Chapter 8

As a fat person, seven parts are determined by heaven, and three parts depend on hard work.

McDoud is a prime example. In just over a month, his height hasn't increased, but his weight has skyrocketed. Look at his round, plump little bottom; even the wooden stairs tremble when he goes down.

Han Xuan was thinking about how to help McDoud lose weight, but the little donkey, unaware of his owner's dark thoughts, jumped onto the sofa, snuggled up to him, found a comfortable position, and stretched its neck to try to eat the strawberries on the table. After succeeding, it showed a satisfied expression, marveling at the completeness of its donkey life.

Since the teachers left, Han Xuan suddenly found himself bored. He had almost finished reading all the messy books on the bookshelf.

The TV programs were also boring. Occasionally, he would find something interesting, but waiting for the next episode would make his hair turn gray. Who knows where they are filming it now.

There was no point in thinking about the computer. In the middle of nowhere, there were only cows and sheep, and not even many horses. Who could you expect to pull the network cable for you? Besides, the iron block from the 90s was so ugly that even buying it for decoration would be a waste.

Just as Han Xuan's mind was blank, his arm suddenly felt a sharp pain. He looked down and saw a white ant trying to escape.

"White ant?"

Little Han Xuan was surprised, wondering why there would be such a thing in the house. He tracked the white ant on the sofa and finally saw it crawl into a crack in the wall, showing just how bored Han Bao Bao was.

Standing up, he knocked on the wooden board and heard a muffled sound. It was clear that the inside had been hollowed out.

Han Xuan was immediately excited. Finally, he had something to do. He knocked left and right, and to his surprise, he found that many of the wooden boards were hollow, including the main beam supporting the wooden house. At this point, it wasn't a pleasant surprise but a terrifying one.

"Even like this, it hasn't collapsed," Han Xuan thought, planning to go downstairs to tell his parents the news. He safely went down, but McDoud wasn't so lucky.

Just as he was a few steps from the ground, a wooden board suddenly collapsed, and the fat donkey fell to the ground with a thud, clearly dazed.

Han Bao Bao was startled. Just as he was about to check on McDoud, the donkey rolled over and stood up, showing a mix of fear and excitement. It was ready to try again...

What was this bizarre masochistic tendency? Having more fat did have its benefits, at least in terms of being more resistant to falls and collisions. However, for McDoud, it seemed his brain was clogged with oil, which wasn't good.

Han Xuan dragged the stubborn McDoud out of the dangerous area. The little donkey sat on the ground, pouting.

"You silly thing," Han Xuan said, half laughing and half crying. Afraid it would do something foolish, he continued to pull it to find his father, leaving a long trail on the ground from McDoud's bottom rubbing against the floor.

Han Qian Shan was busy in the garage, thinking about how his son had tricked his father-in-law and himself, leaving behind a car that needed monthly maintenance to prevent oxidation and rust. Baby Bao Bao wouldn't do this, so he had to suffer.

His son had said he would use this thing to find a daughter-in-law in the future, which was a big deal that couldn't be taken lightly. He had to put some effort into it.

He couldn't help but admit that the Ferrari was indeed well-made. Han Qian Shan looked at the old Ford pickup truck beside it and thought it was time for a change.

Seeing his son dragging the green-bottomed McDoud, he didn't know what had happened and asked, "What's wrong?"

"Dad, our house is going to collapse," Han Xuan said.

Han Qian Shan was startled, suddenly remembering his son was in the house. Then he thought about the boy in front of him and felt relieved, finding it amusing. He said calmly, "If it collapses, it collapses. The old house is over twenty years old and needs to be renovated."

"The house has been hollowed out by white ants, and McDoud fell down the stairs. Renovation probably won't help; the main beam is damaged."

"Then we'll rebuild it. It's no big deal."

One sentence blocked everything Han Xuan wanted to say. He rolled his eyes at his rich second-generation father and opened the car door to get in. "Take me for a drive, Dad."

"Son, I just polished this car."

"No problem, I'll polish it again when we get back."

"..."

In the following days, the whole family moved into a temporary wooden house. It had a kitchen, bathroom, and two rooms, one large and one small. It was originally intended for new employees but turned out to be useful.

The architect from Big Falls City had already come to see the old house, which was no longer habitable. A large ant nest was found behind the house, and after spraying pesticides to kill the insects, they ensured there would be no more infestations.

The red-roofed wooden house was to be demolished today. Everything had been moved out, and Han Xuan was very reluctant to leave. His parents were also unhappy, as they had lived there for many years and had many memories.

However, when the designer arrived, the situation changed instantly. The whole family sat around the table, each one describing the house they wanted.

