Chapter 89: The Horse Ranch
The next day, Liu Yuanfu brought six members of the Liu family to the government office. After chatting briefly with Yang Zhengshan, he took them to the academy.
The so-called academy was merely a small courtyard. The usual three main rooms had been combined into a single large room, capable of accommodating forty students at once. The eastern and western wing rooms served as teachers’ offices and rest areas.
Next door, there was a slightly larger courtyard, which Yang Zhengshan had prepared for the soldiers to learn literacy.
On the eighth day of the tenth lunar month, the academy officially opened. The first group of forty children selected from the garrison villages enrolled. Naturally, Lin Zhan was among them.
On the same day, the first batch of soldiers completed their month-long basic training.
After completing basic training, these soldiers would return to their posts to relieve others on duty at the beacon towers and forts. The next group of soldiers would then come to Yinghe Fort for basic training.
Of course, returning did not mean the end of their training. After going back, they needed to continue practicing combat techniques such as swordsmanship, spear techniques, and archery on their own.
Yang Zhengshan had scheduled the Yinghe Fort martial competition for after the New Year. By then, all the soldiers should have completed their basic training, allowing him to select outstanding individuals to fill the vacant officer positions.
...
Busy days passed quickly, and before anyone realized it, the twelfth lunar month arrived.
A heavy snow blanketed the vast Thousand Layers Mountain in silver.
In the early morning, Yang Zhengshan pushed open the door, stepping onto the thick snow as he exhaled a cloud of mist.
“Father!”
“Master!”
Yang Yunxue and Wang Yunqiao had already risen and were practicing their spear techniques in the courtyard.
Looking at their flushed cheeks, Yang Zhengshan smiled and said, “Train diligently, no slacking!”
“Father, when have we ever slacked off?” Yang Yunxue replied playfully.
“Haha, you’re all good kids!” Yang Zhengshan laughed heartily.
He truly meant it. Whether it was Yang Yunxue, Wang Yunqiao, or Lin Zhan, they were all obedient and hardworking.
Every day, they would wake up early to train, even earlier than Yang Zhengshan himself.
Although they had not yet become martial artists, they had built a solid foundation. Yang Zhengshan believed these three youngsters would far surpass Yang Mingcheng in the future.
After giving the two of them some pointers, Yang Zhengshan went to the front courtyard to guide Lin Zhan, fulfilling his duty as a teacher.
Not only them, but stepping outside the government office, Yang Zhengshan also stopped by the training ground in front of the building to instruct Yang Mingcheng, Yang Mingwu, and others.
Over the past year, their cultivation had progressed significantly.
Among them, Yang Mingwu had advanced the furthest, having already entered the Energy Refining stage. Yang Mingcheng was on the verge of reaching this stage but had not yet crossed the threshold.
Although he became a martial artist earlier than Yang Mingwu, he had been surpassed due to spending over half a year away from Yang Zhengshan, missing out on the Spirit Spring Water that Yang Zhengshan provided.
To compensate, Yang Zhengshan had been giving him extra attention recently, occasionally brewing Spirit Spring Water for him and his brothers to drink.
Yang Chengze and Yang Chengxu were at similar levels, just about to enter the Energy Refining stage.
Yang Minghao and Yang Qinwu, however, lagged slightly behind, having only recently become martial artists. Their younger age was the main reason for their slower progress.
While martial arts training could start from a young age, true cultivation typically began after the age of fifteen.
Although the exact reason was unclear, Yang Zhengshan believed it was related to human growth. In any case, he had never heard of anyone becoming a martial artist before the age of fifteen.
Anyone achieving such a feat at fifteen was considered a prodigy.
Now both Yang Minghao and Yang Qinwu were fifteen and already martial artists, making them geniuses in their own right.
...
After providing guidance to everyone, Yang Zhengshan left the garrison alone and headed to an open area by the Yinghe River to begin his own training.
Persistence was key in cultivation. No matter how busy he was, Yang Zhengshan always set aside an hour each day to train.
As for his progress, it was rapid.
Now, he drank Spirit Spring Water as if it were ordinary water. Since the Spirit Spring Water belonged to him, he naturally consumed the most.
As his cultivation grew stronger, the thunderous roar of his Kui Niu Strength became more pronounced. Now, a single punch could mimic the sound of real thunder, rumbling loudly.
However, he seldom unleashed the full power of Kui Niu Strength, as the thunderous noise was simply too disruptive.
“Grandfather, breakfast is ready!”
Just as Yang Zhengshan was finishing his training, Yang Chengye came running over with his short legs.
Yang Zhengshan quickly put away his spear and scooped up the little boy. Although Yang Chengye was under five years old, he was as tall as a seven or eight-year-old, with a sturdy frame.
Despite the cold weather, he seemed completely unaffected.
This was thanks to the nourishing effects of the Spirit Spring Water.
Not only him, but everyone in the Yang family enjoyed robust health.
“What did your mother make for breakfast?” Yang Zhengshan asked, carrying his spear in one hand and the child in the other.
“Dried vegetable and meat buns!” Yang Chengye blinked and added, “Grandfather, put me down! I can walk on my own!”
Having grown taller, he no longer liked being carried.
Yang Zhengshan set him down, thinking to himself that this eldest grandson wasn’t as soft and cuddly to hold as his eldest granddaughter.
...
After returning to the government office’s backyard, Madam Wang had already set the table. Everyone except Yang Mingzhi had gathered.
“Let’s eat!”
