Era of the Cows

Chen Niu wiped his hands, walked to the edge of the field, and accepted the letter with mud still clinging to him.

Everyone around was curious. Usually, it was the educated youths who wrote to their distant families or friends. Someone like Chen Niu—a local with no relatives elsewhere—receiving a letter was a rare event.

“Chen Niu, who sent you a letter?”

“Did you get yourself a pen pal or something?”

Holding the letter, Chen Niu stared at the signature at the bottom, completely stunned.

He just stood there dazed, and only when someone put a hand on his shoulder and leaned over to look did he snap back to his senses.

Immediately, excitement filled his eyes as he eagerly tore open the letter.

Shi Qian didn’t crowd around. He quietly observed from the side.

Definitely not because he felt guilty about doing something shady—the thing he did was clearly a good deed.

Not far away, Lin Nanyin was also working in the fields.

She stood still, her expression a little tense as she looked in Chen Niu’s direction.

Shi Qian instantly understood.

The letter was fake—created by their little team. And since Lin Nanyin happened to be working today, her job was to watch and make sure none of them slipped up.

Back to Chen Niu: after scanning the opened letter a few times, he replied excitedly, “It’s from a scientist! He’s developed a hybrid rice that can increase crop yields.”

With such a simple explanation, everyone immediately got the idea.

Chen Niu then began sharing the scientist’s achievements, earning himself waves of admiration and envy.

“You kid are something else! You’re writing letters to a scientist now!”

“He’s a very busy man. He just squeezed out some time to reply with a few lines,” Chen Niu said modestly.

No one bought that false modesty. They praised him all the same.

On the side, every time Lin Nanyin heard the word “scientist,” all ten of her toes curled inside her shoes.

Her face also flushed unnaturally—she seemed almost embarrassed.

Because that letter wasn’t from any scientist at all. She wrote it…

Afraid he might recognize her handwriting, she switched to a more unfamiliar semi-cursive script. Normally, she used regular running script.

Shi Qian, secretly observing: Case solved.

The letter was most likely written by Lin Nanyin as the main author. That would explain why Chen Niu reacted with such “embarrassment” every time he read the word “scientist.”

Still, with friends like these, even if they’re far apart, they can stay friends for a long, long time.

In Shi Qian’s view, both Lin Nanyin and Chen Niu deserved a “good person card” from him.

Of course, Xu Guozi and Xie Guoan could have one too.

Although there had been some misunderstandings and twists, it didn’t change the fact that these young people all had pure hearts. Nothing like the melodramatic stories full of ugly scheming.

Chen Niu finished reading the letter in a hurry, and even his work afterward was full of renewed strength.

When they got home at noon, Shi Qian squeezed in next to him and reread the letter together in detail.

Regarding the words of comfort in the letter, Chen Niu said, “That Expert Yuan is really a good person. Even to a complete stranger, he comforts them so seriously.”

Shi Qian nodded and echoed, “Moo moo.”

Yes, yes.

In his heart: Of course. This was my idea. I worked so hard to trick that letter into your hands.

Besides the comfort, the letter also encouraged him, expressing genuine happiness that he was interested in agricultural science, and suggesting that if he liked it, he could explore biology and read more books.

It also said he was welcome to write again in the future. But the person writing might be busy for a while and might not be able to read his reply, so they apologized in advance.

It all sounded perfectly normal—yet only Shi Qian, the mastermind behind the scenes, understood the deeper meaning.

First, comfort.

Then, a little vision of the future drawn for him.

Encouragement.

And finally… an indirect warning that he might not receive any reply afterward.

Lin Nanyin and the others must have carefully thought this letter through before writing it.

They wanted to encourage Chen Niu, but also prevent future trouble.

Shi Qian: Moooo—

Good work, everyone.

I’ll steal some of the vegetables he grafts later and give them to you all to eat.

This letter accurately ignited the flame inside Chen Niu.

Just like he’d told Shi Qian last year, he began experimenting in the vegetable plot—though he’d started later than the other villagers—playing with grafting techniques.

