Chapter 85

On the way, Lai Pi was dozing in Angel's arms, and Angel, sitting in the child seat at the back, was looking around.

Walker Farm's general situation had been explained to Qin Yi by Ryan before, and Qin Yi, recalling what he could, gave a rough account to Susa and Liu Qimeng, mainly for Qimeng's benefit. Susa had grown up here and was familiar with the neighbors.

Walker Farm is located southeast of the Sun River Ranch, covering more than 5,000 acres. It mainly raises dairy cows, a large flock of sheep, and a smaller number of beef cattle. The farm has a large apple orchard, and the rest of the land is primarily used for growing crops.

Currently, the Walkers live with their 4-year-old granddaughter, Becky. Walker's son, Brown, and his wife, Jenny, are doctors who run a clinic in Los Angeles.

On a regular basis, the farm hosts some scattered tourists, which brings in a good amount of additional income. The peak tourist season is in the fall, when the farm's apples are harvested. Walker organizes apple-picking activities that attract many visitors.

A few minutes past 9, Qin Yi and his group arrived at Walker's farm.

It was a two-story wooden house, painted white with a slightly yellow roof, exuding a simple beauty. The steps and railings in front of the house were well-polished, indicating that the house had been around for quite some time.

Farmhouses generally don't have yards, and Walker's was no exception. On the east side, there was a carport with two white pickup trucks, one looking quite old and suitable for cargo, while the other was new, likely used for daily outings.

On the west side, there was a stable with two brown horses, gentle but strong, having endured the farm's work for a long time.

Qin Yi parked the car, and a somewhat thin middle-aged couple, along with a 3- or 4-year-old girl, came out of the house, greeting Ryan and Hobbs warmly. They seemed to know each other well, which wasn't surprising, as they were all lifelong cowboys in the area.

"Walker, let me introduce you," Ryan walked up and shook hands with Walker, smiling as he introduced Qin Yi and Liu Qimeng, "This is my boss, the owner of Sun River Ranch, Yi Qin, and this is Yi's friend, Mengmeng."

Walker greeted Qin Yi and Liu Qimeng, then turned to look at Susa and Angel, his smile warm, "Susa, how are you?"

"I'm fine, and Angel is fine too. Walker, Vivian, I'm really sorry for not visiting you in the past two years!"

Susa felt a sense of familiarity upon seeing them. They were not only neighbors but also old friends of her father. However, in the past two years, her father had passed away, and due to Angel, they had fewer visits.

"Where are you talking about!" Vivian stepped forward, holding Susa's hand, her expression scolding but her joy evident, "We know about your situation. It's fine as long as you're doing well. Poor child, don't worry so much!"

When Walker and Vivian were young, they had wanted a daughter, but they only had one son, Brown. Therefore, they were very fond of their neighbor and friend's daughter. Unfortunately, life had been tough for Susa and Angel in recent years.

Fortunately, those days were now behind them. Angel looked smart and adorable, showing no fear, and it was clear that the future would only get better!

Susa held Angel's little hand and introduced her, "Angel, this is Grandpa Walker and Grandma Vivian. Come and say hello."

Angel was curiously staring at the little girl behind Vivian, very interested in this girl of her age. Her friends were mostly adults and small animals, and she had never had a peer friend before. Now, seeing one, she wanted to be friends.

Hearing Susa's words, she turned around and greeted Walker and Vivian with a clear voice, "Grandpa Walker, Grandma Vivian, hello!"

The two were delighted, praising her, and Walker patted her little head while Vivian couldn't resist giving her a big kiss on the cheek!

The others watched this heartwarming scene with warm smiles.

Seeing the two little ones looking at each other curiously, Walker introduced them with a smile, "Angel, this is your little sister, Becky."

Then he pulled Becky, who was only showing a small head, forward, "Becky, this is your big sister, Angel. You two should be good friends, okay?"

The two little ones nodded and held hands, playing together. Angel even introduced Lai Pi in her arms, and the clever little creature quickly won Becky's heart. The two little ones played happily around the rabbit.

Walker invited everyone to sit in the living room, and Vivian served coffee, chatting with Susa and Liu Qimeng. Qin Yi and the other men discussed topics of interest to them, such as fishing, horseback riding, and hunting.

Hearing that Qin Yi had never hunted a large animal, Walker patted his chest and promised to take him hunting for a big deer with multiple antlers when the hunting season came.

Before they knew it, an hour had passed. Remembering the purpose of Qin Yi's visit, Walker got up and led everyone to the nearby milking shed.

When they arrived, Qin Yi had already seen it. It was a row of low buildings, similar to a cowshed but with an additional wall to form an enclosed workshop.

Following Walker inside, they saw that the workshop was very clean. The dairy cows stood obediently, and the milk was collected by milking machines, requiring no human labor. Susa and Ryan had seen this before, but it was the first time for Qin Yi and Liu Qimeng, who were quite surprised.

Seeing Qin Yi's surprised expression, Walker explained with a smile, "Yi, this is our milking shed. The farm has over a thousand dairy cows. If we relied on human labor, it would be very costly. Now, with mechanized production, we save costs and increase milk production."

Qin Yi nodded, agreeing. With so many cows, hiring people would cost thousands of dollars a day, and in the long run, it would bankrupt the farm. Therefore, mechanization was the way to go, not only saving costs but also making management easier.

After visiting the milking shed, Walker led everyone to the milk pasteurization room, which was more regulated. Since it was a large-scale operation, everyone had to be disinfected before entering, which was quite troublesome. They didn't go inside but just took a look from the entrance to understand the general situation without causing any inconvenience to the hosts.

After visiting the milk production facilities, Walker took everyone to select the cows. "Susa, how many cows do you plan to get?"

Susa didn't speak but looked at Qin Yi, wanting him to make the decision.

Walker and Vivian exchanged glances and smiled meaningfully.

"Twenty. We'll keep a few at the ranch for fresh milk, and the rest will go to Susa's farm. In the future, visitors can experience milking and enjoy fresh milk. That would be great."

Qin Yi rubbed his chin, explaining his plan.

Susa was a bit surprised to hear that he wanted to buy so many cows. They had previously discussed getting only ten. However, since he had already made the decision, she didn't argue, though she still thought it was a bit extravagant to buy cows just for fresh milk.

While selecting the cows, Angel and Becky ran up, holding hands. Becky was playing with Lai Pi, while Angel was looking at a group of cows grazing nearby, her big eyes shining.

"Mom, there are so many big spotted cows, beautiful big spotted cows!"

As she spoke, a small calf appeared, and Angel was even more excited, "Wow, a little spotted cow, even prettier than the big ones. I like the little spotted cow!"

The little girl tugged at her mother's hand, looking forward to taking it home.

Susa, seeing her daughter's excitement, patted her head and coaxed her, "If Angel likes it, Uncle Yi will buy it for you, okay?"

Of course, the little girl was delighted and nodded, smiling happily!

Walker, hearing this, immediately waved his hand, "Forget the little spotted cow. I'll give it to Angel as a gift. I haven't bought her anything in the past two years."

Susa wanted to refuse, as a calf could cost nearly a thousand dollars, which was quite expensive. However, seeing Walker's kind expression, Qin Yi held her back and whispered, "Susa, it's the old man's heartfelt gift. You can send him a barrel of fruit wine later."

Susa, hearing that fruit wine would be a suitable return gift, didn't insist, "Angel, thank Grandpa Walker."

Angel beamed, "Thank you, Grandpa Walker!"

...

After a while, with Ryan and Hobbs' help, Qin Yi selected 20 cows, including the mother of the little spotted cow, which Angel called the big spotted cow.

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