Ge Yan sat somewhat awkwardly at the dining table, with Song Bojian seated opposite her.
He was wearing a loose beige wool sweater today, which made him look less cold and distant, adding a touch of gentleness.
As for her… she hadn’t even removed the grass blades stuck to her clothes from feeding the cows that morning.
Having been self-reliant for so long, Ge Yan felt a little unaccustomed to the sight of the exquisite dishes spread across the table.
“No need to be polite. It’s just the two of us here, so there’s no need to feel restrained,” Song Bojian said with a warm smile.
“Alright, thank you.”
Ge Yan lowered her head and silently picked at the rice in her bowl.
Her eating manners weren’t exactly elegant, but somehow, they were oddly appetizing to watch.
Hmm… like a mukbang.
Song Bojian began eating as well.
“When did you come to Huatou Village?” Ge Yan took the opportunity to ask out of curiosity.
“Three months ago.”
“Returning to pay respects to your ancestors?”
Song Bojian didn’t elaborate further, not daring to utter those words to the person in front of him.
Ge Yan had heard about Song Bojian’s past, so she wisely refrained from asking more.
Let’s change the subject, Ge Yan thought.
Before she could think of one, Song Bojian spoke first.
“That young man who came to borrow ginger tea the other day, is he…?”
Ge Yan paused, realizing he was likely referring to Qin Dehua.
“Oh! He’s my good friend!”
Ge Yan remembered how he had stumbled while trying to find ginger tea for her that day and felt a little embarrassed.
“He knocked on the door, and as soon as I opened it, he fainted before I could even say a word.”
Song Bojian’s expression remained calm, but a hint of disdain flashed in his words, as if he found it amusing.
“What? He fainted?”
Song Bojian deliberately said, “Yes, he seemed quite timid.”
So, the dirt on him wasn’t from falling…
Ge Yan nearly laughed out loud. No wonder he had looked so strange when she asked about it that day. Otherwise, with his boastful nature, he would have bragged about such a “glorious” event for a whole day and night.
“He’s just a big, silly guy—physically strong but not the brightest. He must have seen something and misunderstood you.”
Song Bojian lowered his head and smiled faintly, as subtle as a breeze or a light drizzle.
One was socially awkward, and the other didn’t want to prolong the interaction, so the meal passed relatively quickly.
“Thank you for your hospitality, Mr. Song,” Ge Yan stood up. “I’ll be leaving now.”
Song Bojian’s fingers twitched slightly, wanting to ask her to stay.
But he had no excuse left—even this meal had only happened because Zhang Butler had persuaded her to stay.
Song Bojian awkwardly withdrew his hand, feeling a deep bitterness in his heart.
“Then I won’t see you off. Take care on your way.”
Ge Yan smiled. “Don’t worry! I won’t trip and fall!”
The thought of Qin Dehua fainting from fright made Ge Yan unable to hold back her laughter.
After a heavy rain, the potatoes sprouted, and new green shoots emerged from the soil.
Cen Yan stood under the shade of a tree, looking at the patches of green spreading across the ground. Her plot had the most crops because her team had won the most seeds.
Hua Niu was tied to the tree. Today, Ge Yan had brought her out for some fresh air and to graze on fresh grass.
After eating her fill, Hua Niu stood beside Ge Yan, sniffing around with her wet nose. Ge Yan patted her head in response.
She truly wished life could remain this peaceful forever, even if it meant never returning to the entertainment industry.
The little calf lay down comfortably, and Ge Yan simply sat down beside her, leaning against her and lazily dozing off.
In the end, it was Song Ruan who came to wake her.
She jolted awake, sitting up in a daze.
The little calf still had a tender blade of grass in her mouth, chewing it with relish.”Sister Ge Yan, something seems to have happened. Let’s go take a look!”
“What happened?”
“It’s at the east end of the village, near Song Xiyuan’s place. There’s a crowd gathered.”
Hearing Song Ruan’s words, Ge Yan’s drowsiness vanished instantly.
