Chapter 46: Earning Merit

"Follow my command!"

"Hold her down! Use all your strength, and under no circumstances let her thrash around!"

"Understood!"

Wang Zhenshan, Zhang Jianshe, and a few other strong-bodied team leaders lunged forward instantly, pinning the cow's head, body, and limbs down with all their might.

Zhou Yichen's right arm slowly reached into the birth canal once more, but with far greater force than the previous attempt.

"Moo—!!!"

As if struck by lightning, the cow let out a heart-wrenching, harrowing, prolonged cry as its entire body arched sharply upward!

The sheer strength of its struggle was terrifyingly massive!

"Hold her down!!" Veins bulging on his forehead, Wang Zhenshan roared with every ounce of strength he had.

Beads of sweat the size of soybeans instantly popped out on the foreheads of the strong men as they desperately pressed the massive bovine body down onto the feed.

Inside the cattle shed, the atmosphere was strained to the absolute breaking point.

Fine beads of sweat also materialized on Zhou Yichen's forehead. The biting late autumn wind poured in through the gaps in the roof, yet it could not dispel the searing heat rising from his extreme concentration.

His arm was toiling on a difficult journey through the passage of life.

Inside, it was narrow, slippery, and filled with the resistance of muscle.

Drawing upon the precise perception granted by his near level-two medical skill, he groped forward laboriously in the darkness.

His fingers first brushed against the calf's head, then its neck...

Finally!

He touched those bent front limbs!

At that very instant, his fingertips seemed to perceive an extremely faint tremor.

It was a heartbeat!

The calf was still alive!

This discovery granted him boundless confidence and strength.

Right here!

He located the wrist joint that was jammed immovably tight.

It was even trickier than he had imagined.

The joint was wedged hard against the edge of the pelvis, leaving almost no room for movement.

This required exceptionally precise application of force.

If the force was too weak, it wouldn't budge.

If the force was too strong, a single slip could result in an irreversible fracture or puncture the cow's uterus!

Zhou Yichen closed his eyes, concentrating all his awareness on the fingertips of his right arm.

He could feel the muscles in his arm trembling slightly—not out of fear, but due to the high concentration of power.

His fingers acted like the most delicate probe, testing around the joint little by little to find that single, viable angle for exerting force.

Found it!

Right now!

"Hold her steady, all of you!"

With a low roar, he exerted a sudden burst of power from his waist and abdomen, transmitting the force smoothly along his spine and shoulder straight into his entire right arm!

Push!

Using a deft flick of leverage, his fingers braced against the bent joint, pushing it steadily and continuously forward!

Time seemed to slow down at this moment.

Inside the cattle shed, everyone held their breath, their eyes wide as copper bells, staring fixedly at Zhou Yichen's tense face.

All they could see was his sweat-drenched forehead and his arm, with bulging veins, plunged deep into the cow's body.

However, the joint was jammed far too tightly!

Every contraction of the cow squeezed his arm like a collapsing mountain, rendering his strength useless.

To make matters worse, the calf's legs were wrapped in a layer of slippery fetal membranes, making them slick and impossible to grip.

"Damn it!"

Zhou Yichen cursed inwardly.

With a slight loss of stability, his fingers slipped!

He lost his grip!

A strong sense of frustration poured down from the crown of his head like ice water, causing his heart to plummet.

Did he fail?

No!

He took a sharp breath, forcing himself to calm down.

The more critical the situation, the less he could afford to panic!

The very moment he adjusted his breath, the talent panel in his mind began to take effect.

[Medical Skill Proficiency +3]

[Medical Skill Proficiency +5]

Diligence is its own reward!

That previous failed attempt had increased his medical skill proficiency considerably.

At the same time, it gave him an even deeper understanding of the complex internal structure of the cow's birth canal!

Those previously vague muscle bundles, tough ligaments, and the contours of the pelvis became crystal clear in his mind!

He could even perceive precisely which spot and which direction offered the optimal leverage.

