Chapter 77

"Achoo" Liu Yuxuan, who was sleeping soundly, felt his nose tickle and sneezed loudly.

Opening his eyes, he saw that it was Misha who was holding the long hair at the tip of Little Whiskers' tail and inserting it into his nostril.

"What time is it?" Liu Yuxuan asked groggily. Yesterday, he had been so busy taking care of the three cows and three calves that it was already dawn when he finished.

"It's already past 4 PM. Auntie said to wake you up to freshen up for dinner," Misha said.

Liu Yuxuan was surprised that he had slept for so long. He thought, "This is just three cows. What if there are more calves in the future? How will I manage?"

"Are today's tasks all done?" Liu Yuxuan asked Misha after sitting up and stretching.

"We can only work outdoors in the morning and evening now. The weather is too hot, with temperatures reaching over 100 degrees Fahrenheit at the highest. It looks like this year's drought will extend," Misha said listlessly.

Every summer, Texas experiences different drought periods, but this year's drought seems to be extending. The current rainfall is less than 40% of the usual amount. Some meteorologists predict that the drought may last until mid-to-late August. If that happens, it will be a severe drought.

"At least we have a small lake between our two ranches," Liu Yuxuan said with relief.

"The situation isn't good either. The lake level has already dropped by more than two feet today. This hasn't happened in previous years," Misha said, not as optimistic as Liu Yuxuan. The current situation is still manageable, but the eastern region has received more rainfall. If it continues, it won't be good.

Liu Yuxuan had been busy these past few days and hadn't realized how severe the drought had become. Looking out the window, he saw that the pasture grass was all drooping, and there wasn't a breeze outside. Fortunately, the grass hadn't died from the drought yet.

After washing his face, he followed Misha downstairs and saw Allen chatting with his parents.

Some people always say that learning English is difficult, but the environment is crucial. Liu Yuxuan's parents, to communicate with their in-laws, had already learned some basic daily conversations during their time in the United States. At least now, both sides were chatting happily.

"Andy, congratulations, your ranch has three more calves," Allen said when he saw Liu Yuxuan come downstairs.

"Thank you, Allen. I heard from Misha that the drought in Texas this year is very severe?" Liu Yuxuan thanked Allen and then asked.

Mentioning the drought, Allen became serious, "Yes, Andy, this year's drought has lasted too long. Some cities in western and southern Texas have already started rationing water. The prices of beef and wheat have also risen significantly."

"Isn't that good? Won't our ranch and farm make more money?" Liu Yuxuan said. Texas still has many farms growing wheat.

"No, Andy, it's not as simple as you think," Allen said, taking a sip of coffee and shaking his head. "Most of the beef is controlled by meat product companies. They don't pay high prices when buying from ranchers."

"The price of wheat has risen, but the rainfall after Christmas was very low. The wheat yield is poor. In fact, the current price is much lower than in previous years."

"If the drought continues, I think many ranchers will go bankrupt."

Liu Yuxuan hadn't expected such a result. It seems that being a rancher in the United States carries significant risks.

"By the way, Allen, if your pasture grass isn't good, you can come and cut some from my place. I have fewer cattle now," Liu Yuxuan said. The grass on his ranch is good for the cattle, and even if the activity is reduced, it won't affect them. He didn't want his future father-in-law to cry when selling cattle.

"Andy, even if you didn't mention it, I would have told you. At the boundary of our ranches, some of the grass is mixed. I noticed that the cattle eating that grass are very energetic even in this hot weather, while the cattle on another patch of grass are much worse. I was thinking of buying some of your grass seeds next year," Allen said happily when Liu Yuxuan mentioned the grass.

"Why don't you bring your cattle to my place to graze when the weather is cooler, and then replant some of my grass after the drought?" Liu Yuxuan thought for a moment and said.

Hearing Liu Yuxuan take the initiative to help, Misha felt sweet inside, and her eyes sparkled as she looked at Liu Yuxuan.

"Andy, you could specialize in growing pasture grass. Your grass is excellent and will sell for a high price. You can also choose another ranch to raise cattle," Allen said, no longer just satisfied with Liu Yuxuan but treating him like family.

"I would like to, but it's hard to manage a ranch that's too far away, and there's no suitable one nearby," Liu Yuxuan said, feeling a headache. He had already prepared the funds, but there was no suitable ranch. He had also called Dylan, but there was no good news from him.

"Andy, what do you think of our neighbor, the Grizzly Ranch? Can you handle it?" Allen thought for a moment and said.

Liu Yuxuan remembered the Grizzly Ranch; it was a large ranch with over 5,000 acres of land. The price wouldn't be cheap.

"That ranch is too big. I'm afraid I can't handle it. Besides, you mentioned that the price of beef has risen. The Grizzly Ranch is backed by a large company in New York with substantial capital to support it," Liu Yuxuan said after thinking for a moment.

"You may not know, but their parent company is in financial trouble," Allen said mysteriously, taking a sip of coffee.

"Oh, Allen, that's very confidential. How did you find out?" Liu Yuxuan asked curiously.

"You should go out more and chat with the cowboys," Allen said. "I heard it from some cowboys at the Grizzly Ranch in the cowboy bar."

"Every month, someone from their parent company would come to inspect the Grizzly Ranch, but they haven't come for the past two months. You should understand what that means."

"That's good news," Liu Yuxuan said happily, but then he became a bit dejected, "But I don't have enough funds."

He could mobilize about 4 million dollars in the U.S., and at most another 1 million dollars from China, but that was still far from the price of the Grizzly Ranch.

"Andy, if you take over the Grizzly Ranch, can you maintain its normal operation? The quality of the grass there is even worse, and the water for irrigation is insufficient," Allen asked.

Liu Yuxuan thought for a moment. Maintaining the grass growth shouldn't be a problem; he had water from his space. Although the area was large, he could manage it.

"It should be fine. I can temporarily cut some grass to feed the cattle and sheep in rotation."

"That makes things much easier. Have you considered taking a loan to buy the ranch?" Allen asked.

Liu Yuxuan's lips twitched at Allen's words. Taking a loan to buy such a large ranch would require at least 15 million dollars. Not to mention whether the bank would lend him that much, but even if they did, he wasn't sure if he should take it.

"Can the bank approve such a large loan?" Liu Yuxuan asked worriedly.

"Since you have confidence in managing the ranch, we can try. Even if it's not approved, we won't lose anything. If it is approved, your harvest next year will be substantial, won't it?" Allen said nonchalantly.

Liu Yuxuan thought for a moment. It seemed that he could really give it a try. As Allen said, no matter the outcome, it wouldn't harm him.