Chapter 1

Montana is located in the western United States, with its entire territory being highlands, characterized by high mountains and deep valleys. The average elevation is about 1,000 meters, and the state is divided into eastern and western parts. The western part, which accounts for one-third of the total area, belongs to the Rocky Mountains and is densely forested. The eastern part, which takes up two-thirds of the area, is part of the Northern Great Plains, featuring vast, gently undulating landscapes with sparse trees and numerous herds of cattle and sheep.

The state is dotted with large and small farms. Around the small town of Commiss, there are dozens of farms of various sizes, mostly small and medium-sized. Today, no fewer than thirty protesters gathered in the town center square, a rare sight in this small town. They held protest signs and chanted slogans. A young man holding a Jewish child caught everyone's attention, with his black hair and yellow skin standing out among the surrounding white people. The Jewish child held a square sign with Chinese characters, indicating that he was either Chinese or of Chinese descent. The protest lasted from 7:00 AM to around 10:00 AM, a full three hours. By then, everyone was hungry, and as the time grew late, the protest ended. The crowd took out chicken leg sandwiches and cola, and casually sat by the roadside to have lunch.

"Damn weather, it's so hot. Damn Max, he betrayed us. By the way, Han, are you free this afternoon? Mark and Tim invited us to play baseball together." Han took the cola that Wei handed him, drank half a bottle, burped, and shook his head slightly.

"Not today, my little Mili is waiting for me. Damn weather, it's Sunday, and David organized a football game, which I already agreed to. Wei, little Mitch, come over if you have time. There's a party tonight." Han tore open the roasted chicken and handed the drumstick to little Mitch, the Jewish child, who had big eyes that were rolling and drooling. As for little Mili, she was a three-month-old golden retriever that Wei had given to Han. The little one was still young and very clingy, especially when she had just left her mother or was left alone at home. She would "whine" and stand weakly on her "territory," not even looking at a ball that rolled by, as if to say, "What's so fun about a ball?" She sighed and tried hard to fall asleep. At such times, only the love of her owner could comfort her. Han didn't bring little Mili today, not wanting to waste too much time.

"What a pity, this time Mark and Tim, the two captains, will surely give Hamilton and his team a good lesson." Wei smacked his lips, tearing open the roasted chicken wings and stuffing them into his mouth. "Han, your roasted chicken is really good."

Han tore off a drumstick and handed the whole roasted chicken to Wei. "Thanks, I was afraid you wouldn't like it. Here, take these, I'll go back first. Make sure to give Hamilton and his team a good lesson."

"Han, I'll take a video for you, to show Hamilton that our Commiss baseball team is strong." Wei stood up, shouting to Han who was walking away, putting on his baseball cap, holding a baseball bat in one hand, and a roasted chicken in the other. Mitch waved the chicken leg to say goodbye to Han. Mitch couldn't speak, but the little guy was very lively, always loving to play baseball with Wei. Of course, he also loved Han's roasted chicken.

For the whole morning, Han, Wei, and Mitch were protesting. At first, it was quite novel, but now Han was used to it. He felt uncomfortable if he didn't protest for a while. Han had been in the United States for five years and in Montana for four. He had been working on a farm, and a year ago, the farm owner passed away. Han used the $120,000 he had saved to buy the farm from the owner's son.

This relatively small farm covers 168 acres (about 1,000 mu), with a 3-bedroom, 1-bathroom house, covering 1,769 square feet (about 160 square meters). The farm currently raises cattle and horses, with a small stream running through it, three ponds, two wells, and 40 acres of virgin forest, which is a paradise for hunters. There are 200 fully mature walnut trees with economic value. The house was renovated in 1988, and a second building site was developed, with a well and septic tank already installed when it was purchased. The farm also has a workshop, four cattle sheds, and two horse stables.

Han was relatively lucky. The farm owner's son in New York owed a significant debt due to the financial crisis and had no money to pay the inheritance tax. He had to sell the farm, which was worth $300,000, to Han for $120,000 plus a $100,000 debt. Han took this opportunity to obtain a green card, but he didn't expect that managing a small farm in the United States would be so difficult. After three years, Han not only failed to pay off the $100,000 debt but also found it increasingly challenging to run the farm. This morning, he got up early and rushed to town to join the joint protest of small and medium-sized farm owners against the government's unequal agricultural subsidies, hoping to gain some attention.

