The slaughter of an animal was a solemn occasion in the countryside. It wasn't the industrial disassembly line Li Wei remembered from the modern world; it was a ritual of survival. Every sinew, every ounce of fat, had value.
The old cow, too weak to survive the winter even with the silage, lay in the mud. She had served the Li family for ten years, plowing the fields and calving three offspring. Her eyes were cloudy, her breathing shallow.
"Forgive me, old girl," Li Dazhuang murmured, patting her neck. His hand trembled. He held a long, sharp knife, but he hesitated. To a farmer, a cow was family.
"Father," Li Wei said gently, placing a hand on his father's shoulder. "She is in pain. The frost took her strength. We can let her fade away and waste, or we can use her to feed the family and the workers. It is the respect she is due."
Li Dazhuang sighed, a long, shuddering breath. He nodded and stepped back. "You do it, Wei. My hands... they shake too much today."
Li Wei took the knife. He didn't hesitate. He knelt by the cow's head, stroking her ears to calm her.
"Shh," he whispered.
With a swift, precise motion, he severed the carotid artery. The blood flowed out, steaming in the cold air. The cow shuddered once, then relaxed, the tension leaving her muscles instantly.
"Shitou, Da Niu! Bring the basins!" Li Wei commanded, snapping the workers out of their stunned silence. "Don't let a drop of blood go to waste. It makes the best pudding and feed for the dogs."
For the next hour, the Barren Slope turned into a processing plant.
Li Wei worked with a skill that mesmerized the onlookers. He didn't hack; he dissected. He separated the hide with smooth strokes, preserving it intact for leather. He removed the offal—the liver, heart, and kidneys—placing them in salted water immediately.
"Watch closely," Li Wei instructed Zhao Feng and the boys as he broke down the carcass. "This is the round. This is the flank. This is the brisket. Different cuts require different cooking. If you sell a tough brisket to a man who wants a quick fry, he'll say your meat is bad. You must know your product."
He pointed to the ribs. "These, we smoke. The tough shank meat, we mince and dry into jerky. The bones, we boil for soup."
**[System Notification: Skill Acquired.]**
**[Basic Butchery (Passive) - Level 1.]**
**[Effect: Reduced meat wastage by 15%. Increase in byproduct value.]**
As they worked, the smell of fresh blood and raw meat drifted on the wind. It was a powerful scent, carrying far.
"Boss," Zhao Feng muttered, looking toward the road. "Company."
Li Wei looked up, wiping his hands on his apron. A cart was trundling up the slope. It wasn't a peasant's cart; it was a covered wagon, painted a faded red, pulled by two sturdy mules.
A man in a thick fur coat sat on the driver's bench. He had a round, oily face and a thin mustache. He smelled like money.
"Halt!" Zhao Feng stepped forward, his hand on his cleaver. "State your business."
The man pulled the reins, stopping the cart. He looked at the bloody scene, the hanging carcass, and then at Li Wei.
"Easy, friend," the man called out, his voice smooth and ingratiating. "I come in peace. I am Shopkeeper Qian, from the 'Fragrant Pavilion' in the county seat."
Li Wei raised an eyebrow. The Fragrant Pavilion was the largest restaurant in the county, famous for its banquets. "Shopkeeper Qian? What brings a city man to a mud pile like this?"
"Business, naturally," Qian chuckled, climbing down from the cart. He walked over, eyeing the dissected cow. He grimaced slightly at the sight of the workers covered in blood, but his eyes sharpened when he saw the clean separation of the meat cuts.
"I heard a rumor," Qian said, clasping his hands inside his sleeves. "They say a boy in Stone Roll Village has a bull that looks like a black mountain, and he feeds his animals on winter grass. They say he charmed the Magistrate."
"Rumors grow in the telling," Li Wei said dryly. "This is just an old cow. The King is in the shed."
"I am interested in the King," Qian said smoothly. "But more importantly, I am interested in the 'Beef' the Magistrate spoke of. The nobles in the city are bored. They want something new. Something exotic. I was told you have a style of cooking... a 'Cowboy BBQ'?"
