The deadline for the City Lord's order loomed like a storm cloud.
For three days, the East Hill had become a factory that never slept. Torches burned through the night, casting flickering shadows against the pine trees. The air was thick with the earthy scent of fermenting soil and the rhythmic thud of shovels.
Chen Yuan stood by the final pile, his eyes red-rimmed from fatigue. He held a lantern close to the dark mixture.
"Turn it again," he rasped. "The center is too hot. It needs to breathe."
Little Stone and two other boys jumped into the pit, turning the steaming earth with pitchforks.
"One thousand bags," Chen Hu muttered, slapping a filled hemp bag onto the growing stack. "One thousand. My back feels like it's been beaten by sticks."
"Just a few more hours, Second Brother," Chen Yuan said, though his own arms felt like lead. "We load the carts at dawn."
Wang Shi, who had been sewing shut the last of the bags, looked up. Her fingers were pricked and raw, but her eyes were bright. "The count is correct. Nine hundred and ninety... and this makes one thousand."
She tied the final knot with a decisive tug.
"Done," she announced, wiping her hands on her apron. "Now, get them out of my sight before I scream."
* * *
Dawn broke with a clear, azure sky.
The "fleet" assembled at the bottom of the hill consisted of four borrowed donkey carts and two ox carts from the village. The drivers were hired hands, looking groggy but motivated by the promise of a bonus.
Chen Yuan checked the loads. The bags were stacked high, covered with tarpaulins to protect against the dew.
"Brother Xu," Chen Yuan called out.
Xu Tie walked over. He wore his old, gray military tunic, his wooden staff replaced by a sturdy iron-tipped spear he had acquired from the village hunter. He looked dangerous, a stark contrast to the farming scenery.
"I'm riding up front with the lead cart," Xu Tie said. "You stay in the middle. If anyone stops us, let me do the talking first."
"Understood."
Chen Yuan climbed onto the second cart, sitting atop the bags of soil. It was a bumpy seat, but it allowed him to see everything.
They moved out.
The journey to the Prefecture City was tense. Robbers were rare on the main roads during the day, but with such a valuable cargo, paranoia was a natural companion.
As they neared the city walls, the traffic thickened. Farmers bringing vegetables, merchants with silk, and scholars on horseback all converged at the massive gates.
"Line up!" a guard shouted. "Inspection!"
Chen Yuan's heart tightened. The inspection could be arbitrary. If a guard decided to dump a bag to check for contraband, the carefully calibrated soil would spill into the dirt, ruining the sale.
The lead cart reached the guard.
"Business?" the guard barked, looking at the dirty bags.
"Delivery for the City Lord's Manor," Xu Tie said from the driver's seat. His voice was flat, devoid of the peasant's usual nervousness.
The guard sneered. "City Lord? Everyone claims to know the City Lord. Open the bags."
Xu Tie didn't move. He simply reached into his tunic and pulled out the wooden token Steward Zhou had sent—a small, lacquered plaque with the Manor's seal.
He held it up, letting the sunlight catch the lacquer.
"This is the token," Xu Tie said. "Do you want to explain to the Steward why his roses are delayed because a gate guard wanted to play in the dirt?"
The guard's eyes widened at the token. He looked at Xu Tie's scarred face, then at the iron-tipped spear. He recognized a soldier when he saw one.
"Go," the guard waved them through, his attitude shifting instantly. "Don't block the road."
The convoy passed through the gates without further incident.
* * *
The City Lord's Manor was located in the wealthiest district of the city, behind high vermilion walls. They were directed to a side gate—the entrance for servants and deliveries.
Steward Zhou was waiting for them. He wore a different silk robe today, looking fresh and immaculate.
"You made it," Steward Zhou said, checking the sky. "Just in time. The gardeners are anxious."
"One thousand bags," Chen Yuan said, jumping down from the cart. "As promised."
Steward Zhou signaled to a group of porters. "Unload them. Check the weight."
The porters began hauling the bags into the manor's storage courtyard.
Chen Yuan stood by, watching nervously. This was the moment of truth. If Steward Zhou claimed the quality was poor, he could slash the price, and Chen Yuan would have no recourse.
Steward Zhou walked over to a random bag and cut it open. He scooped up a handful of the dark, crumbly earth. He squeezed it.
