When James Feng got home, the house was almost completely cleaned, and the swimming pool was temporarily left to dry. He walked around the front and back yards, feeling quite satisfied with the thorough service provided by the housekeeping company.
After the cleaning, the entire house looked brand new and remarkably comfortable. However, the only drawback was the cost.
It cost a thousand dollars just to cut down a couple of trees. No wonder people say labour in the U.S. is expensive. James had used a chainsaw to saw down two trees in the backyard in less than an hour, and yet, the bill came to a thousand dollars.
After accounting for the rest of the services, he ended up signing a check for four thousand dollars.
"They're robbing me in broad daylight!" James sat on the newly bought sofa and sighed.
Joanna, unfazed, said, "If you stay here long enough, you'll find that every male homeowner becomes quite skilled at handling small tasks like weeding, building flowerbeds, and repairing household appliances. Labor costs are so high that it makes sense to do these things yourself."
"Looks like I'll have to start learning." James made a note in his notebook.
Joanna smiled; her mouth curled up. "You're so meticulous, I am sure you will come around it"
"Thanks for the compliment," James said with newfound American-style confidence. "By the way, now that the place is clean, I feel it's missing something. I'm thinking of getting a dog and maybe a few horses. With a 20-acre property, it seems like a waste not to have a small riding area. What do you think?"
Joanna thought for a moment and said, "I can take you to the city tomorrow to look for dogs. As for the horses, I've checked out your property. The soil quality is average, but luckily, there aren't many rocks. That means the horses won't suffer much hoof damage. However, there's no large horse market nearby."
James chuckled. "No need to be so professional about it. I'm just thinking of buying a few horses for fun. The space here is too small for anything serious."
"Alright, I'll keep an eye out for any sales nearby. No need to rush into it," Joanna said.
The next day, James and Joanna set off for the city. James visited a pet store but didn't find any dogs that met his standards. He wanted a medium-to-large breed—something smart, preferably a hunting dog like a German shepherd. The only suitable dog available was a second-hand husky.
James shared his thoughts with Joanna, who was busy playing with a small dog. Without hesitation, she suggested they visit Obisburg, a town a bit farther away. Though the journey was long, it turned out to be worthwhile.
The store there had several renowned hunting breeds and even fierce fighting dogs like Argentine Dogos and American Pit Bulls.
James eventually chose two purebred flat-coated retrievers, both only a few months old. They were dark, intelligent, calm, and non-aggressive.
Though not ideal for guarding the house, they were strong and easy to train, making them suitable for hunting in fields and forests. The store owner priced them at two thousand dollars each and recommended training them as proper hunting dogs, emphasizing that they weren't mere lapdogs.
James mentioned he intended to raise them on the vineyard to help control rodents. After that clarification, the deal was made.
Taking the two puppies' home, James decided to name them "Er Tiao" and "Fa Cai." Joanna, who had spent some time in Hong Kong, immediately recognized the humor in the names and gave him a disapproving look.
Scratching his head, James admitted he wasn't great at naming pets. After some thought, he changed their names to "Pipi" and "Eggy," which were easier to pronounce in both Chinese and English. Joanna finally accepted the names after hearing them several times.
Both Pipi and Eggy had already been weaned, so feeding them just required dog food. When James had free time, he enjoyed driving his quad bike around the property with the puppies in baskets on either side, racing at full speed down the dirt paths and kicking up clouds of dust from the hilltops to the valleys.
After having his fun, James would inspect his vineyard. The property was vast, roughly a square with each side measuring about 1.2 kilometers.
Walking the whole area would be exhausting, while driving would be too quick. The all-terrain vehicle was the perfect solution. Occasionally, he would stop to repair fallen stakes with a hammer.
The vineyard mostly grew Cabernet Sauvignon, a variety popular among the nearby vineyards as well. James wanted to taste the grapes, but they were still far from ripe. Old John, one of the workers, explained that even when ripe, Cabernet Sauvignon grapes weren't suitable for eating since they were specifically cultivated for winemaking.
