The skeleton of the barn stood proud against the skyline, but without a roof, it was just a cage for the sky.
"We need to finish this before the next rain," Li Wei said, looking at the grey clouds gathering on the horizon. "If the hayloft gets wet, the hay will rot, and the barn will turn into a furnace."
The team was tired. The logging had taken a toll on their backs, but the promise of pay—and the growing reputation of the "Chicken Boss"—kept them moving.
"Ox, how are the reeds?"
Ox pointed to a massive pile of cut reeds and wheat straw by the riverside. They had spent the morning harvesting the marsh grasses.
"Good," Li Wei nodded. "We start thatching."
***
**The Art of the Roof**
Li Wei climbed the ladder to the beam structure. He carried a bundle of straw and a ball of tough hemp twine.
"I'm going to teach you a technique," Li Wei called down to Da Shan, who was on the ladder below him. "It's called 'combing'. We don't just throw the straw up there. We bundle it, tie it, and let it overlap like scales on a fish."
**[System Knowledge: Weatherproof Thatching.]**
**[Technique: Staggered layering. 30cm overlap minimum. Angle: 45 degrees.]**
"Watch closely."
Li Wei took a bundle of straw, aligned the ends, and tied it securely to the horizontal beam. He then took another bundle and placed it slightly lower, covering the tie of the first one.
"The key is the slope," Li Wei explained, his hands moving with practiced speed, guided by the system. "Water flows down. If the straw points up, it catches water and rots. If it points down, the water runs off like it's on a slide."
"Like tiles!" Da Shan realized.
"Exactly. But softer and warmer. Now, you take the west side. I'll take the east."
The rhythmic sound of rustling straw and tying twine filled the air. It was hypnotic work. The smell of dried grass and river mud was earthy and pleasant.
By late afternoon, the roof was complete. It was thick, golden, and sloped perfectly. It looked like a giant, sleeping haystack with walls.
"It's beautiful," Li Chen breathed, standing back. "It looks like a house from a storybook."
"Not bad," Da Shan admitted, wiping his brow. "It feels... solid. Warmer than a tile roof."
"Tile is for show," Li Wei said, climbing down. "Straw is for comfort. Now, the walls."
For the walls, they didn't use planks. They used 'Wattle and Daub'—a woven lattice of wooden strips (wattle) covered with a sticky mixture of wet soil, clay, sand, and straw (daub).
"Mix the mud!" Li Wei ordered. "Make it sticky! Add the chopped straw!"
They slapped the wet mud into the gaps between the beams. It was messy, childish fun, and by sunset, the barn had solid walls, white and rough.
***
**The Town Trip**
The next morning, Li Wei dressed in his cleanest set of clothes—still rough hemp, but patched and washed. He put on a pair of sturdy straw sandals.
"I'm going to town," he told Qin Hu. "The Steward wants the contract signed. And I need to buy salt. Hope needs minerals."
"I'll watch the perimeter," Qin Hu said. His eyes were sharper than usual. "If you see any soldiers in town... keep your head down. Don't mention the boot prints."
"I won't."
Li Wei took the handcart. He loaded it with the day's harvest of eggs—fifteen beautiful, brown ovals.
The walk to Qingyang Town felt different now. He wasn't just a peasant going to beg for work. He was a supplier. A merchant.
He arrived at the back gate of the *Fugui Restaurant*.
The Steward was waiting, looking impatient. "You're late. The Head Chef is asking for the 'Golden Eggs'. We have a banquet tonight for the County Magistrate's clerk."
"Freshly laid this morning," Li Wei said, handing over the basket.
The Steward inspected them, nodding. "Good size. Consistent."
He pulled out a piece of paper—the contract. It was written in brush strokes, dense and official.
"Read it," Li Wei said to himself, activating the system's translation assistance.
*Clause 1: Price fixed at 4 coins per egg.*
*Clause 2: The Restaurant agrees to buy all surplus eggs.*
*Clause 3: The Supplier (Li Wei) guarantees freshness.*
It seemed fair.
