The harvest was brutal.
Li Wei didn't have a scythe, and the System grass was tough. He and Zhao Feng worked by the light of a smoky oil lantern, cutting the Brachiaria stalk by stalk. By dawn, they had filled three large hemp sacks with the vibrant green forage.
It wasn't a mountain of hay, but it was dense. Wet with sap and heavy with nutrients.
"Is this enough?" Zhao Feng asked, wiping green stains from his hands. "It doesn't look like much."
"It's concentrated energy," Li Wei said, heaving a sack onto the borrowed oxcart. "In the dead of winter, a single bite of this is worth a bucket of dry straw. Trust me, Zhao Feng. Today, we sell the color green."
They covered the sacks with a tarp to keep the frost off and started the long trek to the county seat.
***
The County Stables were located near the west gate, a sprawling complex of wooden barns and paddocks. The air smelled of horses, oats, and manure—a scent Li Wei found more comforting than any perfume.
The stable hands were lazily pitching hay when Li Wei drove the cart into the yard.
"You! Peasant!" a burly foreman shouted, waving a pitchfork. "The manure pile is around the back. Don't block the entrance."
"I'm not here to dump," Li Wei said, jumping down from the cart. "I'm here to see Master Chen. Is he around?"
"Master Chen?" The foreman laughed. "The Head Groom doesn't talk to farmers. Scram."
"Is that so?" Li Wei didn't flinch. He walked to the back of the cart and yanked the tarp off one of the sacks.
The contrast was immediate. In the middle of the grey, muddy yard, the sack overflowed with vibrant, emerald-green grass. The morning sunlight caught the dew on the leaves, making them sparkle.
The foreman stopped laughing. He blinked, rubbing his eyes. "What in the name of the Emperor... fresh grass? In winter?"
The commotion drew attention. A few horses in the nearby paddocks lifted their heads, nostrils flaring as they caught the scent of the fresh fodder. A black stallion in the nearest stall let out a loud, demanding whinny.
"What is this racket?" a voice boomed.
A man in his fifties stepped out of the main barn. He wore a practical blue tunic and carried a grooming brush. His hair was streaked with grey, and his face was weather-beaten, but his eyes were sharp as a hawk's.
Master Chen, the Head Groom of North County.
"Master Chen!" the foreman bowed. "This peasant is causing trouble. I'm kicking him out."
"Wait," Master Chen held up a hand. He walked over to the cart. He reached out and plucked a single blade of Brachiaria. He inspected it, crushing it slightly to smell the aroma.
His eyebrows shot up. "This... this is tropical fodder. *Brachiaria?* But how? It's the dead of winter. This only grows in the southern provinces, and even then, not like this."
"I grew it," Li Wei said. "In Stone Roll Village. Using a... special method."
Master Chen looked at Li Wei, really looked at him, for the first time. He saw the calluses on the boy's hands, the calm stance, the confident eyes. This wasn't a beggar.
"You grew fresh fodder in the frozen north," Master Chen said flatly. "Do you take me for a fool? Did you steal this from a noble's greenhouse?"
"There are no greenhouses in Stone Roll Village, Master Chen," Li Wei replied. "Only my farm. I have three sacks. I want to sell them."
"Three sacks of grass?" The foreman scoffed. "We have tons of hay!"
Master Chen silenced him with a look. "We have dry hay. Straw. Oat stalks. It keeps the horses alive, but it doesn't make them thrive. The Magistrate's favorite warhorse has been off his feed for a week. He's losing weight and his coat is dull. If he dies, my head rolls."
Master Chen turned back to Li Wei. "Boy, if this is poisonous or sour, I'll have you beaten and thrown in the stockade."
"Feed it to the sick horse," Li Wei challenged. "If he doesn't eat it, I'll leave and never come back. If he does, you pay me one tael of silver per sack."
The foreman gasped. "One tael? For weeds? Are you crazy? Hay is ten coppers a cart!"
"One tael," Li Wei repeated, locking eyes with Master Chen. "Because this isn't hay. This is medicine. This is energy. This is what will make that horse run again."
Master Chen stared at Li Wei. Then, a slow smile crept onto his face. He liked guts.
"Bring one sack," Master Chen ordered. "Stall 4. The Warhorse 'Black Wind'."
***
Stall 4 was large and clean, but the atmosphere inside was depressing.
The horse, a massive black stallion, stood with his head hung low. His ribs were slightly visible, and his eyes were dull. He looked at the bucket of mashed grain and dry hay in front of him and turned his head away, uninterested.
"He hasn't eaten properly in four days," Master Chen muttered, his voice tight with worry. "The vet says it's a chill in the stomach. If he doesn't eat soon..."
Li Wei stepped forward. "Permission to enter?"
"Go ahead."
Li Wei didn't just dump the grass. He took a handful and approached the horse slowly. He didn't look the stallion in the eye—a challenge—but blew gently into his nostrils.
*The greeting.*
The horse twitched an ear. He sniffed the air. His nostrils flared.
Li Wei held the green grass under his nose.
**[System Analysis: Equine Senses detecting High Protein/Sugar content.]**
**[Stimulation: High.]**
The horse's head snapped up. His dull eyes focused. He took a tentative nibble.
Then, the stallion bit down.
