Chapter 15

Qin Yi nodded, Angus cattle are indeed not very tall, only reaching the waist of a person.

"When did the alfalfa in the pasture start growing?"

Qin Yi had organized the information; alfalfa is a perennial forage grass with a wide adaptability, capable of growing in various terrains and soils. It generally can grow for over ten years, with the best growth occurring six years after sowing. It is one of the most widely planted forage grasses in Montana. This forage grass is highly nutritious and has a high yield. After harvesting, it can be stored as silage or made into hay powder for sale in winter, serving as an important economic source for the ranch.

"The current alfalfa has been growing for eight years and can still be used for two more years. However, this year's drought has affected the ranch somewhat, even though we have the Sun River."

Qin Yi looked at the stems and leaves of the alfalfa, then squatted down to part the leaves and examine the roots.

"Ryan, when is the best time to reseed the grass?"

"Right now, or we can wait until spring. Alfalfa seeds only take about ten days to grow from sprouting to maturity. However, reseeding now might not be ideal due to the drought, which could affect the growth of the seedlings."

Ryan could tell that the boss was considering reseeding the forage grass, which wasn't surprising. The current forage grass would grow increasingly poorly in the future, and reseeding now or next year would be the best time because the herd size is small, making it easier to manage and reducing the workload.

Qin Yi didn't express an opinion but had made up his mind internally.

They didn't discuss reseeding the forage grass further. Qin Yi learned to swing the horsewhip like a cowboy and drove the herd to a new pasture. Watching the alfalfa being partially eaten by the herd, Qin Yi was curious about how long it would take to recover, so he asked Ryan.

"Three or four days, I guess. When the herd was larger, we used to graze here every three or four days. Now, they don't eat as much, so we only use a small part of the pasture for grazing, and the rest is harvested to make feed." Mentioning the harvest, Ryan pointed in the direction of the Rocky Mountains and the farm, "These are the pastures in those two directions. Depending on the growth of the forage grass, we harvest every twenty to thirty days."

Qin Yi was very interested in harvesting the forage grass, especially in the large mowers. He had seen their imposing appearance before and eagerly asked Ryan, "How long until the next harvest? I want to see it next time."

Ryan, seeing Qin Yi's expression, knew what he was thinking. Indeed, the large mowers were impressive, fully functional, with satellite positioning and autonomous driving. The cab even had a sound system and drinks. During the harvest, the driver just needed to set the parameters and could relax, listening to music and drinking, which was much easier than using smaller mowers. Not just Qin Yi, but most people would want to drive them.

Ryan chuckled, "I'll check the growth tomorrow, but it might take a few more days. I'll let you know in advance."

As they walked and talked, they soon arrived at another pasture. The cattle grazed freely, while a few cowboys rode horses and led herding dogs around to prevent the cattle from straying too far.

For the entire afternoon, Qin Yi followed the herd, chatting with the cowboys, creating a relaxed and friendly atmosphere. In the evening, he returned to the main house without cooking. He first went to the warehouse to get some alfalfa seeds, then returned to his bedroom and entered the space.

Under the apple tree, the ground cleared yesterday was bare. The current fruit hadn't ripened yet, and the vegetable seedlings were still piled to one side, so there was no need to clear again. Qin Yi directly scattered the alfalfa seeds on the ground and watched as the alfalfa sprouted and grew rapidly. He didn't rush to leave, waiting for it to flower and produce seeds.

After a while, the seeds, about the size of wheat, matured and fell to the ground, which was unexpected for Qin Yi. He hurriedly went out, ran to the warehouse to get a broom and a basket, and returned to the space to clean up. After a while, he finally finished, and the small basket was full, weighing about 40 to 50 pounds.

That was enough. He decided to plant the improved forage grass and observe its growth.

He drove the F-150 Ford pickup, loaded a shovel and the basket, and added a bucket. Qin Yi didn't waste any time, started the engine, and drove deep into the ranch. At the afternoon grazing spot, he stopped, took the bucket from the back seat, and returned to the driver's seat, entering the space. Soon, Qin Yi came out with a bucket of spiritual spring water.

He got out of the car again, grabbed a handful of ranch seeds, scattered them on the pasture, and sprinkled some spiritual spring water. The seeds sprouted and grew rapidly, and the original alfalfa, which had absorbed the spiritual spring water, also grew faster.

However, the improved seeds grew much faster. In just a few minutes, the seedlings grew taller and had larger, thicker leaves, indicating that the quality of the improved seeds was significantly better.

Qin Yi sprinkled more spiritual spring water, and the improved forage grass soon flowered and produced seeds, while the old alfalfa only increased in flower buds. Seeing this, Qin Yi knew that the old alfalfa couldn't compete with the improved forage grass, as most of the spiritual spring water was absorbed by the improved grass.

In fact, underground, the roots of the improved forage grass were undergoing significant changes. The roots became thicker and extended deeper into the ground, allowing the improved forage grass to obtain more water compared to the old alfalfa, making the drought less of an issue.

In a few days, the old alfalfa might lose its living space, gradually drying up as the new forage grass took over the water.

