I am a local in North America

Chapter 58 It's so good...

Grandpa Su's words were completely unexpected by Su Jerry.

In his memory, his grandfather had always been rather strict.

Occasionally, when they encounter disagreements, even his parents at home worry about how to persuade the stubborn old man, Mr. Su.

Suddenly buying a $350 million ranch without consulting his elders, Su Jerry was prepared to be severely reprimanded and even asked to get his deposit back.

Never expected it.

After a brief moment of shock, instead of flying into a rage, Old Master Su showed his support and even went so far as to sell the old house to help him.
This weighty support filled Su Jierui with mixed feelings. He didn't want to build his dreams on the sacrifice of his grandparents' peaceful retirement.

The gold mine is still buried deep underground, and for the time being, there is no way to explain to his family how he discovered it.

Once the transaction is completed, there will be no problem.

As long as you find a reason to dig a few holes in the gold mine, "accidentally discover" that there is gold buried underground, and then pick up a couple of slightly larger nuggets, the elders will no longer worry.

So when Su Jierui heard his grandfather say he wanted to sell the house, he quickly refused and advised:
"No need to sell this place! I have enough for the down payment, and I can make money in other ways from now on, so I don't think you need to worry about it..."

"By yourself? Are you going to go out into the wilderness to starve and freeze again?"

Grandpa Su leaned back in his rattan chair, which creaked slightly. He chuckled and said to Su Jerry:

“Houses are inanimate, but people are alive. Your grandma often tries to persuade me to go on a trip with her. She’s lived here for half her life, and it seems like it would be nice to change her lifestyle and environment as she gets older.”

“Anyway, Port Angelis isn’t far from Seattle, and I’m not so old that I can’t drive.”

“Since your dad moved out, you don’t come over often. The second floor of this house is almost never used. It’s a bit of a waste for us to live in such an expensive place. It feels empty.”

"The neighbors are so boring; all they talk about is business, making money, and golf. They're all so shrewd, like they've turned to shrewdness. If I moved to your ranch, I could at least find something to do..."

Su Jierui, realizing he had neither a stable job nor a stable income, was clearly stumped by the question. His Adam's apple bobbed, and after a moment's hesitation, he found an excuse and said:
“My videos have gone viral, YouTube is promoting me, and the ‘Living Alone in the Wild’ program team has also introduced me to a short video company.”

“Yesterday, someone from TikTok replied to my email saying that the head of the operations team would contact me further. Considering the profits from the ranch itself, it should be alright.”

"Anyway, you don't need to change your lives for me. If you want to move to the beaver ranch I bought, you're very welcome. It's a beautiful place with fresh air, and it's close to Port Angelis and nearby Clarem County. It's definitely a suitable place to settle down..."

Grandpa Su listened quietly, a hint of relief flashing in his eyes, marveling that his grandson and granddaughter had finally grown up.

After taking a sip of tea, Grandpa Su continued:

"However, you must understand that running a ranch is not like other jobs where the boss pays you as long as you go to work."

“Raising cattle and horses, managing pastures, and repairing fences—these all involve real investment. Can you manage all of that by yourself?”

"Besides, you only have enough money to buy it. Do you think buying cattle, sheep, and horses doesn't cost money? Are there any cattle or sheep being raised on that ranch now? Is anyone taking care of it?"

"……Nothing at all."

Su Jerry honestly admitted, "It seems that ranchers used to use it only for vacations, but I don't want to cut down those valuable timbers, because it won't be as beautiful as it is now after that."

"..."

Grandpa Su almost choked, speechless:
"You little rascal... you don't have a penny to your name, and you're already concerned about the scenery? Oh well, I used to save money from my job so I could leave you guys with more. I'll ask around to see how much this house is worth."

"Your grandma and I will keep a portion for our retirement, and the rest can be lent to you as a loan. It's fine if you take out a smaller loan, or you can save it for future development. We'll see what we do with it then."

"If things go wrong, this is all the help your grandma and I can give you. After all, we're not like those Microsoft executives around here, with tens or hundreds of millions of dollars in assets. You need to be more careful and not act on impulse. Only by being down-to-earth can you live a good life..."

Although he didn't plan to use his grandparents' retirement money to develop the ranch, Grandpa Su seemed to have made up his mind, and there was no way to persuade him any further for the time being.

Having received his grandfather's support in advance, Su Jierui felt that he would have a better chance of persuading his parents when they returned, which would save him a lot of trouble.

At the small dock by the lake, the water gently laps against the pebbles on the shore.

The grandfather and grandson chatted about their visit to the ranch that morning, and also mentioned real estate agent Ariel Connor.

Grandpa Su vaguely remembered her. He tapped his fingers lightly on his knee and suddenly asked:

"Do you think she's reliable? If we could promote her online and attract more buyers to bid, we could sell this old house for more money."

