to have been gently erased by someone, leaving only a vague shadow.

He thought for a while, then finally placed the money on the table, fetched the wine jar beside him, and poured himself a cup.

"Never mind, it's just my mistake."

He lifted the cup and took a sip.

The wine was the village's own grape wine, a bit astringent, but with a sweet aftertaste.

He lowered his head, glanced at the money in his hand, then looked out the window.

"Having money is enough," he said to himself.

Then he finished the cup of wine and stood up:

"I'll go buy a few more and bring them back."