The return of a scholar was an event in Willow Creek.
When Little Ming's hired cart crested the hill, the news traveled faster than the vehicle itself. By the time he reached the Chen household, a small crowd of neighbors had gathered, craning their necks to catch a glimpse of the "talent" of the village.
Ming stepped out of the cart. He looked taller, or perhaps it was the way he carried himself now. The blue scholar's robe was immaculate, his hair bound tightly under a square cloth cap. He carried a fan at his waist, and his movements were measured, graceful.
But the moment he saw Chen Yuan standing at the gate, the facade cracked. A wide, boyish grin broke across his face.
"Brother!"
He abandoned the dignified walk and sprinted the last few steps, nearly tripping over the hem of his robe in his haste.
Chen Yuan caught him, laughing. "Easy! You'll dirty the silk. Isn't that a crime for a scholar?"
"It's hemp, Brother, not silk," Ming laughed, gripping Chen Yuan's arms. "And I have a spare."
He turned to the family, bowing deeply to Father and Mother, then to Grandmother.
"My son," Father said, his voice thick with emotion. He reached out and patted Ming's shoulder, as if confirming he was real. "You've grown thin."
"The food at the academy is... educational," Ming joked. "It teaches one the value of hunger."
They moved inside. The "Scholar's Return" feast was prepared immediately. It wasn't the grand New Year's meal, but it was special—fresh spring pancakes wrapped around stir-fried bamboo shoots and thinly sliced cured pork.
Ming ate with gusto, his table manners temporarily forgotten in the presence of his mother's cooking.
"The ink," Ming said between bites, wiping his mouth. "It worked perfectly. The Head Scholar, Master Zhou, was so impressed by the quality of the soot. He said it was 'bold and substantial'. It bought me a seat at the head table during the Oration."
"Good," Chen Yuan nodded. "Investments are meant to be used."
"But I have news," Ming said, his tone growing serious. "I received a letter from the Academy office before I left. The Magistrate's son, Li Cheng, is indeed coming. Tomorrow."
"Tomorrow?" Wang Shi dropped her chopsticks. "The house is a mess! The floors are muddy!"
"He is bringing a small party," Ming continued. "He wants to see the 'famous breaking technique' of the wild horses. And... he mentioned he wants to see the 'Monster Calf'."
"Little Iron," Chen Yuan murmured. "He's becoming famous."
"Brother," Ming leaned in, lowering his voice. "Be careful. Li Cheng... he is not a bad person, but he is proud. He is the second son of the Magistrate. He feels overshadowed by his elder brother, who is a rising official in the capital. Li Cheng seeks to prove himself through... mastery. Of horses, of hawks, of unusual things."
"He wants to conquer something," Chen Yuan translated.
"Yes. If you deny him, or if you humiliate him... he could become an enemy. But if you impress him..."
"He becomes a shield."
"Precisely."
---
The next twenty-four hours were a frenzy of cleaning.
Chen Yuan was not a neat freak, but he knew presentation. He didn't want the ranch to look like a dump, but he also didn't want it to look like a staged farm. It had to look *professional*.
"Scrub the water troughs," he ordered Dahu. "Make the water sparkle."
"Rake the paths. Remove the manure piles from the main yard," he told Xu Tie.
He walked into the main house. "Wang Shi, hide the laundry. Move the loom. Open the windows. Let the air in."
He even dressed the workers. He had Dahu and his brothers wear the "Rancher Boots" and clean brown tunics.
"No staring at the ground when he talks," Chen Yuan instructed them. "Look him in the eye. You are workers of the Willow Creek Ranch, not beggars."
When the morning of the visit arrived, the Wasteland looked transformed. The mud was raked, the fences stood straight, and the animals were fed and watered, looking content.
Around mid-morning, the sound of hooves approached.
Li Cheng arrived not with an army of guards, but with four companions—three other young nobles in silk robes and a single guard servant. They rode fine horses, clearly bred for looks rather than hard work.
Li Cheng, the Magistrate's son, was a young man in his early twenties. He wore a robe of pale green, embroidered with silver threads. He was handsome, with a slightly haughty set to his jaw.
He reined in his horse at the gate, looking around with a critical eye.
"So," Li Cheng announced, his voice carrying a practiced arrogance. "This is the mud pit the rumors speak of."
