Chapter 84

Xī, quickly help me, it's so hot." Hán Xīmǐn cried out, not expecting the beef and tofu soup to be so hot. Lǐ Xī hurriedly took the bowl of soup, looking at Hán Xīmǐn who was hopping around, holding her ears, Lǐ Xī really didn't know what to do with her. "Quickly rinse it in cold water."

"Okay, it's fine, Xī, the food Han made is so fragrant, smell it." Hán Xīmǐn blew on her fingers, and Lǐ Xī gave her a disapproving look. "You're still thinking about eating, go quickly, I really don't know what to do with you."

Hán Xīmǐn was pushed by Lǐ Xī to rinse her fingers in cold water. In the kitchen, Lǐ Hán was making small fish potstickers, mixing in some cornmeal. Each potsticker was golden and fragrant, paired with a rich, oily fish soup, it was a perfect match. Little Dūdū circled around several times, standing on tiptoe on the countertop, pulling at his father a few times. "Daddy, it smells so good, Dūdū is hungry." Lǐ Hán smiled and pinched Dūdū's little nose. "The sisters are guests, Dūdū can't sneak a bite, that's not polite."

"Okay, Dūdū will be good." Lǐ Hán smiled, picked up Dūdū, and placed him on the countertop. He pinched a potsticker, dipped it in the fish soup, and handed it to the little one. Dūdū smiled, opened his mouth wide, and enjoyed it, making sure the sisters didn't see. Lǐ Hán took the rack, wrapped a towel around it, and placed the small iron pot on it. "All done, let's eat."

Spicy grass shrimp, honey-glazed ham, tomato shrimp balls, beef and corn tofu soup, a pot of small fish soup, and a small bowl of crispy, golden corn potstickers. Hán Xīmǐn cheered, and Lǐ Xī felt a bit embarrassed. A table full of authentic Chinese dishes, with condiments brought from home, the colors, aroma, and taste were all perfect. Lǐ Xī took a bite of the honey-glazed ham and gave a thumbs up. "Hán, you're amazing, this is the best honey-glazed ham I've ever had, it's so delicious."

"Yes, yes, Hán, you're amazing, you must teach me, how can you make it so delicious?" Hán Xīmǐn helped Dūdū pick up the shrimp balls, praising with a pout, her voice a bit muffled. Dūdū couldn't hold the shrimp balls with his little chopsticks and pouted.

"Since you like it, eat more. Usually, it's just Dūdū and me, so we eat simply. Since we're happy today, how about some beer? I brewed it myself, it's quite good." Lǐ Hán smiled.

"Dūdū wants to drink beer too." Since Daddy and Uncle Wēilì like to drink, it must be very good. Lǐ Hán pinched Dūdū's little nose. "Kids can't drink beer, or the police will take Daddy away."

"Okay, Dūdū won't drink." Dūdū obediently said. "Good boy." Lǐ Hán asked, and to his surprise, Hán Xīmǐn and Lǐ Xī had good drinking capacity. They chatted while drinking beer, and by the end of the meal, the three of them were much more relaxed.

Hán Xīmǐn and Lǐ Xī cleaned up the dishes, saying they couldn't help with cooking but would help with the dishes. They usually cook, but it's simpler. Eating out in America is too expensive, and the two girls save a lot of money by cooking together. Dūdū helped, and Lǐ Hán was made to sit on the sofa and drink tea. There was no way out, so he drank tea, watching the two girls and Dūdū washing dishes in the kitchen. The lively Hán Xīmǐn and Dūdū made a lot of bubbles and played around, and Lǐ Xī felt a bit helpless, thinking they were really like children who never grow up.

Lǐ Hán leaned back on the sofa, smiling and sipping tea, his eyes half-closed. Little Dūdū was very happy today. "Oh." Lǐ Hán, lost in thought about Dūdū's mother, couldn't help but laugh and cry, catching Dūdū, who was full of bubbles, and patting his little bottom. "Naughty boy."

Lǐ Hán smeared some bubbles on Dūdū's nose, and Dūdū giggled, rolling around in Lǐ Hán's arms. Hán Xīmǐn covered her mouth and laughed, and Lǐ Xī shook her head, really not knowing what to do with her. After washing the dishes and disinfecting them, Lǐ Xī boiled a pot of black tea. The gifts from Lǐ Xī and Hán Xīmǐn were quite good. Dūdū's gift was a set of pretty clothes and Barbie dolls. Dūdū happily ran back to his little room, tucked himself into bed, and patted the toys, ready for a nap.

"The tea is quite good, thank you." Lǐ Hán took the cup of tea from Lǐ Xī. The black tea was quite good, both in color and taste. "Xī, see, I told you Hán would like it." Hán Xīmǐn was a bit proud. The black tea gift was chosen by Hán Xīmǐn, along with a set of tea ware.

After a short rest at noon, they drove the tractor to George's farm in the afternoon. As soon as they arrived, Hán Xīmǐn and Lǐ Xī were attracted by Dài Nà, who was riding a horse, herding cattle, and swinging a lasso. "So cool." The female cowboy was so impressive, the two girls were full of stars in their eyes, especially when Dài Nà neatly lassoed a calf. Hán Xīmǐn and Lǐ Xī's eyes were full of admiration. "So amazing." They had never even tried to lasso a calf, and they were scared when a calf approached.

