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🕑 Added 2025-03-28 15:36:40 +0000 UTCWind in the Smoke
Chapter 171 - Cowboy Gathering
At night, a few days later, Dante gathered several of his cowboy friends from the brand that worked for his father.
Since all his good friends were here, Dante naturally wouldn’t be a bad host, so he hired several chefs to prepare delicious dishes.
Tonight was unusually peaceful, something Dante had stopped experiencing. Everyone ate and chatted together. The atmosphere was warm, and in moments like these, many might say everything was perfect.
Sitting on a bench near the door of Dante’s cabin, Lee said with some concern, “The grass is growing now, but the germination rate of grass planted in spring won’t be high.”
Jamie, who was familiar with the subject, added, “That’s right. There’s too much moisture, which isn’t good news. And it’s going to rain tomorrow—even if it’s just a drizzle. That might be good news for other ranches, but not for you.”
Too much water isn’t good. Many ranchers obviously don’t want too much rain in spring, especially now that Dante had just begun the spring planting and had to worry about factors like seed germination.
Although Dante was also concerned about these things, he still said, “The weather has been good these past few days, and the grass seedlings have already sprouted.”
Lee looked at Dante and asked seriously, “You’re not exaggerating, are you? What we consider germination isn’t just the embryos sprouting. We look for root, stem, and leaf growth to form a complete seedling.”
Dante nodded confidently and said, “Of course, I understand that. I also know that alfalfa germinates relatively slowly compared to other crops. It takes about a week to fully grow. But my hay looks great. In fact, it has sprouted and formed complete plants.”
Rip added at that moment, “Yes, they’ve sprouted, complete plants. But weeds are also growing, and our next job is weeding. Your grass isn’t the only thing growing well—so are the weeds.”
Rain and dew are distributed evenly. The grass absorbs some of the nutrients from the enriched liquid, but so do the weeds.
This is one of the downsides of spring planting. Aside from the concern that too much water might affect grass germination, there’s also the worry that weeds could hinder its growth.
Even with Beth’s assurance regarding Dante’s planting efforts, the restless ranchers still wanted to see for themselves and check the grass Dante had replanted.
“Hey, Rip, my brothers are doubting my plans to improve cattle production in Montana. That kind of makes me sad.”
As Lee took a drink, he almost spit out his beer—he hadn’t expected Dante to say that.
“If it were me, I’d also doubt your chances of achieving large-scale alfalfa production,” Rip said seriously before taking another sip. Then he pointed out, “But your grass has sprouted, which speaks volumes about the people you hired for the job.”
“I’ll have to see it for myself tomorrow. Damn it, I’ll kill them if they’re lying to me,” said Lee, who hadn’t visited the planting area in a while.
Kayce, who didn’t want to get involved in his brothers’ arguments, focused on his own barbecue and said, “By the way, the new batch of horses for this year’s ranch competitions just arrived at the new facilities.”
“I want to see those horses,” said Lloyd, who had seemed younger ever since he received the horse that everyone with the brand got.
Ryan, one of the newer branded members, said, “If you need help, don’t forget to ask.”
“Last time, you almost drowned in a pile of hay,” Jimmy said, joining the conversation.
“People forget that you all still work for my father. And you, Dante, should stop stealing ranch cowboys to go ride bulls.”
Dante, who received a slightly questioning look from Susie, coughed lightly and said, “It was Kayce’s idea.”
“No, I had no idea about that. Not at all.”
Dante gave a proud smile and said, “I only know a little about cowboy games—how would I know about bull riding?”
While Kayce tried to explain himself, Dante, who had been neglecting some of his duties within the organization, realized this peaceful time would soon end.
He had too many heads to bury. There was a long list, and it wouldn’t stop until he put an end to it.
No matter what, strength was the deciding factor.
But for now, he was focused on the alfalfa—he had promised it to all the ranchers in the association his father belonged to.
No matter how confident Dante had seemed before, and even though his experimental grass had been unanimously recognized, everyone was still somewhat uncertain and skeptical about the results of this project.
But now, things were different. Even if only small grass shoots had emerged, those who understood knew what that meant.
Lee and Kayce went to the nearest replanting area to take a closer look.
“Dante, your next workload is going to be heavier,” Lee said seriously, looking slightly concerned. “There are too many weeds. They’re stealing nutrients from the grass and slowing its growth.”
As expected, Dante already knew this, so he smiled and said, “That’s what my workers will be handling tomorrow. After replanting, we’ll start weeding. It’ll take us about two weeks—it’s an ongoing job.”
Weeding is a task that obviously can’t be completed in just a day or two, and during this period, mechanical operations aren’t much help. It requires manual labor—pure, physical labor. Weeding is also a form of protection for the grass.
Lee looked at Logan with a complicated expression and said, “I thought reality would teach you a harsh lesson and show you how hard it is to be a rancher. But looking at everything you’ve done and achieved, I think this world is just too unfair. Why does it seem like success comes so easily to you?”
Dante remained silent for a moment before saying in a deep tone, “Maybe it’s because I’m a good businessman!”
Beth, who was standing next to Dante, was momentarily stunned, then immediately lifted her foot and kicked him.
As Dante swiftly dodged his sister’s kick, Jamie and Kayce, not wanting to be left out, poured the beer they were holding all over Dante.
It had been a long time since they’d taught their brother a lesson. Even though he was now a powerful mafia boss who was probably feared in many places, he was still their brother.
“I have confidence in myself, and I believe I can manage this part of the ranch well. In fact, I’m cautious, and I won’t make any mistakes. I’m not surprised by the results I’ve achieved so far, and I think I’ll do even better in the future.”
This was what Dante truly believed. He wasn’t reckless—he also felt he had prepared well.
