Chapter 109
Chapter 109
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 109
Chapter Title: Calf's Lesson from Mom
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Clack, clack, clack.
As Lee Jun walked toward the herd of cows, Go Pan-seok the veterinarian called out to him.
"Not that way—over there!"
Go Pan-seok pointed up the hill with his hand, where a calf was scampering.
Go Gi-jin and the ranch owner were chasing after it.
"That's what I mean."
Lee Jun muttered as he approached the cow right in front of him.
It was the one that had just gifted him some grass.
"Who's that calf's mom?"
Mooo!
A nearby cow ambled over, mooing.
Lee Jun spoke to her.
"Tell your baby to spit out what's in its mouth right now."
Mooo?
The cow tilted its head, looking confused.
"If it swallows what it's holding, it'll end up needing its belly cut open like that other calf yesterday."
Moooo!
The cow's eyes, already large, grew even wider.
Snort!
Like a horse whinnying, she blew out through her nostrils and bellowed.
Moooooo!
A sharp cry echoed across the hill.
The calf, racing to the top, froze in place! But only for a moment before bolting again.
The cow slammed her front hooves into the dirt—thud, thud—then let out another bellow.
Rooooaaar~!
A mighty roar that blanketed the entire Cow House Ranch!
Plop!
The calf dropped the plastic bag from its mouth and froze solid.
Then it began to back away slowly, step by step.
"What the heck's gotten into this rascal all of a sudden?"
Go Gi-jin, who had finally caught up to the calf, tilted his head at the sight.
But only for a second—he quickly picked up the plastic the calf had dropped.
In the meantime, the cow bellowed again.
Moooo!
At the sound, the calf, which had been backing away with its butt stuck out, kicked wildly at the air with its hind legs in a frenzy.
Then, thud, thud. It shuffled forward slowly, like its legs were weighed down with sandbags.
Go Gi-jin reached to pick up the calf, but Lee Jun stopped him.
"Gi-jin, just leave it."
Go Gi-jin looked down the hill at Lee Jun, who stood there calmly.
If it were a crisis, he wouldn't look so relaxed.
Besides, he already had the plastic bag in his hand.
"Got it."
He told the ranch owner the same.
"Just stay put, he says."
"Yeah. You've got the plastic anyway. But why's this little guy actin' like that? Looks just like a kid bein' dragged off."
"Right?"
A moment later, another long moo echoed from the cow.
Hearing it, the calf came bounding back down the hill. It planted itself in front of the roaring cow.
The cow loomed over the calf, which had its head bowed low, glaring with bulging eyes and working her jaws.
Mooo... Mooo moo mooo... Moo!
Go Pan-seok the veterinarian chuckled dryly at the sight.
"Man, that doesn't even sound like a cow—more like a mom givin' her kid a good scoldin'."
Lee Jun nodded in admiration at Go Pan-seok's words.
Just as he'd said, the mother cow was indeed chewing out her calf.
Meeeh heh heh heh~!
This time, the calf whined back.
"Looks like the kid's talkin' back to his mom. He's gonna get it now—yep, there it goes."
The ranch owner laughed heartily as he spoke.
'They've spent years raising and loving these cows—they can read their hearts like a book.'
As Lee Jun watched the two men in awe, smack!
The mother cow's long tail whipped the calf's rear.
Meeeh heh!
The calf bleated in protest,
But smack, smack, smack.
The tail struck its butt several more times.
Lee Jun watched with a warm smile.
Go Pan-seok wore the same expression, chuckling along.
"Man, feels like gettin' whacked on the calves."
"Haha, those rascals!"
After a while of back-and-forth between mother and calf, the calf finally pressed itself snugly against its mom.
The mother cow licked it with her long tongue.
"Yeah, no more eatin' stuff like that from now on, got it?"
Go Pan-seok patted the calf's back as he spoke.
Meee heh!
The calf threw its head back and let out a long bleat.
"Whoops, got so caught up I forgot to say it."
The ranch owner looked at Lee Jun.
"Thanks a bunch. Thanks for yesterday too, but especially today. Really grateful."
"No, no. I just said a few words."
"And those few words saved the little guy."
"Yeah, you did good! I was worried we'd have to cut its belly open again."
