LAVW – Chapter 90 Study Hard

Chen Niu wiped the pear clean and, with a heart full of gratitude, took the first bite.

But the little yellow cow turned its head away immediately, curiously looking around in all directions.

All that was left for him was the occasional swish of its tail.

So all the emotions swelling in his chest had to stay bottled up inside, dissolving instead into the sweetness of the slightly grainy pear flesh in his mouth.

Shi Qian gazed at the surrounding mountains.

There was no light, but they all looked barren. Because firewood was needed year-round, people were constantly climbing the mountain to chop and gather wood. As a result, all the shrubs, bushes, and dry branches had long been cut or picked clean.

Only deeper into the mountains did the trees start to grow denser and lusher. But that far inside, collecting firewood was an even harsher chore.

Yet, one couldn’t live without fire. In the bitter cold of winter, the elderly and children always needed a fire to warm themselves, and meals still had to be cooked.

Still, firewood wasn’t the only thing on the mountain. Shi Qian also spotted… persimmon trees, and some rather small-looking chestnuts. Locals called them “hairy chestnuts.”

“Moo moo!”

Shi Qian lifted a hoof and pointed out a tree to Chen Niu.

Chen Niu had already finished eating the pear. “What are you looking at? Chestnuts? They’re not ripe yet. You have to wait until they split open and fall down—only then are they ready. Steamed, they smell amazing.”

Shi Qian nodded, wondering when they would ripen and fall. Then another thought struck him—the sun was climbing higher.

Shi Qian nudged Chen Niu gently with his hoof. “Moo moo.”

Chen Niu, time to head to work!

The little cow turned its head toward the foot of the mountain, gazing at the fields of Shengli Village.

Chen Niu remembered as well. He packed away the pears and hurriedly led the little cow down the mountain.

They say it’s easy to climb up a mountain but hard to come down. Yet on the way down, their pace was much faster.

Not to mention, the mountain winds blew upward against them as they descended. Shi Qian felt as if he were flying.

No—that wasn’t quite it. It was a little cooler than flying through the heavens. The spiritual energy here was thin, and unlike before, there was no spiritual shield to block the wind for Shi Qian.

No wonder people said that the wind carried the taste of freedom and loneliness—and countless other tangled emotions.

Chen Niu ran swiftly. Looking back and seeing the little cow keeping up, he relaxed and charged down the mountain with confidence.

Coming down the mountain, they found Xu Youguang holding a meeting, giving out instructions for the next tasks.

After finishing with the late rice in the fields, there were still sweet potatoes, corn, sorghum… plenty of work waiting.

Chen Niu stood at the back of the crowd, listening absentmindedly, when he suddenly heard his name—he was to follow the accountant to dig sweet potatoes. As usual, it was the heaviest job, but also the one that earned the most work points.

Zhang Peyue continued with drying the millet.

The millet had to be dried until it was completely moisture-free and sieved clean; only then would it meet the requirements for handing in as grain for the state, and it would also be easier to store for eating the following year.

Chen Niu also noticed that today Lin Nanyin had gone out to work as well, assigned to pick corn on the other side.

After work assignments were handed out, Chen Niu went to Zhang Peyue’s side, taking the hoe and the rope for the cow that his grandmother had brought along for him.

After years of labor, everyone had a rough idea of what jobs they would be assigned. Seeing that Chen Niu hadn’t returned yet, Zhang Peyue had simply brought the tools for him.

Chen Niu pressed his lips together, as though he could still taste the sweetness in his mouth.

He asked softly, “Grandma, don’t you want to take a rest today?”

Zhang Peyue shook her head. “No need.”

Today’s job was actually lighter than yesterday’s, since the millet got lighter the more it was dried.

Chen Niu only worried she had been upset yesterday and that her body might not feel well. Seeing her insist, he just nodded.

Shi Qian gave him a helpless glance, deciding it was time to teach him.

The little cow walked up to Zhang Peyue: “Moo~”

Grandma, I’ll get you a stool.

He called out first, then opened his mouth and made a motion as if to carry the stool for the old lady.

But she avoided him. The calf chased to the other side, snatched the stool up in his mouth, and bit down on the stool leg as he carried it forward.

He was so nimble that the people nearby were amazed.

“Qian Niuhua is getting smarter!”

“Really capable—what a filial cow for Grandma Chen.”

“Madam Chen is blessed.” That was said by those of the middle generation.

Shi Qian, who had originally planned to hand the stool to Chen Niu: …Forget it, let’s wait a bit.

So, he waited until the crowd dispersed before passing the stool over to Chen Niu.

Chen Niu held the little stool, which had bite marks on its legs, still looking a bit dazed.