The crunch was audible. The horse chewed rapidly, savoring the rich, sweet taste that had been absent from his diet for months. He swallowed and immediately nudged Li Wei's hand for more, a low, eager whinny rumbling in his chest.
The effect was instantaneous. The lethargy vanished.
Master Chen let out a breath he had been holding for days. "By the ancestors... he's eating."
"Not just eating," Li Wei said, pouring the rest of the handful into the trough. "He's healing."
Master Chen watched the horse devour the Brachiaria with a ferocity he hadn't shown in weeks. The Head Groom turned to Li Wei, his expression transformed from skepticism to professional respect.
"You have a talent, boy," Master Chen said. "I don't know how you grew this, but I don't care. I'll take the three sacks."
"And the price?" Li Wei asked.
Master Chen grimaced. "One tael is highway robbery. But... the Magistrate returns in three days. If Black Wind looks healthy by then, my neck is saved. I'll give you *two* taels for all three sacks. But you must promise to bring more."
*Two taels.*
Li Wei kept his face impassive, though his heart was pounding. That was enough to feed his family for a month. It was enough to buy a horse.
"Deal," Li Wei said. "But I have a condition."
Master Chen raised an eyebrow. "You drive a hard bargain. What condition?"
"I need a horse," Li Wei said. "Not a warhorse. A working horse. Something fast and sturdy. I have money, but I need you to point me to a seller."
Master Chen laughed. "You want to buy a horse? With two taels? You can barely buy a decent donkey."
"I don't want a donkey," Li Wei said. "I want something... broken, perhaps. But with good bones."
Master Chen thought for a moment. He snapped his fingers. "There is one. A mare. Chestnut. Came in with a shipment from the borders. Threw two riders. Wild as a wolf. The dealer is planning to sell her to the glue boiler tomorrow because no one can handle her. She's dangerous, but... she has the blood of the Western 'Akhal-Teke' in her. Endurance like you wouldn't believe."
"Where is she?" Li Wei asked.
"In the back paddock. The one with the 'Danger' sign."
"I'll take a look," Li Wei said. "After I get my silver."
***
Ten minutes later, Li Wei stood by the fence of the back paddock.
In the center of the muddy field stood a mare. She was thin, her coat matted with mud, but beneath the grime, Li Wei could see the muscles rippling. She was a deep chestnut color, with a metallic sheen to her coat even in the poor light. She paced nervously, snapping her teeth at a stable boy who got too close.
**[Target Identified: Akhal-Teke Crossbreed.]**
**[Status: High Stress.]**
**[Temperament: Dominant.]**
**[Health: Dehydrated, saddle sores.]**
**[Potential: Elite Endurance Mount.]**
Zhao Feng leaned on the fence, shaking his head. "Boss, that thing looks like it wants to kill us. The bull was stubborn; this one looks crazy."
"She's not crazy," Li Wei said, watching the mare's fluid movement. "She's proud. She's been mishandled. Look at her gait. That's a horse built for distance."
The horse dealer, a greasy man named Lao San, walked up, spitting on the ground. "Interested? Five taels. She's a killer, but the meat is good."
"Five taels for glue meat?" Li Wei scoffed. "I'll give you two taels."
"Two? Are you joking? I can get three from the boiler!"
"Then go to the boiler," Li Wei shrugged, turning away. "But the boiler won't pay you today. And you have to transport a killer horse across the city. I have silver in my pocket right now."
Lao San hesitated. He looked at the mare, who was currently trying to kick a post down. He looked at Li Wei's heavy purse.
"Three taels," the dealer countered. "And you take the risk of handling her."
Li Wei turned back. "Two and a half. Final offer. And you throw in a halter."
Lao San grunted, holding out his hand. "Fine! Take the devil. Don't come crying to me when she caves your skull in."
Li Wei handed over the heavy silver coins. He was left with virtually nothing again—just half a tael. But he had the grass contract, and now, he had a horse.
He climbed through the fence.
The mare spun around, ears pinned back. She charged, stopping just inches from Li Wei, snorting violently. She reared up, hooves flailing.
Zhao Feng drew his knife. "Wei!"
"Stay back!" Li Wei ordered.
He didn't run. He didn't shout. He stood his ground, just as he had with the bull. He let the mare scream and stomp. He waited for the pause—the moment of assessment.
He reached into his pocket. He had saved a small sprig of the System grass, wrapped in a damp cloth.
He held it out.
The mare froze mid-stomp. The scent hit her. High protein. Sugar. Life.
She dropped her front legs. She stretched her neck out, sniffing. Her lips quivered. She took the grass gently, her lips brushing Li Wei's palm.
"That's it," Li Wei whispered. "I'm not going to hurt you. We're going to run."
He slowly reached up and clicked the halter onto her head. She shook her mane, annoyed, but didn't fight. The hunger had won, but the respect had begun.
Li Wei led the chestnut mare out of the paddock. The stable hands stared.
"Boss," Zhao Feng said, looking at the horse with newfound respect. "You really are crazy."
"Call her 'Red Wind'," Li Wei said, patting the mare's neck. "Because she's going to help us build this ranch."
He looked at the road leading home. He had a bull, a horse, a supply of miracle grass, and a loyal crew of one.
The foundation was laid. Now the real work began.