Chapter 61

Early in the morning, Li Han woke up, stretched his waist, and looked down at Doudou in his arms. The little girl was sleeping so sweetly. He pulled the blanket to cover her well and got up carefully. Li Han put on his work clothes, wore a hat, and held a small box. Inside the box, two little turkeys were chirping and fussing. He placed them on the lawn to catch small insects. Little Millie followed the little turkeys, acting as a bodyguard. Li Han held a small basin, squatted by the sink to brush his teeth and wash his face. He casually caught a proud turtle and a large crab crawling around, knocked the turtle shell a few times, and threw it aside. This guy, after being knocked a couple of times, became obedient and slowly crawled away.

After washing up, Li Han went to the stable, put on rubber boots, and cleaned the stable, adding some salt water. The weather was getting hotter, and the horses needed to replenish salt water. After tidying up the tools, he picked up a bucket of water to help wash Little Red. Yesterday, he was so busy that he forgot to do it.

Turning back to get the water and the brush, Little Red was gone. He looked up and saw that Baby and Doudou were leading Little Red to the pond. The two little ones had prepared a small bucket, a brush, and a stool. Not far away, his brother-in-law and father were leading the spotted horse. These days, they got up early, walked around the small farm, and if they were in a good mood, they would run to Oram Lake to fish. They hadn't been scolded much by his mother and sister.

Doudou stood on the stool and patted Little Red. The temperamental big guy obediently lowered his big head and rubbed against Doudou. Baby pouted, envying Doudou, and called Little Red a big bad guy. The two little ones carried the small bucket and brush, looking very serious. His brother-in-law and father weren't idle, taking off the saddle, saddle pad, sweat pad, and bridle, and letting their spotted horses graze.

Unlike the obedient spotted horses, Li Han saw that Little Red always faced away and lowered his head to eat grass. Li Han picked up the bucket and brush to help. "Uncle, it's Baby's turn." Baby stretched out her hands, not letting Li Han help. The two little ones were enjoying themselves.

Li Han pinched Baby's little nose, smiled, and put down the bucket and brush, walking to his brother-in-law and father. "These two little ones don't want any help." The three of them stood by, talking while watching the two little ones work. Little Red was so obedient that Li Han was a bit envious. Usually, he had to serve him like a master.

After a while, the two little ones finished, wiped the sweat from their foreheads, and happily patted Little Red's big head. Doudou took out a basket filled with lettuce and carrots. No wonder Little Red's mouth was getting pickier. The two little ones fed Little Red while Li Han, his brother-in-law, and father discussed the pasture. Father had been going to Oram Lake every day, and the water level of the Yellow Creek River was getting lower, dropping nearly a foot in just a few days.

Li Han didn't expect the drought to be so severe, but fortunately, they didn't have many cattle and sheep, so he wasn't worried about feed. "Xiaohan, why don't we dig a few more wells on the farm to make irrigation easier?" Full irrigation of the farm required sufficient river water. Now, with the weather getting drier, Li Ping was a bit worried. "Dad, it's fine. Besides, digging wells requires approval, which is too troublesome. The small farm has enough land, and the ponds are sufficient. The pasture has six lakes, one large and five small, and the irrigation channels are well-stocked. We don't need to worry in the short term. The water gate at Oram Lake was closed a few days ago."

Li Han smiled and said, "Pierre's irrigation equipment is almost installed. The radius of the wheeled automatic irrigation equipment exceeds 150 meters, making it easier to irrigate the small farm. Plus, we have a mobile large irrigation soft water truck. I'm not too worried."

After breakfast, Li Han drove the tractor with a flatbed, delivering meat, vegetables, and milk to George's farm. Now, he delivered meat and vegetables every three days. Dina was herding the sheep, so the flatbed was parked near the third and second pastures. When Li Han arrived, Dina was riding a horse, herding the sheep to the grazing area. A few lambs were following their mothers, bleating. These little ones were born on the farm and were Dina's treasures.

Doudou and Baby's adopted lambs were smaller than Dina's. He needed to educate Baby and Doudou. When they adopted the lambs, they promised to feed and bathe them every day, but they had forgotten. If it weren't for his sister's occasional reminders, the two little lambs might have starved to death. "Dina, these little ones are so lively." "Hey, Han, yes, I'm about to go get the milk. The little ones are hungry."

Dina helped Li Han unload the meat and vegetables onto the flatbed, then took out two large baby bottles, handing one to Li Han. The little lambs seemed to smell the milk and gathered around. Dina casually sat on the grass, holding a lamb and feeding it milk. Li Han followed suit. The little lambs were small but had big appetites, finishing most of the milk. Li Han helped Dina feed one and then drove the tractor back.

