The journey back to Stone Roll Village was a slow, agonizing trudge. The "King," as Li Wei had begun to think of the massive bull, was calm now that the agony in his horn had subsided, but he was heavy. Every step he took sank into the softening snow and mud, and the sheer bulk of the animal meant they had to stop frequently.
Li An, the younger brother, walked a few paces behind, clutching his book and staring at the beast with a mix of terror and awe.
"Brother," Li An whispered, keeping his voice low as if the bull might understand him. "Is... is that a demon? He is twice the size of Uncle Qiang's ox."
"He's not a demon, An," Li Wei said, adjusting the rough rope lead. The hemp dug into his palms, a constant reminder of the weight he was pulling. "He's a King. And he's going to make us rich."
Zhao Feng walked on the other side of the bull, his hand resting casually on the beast's flank. The connection between the two aggressive males had shifted. The bull no longer saw the humans as threats; he saw them as the ones who had removed the thorn from his paw—or rather, the infection from his horn.
"We need to get him to the slope," Zhao Feng said, looking at the sky. "It's getting dark. If he spooks in the woods at night, we'll lose him."
"Open the gate," Li Wei commanded as they crested the hill leading to the Barren Slope.
The "ranch" looked desolate in the fading light. The rock wall they had built was waist-high, jagged but sturdy. The lean-to shelter for the grass nursery stood in the center, looking like a small, fortified hut.
But as they approached, a figure stood by the entrance.
It was Li Dazhuang. The father had been waiting. He held a lantern high, the yellow flame flickering in the wind. As the silhouette of the bull emerged from the twilight, Li Dazhuang took a step back, his eyes widening.
"Wei!" his father shouted, his voice tight. "What is that?"
"Our new bull," Li Wei said, walking the beast to the gate.
"A bull?" Li Dazhuang stared at the animal's massive shoulders, the black coat gleaming like iron, the white face distinct and wild. "That is not a farm bull! That is a beast! Where did you get him?"
"The market. He was cheap."
"Cheap? Why? He looks like he could overturn a cart!"
"He had a... temperament issue," Li Wei admitted. "But I fixed it. Father, help us get him into the shed. We need to separate him from the calf for tonight."
Li Dazhuang looked at the bull's horns, then at his son's calm face. He set down the lantern and grabbed a heavy wooden beam. "Get him in. If he charges, jump the fence."
They maneuvered the King into the larger section of the shed, blocking him off from the calf and the cows with a heavy timber partition. The bull snorted, smelling the scent of the new environment, and stamped his hooves.
Li Wei didn't chain him. The shed was strong, and the bull was tired. Instead, Li Wei threw an armload of the dried grass they had stored into the trough.
The bull sniffed it. He looked at Li Wei.
"Eat," Li Wei said softly. "This is home now."
The bull dropped his massive head and began to chew. The crunching sound was loud in the quiet shed.
***
The atmosphere inside the Li house that night was heavier than the bull outside.
"You spent all the money?" Mother Zhao's voice was shrill. "All the silver? On that... that monster?"
She stood by the stove, clutching the ladle like a weapon. The pot was bubbling with a thin porridge, the last of their grain stores visibly shrinking.
"It was an investment," Li Wei said, sitting on the kang. He was exhausted, his muscles screaming, but his mind was racing. "Mother, listen to me. A normal ox costs three taels. It can plow fields. That's all. I bought this bull for less than two taels. He is not for plowing. He is for breeding."
"Breeding?" Li Er, the second brother, frowned. "We have one calf and one old cow. Who is he going to breed?"
"Eventually, we will buy more cows," Li Wei explained. "But for now, his value isn't just breeding. Look at his size. That is muscle. That is meat. In the spring, if we can graze him well, he will be the envy of the county. I can rent him out to other villages for stud services. One service is fifty copper coins. Do the math."
The room fell silent. Fifty copper coins was a significant sum for a peasant.
"You know how to do that?" Li Dazhuang asked, puffing on his pipe. "Stud services?"
"I know animal husbandry," Li Wei said with confidence. "I've read about it. The books were right there in the county library." He tapped his head. "I memorized them."
It was a lie, but a necessary one.
Mother Zhao looked at the empty coin purse on the table, then at her son. She sighed, her shoulders slumping. "We have no money for grain. The taxes are coming in two weeks. If this bull doesn't pay off..."
"He will," Li Wei promised. "I give you my word."
He looked at Li An, who was trying to read by the dim light of the oil lamp. "An, tomorrow, you don't go to the slope. You go to the village school. Ask the teacher if he needs firewood. Chop some for him in exchange for a lesson. We need you to learn to read contracts."
Li An looked up, startled. "Me? But we have no money for tuition."
"Wood is tuition," Li Wei said. "We have plenty of wood. Go."
The boy nodded vigorously, his eyes shining. "I will, Brother!"
***
Later that night, Li Wei slipped out of the house.
The wind had died down, leaving the world under a blanket of silent frost. He walked up the hill to the shed. The slope was dark, the rock walls casting long shadows.
He heard a low rumble as he approached. Not a growl, but a snore. The King was asleep.
Li Wei checked the calf. "One" was standing, looking at the new neighbor through the wooden slats. The calf seemed curious, not afraid.
**[System Report:]**
**[Livestock Health: Stable.]**
**[Facility: Basic Shed (Capacity: 4/10).]**
**[Pasture: Brachiaria Seedlings growing (Stage 1).]**
**[Current Funds: 0 Taels, 20 Copper Coins.]**
Zero funds. It was a dangerous position. They were one disaster away from starvation.
But looking at the System interface, a new notification blinked.
**[New Task: The First Mow.]**
**[Description: Your Brachiaria pasture is ready for its first test cut. The fast-growing grass can be used to feed the bull and test its nutritional value.]**
**[Reward: System Store Unlock - Tool: Draft Horse Saddle Blueprint.]**
Li Wei stared at the notification. *Already?*
He walked over to the small lean-to he had built over the grass patch. He lifted the pine branches acting as a roof.
Under the starlight, the patch of earth was glowing green.
The Brachiaria had grown nearly a hand's width in just a few days. It was thick, broad-leaved, and vibrant. Even in the dead of a Northern winter, the System-enhanced seeds were defying nature.
Li Wei knelt and pulled a handful of the grass. It snapped off with a satisfying crunch. He rubbed it between his fingers. It was soft, not woody. High protein.
He took the handful to the bull.
The King woke up instantly, sniffing the air. He took the grass from Li Wei's hand, his rough tongue scraping Li Wei's palm. He chewed, his eyes closing in pleasure.
"Good, isn't it?" Li Wei whispered. "That's the taste of the future."
He stood up, looking out over the Barren Slope. It was a wasteland now, rock and thorns. But in his mind, he saw it covered in that green grass. He saw hundreds of black and white cattle grazing.
He had the bull. He had the grass. He had a right-hand man who wasn't afraid of anything.
"Tomorrow," Li Wei muttered to the cold wind. "Tomorrow, we start clearing the rest of the slope."
He wasn't just a poor farmer's son anymore. He was a Rancher. And the ranch was open for business.