It held its shape, then crumbled softly.
He smelled it.
"Hmm," Steward Zhou hummed. "No foul odor. Good texture."
He turned to the head gardener, an old man with a wispy beard who had just walked out. "Li, what do you think?"
The gardener took the soil. He rubbed it between his fingers, even tasted a tiny bit on his tongue.
"This is good," the gardener nodded, his eyes lighting up. "Very active. The roots will love this. It's better than the last batch from Benevolent Hall."
Steward Zhou nodded. "Very well."
He clapped his hands.
"Bring the chest."
A servant carried over a heavy wooden chest. He opened it.
Inside, nestled in felt cloth, were stacks of silver ingots and strings of copper coins.
The light glinted off the silver, mesmerizing Chen Yuan.
"Forty thousand copper coins," Steward Zhou said. "As agreed. That is forty taels of silver, minus the weight of the copper if you prefer the coin."
Chen Yuan swallowed. "Silver is fine."
He had never held forty taels of silver in his life.
He stepped forward and counted the ingots quickly. His hands trembled slightly, not from fear, but from the sheer reality of the moment. This money represented a year's income for a large merchant, delivered in a single morning.
"Count is correct," Chen Yuan said, bowing deeply. "Thank you, Steward Zhou."
"Wait," Steward Zhou said, before Chen Yuan could signal the carts to leave.
The Steward walked closer, lowering his voice.
"The Lady was pleased with the roses. If you can maintain this quality... the Manor will require a monthly supply. Not a thousand bags every time, perhaps two hundred. But steady."
*Steady income.*
That was better than a one-time windfall. Steady income meant stability. It meant he could plan for the future.
"I can guarantee it," Chen Yuan said. "I will deliver two hundred bags on the first of every month."
"Good. Leave the contact information with the gate guard."
Steward Zhou waved his hand. "Go on. Don't block the gate."
* * *
The convoy left the manor. Chen Yuan paid the cart drivers their fees and bonuses at a teahouse near the gate. They left happy, praising Chen Yuan's generosity.
Now, only Chen Yuan, Chen Hu, and Xu Tie remained.
They sat in the teahouse, a pot of tea on the table. The heavy chest of silver sat on the floor between Chen Yuan's feet.
"Forty taels," Chen Hu whispered, staring at the table as if it were made of gold. "San Lang... we are rich."
"We have capital," Chen Yuan corrected. "We are not rich yet. We have expenses. We need to buy feed for the winter, repair the tools, and pay back the loan to Father's brother."
"Uncle?" Chen Hu frowned. "We don't owe him money."
"We will pay him back the two taels he lent Father years ago, with interest," Chen Yuan said. "It keeps the family peace."
He looked at Xu Tie. "And we have a promise to keep."
Xu Tie's eyes sharpened. "The horse?"
"The horse," Chen Yuan nodded. "I'm not walking back to the village. I'm riding."
* * *
The horse market was busier than the cattle section.
Chen Yuan walked past the high-spirited warhorses, their coats gleaming like satin. They were beautiful, but they cost hundreds of taels. Too expensive, and too high-maintenance for a rancher.
He looked at the working ponies. Stocky, short-legged, and tough.
"Look at that one," Xu Tie pointed to a corral in the back.
It was a chestnut mare. She wasn't pretty. Her mane was tangled, and she had a scar on her flank. She stood away from the other horses, chewing lazily on a tuft of dry grass.
"She looks stubborn," Chen Hu commented.
"She looks sound," Xu Tie countered. "Look at her legs. No swelling. Her hooves are cracked because she hasn't been cared for, but the structure is good. She's a mountain pony. Sure-footed. Can carry a heavy load all day."
They walked over. The horse dealer, a sun-baked man with a wide hat, approached.
"Interested in the chestnut? Good eye. She's got stamina. Not fast, but she won't quit."
"How much?" Chen Yuan asked.
"Twelve taels."
"Twelve?" Chen Yuan scoffed. "She looks like she's been dragged through a thorn bush. Her hooves need a farrier, and she's underweight. Eight taels."
"Eight? You're stealing food from my children's mouths! Eleven."
"Nine. And you throw in a saddle blanket and a rope halter."