Lǐ Hán didn't disturb Dài Nà's work, stopping the tractor at a distance. Hán Xīmǐn was very interested in the large tractor, saying that the tractor uncle in the TV show "Love Apartment" was very cute. Lǐ Hán looked puzzled, and Lǐ Xī explained that it was a romantic comedy from China.

Lǐ Hán said he had some tools to check out and learn from the tractor uncle in the show. Lǐ Xī and Hán Xīmǐn giggled. The cattle were herded to the designated pasture, and Dài Nà returned to the grove. "Hi, Hán, hello."

"You're so cool." Hán Xīmǐn looked at Dài Nà with stars in her eyes. "Thank you, do you want to learn to ride a horse?" Dài Nà was happy. "Me? Can I?" "Of course, it's very easy, come on, we can try."

Hán Xīmǐn was eager to try, looking back at Lǐ Hán. "Try it, the farm horses are very gentle, and Dài Nà is very skilled. Xī, you should come too, it would be a pity not to ride a horse on the farm." Dài Nà led two horses and returned to the shed to get two sets of saddles and pads.

Dài Nà's teaching was simple and direct, and Hán Xīmǐn and Lǐ Xī screamed in fear, but fortunately, the horses were well-trained. Lǐ Hán watched with bated breath, but it was all safe. "Hán, how about it? Do I look like a cowboy?" Soon, Hán Xīmǐn rode the horse slowly to Lǐ Hán, circling around, proudly showing off.

"Like, Dick Cowboy." "Who is Dick Cowboy?" Hán Xīmǐn asked, puzzled, turning to Lǐ Xī. Lǐ Xī couldn't help but laugh, and Hán Xīmǐn became even more puzzled. Lǐ Xī explained, and Hán Xīmǐn huffed, turned her horse, and ignored Lǐ Hán.

"Xī, I'm surprised, I didn't expect you to know Dick Cowboy." Lǐ Hán smiled. "I've heard of it occasionally, Hán, riding a horse is quite interesting." "Of course, you'll love it." Lǐ Hán smiled.

They spent the afternoon on the pasture, and the two girls had a great time. They rode horses, learned to drive the tractor, helped Dài Nà milk the cows, feed the lambs, clean the cowshed and sheep pen, and transport feed. Jiēm and Xiūdùn drove the large tractor back with bales of hay, and Hán Xīmǐn and Lǐ Xī returned to the small farm with Lǐ Hán.

On the way back, they chattered about the afternoon. When they returned to the small building, Dūdū woke up, playing a horse-riding game with Little White and White Wolf. Seeing his father and sisters return, he rode a little calf to greet them. The next day, Hán Xīmǐn and Lǐ Xī played all day, milking cows, boating, fishing, picking vegetables, helping Dūdū sell vegetables, planting vegetables, riding horses, herding cattle, driving the tractor to plow the fields, and barbecuing. They had a great time, especially Hán Xīmǐn, who even liked target shooting, trying both Lǐ Hán's revolver and rifle, scaring Lǐ Xī pale.

Lǐ Hán said it was fine, and they went to the town, where there was a music performance in the central square on the weekend. The atmosphere was great, and they had fast food for lunch, buying small souvenirs like cow bones, deer bones, and cow horns.

Cowboy hats and jeans, Lǐ Xī and Hán Xīmǐn chose a few pieces. The small trinkets were very interesting, and Hán Xīmǐn said she would bring them back for her classmates. On the third day, Lǐ Hán sent the two back, and they were quite reluctant, having had a great time. After sending Hán Xīmǐn and Lǐ Xī away, the farm returned to its peaceful state.

Lǐ Hán opened a small vegetable garden and planted seeds exchanged from the space. He considered Hán Xīmǐn and Lǐ Xī's suggestion about developing farm tourism. The farm now relied on cattle and sheep farming, which had a long profit cycle. Although the start was good, the prices of cattle and sheep were always affected by Wall Street, unlike tourism, which could be very profitable.

However, the farm's infrastructure was not very good, and developing tourism lacked unique features. Lǐ Xī suggested that Lǐ Hán create a "Chinese Home" to accommodate Chinese students, as the number of Chinese students studying abroad had been increasing in recent years. Besides the farm tourism projects, focusing on Chinese elements could be a good idea. Lǐ Hán thought about building a few Chinese-style thatched pavilions and small buildings, planting bamboo, and adding more Chinese elements. The ingredients could be authentic Chinese flavors, with unique dishes that other places didn't have.

Lǐ Hán thought it could be worth a try. The phone rang, and Wēilì called, saying that the Chris Hunting Ground would open the next day and invited Lǐ Hán to go hunting. "Okay, what do I need to prepare?" "A horse, hunting dogs, and a rifle. I heard there are more than ten wild boars, Hán, it's quite exciting."

"Sure, wild boars are fine, but a few rabbits would be nice." Lǐ Hán had forgotten about the Chris Hunting Ground with Lǐ Xī and Hán Xīmǐn. The horse was easy to find, and Little Red Date was good. The hunting dogs were a bit of a problem, so he would check the space and, if necessary, borrow Dūdū's White Wolf.