The calf did not trust people.
On the first morning, it refused to move more than three steps from the fence. Its ears twitched at every sound, hooves scraping nervously at the soil.
Lin Yan didn't pull the rope.
He crouched instead, a short distance away, letting the animal breathe.
Old Chen watched from the shade of a tree. "Most people drag a calf around to show who's in charge," he said.
"That's how you teach fear," Lin Yan replied.
He loosened the rope and set a small bundle of fresh grass on the ground. The calf sniffed, hesitated, then lowered its head.
Chewing slowly.
Old Chen grunted. "You're patient."
"I don't need it to obey me today," Lin Yan said. "I need it to trust the land."
The system interface hovered quietly.
[Handling Method: Gentle Introduction]
[Bond Level: Improving]
Over the next few days, Lin Yan followed a rhythm.
Morning: walk the pasture, check soil moisture.
Midday: lead the calf to graze for short periods.
Evening: tie it near the fence where it could still see the house.
No rushing.
No shouting.
The villagers noticed.
"He treats cattle like family," someone muttered.
Old Chen corrected them. "No. He treats them like capital that breathes."
On the fourth day, the calf followed Lin Yan without being led.
That was when Lin Yan made the next decision.
He called the village men to the pasture.
"I'll show you something," he said.
They gathered, curious.
Lin Yan took a stick and marked the ground.
"This area grazes today," he said. "Tomorrow, it rests."
Someone frowned. "Grass grows slow."
"Trampled grass grows slower," Lin Yan replied.
He demonstrated how to guide the calf gently, how to stop before the grass was chewed to the root.
Old Chen nodded approvingly.
That evening, Lin Yan carved another wooden board and set it by the fence.
ROTATION FEEDS THE LAND.
The words spread.
Two days later, something unexpected happened.
The calf began to gain weight.
Not dramatically—but visibly.
Its coat grew glossier. Its steps steadier.
The eldest brother stared at it for a long time. "It looks… different."
"It's eating better," Lin Yan said.
"But we didn't give it grain," his brother said.
Lin Yan smiled. "Exactly."
That night, the system chimed again.
[Pasture Quality: Upgraded]
[Unlock Preview: Draft Training / Horse Compatibility]
Horse.
The word lingered in Lin Yan's mind.
He looked toward the open land beyond the pasture—the rough paths, the trade road leading to town.
Carts. Transport. Speed.
Not yet.
The next morning, Lin Yan found his youngest brother sitting beside the calf, reading aloud from a worn bamboo slip.
The calf listened, chewing placidly.
Lin Yan paused, watching quietly.
Education fed people slower than grass—but it lasted longer.
Later that day, a neighbor approached hesitantly.
"Yan," the man said, scratching his head. "If I raise cattle your way… will you teach me?"
Lin Yan studied him for a moment.
Then he nodded. "When mine can feed itself."
That answer spread faster than rumors.
That night, Lin Yan walked the pasture under the stars.
The wind carried the scent of grass and soil.
He reached down, crushed a blade between his fingers, and smiled faintly.
The land was learning.
So was the calf.
And so was the village.