Chapter 79

Not long after returning to the farm, Cynthia called, saying that a tour group had come to the town. They had watched Dudu's vegetable planting videos on Facebook, and someone had organized a group of thirty people to buy vegetables to support Dudu.

Cynthia had just received a call from a classmate, saying that the group was almost at the Kemi Star town. Cynthia called Li Han to let him know. Li Han didn't expect this and quickly took Dudu, driving a pickup truck to the town to prepare to pick up the group. On the way, Li Han called Willie and Kedi, and Bill, as there weren't enough vehicles.

The arrival of the thirty-person vegetable-buying group caused quite a stir. Kemi Star town rarely saw so many tourists. Li Han called Willie to borrow his large flatbed truck to help transport the vegetable-buying group to the farm to pick vegetables.

When they arrived at the town, Cynthia had already been waiting at the entrance for a while. Li Han parked the car, took Dudu's hand, and walked towards Cynthia, smiling. "Cynthia, I'm really troubling you. How much longer will they be here?" "No need to be polite. Dudu is my student. It's about ten more minutes. Facebook has been updating the information about this vegetable-buying trip." Cynthia opened her phone and pointed to the latest update on Facebook.

Li Han looked at the phone and nodded. "Let's sit down and have a cup of coffee, shall we?" "Sure, the iced coffee here is quite good, and the cake is delicious." Cynthia led Li Han to a roadside outdoor café and introduced it with a smile.

Li Han ordered two iced coffees, a piece of cake for Dudu and Cynthia, and a glass of juice for Dudu. Dudu sat next to Cynthia, and the two got along very well. Li Han tasted the coffee and found it quite unique. "It really is good. Does Cynthia need anything else?" "No, thank you, Han." Cynthia took small bites of the cake and played with a small fork while Dudu played. Li Han smiled and sipped his coffee, waiting.

Soon, Willie arrived with a tractor and a flatbed truck. The flatbed truck, about ten meters long, was loaded with hay bales. He turned around at the intersection and parked. Li Han waved and ordered an iced cola. "Willie, over here. Rest for a bit. The truck just arrived at Kemi Star, it needs a few minutes."

"Hey, Cynthia, Pandora, Han." Willie took off his cowboy hat and greeted them, then picked up the cola and took a big sip. "That's refreshing. The weather is damn hot." "When we get back to the farm, I'll treat you to a cold beer and some grilled meat. How about that?" Li Han said with a smile.

"Han, that sounds great. Does Cynthia want a beer?" Willie finished his cola and felt much better. Hearing about the beer, he got excited. "Willie, Cynthia has classes in the afternoon, so no beer. The grilled meat is good, and you can try the vegetable salad."

"Thanks, Han. I'm sure it will be delicious." Cynthia nodded in agreement, and Dudu nodded enthusiastically, raising his hand. "Yeah, the meat is the best, and Dad's cake is also delicious." Dudu counted the delicious things on his fingers, and Cynthia didn't mind, but Willie was quite eager.

Soon, Kedi and Kelly arrived. They ordered iced coffees but didn't finish them. The vegetable-buying group's car arrived, and they got off at the town. Li Han took Dudu's hand and went forward to greet them. Dudu, the little star, received many small gifts.

The organizer, Rick, was in his twenties, quite young, and spoke and acted very openly, especially as a Chinese American. Li Han was very happy to see Chinese and international students in Kemi Star, which was rare. "Let's go back to the farm and rest for a bit. It must have been a tiring journey."

Rick called everyone to gather their belongings and follow Li Han to Willie's flatbed truck. The long flatbed truck, loaded with hay bales, was quite interesting. Many people took out their phones to take photos and upload them to Facebook. Li Han was curious about the phones, as he hadn't seen many in China before coming to the U.S. He hadn't used a phone in the U.S. for years, but it was quite interesting to take photos and upload them. "Everyone, get in the truck. We're heading back to the farm."

Rick called out, and everyone got in the truck. They were all young people, mostly Facebook users and international students from Washington State. Rick, who had organized the trip during a summer vacation, had a lot of influence. Everyone got on the truck, sat on the hay bales, and took many photos.