Chen Yuan walked out. He was wearing his working clothes—hemp trousers, a grey tunic, and his boots. But he stood straight, hands clasped behind his back.
"Li Gongzi (Young Master Li)," Chen Yuan greeted him with a bow that was respectful but not servile. "Welcome to Willow Creek."
Ming stepped forward, bowing lower. "Young Master Li. Thank you for gracing my home."
Li Cheng waved a hand dismissively at Ming. "Chen Ming. Your essay was... acceptable. But I did not come for words. I came for beasts."
He swung down from his horse. He tossed the reins to his servant without looking.
"I heard you tamed the 'Red Witch' and the 'Black Demon'," Li Cheng said, eyeing Chen Yuan. "My father's stable master said they were unbreakable. He gave up on the mare."
"Your father's stable master uses fear," Chen Yuan said calmly. "Fear makes a horse fight. I use trust."
"Trust?" Li Cheng scoffed. "A horse is a tool. It obeys the whip."
"Come," Chen Yuan gestured toward the corral. "See for yourself."
They walked to the main paddock.
Whirlwind, the chestnut mare, was running. She was beautiful, her coat gleaming like polished copper. She moved with a fluid grace that made the nobles pause.
"She is lovely," one of the companions admitted.
"Bring her out," Li Cheng ordered. "I wish to see her gait."
Chen Yuan nodded to Xu Tie. Xu Tie opened the gate. He didn't chase her. He simply whistled—a sharp, low note. Whirlwind trotted over to him, nudging his chest.
Xu Tie fitted the hackamore. He vaulted onto her back—bareback, as was the ranch style—and walked her out.
"Can she run?" Li Cheng asked, his eyes hungry.
Xu Tie nudged her flanks. Whirlwind exploded into a gallop. They shot across the Wasteland, hooves thundering, mane flying. It was a display of raw speed and power.
The nobles watched, impressed.
But Li Cheng was not satisfied. He wanted to *do* it.
"I will ride her," Li Cheng declared.
Chen Yuan stepped in front of the horse as Xu Tie brought her back.
"She is not a carriage horse, Young Master," Chen Yuan said. "She is high-spirited. She requires a specific seat."
"Are you saying I cannot ride?" Li Cheng's voice turned cold. "I have ridden stallions in the Royal Hunting Park."
"This is not a park, and she is not a tame stallion."
"Step aside, farmer." Li Cheng pushed past Chen Yuan.
Xu Tie looked at Chen Yuan. Chen Yuan gave a tiny, almost imperceptible nod. *Let him try.*
Li Cheng approached the mare. He reached for the rope. Whirlwind pinned her ears back.
"Easy, girl," Li Cheng said, his voice sounding unsure for the first time.
He grabbed the rope and swung his leg over.
The moment his weight hit her back, the atmosphere changed.
Whirlwind didn't buck. She didn't rear. She simply dropped her shoulder and spun—a violent, lightning-fast turn that threw Li Cheng off balance.
He scrambled, grabbing her mane.
Then she bolted.
Not in a straight line, but in a zigzag, hopping and crow-hopping, trying to shake the unwanted weight. Li Cheng, used to saddles and stirrups, had no grip. He slid sideways.
"Whoa! Whoa!" he shouted, panic rising.
He tumbled off, landing hard in the mud of the corral.
*Splat.*
Silence fell over the yard.
The nobles gasped. The servants rushed forward.
Li Cheng sat up, his face red, his beautiful green robe covered in muck. He was humiliated. Furious.
"You!" he shouted, pointing at Chen Yuan. "You sabotaged me! You made the horse wild on purpose!"
Chen Yuan walked over. He didn't apologize. He didn't cower.
"You tried to mount her like a sack of grain, Young Master," Chen Yuan said calmly. "I warned you. She requires balance. Not force."
"How dare you!" Li Cheng scrambled to his feet, wiping mud from his face. "I could have you beaten! I could—"
"Li Gongzi!"
A new voice cut through the tension.
It was Ming. He stepped forward, his face pale but composed. He held out a hand to help Li Cheng up.
"The horse is a beast of the frontier," Ming said, his voice soothing. "It does not know rank. It only knows the rider. My brother... saved that horse from the butcher. He knows its spirit. If you wish to ride it, he must teach you. As he taught the soldier who rides her now."
