Chapter 73

(Thank you, Feng Zhicang, for your donation)

Liu Yuxuan, back at the ranch, felt as if his mood was being scorched by the sun outside.

He would often think about how Fangfang was doing at school, whether she was adapting well, and if she was getting into arguments with other children.

It was already July, and the scorching heat of summer in Texas was evident. The cattle were now being grazed mainly in the early morning and late evening.

Liu Yuxuan had nothing much to do, so he sat in the house, worrying about Fangfang with his mother. He also had to reassure his mother not to worry too much, as Fangfang was old enough to take care of herself.

"Boss, a few of our cows are expected to give birth to calves in the next few days," Garcia said, having just led the herd to a shady spot.

Some of the cows he had bought were already pregnant, and it was finally time for them to give birth.

Liu Yuxuan, who was preoccupied with thoughts of Fangfang, casually replied, "Garcia, handle it as you see fit. Just be more careful."

"By the way, will our vegetables be fine in this heat?" Liu Yuxuan asked after a moment of thought.

"Boss, our vegetables are doing well. Although they look a bit droopy during the day, we now pick them in the morning, and after a night's rest, they look great," Garcia said excitedly.

"Stupid, come here," Liu Yuxuan called to Stupid, who was lying on the porch.

Stupid ran over eagerly, squatted on the ground, and looked up at Liu Yuxuan with his head tilted.

It seemed that Stupid, having drunk the special water from the space since he was young, was not as heat-sensitive as other Huskies.

Liu Yuxuan rubbed Stupid's head and scratched his belly. Stupid loved having his belly scratched and would always lie down, tilt his head, spread his legs, and close his eyes in pure enjoyment.

Seeing Stupid like this, Liu Yuxuan's mood improved slightly.

"Mom, don't worry. When I dropped Fangfang off at school today, she was very happy," Liu Yuxuan said to his still worried mother.

"Yes, Auntie, Fangfang is very smart and well-behaved. Besides, if Fangfang were not adapting well at school, the school would notify the parents," Michelle added.

"By the way, Mom, things are different here in America. The land is vast and sparsely populated. You should learn to drive when you have the time. It will be more convenient for you to go out," Liu Yuxuan suggested. Unlike his father, who enjoyed riding horses, his mother could drive and go out for a drive.

"Alright, I'll practice with our car when I have the time," Liu's mother thought for a moment and said. She really needed to learn to drive, as it was quite a distance to Michelle's house, and walking in such intense heat would be dangerous.

During lunch, no one spoke much. Without the chattering of little Fangfang, it felt a bit strange.

At this moment, Liu Yuxuan's phone rang.

He quickly took it out to see if it was a call from the school. Seeing it was an unknown number, he relaxed and answered.

"Hi, Liu, are you free to talk now? This is Professor Reil from Texas A&M. Do you remember me?" Professor Reil's enthusiastic voice came through the phone.

"Of course, Professor Reil. I've been waiting for you at the ranch for a long time," Liu Yuxuan replied warmly.

During Michelle's graduation ceremony, Professor Reil had proposed coming to the ranch to study forage grass.

"I just finished a project, and now I finally have the time. If it's convenient for you, I plan to come over with my assistant tomorrow. Is that okay?" Professor Reil asked hopefully.

"No problem at all. Is there anything I need to prepare in advance?" Liu Yuxuan asked.

"Dear Liu, you're too kind. We don't need anything. Of course, if your ranch has suitable rooms for us to live and work in, that would be great. We'll pay the rental fees, don't worry," Professor Reil said from the other end of the line.

Liu Yuxuan had no issues. The ranch had many rooms, and he could let Professor Reil and his team do their research. After all, the benefits would be his. After confirming the details with Professor Reil, he ended the call.

"Yuxuan, Professor Reil is coming over tomorrow?" Michelle asked, playing with a small mustache.

The small mustache was now very fond of a new game. When it was lying down, if you touched its belly with your finger, it would push your hand with its four little paws. If you took your hand away, it would stretch out its paws and remain still.

Michelle and Fangfang loved playing this game with the small mustache.

"Yes, Professor Reil will be here tomorrow morning," Liu Yuxuan replied, watching Michelle play and joining in with his finger.

"That's great. I can also join Professor Reil in the research," Michelle said happily.

Although life on the ranch was comfortable, it could get quite boring without much to do.

At 2:30 PM, Liu Yuxuan drove to Fangfang's school.

Finally, it was time for Fangfang to be dismissed. First, the school buses left, and then he saw Joanna leading Fangfang out.

Seeing Fangfang's energetic appearance, Liu Yuxuan finally felt relieved.

"Liu, Angela's school bus has been arranged. You just need to have Fangfang wait by the road at the ranch at 8:30 AM tomorrow," Joanna said as she handed Fangfang over to Liu Yuxuan.

"Thank you so much, Joanna. Did Fangfang cause any trouble today?" Liu Yuxuan asked with concern.

"Fangfang was very well-behaved. She got along with her classmates today and even shared the snacks she brought. She did very well," Joanna praised.

"Thank you for your praise, Ms. Joanna," Fangfang said with a smile.

"How was your first day, Fangfang? Did you adapt well?" Liu Yuxuan asked as they sat in the car.

"Yes, it was very interesting. Ms. Joanna and the other teachers played games and told stories with us. I even got a little sun today," Fangfang said, pulling out a small booklet from her backpack.

When she opened it, there were small squares, and the first one had a little sun sticker. Fangfang explained that everyone had one, and they would be evaluated weekly, monthly, and by the end of the semester to see who had the most.

"Big brother, can we go buy some books? Ms. Joanna said I need to read every day after I come home," Fangfang said, handing Liu Yuxuan a piece of paper.

Liu Yuxuan looked at it and saw that it was the school's requirement for parents, which was the only requirement: to spend at least 15 minutes each day quietly and attentively reading with their child. It could be the parent reading or the child reading, with no specific requirement.

If parents added some role-playing or encouraged the child's imagination, it would be even better, as this could improve the child's writing and imagination skills and make the experience more enjoyable for the child.

Fangfang also mentioned that the school had a small library, and students could borrow books once a week. Since Fangfang had joined the class mid-year, she needed to buy a book first. After reading it, she would share the story with her classmates during story time.

The American education system was quite different from that in China. According to Fangfang, there were no formal classes today; they just played games and told stories with the teacher and other children.

Liu Yuxuan accompanied Fangfang to the town's bookstore, where she chose two books: one was "Snow White" and the other was "James and the Giant Peach." Liu Yuxuan had already told Fangfang the story of "Snow White," while "James and the Giant Peach" caught her attention because of its attractive cover.

They were large, illustrated editions, which were quite expensive.

On the way back to the ranch, Fangfang happily shared interesting stories from school. Liu Yuxuan drove while listening, occasionally chiming in.