Chapter 6, Ranch

In the afternoon, Uncle and his family of three bid farewell and returned to Fulsen. Zhang Chi accompanied them to the town before driving back to the ranch.

At noon, a few pieces of steak were pan-fried using a gas cylinder, and the four of us had a simple meal to satisfy our hunger, thus resolving our lunch.

Zhang Wudao: "If you raise ordinary cattle, when will you be able to make a profit? By then, don't let the labor costs, feed expenses, and veterinary fees add up to the point where you go bankrupt! Oh dear, Mom, why are you hitting me again?"

However, Aunt does not care about what kind of cattle to raise; she is concerned about how her nephew is living here

"Is this entire area yours?" Zhang Youliang asked.

As spring has just begun, the grass has already started to grow, and at the same time, some wildflowers have bloomed. Clusters of purple wildflowers resemble purple clouds set against the greenery, and even from a distance, one can seemingly catch a whiff of floral fragrance.

Aunt angrily said: "Your brother's ranch has not yet opened, and you keep talking about bankruptcy and not making money. Have you never been beaten before?"

Zhang Youliang said to his nephew: "Then let's go and take a look"

Well, this idea can be considered reliable

Zhang Chi originally did not intend to have this, but Li Qiao's friend suggested that it would be better to build one, even if it is just to set up a simple shed

There are two ranches neighboring Zhang Chi's, one of which was separated from the original large ranch, while the other has always existed. The dividing line consists of two mountain ridges, as well as the small road that leads in.

Here is a complete industrial chain, with the ranch being just one link in this chain

There are many breeds of cattle in the United States, and some ranches raise mixed-breed cattle, regardless of the breed.

Upon entering the pasture, there still stood the towering trees, the majestic trees, their branches lush and leaves so dense that sunlight could hardly penetrate through them

Oh, this place is really nice

Upon arriving at the location, Zhang Chi unloaded the towed trailer and, after securing it properly, this would serve as his residence at least until the house was built.

After speaking, he walked over and pulled the door open with his hand. Indeed, it was a pull; the two simple doors had no hinges, and opening them relied entirely on the strength of his arms.

Zhang Chidao: "No, the west side belongs to someone else, and the piece in the southeast corner belongs to another ranch. Do you see that fence over there? From there to there, the middle section that looks like a willow leaf is mine"

The pasture stretches endlessly with lush green grass, interspersed with clusters of small woodlands. These woodlands are not towering pines and cypresses; rather, they are predominantly deciduous trees, displaying a variety of colors, and even among the greens, there are shades that differ in depth.

With the words of the elder uncle, everyone got back into the vehicle and headed towards the mound of earth where Zhang Chi was preparing to build a house

If you are short on money, just let us know. Zhang Youliang does not have a favorable view of his own nephew at the moment, but he has not expressed his disappointment. Young people, after all, all go through ups and downs. Sometimes, setbacks are far better for young people than continuous success

Zhang Chi listened and laughed, saying: "Aunt, it’s nothing, I don’t mind these things"

Take your time, as the weather is getting warmer. In the next few days, I plan to first address the matter of the cattle, and then I intend to build a small house. I am preparing to build my house there

"Are you going to live here in the future? There is no electricity and no water; how will you survive?" Auntie asked.

Now that there is money, it must be spent wisely; for Zhang Chi, the focus of expenditure is the cattle shed, the feed storage, and also the need for a stable.

Zhang Chi, however, did not take it to heart and said, "If it were good, it wouldn't fall to me. Besides, if this piece of land had everything, the bank wouldn't have separated it. Although the conditions are somewhat poor now, it will be fine once we raise some cattle."

Not all grasses are suitable for feeding cattle. In this day and age, feeding cattle is not as simple as just letting them graze freely every day. Nowadays, good forage such as alfalfa, ryegrass, and barley grass is specifically cultivated, while the land that my nephew purchased is entirely covered with wild grass

Uncle has indeed seen the world and knows that a pasture like this, filled with wildflowers, may look good to an outsider. However, a properly irrigated pasture, even if the grass is flowering, would be uniformly lush, not patchy here and there. It is even less likely to be colorful.

What kind of life are you living? Aunt is truly worried

Zhang Chidao: "First, let's hold on for a while. I brought a gas cylinder, so we can rely on it for cooking and other meals. We can get water directly from the mountain and filter it with a purification device. Let's endure for a period of time until the house is built. We can install a solar power generation system and then get a backup generator, which should solve the electricity issue for the house. At that time, we can find someone to dig a well, and the water problem will also be resolved"

"You need to take a good rest," Zhang Youliang said

Currently, Zhang Chi intends to select good cattle breeds, but the money in his pocket is unlikely to agree with this plan. Therefore, his first goal is to raise inexpensive crossbred cattle. Zhang Chi is not sure what these cattle are called; they simply resemble what people in his hometown refer to as yellow cattle. Their fur is a dull yellow color, and there are white spots on their bodies, making them suitable for both dairy and meat production.

Although the ranch is dilapidated and appears desolate in the eyes of others, when Zhang Chi is alone at the ranch, he feels an indescribable sense of peace in his heart. Perhaps it is because he finally has a piece of land that completely belongs to him

"Does the cow have any plans? I mean, what kind of cow to raise?" asked Zhang Youliang.

