Chapter 4
Chapter 4: A Fool for a Veterinarian
These people did look like they were ready to migrate, but many were missing.
Uncle Qiaoba and his group weren’t there, and neither were Sangtu and his family.
Fortunately, Qiaoba soon arrived and blocked the crowd’s path. “Where are you all going?”
“Uncle Qiaoba!” someone called out. “We can’t migrate without a veterinarian! We’re going to Pasture Six!”
“Chaolu?” Qiaoba frowned, looking at him with displeasure. “I already said I’d figure something out. You’re taking everyone to Pasture Six—will they accept you? You’re going there so rashly—what if something happens on the way? We’ve been raising these animals for so long for migration. If we waste their energy now, what’ll we do later?”
Chaolu snorted and lifted his chin. “Pasture Six promised before that whenever I wanted to come over, they’d welcome us anytime!”
He just hadn’t needed to before, so he’d never mentioned it.
“That’s right, Uncle Qiaoba…” Someone leading a horse said hesitantly: “Xie Yu won’t come back… We can’t just wait here doing nothing!”
Time wouldn’t wait for them. If they missed this golden autumn, the north wind would start blowing and it would snow.
If they delayed migration, they’d be trapped here.
The snow here could reach your shins after just one night. By then, never mind the livestock—they might not even survive themselves.
Qiaoba analyzed the situation for them, saying he’d find a way, but the crowd had clearly made up their minds.
There was no choice…
Qiaoba glanced at Xie Changqing and gritted his teeth: “Actually, yesterday Sangtu’s ewes got sick, and it was Changqing who cured them…”
Perhaps if they held on a bit longer and properly trained Xie Changqing, maybe he could become their pasture’s next veterinarian?
As long as they had a veterinarian, the pasture could do well anywhere.
Hearing his words, some people wavered and began to hesitate.
Although Pasture Six had agreed to take them in, if they had a veterinarian, they’d naturally prefer to stay with Qiaoba…
“Xie Changqing? Ha!” Chaolu cracked his whip and burst out laughing. “Uncle Qiaoba, he’s just a fool! Having a fool as our veterinarian—I’m afraid he’ll make my livestock stupid too!”
Everyone thought about it and joined in the laughter.
Right, how could they forget? Xie Changqing was a fool!
Even if he wasn’t stupid now and had really learned some basics from Xie Yu, what use was it?
Compared to the old veterinarian at Pasture Six, he was far inferior.
With this in mind, no matter what Qiaoba said, they wouldn’t budge. Some were even getting impatient.
People started pushing and shoving, afraid of wasting time and not reaching Pasture Six before dark.
Seeing the urgency on their faces, Qiaoba knew this matter was beyond salvaging.
He could only step aside: “…Fine.”
People who wanted to leave couldn’t be kept.
It was just that with this group gone, their pasture would be even smaller.
Looking more carefully, Qiaoba’s expression darkened.
Because this group leaving was basically all the able-bodied men.
What remained were mostly the old, weak, sick, and disabled…
Just as he was thinking, Qiaoba quickly pulled someone out of the crowd: “Menggen, what are you doing here?”
Menggen looked about twelve or thirteen years old, struggling frantically in his grip: “I’m going to Pasture Six too! Uncle Chaolu agreed!”
“Ah, right.” Chaolu turned around with a cheerful smile. “Uncle Qiaoba, Menggen is coming with me.”
What was this about? Why? Qiaoba was somewhat confused.
But before he could ask more questions, Menggen had already broken free.
Like a mudfish, he rolled and slithered away, and in the blink of an eye, he was gone.
“Meng…” Qiaoba still wanted to catch him, but it was too late.
Under Chaolu’s direction, everyone drove their livestock like a tide toward the distance.
By the time the distance returned to quiet, that group had gone far away.
Qiaoba still stood on the slightly higher slope, gazing into the distance.
People gradually came from afar, all standing silently beside Qiaoba. No one spoke first.
The young ones were basically either very close to Qiaoba, at odds with Chaolu, or sick…
The rest were all old, young, sick, and disabled, with few women among them.
Everyone’s faces were ashen.
They clearly understood that to Chaolu, they were expendable.
Just as Qiaoba was about to say something, Sangtu came running excitedly from his home.
While still far away, he was shouting: “Qiaoba! Qiaoba! Hahaha! My ewe is better! Quick, Changqing!”
Yesterday he’d been angry and glaring, but today he was so friendly.
Sangtu ran up to them, beside himself with excitement: “Changqing! Perfect, you’re here too. Quick, come with me and see! The ewe is better—it got so hungry it’s eating now!”
Everyone was shocked. After a long moment, someone stammered: “Ah… Qiaoba, what you said just now, was it true?”
They couldn’t be blamed for being so surprised. If this news was true, wouldn’t it mean their pasture had a veterinarian again?
“Of course!” Qiaoba also perked up, beaming: “When have I ever lied to anyone? Come on, Changqing! Let’s go see!”
This news greatly dispelled the dejected atmosphere left by Chaolu’s group’s departure.
The group excitedly went to Sangtu’s tent, just in time to meet Sangtu’s wife coming out holding a lamb.
Her face was smiling. Seeing everyone, she spoke directly to Xie Changqing: “Changqing, come look quickly. This lamb seems to have drunk the ewe’s milk and is getting better too!”
Xie Changqing hurried forward and took the lamb from her hands.
After examining it carefully, he nodded: “The milk carried the medicine’s effects. It drank the sheep