Chapter 101: The Little Cattle King
Translator: Lonelytree
When Xiao Lingyu heard all the aunties wanted to borrow Little Light, she was confused. “Bring Little Light for a walk with you? Why?”
The gathered crowd looked at Xiao Lingyu and then at each other. Auntie Hu stood forward to explain, “Lingyu, I heard that… Little Light came to you to help his mother as you came home from town. He even cried. Is that true?’
Xiao Lingyu looked at the crowd, and she nodded, “Yes.”
Auntie Hu immediately smiled, “Little Light sure is intelligent.” Then, she added tentatively, “Lingyu, I heard that Xiao Chengbang had taken Little Light for a walk around his tomato field. Now his tomatoes are growing especially well. We also want to borrow some of Little Light’s good luck.”
Xiao Chengbang and Zhou Yan didn’t mention it was Little Light manure that helped their plant’s growth. The other villagers thought Little Light was a sign of good luck.
Xiao Lingyu finally figured out the real reason after hearing Auntie Hu. She had been giving the two cattle spring water. It would seem that their refuse had a magical effect too, granted at a weakened level. However, compared to normal harvest, the plants affected by Little Light’s manure would seem magical.
Xiao Lingyu had been trying to find an excuse to explain the wonderful quality of her harvest. Now, the excuse had landed before her.
Xiao Lingyu smiled, “It’s okay if you want to take my Little Light for a walk, but Auntie Hu, there are so many of you, I…” She meant she didn’t know who should get to walk Little Light first.
“We’ll take turns!” Auntie Hu said. Then, she looked at the other three, “Sanxiu, Changxiu, Chunxiu, I’ll take Little Light for the morning, and you guys can take turns after that. Is that okay?” The three aunties looked at each other. Even though they wanted to be first, Auntie Hu was the most senior among them. Also, she was the one who explained the situation to Xiao Lingyu.
“Okay.” The aunties allocated the time among themselves.
Since none of the aunties had objections, Xiao Lingyu had no objection. Xiao Lingyu went to her fourth uncle’s cow pen and led out Little Light. She patted the calf’s head and said, “Little Light, you’ll be going with these aunties for today. You can’t eat any of their produce, okay?”
“Moo!” Little Light replied.
When the four aunties saw this, they gasped, “The calf is so intelligent! I’ve never seen one like it!”
“It has to be to stop Lingyu on the road to save its mother.”
…
Auntie Hu led Little Light to her field. Of course, she knew she couldn’t just walk the calf around the field. At least, she had to feed the calf.
Auntie Hu brought Little Light to her house. She made some rice soup with bran for Little Light.
However, Little Light was not an ordinary cow. He was very smart. His intelligence only grew after being fed the spring water. It also made him a picky eater. He despised the rice bran soup. He turned his head away without even looking at it.
Auntie Hu was stunned, and then she realized Little Light was telling her he didn’t like the food. Auntie Hu frowned and then cut some fresh grass for Little Light. When Little Light ate the grass, Auntie Hu sighed in relief. After Little Light was full, Auntie Hu led him to her vegetable field.
Little Light took a piss at the field. After a while, he even took a shit.
Auntie Hu wanted to lead Little Light to her other field when Auntie Liu came over to take over the shift. When the other villagers saw Auntie Hu and Auntie Liu herd Little Light around their fields, they were puzzled. ‘Why are the aunties so free? They don’t work their own fields but help the Xiao Family herd their cow?’
The four aunties fed Little Light well.
Two days later, many villagers noticed the vegetables and fruits that grew in the four aunties’ fields had become larger and more alluring.
“Chunxiu, your chives two days ago look so yellow. Why are they so vibrant all of a sudden?”
“Changxiu, I remember your chili plants were dying. How come they have revived and flowered?”
“Sanxiu, how did your family’s paddy suddenly become so nice? When your family planted the water paddy, the sun was already up. The water in the field was dry. The seedlings were shriveled too. The rain wouldn’t have helped either. It has only been a few days, but your paddy has grown taller than ours.”
“Lanying, why are the vegetables in your field growing so well these past two days?”
“We brought Lingyu’s calf to the field for a walk. It took a piss and a shit. Its manure is more effective than any fertilizer we can find.”
“What?” When the villagers heard this answer, they were shocked. “How is that possible? Isn’t that just a normal calf?”
“How is it a normal calf?” Hu Lanying retorted, “Have you heard a normal cow shedding tears and stopping people to save its mother?”
“That’s right. The calf is divine and intelligent. When you talk to it, it will reply to you. What normal cow can do that? This is a divine cow! Even if it is not, it is the Little Cattle King!”
“That’s right. It is the Little Cattle King, so the Little Cattle King’s pee is actually miracle water!”
Instantly, every villager knew the calf Lingyu saved was the Little Cattle King. The Little Cattle King’s urine and feces had magical powers. They could accelerate the growth of plants and make them taste better.
Once the rumors spread, the villagers crowded the Xiao Family home.
Every day, many villagers came to borrow Little Light. In order to have the Little Cattle King pee and poop, they would feed Little Light with good water and food. Some of them treated Little Light respectfully like a divine.
To borrow Little Light, the villagers had to curry favor with Xiao Zhengyang and his family. They all praised Xiao Lingyu for her good eye to purchase the Little Cattle King.
At first, Little Light was quite happy because he was provided good food and water.
However, he eventually found out the villagers were only using him for his poop and pee. Most villagers only saw him as a tool. When he didn’t have to do nature’s business, the anxious villagers would push and force him.
Therefore, a few days later, the villagers found Little Light had become quite listless and tired.