The weather in the mountains was as fickle as a child's mood.
The clear skies of the previous afternoon had vanished, replaced by a heavy, suffocating blanket of gray clouds. The air pressure dropped, making the old injury in Xu Tie's leg ache—a human barometer more accurate than any modern forecast.
Chen Yuan stood on the hillside, looking up at the roiling sky. The trench was done, a deep scar circling the intended shed site, but the roof was only half-thatched.
"It's coming," Xu Tie said, standing beside him. He leaned on his staff, his face grim. "A big one. We have maybe two hours before the downpour."
Chen Yuan looked at the pile of pine logs and the bundles of thatch they had cut. Two hours wasn't enough to finish the roof. If the rain flooded the trench or soaked the stored hay, they would lose days of progress.
And the sheep.
The three sheep were currently huddled in the open pen back at the village house. The courtyard there turned into a mud pit when it rained heavily. If they stayed there, the dampness could trigger hoof rot or pneumonia.
"We can't wait," Chen Yuan decided. "We need to finish the shelter now. Even if it's just a lean-to."
"Too late for fine work," Xu Tie grunted. He pointed to a spot near the trench. "We build a temporary windbreak. Use the logs to create a wall against the wind, and pile the thatch over it. It won't be pretty, but it will be dry."
"Let's do it."
* * *
The race against nature began.
Chen Yuan, Xu Tie, and Little Stone worked with frantic urgency. Chen Hu had gone to the town to deliver the second batch of grass, leaving them shorthanded.
Xu Tie, despite his limp, became the anchor of the operation. He didn't lift heavy logs, but he directed the placement with military precision.
"Angle that log fifteen degrees to the left!" Xu Tie barked, his voice cutting through the rising wind. "The wind comes from the northwest! If you place it straight, it will act as a sail and fly away!"
Chen Yuan and Little Stone struggled to wrestle the heavy pine trunks into position. They used rocks as wedges and vines as ropes.
*System, assist with structural integrity.*
**[Activating Structural Analysis.]**
**[Warning: High wind load detected. Recommend reinforcing the anchor points with 'Deadman' anchors.]**
Chen Yuan blinked. *Deadman anchors?* He looked at the soft earth.
"Little Stone! Dig holes! Deep ones!" Chen Yuan shouted over the wind. "We bury the bottom ends of the logs!"
They dug furiously. The wind began to howl, tearing at their clothes. The first drops of rain were fat and heavy, splattering against the dry earth like cold coins.
"Move!" Xu Tie roared.
They rammed the logs into the holes and packed the dirt tight. They threw the bundles of thatch and grass against the windward side, creating a thick, insulated wall.
By the time the sky opened up, unleashing a deluge of water, the makeshift shelter was standing. It was ugly—a slanted heap of wood and grass—but it stood.
"Inside!" Chen Yuan yelled, grabbing his pack.
They scrambled into the small dry space behind the windbreak. The trench they had dug earlier was already channeling the runoff water away, diverting it down the hillside like a moat.
Huddled together in the dim light, listening to the roar of the rain hitting the thatch just inches above their heads, Chen Yuan let out a breath he didn't know he was holding.
"Not bad," Xu Tie muttered, wringing water from his sleeve. "For a farmer."
Chen Yuan smiled, shivering slightly. "It holds."
* * *
The storm raged for the entire afternoon and well into the night.
It was a cold, relentless rain that seeped into bones and ruined morale.
Back in the village, the Chen household was in a state of low-grade panic.
The roof of the kitchen was leaking. Liu Shi and Wang Shi were running around placing clay pots and wooden bowls under the drips.
*Plink. Plink. Plink.*
The rhythm of leaking water was maddening.
"Where is San Lang?" Liu Shi asked, wiping her brow. "He shouldn't be up on that hill in this weather!"
"He said he wanted to check the drainage," Chen Dazhong said, sitting by the door. He was sharpening a sickle, his knuckles white. "That boy... he is stubborn."