James followed the workers along the rows of vines, observing their tasks. They used pickup trucks or all-terrain vehicles to haul mobile toilets, essential given the large size of the vineyard. Inspired by this, James later purchased two second-hand pickups for the workers.
The workers were busy pruning the vines and ensuring they grew in the right direction to facilitate mechanical harvesting later. James asked a few questions about fertilizer and irrigation, and thanks to his professional background, his questions were particularly insightful.
After inspecting the vineyard, he visited the workers' quarters. The utility room was filled with agricultural equipment, fertilizers, and other supplies. The front yard had a small plot where the workers grew vegetables, mainly tomatoes. James parked his vehicle, grabbed a few bags of fertilizer, and headed back home.
While he enjoyed the laid-back lifestyle, James also wanted to generate income. Although he had over eight million dollars in the bank, he knew that without proper investments, even that amount could quickly dwindle. Selling diamonds was still uncertain, especially without clarity on whether they were natural or synthetic.
James decided to revisit an old idea: selling plant fertilizers. Despite being rejected in China, he wasn't discouraged. He believed that when he found the right market, he could make a substantial profit.
Just then, Jessie, one of the vineyard workers, drove up in a pickup truck. Seeing James standing in the sun with a bag of fertilizer in hand and two black puppies chewing on his pants, she couldn't help but smile.
"Hey, boss! What are you doing?" Jessie asked.
James saw Jessie in her cowgirl outfit and figured she might know more about fertilizers than he did. Walking over, he asked, "Do you know how to translate these ingredient abbreviations?"
Jessie examined the bag. "This is for fertilizing tomatoes—probably a nitrogen and phosphorus compound. Why?"
"Just curious," James replied with a smile.
Jessie raised an eyebrow, unconvinced. James relented. "Alright, I studied agriculture in college."
"Oh, impressive!" Jessie said. "Actually, I need your help with something."
"What is it?" James asked.
Jessie pointed to a road running through the vineyard. "Our neighbors, the Bury family, want to use this road. They ran into a traffic jam on the other side because someone is unloading goods. They asked if they could pass through your property."
James agreed and drove with Jessie to meet the Bury family.
"Hello, I'm Mark Bury," the man greeting him was a white male in his early fifties, dressed in typical cowboy attire—denim, a plaid shirt, and a round-brimmed hat.
"James Feng, nice to meet you," James said, shaking hands.
Mark explained the situation and asked for permission to pass through with three vehicles, each making two trips.
"No problem. Are three vehicles enough? I can help if you need it," James offered.
Mark smiled. "Thanks for your generosity. That's plenty... You're not like the previous owner—a stingy guy who was obsessed with protecting his property rights. Old John says you're a nice guy. I think you look like a real cowboy!"
James laughed, pleased with his new "cowboy" title. He watched as the vehicles passed through, loaded with machinery for the Bury family's farm. Later, Mark's son, Henry, came over and greeted James with a friendly fist bump.
"Hey, are you from China?" Henry asked.
"Yes," James nodded.
"Do you know Chinese Kung Fu?" Henry asked excitedly.
"A little," James replied modestly. He had learned some grappling techniques as a child and taken a martial arts course in college.
"Cool! Bruce Lee! Master!" Henry said, trying to mimic some fighting moves.
James couldn't help but laugh. He agreed to show a few basic moves, drawing an eager crowd, including Joanna and Henry's younger sister, Mary. After the impromptu demonstration, everyone applauded enthusiastically.
James felt relieved that he hadn't embarrassed himself. Over the next few days, he casually taught Henry some moves, but his enthusiasm waned as time went on. Eventually, he downloaded a "Kung Fu tutorial" for Henry and left him to it.
One day, Henry dressed in a Chinese exercise suit he had bought online, excitedly following the tutorial. As he pressed play, the screen displayed the eighth set of national radio gymnastics for middle school students, accompanied by a triumphant soundtrack. The words, "The times are calling," echoed melodiously through the room.