For three days, the Barren Slope was capped by a thick, grey cloud. It wasn't a storm cloud, but a plume of aromatic smoke that refused to dissipate.
The air hung heavy with the scents of star anise, Sichuan pepper, and rendered beef fat. It was a smell that made stomachs growl and mouths water for miles around. In the dead of a frozen winter, the Li Family Ranch smelled like a feast.
Inside the newly reinforced shed, which was rapidly transforming into a proper bunkhouse, Li Wei directed the operation.
"Thin slices," Li Wei commanded, watching Da Niu wield the knife. "Thinner than a copper coin. If it's too thick, the outside burns before the inside dries. We want leather that melts on the tongue."
Da Niu nodded, sweat beading on his forehead despite the draft. He was learning that cooking was just as labor-intensive as chopping wood.
Zhao Feng stood by the large iron wok—a loan from the main house—stirring the marinade. It was a dark, viscous sludge of soy sauce (a rare luxury Li Wei had traded for), crushed spices from Shopkeeper Qian's delivery, and the rendered fat from the old cow.
"Boss, the fire is hot," Zhao Feng said. "Ready for the dip."
Li Wei took the strips of beef and dipped them into the boiling marinade, flash-cooking the outer layer to seal in the juices. He then handed them to Little Shitou, who hung them over the smoking pit.
The pit was lined with damp wood chips and pine needles, producing a cold smoke that cured the meat without cooking it through.
**[System Notification: Production Complete.]**
**[Item: Spiced Beef Jerky (Grade B).]**
**[Effect: High Energy, Morale Boost, Non-perishable.]**
**[Market Value: 50 Copper Coins per Catty (Wholesale).]**
"Twenty catties of prime jerky," Li Wei estimated, looking at the racks. "And another ten of ground meal for the dogs."
"We're keeping the dog food?" Shitou asked, eyeing the jerky hungrily.
"We're feeding the guards," Li Wei corrected. "A dog that eats beef grows up to be a wolf. Old Yellow needs his strength if he's going to patrol with us."
Just then, the door to the shed burst open. A gust of wind and snow swirled in.
"Brother!"
It was Li An. He looked like a snowman, his eyebrows frosted white. He carried a heavy sack on his back, stumbling slightly.
"Close the door!" Li Wei shouted, rushing over to help his brother. "What are you doing here in this weather?"
"Firewood," Li An panted, dumping the sack. "And... and I came to tell you. The teacher... Master Zhang... he gave me a problem."
Li Wei helped him to the warm fire near the smoking pit. "What kind of problem?"
"A math problem," Li An said, pulling a scrap of paper from his shirt. "He said... if a merchant sells a cart of grain for 100 coins, but the cart loses 10% of its weight on the road, what is the price per pound? I... I couldn't figure it out."
Li Wei smiled. This was his brother's path.
"It's a trick question," Li Wei said. "Or rather, a logistics question. The price per pound changes, but the effort to transport it stays the same. Come here."
Li Wei grabbed a piece of charcoal and began drawing numbers on the wooden floor. He taught Li An the concept of percentages and fixed costs—knowledge from his past life that seemed simple here but was revolutionary.
"Math is the language of money, An," Li Wei said. "Learn this, and no merchant can cheat you."
The boy listened with rapt attention, shivering less from the cold and more from excitement.
***
The following morning, the blizzard broke, leaving the world silent and white. The road to the county was treacherous, but the deadline was upon them.
"Load the cart," Li Wei ordered.
They packed the dried jerky into oilcloth bundles, sealing them tight against the moisture. The smell was still potent, leaking through the cloth.
Li Wei mounted Red Wind. The mare snorted, pawing at the deep snow.
"Zhao Feng, you're driving the ox cart today. Shitou, you stay and guard the slope. Keep the fire going."
"Me? Alone?" Shitou looked nervous.
"You have the pitchfork and Old Yellow," Li Wei said. "And the King is in the shed. You're not alone; you're just the only human. Keep the gate shut."
