Chapter 15

Holding the reins and Dina had their own, they didn’t need to buy them, just bring them to the farm. After returning to George’s farm, Li Han arranged accommodation for the two. After settling in, Houdun and Dina took a look around and came to the cowshed. Houdun walked around and then found Li Han in the small building, frowning as he said, "Han, there’s something I need to talk to you about."

Li Han brewed some coffee, invited Houdun and Dina to sit down, poured them coffee, and said, "Houdun, I’m not very familiar with raising cattle and sheep. Just let me know what you need."

Houdun nodded and said, "Han, Dina and I just checked the pasture area and the cowshed facilities. Raising two hundred beef cattle shouldn’t be a problem, but three hundred might be a bit too much."

"Is that so? Then let’s start with two hundred. You know, this is my first time raising beef cattle." Li Han hadn’t paid much attention to these details, but fortunately, he had time. After seeing Houdun and Dina off, Li Han called Willie to ask about the number of cattle and sheep previously raised at George’s farm. "It seems there’s still a lot I need to learn."

In the afternoon, Li Han found some books on raising beef cattle and managing a ranch, thinking it would be good to learn more. For dinner, he stewed some beef, cooked some corn, and served noodles with sauce and steamed bread.

The noodles with sauce seemed to be missing something. Dudu ate a small bowl and then threw down his chopsticks, running off to play with Little Millie. Before bed, Li Han noticed Dudu was missing. He searched the room for a while and found that Dudu was actually hugging Little Millie, sleeping in her new doghouse. The two of them were sleeping soundly, with Dudu’s little head occasionally rubbing against Millie’s neck, making a comfortable moan. It was a heartwarming scene, and Li Han took a photo to keep as a memento.

He had a good night’s sleep. In the morning, Dina was cleaning and disinfecting the cowshed. Seeing Li Han, she greeted him. "Dina, good morning. Let me help you."

Dina waved her hand, finished cleaning and disinfecting, and smiled. "Han, thank you, but it’s all done here."

"Alright, then I’ll go check the stables." Seeing that Dina didn’t need his help, Li Han left the cowshed and went to the stables. He found some tools to clean the horse manure, then took a Quarter Horse for a ride around the farm. His body felt warm, and by the time he returned, the sun was just rising.

"Han, good morning." Houdun was holding a large board, waving to Li Han. "Houdun, good morning. How’s it going? Are all the machines usable?"

"George was a great person. The tools in the warehouse are well-maintained. Only a few need to be replaced. We just need to buy a few small machines, and that should be enough." Houdun had checked the garage and all the farm machinery yesterday afternoon and this morning. There were no major issues, and most were in good condition, usable with a few parts needing replacement.

"Yes, George was a respectable person. Houdun, sit down and have a cup of coffee." Li Han had already brewed the coffee and brought it out to discuss the items they needed to purchase.

Houdun took off his gloves, took a sip of coffee, and said, "Han, most of the tools left by George can be used. Here’s the list of parts that need to be replaced, and we also need to buy some reins and saddles."

Li Han took the list, nodded, and waved to the sleepy Dudu who was walking over. The little guy pounced into Li Han’s arms, nuzzling like a puppy and making a comfortable moan. "No problem, Houdun. I plan to buy about ten riding horses, gentle ones that can be used for weekend rides on the farm."

Houdun thought for a moment and said, "Regular riding horses are enough. They’re not expensive, a few hundred dollars each. For herding, Quarter Horses are the best. They cost about four to five thousand dollars, and a few will be enough for the farm."

The few Quarter Horses at George’s farm had good bloodlines, especially for herding. They were well-trained, and Quarter Horses are very smart. With proper training, they make herding cattle very easy. They have a natural talent for herding, making them the best choice for herding horses.

Houdun continued, "Han, the main breeds of beef cattle are Herefords, Angus, and Limousins. The first two are smaller breeds, while Limousins are larger. Han, I suggest buying more Angus and Herefords and fewer Limousins, preferably with calves."