He wanted to try hybridization too, but that required far more skill. For a beginner like him, grafting was perfect.

His small allocated farmland was more than enough for him to mess around with.

Shi Qian personally watched this newly enthusiastic young man spend a few days studying, then graft cucumbers onto pumpkins, luffas onto pumpkins, and even do some reverse cross attempts. The latter only in small amounts, just to satisfy his curiosity.

After a while, Chen Niu began eyeing the neighbor’s plot and borrowed a few watermelon seedlings.

Before long, looking at the entire field full of grafted plants, even Shi Qian couldn’t remember what had originally been what.

Chen Niu then picked up his Russian books again and quickly studied biology as well. He also asked Lin Nanyin and Xie Guoan to help him get more books.

If he only studied by himself, fine—but he even wanted Shi Qian to study too.

In Chen Niu’s mind, he was just teaching the “child prodigy” a little knowledge. In case the Qian Niuhua (Shi Qian) suddenly had a burst of inspiration and came up with something amazing, he would profit.

Shi Qian, who couldn’t even speak human language, thought of the fast-approaching college entrance exam and immediately pulled out high school math and physics books.

“Moo moo.”

—Study these two.

Chen Niu looked at the math and physics books, then at the characters the Qian Niuhua had written on the ground—“Study these two”—and his brows tightened.

“That’s too much. I can’t learn all that.” He raised the biology book in his hand. “Qian Niuhua, how about we study this? It’s more interesting than those two you picked.”

Shi Qian mooed insistently, and with a firm stomp of his hoof carved out the characters—“Study together!”

The huge exclamation mark was more than enough to show his determination.

Come on then! Let’s suffer together—preparing for the college entrance exam.

Under Qian Niuhua’s eager, knowledge-hungry gaze, Chen Niu reluctantly nodded. “Study. We’ll study together.”

If the student needed to learn, how could the “teacher” not prepare lessons and master the material?

But faced with the textbooks he had never learned before, Chen Niu felt he was the most clueless and most miserable teacher ever.

He began studying miserably, and then Shi Qian dragged out the chemistry book as well, completing the full set: physics, chemistry, math, biology.

While Chen Niu was working overtime preparing lessons, Shi Qian ate grass and encouraged him: “Moo moo—”

Translated into human words:

If you master physics, chemistry, and math, you can travel the world without fear.

Add biology, and the college entrance exam will be no problem.

Keep it up!

Whenever Chen Niu ran into trouble while self-studying, Xie Guoan got pulled in to answer questions. After being asked so often, even Xie Guoan’s knowledge became much more solid.

But seeing Chen Niu regain his motivation and gradually open up again, Teacher Xie still felt relieved.

Even Lin Nanyin, inspired by the atmosphere, studied more diligently after work.

Though while Chen Niu read basic science books, she was reading both Western medicine and traditional Chinese medicine textbooks.

Days passed in constant studying, and summer arrived in full.

Shi Qian worked hard eating until he weighed over 800 jin. His size still couldn’t compare with the massive local water buffalo, but among the local yellow cattle that typically ranged from 500 to 700 jin, he was already outstanding.

Xu Aigang touched his frame, still shocked. He said to Chen Niu, “Qian Niuhua has been growing crazy fast lately, but judging by this bone structure, he might even double in size!”

Then Xu Aigang asked the same old question again.

“Chen Niu! How exactly are you raising him? Tell your brother!”

Chen Niu looked at Qian Niuhua and guessed, “Eating a lot?”

He really hadn’t done anything special. Mostly, he just gave Qian Niuhua some of the dishes from his own bowl every day, and Qian Niuhua’s appetite was enormous.

If it weren’t already summer, with lush vegetation everywhere, he truly might not have been able to afford feeding him.

Xu Aigang: …

Nonsense.

He patted Shi Qian’s back, full of envy. “Then he’s just born good. How about letting your Qian Niuhua mate with my cows?”

Shi Qian felt struck by lightning.

