Chapter Two: Rebuilding the Ranch (1)

According to Mayor Ella, no one had managed this ranch for ten years. It was only about six months ago, upon hearing that Chi Sui was coming, that they hurriedly hired people to repair the dilapidated buildings.

Now, the entire ranch was overgrown with weeds. Thanks to the recent renovations, the house itself no longer let in drafts, but a thick layer of dust covered all the furniture inside.

After rummaging through the house and confirming there were no cleaning supplies, Chi Sui resignedly picked up a pair of scissors and turned one of her long-sleeved shirts into a sleeveless one to serve as cleaning attire.

After drawing water from the well near the house, Chi Sui began the long task of cleaning, which took her the entire afternoon. Fortunately, knowing that she would be staying at the ranch tonight, Mayor Ella had brought over bedding. Otherwise, she would have had to make do with her only other unaltered piece of clothing.

Inside the house, aside from a bed and wardrobe, there was only a desk and bookshelf. The kitchen in the adjoining room, however, was fairly well equipped: stove, wok, pot, kitchen knife—everything one needed. She wondered if this world had invented labor-saving tools like ovens or blenders.

After a long day’s toil, Chi Sui was so tired she lost her appetite. She changed clothes and fell straight into bed.

...

The next day, sunlight had just begun to spill through the clouds when a knock sounded on the door.

“Thump, thump, thump”—the noise startled Chi Sui awake; she had lacked a sense of security ever since arriving in this world. Peering cautiously through the crack of the door and recognizing the visitors, she hastily ran her fingers through her hair to tame it, then hurriedly threw on a jacket.

“Chi Sui, are you up? It’s me, Mayor Ella. Since today is your first day as ranch owner, we’ve brought a few things to help you settle in.”

Hearing the hearty voice outside, Chi Sui rushed to open the door. Standing there with Mayor Ella were a man in his fifties, carrying a half-man-tall iron hammer, and a round-faced woman with a brown headscarf whose kind expression made her seem easy to talk to.

Seeing Chi Sui’s gaze linger on the iron hammer, the man let out a booming laugh. Mayor Ella quickly introduced them: “Come, Chi Sui, let me introduce you. This is my husband, Darren. He also runs a blacksmith’s workshop in town and knows a bit of both smithing and carpentry. If you ever want to add new furniture, expand the ranch, or build something, you can always ask him.”

Upon hearing the introduction, Chi Sui smiled and greeted him, “Hello, Uncle Darren.”

Darren reached up to scratch his thinning hair and laughed heartily. “If you ever need help around the ranch, don’t hesitate to come find me.”

“And this is Bertha, who runs another ranch in town. You’ll be visiting her often to buy supplies and learn the ropes,” Ella continued.

“Just call me Auntie,” Bertha chimed in with a laugh. “I learned all my livestock skills from your grandfather. If you ever have questions, come to me anytime. And you’re welcome at my ranch whenever you like.”

Chi Sui readily replied, “Thank you, Aunt Bertha.”

Bertha’s round face beamed even more at this. She stepped aside to reveal a small animal behind her. “I didn’t have much to give you for your first day, but since you’re just starting out, I brought you a young calf from my ranch. It was weaned a few days ago and can already eat grass—a perfect start for you.”

“Moo~”

It was a beautiful little creature with black and white markings, its eyes still misty with sleep.

Chi Sui immediately crouched down and held out her hand for the calf to sniff. Seeing it didn’t shy away, she gently patted its head.

“Looks like this little one has taken a liking to you,” Bertha said, laughing. “Take good care of it—milk is an essential resource for any ranch.”

Chi Sui nodded solemnly. “I will. Thank you, Aunt Bertha.” This was, after all, an important source of income, and at the moment her finances were still in the red.

Having presented her gift, Bertha exchanged a glance with Ella and Darren. Ella smiled and led Chi Sui over to the small field beside the house. “Come, Chi Sui. Even though this is a ranch, you’ll still need to manage some farmland. Purple Isle’s crops aren’t as plentiful as Green Isle’s, and there’s not much you can buy in Fufeng Town, but these should be enough to get you started. Here—some white radish seeds.”

She handed Chi Sui a brown cloth bag. Chi Sui took it, gripping the handle tightly.

“Thank you,” she said.

Ella waved her hand dismissively. “Don’t mention it. This ranch has been neglected for nearly ten years—even the animal pen’s fence is broken. I’ll have Darren fix it up for you, at least so your new calf won’t wander off.”

Without waiting for a reply, Ella led Chi Sui to the other side of the house and pointed to a wooden structure that resembled a birdhouse. “That’s the shipping mailbox. If you have any crops or goods to ship out, put them in there and list what you’re sending before six in the morning. The chirping sparrow will pick up your letter, and then Hector will come with the right tools to collect your goods. Hector is our town’s shipping man—a young fellow you’ll see often.”

Chi Sui stood there a little dazed, glancing at the calf at her feet, the bag of seeds in her hand, and the shipping box before her. Wasn’t this awfully similar to a game she’d played before?

A real-life ranch simulation?

“Also, since the ranch has been abandoned so long, most of the tools are rusted and unusable. I had Darren make you some simple ones: a sickle, a hoe, a watering can. They’ll be in the animal shed.”

“And I’ve already spoken to Doctor Tina,” Ella added. “I know you’ll have a lot of expenses at first, and with the wind season coming, there won’t be any airships for nearly twenty days, so you can’t travel to other islands. Don’t worry about medical bills for now; you can pay later.”

Bertha chimed in, “My ranch is right at the foot of the mountain. If you’re missing anything or it’s inconvenient to cook, come eat with us. My boys are always looking for playmates—they were thrilled when they heard you were coming.”

Darren didn’t say much, but got to work repairing the fence with his hammer.

The warm words and friendly atmosphere gradually painted a picture of Fufeng Town in Chi Sui’s heart. Just meeting the townsfolk, she already felt the simplicity and kindness of the place—the idyllic paradise she’d only read about in books was becoming real before her eyes.

A gentle warmth welled up inside her. She hadn’t expected to feel a sense of belonging to the town on her second morning here. Unsure how to express it, Chi Sui simply broke into a big, beaming smile.

“Thank you, Aunt Ella, Aunt Bertha, Uncle Darren.”

Ella smiled, giving her shoulder a gentle pat.

“Silly child, there’s no need for thanks. We’re all hoping you’ll help the ranch flourish and attract more people to settle in our town.”

She pointed at the distant mountains. “Since your grandfather left, some of the magical creatures who used to live on the ranch followed him to the city; most went off to find new homes. When you have time, go explore the mountains—some of those little ones might be old friends of the ranch.”