Chapter 17

The party was so wild that Li Han still felt a bit dizzy when he got up. He patted Doudou, who was standing with his little bare bottom. Li Han suddenly sat up, thinking, "No way," and woke Doudou with a mix of laughter and tears. Doudou had wet the bed; Li Han had forgotten to put on a diaper last night, and now the bed was soaked. Looking at the large wet spot, Li Han was at a loss. There was nothing he could do, so he gathered the sheets, blankets, and clothes and stuffed them into the washing machine. Doudou, who had wet the bed with his bare bottom, took a bath. During the bath, the little guy was not very cooperative, and it took half an hour. Li Han promised to make soy sauce noodles, and the little guy obediently took a bath. After the bath, Doudou held his little red basin and toiletries and went to the water pool outside the small yard to wash up.

The washbasin in the room was too high for Doudou to reach, so Li Han specially bought a small red basin and accompanied the little guy to the water pool outside to wash up. Doudou squatted by the water pool, mimicking his father's actions and brushing his little teeth with effort. He was proud of the white bubbles in his mouth, occasionally gurgling and spitting out a mouthful of bubbles. Even while brushing his teeth, the little guy was restless, and he kept pestering Li Han to see who could make more bubbles. Despite his small size, his competitive spirit was not small. Li Han raised his hands in surrender, and Doudou was delighted. His little mouth, plump and cute, was spitting out toothpaste bubbles, looking as proud as a little swan.

Doudou obediently went to watch the tutorial and learn to speak. Li Han stretched his body. Not long after, Hutton rode over on a horse. "Hutton, good morning."

"Good morning, Han." Hutton looked energetic, having already eaten breakfast. Li Han and Hutton prepared to go to the cattle market, and Li Han, not wanting to leave Doudou alone at home, took him along. They drove the pickup truck and headed for the Milston town, but Milstar town was mostly farmland for growing barley and corn, and the livestock market was quite small.

Hutton suggested going to Milston, where the surrounding area was mostly pasture, with little flat land, and more mountains and forests, making it unsuitable for growing crops but ideal for pastures. The cattle market in Milston was by the roadside. From a distance, they could see a vast open area with many fences, and cowboys riding horses were coming and going. As they approached the town, they occasionally encountered cowboys herding cattle and sheep. Near the trading market, they saw long trailers carrying cattle and sheep. When they arrived at the cattle market, Li Han looked around. There were many fences, each containing cattle and sheep for sale.

The cattle market in Milston was much larger than the one in Milstar. Cows mooed and horses neighed, and groups of cowboys stood by the fences, chatting and laughing. Hutton, who was used to this, smiled and greeted the familiar cowboys.

"Hutton, it's been a while. How's Dina?" A white cowboy took off his hat and smiled as he walked over to greet Hutton.

"Douglas, you rascal, she's doing well." Hutton gave Douglas a punch, and they hugged and chatted for a bit.

"Douglas, this is my boss, Han. Han, don't look at Douglas's young age; he has quite a few good horses. If you need to buy a good horse, he's the one to go to."

"Han, it's great to meet you, a fine young man." Douglas greeted Li Han and smiled. "Han, if you need a horse, have Hutton find me."

"Yes, I will." Li Han wasn't there to buy a horse this time. Besides, a good Quarter Horse was expensive, and a purebred famous horse was even more so. Li Han didn't have that much money to spare.

"Douglas, Han needs to buy some beef cattle. How's the situation now?" Hutton asked, and Douglas pointed to the trading area. "The economy isn't good this year, and the sale of beef isn't doing well. Old Montlo would know more about this."

"Douglas, I'll buy you a beer sometime. Han, let's go take a look." Hutton and Li Han said goodbye to Douglas and went to the cattle market trading center. It was like a stadium from Li Han's high school days, with a platform in the center and many seats around it. Li Han and Doudou sat down to rest, while Hutton went to inquire about the market situation.

Soon, Hutton came back with an old cowboy and sat down next to Li Han. "Old Montlo, this is my boss, Han. Han plans to buy some Angus and beef cattle." Old Montlo asked Li Han about the quantity he needed, nodded, and led Li Han and Hutton to a pen.

