I am a local in North America

Chapter 77 Returning to the Ranch: Renovation and Transformation (4500 words, please subscribe!)
Continue searching for a pet store to buy things for the kitten.

Soon after, Su Jerry came out of the pet store again, stuffing the newly bought litter box, food bowl, water bowl, a large bag of cat food, and several toys into the trunk, while the medium-sized cat cage was placed on the passenger seat.

He also saw a very beautiful, extra-large wooden cat cabinet in the store, the kind with a small wooden house, a climbing frame, and floor-to-ceiling glass windows, but the price was too expensive, priced at $5699.

The exquisite design and spacious interior conjured up images of a kitten leisurely strolling around and lazily basking in the sun. He stood in front of the cat cabinet for a while, but unfortunately, the price was far beyond his budget.

Thinking that he could have a similar one custom-made when he built his new house, Su Jierui didn't ask about the price and decided to make do for now.

It was around 8 p.m. that evening.

The phone ringing broke the silence in the living room.

Grandpa Su called and asked him:
"I just got a call from old James. He mentioned that you saved his granddaughter. Didn't you just get back? What happened?"

Su Jerry was lying on his sofa at home.

The little golden tabby also lay on his belly, occasionally getting up and walking around, quite lively, and sometimes rubbing its fluffy little head against his hand, making satisfied purring sounds.

After briefly explaining the cause and effect, Su Jierui added a final sentence:
"I wouldn't say I saved her, I just happened to run into her on the way and helped her out. It wasn't until I saw Uncle Alex that I realized she was Aunt Miranda's daughter."

"Oh...I see."

Grandpa Su's voice on the other end of the phone sounded somewhat dazed:

"Old James praised you so much that I felt a little embarrassed. I thought you really had saved their family's life again."

After finishing his sentence, Grandpa Su sighed slightly, his tone carrying a hint of elder's感慨 (gǎnkǎi, a complex emotion encompassing both admiration and reflection), and said to Su Jerry:

"I watched your Aunt Miranda grow up. When she decided to marry into Texas, her father was not very supportive of the marriage, and sure enough, they got divorced... That guy was obviously unreliable, always talking nonsense, just bragging about how big his house was and how deep his oil well was."

Su Jierui listened quietly, scratching the little golden shaded dog's chin with his finger, which made it purr even louder.

If we start counting from the generation of his great-grandfather, the relationship between the Su family and the Lancaster family can be traced back to the fourth generation, with Su Jerry.

His grandfather had an extremely close relationship with James Lancaster the Elder; they were practically childhood friends.

In Su's father's generation, they would occasionally meet with their peers, such as Alex Lancaster and Miranda Lancaster, and have meals together on Thanksgiving or Christmas.

The family relationships continued down to Su Jierui's generation, but they had long since stopped interacting. They could only say they knew each other and had a slight understanding of each other, but they might not see each other even once a year, as they lived in different circles.

In addition, Aunt Miranda had previously married and settled in Texas, and rarely brought her daughter Lillian back. It's normal that Su Jerry didn't recognize Lillian when he saw her.

After understanding what had happened, Old Master Su quickly moved on from that topic and instead asked:
"Are you free tomorrow? If you are, my grandson and I can go to the beaver ranch together and find some workers to renovate the holiday cabins. We also need to repair some of the fences."

Before Su Jierui could answer, he continued enthusiastically:
"And the cattle and sheep on the ranch. A few days ago, I made a special trip to my friend's ranch to ask him how to manage a large ranch of more than 1200 acres."

"He heard that you quietly bought such a big ranch, and it's right next to Olympic National Park. He was so envious his face almost contorted, hahaha!"

"...You went to tell your friend about this on your own initiative? The fact that you weren't kicked out means you have a pretty good relationship."

Su Jierui's lips twitched. He felt helpless about his grandfather's childlike boasting attitude and suddenly thought of his friends Tang Jie and the others.

Grandpa Su snorted on the other end of the phone, saying indifferently:

"It's alright. Back then, his daughter got into the Department of Astrophysics at Princeton University and studied under a Nobel laureate. She bragged about it in front of me quite a bit. I still remember that grudge."

"I've inquired for you. Calves need to be pre-ordered. Otherwise, if you miss the big livestock trading day, even if you can buy a batch of calves, the price will be much higher than at the trading fair."

“Your ranch is currently empty, so build a cattle pen in advance. This year, raising a hundred or eighty cows shouldn’t be a problem. It will also allow them to clear away the weeds.”

“If you raise 100 half-grown calves that are about to be fattened from the beginning of the year to the end, and each cow makes a gross profit of $1000, then 100 cows would be $10. You should at least make back the taxes, otherwise you will lose about $3 just by holding this ranch.”

