The man in the shadows did not move at first. He stood as still as a mountain pine, his presence heavy and sharp, like a whetted stone hidden in velvet. Qin Zhan was a man of the borders, a former soldier whose spirit had been ground down by the corruption of the capital and the blood-soaked dust of the northern front.
When Lin Yan stepped into the darkness with a slice of roasted hare, the soldier's eyes caught the firelight. They weren't the eyes of a starving beggar; they were the eyes of a wolf that had forgotten how to lead the pack.
"I have no coin to pay for meat," Qin Zhan said, his voice a low rumble.
"I didn't ask for coin," Lin Yan replied, holding the meat steady. "I asked if you would join the fire. In the Lin family, we eat first and discuss the price of the soul later."
Qin Zhan hesitated, then reached out. His hand was a map of scars—thick, white lines across the knuckles and a deep furrow near the thumb. He took the meat and ate it in three silent, efficient bites. As the richness of the dry-aged hare hit his tongue, a minute tremor passed through his shoulders. It was the first "real" food he had tasted in months.
"The seasoning," Qin Zhan muttered, looking at the fire. "It tastes of the northern grasslands. Wild pepper and mountain salt."
"It tastes of home," Lin Yan added, gesturing for the man to sit. "I need a man who knows the difference between a predator and a stray dog. My walls are rising, and my herds are growing. Jealousy is a weed that grows faster than grass in Stone Creek. I need someone to help me pull it."
Qin Zhan sat, his broken sword resting across his knees. He didn't say 'yes,' but he didn't leave. And in the slow-burn world of Lin Yan's ranch, that was a victory.
The Weaver's Dream
The next morning, the "Golden Ranch" was buzzing with a new kind of labor. The four wild blue-horn sheep were settled into the lower level of the new house. The sheep were skittish, their wool matted with mud and burrs, but Lin Yan saw them as a textile goldmine.
"Yue'er, Hua'er—come look," Lin Yan called his sisters.
He showed them how to use a "soft-wash" technique he'd adapted from the System's knowledge: a mixture of wood ash lye and the oil from the "Spirit Roots" found on the North Slope.
"If we shear them now, the wool is too coarse," Lin Yan explained, running his fingers through the matted coat of the lead ewe. "But if we wash them while they are still on the animal, and feed them the 'Iron-Root' vines we found, the new growth will be as soft as cloud-silk. We aren't just selling sheep; we're going to sell the finest winter cloaks in the county."
Lin Yue touched the wool, her eyes bright. "Brother, if we can spin this... the village girls would give anything for a spool. Even the Miller's daughter would have to bow her head."
"Let them bow," Lin Yan smiled. "But first, we must card the wool. Lin San! Stop playing with that rope and help your sisters build the carding frames."
The Selective Breed
While the sisters focused on the wool, Lin Yan turned his attention to the science of the herd. He opened the System interface, which was now displaying a [Genetic Stability Chart].
> [Current Herd: 4 Wild Blue-Horns]
> Goal: Increase wool density and lower aggression.
> Method: Selective Breeding.
> System Insight: The lead ram has 'High Endurance' but 'Low Yield'. Suggest cross-breeding with the local 'Fat-Tail' sheep in Arc 2.
>
Lin Yan didn't have the Fat-Tail sheep yet, but he knew how to prepare. He began the process of Hand-Feeding. To domesticate wild animals, you had to replace their fear of humans with a craving for human-provided nutrients.
Every morning, he spent an hour in the pen, not moving, just holding a handful of the salt-licked Alfalfa. Slowly, the smallest ewe—the one Lin San had caught—approached. She nibbled at his palm, her nose twitching.
Slow and steady, Lin Yan thought. The ranch isn't built with whips; it's built with salt and patience.
The First "Rodeo" Seed
By mid-week, the village was preparing for the Spring Equinox Festival. It was a time for the "Earth God" sacrifices and for the young men of the village to show off their strength in wrestling matches.
Lin Yan saw an opportunity. He needed to change the "peasant" mindset of Stone Creek. He wanted to introduce the concept of Livestock Mastery.