Designer Jason was taking notes. Having seen this scene many times, he knew not to interrupt. They would eventually compromise, and then it would be easier to reach a conclusion.

But this family was clearly different.

Which seven-year-old child would participate in such a discussion? Even if they had ideas, they would be suppressed by adults, especially when they were talking about fantastical things like making the house a Transformer base or Superman's crystal castle.

All they heard the child say was, "I hope the house is close to the forest and the lake. The garage should hold about 20 cars, and the inner rooms should have a study with plenty of sunlight."

"Twenty cars?" Jason asked, turning to Han Qian Shan, who surprisingly nodded!

"Such a doting Chinese parent," Jason thought, but his face remained expressionless. "So, how big do you want the house to be?"

Han Qian Shan hadn't thought about it and turned to his son, "What do you think?"

"About 500 square meters, two floors, 1000 square meters should be enough. Grandpa, Grandma, and Grandpa-in-law can come here in the future. The furniture should be made of rosewood and huanghuali, and the older it is, the better."

Han Qian Shan glared at his son, "You sure know how to spend money, you little rascal!"

After thinking for a moment, he said to Jason, "Do it as he said. The foundation and walls must use the best materials, and the interior should have a Chinese style, comfortable and cozy."

"The best? That will cost a lot," Jason replied.

"Yes, the best. I hope it can accompany our family for generations," Han's mother agreed.

Jason closed his notebook and nodded, "We have a Chinese designer in our firm who will handle the interior. You don't need to worry. I understand the situation and will send you the initial draft and budget in a few days. If you need a construction team, we can help you contact one with the best reputation in Montana."

"Thank you very much."

"Don't mention it, Mr. Han. It's our job to provide the best service to our customers, isn't it? And I'll get a substantial commission, ha ha. Now, I'd like to go and inspect the site. I'm sorry to disturb you."

"Please, go ahead."

After sending Jason off, Han Qian Shan lay on the sofa, feeling a bit excited. Han's mother just wanted a beautiful and comfortable house, and the most important thing was that the whole family could be together, so she didn't say much, just listening to the father and son.

"Twenty-car garage?" Han's mother turned to her son and twisted his ear, "Do you want us to starve to death on the street when we're old?"

"Ouch, Mom," Han Xuan cried, "The Ferrari has already appreciated a lot. At the last car show in California, a car in worse condition than ours sold for 7 million dollars."

"How do you know? Seven million is a lot," Han's father was shocked.

Han Xuan said smugly, "It was in the newspaper. Don't you read the ones you subscribe to?"

"I've been busy earning money for your future wife, you little rascal. That's worth as much as what I've earned in a few years."

"Hey, you have a good eye. You knew it was a treasure and wouldn't let go. Otherwise, it would have been a disaster with your father-in-law... oh, wife, it would have been the same with my father."

Han Qian Shan saw his wife's unfriendly gaze and quickly corrected himself. Little Han Xuan rubbed his ear and laughed.

Five days later, Jason indeed brought the design drawings, with each angle beautifully hand-drawn, filling a thick book.

The front had a fountain with a garden, paved with white marble tiles.

The statue was designed by Han Xuan. Originally, it was supposed to be his likeness, but over the phone, Han Xuan strongly insisted on adding McDoud. The couple was speechless, thinking that since it would be for him in the future, they might as well let him have his way.

In the statue, McDoud was on all fours, with its large front teeth clearly visible. A little boy was sitting sideways on it, smiling. The whole scene looked very harmonious.

The couple nodded in satisfaction and continued to flip through the pages.

The two-story villa was white, with a light red roof. It had tall French windows with various carvings. A sloping outdoor pool extended to the south, offering a perfect view of the forest and the ranch.

The building area was over 400 square meters, and with the surrounding grass and trees...

Since they had the right of way, as long as the United States existed, it would all be theirs. Why bother calculating it so precisely?

The interior decoration was also satisfactory. The family looked at each other and nodded. Han Qian Shan extended his hand to Jason, "You have the job. The budget is around 2 million, and you'll need to contact the construction team."

Conservatively, he would earn about 100,000 dollars from this. Jason thought and said excitedly, "Thank you, sir. I will personally supervise until it's completed!"

Jason's smile didn't stop until he left, as this would be equivalent to two years of his income.

Han Qian Shan watched him leave and, just as he entered the door, heard the phone on the table ringing. He answered and heard an old man's voice.

"Qian Shan?"

"Yes, Dad."

"Bring my grandson to New York in a few days."

Click! Beep, beep, beep.

Han Qian Shan held the receiver, his face dark.

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