Zhang Wu, upon hearing this, curled his lips and was about to deliver a sharp retort to his cousin. However, upon seeing his mother glaring at him, he swallowed the words that followed.

Not to mention various irrigation facilities, you could easily spend a million dollars on this and still have nothing to show for it. For such a ranch, this step is still a long way off.

Although he works in a restaurant, among the few friends he has, there are those who own ranches. The ranches, not to mention the buildings, have uniformly planted grass. According to his understanding, organizing such a ranch is no small project.

Zhang Wu looked and said, this is not a ranch at all, it is simply wasteland

Hmm

Even if one tries to save as much as possible, the cost of replanting the entire pasture with high-nutrition forage cannot be avoided

Arrived

It has not been decided yet. I think it would be better to raise some cheaper cattle first. To be honest, with this amount of money, I am afraid I won't be able to buy even a few of the more expensive ones," Zhang Chi said.

Zhang Chi pointed to the small hill opposite him, which was backed by a mountain and had a high elevation. No matter how much snowmelt flowed down from the mountain, it could never flood this hill. In Zhang Chi's view, building a house on it would be most suitable.

There isn't even a place to drink water, what do you expect Zhang Youliang's family to see?

Seeing that there was nothing much to look at, Zhang Chi brought out a small stool, and the four of them sat on it, boiling hot water while chatting leisurely over tea

Zhang Wu was holding the back of his head

Zhang Chi got out of the car and said to the family of his uncle behind him

Zhang Wu mumbled, "If he weren't my brother, I wouldn't say anything"

This type of cattle is generally not very large, and when raised to 800 pounds, which is approximately one year, they can be sold to feedlots. This is also the typical operating method of cattle ranches.

There is nothing much to see in the area; if you go a little higher on the hill, the entire ranch comes into view. Five hundred acres is not small, but it is not large either. To truly see a thousand miles, one needs a thousand miles; this ranch does not qualify.

What kind of place is this, it's extremely remote! It's even more desolate than a place where no birds lay eggs

As a native of this area, he is well aware that many of his classmates come from families that own ranches and farms. Zhang Wu naturally knows what constitutes a good ranch and what constitutes a poor one. To be honest, the ranch that his cousin purchased is merely on par with the standards of government-owned grasslands. In reality, it is just an unkempt wasteland.

Starting a business involves some hardships, but they are not significant, especially since they are not really hardships at all. I have already contacted a construction team over there, and they will come to inspect the site in a couple of days, then they will start building the house. It should take about a month or so

Having experience with this matter, it is said that during winter, when heavy snow falls on the ranch, a pickup truck is certainly not as practical as horses. Even an all-terrain vehicle cannot sometimes replace horses.

Now, his family knows their own affairs; as long as the house can provide shelter from the wind and rain, and he does not freeze to death in winter, that is sufficient. Therefore, last night he was chatting on WeChat with Li Qiao's friend about the most ordinary houses.

Zhang Chi is confident in himself; having a gourd in hand and raising a cow is still a matter of concern, but it must not be shown outwardly

Zhang Chi nodded

A single-story wooden house, approximately seventy square meters, with two bedrooms and a kitchen and bathroom to address the needs.

Aunt said: "There are things that can be said, and there are things that cannot be said. At the age of thirty, shouldn't one understand this?"

As spring begins, the snow on the mountain starts to melt, and the meltwater forms two small rivers on the pasture, flowing down from the mountain and then converging into a single river, resembling a Y shape, shimmering with a hint of glimmer under the sunlight

Auntie got out of the car and, upon seeing the ranch, said to Zhang Chi: "I didn't expect you to have such good taste; this ranch was indeed a worthwhile purchase"

He drove his car inside and waited for his uncle to drive the car into the ranch, and only then did Zhang Chi close the gate again

After approximately one hundred meters, everyone's line of sight suddenly opened up, revealing a vibrant green valley that came into view.

The awareness of the land rooted in his heart gives Zhang Chi an indescribable feeling towards his ranch

The gates of a typical ranch, there is no need to mention the various designs; even the simplest ones will have two round logs, with an arch placed above, inscribed with the name of the ranch.

The valley is situated between two mountain ridges, which are referred to as mountain ridges. These two mountain ridges enclose the pasture in a willow leaf shape

The RV? It is small, resembling a capsule, and now it seems that only one bed is unoccupied, while everything else is filled with items. The key point is that it belongs to someone else.

The two coins that Zhang Chi currently has in his pocket cannot buy a decent house, and moreover, Zhang Chi has no intention of building any kind of house right from the start

Zhang Youliang glanced around, filled with concern for his nephew. Based on his experience, he believed that it was practically impossible to make a profit from such a ranch without investing at least 300,000 to 400,000.

The entrance to Zhangchi Ranch is remarkably simple, consisting merely of a wooden fence that is half a person's height. The gate is formed by two logs as thick as a person's arms, and instead of wooden beams in the middle, there are just a few strands of wire haphazardly wrapped to prevent large wild animals from entering.