The morning air was crisp, biting at exposed skin with the promise of frost. The lush green of the Napier grass was now tipped with gold, swaying heavily in the autumn wind.
Li Wei stood by the corral, holding a branding iron in the coals of a portable brazier. The iron glowed a dull cherry red. Next to him stood the Angus calf—now a sturdy, playful young bull—and the Brahman cow, who looked on with indifferent, heavy-lidded eyes.
"Today marks the beginning," Li Wei announced to the assembled ranch hands. Wang Hu, Xiao Liu, and the other workers stood in a semi-circle, their breath fogging the air. "We are no longer just a few men chasing cows. We are an institution. And institutions need laws."
He pulled the iron from the fire. The "W" inside the circle shimmered with heat.
"The Brand," Li Wei declared. "It signifies ownership, care, and quality. From today, any cattle bearing this mark belongs to the West Mountain Ranch. It is a promise to the world that this animal was raised with respect."
He turned to the Angus calf, which was secured in the crush chute. The animal stamped nervously.
"Steady," Li Wei murmured, placing a hand on the calf's flank. With a swift, practiced motion, he pressed the hot iron to the hide.
*Sizzle.*
A puff of acrid smoke rose. The calf let out a sharp bellow, jerking once. Li Wei held the iron firm for a second, then pulled it away. He immediately applied the soothing herbal salve.
"Done," Li Wei said, releasing the calf. It bolted out of the chute, kicking up its heels before running to its mother, who greeted it with a reassuring lick.
Wang Hu looked at the scarred hide. "It looks painful, Boss. But... clean. Like a soldier's tattoo."
"Exactly," Li Wei nodded. "Now, Han Daniu. The horses are saddled?"
Han Daniu grinned, adjusting the strap on his vest. "Ready, Boss. Though I'm not sure these nags understand 'military discipline'."
"Then it's time they learn," Li Wei swung up onto Midnight. The horse snorted, pawing the ground. "We have a herd to move. The upper pasture is rested. We're going to drive the cattle there. A real cattle drive."
***
**The Drive**
The concept of a "cattle drive" was simple in Li Wei's old world, but in the Great Dynasty, it was a spectacle.
Typically, farmers led their single ox by a nose ring. A herd moving as a unit was something only seen in the nomadic north, and even then, it was chaotic.
Li Wei positioned his men.
"Wang Hu, you're on the left flank. Xiao Liu, you take the rear. Don't let them straggle. Han Daniu, you're point. Lead them to the upper valley. Use your voices. Don't just shout—call to them."
"Call to them?" Wang Hu asked, confused.
"Like this," Li Wei took a deep breath and let out a sound that echoed across the hills. "Yee-haw!"
The sound was foreign, piercing, and energetic. The cattle, startled, looked up.
"Move 'em out!" Li Wei commanded.
The men spurred their horses. It was clumsy at first. Wang Hu nearly fell off when his horse trotted too fast. Xiao Liu's horse tried to eat grass instead of walking. But Li Wei rode alongside, his posture perfect, guiding Midnight with subtle knee pressures.
He rode up and down the line, keeping the herd bunched. The General, the massive bull, took the lead, following Han Daniu's horse. The Brahman cow, surprisingly agile, kept pace in the center.
"Hya! Keep moving!" Li Wei shouted, his voice hoarse but commanding.
From a distance, it looked like a scene from a painting. The dust kicking up, the horses galloping, the herd lowing. The men began to find their rhythm. They started to mimic Li Wei's calls.
"Haw!"
"Come on, bossy! Move!"
They were starting to sound like cowboys.
***
**POV: Zhao Qingxue**
Qingxue had ridden to the ranch, intending to discuss the ledger. The success of the banquet had reached her ears, and she felt a strange compulsion to see the source of that success with her own eyes.
She crested the hill just as the drive was passing.
She pulled her horse to a halt, stunned.
She had expected to see Li Wei sweating over a ledger or fixing a fence. Instead, she saw him riding like the wind. He sat tall in the saddle, his hat low, controlling the massive beast beneath him with effortless grace.
He didn't look like a scholar. He didn't look like a peasant. He looked like a lord of the plains.
The sound of the men calling, the thunder of hooves, the dust—it was wild, loud, and utterly mesmerizing.
As Li Wei rode past, he spotted her. He didn't stop the drive, but he tipped his hat to her, a wide, uninhibited grin on his face.