After a quick wash, Yang Zhengshan sat at the head of the table and grabbed a meat bun to eat.
Two large pots of buns disappeared quickly.
With everyone in excellent health, their appetites were naturally big as well.
Feeding this family was like feeding a group of big eaters. If not for the two thousand taels of silver given by Lu Erye, Yang Zhengshan feared he might have been eaten into bankruptcy.
“Eldest, come with me to the horse ranch!”
After breakfast, Yang Zhengshan called for Yang Mingcheng, and the two headed to the ranch.
...
The horse ranch had been completed a month earlier, featuring over a dozen stables, five warehouses, and seven or eight residential houses, all enclosed within a large courtyard.
This facility could accommodate fifty to sixty horses. Currently, however, it housed fewer than thirty—ten poor-quality horses purchased initially, along with a batch of foals and mares Yang Mingcheng acquired later.
As they arrived, a middle-aged man in a cotton-padded jacket came out to greet them.
“My lord!”
This was Ma San, a horse trainer hired by Yang Mingcheng from Chongshan Pass. Now a long-term worker for the Yang family, he managed the ranch.
Yang Zhengshan dismounted as Ma San came forward to hold his horse, Red Cloud. He asked, “Is everything in order?”
“Yes, my lord. Last night, we cleared the snow from the roofs, added firewood to the stables, and made sure all the horses are in good condition,” Ma San replied respectfully.
Ma San had once been a horse trainer for the garrison command, but after offending someone, he was forced out of his position and even driven out of Chongshan Pass. Had Yang Mingcheng not taken him in, he and his family would have been left destitute. Now, they all lived and worked on the ranch, with both husband and wife serving as the Yang family’s hired hands.
Yang Zhengshan walked through the stables, inspecting each horse one by one.
The ten poor-quality horses purchased in the beginning were almost unrecognizable now. Once scrawny and weak, they had become visibly stronger. While they couldn’t yet be considered fine horses, they were vastly improved.
“How much do you think these ten horses would sell for now?” Yang Zhengshan asked.
Ma San hesitated before answering honestly, “My lord, I believe each horse could fetch fifty taels of silver.”
In truth, he found the transformation of these horses baffling. With over twenty years of experience in horse training, Ma San couldn’t understand how these previously frail creatures had become so robust. When he first arrived, they were already in better condition than one would expect, defying his expertise.
"Fifty taels per horse?" Yang Zhengshan mused. "That’s five hundred taels for all ten."
In just three months, the initial investment of two hundred taels had more than doubled to five hundred.
“Alright, arrange to sell these horses. Once they’re sold, use the money to purchase more mares and foals,” Yang Zhengshan instructed.
Some things couldn’t be overdone, lest they arouse suspicion. Transforming low-quality horses into good ones was something he could only do once. Moving forward, the ranch would focus on raising foals, which, though still exceptional, would be more plausible to outsiders.
“As you command, my lord!” Ma San replied eagerly.
Selling and purchasing horses didn’t require Yang Zhengshan’s direct involvement. Ma San was well-acquainted with the livestock market in Chongshan Pass and could handle both buyers and sellers. Yang Mingcheng’s role was primarily supervisory—managing finances and personnel. As the owner, Yang Zhengshan didn’t need to handle every detail; he just needed to maintain control over the accounts and key decisions.
Of course, Ma San wouldn’t dare pull any tricks. The ranch was well-guarded, and even the small flag officer at the northern Fire Road Beacon was handpicked by Yang Zhengshan. Should Ma San attempt anything underhanded, his entire family would face dire consequences.
After casually finding an excuse to send Ma San and Yang Mingcheng away, Yang Zhengshan discreetly poured two bowls of Spirit Spring Water into the horse trough. Once finished, he and Yang Mingcheng left the ranch.
...
Upon returning to Yinghe Fort, Yang Zhengshan had just settled into his study when Lu Wenhua arrived.
“My lord, these are last month’s earnings from the needlework workshop and the charcoal workshop,” Lu Wenhua said, placing two moneyboxes in front of him.
Opening the boxes, Yang Zhengshan glanced at the contents.
The needlework workshop’s profits were modest, totaling only four or five taels of silver per month. However, the charcoal workshop was far more lucrative, especially during the winter months when demand for charcoal was at its peak.
Li Erhu had established over ten charcoal kilns across Yinghe Fort and Sanshan Fort, employing more than a hundred workers to produce charcoal day and night. Their monthly output now exceeded 30,000 jin (about 15 tons).
Inside the box were three ten-tael silver ingots, totaling thirty taels. Based on his estimates, Luo Shang’s share would amount to twenty taels, while Li Erhu and his men would each receive 500 copper coins. On average, each worker earned less than twenty copper coins a day—still better than the wages for day laborers in villages, which ranged from ten to twelve copper coins per day, depending on whether meals were provided.
This income would allow Li Erhu and his workers to enjoy a decent New Year’s celebration.
“Next spring, have Li Erhu and the others plant trees on the mountains. If this continues unchecked, the forests will be gone in a few years,” Yang Zhengshan instructed.
No matter how abundant the forests were, they couldn’t withstand unchecked cutting. To ensure the charcoal business remained sustainable, reforestation was essential.
“Understood, I will inform Li Erhu,” Lu Wenhua replied.
“Deposit the earnings into the family’s accounts,” Yang Zhengshan said, closing the moneybox.
“Yes, my lord.”
With that, Lu Wenhua left, carrying the moneybox.