Reborn in 1985: From Selling Braised Duck to Becoming the World's Richest Man

“You call me big brother, so I can’t let you suffer a loss,” Zhang Wen said with a smile.

Liang Ming smiled, then took out a wad of cash from his pocket, placed it on the desk, and said, "Brother Zhang Wen, I'll give you a 95 yuan deposit first. The remaining balance will be settled when the duck meat is delivered tomorrow morning."

“Okay, you’re already a regular customer, I trust you,” Zhang Wen said.

After agreeing on the duck meat supply with Zhang Wen, Liang Ming prepared to leave.

But at that moment, two villagers from Shitou Village walked into the office and started making a ruckus. One of them was a village official.

"Village chief, you have to do me justice! This Ma Laosan deliberately set off firecrackers and scared our village's cattle to death!"

"Fifth Brother, you're talking nonsense! You didn't keep an eye on the village's cattle and left them to graze in the fields. I was setting off firecrackers on the hillside, all the way away. How can you blame me for that?"

Hearing the two arguing, Zhang Wen's expression changed slightly: "What? The village's cattle were scared to death?"

Although in recent years, Shitou Village has made a good income by raising ducks and developing the aquaculture industry.

However, the village's main industry is still farming and grain production.

As the collective property of the village, each ox is extremely valuable.

Even losing just one animal would be a huge loss for Stone Village.

Zhang Wen stood up, turned to Lao Wu, and asked, "Where's the cow?"

“It’s right in front of the village committee; I brought it here in a cart,” Lao Wu replied.

The four of them immediately left the village committee.

In the open space in front of the village committee, there was a handcart with a cow lying on it, convulsing and stiffening its limbs, clearly frightened.

“Village chief, look, this cow is still conscious; it’s not dead at all.”

Upon seeing this, Ma Laosan immediately spoke up.

The fifth brother, standing nearby, immediately became anxious and said to Zhang Wen, "Village chief, even if the ox wasn't scared to death, look at it now, its limbs are all stiff. It must be terrified and won't live for many more days."

Seeing the cow's bewildered state, Zhang Wen knew it was greatly frightened. If a veterinarian couldn't be found to treat it, it would soon develop a high fever and then go into shock and die.

And the only veterinarian in the surrounding area happened to be away on a long trip.

"Old Ma, although you didn't do it on purpose, this cow was indeed frightened by the firecrackers you set off."

“You’re someone who works in the fields too, so you know very well that once this ox is frightened, it’s basically beyond saving. You have to compensate the village collective for this ox.”

Seeing this, Zhang Wen turned to look at Ma Laosan and said.

Upon hearing this, Ma Laosan asked with a bitter face, "How much compensation do I have to pay?"

"It only cost 100 yuan when we bought this cow. It took so much effort to raise it into a draft animal. Now, a mature cow costs at least 200 yuan in the farmers' market!" Lao Wu said.

"200 yuan? Where would I get that much money? I'd rather die than give up my life." Upon hearing this, Ma Laosan immediately became agitated: "Besides, in the dead of winter, who told you to graze the cattle in the fields..."

"Ma Laosan, you..."

Seeing that the two were about to start arguing, Zhang Wen was also very troubled.

Liang Ming, who was standing nearby, suddenly spoke up: "Actually, this cow can be cured."

Upon hearing Liang Ming's words, Zhang Wen and the other two all showed a look of surprise.

"Young man, can you really cure this ox?" the fifth brother asked.

As the cadre in charge of managing the cattle and farm tools in the village collective, he will be punished now that there is a problem with the cattle.

"Young man, you have to help me! I really don't have any money to compensate the village collective," Ma Laosan said to Liang Ming as if he had grasped a lifeline.

"Brother Liang Ming, you also know how to treat cattle?" Zhang Wen looked at Liang Ming in surprise.

"I know a folk remedy for frightened cattle, but I can't guarantee it will cure them."

Liang Ming did not make any definitive statements.

Zhang Wen naturally understood Liang Ming's meaning and immediately said, "Brother Liang Ming, just go ahead and treat him. Treat it like a last resort. If he can't be cured, it's none of your business."

“Yes, if it can’t be cured, then it’s just the ox’s fate,” said Lao Wu, a village official.

Ma Laosan nodded repeatedly.

Seeing this, Liang Ming immediately said, "Village Chief Zhang, please bring me some coarse salt and water!"

"Go find ginger, pinellia, poria... and other medicinal herbs, and boil them into a medicinal soup."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Wen turned to Lao Wu and Ma Lao San and said, "You two, why don't you hurry up and do as Brother Liang Ming says?"

Upon hearing this, Lao Wu and Ma Lao San immediately turned around and went to prepare.

Liang Ming then walked up to the cow and started massaging it with his hands.

Seeing Liang Ming perform the massage with practiced ease, Zhang Wen asked curiously, "Brother Liang Ming, why are you using salt water, Chinese medicine soup, and massage? Is there a reason behind it?"

“When a cow is startled, it needs a relatively peaceful environment. I massage it to make it feel comfortable.”

Liang Ming also explained:

"The salt water is to replenish the electrolytes in cattle to prevent electrolyte imbalance and high fever caused by fright."

"What quality?" Zhang Wen was taken aback.

“Electrolytes…you can understand it as a term used by foreign veterinarians,” Liang Ming repeated.

In fact, this method of treating cattle is very similar to the treatment procedure for fever in children who have been frightened in later generations.

They all need massage and to drink electrolyte water to prevent organ failure caused by high fever.

"I see." Zhang Wen nodded as if he understood, and then asked, "What's the story behind the Chinese herbal soup?"

"That Chinese herbal decoction is used to treat 'running piglet disease,' which is a condition in animals that causes chest tightness and convulsions after being frightened," Liang Ming explained.

As they were talking, the fifth brother brought over some salt water, which Liang Ming took and fed directly to the cow.

After drinking some salt water, the frightened cow finally regained some of its energy, but its limbs remained stiff and it couldn't get up.

"The herbal medicine is here!" After waiting for about ten minutes, Ma Laosan ran over with a bowl of herbal medicine and, under Liang Ming's direction, fed the medicine to the cow.

This herbal soup is really effective. After drinking it, the cow was able to stand up in less than half an hour.

"The ox is really cured!" Ma Laosan was overjoyed when he saw this, which meant that he didn't have to pay the village collective for the ox.

"Old Ma, you're lucky you ran into Boss Liang today, otherwise you would have been in trouble," Old Wu said to Old Ma upon seeing this.

"Yes, yes, Mr. Liang, thank you so much." Ma Laosan nodded and bowed to Liang Ming, expressing his gratitude.

"It just so happens that this is a folk remedy for treating a frightened ox," Liang Ming said modestly, waving his hand.

After Lao Wu and Ma Lao San led the ox away, Zhang Wen took Liang Ming's hand and said;

"Brother Liang Ming, thank you for saving our village's cattle and preventing our Shitou Village's collective property from being lost!"

"Our village owes you a favor. If you ever need my help in the future, just ask, and I'll do my best!"

Upon hearing this, Liang Ming's eyes lit up, and he asked, "Really?"

"A gentleman's word is as good as his bond!" Zhang Wen said solemnly.

"Then, can the price of the duck be reduced a bit?" Liang Ming asked tentatively.

"Uh, no way!"