Chapter 6

The next morning, as the sun just peeked over the horizon, casting a golden hue over the meadow, the scene was serene.

In the cedar forest, occasional figures that had vanished for the entire winter could be seen again. The squirrels were busy once more.

Turkeys flapped their wings and hurried out of their coops in search of food. The cowboys' cabins gradually lit up, with silhouettes reflected on the windowpanes. Soon, the doors opened, and they set out for another day's work.

The cows, after a day of accumulation, were full of milk, waiting for the workers to relieve them of the heavy burden.

Xiaohanxuan slept in his room, where the bedding, curtains, and carpet were all a fiery red. He had not yet woken up. He had rushed home late last night, eaten dinner, and washed up, only to fall asleep around ten o'clock, clearly exhausted.

Downstairs, his mother was preparing breakfast. A small frying pan sat on the stove, sizzling with butter. She cracked an egg into it, which soon turned golden brown. She flipped it evenly, then used a slender knife to cut two slices of bread, toasting them briefly until they were soft. She then placed fresh lettuce and the egg between the slices, neatly arranging them on a plate and cutting it in half, making two breakfast sandwiches.

His father, wearing a plaid shirt, stood in front of the mirror, combing his hair. As a farmer, he didn't have many such formalities.

The little fat donkey had somehow entered the house, its bell jingling continuously. It had a sneaky, serious expression, as if afraid of being caught, and trotted upstairs, wagging its tail, acting very familiar.

Before his mother could react, it was already gone.

"This little thing, it's acting like a dog..."

"Let's keep it, our son likes it."

"I didn't say anything."

The couple chatted casually.

The old dog Pudding, lying on the carpet, grunted softly, seemingly helpless at being mentioned.

Xiaohanxuan was still asleep when a heavy object fell on him, jolting him awake. He raised his right hand to rub his eyes and, upon opening them, saw the long-faced creature lying on top of him.

In a daze, he remembered the previous day, turned over, and hugged the mini donkey's neck, holding it close and continuing to sleep. The little donkey remained still, seemingly enjoying the feeling.

After washing up, Xiaohanxuan, wearing a loose robe with his bare legs exposed, went downstairs. The pine logs in the fireplace were burning, and even in the morning, it wasn't cold.

His mother had just set the table with the dishes and, turning around, saw her son and the fat donkey. She laughed and scolded, "Oh, the young master is finally up, not even wearing pants, how shameless."

After saying that, she wiped her hands, went into the room, and took out some clothes, sitting on the sofa to dress Xiaohanxuan.

After a quick breakfast, he looked up at the wall clock; the hour hand had just pointed to seven.

The tutor wouldn't arrive until nine, so he had two hours to spare. He decided to take the little donkey out for a walk, tying a rope around its neck and leading it out.

"Thinking about it, I haven't even named this guy," Xiaohanxuan thought as he closed the door, looking at the big-bellied creature. He suddenly remembered a cartoon character, and the mini donkey, noticing his gaze, lifted its head and squinted, giving a smile.

"McDull, I'll call you that. You don't exercise at all, look how fat you are. Come on, let's go for a walk."

He seemed to have completely forgotten his own previous appearance.

The morning air was particularly fresh, and the sound of birds came from the forest. The jingling of the donkey's bell accompanied their steps rhythmically, drawing the attention of the alpacas.

As soon as they saw Xiaohanxuan, the alpacas ran over. Their short fur had just grown back, not yet covering their skin, making them look like a group of shaved poodles.

Seeing its similar companions, McDull squinted and hummed in delight. Xiaohanxuan, however, pushed away the alpaca that tried to nuzzle him, unable to tolerate its bad breath, which polluted the air...

Continuing on, the alpacas seemed to find something interesting and joined the procession, forming a line behind McDull. By the time Xiaohanxuan noticed, the line was already over ten meters long, each alpaca strutting with a middle part or a 3-7 part hairstyle, looking like a group of dandies.

Beside McDull were two baby alpacas, just a few months old. In fact, McDull was only three months old as well. The small creatures were having a great time, exchanging glances.