Another change, which Qin Yi might have noticed during the day, was that the roots of the improved alfalfa extended far out, breaking through the ground to form new plants. With the seed-grown plants as the center, many side plants grew around them, indicating that in the future, there would be no need for so many improved seeds to cover the entire ranch.

After a while, the mature seeds fell to the ground. Qin Yi sprinkled more spiritual spring water, and the seeds began to repeat the process he had observed earlier. He marked the location on the detailed ranch map on his phone to make it easier to water in the future. Satisfied, Qin Yi drove to another pasture to continue planting the improved forage grass.

...

After a few hours of work, even with his physical strength, Qin Yi felt tired. Fortunately, he had finished planting the seeds and could rest. On the way back, he calculated that one bucket of water per night, with watering every three to five days, would cover the current ranch in about a month.

Qin Yi was very happy. He had a grand plan when he set up the Shennongjia orchard, which had three steps in the first phase.

Buying the ranch, which had already been successfully implemented; improving the forage grass, which he was currently working on; and the third step, which he could proceed with once the improvement was complete. The second phase was still far off, so he didn't think about it much. He hurried home to cook dinner, as it was almost midnight.

After a tiring day, Qin Yi ate a quick meal, took a shower, and went to bed. The next morning at 6:00, he got up on time, as his physical condition and mental energy had recovered after a short rest.

Not many young people in China wake up so early; usually, only the elderly do. However, they wake up early for morning exercises, while he woke up for work. He was a diligent young man!

After washing up, Qin Yi looked at the handsome young man in the mirror, smiled, and turned to the living room to grab his cowboy hat and head out.

What? You say he's lazy? He's still sleeping, and Qin Yi was worried that if he were left in the wild, this lazy guy might not survive.

In no time, he arrived at the stable, where Rachie was already brushing the horses. She was a great girl, always waking up early. Qin Yi greeted Rachie, led out Little Black, and started brushing the horse. Little Black nuzzled Qin Yi's arm and looked at him with big eyes.

"What's wrong? Did you miss me after a night apart?" Qin Yi stroked the horse's face, a bit puzzled.

"Ha ha!"

Rachie couldn't help but laugh at Qin Yi's words, "Yi, Little Black wants a carrot! Horses like to eat carrots in the morning."

Qin Yi touched his nose, a bit speechless. He thought Little Black missed him, but it was just a waste of emotion!

"Is that so? I didn't know. I don't have any carrots, but I'll plant some in the morning."

"I brought some carrots. This is for Little Black. Here, feed him!" Rachie, who had anticipated this, took a carrot from the small warehouse.

It was understandable that Qin Yi didn't know, as he had just learned to ride and had no prior experience. Eating carrots is not a necessity, but feeding them can help build a better bond with the horse.

Qin Yi took the carrot and praised, "Thank you, Rachie. You're a thoughtful girl!"

Rachie smiled and accepted the praise, then continued brushing the horse.

After feeding Little Black, Qin Yi started brushing the horse, using a hard brush first, then a soft brush, and finally drying it. He put on the saddle and sweat pad, rode Little Black for a few laps, and let him graze after he started sweating. Then he went back to cook breakfast.

After finishing breakfast around 7:30, he was about to ride Little Black to check the improved forage grass when his phone rang. It was Ye Fang, who was probably restless again!

Qin Yi smiled and shook his head, answering the call, "Old Three, what's up?"

"Little Yi, you're up early! Impressive!"

Ye Fang's loud voice was very penetrating, so Qin Yi moved the phone away a bit.

"I got up at 6:00. The morning air is full of negative ions, and riding a horse is much better than sleeping in."

"You can ride a horse freely after just a few days. You're impressive! Are you busy? If not, I'll come over for a few days. Riding in a large pasture is much more enjoyable than in a stable!" Ye Fang laughed, getting excited at the thought of playing.

"I'm not too busy. These are long-term projects. Come whenever you want, and I'll pick you up."

Improving the forage grass and converting the farm to a ranch are long-term projects.

"In a few days. I'll call you once I've arranged it. Have you called the others?"

Qin Yi thought for a moment. He should call them. It would be better if they could come with Ye Fang.

"Not yet, I'll call them later."

"Great. Make a list of the good food and activities on the ranch. I'll try them all when I get there, ha ha!" He hung up.

Qin Yi shook his head. Food? Fruits and vegetables, beef isn't great yet. Activities include horseback riding, fishing, and boating on the Sun River. Oh, and maybe seeing wild white-tailed deer and birds.

Mentioning the deer and birds, Qin Yi thought about hunting. He had forgotten that he hadn't visited a gun store yet. This is Montana, with vast ranches, gray wolves, and brown bears. He needed some protection!

Fine, he would go to Augusta tomorrow.

He called Wang Xixi and Fang Yue, telling them about his big win in Shennongjia and the ranch he bought in the U.S., inviting them to visit. Both expressed envy and jealousy but couldn't come soon due to work. They planned to visit during the National Day holiday.

Qin Yi acted like he was asking for a beating, welcoming them to come soon. After an hour of chatting, he hung up, found Little Black, and rode out to check the improved forage grass.