Seeing his expression, the smile that had been teased out of Zhang Peyue by the calf faded instantly. She reached out her hand: “If you don’t want to, just give it to me.”

“No!”

Chen Niu shook his head immediately. “Grandma, I’m willing.”

Thinking back, he realized what made the calf different from him—Qian Niuhua acted spoiled, stayed close to his grandma, and “snatched” the stool right from her hands. His grandma clearly liked having help too.

She just didn’t say it, and it wasn’t obvious.

Chen Niu felt like he was beginning to understand a little, though not completely.

His gaze fixed on the calf strolling ahead, deciding to observe more, to see how Qian Niuhua interacted with his grandma.

Shi Qian: Even rough wood can be carved.

By the roadside, two wild chrysanthemums were in bloom, their petals a mix of pale purple-red and white—very pretty.

Shi Qian fancied one, bit down on its stem, and yanked it up whole.

Then he turned his head, offering it to the old lady.

Chen Niu said, “Qian Niuhua, half the petals have fallen off.”

Zhang Peyue laughed. “Where did you learn this from? Studying so hard, yet this is all you pick up?”

Shi Qian glanced down, noticing that several little flowers around him now had their petals scattered, and suddenly felt awkward.

“Moo.”

Try again.

Shi Qian spat out the wild chrysanthemum, reflecting on the mistake of using too much force and shaking the petals off, then set off again.

This time, Chen Niu was a step faster. Holding the little stool, he rushed forward and directly plucked a flower.

Shi Qian: ?!

Trying to teach your junior, only to starve the senior?

But Chen Niu felt embarrassed to give it directly, so he held the flower out to the calf’s mouth, planning to let Qian Niuhua do the presenting.

Shi Qian refused to open his mouth. Instead, he trotted ahead, tossing the grandson and grandmother together.

Only when he had run some distance did he turn back, watching Chen Niu’s awkwardness with amusement.

“Moo~”

You stole my flower—let’s see what you do now!

Zhang Peyue laughed, watching the little cow trot ahead and look back. She could clearly see the smug pride written all over his face.

A bit cheeky, but you couldn’t bring yourself to hit him, and instead, your heart just filled with joy.

She stopped, bent down, picked up the half-fallen flower, and then took the one from her grandson’s hand. Both still had stems. With her skillful hands, she wove them into a small wreath.

Seeing the flower wreath, Shi Qian immediately ran back.

Sure enough, the old lady tightened it and slipped it onto the calf’s horns.

“Moo~”

Shi Qian strutted with the little flower crown, showing off to Chen Niu.

But Chen Niu didn’t feel envious at all. After all, he couldn’t even imagine what it would look like if he wore flowers on his head. Just plucking the flower himself had left him feeling awkward.

He glanced at Qian Niuhua’s horns and gave a nod of approval: “Looks nice. Your horns look even better with it, almost like the color below has turned whiter.”

Yellow ox horns were mostly dark, their grain not very clear, lacking the imposing grandeur of a water buffalo’s big horns.

Shi Qian felt that his horns now looked the most like his former dragon horns. If not for still having four legs, he might have already forgotten how to walk properly.

But the little horns before had been cute no matter how they grew, a bit mismatched with his current body.

Still, since he was a “cheat-code” player, Shi Qian was confident they would look great in the future.

“Moo~”

Thanks for the compliment.

As they talked, they arrived at the drying ground. After Shi Qian wandered a circle and collected plenty more praise, he followed Chen Niu again.

Today, Chen Niu was digging sweet potatoes. Shi Qian could at least snack on some sweet potato leaves.

But one thing had to be remembered—he couldn’t sneak sweet potatoes. That would get him criticized at a meeting.

So, Shi Qian was tied by a tree to watch others work. From beginning to end, he never went near the sweet potato field, nor the baskets Chen Niu carried back.

When one plot was finished, Chen Niu brought him a bundle of tender vines to eat, all the tips.

As a future workforce for plowing, feeding the calf like this was within reason. After all, his big yellow cow mother had worked plenty for the village before and had even earned rations. In the future, once grown, the calf would be able to work too.

So when they saw Chen Niu feeding the little cow, no one said anything. Instead, they treated it like a bit of entertainment during work—watching with smiles and laughter.

“Moo moo.”

Shi Qian rubbed his head, the side without the flower crown, against him. Thanks for the hard work picking the tender tips.

Chen Niu teased him: “So happy, huh? How about giving me that flower?”

Shi Qian tilted the other side of his head toward him, not believing he’d actually take it.

