MTL - The Best Small Farm-Chapter 1 Foreign country
Chapter 1 A Foreign Land
Montana is located in the western part of the United States. It has many highlands, high mountains and deep valleys, with an average altitude of about 1,000 meters. It is divided into two parts, east and west. The west accounts for 1/3 of the total area. The eastern part accounts for 2/3 and is part of the northern Great Plain. The undulating and gentle land is open and vast, with sparse trees and flocks of cattle and sheep.
There are large and small farms all over the state. There are hundreds of large and small farms around the small town of Comixing in northern Canada, mostly small and medium-sized farms. Today, a protest team of no less than 30 people gathered in the central square of Mixing Town in the morning, which is rarely seen in the town, holding protest signs and shouting protest signs. In the corner of the crowd, a young man holding a Jewish child is particularly noticeable. His black hair and yellow skin are obviously different from the white people around him. Especially the Jewish child holds square Chinese characters in his hands. Needless to say, this is a Chinese or a Chinese. is Chinese. The demonstration lasted from 7:00 am to about 10:00 am. For three hours, everyone was hungry. Seeing that it was getting late, the organizers announced the end of the protest. Started to have lunch.
"It's **** weather, it's really hot, **** Max, betrayed us, by the way, Han, do you have time in the afternoon? Mark and Tim asked us to play baseball together." Li Han took the Coke that Willi handed over, He gulps down half the bottle, burps, and shakes his head slightly.
"Not today, my Millie is still waiting for me, **** the weather, on Sunday, David organized a rugby game, I have already agreed, Willie, Millie, come over when you have time, there is a party at night. "Li Han spreads the roast chicken, and hands the chicken legs to the big-eyed, drooling Mikichi, a Jewish child. As for Mili, a three-month-old golden retriever, the power was given to Li Han, and the little guy still has it." When I was little, when the puppy was the most annoying, when the puppy just left its mother or stayed at home all the time, it would bark "woo~~woo~~". With his shoulders down, his head lowered, he stands on its "turf" weakly. Even if a ball rolls over, he won't even look at it. As if in "what's the fun in a ball". "Hu" sighed, trying to make himself sleep. At this time, only the love of the owner can give it gentleness. Li Han didn't bring Milly with him today, so he didn't dare to waste too much time.
"It's a pity, this time, the two generals, Mark and Tim, will definitely teach Hamilton and the others a hard lesson." Wei Li pouted, and unceremoniously tore open the roast chicken wings and stuffed them into his mouth. "Han, your roast chicken is really good."
Li Han tore off a chicken leg and handed the whole roast chicken to Weili. "Thank you, I was afraid that you wouldn't like it. These are for you. I'll go back first. I must teach the arrogant Hamilton and the others a lesson."
"Han, I'll let Mickey help you take a picture. I must let this guy Hamilton know that the Mi Xing baseball team is great." Willi stood up and shouted to Li Han who was walking away, putting on a baseball cap and holding a hand with one hand. With a baseball bat and a roast chicken in one hand. Mickey waved his chicken legs to say goodbye to Li Han. Mickey couldn't speak, but the little guy was very lively. He usually liked to play baseball with the power. Of course, Mickey also liked Li Han's roast chicken.
One morning, Li Han, Wei Li, and Mickey were protesting. Speaking of protests, it was quite new at first. Of course, Li Han has become accustomed to it now. It has been five years since Li Han came to the United States and four years since he came to Montana. He has been working on the farm. The farmer who worked for Li Han died a year ago. Li Han used the $120,000 he saved to buy a small farm from the farmer's son.
This relatively small farm covers an area of 168 acres (about 1000 acres), and has a 3-bedroom, 2-bathroom house with an area of 1769 feet (about 160 square meters). The farm currently has cattle and horses, surrounded by small streams, 3 ponds, 2 wells, and 40 acres of virgin forest. This is a hunter's paradise, including 200 fully mature and economically valuable walnut trees. . The house was renovated in 1988, and a second building site was opened up. At the time of purchase, the well and septic tank were already built. The farm also has a workshop, 4 cowsheds, and 2 stablemates.
Li Han was more fortunate. The farmer’s son in New York owed a considerable amount of debt due to the financial crisis. He had no money to pay inheritance tax at all. He had to transfer the farm at a low price of 300,000 US dollars at the time of 120,000 US dollars plus ten The debt of ten thousand dollars was transferred to Li Han. Li Han took the opportunity to obtain a green card, but he just didn't expect that it would be so difficult to operate a small farm in the United States. Not only did Li Han not pay off the debt of $100,000 in the past year, but the farm operation was somewhat difficult. Instead of getting up early this morning, Li Han rushed to the town to participate in the joint protest of small and medium farmers against the government's policy of unequal agricultural subsidies, hoping to get some attention.
Farewell to Weili, Li Han drove his pickup truck back to the farm for more than ten minutes. The car stopped by the road at will, and went back to the room to take a cold shower. It was really hot. This summer is much hotter than before. After taking a bath, I felt much more comfortable. I opened the refrigerator and scooped a cup of iced sour plum soup. I sat comfortably on the sofa and turned on the phone recording. Li Han doesn't have a mobile phone, but it's not because of money problems. The main mobile phone is inconvenient to carry, and there are telephones around.
