Three days passed.
In the Li household, the rhythm of life was dictated by the sun and the seasons, but for Li Wei, it was now dictated by the chirping in the corner of the kitchen.
The chicks were growing. Their downy yellow fluff was beginning to give way to the first specks of white feathers.
"Look at them," Li Hua whispered one morning, poking a finger through the bamboo slats of the coop. "They look like fluffy balls. Almost cute."
Li Wei was mixing a mash in a cracked bowl. He had run out of the bran he bought from the market yesterday. The small bag had cost him five coppers, and it had vanished in less than three days.
"Chickens eat constantly," Li Wei said, wiping sweat from his forehead. "If they don't eat, they don't grow. If they don't grow, we don't eat."
His mother, Zhao Lan, walked in with a basket of wild vegetables. She glanced at the empty coop and then at her son.
"Wei'er, the grain jar is almost empty. Your father is grumbling about the expense. We can't spare any more rice or bran for... pets."
"They aren't pets, Mother. They are investments," Li Wei said, though his tone was respectful. "I know we're out of feed. I'm going to the West River today."
"The West River?" Zhao Lan frowned. "That land is barren. Nothing grows there but thorns and weeds."
Li Wei smiled faintly. "Exactly."
***
**The West River Wasteland**
The sun was high, beating down on the rocky slopes near the riverbank. The soil here was thin and gravelly, covering a layer of hard clay. For generations, the villagers of Willow Village had ignored this stretch of land. It was too dry for rice, too rocky for wheat.
Li Wei stood on a ridge, the wind whipping his coarse hemp shirt. Beside him stood his younger brother, ten-year-old Li Chen.
Li Chen was carrying a woven basket on his back, his small face scrunched up in confusion. "Third Brother, why are we here? There's no grass for the oxen here."
Li Wei looked out over the landscape. To the naked eye, it was a mess of scrub brush, thorny bushes, and withered yellow grass.
But to Li Wei, the world was overlaid with the system's interface.
**[Scanning Environment...]**
**[Soil Analysis: High salinity near riverbank, well-drained. Suitable for deep-rooted perennials.]**
**[Native Species Detected: Wild Vetch (Legume family), Spotted Sedge, Immature Tussock Grass.]**
"Brother?" Li Chen prompted.
"Chen'er," Li Wei said, pointing to a patch of scraggly weeds near the water's edge. "Do you see that grass over there? The one with the reddish tint at the base?"
Li Chen squinted. "The cow grass? The cattle won't eat that. It's too tough."
"Cattle won't eat it because it's old and fibrous," Li Wei corrected. "But if we cut it young, before it hardens... it's sweet. And look here."
He walked over to a creeping vine hiding under the shade of a thorn bush. It had small, clover-like leaves.
**[Target Identified: Wild White Clover (Trifolium repens variant).]**
**[Nutritional Value: High Protein (18-22%). Excellent for poultry and livestock weight gain.]**
**[System Insight: "Meat makers." This is the fuel for your herd.]**
Li Wei knelt and plucked a leaf, popping it into his mouth. It was tart, slightly sweet.
"This," Li Wei said, gesturing to the vine. "This is what will turn our chicks into fat hens."
Li Chen looked skeptical but didn't argue. He trusted his brother. Ever since the fainting incident, Third Brother had been... different. Strange, but confident.
"We're picking weeds?" Li Chen asked.
"We're harvesting feed," Li Wei grinned. "High-quality, protein-rich feed. For free."
The brothers set to work. It was backbreaking labor. The thorns tore at their hands, and the sun scorched their necks. But Li Wei had a rhythm. He didn't just rip the grass; he cut it with a small sickle, leaving the roots intact so it would regrow.
**[Technique Used: Selective Harvesting.]**
**[Effect: Promotes regrowth rate by 30%. Sustainable yield increases.]**
By mid-afternoon, their baskets were full to the brim with a mix of young grass shoots, wild clover, and some tender sedge.
As they began the walk back, they passed a group of villagers working the perimeter of the fertile fields. Among them was Wang the Carpenter, a man known for his sharp tongue.
"Hah!" Wang laughed, leaning on his hoe. "Look at that! Old Li's sons have lost their minds. Working the wasteland? Li Wei, have you confused weeds for gold?"
A few other villagers chuckled.
"Maybe he's going to make soup out of thorns," another teased.
Li Chen's face flushed red with embarrassment. He lowered his head, gripping the basket straps tight.
Li Wei, however, stopped. He didn't get angry. He simply adjusted the heavy basket on his shoulder and smiled politely.
"Uncle Wang," Li Wei called out, his voice carrying in the afternoon heat. "The land yields what you ask of it. We ask for weeds today. Perhaps tomorrow, it will give us something else."