Doudou and Baby went to school. Their English was improving, and Cynthia had mentioned Doudou's boxing. Doudou was now unbeatable in the kindergarten, and her boxing teacher suggested she participate in the Burton 5-8 year-old children's boxing competition. Li Han hadn't had time to ask Doudou, but his mother had already vetoed it. Doudou was only three and a half, and participating in a 5-8 year-old competition was too dangerous. He would ask Doudou later. If she didn't want to, it was fine. A few days ago, Baby and Doudou said they wanted to join the baseball team, which Li Han supported. Baby secretly told him that Doudou's sister was learning to paint, but he didn't take it too seriously. If Doudou liked it, they could start in a couple of years.

Back at the farm, his brother-in-law told Li Han that Wei Li had just called. "Wei Li, it's Han. Did you call just now?" Li Han called back. Wei Li had been busy harvesting hay these past two days.

"Hey, Han." Wei Li was a bit out of breath, probably just back from the pasture. "Han, I have a few Chinese students who want to work in exchange for food and lodging, but they're not very skilled with machinery."

"Alright, I was planning to clear the weeds in the walnut grove today, and my daughter's vegetable garden needs help. Send them over." Li Han said. This kind of thing happened two or three times a year, with many backpacking students working in exchange for food and lodging, but it was rare to encounter Chinese students.

When his parents heard about the Chinese students, they were quite happy. These days, everyone around them was a foreigner, and it was nice to see someone from home. Doudou and Baby, who were learning ballet, came back in a small cart. When they heard about the guests, they were excited. Guests meant good food, and the two little gluttons still had ice cream on their mouths.

Li Han pinched their little noses and said, "You two little gluttons, Doudou can't eat too much ice cream, or you'll get a stomachache. Baby, you watch over Doudou." "Oh, I know, Uncle." Baby pouted, wanting to eat ice cream. Li Han smiled, pinched Baby's chubby cheeks, and patted Doudou's head. "Alright, go play."

The two little ones took Millie, the two little turkeys, the two little lambs, and a big turtle that followed like a shadow, and went to the backyard vegetable garden with their backpacks to catch bugs and feed the chickens.

Li Han returned to the small house, brewed a pot of green tea, and brought out some pastries he had made the day before. Three students, in their early twenties, one boy and two girls, arrived. The two girls were the boy's girlfriend and sister, both very pretty. "This place is so beautiful." The two girls looked around the green lawn and the beautiful flowers on both sides of the fence, their faces full of admiration.

In the living room, the three introduced themselves. They were from Zhejiang, not far from Li Han's hometown. The boy was Zhou Hao, one girl was Wu Miaomiao, with a duck egg-shaped face, and the other was Zhou Rui, with an apple-shaped face and two dimples, looking very cute.

His parents and sister were overly enthusiastic, asking all sorts of questions, making Li Han a bit embarrassed. He smiled at the three and said, "My parents and sister just arrived in America, and everyone around them speaks English. They're a bit chatty, so don't mind them." "No problem, Aunt and Uncle are very nice. Han, what do you need us to do?"

Zhou Hao was strong and tall, but his voice had a bit of a Southern accent. "There's a walnut grove on a nearby hill that needs weeding, and my daughter's vegetable garden needs help. Zhou Hao, let's go clear the weeds. Wu Miaomiao and Zhou Rui, you can help my daughter in the garden."

Wu Miaomiao and Zhou Rui were a bit surprised. Li Han looked about their age, and they didn't expect him to have a daughter. They thought his daughter must be quite old to have a vegetable garden and know how to plant. Wu Miaomiao and Zhou Rui hadn't seen Doudou in the videos they had seen over the past ten days.

Li Han drove the tractor with a flatbed, and his brother-in-law, father, and Zhou Hao sat on the flatbed. The flatbed also carried a few small lawn mowers for clearing the lawn and the small orchard. Li Han taught them how to use the equipment. The walk-behind mowers were easy to operate, and they learned quickly. Although it was easy to learn, the work was tiring and tedious. They worked all morning. Zhou Hao, who had done a lot of farm work, didn't complain and did a good job.

Li Han had initially intended to help out as a fellow Chinese, but seeing Zhou Hao do well, he nodded in approval. They worked hard clearing the weeds. At home, Doudou's vegetable garden, Wu Miaomiao and Zhou Rui met Li Han's daughter. The two little girls were so cute, and Wu Miaomiao and Zhou Rui each held one. Wu Miaomiao held Baby, and Zhou Rui held Doudou. The two little girls were adorable, dressed in Mario costumes. Doudou and Baby pouted, finding the two big sisters a bit strange.

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The story continues with the three students working hard and the family enjoying their time together, creating a warm and welcoming atmosphere on the farm.