“I happen to have some spare cash here. You also went fishing and won a prize, so let's pool our money and buy as much as we can…”

Feeling that Grandpa was oversimplifying things, Su Jierui sat up straight and asked:

“Building a cattle pen is a huge project. Is it possible to start raising cattle this year? We don’t have septic tanks, sewage treatment facilities, or clean water irrigation systems yet. We’ll probably need to apply for some permits, which is quite troublesome. Maybe we should start raising cattle in the second half of the year?”

"Ah Rou suggested that I develop the business in the direction of a tourist ranch, but the design drafts haven't been completed yet."

"How about we wait a bit longer, and buy cattle to fatten them up after we've finished cleaning up..."

Old Master Su was clearly intoxicated and immediately said:
“What’s so difficult about that? Just ask your brother-in-law to order some planks, and we can build a temporary cowshed. I saw that my friend’s place is quite simple.”

"Such a large beaver ranch, it would be troublesome to find 100 cows if you threw them in. They have legs and can wander around. How could they delay anything?"

“I know what you’re worried about, but it’s a waste to leave the ranch idle. Let’s get started and solve problems as they arise. Everything is difficult at the beginning. What’s the use of just sitting at home and daydreaming? We’ll have experience after raising them for two or three years.”

“We don’t need to hire cowboys long-term at first. Your grandma and I can move over and keep an eye on things. If there’s a problem, we can just call the vet or ask the neighbors. I saw a ranch to the west next door; they probably have thousands of cows there. Let’s go ask them sometime…”

"..."

Currently, Su Jierui's focus is on the gold mine. Seeing his grandfather's high level of enthusiasm, he didn't want to upset the old man any further, and simply asked:

"When does that cattle trade fair start? Let's buy a small amount first, let the cattle eat all the weeds in the forest, and that will save us the expense of hiring people."

Clearly, he had done his research; Old Master Su quickened his pace and urged, "..."

“The hillside needs to be cleared. I used to think that it was only good for planting trees and that having too many hillsides was useless. But after talking with my friend, I learned that many people are now growing American ginseng. They grow it for a few years, dry it, and sell it, which can make them a lot of money.”

"The livestock trade fair has already started in Lewis County and will only last three days. Tomorrow we'll go to the ranch to check it out, and if we have time, I'll take you there this afternoon or early the day after tomorrow..."

……

Neither my parents came home that night.

They called to say they were busy too late and were taking a break on the fishing boat.

The next morning, Su Jierui drove his Ferrari 488, carrying the enthusiastic old man Su to the beaver ranch.

As the car drove away from the city, the scenery outside the window was gradually replaced by dense forests and open fields.

After driving for more than two hours, we arrived at the beaver ranch again. The first thing that caught our eye was still the same beautiful, primitive scenery. The morning sunlight shone through the ancient western fir forest, making it look charming and profound.

The grandfather and grandson both felt that something had changed. Standing on their own land, this vast expanse of land truly belonged to their family, and even a blade of grass seemed beautiful. Old Huang, the Chinese construction worker they had arranged to meet, was already waiting in front of the old wooden house with his small team. To Su Jerry's surprise, a brightly colored, sharp-eyed macaw was perched on Old Huang's shoulder.

"Good morning, Mr. Su, Mr. Su Jr."

Old Huang greeted us with a smile: "We saw a gap in the roadside just now, so we drove the car in directly to assess the situation first."

Old Huang greeted him cheerfully.

The parrot on his shoulder, mimicking its owner, raised its head and let out a clear "Hello!"

This was clearly not the first time Grandpa Su had met him. Construction worker Lao Huang had helped him renovate the roof and the lakeside dock, and had also led people to exterminate termites. He was often in charge of the maintenance of the old house.

He pointed at the parrot and smiled at Su Jerry:

"See this? This is Old Huang's precious son, named 'Captain.' He's very smart, but sometimes he can be a bit sarcastic."

As if to confirm this statement, the macaw suddenly turned to Grandpa Su and shouted in a clear and distinct voice, "Damn it!" "Damn it!"

This drew a burst of laughter from everyone, and even Old Master Su chuckled and cursed.

Hearing his own catchphrase, Old Huang chuckled awkwardly a few times, quickly calmed his beloved pet, and scolded in a low voice, "Shut up, 'Captain'! Don't be rude!"

It's one thing to hurl a few insults at foreigners, since they won't understand anyway. But Su Jerry and his grandfather are different. Old Huang changed the subject:
"Um... let's go inside the cabin first. Did you bring the key? The wood seems to be Western red cedar, which has good natural anti-corrosion properties. The main structure is quite sturdy, but it's been around for too long and needs a complete renovation."

As he spoke, he led the group toward the wooden house:
"And the insulation layer is basically useless now."

"There is definitely no heating here. Even if you light a fire in the fireplace inside the house, it will still be uncomfortablely cold. The roof waterproofing is also damaged."

"If you ask me, instead of spending so much money on renovations, it's better to just tear it all down and rebuild from scratch. That would be much faster. There are many modular holiday cabins available now. You order them directly from the manufacturer and they're delivered for assembly. For a little more money, they're all made of natural logs, and you can move in after a month of airing out..."