She quickly got up, stuffed some grass into the calf’s mouth, and led it down the hill.
“Let’s hurry and see!”
From afar, they could see over a dozen people gathered there.
When they arrived, however, Song Xiyuan was standing calmly outside the crowd, observing her surroundings as if it had nothing to do with her.
The trouble wasn’t at her house, but at Aunt Chen’s place across the way.
Seeing Ge Yan approach, Song Xiyuan silently rolled her eyes.
Ge Yan pushed through the crowd of onlooking elders and discovered that Aunt Chen’s old black cow was giving birth.
The old black cow lay on the ground, its four legs kicking about in the mud.
Aunt Chen circled the cow anxiously, her face full of distress.
“What’s going on?” Ge Yan asked an elderly woman beside her.
The old woman pursed her lips and shook her head: “It can’t give birth. The old cow is going to suffocate!”
Qin Dehua also rushed over: “Find a vet!”
“Even on an electric bike, a round trip would take at least an hour and a half. There’s no time,” someone nearby said.
No one in the village had raised cows for many years, leaving only this last old cow at Aunt Chen’s house. Suddenly faced with such a situation, no one knew what to do.
The old cow suddenly let out a low, painful groan—a raw cry of an animal’s will to survive and its desperate struggle.
Aunt Chen was so distressed that tears nearly fell. This old cow had long been considered part of her family.
Ge Yan leaned in for a closer look. It seemed one of the calf’s legs had emerged first, likely with the other front leg bent backward, causing a difficult birth due to improper positioning.
On top of that, the cow was old and lacked the strength to give birth.
When she was young, her grandfather had raised a goat. When that goat was giving birth, only one front leg appeared after half a day of labor. Her grandfather had reached into the goat’s belly and pulled the kid out by hand.
Cows giving birth to calves only have a few possible positions, which shouldn’t be too different from how goats give birth.
Ge Yan suddenly turned and asked the people around her: “Who has rubber gloves?”
A slightly younger elderly man raised his hand: “I do! I’ll go get them for you!”
Qin Dehua didn’t understand: “Ge Yan, what are you planning to do?”
Ge Yan took a deep breath: “You’re always talking about ‘pulling a calf.’ Want to actually pull one for real?”
“What?”
Qin Dehua was a bit confused.
The elderly man was quick, fetching the dishwashing gloves from his house in no time.
Ge Yan took the gloves and walked over to Aunt Chen, first calming her down: “Auntie, don’t worry. I have a way, but it might not work. There’s a chance we might not save either, or we might save both. Can I give it a try?”
Aunt Chen wiped her tears, unwilling to believe: “You’re just a city girl. What do you know?”
“Auntie, we can’t just watch the cow die, right?”
Aunt Chen paused. This old cow had finally become pregnant after so many years. If it died, she would be heartbroken.
Gritting her teeth, she said: “Alright, go ahead. No matter what happens, I won’t blame you!”
The livestream chat was buzzing with excitement.
“The lovey-dovey people are gone, and the show is finally getting back on track.”
“What? Ge Yan is going to deliver a calf?”
“Really pulling a calf?”
“Hope she’s not just bluffing!”
“The mama cow is so pitiful!”
“Brother Hua, find a rope!”Qin Dehua was completely baffled, but he still followed the instructions and fetched a rope.
“Song Ruan, bring over the feed from the bag I just carried.”
“Okay!”
Hua Niu could only watch helplessly as her snack was taken away.
Ge Yan opened the bag and let the old black cow eat a little to regain strength.
She took the rope, squatted beside the old cow, and began checking the fetal position inside its belly.
Just as she had suspected, one of the calf’s front legs was bent at the knee, stuck in place.
The next moment, Ge Yan suddenly inserted her gloved hand into the cow’s belly, following the calf’s leg.
Everyone present widened their eyes in shock.
Even the barrage of comments flooded the screen like a carpet, covering it entirely.