Xu Aigang still thought he was doing him a huge favor. “Qian Niuhua, I’m being good to you, right?”

“Moo——!”

Goodbye, I’m never coming back to your cowshed again.

Shi Qian flicked his tail and bolted.

Except when he was working, Shi Qian never had a rope on him. Him running off on his own was a common occurrence.

He was now just like one of the village kids—free-range. Wherever he ran, they had to search for him by shouting.

Xu Aigang didn’t bother looking at the runaway cow. Instead, he stared eagerly at Chen Niu.

Chen Niu firmly rejected him. “No. Qian Niuhua is still growing.”

“I didn’t say this year. How about next year?”

“No. Arranged marriage isn’t allowed now; you need free love.” Chen Niu pulled out the Big Principles.

Xu Aigang: “Then just you wait. The cows at my place are all beauties. He’ll definitely fall in love freely.”

Chen Niu: “……”

Just wait till Qian Niuhua kicks you.

Never mind anything else—giving you two kicks on the backside would be the bare minimum.

Chen Niu knew his little ancestor far too well. Xu Aigang kept scheming about this, so he’d have to be taught a harsh enough lesson to make him give up.

When Shi Qian got home, he urged Chen Niu to study even harder.

He needed Chen Niu to pass the exam in one go and take him far away.

Otherwise, in the village, sooner or later Xu Aigang would target his strong, sturdy body.

He didn’t expect that the city had its traps and the countryside had its dangers. Shi Qian sighed, shook his head, pawed through the math problems Chen Niu had done, and gave the answers.

Then he wrote again—“Too easy.”

Chen Niu swallowed hard and said honestly, “How about… Qian Niuhua, you teach me? How do you get the answer straight away without writing the steps?”

Shi Qian looked at him with big eyes and replied just as honestly, “Moo moo.”

I do have steps.

I just didn’t write them. They all ran through my head.

After Shi Qian explained this, he heard Chen Niu sigh.

Chen Niu thought: This student really can’t be taught.

But he also didn’t dare expose Shi Qian’s situation to anyone else. Grinding his teeth, he could only ask more questions and rack his brain even harder.

With Shi Qian’s insane pace of learning pushing him, Chen Niu had no way to go slowly and was forced to speed up as well.

He didn’t realize he was already learning several times faster than a normal person.

Unknowingly, his own progress skyrocketed.

It was only that Shi Qian learned even faster and pressured him so much that he had no time to reflect on his own improvement.

Shi Qian watched him study, and learned along with him, then enjoyed the results of Chen Niu’s grafting experiments—like pumpkins growing cucumbers, or loofahs growing pumpkins.

Whenever the flavor was especially weird, Shi Qian would pretend to be very hospitable and drag Lin Nanyin, Xu Guozi, and Xie Guoan over. Then Chen Niu would really, sincerely present his latest grafting achievements for them to taste.

In August, there were early signs that the college entrance exam might be restored. But the outside world didn’t know yet.

On October 10th, Lin Nanyin received an urgent telegram saying there was an important matter at home and she needed to call back.

She ran to the county to make the call. When she returned to Shengli Village, her eyes were red.

She had brought back the latest news——the college entrance exam was going to be reinstated.

Some people were shocked, some didn’t believe it, some went crazy with excitement, and some immediately took action.

Chen Niu held the most complete set of high-school materials, plus a pile of extended reading, and stood there stunned.

Had he… been studying miserably almost a year ahead of time?

After hearing the news, he sprinted home, found Shi Qian who was chewing grass, grabbed his neck in excitement, and planted two kisses on his cow head.

“Qian Niuhua! The college entrance exam is coming back, did you know?!”

Shi Qian’s eyes lit up, grass still in his mouth. “Moo moo moo?”

The announcement is out?

Then maybe… this cow… wouldn’t have to keep doing these damn math-physics-chemistry-biology problems.

And no need to deliberately pretend they were too easy, raising impossible demands and forcing Chen Niu to go hunt for more materials.

I’m moved!