The morning air in the Westland was crisp, carrying the scent of damp earth and the sharp, tangy smell of manure—a smell that Lin Wanshan had come to associate with money.
He stood by the fence, a small notebook in hand, watching the herd.
"Eleven head," he murmured, counting. "Ten cows, one bull."
The system interface hovered in his vision, ticking down.
**[Task: The First Breeding Season. Time Remaining: 13 Days.]**
**[Status: Mating Pairs Identified: 0/10.]**
It had been two days since the cows had fully acclimated to the Spirit Spring water and the Optimized Ryegrass. Their health bars in the system interface were solidly in the green. But nature, even aided by a system, required timing.
Captain, the massive black bull, stood apart from the herd. He was grazing calmly, but his eyes were active, scanning. The Genetic Optimization Serum had done more than fix his leg; it had altered his hormones, turning him from a docile draft animal into a potent breeding machine.
"Boss," Tiezhu walked up, leading a horse. The former soldier was still awkward in the saddle, gripping the horn with white knuckles, but he was improving. "The south fence is tight. Old Man Chen finished the stone wall. No wolves getting in there."
"Good," Lin Wanshan said, not taking his eyes off the herd. "But the danger today isn't wolves. It's biology."
"Biology?"
"Breeding, Tiezhu. We need calves. No calves, no ranch." Lin Wanshan turned to him. "I need you to help me move the herd. We need to separate the cows into a smaller paddock. It encourages the... romance."
Tiezhu grunted. "Romance. With cows. You have a strange way of speaking, Boss."
"It's science," Lin Wanshan grinned. "And a little bit of art. Grab the lasso."
***
The next few hours were a test of patience and agility.
Lin Wanshan rode Old Hei, his movements fluid. He had spent his previous life dreaming of this, and now, with the system's "Basic Horsemanship" skill augmenting his muscle memory, he felt like a centaur.
He swung the lasso overhead. The loop hissed through the air.
"Heeyah! Move it!"
He guided a cow towards the smaller paddock near the stream. The cows, now full of energy from the nutrient-rich grass, were stubborn. They kicked up their heels and bolted.
Tiezhu chased from the other side, bellowing orders like he was commanding a cavalry charge.
"Left! Cut left, you stubborn mule!" Tiezhu yelled, his horse veering wildly.
It was chaotic, dusty, and loud. But slowly, the ten cows were funneled into the smaller, lush paddock.
Lin Wanshan dismounted, wiping dust from his face. He whistled.
Captain trotted over. The bull looked at the enclosed cows, then at Lin Wanshan.
"Go on, boy," Lin Wanshan said, opening the gate. "Do your job. Make me proud."
Captain entered the paddock. He didn't rush. He walked in with a swagger, his massive frame blocking the exit. He let out a low, resonant moo that vibrated in Lin Wanshan's chest.
The cows stopped their nervous milling. They turned to look at him.
"Now we wait," Lin Wanshan told Tiezhu.
"Wait? Just stand here?"
"No. We watch. If a cow is sick or rejects him, we have to intervene. We also need to make sure he doesn't hurt them. He's heavy."
They watched for an hour. The "romance" of the animal kingdom was not subtle. Captain selected his first mate—a strong, healthy yellow cow. There was snorting, chasing, and eventually, the act of nature.
*[System Notification: Breeding Successful. Cow #3 Confirmed Pregnant.]*
*[Trait Inheritance: 60% Angus characteristics predicted.]*
Lin Wanshan let out a breath he didn't know he was holding. "One down."
By sunset, three more cows had been successfully bred.
"Four calves," Lin Wanshan calculated mentally. "That's a start. But we need more."
***
That night, the atmosphere in the bunkhouse was relaxed. The smell of Liu Mei's stew filled the room. She had gotten creative, using some of the wild onions Lin Wanshan had identified and rendering down fat to make a savory gravy.
Lin Wen sat by the oil lamp, scratching calculations onto a slate. "Brother, the grass is growing fast. Too fast. If we don't cut it soon, it will go to seed and become woody. The cows won't eat it."
"Good eye," Lin Wanshan nodded, sipping his tea. "We need to make hay."
"Hay?" Lin Wen asked.
"Cut the grass, dry it in the sun, and store it," Lin Wanshan explained. "We need a surplus for winter. If we have a good stock of hay, we can even buy more cattle next season without worrying about them starving."
"Cutting that much grass by hand..." Tiezhu looked at his calloused palms. "That will take weeks."