Once everyone was seated, Willie waved and started the tractor. The flatbed truck slowly moved forward. The scenery along the way was beautiful, and occasionally, some cute animals like squirrels and rabbits would cross the road. They were quite lucky to see two white-tailed deer, which excited everyone. They took many photos as they returned to the small farm.

When they got off the flatbed truck, they looked around. The green lawn, the distant grass, and the small patches of purple and yellow flowers were beautiful. Two lambs and a fawn, a white cow, a chestnut horse, and a large white dog were leisurely grazing. A small golden retriever was playing with a large turtle, creating a very interesting scene. The girls especially liked the flowers and the fawn and lambs, while the boys preferred the chestnut horse and the white dog.

When they arrived at the small courtyard, the beautiful tulips and flower beds around the fence caught the girls' attention. Their eyes sparkled, and they took photos or uploaded them. Li Han, Willie, Kedi, and Kelly were a bit puzzled. Li Han looked at Cynthia, who shrugged. Li Han was amused, as he had thought they were from nearby towns to buy Dudu's organic vegetables, but they turned out to be young international students.

The purple and yellow grass fields outside the farm attracted everyone's attention. Rick walked over to Li Han and asked, "Han, can we take some photos on this grass?" "Sure." The grass was for livestock and could withstand being walked on. When Rick told the group, the girls were excited and clapped, taking many photos. Li Han realized that most of them were international students, mostly from China, and he was very happy to see so many compatriots.

Li Han was very happy to meet people from China and warmly showed them around the small farm. The rolling hills and lush new grass fields were beautiful from a distance. Willie and Kedi were very envious of Li Han's new grass fields, which were well-maintained with few weeds and mostly rye and alfalfa. The alfalfa fields were blooming, creating a sea of purple, yellow, and red flowers. In a couple of weeks, the alfalfa and rye would be ready for harvest.

Li Han led the group around the farm and, of course, didn't forget to visit Dudu's vegetable garden. Picking vegetables was the main purpose of their visit. Li Han prepared some small baskets and distributed them to everyone. The group followed Dudu, who led them to the garden. When they opened the small wooden gate, they saw climbing beans, flat beans, and luffa with various small flowers, giving the garden a garden-like feel. Dudu led everyone into the garden, and their first reaction was, "It's so beautiful, like a garden."

The garden was well-maintained, with some rare varieties of vegetables like Buddha's hand and snake beans. The lettuce, cucumbers, and tomatoes were planted in small sections with small signs. Dudu's organic vegetable sign was the most prominent. The tomatoes were just ready for market, large and red. Li Han smiled and picked some for everyone to taste. "Han, is there a water source here to wash the vegetables?" Rick asked.

Li Han smiled and said, "No need to wash them. These vegetables haven't been sprayed with pesticides. Try them and see how they taste." Li Han took a big bite and passed the vegetables to Cynthia, Willie, Kedi, and Kelly. Dudu picked a small basket for everyone to taste.

Willie and Kedi didn't hesitate and took big bites. "They taste great, sweet and sour, with a lot of juice and thick flesh." After tasting the tomatoes, lettuce, and cucumbers, the atmosphere improved. Willie and Kedi chatted enthusiastically with the girls, and Kelly seemed curious about college life. Cynthia introduced Dudu to Rick, and Dudu was very happy to have so many uncles and aunts helping him pick vegetables.

Dudu was the best at picking vegetables, while the uncles and aunts were quite clumsy. They broke the lettuce, and Dudu, like a little teacher, taught them how to pick lettuce, tomatoes, and cucumbers. After a while, Dudu pouted, as he couldn't teach them well.

Dudu ran to his father and pulled Li Han down. "Dad, what's wrong?" Dudu whispered in his father's ear, "Dad, the uncles and aunts are so clumsy, they can't pick vegetables." Dudu frowned, and Li Han couldn't help but laugh, gently rubbing Dudu's head.

"It's okay, Dudu. Go tell the uncles and aunts and teach them how to pick vegetables. Be patient." Dudu nodded and spent some time teaching them. Many of the uncles and aunts learned how to pick vegetables, and Dudu was happy. He picked cucumbers, tomatoes, lettuce, and cilantro, which he would help his father cook later.

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