Chapter 22: The Tragic Death of the Ox

Qian Daguai’s popularity in the village was average, but to be honest, he wasn’t a bad person.

First, he doesn’t like to gossip about other people.

Second, he doesn’t like to get close to anyone, but he is very polite to everyone he meets.

But this is the kind of person who has very average popularity, and the reason is that he is ‘stingy’, the kind of stingy person who is very careful with every penny.

But Qian Daguai is a practical person. He is stingy, but he is also hardworking. When others are resting, he is busy making bamboo baskets and other things that he can sell in town for money.

Such a hardworking and thrifty person, after the economic environment has changed, it is impossible for his life to be bad. Qian Dagui’s life is going well!

His house is one of the top ten two-story houses in the village. His yard is very beautiful with stone tables and benches, grape racks, vegetables, fruits, flowers and plants. The most important thing is that he has seven big fat pigs.

The one thing that makes Qianguiguai feel his back straight is that two months ago, he bought a plow ox, which is almost the only one in the village. Guo Er is richer than him, but Guo Er’s mind is not on the land. People don’t buy plow oxen.

A few days ago, there was a plague in the village, and Qian Dagui took his family to see a free doctor. Fortunately, none of them were sick.

It was also the case that a while ago, Qian Daguai took his wife and young son on a long trip, staying at his wife’s family home for a few days. It is estimated that this is how they did not get infected.

What is luck? This is luck?

Qian Daguai felt that his life was quite comfortable, except for these few days, when the cow at home kept tormenting him. It wouldn’t eat enough even after being fed several times, and it would go crazy in the barn if it wasn’t fed.

That night, Qian Daguai thought to himself, “The village said there were some kind of mutant roundworms, and my cow seems to have contracted them, but they didn’t say they could be transmitted to livestock.”

Qian Daguai was a little uneasy.

As if to match his unease, that night, his cow was particularly restless, repeatedly making a lot of noise in the cattle pen, and the old cow, who was always very quiet, was actually moaning continuously.

Qian Daguai went to feed the cow several times, but the cow wouldn’t eat today, and kept looking at him and crying.

Qian Daguai felt sorry for the cow, but he was not a cow and could not understand the cow’s pain. People who love cows know that cows are very intelligent. This cow is crying, so there must be something wrong.

Patting the cow’s body, Qian Daguai spoke gently as if he were talking to a lover: “Cow, cow, don’t make a fuss. I’ve decided to find a veterinarian to take a look at you tomorrow.”

This is a true heartache for the cow. Qian Daguai is stingy. He is unwilling to spend money even when he is sick, but he is willing to find a veterinarian for the cow tomorrow.

After comforting the cow, it seemed that the cow was much better. Qian Daguai also put on his clothes and went to bed, but he couldn’t sleep well.

It was a little after 5 o’clock, and it was still dark. Qian Daguai suddenly heard the cattle stall making a loud noise, and then the cow let out a few mournful cries. It was a real mournful cry, like the cry of a dying person, and it was heartbreaking to hear.

Qian Dagui sat up suddenly. His wife asked sleepily, “What’s going on? Why aren’t you sleeping at this hour?”

“Didn’t you hear our cow screaming? It really sounds heartbreaking.”

“Didn’t you say you were going to the vet when it got light?”

“No, I’m not at ease. I have to go and take a look.”

With a lantern and his clothes on, Qian Daguai walked toward the cattle pen. Before he even got close, he could smell the blood. The silence in the pen was eerie!

Qian Dagui’s back inexplicably went all goose bumps, but he was carrying his cow, so he quickened his pace and headed toward the barn!

“Oh my God, which son of a bitch is it?”

Qian Daguai’s wife was suddenly awakened. She heard her husband’s cry, a cry of grief and anger. She had only heard it once in all the years she had been with her husband, and that was when Qian Daguai’s grandfather had died.

Worried about her husband, Qian Daguai’s wife didn’t even bother to put on her clothes. She ran out wearing only a shirt and pants, and when she got to the cow barn, she saw her husband crouching there, holding his head and pulling at his hair.