Li Wei's heart skipped a beat. This was the opportunity he had been waiting for.
"I do," Li Wei said. "But this cow is old. The meat is tough. It's not fit for a noble's table."
"Then why are you butchering it?" Qian asked, confused.
"For the workers," Li Wei lied effortlessly. "And for jerky. I am making 'Traveler's Bread'—dried meat that lasts for months. The tough fibers are chewy, but if prepared right, the flavor is intense."
He picked up a strip of the flank meat. "However... if you want a taste of what the King's offspring will taste like in two years, I can give you a preview."
He gestured to a small grill he had set up near the fire pit. He took a piece of the liver—the most tender part of the old cow—and a piece of the tenderloin.
"I will cook this for you now. Not with fancy spices, but with fire and salt. The 'Barbarian Way'."
Qian hesitated. Eating street food? Commoner food? But the Magistrate's name had been dropped. And this boy had a strange confidence.
"Very well," Qian said. "One taste. But if it's tough as leather, I leave."
Li Wei worked fast. He scored the meat, rubbed it with a mixture of salt, wild pepper, and a splash of the beef fat he had just rendered. He slapped it onto the iron grate over the open flame.
The fire flared. The Maillard reaction—the browning of the proteins—began instantly. The smell wasn't just meat; it was char, fat, and primal heat.
Li Wei flipped it once. Twice.
"Done."
He sliced the liver and tenderloin into strips and placed them on a clean wooden shingle. He handed it to the Shopkeeper.
Qian took a strip. He sniffed it. It smelled... intense. He took a bite.
His eyes widened.
The liver was creamy and rich, the char adding a smoky crunch. The tenderloin, though from an old cow, had been seared so fast the juices were locked inside. It wasn't the delicate, bland boiled meat he was used to. It had *character*.
"Mmm," Qian mumbled, chewing faster. He swallowed and reached for another piece. "This... this has vigor! It tastes like the plains."
"It tastes like the fire," Li Wei corrected. "This is the BBQ. If you buy the King's meat in the future, this is how we serve it. But for now..."
Li Wei pointed to the strips of meat Shitou was hanging on a smoking rack. "I have twenty catties of jerky in the making. It will be ready in three days. It won't spoil in the heat. It won't rot in the rain. Soldiers love it. Travelers love it."
Qian finished the shingle, licking his fingers. He looked at Li Wei with a merchant's calculation.
"The Fragrant Pavilion has a caravan leaving for the provincial capital next week," Qian said. "The guards are always complaining about rotten rations. If this jerky is as good as you say... and if you can supply it..."
"I can supply it," Li Wei said. "But good meat costs money. And I need pots. Large iron pots for rendering fat. And spices. Cardamom, cinnamon, star anise. Can you supply them?"
Qian smiled, his eyes crinkling. "A trade? You give me the jerky, I give you the pots and spices at cost?"
"And fifty silver coins upfront," Li Wei added. "For the raw materials."
Qian laughed out loud. "You drive a hard bargain, young Li. But deal. The Fragrant Pavilion will buy your jerky. And... when that Bull of yours is ready for... retirement... I want first bid."
"The King isn't for meat," Li Wei said firmly. "But his sons will be. I'll let you know when the first calf is ready."
Qian nodded, impressed by the boy's long-term vision. "I will send the pots tomorrow. Have the jerky ready in five days."
As the merchant's cart rumbled away, Li Wei let out a breath.
"Boss," Shitou whispered. "You just sold old cow meat for a profit!"
"We sold a *brand*," Li Wei corrected. "Now, get back to work. We have jerky to cure and a fence to finish. And..."
He looked toward the northern ridge. The snow was beginning to fall again, thicker this time.
"Winter is truly here. We need to finish the bunkhouse. I don't want anyone sleeping in the cold tonight."
He looked at the hanging carcass. It was a grim sight, but it was capital. Capital to build the bunkhouse, capital to buy more feed, capital to survive.
The Li Family Ranch was open for business, and business was good.