The rooster's crow pierced the morning mist, signaling the start of another day in Willow Village.
Chen Yuan woke to the sound of rhythmic snoring from his younger brother, Little Ming. He lay still for a moment, staring at the ceiling, allowing the reality of his situation to settle in. The aches from yesterday's walk had faded, replaced by a restless energy.
He slipped out of bed quietly, careful not to wake the boy. Stepping into his cloth shoes, he walked to the window and looked out into the courtyard.
The three sheep were huddled in the corner he had fenced off. They looked ragged in the morning light, their wool dusty and matted. To a common farmer, they were a liability—mouths to feed that produced little in return.
But to Chen Yuan, they were the spark of a revolution.
*System,* he thought.
**[System Interface Active.]**
**[Livestock Status:]**
* *Ram (Local Mixed Breed): Health 72%. [Trait Activating: Enhanced Appetite]*
* *Ewe 1 (Local Mixed Breed): Health 85%. [Trait Active: High Fertility Potential]*
* *Ewe 2 (Local Mixed Breed): Health 82%. [Trait Active: Good Temperament]*
**[Warning: Nutritional intake insufficient for genetic optimization. Host is advised to improve forage quality immediately.]**
Chen Yuan frowned. "Improved forage." That was the crux of the problem. The local grass on the hills was tough and fibrous—good for maintaining weight on a scrawny goat, but not enough to fuel the transformation into high-quality meat stock.
He needed the land. And he needed the grass.
* * *
By the time the rest of the household was stirring, Chen Yuan had already swept the courtyard and fed the sheep a handful of dried bean stalks he found in the storage shed.
Liu Shi, his mother, stepped out of the main house, tying her apron. She looked at the sheep, then at her son, a complicated emotion in her eyes.
"You're up early," she said, handing him a warm bun filled with pickled vegetables. It was a luxury; usually, breakfast was just porridge.
"Couldn't sleep," Chen Yuan said, taking a bite. "Mother, where is Father?"
"He went to the field early to check the irrigation channel," Liu Shi replied, wiping a smudge of dirt from his cheek. "San Lang, are you really set on this? The neighbors... Old Man Zhang next door was whispering that our family has gone mad, buying cursed sheep."
Chen Yuan smiled, a confident, easy expression that surprised her. "Let them talk, Mother. In a few months, they will be asking us how we did it."
Just then, the gate creaked open. Chen Dazhong walked in, wiping sweat from his brow. Behind him followed a middle-aged man with a ruddy complexion and a beard that was beginning to gray.
It was the Village Chief, Wu Shan.
"Chief Wu," Chen Yuan greeted politely, cupping his hands. "Please, come in."
"San Lang," Chief Wu nodded, looking around the yard. He was a straightforward man, known for his fairness, though he had little patience for nonsense. "Your father tells me you want to rent the East Hill plot."
"Yes, Uncle Wu," Chen Yuan used the familiar address. "I want to clear it for grazing."
Chief Wu sighed, rubbing his neck. "That land... it's been barren for twenty years. The soil is full of gravel, and the thorns there are thick as a man's thumb. It's not good for crops. The village council has discussed it many times—nobody wants the headache of clearing it."
"I know," Chen Yuan said. "That is why I am asking for it. I don't need it for crops. I need it for grass."
"Grass?" Chief Wu raised an eyebrow. "You want to grow grass? We have plenty of wild grass on the hills. Why pay rent for wasteland?"
Chen Yuan walked over to the fence and beckoned the Chief to look at the sheep.
"Uncle Wu, look at these animals. They are skinny, yes. But look at their legs. They are sturdy. If I can get them fresh, young grass every day, they will fatten up twice as fast as anyone else's. The East Hill is near the stream, isn't it? If I clear the thorns and plant good grass, the runoff won't wash away the soil, and it might even help the fields downstream."
Chen Yuan was improvising a little, using an environmental angle he remembered from modern agriculture, but it sounded logical.
