The Westland was changing. It was a subtle transformation at first, a greening of the brown edges, but now it was undeniable. The scent of dust was receding, replaced by the heavy, humid aroma of growing things.
Li Wei stood by the corral fence, watching Blackjack. The bull had been on the ranch for three days, and the change was startling. The dull, matted coat had been shed, revealing a sleek, obsidian hide that gleamed in the sunlight. His ribs were no longer visible, filling out with the muscle mass that Black Angus were famous for.
"System Analysis," Li Wei murmured.
**[Subject: Blackjack (Foundation Bull).]**
**[Status: Optimal Health.]**
**[Genetic Stability: 85%.]**
**[Current Weight: 1,400 lbs.]**
**[Note: Subject requires companionship. Solitary confinement increases stress hormones.]**
"He needs a harem," Li Wei muttered. "And I need a loan."
He turned to see Old Zhang limping toward him, carrying a bundle of wooden stakes and a coil of rough rope. The old soldier had taken to the work with a grim determination, finding a strange peace in the manual labor.
"Boss," Zhang grunted, dropping the stakes. "The south fence is done. But if we're going to hold more than just this one beast, we need better wood. The thorn bushes here snap too easy."
"I know," Li Wei said. "We'll buy timber from the lumber yard in the city. I have to go back today anyway. I need to buy cows."
Zhang wiped his brow. "More cows? We barely have enough grass for this monster, and you're talking about buying more? That grass grows fast, but..."
"The grass is a resource," Li Wei explained patiently. "And right now, it's going to waste. We need harvesters. Cows with good teeth and strong stomachs. I'm not looking for prize winners yet, Zhang. I'm looking for mothers."
He walked toward the small, three-room wooden cabin they had constructed near the spring. It was rough-hewn, made of pine and stone, with a shingle roof that leaked slightly in the rain, but it was the first structure Li Wei had ever called his own in this world.
Inside, Li An was bent over a large iron pot, stirring a porridge of millet and wild greens.
"Brother!" Li An chirped, looking up. "I found wild onions near the creek! I put them in the stew."
"Good initiative," Li Wei said, clapping his brother on the shoulder. "Finish up. We're going to the market again. I have to convince your sister-in-law to give me more money."
Li An paled. "Sister Qing? But... we just got the first loan. She's going to think we squandered it!"
"Not if I bring her a contract for a breeding partnership," Li Wei said, his eyes glinting with the cunning of his past life as a negotiator. "This isn't a loan, Li An. It's an investment."
***
**POV: Su Qing**
Su Qing sat in her private study, her abacus clicking rhythmically. *Click, clack, slide.* The sound was usually soothing, a symphony of order and logic. But today, her mind was drifting.
She looked at the jade pendant on the table. She had taken it off yesterday after visiting the Westland. She told herself it was because she didn't want to get it dirty, but the truth was, she had been thinking about Li Wei's words.
*Partner.*
It was a strange concept for a woman of the dynasty. Wives managed the house; husbands managed the world. But Li Wei was managing... dirt. And somehow, he had made it grow grass taller than her knees in a matter of days.
"My Lady," a servant announced from the door. "The Young Master... I mean, Li Wei is here. He asks for an audience regarding a business matter."
Su Qing straightened her spine, arranging her face into a mask of cool indifference. "Send him in."
Li Wei entered. He had washed—he had clearly made an effort—but he still smelled faintly of smoke and livestock. It wasn't an unpleasant smell; it was the scent of labor.
"Wife," he greeted with a bow.
"Husband," she replied, gesturing to the seat. "I trust the bull hasn't trampled you yet?"
"He's too well-fed to be angry," Li Wei said with a faint smile. "I'm here to discuss the next phase. I need cows."
Su Qing picked up her brush. "How many?"
"Twenty. Local cows. The ones the farmers are selling off because they're too old for the plow, or the ones with bad temperament that they refuse to work with."
Su Qing paused, her brush hovering. "You want to buy... trash? The rejects? Why?"
"Because they're cheap," Li Wei said bluntly. "And because I have a bull that can turn trash into treasure. I want to breed them. I'll take the local hardy stock and cross them with Blackjack's genetics. The calves will be stronger, meatier, and better adapted to this climate."
He slid a paper across the desk. "Here is the cost estimate. I don't have the cash flow yet. I propose a second loan. But this time, I offer the Su family a 30% stake in the resulting calves."
Su Qing looked at the paper. It was bold. It was risky. It went against every conventional wisdom of animal husbandry in the empire.
"Thirty percent?" she asked. "You are giving away a third of your herd before it's even born."
"I'm buying safety and time," Li Wei corrected. "If I fail, the family gets the cows to sell for meat. If I succeed, the family gets a steady income stream that doesn't rely on farming crops that can fail in a drought."
Su Qing stared at him. He wasn't the man she remembered from the wedding night. That man had been soft, apologetic, and unsure. This man was calculating, direct, and ambitious.
She thought of the Clan Elders, constantly circling like vultures, waiting for her father to falter. A new income source would silence them more effectively than any argument.
"Twenty cows," Su Qing said, dipping her brush in the ink. "I will authorize the funds. But the Su family takes forty percent of the calves. And you will sign another promissory note."