"Truly a relief. Whew, these plastic bags flyin' in every day drive me nuts."
The ranch owner bowed in thanks, then sighed as he pointed to the plastic in Go Gi-jin's hand.
"We try to be careful, but can't stop 'em from blowin' in... Just wish the calves wouldn't eat 'em."
The ranch owner explained that pasture-raising was great, except for the plastic bags and trash carried on the wind.
"Not just here—it's everywhere!"
"True that. Where ain't there trash?"
Lee Jun, listening to the two, spoke to Go Gi-jin.
"Gi-jin, that thing."
"This?"
Go Gi-jin held up the plastic bag, and Lee Jun nodded.
"Yeah. And come with me for a sec."
"Where to?"
"To pick up some trash."
"Alright."
As Go Gi-jin followed Lee Jun, the ranch owner hurriedly spoke up.
"Nah, we're good. My boys'll clean it."
"No, that's not it... Could you gather up the trash? Stuff the calves can't eat."
The ranch owner tilted his head, mumbling.
"Man, no idea what you're gettin' at. Why need trash?"
"Just grab it. Don't question what our Vet God says!"
Go Pan-seok cut in from the side.
"That's what I'm sayin'. He's an important guest—why make him pick up trash?"
After a brief tussle, Lee Jun ended up holding various pieces of trash.
Under the three men's puzzled stares, Lee Jun spoke to the cows.
"Call the calves over?"
The cows, having already witnessed Lee Jun's ability, chorused.
Moooo~!
At the sound, the calves came hopping over.
With the cows, calves, and even Taesan who bounded along in front of them, Lee Jun said,
"These are things you can't eat. Got it?"
Mooo!
Meee heh~.
The cows and calves chorused back.
"Eat this stuff, and you'll end up like that calf from yesterday. You saw how much it hurt, right?"
Lee Jun stroked the calf he'd operated on the day before.
The other calves, who had watched their friend in pain, reacted strongly.
Mek!
They vowed never to touch it.
Go Pan-seok and the ranch owner's eyes went wide.
"Whoa, feels like they actually understand you!"
"Right? Amazing."
"Our big bro's always been great at talkin' to animals."
Go Gi-jin puffed out his chest like he'd been praised himself.
'I just said a simple thing, but it helps this much.'
Lee Jun felt grateful for his ability anew.
"Anyway, the calf issue's settled for now. Cow boss, how're the others? Any with diarrhea yet?"
"Not yet."
"Yeah?"
After that, Lee Jun followed Go Pan-seok around, helping with the cows' checkups.
"Man, why're they listenin' to you folks so well today?"
"Thanks to big bro here."
Go Gi-jin grinned.
"Feels that way."
Go Pan-seok was grateful to Lee Jun, and the cows showed their thanks too.
Thud, thud, thud.
Before long, fresh grass piled up in front of Lee Jun.
"Hahaha. Big bro's rich now. Grass rich."
"Heh heh, I've been with cows 35 years, and this is a first!"
Then he continued.
"Not that—there's more."
"What?"
"Pearls. Pearls."
"Oh, that?"
Go Gi-jin had given the pearls he'd received for treating the turtle and seal in Gangneung to his parents.
"Yeah, that. You don't know how much your mom brags about it everywhere!"
"Hahaha, what'd I even do? All thanks to big bro."
"No, Gi-jin did great. They followed him so well."
It was true.
"Anyway, she goes around wavin' her hands high, braggin' her son's the reason she got somethin' precious."
As he spoke, Go Pan-seok added,
"But hey, mind takin' me along sometime?"
"Huh?"
"Wanna fix up some of those critters myself."
With a build like Go Gi-jin, and 35 years treating hefty cows.
Plus, perfectly suited for field surgery.
"If I ever head to the West Sea, I'll ask you."
"Thanks."
Go Pan-seok beamed at Lee Jun's reply.
The same innocent smile as Go Gi-jin's beside him.
'He's so pure-hearted.'
Lee Jun smiled back at the father and son.
"Anyway, thanks to Teacher Lee here, we'll wrap before noon."
Sure enough, by 11 a.m., all checkups were done, as Go Pan-seok predicted.
"Already done? Then we could head over there too?"
"Geumsan?"
"Yeah. You comin'?"
