Chapter 26: Two Coins for a Cow

When he woke up the next day, the sky was still dim. Liu Yitiao put on his clothes and stepped outside for a moment, only to discover that two more yellow oxen had appeared at his doorstep. Naturally, each ox was accompanied by its owner.

"So quick to arrive? It seems Old Liu really has a knack for spreading the word," Liu Yitiao praised inwardly, then went smiling to greet his visitors. These were his benefactors; he could not afford to neglect them.

The guests were an old man and a young one—the elder appeared to be about sixty, his face weathered by years of hardship. The youth, about the same age as Liu Ertiao, wore a look of innocence. Judging by their expressions, they were not family nor acquainted, yet they had clearly been waiting for a while, as a fine layer of frost had formed upon their heads.

Seeing Liu Yitiao emerge, the old man stepped forward and clasped his hands in greeting. "May I ask, young sir, are you Liu Yitiao?"

Liu Yitiao opened the door, saying, "I am hardly deserving of the title 'sir.' Please, just call me by my name. Come in, come in, both of you. It's a cold morning—why didn't you call out? Let me lead you inside to warm up."

"No need, no need," the elder waved his hand repeatedly. "We are here to have our oxen treated; we shouldn't trouble you more than necessary."

The youth chimed in, "I heard that Mr. Liu has a remedy for cattle afflicted with bowel sickness, so I ventured here early to seek your help. I apologize for the intrusion and beg your indulgence."

A scholar, perhaps? Why must he speak in such affected tones? Liu Yitiao frowned. Thankfully, their Ertiao was nothing like this; otherwise, he would have to give him a sound thrashing to set him straight.

"You are too polite. I feel quite sorry to have kept you waiting so long. Please, come inside. Even when treating oxen, we should first enter the courtyard, should we not?" Liu Yitiao opened the wooden gate wide, making it easier for the men to lead their animals in.

The two visitors, seeing his sincerity, made no further objections and followed Liu Yitiao into his family’s courtyard.

Once the oxen were secured, Liu Yitiao asked, "May I know your names?"

"Oh, forgive my oversight," the elder began. "I am Yuan Fang, a resident of Xiaer Village."

The youth saluted Liu Yitiao and introduced himself, "I am Zhang Chuwen from Little Xin Village. Greetings, sir."

"Very well," Liu Yitiao nodded, adopting the professional manner of veterinarians from his previous life, and asked, "Elder Yuan, Brother Zhang, how long have your oxen been ill? What symptoms have they shown? Are they able to eat? Have you consulted any other veterinarians or animal doctors?"

Yuan Fang sighed, "To be frank, Mr. Liu, our ox has suffered from relentless diarrhea for three days now. We’ve invited several veterinarians, but none have helped. Watching the ox grow thinner and weaker each day is truly heartbreaking."

Zhang Chuwen added, "My situation is quite similar to Yuan’s. The veterinarians are at a loss, and the imperial animal doctors are far beyond the means of ordinary folk like us. With our oxen’s lives in jeopardy, we heard of your remedy and came early, hoping for your assistance."

Liu Yitiao nodded; this was as he expected. If ordinary veterinarians could solve the problem easily, people of this era would not dread bowel disease in cattle so much. He reached out to examine the eyes of the two new sick oxen—their gaze was dull, the rims dry, dehydration severe. In an age without intravenous fluids or injections, if the illness was not brought under control quickly, these animals were doomed.

"I can cure this," Liu Yitiao declared, giving them hope. "However, my fee is not low. Elder Yuan may know—yesterday morning, Xia Dezhang from your village brought his ox, and I charged him five strings of cash per animal."

Both Yuan Fang and Zhang Chuwen gasped. Five strings? That price was outrageous.

"But that was because he had once deceived my father," Liu Yitiao continued, lowering his price. "For others, I charge two taels of silver per ox. Two taels, and the cure is guaranteed. If I fail, you may seek compensation from me."

The two men nodded gladly; this price was acceptable.

"Two taels to save an ox’s life—is that reasonable?" Liu Yitiao asked.

Yuan Fang and Zhang Chuwen exchanged glances and said together, "Please, begin the treatment as soon as possible."

"No need to rush," Liu Yitiao waved his hand. "The oxen will not die here. Before I begin, we should draw up a contract, listing all today's terms. If anyone reneges later, we will have proof for both sides."

"Excellent, Mr. Liu’s foresight is admirable—I am impressed!" Zhang Chuwen, being a scholar, immediately understood Liu Yitiao’s intent and bowed in respect.

"As you say," Yuan Fang agreed, though he found the idea of a written agreement for veterinary care a little odd. Seeing Zhang Chuwen’s approval, he realized it could do no harm.

Liu Yitiao had Zhang Chuwen copy four contracts, following the template left by Xia Dezhang the day before. Each of the three signed their names; Yuan Fang and Zhang Chuwen kept one copy each, while Liu Yitiao retained two and their pre-paid deposit of two taels.

After storing the contracts safely, Liu Yitiao smiled, "Leave the oxen here and return in three days. I will have your healthy cattle ready."

"Then we shall trouble you, Mr. Liu," the two men bowed and said, "We’ll take our leave and return in three days for good news."

"Very well," Liu Yitiao nodded. "It’s bitter cold outside, take care on your journey. I won’t see you out."

Watching them depart, Liu Yitiao calculated silently: two taels per ox, ten taels for five, a hundred taels for fifty. What did a hundred taels mean? Surely, it would rival the wealth of a modern middle-class family.

Filled with pleasant thoughts, Liu Yitiao wondered whether, once he earned enough, he could buy more cattle and land, hire a few farmhands, and live as a small landowner in the old days. Landowner—such a profession seems quite desirable for young people nowadays.

At that moment, Liu Laoshi rose from bed, saw the two new oxen in the courtyard, and approached Liu Yitiao. "Yitiao, just one night and we have two more oxen? When were they brought here?"

"Just now, by folks from Xiaer Village and Little Xin Village," Liu Yitiao replied. "I only took two taels per ox, and they accepted gladly."

"Two taels? For this illness, that is indeed reasonable," Liu Laoshi nodded. This price suited him fine.

"By the way, our garlic is running low—enough for just three more feedings. Go to the market and buy some more today," Old Liu said, glancing at the four sick oxen in the yard and thinking of the nearly empty kitchen stores.

"All right," Liu Yitiao agreed, recalling the apprenticeship ceremony for Liu Ertiao the next day. "I need to go to the county town today anyway. I’ll bring some back on my way."

"Oh, by the way, father, how did news of our ability to cure cattle spread so quickly? You deserve much credit for this!"

"Ah, it was nothing. I simply told Third Aunt at the village entrance."

"..."