"Stubborn or stupid?" Wang Shi snapped, though her voice lacked its usual malice. She was worried about the food stores getting wet. "I hope he doesn't catch a cold. We can't afford a doctor again."
Just then, the front gate slammed open.
Chen Hu burst in, soaked to the bone, carrying a bundle of oilcloth on his back. He was panting heavily.
"Father! Mother!"
"Brother Hu! You're drenched!" Chen Lan rushed over with a towel.
"Never mind that!" Chen Hu gasped, dropping the oilcloth on the floor. It clinked heavily. "I got stuck in town. The river bridge is flooded. I had to take the long way."
He looked around. "Where is Third Brother?"
"He's still on the hill," Liu Shi said, her face pale. "In this storm?"
"He's with... him," Chen Dazhong said quietly, referring to Xu Tie. "He'll be fine."
But Chen Hu shook his head. "I need to go get him. The village path is turning into a river. If he slips..."
"I'll go," Chen Dazhong stood up.
"No, Father. Rest," Chen Hu grabbed a dry coat. "I'm faster."
* * *
On the hill, the mood was strangely calm amidst the chaos.
The shelter held firm. The trench worked perfectly, diverting the muddy water away from their small dry patch of earth.
Chen Yuan sat with his back against the log wall. Opposite him, Xu Tie was nursing a small flask of liquor he had produced from his robes.
"Drink?" Xu Tie offered.
Chen Yuan hesitated, then took a sip. It burned like fire, warming his frozen chest. "Thanks."
Xu Tie looked at him, his one good eye reflecting the faint light.
"You didn't panic," the veteran said. It wasn't a compliment, just an observation. "When the wind hit, you didn't freeze. You dug."
"Panic doesn't help," Chen Yuan replied, leaning his head back. "In my... dreams, I've seen storms before."
"Dreams," Xu Tie scoffed softly. "I dream of the border. The screams of horses. The smell of blood."
He took a long swig of the flask.
"I was a captain, you know," Xu Tie said suddenly, his voice low and rough. "Hundred men under my command. We held a pass for three days against the barbarians. Three days. No food. No water. Just blood and dust."
He looked at his trembling hand. "Then a horse rolled on me. Snapped my leg like a twig. The army didn't need a cripple. They gave me three taels of silver and sent me home."
He laughed bitterly. "Three taels. That's the price of a captain's life."
Chen Yuan remained silent, letting the man speak. It was the first time Xu Tie had opened up.
"When I came back... the villagers looked at me like a beggar," Xu Tie continued. "They feared my strength, but they despised my weakness. I became a ghost in my own home."
He looked at Chen Yuan. "Why do you treat me differently?"
Chen Yuan looked him in the eye.
"Because a ranch needs guards," Chen Yuan said honestly. "And a captain who held a pass for three days is worth ten strong men. Your leg is broken, Brother Xu, but your mind is sharp. I need that mind more than I need a man who can run fast."
He gestured to the shed around them. "This dry spot? It's here because of your trench idea. You saved our work today."
Xu Tie stared at him for a long moment. The rain roared outside.
Then, the veteran let out a long, ragged breath. He capped the flask.
"The sheep," Xu Tie said, his voice shifting back to business. "They are still in the village?"
"Yes."
"The mud in the village yard will give them hoof rot in two days of this rain," Xu Tie stated flatly. "Tomorrow, we need to move them here. Even if the main shed isn't finished. We can pen them under this windbreak."
"I know," Chen Yuan nodded. "But moving sheep in the rain is dangerous. They might scatter."
"Not if we do it right," Xu Tie said. He picked up a stick and drew in the mud floor of the shelter. "Here is the path. We use the terrain. I'll guide. You drive."
He looked up, a spark of purpose returning to his gaze.
"I'll help you move them. Consider it... rent for the dry floor."
Chen Yuan smiled. "Deal."
* * *
The rain stopped just before dawn.