"Wait," Li Wei said, pointing to the bottom. "What is this clause about 'exclusive rights'?"
"That?" The Steward sneered. "It means you can't sell these eggs to anyone else in Qingyang Town. We don't want our competitors serving the same dish."
Li Wei paused. Exclusive rights were dangerous. If the restaurant decided to lower the price later, he would have no other buyer.
"I'll sign," Li Wei said calmly, "but with an addendum."
The Steward's eyes widened. "An addendum? You?"
Li Wei picked up the brush. His handwriting wasn't elegant, but it was legible. He wrote:
*Clause 4: The Restaurant must purchase a minimum of 10 eggs per day. Failure to purchase allows the Supplier to sell elsewhere without penalty. Price is fixed for 6 months.*
"You can't do that!" the Steward protested.
"It protects me," Li Wei said, putting the brush down. "You want exclusive? You guarantee volume. Otherwise, I'm taking my eggs to the capital."
He stared the Steward down. He knew the restaurant needed a gimmick. The "Golden Egg" was becoming famous.
The Steward gritted his teeth, then snatched the paper and stamped his seal. "Fine! Ten eggs minimum. Six months. Don't think you can push me around, boy."
"Wouldn't dream of it," Li Wei smiled. "Payment, please."
He received a pouch of silver fragments and copper coins. 60 coins for the eggs, plus a deposit of 100 coins for the future.
Heavy pouch in hand, he went to the supply street.
He bought a large block of rock salt (cheap, meant for curing hides, but edible for cows).
He bought a sack of wheat bran (cheaper than rice).
And he bought a small bag of bone meal.
"Calcium and Phosphorus," Li Wei muttered. "Growth essentials."
***
**The Salt Lick**
When Li Wei returned, the sun was setting. The workers were resting by the bunkhouse.
"Boss is back!"
Li Wei went straight to the barn. Hope was inside, lying on a bed of dry sand they had spread.
"Hey, girl."
The cow stood up, mooing softly. She looked much better. Her eyes were clear.
Li Wei took the block of rock salt. He chipped off a piece and held it out to her.
Hope sniffed it. Her rough tongue came out and licked it.
She stiffened. Her eyes widened.
*Lick, lick, lick!*
She began to lick the salt frantically, a look of pure ecstasy on her face. Animals craved salt, especially in the spring when grazing on fast-growing grass which diluted the minerals in their blood.
"She likes it," Li Wei laughed. He hammered a stake into the ground and tied the salt block to it. "There. All you can eat."
**[System Notification: Nutrition Intervention Successful.]**
**[Effect: Mineral intake optimized. Coat shine will improve in 3 days. Appetite increased by 20%.]**
***
**The First Sprout**
Li Wei walked out of the barn and looked at the hillside. It had been three days since planting.
He climbed the slope. The ground was still damp from the rain.
He knelt. There, amidst the dark earth, were tiny, vibrant green specks.
Two leaves. A heart shape.
Alfalfa.
It had sprouted.
It was just a tiny green dot, no bigger than a fingernail. But to Li Wei, it looked like a forest.
"Grow," he whispered. "Grow tall."
He turned back to look at the ranch.
Bunkhouse? Check.
Barn? Check.
Pasture? Sprouting.
Livestock? Recovering.
Security? Qin Hu and the bunkhouse crew.
The foundation was laid.
**[Ranch Status: Level 1 (Fully Operational Foundation).]**
**[Quest Completed: Infrastructure I.]**
**[New Quest: The Herd.]**
**[Objective: Expand cattle population to 5 head.]**
**[Reward: System Unlock - "Basic Veterinary Kit Blueprint".]**
Li Wei sat on the hillside, watching the stars appear over the river.
He had a contract. He had a barn. He had a cow that loved salt.
It was time to think bigger. The 100-coin deposit in his pocket was burning a hole in his plans.
"Five cows," he thought. "I need capital."
He looked towards the town. He needed a loan. Or a partner.
The game was changing. He was no longer just surviving. He was expanding.