Li Cheng slapped Ming's hand away. He stood up, trembling with rage. He looked at the mare, who was now standing calmly, watching him with what looked suspiciously like mockery.
"Teach me?" Li Cheng spat. "I do not need lessons from a peasant."
He turned to leave. "We are going. This place is a fraud."
"Wait," Chen Yuan said.
Li Cheng stopped.
"Before you go... come to the shed. There is something you should see."
"If you are trying to bribe me—"
"No bribe. Just a look."
Chen Yuan walked toward the main barn. Curiosity, perhaps, or the desire to salvage some dignity from the disaster, made Li Cheng follow.
They entered the dim interior. The smell was warm and earthy.
And there, in the largest stall, stood Little Iron.
The calf had grown. He was massive. His dark coat seemed to absorb the light. He stood calmly, chewing cud, his muscles rippling under his skin.
Li Cheng stopped. He forgot his anger for a moment.
"What... is that?"
"This is 'Little Iron'," Chen Yuan said. "A new breed. He is seven months old."
"He is the size of a yearling," Li Cheng breathed. He walked to the fence. "Look at the shoulder."
"He will be a beast of burden like no other," Chen Yuan said. "And his meat... it is different. Marbled. Tender."
Li Cheng turned to look at Chen Yuan. The arrogance was gone, replaced by the calculating look of a man who saw value.
"You have something here, Chen Yuan," Li Cheng said slowly. "But you do not know how to sell it. You hide it in a swamp."
"I am building it."
"You are building a wall around it. And you are rude to your guests."
"You fell off, Young Master. That is not rudeness. That is gravity."
Li Cheng stared at him. Then, unexpectedly, he laughed. A short, sharp bark.
"You have spirit. I'll give you that. Most men would be on their knees begging for mercy after throwing me in the mud."
He wiped his sleeve.
"I will not forget this insult, Chen Yuan. But..." he looked back at the calf. "I am a man of business, in my own way. If this beast produces what you say... I want first bid. When he is grown. Or his offspring."
"Agreed," Chen Yuan said.
"And..." Li Cheng pointed to the horse. "The next time I come... you will have a saddle ready. A proper one. And you will teach me how to sit that demon."
"I will have the saddle ready," Chen Yuan promised.
Li Cheng turned and marched out of the barn, his friends trailing behind him, trying to stifle their laughter at his muddy back.
"Let's go! This place smells of manure!"
---
The silence that followed their departure was heavy.
Xu Tie let out a breath. "You made an enemy."
"I made a customer," Chen Yuan corrected. "And I kept his respect. If I had groveled, he would have walked all over us. Now, he thinks we are stubborn, difficult, but valuable."
"He is right about the saddle," Xu Tie said. "We need a saddle. Riding bareback is for herd boys."
"I know," Chen Yuan said. "I'm tired of chafing my legs anyway."
He looked at Ming, who was standing by the door, looking shaken.
"You handled that well," Chen Yuan told him. "The 'Beast of the Frontier' line. Good thinking."
"I was terrified," Ming admitted. "He has the power to destroy us."
"He has the power to make trouble," Chen Yuan said. "But he is just a man. And men... they all want something. He wants to be a master. We will let him feel like one, eventually."
He patted Ming's shoulder.
"Go rest. You have a tutor to prepare for."
Ming nodded and went inside.
Chen Yuan stood in the barn, looking at Little Iron.
"We have to make you worth the trouble, buddy," he whispered. "No pressure."
The calf snorted and butted his head against Chen Yuan's chest.
---
That evening, the mood was somber.
"We need to move faster," Chen Yuan said at dinner. "The House of Lin is sabotaging us. The Magistrate's son is breathing down our necks. We are too exposed."
"We need walls," Xu Tie said.
"We need money," Wang Shi countered.
"We need both."
Chen Yuan looked at the ledger. They had silver. But silver sitting in a jar was just metal.
"Tomorrow," Chen Yuan announced. "We start the new project. We're building a proper smokehouse. And a proper stable. We're going to turn this 'mud pit' into a fortress."
"And the House of Lin?" Father asked.
"We ignore them," Chen Yuan said. "For now. They are mosquitoes. Li Cheng... he is a wolf. We focus on the wolf. If we can sell the beef to the Magistrate's table... the House of Lin becomes irrelevant."
He raised his cup.
"To stubbornness. And gravity."
The family chuckled, raising their cups.
"To gravity."