"No problem, Houdun. Let’s do it your way." Li Han didn’t know much about this, but Houdun had a good reputation, recommended by Ronald, and Li Han chose to trust him.

"To buy two hundred cattle, we’ll need to find a cattle broker. For the ten regular riding horses, we can go directly to the horse farm." Houdun and Li Han discussed this, and then Houdun left.

In the morning, Li Han handed the list of parts he needed to buy to Kelly. If the ranch was to be operational, these ranch machines were essential. "Han, do you need help with the party tonight?" Kelly asked while helping Li Han prepare the parts.

"Kelly, thank you. Willie and Katie are already preparing." Li Han smiled, as Willie and Katie had agreed to help in the afternoon, and Billy would come early if he had time.

"Great, I hope it’s a wonderful evening." Kelly prepared the parts and loaded them onto Li Han’s pickup truck, wiping her sweat.

Li Han handed his credit card to Kelly, saying with a hint of pride, "Of course, I’ve asked Jack and Maria to help with the food and drinks."

"Oh, God, Jack and Maria, Han, you’re really generous." Jack from the bar and Maria from the fast food place were quite a surprise.

"Kelly, I don’t think it’s much. Maybe we can have an extra drink tonight." Li Han was expanding the farm from a micro-farm to a small farm in the town, and for the first party, he wanted to be generous.

"Of course, I can’t wait." Kelly handed the bill to Li Han to sign, looking eager.

"Kelly, I’ll be back. See you at the party." Li Han put away the bill and receipt, said goodbye, and left. He still had a lot to do in the morning, including preparing the cowshed and arranging for the workers. With Houdun and Dina, Li Han didn’t have to worry. For the party, Jack and Maria would help with the food and drinks.

Li Han was preparing some Chinese dishes, such as noodles with sauce and grilled meat. Compared to the weekend party, there would be more people, about a hundred. Li Han needed more time to prepare, so he bought the ingredients and returned to the farm. From a distance, he saw Dudu playing with Little Millie on the lawn. "Daddy!" Waving his little hand, Dudu ran to Li Han.

In just a few days, Dudu’s speech had improved a lot. What surprised Li Han even more was Dudu’s strength and learning ability. He seemed to have a natural talent for math, physics, and nature. Li Han was initially surprised but later got used to it. "You’re dirty, wash your face."

Li Han took Dudu to the sink. The little guy loved playing with Little Millie and running around everywhere, even in the woods. Li Han was initially worried, but one time he found that Dudu could enter the space at any time, and the little guy seemed to understand that he couldn’t let others see.

After washing his face, Dudu helped his father carry a large plastic bag back to the living room, showing the benefit of his strength. "Good boy." While Li Han was busy cleaning the ingredients, Dudu took Little Millie to play in the space. When they came out, Little Millie’s belly was full of space water, and Dudu’s belly was also full. The two little guys made Li Han laugh so hard he couldn’t straighten up.

The space water seemed to have a fatal attraction for animals. Little Millie, Little Millie, and Dudu all loved drinking it. Li Han didn’t know what it was for. He opened the space and was surprised to see that the vegetables he planted yesterday—tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, and greens—looked like they had grown for ten days. The space was lush and green.

Li Han was stunned. In just one day, such a big change had occurred. Even though he had some understanding of the space, he was still a bit dumbfounded. He wanted to ask the system, but it seemed to have disappeared for a few days. Pulling Dudu over, Li Han pointed to the vegetables in the space. "Dudu, water them." "Water them?"

Maybe the spring water was beneficial for plant growth. Li Han thought about doing an experiment. He watered some flowers in the yard with the spring water. Thinking about it, he filled a container with spring water and watered the flowers outside the yard. Back in the living room, Li Han thought about the noodles with sauce from yesterday. The taste was much better at noon and in the evening. Could it be because of the spring water?