When hearing Darcy's words, Hosea's inner worry lessened a little. His inner expectation increased instead.
Just as Arthur said, they all dreamed of living a normal life. They all expected to lead a truly free life under Darcy's leadership in the future.
But still, as he said before, these people couldn't possibly be idle. They had grown up living in a drifting, robbing, fighting, and fleeing environment. Their minds had long adapted to this so-called gang life. Their lives had already become those of wanted criminals.
If they were to be given a farm to run and have them shovel manure every day, they wouldn't last more than a week before they would directly erupt in riots.
Those who could truly adapt to a stable life, who liked a stable life and enjoyed it, among these main characters, there were only three.
The first was Abigail, the second was Mary Linton, and the third was Kieran.
All of them had followed gang life for too long, especially Arthur, Darcy, and Hosea.
However, now, their hearts were still full of expectations. After all, what they hadn't obtained was the best for them.
Hosea and Darcy walked into the bank.
The bank of Valentin was bustling with people. After all, it was a livestock town, and the flow of people was still quite large.
Darcy and Hosea went to the front desk, and the staff behind the counter immediately gathered around them.
"Hello, gentlemen. What can I do for you?" A white-collar worker asked in a lukewarm tone.
"Oh, sir, we would like to consult about farms or pastures. May I ask if you have any farms for sale here?" Darcy chuckled twice and then reached out to push a dollar tip over.
The staff who had been so lukewarm before suddenly had their eyes brighten, and they secretly reached out to put the tip into their own pocket, their smiles instantly as bright as chrysanthemums.
"Oh, gentlemen, dear and beloved gentlemen! You really came at the right time. We just happen to have three farms that have been taken back by the bank. Oh, dear gentlemen, let me introduce our bank's president to you!" The staff smiled so wide that their eyes narrowed, then walked out from the back, knocked on the door of the adjacent office, and walked in.
"Wait a moment, gentlemen!"
Darcy nodded and stood beside Hosea waiting.
A dollar price seemed insignificant to players when they were playing games. But in reality, it was very valuable now. John worked on the ranch for eight years and could earn three dollars a day. In 1900, an office clerk's monthly salary was only 28 dollars. Although the gap between the two seemed very large, this was the West, and the intrinsic value of the dollar would continue to rise.
So this dollar price was basically about the same as the current 500 yuan (1 dollar in 1899 was equivalent to 29-32 dollars in 2019, and the dollar would depreciate even more now, but the conversion still holds.) .
Damn it! The tip money was 400 dollars. If it were the author, the author would kneel down and serve them directly.
The conversation inside was even more rapid. This kind of purchasing a ranch was a big deal for the bank. So when they heard a wealthy person who was generous come to buy a farm, the bank president almost immediately rushed out.
"Sir, oh sir, esteemed sir, please follow me. We have detailed information about these three ranches here.
Morrison, hurry up and serve tea to the two gentlemen!" Bank president Bander bent over and walked towards Darcy and Hoshea, and they entered the inner room.
"Sir, these are the only three ranches that we have in Valentin. Two of them are large ranches and one is a small farm. Here are their detailed information.
Oh, sir, please have some tea." Bander smiled and invited Darcy and Hoshea to sit on the chairs behind the table. Then two cups of hot tea were brought in and respectfully placed beside them.
And a detailed farm information had been passed over.
"Oh, dear Mr. President, you are too polite. My name is Arthur, Arthur Callahan. I don't know your name yet." Darcy introduced Arthur's usual pseudonym.
"Oh, I'm John, John Tacitus." Hoshea blurted out John's pseudonym.
The two looked at each other with understanding, their eyes full of smiles.
"Oh, dear gentlemen, my name is Bander, Bander Mathewson. It's a pleasure to meet you!" Bander stood beside the two with a smile and an respectful tone.
Although he made a lot of money in this place, it was only limited to embezzling money and then lending it privately, but he still needed to return it. And the profit from a farm was usually enough to cover the earnings from lending dozens or even tens of loans.
This made him respectful, or rather, respectful towards the rich.
This was the main theme of the American melody.
"Then, Mr. Bander, could you introduce the specific differences of these three ranches to us? Maybe we'll come to negotiate tomorrow after we make a selection." Darcy took out a cigar and Bander, who was standing beside him, saw it and hurriedly bowed forward to light it with a match.
"Oh, Mr. Callahan, it's like this. Our current three ranches are two large and one small. Two are large ranches and one is a small farm.
One of the large ranches is located at the intersection of Strawberry Town and the Valentin Junction, covering an area of 400 acres (about 2,400 mu). The price is 1,300 dollars.
This place is very suitable for grazing. The grass is lush and the temperature is moderate, so the price will be a little higher.
The other one is located in the middle of Roz Town and Valentin, covering 450 acres. The price is much cheaper, only 1,200 dollars.
Although this place is a bit larger, half of its area is in the desert, with sparse grass and not suitable for grazing or planting. If Mr. Arthur wants a large ranch, then we still recommend the first one the best.
And there is only one small farm at present, which is the Downs Farm. However, we need to give poor Mr. Downs two days for relocation. The Downs Farm is not very large, only 150 acres, and it is located in a remote area, so the price is a little lower, only 500 dollars.
If, Mr. Arthur, if you want to purchase, perhaps we can have someone show you around first." Darcy nodded and looked at the regional map.
The ranch in the middle of Strawberry Town and Valentin is called: Hope Dream. The location is exactly in the middle of Strawberry Town and Valentin, not close to the snow-capped mountains. The temperature remains between 10 to 20 degrees Celsius all year round, not too cold or too hot. The vegetation is lush and it is very suitable for grazing. The second area for the Bald Eagle Ranch is a bit less than ideal. The general area is located in the Gobi Desert behind the horse-trap platform, and half of it is near the Emerald Town. The vegetation is decent, but the temperature is a bit higher. The main advantage is the plain.
As for the Downs Farm, I think we might as well not bother with it!
"Arthur, well, perhaps we need this Bald Eagle Ranch. Because this place is closer to Valentin and Roz Town, and even not too far from Saint Denis. But I think the location of this ranch is a bit too remote."
Husain looked at the area division on the map and expressed his suggestion.
Darcy shook his head and said in a deep voice: "No, John. I think we can buy both of these ranches."