Seeing the sun already halfway up, Xiaohanxuan thought for a moment, patted McDull's head, and untied the rope, letting it play while he returned alone.

The French teacher, Elsa, and the German math teacher, Angelica, had already arrived. They were sitting on rocking chairs under the eaves, drinking coffee with Xiaohanxuan's mother.

Seeing the student return, they raised their cups. Elsa asked in French, "Good morning, young master, would you like a cup?"

"No, thank you, teacher. Children shouldn't drink this; it will make them stupid," Xiaohanxuan replied skillfully.

"Then have a glass of milk, it will help you grow tall and attract girls," Angelica said in German.

Xiaohanxuan responded with a playful eye roll, "I'm already very cute."

Elsa laughed heartily, the rocking chair almost spilling her coffee. She placed the cup on the table and turned to Xiaohanxuan's mother, saying in English, "I've never seen such a smart child. He can chat fluently in French at just three months old, it's incredible! He only needs to memorize more words now. I think it's time for me to leave."

"Really, teacher? Is there any issue with your salary?"

"No, no, not at all," Angelica said helplessly. "I have nothing left to teach him. Your child is a genius. I think Han will become a great person like Einstein! He deserves better education, not staying here. No school would miss him."

His mother looked at Xiaohanxuan with a questioning gaze, seemingly moved.

Xiaohanxuan shook his head quickly, "No, thank you, teacher. I appreciate your kindness, but I don't think it's the right time. I'm only seven this year."

Elsa stared at Xiaohanxuan for a long time before slowly speaking, "Alright, I know you're a thoughtful child. Childhood should be beautiful, shouldn't it? I hope you continue to learn and will be very successful in the future. God bless you."

"Thank you for your praise. So, are you leaving now?" his mother asked, hugging Xiaohanxuan and ruffling his soft hair.

"Yes, ma'am. From the first day I came here, I've been deeply moved. Because of your son, I have a strong desire to learn more, so I've enrolled in a doctoral program at Oxford. Classes start in a few days, and I should say goodbye to you all," Elsa said.

Angelica added, "I've also found a job at Brown University. It's time to leave. The past few months have been very pleasant. I wish you well, ma'am, and of course, you, dear Han."

Xiaohanxuan was very reluctant to see them go. Both teachers had been very kind to him, though sometimes strict, but always for his better education.

"Teacher, can you wait until this afternoon to leave? I want to give you a gift to express my gratitude," Xiaohanxuan thought for a moment and asked.

The two teachers exchanged glances and nodded, unable to refuse their student's heartfelt request.

Xiaohanxuan ran back to his room, took out a stack of papers from the drawer, and quickly sat at his desk. He spread out a sheet of white paper and began writing rapidly with a black fountain pen.

He was almost done.

The three women chatted under the eaves, all educated, and their conversation was very pleasant, mostly about amusing stories from their student days.

Xiaohanxuan didn't even come out for lunch, busy in his room. McDull had returned to the yard and was napping in a hay nest.

Elsa and Angelica went back to their rooms, having packed their things, ready to say their final goodbyes.

Farewells were inevitable. The hired taxi had been waiting at the gate for a long time. Xiaohanxuan finally emerged from his room, swinging his arms, and went downstairs to give each teacher a brown paper bag. After they put their luggage in, they left.

Elsa and Angelica were a bit sad. It wasn't until the car had driven far that they remembered the gifts Xiaohanxuan had given them.

They opened the brown paper bags and took out the contents. The cover only had a name written on it.

"Harry Potter?"

Angelica asked in doubt.

"Maybe it's a novel. What an interesting child."

Back at the ranch, Xiaohanxuan was lying on the sofa with McDull, lazily turning on the TV, sighing at the departure of his teachers, wondering when he would see them again.

His mother wanted to comfort him but didn't know what to say, so she changed the subject, "What did you give the teachers as a gift?"

Xiaohanxuan replied nonchalantly, "Nothing much, just a novel to practice grammar."

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Merry Christmas, everyone! If you like it, please give a recommendation and a follow.