"Sure. 500 head—he can't handle 'em alone."
"It's fine. Those goats are sweet."
"500 head? Must be huge."
"Nah, not cows there—goats. Mountain goats!"
"Goats?"
"Yeah. We raise a few here too, but checkin' out a big place like that'll be fun."
Lee Jun's curiosity piqued. He thought of goats that chew anything, paper or not.
'Should warn the goats too.'
Unaware of Lee Jun's thoughts, Go Pan-seok said,
"Perfect timing. Your mom told me to grab some ginseng if we go to Geumsan."
"Ginseng?"
"Yeah. Says Teacher Lee looks all skin and bones—needs some ginseng to bulk up."
Suddenly put on the spot, Lee Jun waved his hands.
"No, I'm fine. I'm healthy."
"Look at you?"
"Right? Big bro's skinny as paper."
"Yeah. So frail he'll keel over any minute."
But in his life, he'd collapsed only once,
And that was recently from overdoing it.
Lee Jun felt dazed getting this treatment despite being perfectly average.
"I'm healthy, though..."
"Let's go."
"Go on."
Intrigued by the goat ranch, Lee Jun said he'd go.
"Goin'?"
"Big bro, go. Got some real tasty stuff there."
Not ginseng cake, I hope?
With that thought, Lee Jun visited Geumsan for the first time in his life.
***
Meeeh heh heh!
As soon as Lee Jun entered the goat ranch, a smile bloomed on his face.
The happy bleats of goats filled the air right from the entrance.
"Wow, they've got this place really nice."
Like Cow House Ranch, it was impeccably clean.
"Can't even tell 500 goats live here—it's that spotless."
"Right? Super clean."
Here, Lee Jun felt fulfilled teaching the goats the same way he had the cows.
'Yeah, clinic work isn't everything.'
Lee Jun had agonized all the way from home.
Was leaving Seoul to rest really right? Wouldn't animals need his hands even while he rested?
He'd left with a heavy heart.
But.
"Good to see you."
As he relayed warnings to the 500 goats, that heaviness lifted.
'I'll relax while I'm here.'
Once ranch work wrapped, Lee Jun's group headed to Geumsan County's ginseng wholesale market.
"You buy ginseng wherever. I'm takin' big bro to the fritter spot."
"Alright."
Lee Jun watched Go Pan-seok wave and head off, then asked Go Gi-jin,
"Your dad not comin'?"
"He eats it every day, so he'll swing by later. Big bro, let's go."
At the ginseng fritter shop, Lee Jun's eyes widened.
The plate was piled high with fritters—fried ginseng roots.
"One of these is 1,500 won?"
Lee Jun pointed to a whole root, battered and fried.
"Yep? Got so pricey. Used to be 1,000."
1,000? Not noticing Lee Jun's even wider eyes, Go Gi-jin picked one up with chopsticks.
"Big bro, try it. Dip in honey—insanely good."
Like the saying that anything fried tastes great, the ginseng fritters were a delight.
"Tasty?"
"Right? Good flavor, good for you. Eat up, big bro. They say local dogs eat so much ginseng they never get sick."
"Hahaha, really?"
"Well, don't overdo it, but a little helps, right? That's why there's deer antler and red ginseng supplements for dogs."
"True."
Lee Jun laughed and grabbed another fritter.
"These are sneakily addictive."
"Right? Told ya."
Go Gi-jin called out,
"Boss, three more plates here. And load on the honey!"
Seven or eight per plate, and three plates?
Lee Jun, who had stuck his tongue out at Go Gi-jin, polished off a full plate easily.
"Tasty."
"Right?"
Go Gi-jin beamed seeing Lee Jun eat with gusto.
"For dinner, wanna roast sweet potatoes?"
"Sweet potatoes?"
"From Cow boss. Theirs are killer."
The Cow House Ranch owner had loaded the car with thanks.
Sweet potatoes must be in there.
"Eatin' good, huh?"
Go Pan-seok asked as he entered.
"These are good."
"Yeah?"
"Yeah. I don't usually like fritters, but I cleared a whole plate."
Go Pan-seok laughed as Lee Jun scratched his head sheepishly.
In that case...
"How about eatin' dinner in the yard for once?"
Go Pan-seok pulled out his phone from his pocket.