Su Jierui listened attentively, his gaze sweeping over the somewhat mottled exterior of the wooden house. Only after the construction worker, Lao Huang, finished his explanation did he offer a brief comment:

“My grandfather plans to build a villa directly, probably a luxurious heavy-duty wooden house. This holiday cabin is just a temporary solution, and we will move in in the spring.”

Grandpa Su also smiled and spoke, with a touch of the shrewdness of an old fisherman, to Old Huang:

“My grandson’s ranch is still empty, but once the cattle pen and stables are built, this one order will be enough for you to live on for several years. You can lower the price a little; we’re old acquaintances, and I’ll definitely choose you first if I can get something done for you.”

Seeing that his grandfather was about to try and bargain, Su Jierui pointed to the ancient military fortress on the distant beach and said:

"Such a large castle may be renovated into a resort hotel in the future, so the construction period will definitely be long."

Old Huang was so overwhelmed by the grand promises made by the grandfather and grandson that he almost choked on his food. His face beamed with a wide smile as he rubbed his hands together and replied:

"We've known each other for so long, and my construction workers need to eat too. I'll definitely offer the lowest possible price. I have a pretty good understanding of the situation. How about we come up with a few plans first, and then I'll give you a quote for the renovation later?"

Su Jerry nodded:

"Okay, we might also need to build a cattle pen here, the kind that can hold 100 cows. How much would that cost?"

Old Huang's eyes lit up, and he pressed on, asking:
"Is it a cattle pen where the cattle are kept in enclosures, or are they free-range and only given a resting place?"

Su Jierui thought for a moment and then decisively replied:

"Outdoor free-range grazing. I don't want to turn this place into a professional cattle farm. It should be more like a tourist farm, with warehouses to store hay, tools, and the like."

Old Huang was a little disappointed after hearing this.

The reason is that modern cattle farms require large investments, from which he can earn more, while Su Jerry only needs traditional cattle pens, which significantly reduces the scale of his orders.

After considering it for a moment, he replied to Su Jierui:

"It depends on the specific materials and scale. I can't estimate the price right now. A regular wooden cattle pen... well, it should be under $8, including a septic tank, drainage, ground hardening, and cattle troughs. If you want a heating or cooling system, it will be a little more expensive."

It's just an idea for now, and Su Jierui isn't in a hurry to ask for details. He'll check online later and should be able to find a reference price.

Since it's going to be a tourist ranch, there are requirements for the appearance of the cattle pens and other buildings, so the price probably won't be too cheap.

After quickly discussing the requirements for renovating the vacation cabin, Su Jerry unconsciously looked in the direction of the gold mine... feeling it was time to grab a shovel and come over to dig up some gold nuggets to admire.

However, since we've already acquired the ranch, there's no rush. It's impossible to get it today anyway.

Urged by his grandfather, he continued driving his Ferrari 488, navigating towards Lewis County, located south of Seattle and adjacent to Mount Rainier National Park.

The drive took more than three hours, and Su Jierui's back was almost broken from the effort. He let out a long sigh of relief as he got out of the car and said to his grandfather:
"No wonder you didn't want to drive it. I should have just used my beat-up Mustang. Driving a sports car on long distances is torture."

Grandpa Su smiled without saying a word, and calmly replied:
"Is it a hardship? I'm almost 70, and I'm not like you. I only realized after buying this car that the price of being cool is lower back pain. At the gas station, when those white girls asked for your number, I clearly saw you smiling so happily... I can't lend you my car anymore, lest you be corrupted."

"...Didn't I already refuse? If someone comes up to me, I can't just have a sullen face and act like they owe me money."

Su Jierui clenched his fist and pounded his lower back. The thought of driving home for a long time made him instantly unhappy.

A huge banner hung on the grass in front of us, and there weren't many people around in the afternoon.

The air was filled with the scents of hay, livestock, and dust, and the calls of various cattle, sheep, and horses rose and fell.

It was a completely new experience for Su Jierui and his grandfather to be at such an event for the first time.

A goat farmer is accompanied by an elegant, slender serval.

With its long limbs, huge ears, and leopard-like fur, it resembles a small cheetah. It walks lightly beside its owner, its golden eyes calmly scanning its surroundings, attracting many people to stop and take pictures.

Grandpa Su asked a few questions out of curiosity, and the farmer said that this serval was legally owned by him, and it was very good at dealing with the rampant rodents on the ranch, and it was also very loyal.

On the arm of one old cowboy stood a well-trained falcon, its sharp eyes flapping its wings from time to time, causing the surrounding horses to become somewhat restless.

There were also stalls selling parrots, including the same macaw that construction worker Lao Huang owned. The little guy's feathers hadn't fully grown in yet, but he was already entertaining himself by riding a toy bicycle.

……

(End of this chapter)