So that was it!

He couldn't rely solely on brute force!

A flash of insight crossed Zhou Yichen's eyes.

Without hesitation, he reached his fingers back in.

This time, his movement was not a simple forward thrust.

Like a nimble snake, his fingers first pressed slightly downward, avoiding the hardest edge of the pelvis.

Then, his wrist gave a sharp twist!

A spiraling surge of tactical leverage erupted instantly!

"Click!"

An extremely faint, almost imperceptible sound of a joint shifting traveled clearly along his arm and straight to his brain!

Success!

Joy surged in Zhou Yichen's heart!

That front leg, jammed so tightly, had been forcefully straightened by him!

The hoof finally slid smoothly past the birth canal!

Daring not to waste a single second, he used the exact same method to grope for the other curled front leg.

With the experience of the first time, the second was even more familiar.

In less than ten seconds!

The other front leg was successfully corrected as well!

All obstacles vanished into thin air at this moment!

Zhou Yichen carefully withdrew his arm.

His entire right arm had completely lost sensation, aching and numb, as if it no longer belonged to him.

The arm was covered in dark red bloodstains and turbid mucus, looking shocking under the dim light.

Ignoring all of that, he shouted with all his might to the people behind him who were on the verge of frantic anxiety:

"It's done!"

"Now let the cow push on her own!"

"Captain Wang! Following the rhythm of her contractions, gently pull the calf's legs outward! Give her a hand!"

Awakening as if from a dream, Wang Zhenshan was stunned for a moment, followed by overwhelming joy!

"Alright! Good! Good!"

He hurried forward, carefully grasping the pair of small hooves that had just emerged.

Seemingly sensing that the obstruction had vanished, the cow unleashed the last of her stored strength in a fierce burst!

"Moo—!"

A prolonged, powerful roar!

"It's out! The head is out!" a commune member shouted in pleasant surprise.

Following the momentum, Wang Zhenshan pulled gently outward!

Plop!

A wet, mucus-covered little creature slid smoothly out of the birth canal and landed heavily onto the prepared bed of dry straw.

The dead silence in the cattle shed was shattered instantly!

"It's born! It's born!"

"Good heavens! It really was born!"

"It's alive! It's alive!"

"Moo... moo..."

A weak yet distinct cry came from the pile of straw.

The thoroughly soaked calf shook its head and struggled to stand up.

The exhausted cow seemed imbued with a new surge of energy; struggling to lift its head, it looked at its offspring, letting out a low and tender call from deep within its throat.

The utmost tension vanished into thin air, replaced by overwhelming joy and a profound sense of relief!

"Good lad! Yichen! You are truly amazing!"

Gao Jianjun stepped forward excitedly, delivering a heavy slap to Zhou Yichen's shoulder. His eyes were bloodshot, yet glowing with terrifying brightness!

Wang Zhenshan was so excited he was incoherent: "Miraculous! Truly miraculous! Yichen, your skill is even better than the veteran masters at the county veterinary station!"

The surrounding commune members murmured among themselves, casting gazes at Zhou Yichen as if looking at a deity.

Yet Zhou Yichen merely smiled weakly and waved a hand.

He had no time for pleasantries, nor could he spare a thought for the numbness in his arm.

Parting the crowd, he walked briskly to the side of the calf and squatted down.

First, he felt the calf's breathing, then pressed his ear against its tiny chest.

The breathing, though weak, was steady.

Its heartbeat was strong.

Only then did he thoroughly relax.

"Quick! Bring clean dry straw and wipe all the mucus off its body, or it will catch a cold!"

Zhou Yichen issued new instructions immediately.

"And make sure it gets colostrum as soon as possible; that is crucial for it!"

As he spoke, he personally grabbed a handful of soft dry straw and began carefully wiping the calf's body with professional and practiced movements.

Gao Jianjun rubbed his hands together in excitement: "Yichen, you've made a massive contribution this time! Rest assured, the production team will certainly not treat you unfairly."