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🕑 Added 2025-04-01 08:45:44 +0000 UTCWind in the Smoke
Chapter 173 - Changes
The grass was growing quite well; at this moment, one could say that his business was on the right track.
In the newly annexed lands of the Dutton ranch, looking around, one could appreciate how the fields were starting to turn green again. The beautiful landscape was worthy of being featured on the covers of environmental magazines due to its lush vitality.
Although it wasn’t as neat as a lawn, people unfamiliar with the land might even think it was just some weeds.
But to the common rancher in Montana, this was the most beautiful and wonderful sight to behold. And it was definitely the view most desired by the investors who had bet on Dante’s project.
Dante was very happy and proud. Aside from his purchasing power, he hadn’t used any other means to start this business. He could say the path was paved with gold, but it couldn’t compare to what his SAMCRO workers did with all their businesses.
"Be careful not to damage the green fields. Don’t mistake the weeds for what actually matters to us," Dante shouted as he ran across the vast fields.
It couldn’t be said that he was running aimlessly. Dante was also preparing to inspect the land beyond the usual areas he visited to see how his workers were performing.
His plan was to build large greenhouses to grow vegetables.
He would focus not only on easy-to-produce crops like corn but also on planting cucumbers, potatoes, tomatoes, etc. He considered this necessary for Montana’s development.
Fresh and delicious vegetables were essential, and if his goal was to make Montana a state enriched by its roots, he didn’t want to rely on imports from other states. It was better to take action rather than sit idly by at the ranch. No one disliked high-quality vegetables without chemicals to make them bigger or sweeter.
This would also be the campaign his father would use to run for mayor of Montana, ensuring that the Duttons would reign over the state once again, just as they had in the past.
Dante, who was in a good mood, turned serious when he received a video call from Kayce.
"Dante, I found the rabbit hole."
Dante fell silent for a moment, then quickly asked, "A rabbit hole? Is it new or old?"
Kayce was obviously more nervous and, in a desperate tone, asked, "If it were just an old hole, do you think I’d be this anxious?"
It seemed that what everyone feared the most had happened. The thing ranchers dreaded the most had just occurred in the newly annexed lands of the Dutton ranch—a plague.
"I’ll be there right away," Dante said without hesitation in a serious tone, knowing what this meant. "Tell me the location, and I’ll bring a couple of men and some shotguns."
Kayce, now a bit calmer, replied, "Pasture number eight, the one near the largest hill. I’ll keep looking around here. Bringing a gun probably isn’t necessary. It’s unlikely we’ll catch those rabbits with just a few bullets."
Dante had named that area "Montana’s largest hill," mainly for branding purposes. After all, it was nearly two thousand acres of newly purchased land—quite an extensive property.
Dante also knew that bringing a gun was probably useless, but he brought one anyway. Normally, it wouldn’t make much of a difference, but once you spotted a rabbit, you had to pull the trigger immediately and never give them the chance to keep damaging the ranch.
Rabbits loved digging holes, which could damage the roots of the pasture grass.
They also liked eating the grass itself, which could cause even more harm. Moreover, rabbits had such a strong reproductive capacity that if left unchecked, they could fill the pasture with burrows in no time.
To others, rabbits might be cute or even a delicacy, but to ranchers like Dante, they were nothing more than pests that needed to be eliminated as soon as possible.
Mounted on horseback and armed, Jimmy, Ryan, and Lloyd rode behind Dante on their horses worth tens of thousands of dollars. They also planned to take part in the pest control operation and use their new shotguns.
Regardless of whether they could contribute, the entire cowboy force had to mobilize for the attack. Dante’s unwavering determination to fight off the destructive creatures threatening his crops was evident to all.
This was the mindset of a true rancher.
Riding at full speed, Dante spotted his brother’s truck and quickly found Kayce.
Kayce didn’t greet him; he was more concerned about the things that could damage the family business. Instead, he pointed ahead and said, "Right there, I found two new rabbit burrows. I also saw tracks. It’s most likely a rabbit nest, but they’re far too destructive from what I’ve seen so far."
A cunning rabbit always has three burrows—that was also the nature of rabbits. Because they were wary of predators, rabbits usually built burrows with multiple exits to escape their natural enemies. However, these interconnected tunnels caused even greater damage to the ranch.
Dante immediately approached the burrow, and his face darkened. He could clearly see a hole as big as a bowl, hidden within a patch of grass.
It was so dark that he couldn’t see what was inside. There were scattered rabbit tracks beside the hole, and a bit of loose dirt at the entrance—clear evidence of a new rabbit burrow.
"We’re screwed, Dante."
"Rabbit meat is good."
Lloyd turned to look at the idiot Jimmy and, in a dry tone, said, "If you say something that stupid again, I’ll tie you to a bull and let it drag you across the entire ranch."