Chief Wu rubbed his beard, considering. "You make it sound easy, boy. But clearing that land... even if I give it to you rent-free for the first year, the labor alone will break your back."
"I'm young," Chen Yuan said simply. "I have a back to spare."
Chief Wu looked at Chen Dazhong, who stood silently by the door, supporting his son with his presence.
"Dazhong, you agree to this?" the Chief asked.
Chen Dazhong nodded. "The boy has a plan. I trust him."
Chief Wu shook his head, though a small smile played on his lips. "Alright. I'll take it to the council tonight. It shouldn't be a problem. Rent will be 200 copper coins a year, starting next year. If you fail before then, the land returns to the village. Deal?"
"Deal," Chen Yuan said, bowing deeply. "Thank you, Uncle Wu."
* * *
After the Chief left, the family gathered for the morning briefing.
Eldest Brother Chen Shan sat on a stool, his face stern. He was the most conservative of the brothers. "San Lang, 200 coins is cheap, yes. But the tools? We need hoes, maybe even a plow if you're serious. The iron on our hoe is almost worn through."
"I know, Eldest Brother," Chen Yuan said. "I don't expect the family to pay for my tools. I will use my savings for the sheep fodder first. For the land... I will start by hand."
"Hand?" Second Brother Chen Hu scoffed, though he was grinning. "You? Your hands are softer than a woman's after working in the pharmacy. You'll bleed in an hour."
"Then I'll bleed," Chen Yuan said, his voice hard. "But I will clear that land."
He looked at his family. "I know everyone is skeptical. But please, just give me this month. If I don't show progress, I will sell the sheep and go back to farming with Father."
Little Ming tugged on Chen Yuan's shirt. "Third Brother, I can help! I'm small, I can pull the small weeds!"
Chen Yuan patted the boy's head. "No, Little Ming. You need to study. If our family wants to truly rise, we need a scholar. Your job is the books."
Little Ming pouted but nodded obediently.
"I will go with you," Chen Hu suddenly said. "After the morning chores. I'm curious to see how you plan to wrestle thorns."
Chen Yuan smiled. "Thank you, Second Brother."
* * *
The East Hill was a ten-minute walk from the village. As they crested the small ridge, Chen Yuan saw exactly what Chief Wu meant.
The plot was about five *mu* (roughly 0.8 hectares). It was a chaotic mess of thorny shrubs, weeds, and large, exposed rocks. The soil, where visible, was yellowish and clay-heavy.
Chen Hu leaned on a shovel he had brought. "Well? Still think it's a good idea?"
Chen Yuan walked to the edge of the plot. He closed his eyes for a second.
*System, analyze soil.*
**[Analysis Complete.]**
**[Soil Type: Clay Loam. Low Nitrogen. High compaction.]**
**[Suitability:]**
* *Crops: Low.*
* *Pasture (Ryegrass/Fescue): Moderate (Requires tilling and fertilization).*
**[Recommendation: Clear debris. Till topsoil. Introduce organic matter.]*
Chen Yuan opened his eyes. "It's better than it looks," he murmured.
He rolled up his sleeves. "Let's start, Second Brother."
The work was grueling. The sun climbed high, beating down on their backs. The thorns were vicious, snagging their clothes and scratching their skin.
Chen Yuan was not used to this. In his past life, his exercise was limited to walking from the parking lot to the office. In this body, he had the stamina of an 18-year-old, but the calluses were still forming.
By midday, his hands were blistered, and his back screamed in protest. He wiped sweat from his eyes, his vision blurring slightly.
"San Lang, stop."
Chen Hu's voice cut through the haze. The second brother walked over, holding a water gourd. He looked at Chen Yuan's hands—red, raw, and bleeding in spots.
"You're pushing too hard," Chen Hu grunted, shoving the gourd into Chen Yuan's chest. "Drink."
Chen Yuan drank deeply. The water was warm but tasted like heaven.
"You think I'm foolish," Chen Yuan said, panting.