Chen Niu really did remove it and studied it carefully. The flower crown was casually woven by the old lady, yet the way the flowers were arranged looked very pretty. Chen Niu memorized it, though who knew what he was thinking about.

After looking at it for a while, he put it back on the little cow’s head.

Shi Qian lowered his head to graze. To him, a big bucket of grass was no different from feeding himself.

He’d eat a little, stop, then look over as whole clusters of sweet potatoes were pulled out of the earth, watching with great satisfaction.

So many! Enough for everyone to eat, right? Although eating too many sweet potatoes could cause heartburn, they really did grow well, and in times of need, they were life-saving food.

The digging went on for nearly the whole day.

Chen Niu finished his own allotted plot early, got his share recorded with the accountant, and then, carrying a basket of tender tips, led Shi Qian toward the cornfield.

Shi Qian wasn’t on any of the rosters but still noticed the name Lin Nanyin.

Seeing that Chen Niu wasn’t walking the way back home, he asked curiously: “Moo moo?”

Where are we going?

Chen Niu guessed what he was thinking but didn’t tell him the truth: “This way also leads home.”

Taking me to learn the roads better?

Shi Qian believed his nonsense. But when they finally made a big detour and he saw Lin Nanyin, he realized he’d been tricked.

Because of the heat, Lin Nanyin had taken off her jacket, but half her face was still covered. Corn leaves could scratch and itch, so anyone afraid of itching would cover up beforehand.

“Comrade Lin,” Chen Niu called out first, then jumped off the ridge and casually broke off an armful of corn.

He stuffed it into the fertilizer sack beside Lin Nanyin, which instantly rose higher.

Lin Nanyin stepped back and asked, “Comrade Chen Niu, do you need something?”

Shi Qian didn’t want to go down. He stood on the ridge, watching them talk in the cornfield.

The corn in Shengli Village didn’t grow tall. When Lin Nanyin stood up straight, her shoulders and head were visible. As for Chen Niu, his height made the entire cornfield look short.

Shi Qian thought, Just by his appearance alone, Chen Niu really does look like a “male lead.”

What a pity he wasn’t.

But… could he possibly become one?

Facing Lin Nanyin’s question, Chen Niu lowered his head and said, “Thank you for the brown sugar you gave yesterday. Grandma ate it.”

“Did Grandma Chen like it?” Lin Nanyin thought for a moment, leaving out one word in her phrasing.

“I don’t know. But she must’ve liked it.” Chen Niu honestly grabbed a corn leaf. “I went out early this morning to graze the cow, too early to ask.”

Hearing himself mentioned, Shi Qian stayed quiet.

Instead, he curiously bit a corn leaf and secretly rolled it into his mouth.

Not tasty.

In the cornfield, Lin Nanyin couldn’t think of what to say, so she simply kept picking corn.

Chen Niu followed along to help. He worked quickly, and the pile of work visibly shrank, making Lin Nanyin quickly say, “No, no, Chen Niu, you should go rest. I can manage this myself.”

“I don’t know how else to thank you,” Chen Niu fumbled for an excuse, “so I might as well help out.”

They chatted a little more, and Lin Nanyin could already feel the gazes of others from nearby fields.

She frowned slightly, uncomfortable, and said, “Really, you don’t need to. I can do this myself. What I mean is—I was already grateful that you and Qian Niuhua helped me identify that person.”

The implication being: no need to keep exchanging thanks like this.

Chen Niu understood.

He said, “Then… then I’ll leave.”

Lin Nanyin nodded, not asking him to stay.

When Chen Niu turned, he saw a little cow standing on the ridge, staring at him with wide eyes, a flower crown perched on its horns.

He turned back again: “Comrade Lin, I have another question I’d like to ask you.”

Finishing the sentence neatly, Chen Niu walked back, stopping just a little distance from her, with a sack of corn between them.

Seeing the sack was already full, Chen Niu felt even more that he should stay.

He asked, “I want to ask you—how can we make sure that even if a famine comes, everyone can still avoid going hungry?”

Lin Nanyin thought, This isn’t really something I know about. Her knowledge of farming definitely wasn’t as deep as Chen Niu’s.

But after some thought, she did recall something: “I think I once read in a book about agricultural methods. Also, in one county in the province, they seem to be experimenting with a new kind of rice. Earlier this year, the reports said it had huge success.”

Her memory was excellent. And since Shengli Village wasn’t harsh on educated youths, she’d been able to maintain contact with her family, so she still had access to books and newspapers.

“The books and newspapers should still be around. I’ll look for them for you.”

“Really?” Chen Niu was overjoyed, then said, “Then I must thank you even more.”

Shi Qian’s ears perked up at the words experimental rice.

