The morning after the delivery, the frost arrived.
It wasn't the deep, killing frost of mid-winter, but a thin, white crust that coated the grass and made the ground crunch underfoot. It signaled the end of the long autumn growing season. The grass would stop growing now; the hay harvest was officially over.
Chen Yuan stood by the gate, his breath pluming in the air. He held a steaming cup of tea, watching the sun rise over the frosty Wasteland.
A rider appeared on the road, moving at a brisk trot.
It was the Magistrate's courier again.
The man rode up to the gate, his horse blowing white clouds. He didn't dismount. He simply reached into his satchel and tossed a heavy leather pouch at Chen Yuan.
"Payment," the courier said curtly. "And a verbal message from Young Master Li Wei."
Chen Yuan caught the pouch. It was heavy. "Go ahead."
"The Young Master says: 'The beef was acceptable. The cheese was... interesting. It needs salt. Send more next month. Harder texture. Less moisture.' He also says the contract is renewed for the winter."
The courier turned his horse. "That is all."
He galloped away, leaving Chen Yuan standing in the cold.
Chen Yuan weighed the pouch. He opened it. Inside were silver taels—not copper. The price of beef had gone up.
"Interesting," Chen Yuan murmured.
It wasn't a glowing review. But from a man like Li Wei, "interesting" was practically a standing ovation.
He walked back to the house.
"Mother!" he called out. "The cheese needs more salt. And we need to press it harder."
"I told you it was bland," Wang Shi shouted back from the kitchen. "But 'interesting'? What does that mean?"
"It means we have a recurring customer," Chen Yuan said, tossing the pouch onto the table. "And silver in the bank."
---
The House of Lin's offer lay on the table next to the silver.
Chen Yuan sat down with Father, Xu Tie, and Uncle Dazhong. The men of the family gathered around for a council.
"They want to partner," Chen Yuan said, tapping the letter. "They provide the transport. We provide the beef. We split the profit in the capital."
"The capital?" Uncle Dazhong frowned. "That's a month's travel. How can we guarantee the meat doesn't spoil?"
"They have ice cellars in their caravans," Chen Yuan said. "And the smoked beef travels well. The cheese... maybe not. But the jerky and the brisket? Yes."
"They tried to poison us," Xu Tie reminded them, his voice cold. "Now they want to carry our goods?"
"Merchants have no permanent enemies," Chen Yuan quoted a saying from his past life. "Only permanent interests. They see the Magistrate buying our beef. They want a cut. If we refuse, they might try to block us. If we accept... we gain access to the capital market."
"The capital is where the real money is," Father said slowly. "The prices there are double what we get in Qinghe Town."
"Double," Chen Yuan nodded. "Even after splitting with the Lins, we make more than selling locally."
"We need a contract," Xu Tie said. "A tight one. No loopholes."
"I'll write it," Chen Yuan said. "We don't partner. We hire them. They are transporters. We retain ownership of the goods until sale. If the meat spoils because of their negligence, they pay. If it sells, they get a commission."
He looked at the family.
"We use their network. But we don't trust them."
"Agreed," Father nodded.
---
The decision made, Chen Yuan rode into town that afternoon to meet Steward Liu.
He found the Steward in the counting house of the Lin trading post. Liu looked up, his face impassive.
"Chen Yuan. You have an answer?"
"I do," Chen Yuan sat down without being invited. "We don't partner. We hire."
Liu's eyebrows twitched. "Hire?"
"I retain ownership. You transport. I pay a flat fee per cart, plus a ten percent commission on the final sale. If the goods are lost or spoiled due to your handling, you reimburse me for the cost price."
Liu leaned back. "That is... arrogant. You act as if you are the one doing us a favor."
"I am," Chen Yuan said calmly. "The Magistrate's seal is on my gate. The Magistrate's table eats my beef. If you want to be the house that supplies the capital with 'Magistrate's Beef', you play by my rules."
He stood up.
"Take it or leave it. I can find other carts."
Liu stared at him. The silence stretched. Finally, the Steward smiled—a thin, predatory expression.
"You have guts, Chen Yuan. Fine. We transport. But the fee is high. And we leave in ten days."
"Fair enough."
They didn't shake hands. They just nodded.
---
The next ten days were a race against the calendar.
Winter was coming. The transport caravan needed to leave before the first heavy snow blocked the mountain passes.
Chen Yuan and the workers worked from dawn to dusk.
They slaughtered three steers. The smokehouse was packed full, the fires burning low and steady. The smell of cedar and hickory smoke permeated the entire ranch.
"Pack the brisket in waxed cloth," Chen Yuan ordered. "Tight. No air."
They cured the meat heavily, knowing it had to survive a month on the road.
They also prepared the cheese.