They set off. The journey was slow. The snow was knee-deep in places, and the cart wheels groaned.
As they passed the village, they saw Headman Wang's house. The gates were shut tight, but Li Wei saw a face peeking through the crack—the Headman's servant. Watching. Judging.
*Let them watch,* Li Wei thought.
When they arrived at the Fragrant Pavilion in the county seat, the restaurant was bustling. The winter cold drove people indoors seeking hot food and wine.
Shopkeeper Qian was berating a waiter when Li Wei walked in, dragging the heavy bundles.
"You're late!" Qian snapped, though his eyes lit up when he saw the bundles. "The caravan leaves in two hours!"
"The roads are frozen," Li Wei said calmly, dropping the bundle on a table. "But the product is perfect."
Qian tore open the oilcloth.
The scent exploded into the restaurant. Spicy, smoky, meaty.
Patrons nearby stopped eating their noodles. They turned to look. A burly guardsman at a corner table sniffed the air loudly.
"What is that smell?" the guardsman barked. "It smells like... victory."
Qian picked up a piece of the jerky. It was dark, glistening with oil, and pliable. He took a bite. He chewed slowly.
His eyes closed. "The texture... it fights back, then surrenders. And the spice... it warms the belly."
He opened his eyes and nodded to Li Wei. "Twenty catties?"
"Twenty-five," Li Wei corrected. "We had a good yield."
Qian didn't haggle. He knew a premium product when he saw one. He reached under the counter and pulled out a string of cash.
"One tael and 250 copper coins," Qian said. "As agreed."
He then turned to the guardsman. "Captain Lin! Come here. Try this. This is the 'Borderland Beef' I told you about."
The guardsman, a man in chainmail with a sword at his hip, walked over. He took a piece, chewed, and his eyes widened.
"This..." The Captain swallowed. "This is marching food? It tastes better than the banquet I had last week."
He looked at Li Wei. "You made this?"
"I raised the cow, I cured the meat," Li Wei said.
"I'll take five catties for the road," Captain Lin said, slamming a silver ingot on the table. "I'm leading a patrol to the Northern Pass tomorrow. This is exactly what we need."
Shopkeeper Qian grinned. "You see, young Li? You have a market."
As Li Wei counted the money, the door to the restaurant opened again. A chill wind blew in, along with a man in fine silk robes. He was young, perhaps twenty, with a fan tucked into his belt—a scholar.
The scholar wrinkled his nose at the smell of commoner food, then paused. "Wait... is that *cardamom*? And... *star anise* mixed with wood smoke?"
He looked at the jerky. "Fascinating. It smells barbaric, yet sophisticated."
Li Wei looked at the scholar, then at his brother Li An, who was standing nervously by the door.
*Scholars,* Li Wei thought. *They are the influencers of this world.*
"Sir," Li Wei called out. "Would you like a taste? It pairs well with wine. It clears the mind for reading."
The scholar hesitated, then walked over. He took a small piece. He bit into it cautiously.
He chewed. His eyebrows shot up. "It's... intense! It clears the sinuses! Like a fire in the winter."
He smiled at Li Wei. "I am Xu Zian, a student at the academy. This is... interesting. I will buy a catty. For... research purposes."
Li Wei sold three more catties to the scholar and the guards before he even left the restaurant.
He walked out with a purse heavier than he had ever held. One tael and six hundred coins.
"Brother," Li An whispered as they walked back to the cart. "You sold dried meat to a scholar and a Captain. That's... that's impossible."
"Nothing is impossible, An," Li Wei said, climbing onto the horse. "We just have to give them what they didn't know they wanted."
As they rode out of the city, Li Wei looked at the snow-covered road ahead.
"We have money for grain," Li Wei said. "We have money for tools. And we have a reputation."
He looked back at the county walls. "But the winter is still long. We need to start building the bunkhouse. A real one. Stone and wood. If we're going to have more workers, we need to house them."
He turned to Zhao Feng on the cart. "When we get back, we start digging the foundation. The Li Family Ranch needs a proper home."