That must be the hybrid rice I’m thinking of!

Unfortunately, he didn’t know much about it, so he could only endure patiently as Chen Niu quickly picked corn.

Now that he had an excuse to thank her, Chen Niu naturally wouldn’t waste the chance, and soon swept through Lin Nanyin’s cornfield.

He even carried a large sack of corn, delivering it to the main road for transport.

Another auntie nearby hurt her back, so she also called Chen Niu for help. That finally made Lin Nanyin feel a little more at ease.

Once she got her share recorded, she left.

Shi Qian was even more eager than either of them—he wished he could fly straight onto Lin Nanyin’s desk.

When she returned to the female educated youths’ quarters, Lin Nanyin opened the door. The dim room inside made her a little afraid.

Chen Niu saw her shiver and couldn’t help saying: “Don’t be scared. That bad guy’s already been caught.”

He deliberately slowed his steps, keeping a respectful distance from her.

Chen Qian also walked to Lin Nanyin’s side, letting out a soft “moo-moo” to comfort her in this place full of old memories.

Lin Nanyin didn’t say anything. She opened the window, letting the daylight pour into the room.

Then she started looking around the spot where books were kept. Soon, she dug out newspapers and books.

“This is a newspaper, have a look.” She casually flipped open a book as well, just to check if there was anything hidden inside.

After turning a few pages, she suddenly remembered—this was a Russian book wrapped in book paper.

She looked toward the tall young man: “That… Chen Niu, do you know Russian?”

Chen Niu replied, “I studied it for two or three years before, might have forgotten some. But I can relearn it.”

Aside from the compulsory political courses, other subjects weren’t so standardized—if there was a teacher, you could learn them.

Moreover, back then, most elementary and middle schools—including the one Chen Niu attended—were half-work, half-study. Many children lacked self-discipline and didn’t have much heart for reading.

Chen Niu, however, had been earnest about his studies. He wasn’t the smartest, but that seriousness made many teachers fond of him.

The reason he loved studying back then was simple—studying was way easier than doing farm work.

He truly wished he could sit in a classroom forever.

After graduation, when there were no more books to study, he was actually quite sad.

Lin Nanyin pulled out a dictionary: “Try reading it with the dictionary. See if you can understand it. I don’t think this book is too difficult.”

Chen Niu actually wanted to learn directly from Lin Nanyin, but since he sensed her refusal, he obediently took the book.

Before leaving, he rummaged from the very bottom of his basket and took out some pears.

“I noticed Qian Niuhua drooling at the pears, so I went up the mountain to look around. There were still some. Here, Educated Youth Lin, take a few and share them with Guozi and the others.”

At the mention of Xu Guozi’s name, Lin Nanyin felt less resistant. She nodded: “Alright, thank you. If you come across parts in the book you can’t understand, just collect them up and ask me.”

After a few interactions, Lin Nanyin had realized—Chen Niu was actually capable of understanding things.

Sure enough, Chen Niu hugged the book and the neatly folded newspapers, nodding earnestly with the look of someone ready to go home and study seriously.

Shi Qian only remembered the printed words he had seen on the newspaper—hybrid rice.

When he came back to his senses, he noticed a lot of pears were missing.

Meanwhile, Chen Niu was grinning foolishly, convinced that today had been a great success.

He had helped Educated Youth Lin, borrowed her book, and even learned that the newspaper contained something miraculous—new hybrid rice.

On the way home, Shi Qian saw him walking so happily he nearly fell into a ditch: “Moo-moo.”

Chen Niu, calm down!

The reminder was timely, but Chen Niu was so overjoyed that he didn’t react in time and stepped straight into a paddy ditch.

Still, he held the book tightly, raising it high in his hands to keep it safe.

With a smile in his eyes, Chen Niu said, “Qian Niuhua, you were right. I really do need to study hard.”

Shi Qian thought to himself: No.

Your studying hasn’t even started.

For the college entrance exam, what he needed most was reviewing junior and senior high school knowledge. Extra reading was good, but exams required solid foundations across all subjects.

So Shi Qian lifted his little hoof with effort and pointed at himself: “Moo-moo.”

Chen Niu didn’t get it at first. He guessed all the way home but never hit the mark.

Once home, while cooking, Chen Niu asked the old lady about it.

Zhang Peiyue thought for a moment: “Isn’t Qian Niuhua still young? Just dig out your old textbooks and teach him.”

Shi Qian nodded: “Moo-moo.”

Exactly.

Chen Niu: ?

He had thought that telling stories to the little calf already made him quite responsible. Never in his wildest dreams did he expect… he’d have to teach a calf how to study!