"I think you're stubborn," Chen Hu replied, sitting on a rock. He took a swig of water himself. "But I saw how you handled that ram yesterday. And I saw how you talked to the Chief. You've changed, San Lang."
Chen Yuan remained silent.
"I don't know about this 'ranch' thing," Chen Hu continued, picking at a splinter in his shovel. "But if you're willing to bleed for it, then I'm willing to bleed with you. We are brothers."
He stood up and spat on the ground. "Rest for a bit. Then I'll show you how to swing a hoe without tearing your palms off. You're holding it like a pen, not a weapon."
Chen Yuan looked at his brother with gratitude. "Teach me."
* * *
They worked until the sun began to dip below the horizon. By the end of the day, they had cleared perhaps one-tenth of a *mu*. It was a small patch of brown earth in a sea of green thorns.
Exhausted, they walked back down the hill.
As they neared the village, a heavy, dragging sound came from the path ahead.
*Thud. Drag. Thud.*
A figure emerged from the shadows.
It was a man, tall and broad-shouldered, but walking with a severe limp. He wore tattered, grayish military training clothes that had been patched a dozen times. Over his shoulder, he carried a dead wild boar piglet.
Chen Hu stiffened, putting a hand on his hoe. "It's that hermit, Xu Tie."
Xu Tie. The name rang a bell in Chen Yuan's memory. The village rumors spoke of a crippled soldier who lived in a dilapidated shrine near the burial grounds. He kept to himself, rarely spoke, and occasionally hunted in the deep mountains.
Xu Tie didn't look at them. He stared straight ahead, his face like carved stone, one eye covered by a nasty scar.
"Brother Hu," Chen Yuan called out softly. "Is he dangerous?"
Chen Hu lowered his voice. "He was in the army. Border guards. They say his leg was shattered by a horse, and his unit was wiped out. He came back a few years ago. He's scary, but he doesn't bother anyone."
As they passed each other, Chen Yuan stopped.
The System flickered.
**[Scanning Individual...]**
**[Name: Xu Tie.]**
**[Status: Veteran (Disabled).]**
**[Attributes: Strength (High), Perception (High), Stamina (Impaired by injury).]**
**[Skill: Spear Mastery (Latent), Equestrian (Latent).]**
**[System Alert: Potential Ranch Personnel Detected.]**
Chen Yuan's heart skipped a beat. *Ranch Personnel?*
He looked at the man's imposing frame and the heavy boar he carried like a feather. Even with a bad leg, the man radiated strength.
"Excuse me," Chen Yuan said.
Chen Hu hissed, "San Lang, don't—"
Xu Tie stopped. He slowly turned his head, his one good eye locking onto Chen Yuan with an intensity that made the air feel colder.
"What?" The voice was hoarse, like grinding stones.
Chen Yuan suppressed his fear. He gestured to the boar. "That's a fine catch. Did you get it in the valley?"
Xu Tie narrowed his eyes. "What is it to you?"
"I'm just looking for capable people," Chen Yuan said, thinking fast. "I'm starting a ranch on the East Hill. I'll need security against wolves and thieves. If you ever get tired of living alone... I might have work."
Xu Tie stared at him for a long, uncomfortable moment. Then, he let out a short, barking laugh—a dry, humorless sound.
"A ranch? A boy like you?" He glanced at Chen Yuan's bleeding hands. "Go back to your books, little farmer. The mountains eat soft hands."
He turned and limped away, the rhythm of his dragging foot fading into the dusk.
Chen Hu let out a breath. "Are you crazy? That's a wolf in human skin! You want to hire him?"
Chen Yuan watched the retreating figure. "A wolf can guard the sheep better than a dog, Second Brother. If you can tame it."
He looked down at his hands. They were shaking, and not just from fatigue.
"But not today," Chen Yuan admitted. "Today, my hands are indeed too soft."
He looked back at the hill, then at the village.
"Let's go home, Brother. I smell dinner."
The road was long, but the first seed had been planted. And now, he had a goal. Not just the land, and not just the sheep. He needed a team.
And he knew exactly where to start looking.