The rhythm of the ranch began to change. It was no longer just the frantic scrambling of survival; it became the steady, pounding beat of construction.
For three days, the West Slope rang with the sound of iron on stone.
Li Wei had decided that if they were going to be ranchers, they needed to live like ranchers. The commute from the main house to the hill was inefficient, and the storage room was too cramped for the expanding operations.
"We build here," Li Wei had declared, pointing to a flat area near the top of the cleared slope. It offered a commanding view of the lower pastures and the road leading into the village.
Da Niu, the refugee boy, proved to be a natural workhorse. Under Qin Hu's supervision—and occasionally his sharp tongue—the boy hauled stones from the clearing operations up the hill. His initial fear had settled into a grim determination. He was fed, he was tired, and for the first time in months, he was safe.
"Mud won't do for the foundation," Li Wei instructed, mixing a batch of mortar using lime they had bought from a quarry ten *li* away. It was an expense that made Li Jun wince, but Li Wei insisted. "We need to keep the damp out. A dry worker is a happy worker."
They were building a *Bunkhouse*.
It wasn't the log cabin of the American frontier—wood was too expensive in this region—but a sturdy structure of stone and rammed earth. It was long and rectangular, designed to house the growing workforce. A single room with rows of wooden sleeping platforms, a large hearth for heating, and a veranda overlooking the valley.
"It looks like a barracks," Qin Hu commented on the second day, leaning on his crutch as he inspected the straight lines of the walls.
"It is a barracks," Li Wei said, wiping grey lime dust from his forehead. "For the soldiers of the ranch."
Qin Hu raised an eyebrow. "Soldiers? We have a cripple and a starving boy."
"And a scholar who can lift a shovel," Li Wei added, nodding towards the path where Little Brother Li Chen was trudging up the hill, carrying a basket of scrolls in one hand and a lunch pail in the other. "Preparation for the future, Qin Hu. We build the barn before we buy the horse."
***
**The Iron Mark**
That afternoon, Li Wei took a break from the masonry to focus on a smaller, yet equally vital project.
He sat by the anvil in the village blacksmith's shed. He had paid the smith a small fee to use the forge. In his hand, he held a sketch he had drawn on a piece of birch bark.
"I need this made," Li Wei told the smith, a burly man named Old Wu.
Old Wu squinted at the drawing. It was a simple design: a stylized cloud with a curved bottom, enclosing a character that looked like a mountain.
"'Cloud Mountain'?" Old Wu grunted. "A branding iron? You planning to brand your name on the sky, boy?"
"On the cattle," Li Wei corrected. "And the crates of eggs. And the bags of grain."
Old Wu spat on the ground. "Brandin' is for big herds. You have one skinny cow."
"Today one," Li Wei said evenly. "Tomorrow a hundred. A brand tells people this is mine. It tells the world that Cloud Hill Ranch exists. It's not just a farm; it's a name."
The blacksmith looked at the boy. He saw the determination, the unyielding nature of the stone on the hill. He shrugged.
"Give me the iron bars. It'll cost you twenty coins."
An hour later, Li Wei walked back up the hill, the heavy iron brand wrapped in a cloth inside his shirt. It was still warm.
He went straight to the fenced pasture where An was grazing. The cow looked up, chewing rhythmically.
"Come here, girl," Li Wei said softly.
He didn't brand her. The System had advised against it until she was fully healthy and the spring coat was shed. Branding a malnourished cow could cause infection.
Instead, he went to the wooden gate of the pasture. He took a small chisel and, with careful precision, burned the shape of the brand into the top beam of the wood.
Smoke curled up, smelling of charred pine.
"What's that?" Da Niu asked, walking over with a load of mud on his back.
"That is our flag," Li Wei said, stepping back to admire the charred symbol. "Cloud Hill. Anyone who sees this gate knows who runs this land."
Da Niu stared at it. He didn't fully understand, but the sight of that burnt mark made the fence look official. It looked like a fortress.
***
**The Open-Air Banquet**
By sunset, the walls of the bunkhouse were up to shoulder height. The roof would come later in the week, but the sense of accomplishment was palpable.
Li Wei decided it was time for a morale boost.
"Put down the tools," he announced. "Tonight, we eat on the hill."
The family—and the workers—gathered on the flat ground in front of the unfinished bunkhouse. The view was spectacular. The sun was dipping behind the distant mountains, painting the sky in bruises of purple and orange. Below them, the village chimneys were puffing smoke, looking small and far away.
Li Wei had prepared a "BBQ."
It was a rustic affair. He had taken the two infertile eggs from the incubator, hard-boiled them, and sliced them. He had also traded some egg money for a small, cheap cut of pork belly from the butcher in town.
He set up a grill made of iron bars over an open fire pit.
"Jun, bring the seasoning."
Li Jun brought a small jar of salt, crushed pepper, and cumin—spices Li Wei had insisted on buying, mimicking the flavors of his past life.
Li Wei laid the thin slices of pork on the grill.
*Sizzle.*
The sound was intoxicating. Fat dripped into the fire, flaring up in small bursts of flame. The smell of roasting meat drifted over the hillside, overpowering the scent of earth and manure.