"Salt it heavier," Chen Yuan told Wang Shi. "Rub the rind with oil. It needs to form a hard skin."
He checked the new batch. It was drier, firmer. The salt crystals were visible.
"This is 'Traveler's Cheese'," Chen Yuan said. "Hard enough to grate. Strong flavor."
The day before the caravan left, Chen Yuan loaded the cart.
Steward Liu arrived personally to inspect the goods. He poked the meat, sniffed the cheese.
"Acceptable," Liu said. "Though I still think you should have taken the partnership."
"Partners share risk," Chen Yuan said, handing over the manifest. "I prefer control."
He watched as the Lin carts rolled out of the Wasteland, carrying the fruits of his labor towards the distant capital.
It felt like sending his children out into the world.
"Safe travels," he whispered.
---
With the caravan gone, the focus shifted to the ranch itself.
Winter was closing in. The days grew shorter, the nights colder.
Chen Yuan walked the perimeter fence. The thorn barrier was looking ragged. The winter winds would strip the leaves, leaving gaps.
"We need to reinforce it," he told Dahu. "Weave willow branches between the posts. Make it a wall, not just a line."
They spent three days weaving a "wattle fence" along the north side, the direction of the prevailing wind. It blocked the draft and added an extra layer of security.
General, the dog, seemed to love the cold. His thick fur coat had fully grown in, making him look like a small bear. He bounded through the frost, chasing falling leaves.
"He's happy," Xu Tie observed.
"He has a job," Chen Yuan said. "And a full belly. That's happiness for a dog."
---
The following week brought a visitor of a different sort.
Old Man Li arrived at the gate. He was leading Flower, the cow he had brought for breeding months ago.
"Chen Yuan," Li greeted him. "I need to check something."
"Check?"
"The cow. She's... different. She's calm. Lazy. Eating a lot."
Chen Yuan smiled. "She's pregnant."
"I think so too. But I wanted you to see."
Chen Yuan walked over to the cow. He stroked her flank. He pressed his ear against her side.
*Thump. Thump.*
A second heartbeat. Faint, but there.
"She's carrying," Chen Yuan confirmed. "And she's healthy."
Old Man Li let out a breath he seemed to have been holding for months.
"I was worried," Li admitted. "She's getting old. If she didn't take... I'd have to sell her for meat."
"She took," Chen Yuan said. "Little Iron is potent. The calf will be strong."
"When will she drop?"
"Spring. Late March or early April."
"I'll be back then," Li promised. "I'll bring the best hay I have. A gift for the bull."
He led the cow away, his step lighter than before.
Chen Yuan watched him go.
*Another success,* he thought. *The breeding program is working.*
---
That night, the first snow fell.
It started as a light dusting, just enough to coat the rooftops. But by midnight, it was a blizzard. The wind howled around the stone stable, rattling the shutters.
Chen Yuan couldn't sleep. He bundled up and went out to check the animals.
The stable was warm, the body heat of the animals rising to create a comfortable cocoon.
He checked the tie-stalls. The horses were dozing. Hope was chewing cud.
He went to the goat pen. The goats were huddled together.
Finally, he climbed the hill to the Bachelor Pad.
Little Iron stood in the lee of the shed, protected from the wind. He was covered in a light dusting of snow, looking like a grey statue.
Chen Yuan approached him.
"You're not cold, are you?" he asked.
The bull snorted, blowing a cloud of steam. He nudged Chen Yuan's hand.
"Come on," Chen Yuan opened the shed door. "Inside tonight."
He guided the bull into the shed. It was small, but dry. There was a pile of hay inside.
"Eat. Sleep. Tomorrow we dig out."
He locked the shed and trudged back through the snow.
---
The next morning, the Wasteland was unrecognizable.
The mud was gone, buried under two feet of pristine white snow. The fences looked like lines drawn in ink.
"Dahu!" Chen Yuan shouted. "Shovels! We need to clear the paths."
They spent the morning shoveling. The snow was heavy, wet work.
But by noon, the paths were clear. The animals were fed. The water troughs were broken free of ice.
Chen Yuan stood in the center of the corral, looking at the winter landscape.
It was quiet. The birds were gone. The insects were dead. The only sound was the wind and the crunch of snow underfoot.
This was the dormant season. The time of rest.
But for Chen Yuan, it was a time of planning.
He went back to the house and sat at the table.
He pulled out a fresh sheet of paper.
*Plan for Winter:*
1. *Clear snow daily.*
2. *Check feed stocks.*
3. *Write to Ming.*
4. *Wait for the Lin caravan report.*
5. *Prepare for the spring calving.*
He paused.
*Spring.*
*We need more cows.*
He wrote a note to himself: *Buy three pregnant heifers. Expansion.*
He rolled up the paper.
"One step at a time," he said.
"One step at a time."