The first phone call was from the bank. The loan of US$50,000 that Li Han applied for was not approved, but the loan of US$10,000 was approved, which is not a small gain. A slight smile appeared on Li Han's mouth, and he finally approved it. With ten thousand dollars, he could refurbish the machinery, and the seed money would be enough.
"Hehe, it seems that the protest has some effect, and it's not in vain." Li Han drank the sour plum soup that was left in the cup in one gulp. The second call was Li Han's mother, and he said that most of it was to let Li Han pay attention to his body, not too much. Tired, have to eat on time, always small things, or talk about some things happening at home.
Since Li Han took over the farm, he has only returned once a year. He didn't even go back during the Spring Festival last year. The two blizzards last winter caused heavy losses to the farm. Four cowsheds and stables collapsed. If Li Han hadn't cleaned up the workshop in time. Snow, maybe the same as the cowshed.
The two sudden blizzards not only destroyed the cowshed and stables, but nearly half of Li Han's chickens and ducks were killed or injured. Not only did he not make a penny in a year, but he also spent a year of his work and a few rooms in vain. The cowshed, fortunately, did not raise cattle and sheep due to financial problems.
Li Han sighed after listening to his mother's nagging. He left home at the age of eighteen and came to the United States to work hard. For nearly five years, he has nothing to say, but he has nothing to be proud of. Except for being fluent in English and forgetting most of his hometown dialect, as for Li Han thought about selling the farm and returning to China, not to mention the farm debt, just thinking about what he would do when he returned to China with a hundred thousand dollars. To buy a house, a small city can only buy a hundred square meters, let alone a big city.
Li Han put down the cup, hesitantly dialed the home phone again and again. "Mom, it's me, Xiao Han, why haven't you slept so late?" Li Han hesitated just now, for fear of disturbing the rest of the two old people. It's now more than twelve late at night.
"In the afternoon, your sister brought the baby here. The little guy was very annoying. He was playing with his uncle all night. He just fell asleep, little man. It's nothing to do in the morning. , My dad and I were watching the news, there were a lot of protests, it was a mess."
Li Han regretted telling his mother about this. Protests and demonstrations in the United States are actually nothing, and I don’t know how many every day. Especially, Li Han’s participation is completely safe, but he just stood there for a few hours with a sign. "Mom, I know. I won't participate next time. Don't worry about you and Dad."
"What's the use of protesting, it's messy, maybe there are good people who make trouble, how bad it hurts, the United States is not home, and if you have anything in the future, you should discuss it with your father, and,,,." Zhang Xiuying said for ten years Minutes, some small things, nagging, Li Han smiled, did not defend, did not explain much, just kept agreeing. "Mom, don't worry, I'm not a child, I will take care of myself, you should rest early, don't worry about me, everything is fine."
"Your sister is by my side, you can talk to her." Zhang Xiuying handed the phone to her daughter Li Mei. "Little man, come back, have you eaten yet?"
"Have you eaten, sister, is the baby asleep?" Li Mei is four years older than Li Han, married early, and has a three-and-a-half-year-old daughter, baby, the little girl is chubby and big eyes, especially cute, because Li Han was not with the two old people. Li Mei took the baby home to live when he was free. With the baby, he was naughty and the family was lively and popular.
Li Pinghe and Zhang Xiuying are also very happy. Li Han is very close to his little niece who has not seen much, and from time to time buys some toys and sends them back.
"Sleep, this girl is playing crazy. I haven't seen any spare time for a day, and I have been pestering my father to make her a rocking chair. It's noisy." Li Mei doesn't have the determination and perseverance of her younger brother. She is just an ordinary woman, child, husband, Parents, and a worry-free younger brother, that's all she has.
"Sister, have you finished the visa you mentioned last time?" With a green card, Li Han can apply for his family to visit relatives in the United States.
"Your brother-in-law has already been there. The procedure is rather troublesome. It will take at least half a month to decide." Li Mei said softly.
"It only takes half a month. That's great. Sister, I'll take you and brother-in-law. The baby is here to have fun." Li Han was excited. His parents could live in the United States for a while, but Li Han had been looking forward to it for many years.
"Okay, the baby is making a fuss to ride a big horse." Li Mei is very happy, the whole family is a teacher, only this younger brother has been noisy since he was a child, but now he is very capable. The United States has opened a farm, how big is the area of thousands of acres, think Thinking about it, my colleague heard that he was going to the United States for a summer vacation, and his eyes were envious and his heart was full of joy. It is not easy to go abroad in a small county, especially in the teacher's dormitory building. I don't know how much I envy my parents.
"Okay." Li Han secretly made up his mind that before the baby came, he had to borrow a horse so he couldn't let the child down. After hanging up the phone, Li Han made up his mind that he could not let his parents and sister worry about himself, and the farm should take a good rest.
(end of this chapter)