The world was washed clean, the air crisp and cold. Puddles reflected the gray morning sky.
Chen Yuan hadn't slept much, but he felt alert. He and Xu Tie trudged down the muddy hill to the village.
When they arrived at the Chen household, the yard was a swamp. The three sheep were huddled under the small eaves of the storage shed, shivering and miserable. Their hooves were caked in mud.
"San Lang!"
Chen Hu and Liu Shi ran out of the house.
"You stayed up there all night?" Liu Shi cried, grabbing Chen Yuan's arms. "Are you insane? Look at you, you're pale!"
"I'm fine, Mother," Chen Yuan reassured her, though his legs were trembling. "The shed held. The drainage works."
He pointed to the sheep. "Mother, we can't keep them here. Look at the mud. It will ruin their feet. We are moving them to the hill today."
"Now?" Chen Dazhong asked, stepping out. "The ground is soft. Moving them might tire them."
"Better tired than sick," Xu Tie interjected. He stood at the gate, his posture stiff.
The family looked at the cripple. They knew him by reputation.
"Who is this?" Chen Dazhong asked, wary.
"This is Xu Tie," Chen Yuan introduced. "He's helping me. Father, he was right about the drainage. And he's right about the sheep. We have a dry spot on the hill. We need to move them now, while the sun is trying to come out."
Chen Dazhong looked at the sheep, then at his son's determined face. He looked at Xu Tie, noting the man's military bearing despite the crutch.
"If you say so," Chen Dazhong nodded. "Do you need help?"
"Just open the gate," Xu Tie commanded, his voice taking on a natural authority. "San Lang, get behind them. Don't shout. Just guide. Sheep follow the leader."
Chen Yuan nodded. He grabbed a handful of the fresh Ryegrass he had stored in the dry shed.
He walked to the front of the sheep. The animals smelled the sweet, tender grass. Their ears perked up.
"Come on," Chen Yuan said softly, waving the grass.
The leader ewe took a step. Then the others followed.
Slowly, carefully, Chen Yuan led the small herd out of the muddy yard, through the gate, and onto the road. Xu Tie limped ahead, using his staff to block any path that led away from the main road, gently steering the flock.
It was a slow procession. The neighbors watched from their windows, shaking their heads.
*The Chen family is mad,* they thought. *Moving sheep in the mud.*
But Chen Yuan didn't care. He walked backward, facing the sheep, waving the grass, humming a low, rhythmic tune.
It was a tune from his past life, a country song he had loved. It had no words in this world, but the melody was soothing.
*"Take me home... country roads..."*
He hummed, the sound blending with the dripping water from the trees.
For the first time, the sheep didn't look scrawny and wild. They looked like a herd. A herd moving to greener pastures.
And behind them, Chen Dazhong watched his son.
"He's singing," the father murmured to himself. A small, almost imperceptible smile touched his lips. "He's singing to the sheep."
* * *
It took an hour, but they made it.
The sheep were ushered into the windbreak shelter on the hill. It was dry. The ground was sandy and firm, raised slightly above the mud.
Chen Yuan secured the makeshift fence. He threw down the fresh grass.
The sheep began to eat, their tension melting away as they chewed the tender Ryegrass.
Xu Tie sat on a log, watching the animals. "They like it."
"They do," Chen Yuan sat down next to him, exhausted. "We did it."
"One step," Xu Tie said, looking out over the valley where the sun was finally breaking through the clouds. "A long road starts with one step."
He looked at Chen Yuan.
"I'll stay tonight. Make sure the wolves don't come."
Chen Yuan nodded, closing his eyes. "Thank you, Brother Xu."
**[Mission Complete: Herd Relocation.]**
**[Reward: Basic Veterinary Knowledge - Hoof Care.]**
**[Ranch Status: Phase 1 Complete.]**
Chen Yuan smiled as the System notification faded.
He had a shelter. He had a guard. He had a family that was slowly beginning to believe.
The storm had passed, both outside and inside.