Chapter 81

Although life at home was truly enjoyable, Qiping still had to return to the United States because he still had his career there and many things he was deeply concerned about. As for reuniting with his family, Qiping believed there would be plenty of opportunities and time, and he could make some arrangements and plans.

Returning to San Diego, he saw Kate waiting for him at the airport entrance; Qiping smiled and embraced Kate. Although it had only been a short week, for this newly established couple, the separation was really hard to bear just through phone calls.

"I think you can't be away for too long. I've been driven to the brink of patience by Konggang and the others. Buddy, they only seem to get along with me on the surface; in reality, they only accept you." Holding Qiping's arm, Kate smiled as she recounted the events of the week, "Fortunately, I didn't take them away from the forest, otherwise, I believe they would have rebelled."

"I believe they have already accepted you. In fact, it's true; if it weren't for you, I wouldn't have been able to entrust them to you. They trust you, they just like me more." As soon as he opened the car door, he saw Konggang jump into his arms; Dong, Nan, Xi, and Bei were also wagging their tails and barking happily, even the usually aloof Liangshanbo and Zhu Yingtai were barking excitedly.

"Vinnie is my best partner, and he is the closest to me. As for Heitan, I think you have your hands full; his temper is terrible. I envy you for having an absolutely loyal partner, even though he looks dirty now." Holding the obedient little black bear in the passenger seat, Kate couldn't help but feel jealous as she watched Konggang affectionately peel a banana and feed Qiping.

Both of them were very happy and felt very pleased. The little ones were also very happy; seeing their big brother come home, they were even more excited. The car was now far from quiet, as the little ones had a lot to say to their big brother after not seeing him for so long.

Back home, Qiping opened the car door; Dong, Nan, Xi, and Bei naturally filed out, and at that moment, Qiping heard a horse's neigh. Heitan ran over, and he was really happy; although he could play games with Dong, Nan, Xi, and Bei and Konggang these days, not seeing the person he trusted the most made Heitan very unhappy.

"I finally understand why you said you couldn't take care of Heitan. He is a little guy with a bad temper." Patting Heitan's body, Heitan was now basically fully grown, with well-proportioned limbs and clearly defined muscles, already having the appearance of a fine horse.

Heitan affectionately rubbed his big head against Qiping's chest, showing his affection; it had been a long time since he had seen his big brother, and he missed him a lot. Also, because he hadn't had a good bath for a long time, Heitan hoped to have a good wash so he could play comfortably.

Qiping now needed to quickly give Heitan a thorough cleaning. During the week he was away, Heitan wouldn't let anyone approach him, not even Kate; Heitan was indeed dirty, and a bucket of water poured over him turned into muddy water. First, he used a hard-bristled brush, then a soft-bristled brush, and even a sponge bath towel, finally making Heitan clean.

"These days, the forest has been developing smoothly, but I don't think I can know too many specific details. You can ask Uncle Huang and Professor Bruce; Luo came once, and he knew you had returned to China, but he still sent you 200,000 US dollars, saying that you like cash the most." Kate found it amusing, thinking Qiping's friends were really interesting.

Qiping naturally knew about this; it was the first dividend from the sales company, which had been operating for nearly half a year. Although the company had expanded and spent a lot of money, it was now time for the first dividend to be paid. Expanding the company was one thing, but he also needed to live.

"He knows me well; he knows I'm short of money now. I took out a loan of 2 million US dollars, and I've spent almost all of it; the investment in the forest is large, and I can earn a good income from vegetable sales every day, and the sales company also has some dividends. I think now I might have a chance to buy an agricultural helicopter." It was like a timely gift; the dividends from the sales company plus the week's vegetable sales had made Qiping's wallet bulge.

Kate knew that Qiping had a helicopter pilot's license, though not a commercial one, it was enough; Qiping indeed needed a helicopter because the forest was large, and having a helicopter would help him take better care of it. Also, with a helicopter, he could enjoy a different view of the forest.

"The Rotorway EXEC162F, this is the helicopter I know best. It is currently the most popular personal assembly small helicopter in the world. It has a low fuel consumption of 30 liters per hour, easy maintenance, and low operating costs; from the outside, it looks sturdy and rugged; inside the cockpit, it is spacious and comfortable, with no issues with weight and loading, easy to operate, and with a wide field of view." Qiping introduced it to Kate, recalling the trainer he had flown at flight school.

"It looks cool, and the price is not high. 150,000 US dollars, I think it's no problem for you." Kate also thought this helicopter was great, although many farms and ranches in the United States have planes, they belong to wealthy landowners; Kate felt that helicopters used to be far from her, but now they seemed close.

"I'll place the order soon, with some minor improvements to the equipment, it might reach 200,000 US dollars. I also need to build a small helipad, so we can have another weekend getaway activity." Qiping chuckled, having a helicopter would indeed help him better manage the forest, especially the mountain areas; this helicopter was clearly not just for work but also a high-end toy for Qiping.

The private aircraft market in the United States is still large, and the helicopter Qiping was now interested in was just a mid-to-low-end model among helicopters; but it didn't matter, it was for the forest's needs, not for showing off. Practicality, cost-effectiveness, and high safety were what Qiping cared about.

After a short separation, the two were very affectionate, chatting and laughing about endless topics; although they had only been in a relationship for less than a month, they had known each other for almost half a year, and they were becoming more and more familiar with each other, so their relationship had rapidly deepened after they officially became a couple.

"Joshua will definitely be very happy; the forest has so much fun for him. I think he doesn't even want you to come back, so he can monopolize the forest." Kate laughed at Qiping's plans; these days, Kate had been staying at the forest, and Joshua had been using the pretext of protecting Kate to stay at the forest, playing to his heart's content.

"I think he will find the forest more and more fun. When we first started dating, he seemed to dislike me, thinking I had taken his sister away. Now, I think he hopes we get married soon so he can have enough reasons to live at the forest; it will be his second home." Qiping's words made Kate laugh; it made sense; Joshua was already captivated by the forest and would definitely like it even more.

"I'm not just going to buy a helicopter; I also want to develop Muses Lake. We can add some interesting game props, like two mountain bikes, a small boat, a swing, and a seesaw. You can also suggest some games you're interested in; I think it will be more fun." Qiping was excited because he now had some money and could make the forest more enjoyable.