The journey to the neighboring West Mountain Village took two hours on foot.
Chen Yuan walked alongside his father, Chen Dazhong. The path was a dirt track winding through fields of millet and wheat. The sun was high, beating down on them mercilessly.
Chen Dazhong was silent for most of the walk, carrying a carrying pole over his shoulder, just in case they needed to transport goods. He glanced at his third son from time to time. The boy walked with his back straight, his eyes scanning the surroundings with a focus he hadn't seen before.
"San Lang," Chen Dazhong said, breaking the silence. "About the money... do you really have it?"
Chen Yuan nodded. "I have it hidden. I will give it to you when we return." He planned to 'find' the silver later, claiming it was tucked away in an old box. He had to maintain the lie until he could generate actual income.
"And you know the seller?"
"I heard about him from the pharmacy," Chen Yuan said. "A man named Old Zhao. He is selling his sheep cheap."
"Old Zhao..." Chen Dazhong frowned. "I know of him. He raises sheep, but he has bad luck with them. They often get sick or run off. His sheep are known to be wild and troublesome."
"That is why they are cheap, Father," Chen Yuan smiled. "And that is why we can buy them."
*The system had flagged Old Zhao's flock. Not all of them, but three specific individuals.*
They arrived at West Mountain Village by mid-morning. It was slightly larger than Willow Village, with about fifty households.
Old Zhao's house was on the edge of the village, near the foothills. The fence was broken, and the smell of manure was strong.
"Who is it?" A gruff voice came from inside the fence. A short, stocky man with a beard walked out. He looked irritated.
"Uncle Zhao," Chen Yuan cupped his hands in greeting. "I am Chen Yuan from Willow Village. I heard you are selling sheep?"
Old Zhao squinted at him, then at Chen Dazhong. "You want to buy? You, a boy? And you, Brother Chen? I thought you were a honest farmer. Why dabble in livestock?"
"Honesty doesn't fill the belly," Chen Yuan replied, surprising his father with his boldness. "Show us the animals, Uncle Zhao. We don't have all day."
Old Zhao snorted but led them to the back. In a muddy pen, a dozen sheep huddled together. They looked scrawny, their wool matted with dirt.
"Two hundred copper coins each," Old Zhao said. "Take your pick. I need them gone by tomorrow or I'm slaughtering them for meat."
Two hundred copper coins was a decent price—market price for a healthy sheep was usually three hundred. But these looked far from healthy.
Chen Dazhong shook his head slightly. *'San Lang, these are sick,'* his eyes said.
Chen Yuan ignored the looks. He stepped closer to the pen.
He focused his gaze. The system overlay flickered to life.
**[Sheep #1: Female. Health: 60%. Trait: Hardy. Value: Low.]**
**[Sheep #2: Male. Health: 70%. Trait: Aggressive. Value: Low.]**
**[Sheep #3: Female. Health: 85%. Trait: Excellent Mother. High immunity. **POTENTIAL BREEDER**.]**
His eyes landed on a ewe in the corner. It wasn't the biggest, but its eyes were clear, and it was chewing cud steadily despite the heat. Beside it was a slightly larger ram, and another ewe that seemed to follow the first one.
"I'll take those three," Chen Yuan pointed.
Old Zhao laughed. "Those three? That ram there nearly bit my hand off yesterday! And that ewe is the scrawniest of the bunch."
"I'll take them," Chen Yuan repeated. "But not for two hundred. They are skinny. One hundred fifty coins each."
"One hundred fifty!" Old Zhao exclaimed. "Are you robbing me? One hundred eighty!"
"One hundred sixty, and I won't tell anyone in the village that you sold sick sheep to a boy," Chen Yuan said calmly.
Old Zhao's face reddened, but he paused. He looked at Chen Yuan, really looked at him, and saw a negotiation partner he hadn't expected.
"Tch. Fine. One hundred sixty. But you rope them yourself."
"Deal."
Chen Dazhong watched the transaction with his mouth slightly open. He handed the rope to Chen Yuan, who skillfully approached the animals. Instead of rushing, Chen Yuan moved slowly, lowering his body. He made a soft clicking sound with his tongue.
Surprisingly, the aggressive ram didn't charge. It sniffed Chen Yuan's hand and allowed the rope to be slipped over its neck.
*System Skill: Basic Herding Techniques (Active). Calms nervous livestock.*
Chen Yuan smiled. "Let's go, Father."
They paid the four hundred eighty copper coins (plus a bit extra for the rope). Chen Dazhong carried one ewe on his pole, and Chen Yuan led the ram and the other ewe on foot.
Walking back, Chen Dazhong finally spoke.
"San Lang... how did you do that? That ram was a devil."
"Animals sense fear, Father," Chen Yuan said, patting the ram's head. "And they sense kindness. These aren't sick, Father. They were just neglected. I promise you, in three months, these will be the best sheep in Willow Village."
Chen Dazhong looked at the sheep, then at his son's confident stride. A small flame of hope ignited in his chest.
When they returned home, it was evening. The family gathered in the courtyard.
Eldest Brother Chen Shan and Second Brother Chen Hu were washing up. The sisters were serving dinner.
" Sheep?" Wang Shi, the sister-in-law, wrinkled her nose. "You bought sheep? We barely have enough grass for the donkey (they didn't have one, it was a joke, they had nothing). And where is the fodder?"
"I will find fodder," Chen Yuan said. "There is grass on the eastern hill. Good grass."
"Eastern hill?" Second Brother Chen Hu scoffed. "That's wasteland. Thistles and thorns. Only goats eat there."
"These sheep will eat it," Chen Yuan said firmly. He led the sheep to a corner of the yard he had cleared earlier. "Brother Hu, help me build a small pen? Just for tonight."
Chen Hu was hot-tempered, but he loved his younger brother. "Tch. Fine. But if they die, don't come crying to me."
As the brothers worked under the setting sun, Chen Yuan checked the system.
**[Mission Complete: First Acquisition.]**
**[Reward: Grass Seed Blueprint - Ryegrass (Basic).]**
**[New Task: Prepare a grazing area (1 Mu).]**
Chen Yuan smiled at the notification. *Ryegrass.* High yield, nutritious.
"Father," Chen Yuan called out to Chen Dazhong, who was watching them work. "Tomorrow, can we ask the Village Chief about the land on the eastern hill? The wasteland?"
Chen Dazhong smoked his pipe. "The wasteland... nobody wants it. It's rocky. If you want it, the Village Chief will likely let you clear it for free or for a small token."
"Good," Chen Yuan hammered a stake into the ground. "Because tomorrow, we start building."
That night, the family ate dinner. It was still thin porridge and pickled vegetables, but Chen Yuan felt a satisfaction he hadn't felt in two lifetimes.
He looked at Little Ming, who was studying a tattered book by the dim oil lamp. He looked at his sisters mending clothes. He looked at his father and grandfather planning the next day's work.
He wasn't just a worker anymore. He was a builder.
And he was going to build a ranch that would feed an empire.