"We'll buy scythes from the city tomorrow," Lin Wanshan decided. "And we'll hire temporary help. We need to move fast."
Suddenly, a noise from outside broke the conversation.
It wasn't a wolf howl. It was a low, pained moo.
Lin Wanshan put down his cup. "That sounds like Cow #7."
He grabbed a torch and rushed outside. Tiezhu followed, his hand on his sword.
In the holding paddock, one of the cows was lying down, breathing heavily. She was a smaller cow, one of the skinniest they had bought. She was trying to stand but collapsing back into the dirt.
Lin Wanshan vaulted the fence. He knelt beside the animal. She was hot to the touch.
"System," he thought. "Diagnose."
**[Subject: Cow #7. Status: Stress-induced Dystocia (Difficult Birth). Complication: Calf is in breech position. Warning: High mortality risk.]**
Lin Wanshan froze. "She's pregnant? Already? She wasn't even bred today!"
**[Correction: Cow #7 was purchased already pregnant by a local bull. The fetus was in early stages. The nutrient boost from Spirit Spring water accelerated fetal growth, causing a mismatch with the mother's pelvic size.]**
"Damn it," Lin Wanshan cursed. He hadn't accounted for this. The cows had looked like dried-up old milking cows, but one had been hiding a secret.
"Boss, what is it?" Tiezhu asked, holding the torch high.
"She's giving birth," Lin Wanshan said, rolling up his sleeves. "And the calf is backwards. Tiezhu, hold her head. Keep her still. Wen, bring me the oil lamp and the bucket of warm water. Now!"
The next thirty minutes were a blur of blood, mud, and tension.
Lin Wanshan had to reach inside the cow. It was messy, visceral work. The system guided his hands, flashing diagrams of bovine anatomy in his mind. He had to rotate the calf.
"Pull!" Lin Wanshan gritted his teeth, grabbing the calf's hind legs. "On the next contraction. One, two, three!"
He pulled with all his strength, utilizing every ounce of leverage.
The cow bellowed in pain.
Slowly, with a wet slurp, a calf slid out onto the grass.
It was motionless. Covered in slime and membrane.
"Is it dead?" Lin Wen asked, his face pale.
Lin Wanshan didn't answer. He immediately cleared the membrane from the calf's nose. He tickled its nostrils with a piece of straw.
Nothing.
"Come on," Lin Wanshan growled. He grabbed the calf by its hind legs and swung it gently upside down to clear the fluids. He rubbed its chest vigorously.
"Live, damn you. Live."
He poured a small splash of diluted Spirit Spring water into the calf's mouth.
Suddenly, a cough. Then a shudder. Then a weak, rasping breath.
The calf gasped, its lungs expanding for the first time. It let out a tiny, high-pitched "Maaa."
Lin Wanshan sat back on his heels, exhausted and covered in muck. He laughed breathlessly. "It's alive."
The cow turned her head, licking her new baby.
Lin Wanshan stood up, his knees weak. He looked at the calf. It was ugly, wet, and spindly. But to him, it was the second most beautiful thing in the world—after Captain.
But as he cleaned his hands, he noticed something.
This calf wasn't black. It was a muddy, reddish-brown.
"System, scan the calf."
**[Subject: Newborn Calf. Breed: Native Mixed (Local Bull x Native Cow). Genetic Potential: Low.]**
It wasn't an Angus. It was a scrub calf, the kind that would grow up to be a plow ox. It wasn't part of his master plan.
But looking at the calf struggling to stand on wobbly legs, Lin Wanshan didn't care.
"Tiezhu," he said, wiping his hands on a rag. "Don't write this one off. It's a survivor."
He looked at the moon. "We just saved a life. That's worth more than a perfect pedigree tonight."
He walked back toward the bunkhouse. "I need a drink. And then I need to sleep. Tomorrow, we have nine more cows to breed."
He paused at the door.
"Oh, and Wen?"
"Yes, Brother?"
"Make a note in the ledger. Start date of the ranch: Today. First calf born: Survival."
"Understood, Brother."
As Lin Wanshan lay down on his bunk, the system chimed again.
**[Task Update: The First Breeding Season - 4/10 Bred.]**
**[Bonus Reward Granted for Saving Life: Basic Veterinary Kit (Unlocked early).]**
A small wooden box appeared in his inventory space.
Lin Wanshan smiled in the dark. A vet kit. Now he wouldn't have to use his bare hands next time.
The Westland was earning its keep.