The autumn sun, still warm but slanting with a new urgency, painted the Lin Ranch in gold. In the pasture, the social order had settled into a peaceful rhythm. Founder, now filling out with solid muscle beneath his chestnut coat, stood as a proud, watchful sentinel. Maple and Breeze, the two heifers, grazed contentedly, their bellies beginning to round with the first promising signs of the ranch's future. The grass, managed under Lin Yan's Pasture Management knowledge, had recovered from the hay cut and was now a dense, lush carpet, storing energy in its roots for the winter ahead.
The ranch's heartbeat was no longer the frantic flutter of survival, but the steady, dual rhythm of commerce and cultivation. Every five weeks, Lin Tie and Lin Zhu delivered fifty branded bales of LR hay to Merchant Huang's warehouse, returning with silver and copper that was carefully partitioned: one portion for the ever-looming tax reserve, one for family necessities, and a growing third portion labeled "herd expansion" in Lin Yan's mind.
It was this third portion that fueled the morning's family council. They sat outside on benches Lin Zhu had crafted, the sounds of contented chewing from the pasture their backdrop.
"The hay money is steady," Lin Zhu reported, his fingers tracing figures in the dirt. "After setting aside for the full tax and supplement, and for winter stores, we have enough to think about the next step. The pasture can support two, maybe three more animals without overgrazing, if we manage the rotations carefully."
"More heifers?" Lin Dahu asked, sipping bitter herbal tea. "Or do we think of an ox for real plough work? The western field still needs proper turning if we're to plant a bigger crop of our own grain next year."
It was the classic tension: immediate utility versus long-term breeding potential.
Lin Yan, with the Animal Breeding Principles humming in his mind, had been contemplating a different angle. "Founder is our future. His value is in his calves. But Maple and Breeze… they're from common draft stock. Good mothers, but their calves will be for beef and labour, not for improving the breed." He paused, letting the idea form. "What if our next purchase isn't just another mouth to feed, but a key to unlock Founder's true value?"
Wang Shi looked up from her mending. "What key, Yan'er?"
"A heifer of better bloodline," Lin Yan said. "Not a full sister to Founder, but from a similar mountain stock, or even something different. A hardy breed from the southern hills, perhaps. If we breed her to Founder, the calf combines the best of both. It's stronger, hardier, more valuable. That calf isn't just another animal; it's the start of our own line."
The concept of breeding their own line, of creating something distinctive and valuable, hung in the air. It was ambition of a different color.
"A quality heifer will cost more," Lin Tie stated the obvious.
"She will," Lin Yan agreed. "But Merchant Huang might see the value. It's a deeper investment in the 'Lin Ranch' brand he's already buying. He gets first right to the offspring, which would be worth significantly more."
Before they could debate further, a visitor interrupted. It was the village head's grandson, a boy of twelve, out of breath. "Grandfather says you must come! The Magistrate's clerk is at the head's house! About… about land!"
A cold trickle of dread ran down Lin Yan's spine. Land. The only thing more precious than their herd. He and Lin Dahu exchanged a glance and immediately followed the boy.
At the village head's slightly larger hut, Clerk Gao sat again, looking even more officious. Old Chen was also present, his expression carefully neutral. A large, rolled map lay on the table.
"Lin Dahu, Lin Yan," the village head said, his voice weary. "Clerk Gao is here on a survey. The county is updating its land registers. All leased communal land—like your slope—is being reassessed for potential conversion to taxable private holdings or… reallocation."
Reallocation. The word was a knife.
"Our lease is for five years," Lin Dahu said, his voice tight. "We have four left."
"Leases are subject to imperial need and proper land use," Clerk Gao said dismissively, unrolling the map. It showed Willow Creek's rough topography. He pointed to their slope, marked with crude lines. "This plot. Barren, listed as marginal pasture. Yet my report notes significant… improvement." He looked directly at Lin Yan. "Improved land has higher value. It can support more tax. Or, it could be deemed more suitable for a household with greater capacity to cultivate it fully." His gaze flicked almost imperceptibly towards Old Chen.
It was a shakedown. A threat veiled in bureaucracy. Their success had made their land a target. Either they accepted a steep increase in their eventual tax burden for the slope, or the "improper" use of improved land by a "marginal" household could be grounds for breaking the lease and awarding it to someone else—like Old Chen.
Lin Yan's mind raced. Arguing would fail. Pleading would weaken them. He needed to reframe the issue entirely.
"Honored Clerk Gao," Lin Yan began, bowing slightly. "You are correct. The land is improved. It is no longer marginal. It is now productive pasture supporting livestock that will contribute to county tithes. But its use is not just for our family. We are testing methods of soil restoration that could turn many such barren slopes in the county into productive land, increasing the overall tax base. Our ranch is a… a demonstration plot. Our lease is an investment by the village in learning these methods."