Li Wei didn't flinch. "Deal. Sign here."
As he left with the seal, Su Qing watched his retreating back. "Li Wei."
He stopped. "Yes?"
"The wild onions are a nice touch," she said quietly. "But try not to smell like them next time you enter the main hall. The Elders are visiting tonight."
Li Wei blinked, then smiled—a genuine, lopsided grin that made Su Qing's heart skip a beat.
"I'll keep that in mind."
***
**POV: Li Wei**
The drive back to the Westland was slow. They had purchased twenty cows from various farms around the city—beasts with dull eyes, sway backs, and patchy fur. The farmers had laughed as they took Li Wei's silver, convinced they had just made the deal of a lifetime off a fool.
But as they herded the cows into the valley, something magical happened.
The moment the cows smelled the Napier grass, they perked up. Their heads came up, their ears swiveled forward. They broke into a trot, rushing toward the green pastures.
"Eat up, ladies," Li Wei said, leaning on the gate. "You're going to need the energy."
**[System Alert: Herd Integration Detected.]**
**[Genetic Scanning of Herd...]**
**[Breeding Program Available.]**
**[Recommendation: Introduce Bull to Herd.]**
Li Wei opened the gate to the main pasture where Blackjack stood. The bull raised his head, sniffing the air. He let out a low, rumbling bellow that shook the dust off the ground.
The cows stopped eating and looked at him. It was respect at first sight.
"Nature taking its course," Li Wei said, turning away. He felt a sudden pang of hunger—a deep, hollow ache that had been growing for days.
It was the system. Or perhaps, it was just his body demanding payment for the work.
"Li An," Li Wei called out. "Start a fire. A big one."
"We're having stew again?" Li An asked, looking hopeful.
"No," Li Wei said, walking toward the storage shed where he had hidden a special purchase from the butcher. "Tonight, we celebrate. Tonight, we introduce the world to BBQ."
***
**POV: Old Zhang**
The sun had set, leaving the sky a deep, bruised purple. A large bonfire crackled in the center of the camp, sending sparks dancing up toward the stars.
Old Zhang sat on a log, sharpening his knife. He watched Li Wei with a mixture of suspicion and awe.
The scholar had taken a cut of meat from the butcher—the flank of an old ox, usually tough and stringy, thrown in for free with the cow purchase. But Li Wei had treated it differently.
He had rubbed it with salt, crushed pepper, and some wild garlic he had found. He had built a grate out of green willow branches and set it over the flames.
"You're ruining good meat," Old Zhang grumbled, though his stomach growled. "You're burning it."
"It's not burning," Li Wei said, flipping the steak with a pair of iron tongs. "It's searing. We lock in the juices. The fat renders down and keeps it moist."
The smell hit Old Zhang then. It wasn't the smell of boiled pork or steamed chicken. It was a rich, savory, charred aroma that made his mouth water instantly. It smelled like power. It smelled like meat.
Li Wei pulled the steak off the fire. It was dark and crusty on the outside. He laid it on a wooden board and took his knife.
"Watch this."
He sliced into the meat. The exterior gave way with a satisfying crunch, revealing an interior that was pink and juicy, not grey and dry. Fat glistened on the surface.
"Here," Li Wei said, tossing a chunk to Zhang, another to Li An, and keeping a piece for himself. "Taste it."
Old Zhang caught the piece. It was hot. He blew on it, then took a bite.
The texture was unlike anything he had ever eaten. It had a bite to it, a resistance, but then it seemed to dissolve, releasing a burst of beefy flavor and rendered fat. The char on the outside added a smoky depth that made his eyes widen.
"By the General's ghost," Zhang whispered, chewing slowly. "This... this isn't ox meat. This is... this is what soldiers dream of."
Li An was already stuffing his face, tears streaming down his cheeks. "It's so good! Brother, it's so good! It tastes like victory!"
Li Wei sat down on a rock, biting into his own piece. It was imperfect—a bit tough, perhaps a bit over-seasoned to mask the age of the animal—but it was a start.
"This is just the beginning," Li Wei said, looking at the fire. "This was an old, tired ox. Imagine what the meat from Blackjack's children will taste like. Marbled fat, tender as silk."
Old Zhang finished his piece in two bites. He looked at the fire, then at the dark shapes of the cattle grazing in the moonlight.
"I don't know about silk," Zhang said, wiping his grease-stained hands on his trousers. "But if you feed the troops this... they'll follow you to hell and back."
He looked at Li Wei with new eyes. Not a scholar. Not a merchant. A leader.
"Boss," Zhang said seriously. "I'll teach the workers how to ride tomorrow. If we're going to herd beasts like this... we need to be faster than them."
Li Wei raised his cup of water in a toast. "To the Westland. And to the first steak."
"To the steak!" Li An and Zhang chorused.
As the fire crackled and the cattle lowed in the distance, Li Wei felt the system pulse in his mind.
**[Quest Complete: Establish Herd & First Meal.]**
**[Reward: Ranch Expansion Map.]**
**[New Tech Unlocked: Windmill (Water Pumping) - Blueprints available in Shop.]**
Li Wei smiled into the fire. He had land, water, grass, a herd, and a team. The ranch was no longer just a dream. It was real. And soon, the whole empire would know the taste of true beef.