"Hmph. Waste of sweat," Wang spat, turning back to his row of beans.
Li Wei patted Li Chen on the shoulder. "Don't mind them. In this world, people only believe what they can see. When our chickens are the size of dogs, they'll understand."
Li Chen looked up, his eyes wide. "The size of dogs?"
"Well," Li Wei laughed. "Maybe small dogs."
***
**The Transformation**
Back at the house, Li Wei didn't just dump the grass in the coop. He took a wooden chopping board—the one his mother used for vegetables—and began to mince the wild clover and grass shoots into fine, confetti-like pieces.
"What are you doing?" his sister Li Mei asked, watching him with curiosity. "It looks like you're making dumpling filling."
"Chickens have small crops," Li Wei explained, his knife moving rhythmically. *Chop, chop, chop.* "If the grass is too long, they can't swallow it, or it impacts their digestion. Chopped like this, mixed with a little bran or rice water... it's the perfect food."
He took the pot of leftover rice water (the starchy water from washing rice) and sprinkled it over the chopped greens, mixing it until it was a damp, fragrant salad.
He carried the bowl to the coop.
The moment the mixture hit the feeding trough, the chicks went wild. They pecked frantically, chirping with excitement, pushing and shoving each other to get to the green mash.
"Oh my," Li Mei gasped. "I've never seen them eat like that. They usually pick at the grain so slowly."
Li Wei watched with satisfaction. The wild clover provided the protein their muscles needed. The grass provided vitamins. The rice water provided energy.
**[System Notification: Nutrition Optimization complete.]**
**[Projected Growth Rate: Increased by 15%.]**
"Third Brother," Li Chen said, tugging his sleeve. "Can we go back tomorrow? I saw a bigger patch of that vine near the big rock."
Li Wei ruffled his brother's hair. "We go every day. Rain or shine. But..."
He looked at the sun setting over the western hills. He looked at his own rough hands, now stained green with chlorophyll.
"Chen'er, I want you to study tonight."
Li Chen blinked. "Study? But I have to help you—"
"I can handle the grass," Li Wei interrupted firmly. "Father and the older brothers handle the fields. Your job... your job is to read."
He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small, folded piece of paper. It was a page he had managed to salvage from a discarded wrapping in town. On it were a few columns of characters.
"I can't teach you much," Li Wei said, his voice serious. "But I remember a few things. If you want to help this family, really help us... you need to be smarter than the landlord's steward. You need to know numbers. You need to know the law."
Li Chen looked at the paper, then at his brother.
"But studying is for rich kids."
"Not anymore," Li Wei said. "We are a ranch. Every ranch needs an accountant. You are the scholar of the Li family. Your pen will be mightier than my hoe."
It was a heavy burden for a ten-year-old. But Li Chen looked at the chicks, now bustling with energy, and then at his brother's determined face. He nodded.
"I will learn, Brother."
***
**Evening Reflection**
That night, the family ate dinner. The mood was slightly lighter.
Li Dazhong finished his porridge and glanced at Li Wei. "The chicks looked lively today."
"They are eating well, Father," Li Wei replied. "I am using grass from the wasteland. It costs us nothing."
"Good," Dazhong grunted. "Waste not, want not."
Li Wei didn't mention the specific type of grass or the system. He didn't mention that he was already planning to harvest seeds from the wild clover to plant in a designated plot near the river.
He looked around the table.
Li Qiang was tired but smiling at his wife. Li Jun was arguing with Li Hua about something trivial. Li Mei was serving the grandparents. And little Li Chen was under the oil lamp, squinting at the scrap of paper, moving his lips silently as he traced the characters with his finger.
*This is the life I want to protect,* Li Wei thought.
The system chimed gently in his mind.
**[Phase 1: Survival - Progress 10%]**
**[New Sub-Quest Unlocked: Land Reclamation.]**
**[Objective: Clear 1 Mu (approx. 667 sqm) of Wasteland and cultivate High-Yield Forage Grass.]**
**[Reward: Knowledge Unlock - "Construction of a Predator-Proof Chicken Run." (Crucial for free-range success)]**
Li Wei gripped his bowl. He needed that knowledge. Right now, the chicks were safe in the kitchen, but they were getting big. They were messy. His mother was patient, but the smell was growing.
He needed to move them outside soon. But outside meant rats, weasels, and hawks.
"I need to expand the coop," Li Wei said softly to himself.
"What was that?" Li Jun asked.
"Nothing," Li Wei smiled. "Just planning for the future."
He drank the last of his watery porridge. It tasted like nothing, but in his stomach, it settled alongside a fiery ambition.
Tomorrow, he would clear the land. He would plant the seeds. And one day, this poor courtyard would be the heart of an empire of green pastures and fat cattle.