It was a bold gambit. Framing their private struggle as a public service, a technological contribution to the county's wealth.
Clerk Gao's eyebrows rose. "Demonstration plot? What methods?"
"Managed grazing. Compost enrichment. Selected grass strains. We have records of yield increases." Lin Yan was bluffing about formal records, but the evidence was on the slope for anyone to see. "Would it not benefit the county more to have this knowledge developed here, where the magistrate can observe its success, rather than to simply reassign the land and lose the technique?"
Old Chen's mask of neutrality slipped into a frown. Lin Yan had outmaneuvered him on a philosophical level, appealing to the county's greed for greater overall revenue.
Clerk Gao tapped the map thoughtfully. "A 'demonstration plot' would require official recognition. And oversight. And a commitment to share proven methods."
"We would be honored to share success with our neighbors, under the magistrate's wise guidance," Lin Yan said, laying the flattery on thick. "And of course, a recognized demonstration plot, while still leased, might have a more… stable status. To ensure the experiment continues."
He was offering the county a share of the intellectual property in exchange for security of tenure.
Clerk Gao sat back, a slow smile spreading. He saw a way to turn this into a report that would please his superiors: "Initiated Agricultural Improvement Project in Willow Creek, boosting long-term land values…" It was better than a simple land reassignment dispute.
"I will note this in my survey," Gao said finally. "The 'Lin Ranch Method' is under observation. The lease… stands. For now. Continue your work. I will expect a report on your 'methods' before the winter freeze." He rolled up the map, the threat temporarily sheathed.
As they walked home, the weight of the reprieve was heavy. They had traded future scrutiny for present safety. They were now on the magistrate's radar in a new, precarious way.
"We must make this 'method' real," Lin Dahu murmured. "We must have something to share, or we are liars and our lease is forfeit."
"We will," Lin Yan said, determination hardening in his gut. "And we'll start by making our herd the proof."
The encounter lit a fire under their plans. Lin Yan used the points he'd been hoarding. He purchased 'Advanced Soil Analysis' (40 points) and 'Forage Legume Integration' (30 points). He now understood their soil's specific deficiencies and knew which nitrogen-fixing clovers and vetches to encourage alongside the grass.
More importantly, he and Lin Zhu made a special trip to Yellow Creek to see Merchant Huang. Lin Yan laid out a new proposal, leveraging the clerk's "observation."
"The county is watching us now, as an example," Lin Yan explained. "Our next step must be undeniably successful. We want to buy one quality heifer, of different hardy stock, to breed with Founder. The calf will be the first true product of the 'Lin Ranch Method'—superior genetics on superior pasture. You get first right to it. And your name, as our partner, is attached to the success the magistrate hears about."
Huang was intrigued. The bureaucratic interest added a layer of prestige and security to the investment. After intense negotiation, they struck a deal. Huang would provide two-thirds of the silver for a quality heifer from a reputable breeder he knew in the southern prefecture. In return, he would own a one-third share in all of Founder's offspring from that heifer, not just the first.
It was another slice of their future sold, but it bought them a critical asset and powerful political cover.
A week later, a new animal arrived. She was a yearling heifer with a sleek, russet coat and elegant, upturned horns. She was of a southern hill breed known for its adaptability and excellent meat quality. Her name, chosen by Lin Xiao who was captivated by her alert, intelligent eyes, was Ember.
Introducing Ember to the pasture was a delicate operation. Maple and Breeze were curious but accepting. Founder, however, was transformed. He circled the new arrival, snorting, his neck arched, displaying his growing bulk. This was not just another herd member; this was a prize. Ember ignored his posturing with regal disdain, which only seemed to inflame his interest.
[Herd Upgraded: Foundation Female 'Ember' integrated. Genetic Diversity Improved.]
[New Dynamic: Breeding hierarchy established. Founder's primary interest identified.]
[Points Awarded for Strategic Genetic Acquisition: +40.]
That night, as the first crisp hint of true autumn cooled the air, Lin Yan stood at the fence. The pasture was a tableau of life and potential under the moon. Founder stood close to where Ember lay chewing her cud. Maple and Breeze drowsed nearby. The heartbeat of the ranch was strong—a symphony of breaths, the rustle of grass, the slow, powerful rhythm of creation.
The imperial clerk wanted a method. The merchant wanted a return. Old Chen wanted their land.
But as Lin Yan watched his herd, he knew they were building something that transcended all those demands. They were building a self-sustaining system, a living engine. The tax would be paid. The methods would be shared, in time, on their terms. The land would remain theirs, because they were making it irreplaceably, undeniably theirs.
The herd was no longer just an asset. It was the beating heart of their defiance, and the promise of a future where they answered to no one but the rhythm of the seasons and the needs of the land they had brought back to life.