The dealer hesitated, looking at the mare. "Nine... fine. But you check the teeth yourself. No returns."
"Deal."
Chen Yuan counted out nine ingots of silver. The weight in his pouch felt significantly lighter. He had spent nearly a quarter of his earnings.
He approached the mare slowly. She watched him with large, dark eyes. She didn't flinch when he reached out to stroke her neck.
"Hey, girl," Chen Yuan whispered. "I'm buying you. No more dry grass. You're going to eat Ryegrass."
He vaulted onto her back—awkwardly. He had read about riding, but the reality was different. The ground seemed very far away.
The mare snorted and shifted.
"Easy," Xu Tie said, stepping up to the horse's head. He stroked her nose, whispering a command. The mare instantly calmed.
Xu Tie looked up at Chen Yuan. "She's been ridden by soldiers before. She knows the commands. Tap her left side to go right, pull right to go left. Heels to move."
Xu Tie handed the rope to Chen Yuan.
"Let's go home, Boss."
* * *
The ride back to Willow Village was slow.
Chen Yuan's thighs were chafed raw within the hour. He hadn't developed the muscles for riding yet. But he refused to get off.
He rode at the front of their small group (they had bought a donkey for the remaining supplies). The chestnut mare moved with a smooth, rolling gait.
As they crested the hill overlooking Willow Village, the sun was beginning to set, painting the valley in shades of orange and purple.
Chen Yuan pulled the mare to a stop.
He looked down at the village. Smoke rose from the chimneys. He could see the patchwork of fields, and to the east, the small rise where his shelter and animals waited.
He had left the village a week ago as a poor farmer selling dirt. He returned as a landowner with forty taels of silver (minus expenses) and a horse.
He patted the mare's neck.
"This is it, girl," he said. "That hill. That's ours."
He saw movement on the hill. It was Little Stone, running up the path. And behind him, Chen Yuan saw the cow, Hope. She was standing near the fence, looking towards them.
And then, the wind shifted.
He heard a sound. A low, rumbling moo.
But it wasn't Hope.
It was deeper. Heavier.
Chen Yuan squinted. The sun was in his eyes.
"Xu Tie... look at the cow."
Xu Tie stopped, shielding his eyes. He had served on the borders. He had seen thousands of cattle.
His jaw dropped.
"San Lang... when did you buy a bull?"
"I didn't," Chen Yuan said, confused. "I only have Hope."
They rode closer.
There, inside the fenced pasture, standing next to Hope, was a massive animal.
It wasn't a bull. It was a cow. But it was huge.
Its shoulders were high, rising into a distinct, muscular hump. Its ears were long and drooping, like a bat's. Its skin was loose and folded, gray in color, hanging in dewlaps under its neck.
It looked like a creature from a myth.
Chen Yuan's heart stopped.
*System.*
**[Subject: Hope.]**
**[Status: Genetic Evolution Complete (Stage 1).]**
**[Breed: Brahman (Local Variant).]**
**[Traits: Heat tolerance active. Insect resistance active. Muscle density increased by 40%.]**
**[Note: The physical transformation has manifested due to optimal nutrition and the summer heat triggering the genes.]**
Chen Yuan let out a breath he didn't know he was holding.
It wasn't a new cow. It was Hope.
She had transformed.
She stood almost a head taller than she had a month ago. Her patchy coat was gone, replaced by a short, sleek gray hide that repelled the insects buzzing around her. The hump on her shoulder was prominent, a store of fat and energy.
She looked powerful. She looked like a queen of the herd.
Little Stone ran up to the fence, panting.
"Boss! Boss! You're back! The cow... she changed! Three days ago, she started eating twice as much, and then her skin peeled off, and she got huge! We were scared! We thought she was a monster!"
Chen Yuan slid off the horse, his legs wobbly. He walked to the fence.
Hope walked over to him. She didn't look sickly or weak anymore. She nudged him with a nose that felt like wet leather.
She was a Brahman.
The first Brahman of the Great Qian Dynasty.
Chen Yuan laughed. It was a loud, joyous sound that echoed across the valley.
"Little Stone," Chen Yuan said, wiping tears of laughter from his eyes. "She's not a monster. She's the future."
He looked at the vast hills beyond.
"Now... we need more."