Angus cattle were more stable in production, while beef cattle had more complications. Li Han was buying calves, which he would sell when they were older. Most of the Angus cattle he bought were mother cows with calves. As they walked, Doudou, who had been playing quietly, occasionally waved his little hands, pulling Li Han and pointing. Li Han didn't understand at first. Doudou pouted and mumbled, "Little cows, little cows," pointing to the pregnant mother cows.

"Old Montlo, these are good. I want to select a few more." Li Han pointed to the mother cows Doudou had indicated. He saw that they were being sold at the price of beef cattle. If they were indeed pregnant, Li Han would be in luck.

"Of course, Hutton, Han, take a look at the list." Old Montlo soon brought out the list. Hutton and Old Montlo negotiated the delivery to Li Han's farm, and Li Han wrote a check, feeling pleased. While Hutton and Old Montlo were handling the paperwork, Li Han took Doudou for a walk. Doudou spotted a dwarf Brahman bull. "Daddy, Doudou wants the bull." The little guy was insistent, and Li Han, helpless, went to ask the young cowboy about the price. It wasn't expensive, but the young cowboy warned that the bull was temperamental and not suitable for keeping.

"Doudou wants to ride the bull." Before Li Han could negotiate, Doudou darted into the pen, scaring Li Han and the cowboy, who quickly opened the gate.

"Bull." To everyone's surprise, Doudou did something that made all the Brahman bulls in the pen behave, and the dwarf bull even squatted down to let Doudou climb on.

"God, this is truly an angel." The surrounding cowboys, who knew the temperamental dwarf bull well, were amazed to see a little angel riding the bull and giggling.

Li Han sighed in relief. This bold little guy needed a good education. He negotiated the price with the cowboy, but Doudou refused to get off. Li Han had to lead the dwarf bull, carrying Doudou, back to the trading market. Hutton, having finished the paperwork, bought some spotted horses and wild horses. Li Han didn't have to wait long for the deal to be finalized.

Li Han hadn't decided yet about buying dairy cows and sheep. Back at the farm, Doudou had a new playmate and rode his little bull around the farm. Daina had everything prepared, so Li Han didn't have to worry. Just then, he received a call that made him break out in a cold sweat.

He had almost forgotten that his parents and sister and brother-in-law were coming in two days. Li Han looked at Doudou, who was riding his little bull and playing with little Millie, and his head almost exploded.

Li Han's parents and sister and brother-in-law were teachers and came from a very traditional family. He couldn't explain Doudou's identity clearly. There was no problem with the bloodline, and the American mindset was more open, with unmarried pregnancies not uncommon.

Li Han wasn't too worried, but the thought of his parents coming made the Doudou issue a big problem, especially regarding Doudou's education. "Mom, I'll come to pick you and Dad, and my sister and brother-in-law. It's great. Mom, don't prepare anything; I have everything here."

"Xiaohan, your father and I are taking a break to visit you, and your sister has been pestering to ride a big horse at Uncle's house." Zhang Xiuying was in a good mood, looking forward to seeing her son in a few days. This youngest son had caused her and her husband a lot of worry, but now he was finally sensible and had a career in America. Zhang Xiuying was very happy. In the past few days, when she went out to buy groceries, many colleagues envied her. A few days ago, she met Aunt Liu, whose daughter had just graduated from university. The girl was very polite, skilled, and quiet, and had known Xiaohan since childhood. Zhang Xiuying thought she might have a chance to talk about a match, which would resolve one of her worries.

"Hehe, that's great. Mom, you and Dad, my sister, and brother-in-law can try riding the horses. I just bought some gentle ones, and you can ride them as much as you want." Li Han thought of the little rascal and smiled, but he was quickly pulled back by the mischievous Doudou. He wondered if he should find a chance to talk to his mother about Doudou.

"What are you buying so many horses for? Your father and I are too old to ride." Zhang Xiuying couldn't help but complain. Li Han chuckled and decided to take advantage of his mother's good mood to bring up Doudou. "Mom, I have something to tell you, but don't get angry."

"What is it?" Zhang Xiuying was in a good mood, and Li Han decided to tell her about Doudou. He had already prepared an explanation.

"Mom, I made a mistake a few years ago, and you have a granddaughter." Li Han hesitated for a long time, opened his mouth, and finally said it.

"What did you say? You rascal."