After saying goodbye to Wei, Han drove his pickup truck back to the farm in about ten minutes. He parked the car by the roadside, went back to the room, and took a cold shower. It was really hot, and this summer was much hotter than usual. After the shower, he felt much better. He opened the refrigerator, poured a cup of iced plum juice, and comfortably sat on the sofa, turning on the phone's voicemail. Han didn't have a mobile phone, not because of money, but because it was inconvenient to carry. There were always landlines available.

The first call was from the bank, informing him that his application for a $50,000 loan was not approved, but a $10,000 loan was approved. This was a significant gain. Han smiled, at least it was approved, and the $10,000 could be used to repair the machinery and buy seeds.

"Ha, it seems the protest had some effect, not in vain." Han finished the remaining iced plum juice in one gulp. The second call was from his mother, mostly reminding him to take care of his health, not to overwork, and to eat on time. It was all about trivial matters and family affairs.

Since taking over the farm, Han returned home at most once a year. Last year, he didn't even go back for the Spring Festival. Two snowstorms in the winter caused significant damage to the farm, collapsing four cattle sheds and horse stables. If Han hadn't cleared the snow in time, the workshop might have collapsed as well.

These sudden snowstorms not only destroyed the cattle sheds and horse stables but also killed nearly half of the chickens and ducks Han had raised. He not only failed to make any money that year but also lost a year's worth of effort and several cattle sheds. Fortunately, he didn't raise cattle and sheep due to financial constraints.

Han sighed after listening to his mother's nagging. He left home at 18 and had been in the United States for nearly five years. He couldn't say he had nothing, but he didn't have much to be proud of, except for his fluent English and forgotten hometown dialect. As for selling the farm and returning to China, Han had thought about it. Ignoring the farm debt, what could he do with $100,000 in China? Buy a house? In a small city, he could only afford about 100 square meters, let alone in a big city.

Han put down the cup, hesitated for a moment, and then called home. "Mom, it's me, Han. It's so late, are you still awake?" Han was hesitant, afraid of disturbing the two elderly people, as it was past midnight.

"In the afternoon, your sister brought the baby over. The little one is very clingy, keeping everyone busy all night. She just fell asleep. Han, did you have a good morning? You're not a child anymore, be sensible. Don't participate in protests. Your father and I saw on the news that protests can get chaotic."

Han regretted telling his mother about the protest. Protests in the United States are not uncommon, and the one he participated in was harmless, just holding signs for a few hours. "Mom, I know, I won't participate next time. Don't worry about me."

"What good do these protests do? They're chaotic, and there might be troublemakers. It's not safe. America is not home. In the future, consult your father more often. And, and, and..." Zhang Xiuying talked for about ten minutes, nagging about trivial matters. Han smiled, not arguing or explaining, just agreeing.

"Mom, don't worry. I'm not a child anymore. I can take care of myself. Get some rest, don't worry about me. Everything is fine. And, and, and..."

"Your sister is here, talk to her." Zhang Xiuying handed the phone to her daughter, Li Mei. "Han, are you back? Have you eaten?"

"Yes, I've eaten. Sister, is the baby asleep?" Li Mei, who is four years older than Han, got married early and has a three-and-a-half-year-old daughter, Baby. The little girl is chubby, with big eyes, and very cute. Since Han is not with the two elderly people, Li Mei often brings Baby back home, making the house lively.

Li Ping and Zhang Xiuying were quite happy. Han felt particularly close to his niece, often buying toys and sending them back.

"She's asleep. The little one was very active, not stopping all day. She kept asking Dad to make a rocking chair for her, causing quite a commotion." Li Mei didn't have the same determination and perseverance as her brother. She was just an ordinary woman, with a child, a husband, parents, and a troublesome brother, which was her whole life.

"Sister, is the visa you mentioned last time ready?" Han, with his green card, could apply for his family to visit the United States.

"Your brother-in-law has already gone through the process. It's quite complicated and will take at least another half a month to finalize." Li Mei said softly.

"Only half a month? That's great. When the time comes, Sister, I'll take you, your husband, and Baby to have a good time here." Han was excited. Having his parents stay in the United States for a while was something he had been looking forward to for years.

"Great, Baby is eager to ride a big horse." Li Mei was happy. Everyone in the family was a teacher, except for her brother, who was always troublesome but now very capable, running a farm with over a thousand acres. Thinking about it, her colleagues were envious when they heard she was going to the United States for the summer. She felt very proud, especially in a small county where going abroad was not easy, especially in the teachers' dormitory, where many envied her parents.

"Great." Han made up his mind. Before Baby came, he would borrow a horse to avoid disappointing the child. After hanging up, Han decided to no longer let his parents and sister worry about him and to properly renovate the farm.