Daguai was crying. Qian Daguai’s wife knew him too well. He was in extreme pain and liked to cry silently like this.

She walked over, knelt down, and hugged her husband’s back, whispering, “What’s wrong?”

Qian Daguai, with trembling hands, pointed at the cow pen and said, “You… you… see for yourself, which son of a bitch is it?”

The oil lamp was still hanging on the cow pen, gently swaying in the wind. Because she was so concerned about her husband, she really didn’t notice the cow pen. When she turned around and looked, she fell to the ground. She was lying on Qian Dagui’s back, and only then did she not fall to the ground.

I was running down the road with a big steamed bun in my mouth, holding a pickled radish. Last night, I had a little accident during my practice, and scared the old man Jiang and Huijue for a while. In the end, it was already 3 o’clock in the morning after everything was fine.

I was late for school, and I wanted to play hooky, but my master didn’t care about my practice accident at all. He kicked me in the butt and kicked me out.

When I was running to the village square, I saw Su Rou’s fat figure from afar. This was our agreement: whoever got there first would wait for the other at the village square and then go to school together.

I had never been so late before, so Su Rou must have been worried and was walking back and forth.

I ran over, but before I could say anything, Su Rou grabbed the steamed bun I was holding in my mouth and took a big bite out of it.

Then he mumbled as he chewed the steamed bun: “Why are you so late today? You’ve delayed me, so these two bites of steamed bun are compensation.”

I didn’t bother to argue with him, and I took a bite of the steamed bun myself. Who doesn’t know who is who? Su Rou just thought that the crispy radish skins made by the old man were delicious: “Oh, what big deal can you have? Being late is not to your liking. Anyway, your son’s school, when he loses his mind, isn’t it just skipping class?”

Su Rou swallowed the steamed bun and said, “Sanwa, I’m not just talking to you. It’s really a big deal. The old miser on the village square, Qian Dagui, you know? His cow died.”

The cow died? I didn’t pay much attention, just took another bite of the steamed bun, ignoring the drooling eyes of Su Rou, and said, “That Qian Dagui must be heartbroken. With his stingy nature, he’s going to cry himself to death. You kid, are you afraid you want to go see the fun? This is called a big deal?”

“Bullshit, his cow died. With his stingy nature, I’m not going to get a piece of beef if I go watch the fun. I heard that his cow died a horrible and weird death. I’ve been standing here waiting for you, and there have been several groups of people watching the fun. They all said it was horrible, so I wanted to go watch, but you came so late…” Su Rou chattered on and on.

I was suddenly shocked, and the steamed buns in my hand fell to the ground. I remembered what my master had told me. There were still two missing, and it was very likely that they had gone to the animals.

“Sanwa, if I couldn’t beat you, I would have beaten you. You don’t like steamed buns, so give them to me. You’re so good, you don’t even give them to me when you throw them on the ground.” Su Rou was angry. I couldn’t understand why everyone around me was like a pig, eating was the only thing they did, and they could even stuff themselves when they were full.

Su Rou, Old Man Jiang, even the monk Hui Jue!

But I really don’t have the mood to argue with Su Rou right now. My hands are shaking a little, and I can only calm myself down by grabbing Su Rou’s clothes tightly. I may not be afraid of ghosts, but this hungry ghost is really scary.

“Sanwa, you’re not really thinking of fighting, are you?” Su Rou looked at me in that way, somewhat uncertain.

“Tell me, what did the cow look like when it died? Describe it for me.” My voice was shaking.

“I didn’t go to see it. Others said it was terrible, but I didn’t listen carefully to the rest.” Su Rou didn’t know what was wrong with me.

I let go of Su Rou, took a few deep breaths to calm myself down, and said to Su Rou, “I’m going to go see. You’re going to school, so go quickly. If you want to follow, then follow.”

Su Rou immediately smiled. “Is the sun shining from the west today? Sanwa, I’ll remember this. This is the second time you’ve skipped school.”