"Qin Zhan," Lin Yan said, watching the soldier sharpen his broken blade. "In the North, did you ever see men ride the wild horses?"
"Ride them? We lived on them," Qin Zhan said, a spark of pride returning to his eyes. "But a horse is a partner. A bull... a bull is an enemy."
"What if we made it a game?" Lin Yan asked. "A test of courage. Not to kill the beast, but to stay atop it. To prove that the Lin Ranch doesn't just raise animals—we rule them."
Qin Zhan looked at the scrawny village youth and then at the massive, half-wild ox that Zhao Fugui used to plow his fields. The ox was a mean-tempered beast, known for goring a farmhand last autumn.
"You want to ride Fugui's ox?" Qin Zhan asked, a grim smile touching his lips. "You'll be buried before your house is finished."
"I won't ride it," Lin Yan said. "Lin San will. With your training."
The Festival of the Earth God
The festival arrived with the sound of gongs and the smell of cheap rice wine. The village square was packed. Zhao Fugui was there, boasting about his "Mighty Ox" and how it could pull three times the weight of any other beast.
"My ox is a king!" Fugui shouted, patting the animal's thick, muscular neck. "No man in this village can even hold its lead for a minute when it's angry!"
Lin Yan stepped forward, his voice cutting through the crowd. "Uncle Fugui, a king is meant to be ridden, not just followed. If my brother can stay on your ox's back for the count of eight breaths, will you admit that the Lin family knows more about animals than you do?"
The village went silent. A challenge! This was the entertainment they craved.
"And if he falls?" Fugui sneered.
"If he falls," Lin Yan said, his voice dropping an octave, "I will give you two of my golden eggs every week for a month."
Fugui's eyes lit up with greed. "Deal! But don't blame me when the boy's bones are broken!"
Qin Zhan stepped forward then, his presence making the crowd part like the sea. He had spent the last three days teaching Lin San the "Balance of the Thighs" and how to grip the loose skin of the neck. He had also fashioned a crude "bull-rope" from the reinforced Iron-Root vines.
Lin San climbed onto the fence, his face pale but determined. He looked at Lin Yan, who gave him a slow, encouraging nod.
"Now!" Lin Yan signaled.
The ox was released. It wasn't used to a weight on its back. It bucked. It spun. The crowd screamed. Lin San held on, his body whipping back and forth like a willow in a gale.
One... two... three...
Lin Yan counted aloud. The villagers joined in.
Six... seven... EIGHT!
Lin San flew off, landing in a pile of soft hay that Qin Zhan had strategically placed. He was covered in dust and panting, but he was grinning.
The village erupted. They had never seen anything like it. It wasn't a fight to the death; it was a display of sheer, raw human spirit against the wild. This was the first seed of the Imperial PBR (Pro Bull Riding) culture.
Zhao Fugui stood frozen, his mouth agape. He hadn't just lost a bet; he had lost his "status" as the man with the toughest beast.
The Guard at the Gate
That night, as the festival ended and the family returned to the ranch, Qin Zhan didn't go back to the shadows. He took up a position by the new rammed-earth gates.
"The walls are high enough now," Qin Zhan said, his voice firm. "I'll take the first watch."
Lin Yan stood beside him, looking out at the dark fields. The "Vitality Chickens" were sleeping. The "Silk Sheep" were resting. The "Big House" was nearly halfway done.
"We're going to need more than just a gate soon, Qin Zhan," Lin Yan said. "We're going to need a stable. I've heard rumors of a wild stallion in the Black Pine forest. A white one with a coat like silver."
Qin Zhan looked at him, truly seeing him for the first time. "You aren't just building a farm, are you, Lin Yan?"
"No," Lin Yan replied, his eyes fixed on the stars. "I'm building a dynasty. And every dynasty needs a frontier."
The slow-burn of the Lin family had officially caught fire. They were no longer just survivors; they were the talk of the county. And in the distance, the mountains whispered of the "Iron-Hoof" bulls that were waiting for their new master.
[System Notification: Cultural Influence Unlocked: 'The Rider's Spirit'. Reputation in County: 'The Bold Youth'. Reward: 1x Blueprint for 'Reinforced Corral'.]