Qingxue felt her heart flutter. She quickly looked away, pretending to adjust her reins.
*He is... quite skilled,* she admitted to herself. *When did he learn to ride like that?*
She watched until the herd disappeared into the upper valley, the echoes of the "Yee-haw" fading into the wind.
***
**The Ranch House - Late Afternoon**
The drive had been a success. The cattle were grazing in the fresh pasture, and the men were exhausted but exhilarated. They had done something no one in the county had ever done.
Li Wei sat in the main room of the newly expanded wooden house. The structure was simple but sturdy, built from local pine. A stone fireplace crackled in the corner, radiating a warmth that chased away the chill.
A knock came at the door.
"Enter," Li Wei said, pouring tea.
Magistrate Zhao Mingyuan stepped inside. He looked tired, but his eyes were bright. Behind him stood a Yamen clerk carrying a heavy wooden box.
"Father-in-Law," Li Wei stood up, surprised. "To what do I owe this honor?"
"I bring news," Zhao said, waving the clerk forward. The clerk opened the box. Inside, resting on a velvet cushion, was a heavy bronze seal. It was the official registry stamp of the Ministry of Agriculture.
"The Brand Registry," Zhao said, his voice thick with emotion. "I pulled some strings. The Governor put in a good word. The 'West Mountain Brand' is now officially recognized by the Imperial Court. Your cattle are legally protected. No bureaucrat can seize them now without a direct warrant from the Emperor."
Li Wei picked up the bronze seal. It was heavy, grounding. "Thank you, Father. This... this changes everything."
"It is your doing, Wei'er," Zhao said, looking around the wooden house. He saw the simple furniture, the fireplace, the guitars on the wall. "I doubted you. I thought you were chasing a fool's dream. But today, I saw the herd moving. I saw the men respecting you. You have built something here."
He placed a hand on Li Wei's shoulder. "You have made the Zhao family proud."
Li Wei felt a lump in his throat. In his past life, he had died alone. In this life, he had a father who cared.
"I'm just getting started," Li Wei smiled.
Just then, the door opened again. Qingxue walked in, carrying a basket.
"Father," she bowed. "I... I saw the drive. I came to... check on the accounts."
Magistrate Zhao looked between Li Wei and Qingxue. He smiled knowingly. "Well, I must return to the Yamen. Matters of state. Wei'er, take care of my daughter."
He left, the clerk hurrying behind him.
Li Wei and Qingxue stood alone in the warm room. The fire crackled.
"You drove them well," Qingxue said quietly, setting the basket on the table. "The men... they listen to you."
"They are good men," Li Wei said. He walked to the fire. "Are you hungry? I was about to make a stew."
Qingxue hesitated. She looked at the fireplace. It was so different from the braziers in the mansion. It was open, roaring, alive.
"I... brought dumplings," she admitted, opening the basket. "Mother's kitchen made too many."
"Then we eat," Li Wei said. He pulled out a chair for her—a rough, hand-carved chair, but sturdy.
As they sat down to eat, a sudden gust of wind rattled the shutters.
Li Wei stood up and walked to the window. He opened it slightly.
White flakes drifted in on the breeze.
"Snow," Li Wei whispered.
He looked out. The sky was a heavy, slate gray. The first flakes were settling on the grass, melting instantly, but soon they would stick.
"Winter has come," Li Wei said, closing the shutter. He turned back to Qingxue. "This will be the first true test for the herd. And for us."
Qingxue watched him secure the window. She felt the warmth of the fire on her back and the strange, comforting presence of this man across the table.
"We will manage," she said softly. "The dumplings are still warm."
Li Wei smiled. He sat back down.
**[System Alert: Season Change - Winter.]**
**[Quest Unlocked: The Great Snow Survival.]**
**[Objective: Ensure no livestock is lost during the winter season.]**
**[Reward: Upgrade to Ranch House (Stone Fortress).]**
Li Wei picked up a dumpling. He had a brand, he had a family, and he had a winter to survive.
But as he looked at Qingxue, who was trying very hard not to look at him, he felt warmer than the fire could ever provide.
"To the Ranch," Li Wei raised his tea cup.
Qingxue glanced at him, then picked up her cup. "To the Ranch."
Outside, the snow began to fall in earnest, blanketing the West Mountain in a layer of white, protecting the secrets of the soil beneath.