"Smells like a festival," Mei said, sitting on a cloth spread over the grass. She was helping Hua arrange the plates.
"It's the fat," Li Wei said, flipping the meat. "And the fire. Meat cooked over wood tastes better than meat boiled in a pot."
He brushed a mixture of soy sauce (a cheap local variety) and honey onto the pork.
"Oh!" Li Hua sniffed the air audibly. "Third Brother, you're a genius. That smells… dangerous."
When the meat was done, Li Wei distributed the slices. Everyone got a small piece—Father Dazhong, Mother, Grandpa, the brothers, the sisters, and even Qin Hu and Da Niu.
Da Niu held his piece of pork like it was gold. He sniffed it, his eyes wide.
"Eat it, boy," Qin Hu grunted, biting into his own. He chewed slowly, savoring the charred edges. "Tastes like victory."
Li Wei sat on a rock, eating his share. The pork was tough, the seasoning was slightly uneven, but to his tired body and hungry stomach, it was Michelin-star quality.
"Sing us a song, Hua," Li Wei suggested suddenly, remembering his plan to inject some culture. "A mountain song."
Hua swallowed her egg. "A song? Now?"
"Yes. Something loud. Something that scares the wolves away."
Hua blushed, but she was never one to back down from a challenge. She cleared her throat. She began to sing a folk song popular in the region—a melody about a shepherd waiting for his love. It was usually sung in a high, piercing falsetto.
Li Wei listened for a moment. It was beautiful, but it wasn't *ranch* music.
"Wait," Li Wei interrupted. "Let's try something different. I'll teach you a rhythm."
He clapped his hands on his thighs. *Thump-thump-clap. Thump-thump-clap.*
"Just follow the beat," Li Wei said. He started humming a tune—a simple, rhythmic melody he remembered from country music videos. He didn't remember the words, just the feeling. He started chanting lyrics in the local dialect, improvising.
"The sun goes down, the work is done," Li Wei sang, his voice rough but rhythmic. "We build the fences, one by one."
"From the dirt to the sky so blue, This hill belongs to me and you."
He nodded to Qin Hu. The soldier looked embarrassed, but after a moment, he stomped his crutch against the ground in time with the beat.
*Thump.*
Da Niu, seeing the scary soldier joining in, started clapping his hands.
Li Hua laughed, catching the rhythm. She changed her melody to match the beat, her voice soaring over the hills.
"The cattle roam, the grass is green, The finest ranch the world has seen!"
The sound echoed off the hillside. It wasn't polished. It wasn't professional. It was a bunch of tired, dirty people making noise under the stars.
Father Li Dazhong sat slightly apart, watching them. He didn't sing. He didn't clap. But he tapped his foot against the ground in the dirt. A small, almost invisible smile played on his lips.
For the first time in years, the weight on his shoulders felt a little lighter.
***
**The Prefecture Plan**
After the meal, as the family packed up to go back to the main house, Li Wei stayed behind with Qin Hu. They sat by the dying embers of the fire.
"The bunkhouse will be done in four days," Qin Hu said. "We can start clearing the second terrace next week."
"Good," Li Wei nodded. He looked at the stars. "Qin Hu, I need to go to the Prefecture City."
Qin Hu looked at him sharply. "The city? That's two days travel by foot. Why?"
"The bull," Li Wei said. "I can't use just any bull for An. The local bulls are small. If I'm going to breed cattle that can plow fields all day and still grow meat, I need better stock. I heard there's a cattle market in the West District of the Prefecture City on the 15th. That's in three days."
"It's dangerous," Qin Hu warned. "You have money on you. Bandits. Con artists."
"That's why I need you to stay here," Li Wei said. "I need you to guard the ranch. If I take the cow's money and leave, people might get ideas. Da Niu can't protect the place alone."
Qin Hu frowned. He didn't like the idea of the boy going alone, but he knew the logic was sound. "Take a horse?"
"Too expensive. I'll walk. I'll stay at a cheap inn."
Li Wei stood up and dusted off his pants.
"I need to buy a bull, Qin Hu. But I also need to see the world beyond this village. I need to understand the market. Who buys the beef? How much do they pay? If we're going to supply the Emperor's table one day, I need to know what's on it."
Qin Hu stood up, wincing as he straightened his leg. He placed a heavy hand on Li Wei's shoulder.
"You have the heart of a general, boy. Just don't get it cut out in the city."
"I'll be careful," Li Wei promised. "Keep the fire burning."
He walked down the hill towards the house. He needed to prepare. He had about 500 coins saved up—a fortune to a villager, but pocket change in a city.
He needed to find a bull that was strong, healthy, and cheap. A bull that no one else wanted, but he could see the potential in.
Just like he had seen the potential in a barren hill and a dying cow.
**[New Quest Unlocked: The Journey to the Prefecture.]**
**[Objective: Travel to Prefecture City and acquire a breeding bull.]**
**[Bonus Objective: Establish a trade contact in the city.]**
**[Reward: Unlock 'Basic Veterinary Kit' Blueprint.]**
Li Wei smiled in the dark. He liked the reward. He needed that kit.
He looked up at the moon. It was a thin crescent, like a sickle.
"Time to harvest," he whispered.