Su Jerry reassured her again, saying:
“Sell now? There’s no need to rush. My ranch has nothing but a dilapidated holiday cottage. You can sell this place after you’ve built your new retirement home. The location and scenery are so good that countless wealthy people in the surrounding area want to move here. It’s always been a great investment.”

As people get older, their bodies are no longer as strong as those of younger people, and they can't withstand the strain.

Grandpa Su pondered for a moment, then realized his grandson's words made sense. He had a large sum of money saved for his retirement, so there was no need to rush. He then changed his mind and said:
"Let's take it one step at a time. Give me that agent's phone number first, and I'll contact her to come over and take a look when I need her, and give me an appraisal..."

Seeing that the conflict between the grandfather and grandson hadn't escalated to a point of no return, Arou finally mustered the courage to approach Su Jierui and say:
"Grandma asked if you wanted to add some scallions and black pepper to the minced meat to remove the meaty smell."

Su Jierui smiled with relief and waved, saying:

"You've come at the right time. Grandpa said he wants to build a house on my ranch so he can retire there. Who says being an architect has no future? I've found you two jobs today. Remember to design the houses nicely, otherwise Mom will start nagging and worrying about you for no reason." "???"

Arou's eyes widened instantly, admiring him from the bottom of her heart. She hadn't expected them to reach an agreement so quickly. Then, a smile appeared on her lips, and she said:

"...Of course, no problem. I saw a lot of old red bricks and stones piled up at your ranch this morning. If they are still usable, they should save a lot of money on materials during construction. I had a design draft of a country villa before, and my teachers and classmates all praised it as beautiful. I'll send it to you, Grandpa, when I get home."

As people age, their lives become almost unchanging.

Since the northwest corner of Bellevue saw its property prices skyrocket, many longtime neighbors sold their houses for cash and moved away, while others, due to old age, have already passed away and are now in the cemetery.

Feeling that the neighborhood was becoming increasingly impersonal, and unable to connect with those wealthy white elderly people, Grandpa Su genuinely found it quite boring. The thought of taking the opportunity to move to another place and experience the idyllic life of living on a ranch made him genuinely happy.

After all, his grandson only used the money to buy a ranch. If he were to recklessly start a company or speculate in stocks like others, which involves things that Grandpa Su doesn't understand and are very risky, then he wouldn't be as easy to talk to as he is now.

After I completely relaxed.

Grandpa Su stood up briskly, dusted off non-existent dust from his trousers, glanced at his watch, and suddenly said:

"Hmm... It's still early before dark. Send me the location on my phone, and I'll drive your grandma to that ranch to take a look. Do you have the key to the gate? Is it safe to go in?"

Su Jerry said with a smile:
"Maybe next time. The surrounding railings are broken. Although you can go in, you have to walk a long way along a gravel path, about two kilometers, to get to the beach. The area inside is very large."

Anxious old man Su waved his hand dismissively:

“It’s only a little over two kilometers. Your grandma and I walk more than that far when we go for a walk after dinner. Let’s take it slow and treat it as a stroll. Stop talking nonsense and hurry up and get out of here before it gets dark. You just got back, so don’t make a fuss. Just send me the location of the gate. Is it near Highway 101?”

"Yes, go west along Highway 101, there's a sign for the ranch with a picture of a large beaver..."

Su Jierui had just finished speaking.

His grandfather hurried along, quickly moved aside the salted pork that was drying, opened the door and walked into the garage. Soon, the deep and powerful roar of a Ferrari 488 could be heard.

It has to be said that Su Jierui and Arou greatly admire this attitude towards life in their old age.

Grandma was cooking dumplings in the kitchen, completely unaware of what was happening.

She was still wearing her old apron with the little yellow duck printed on it, and before she could take it off, Grandpa Su called her to the garage. She was still unconsciously clutching a strainer in her hand, and asked in a bewildered tone:
"Where to go?"

Before Grandpa could answer, Grandma found the reason herself, a look of sudden realization on her face:
"Ah...right, right! There's no food left in the fridge. It's rare that the old man is so thoughtful, he even knows to go to the supermarket to buy some groceries for dinner!"

As she spoke, she turned back and called out to Arou:

"Let's go buy some groceries. Ah Rou, you keep an eye on the pot and don't forget to turn off the heat. I've already poured in the vinegar..."

--------

That night.

Around 6 o'clock, it was already completely dark in Seattle at this time of year.

Grandpa Su finally called Su Jierui back, his tone filled with barely suppressed joy, as if he had awakened a deep-seated love for the land. One could only say, "It's really good!"

"Your grandma and I just walked from the entrance of the beaver ranch all the way to the beach! We stopped to rest and walked, and it felt like we only saw part of it. This place is really huge!"

"Alright... since you've already paid such a large deposit, let's buy it. It should be especially beautiful after spring. We can make a vegetable garden and grow our own vegetables."

"Your grandma and I are already on our way back, and we'll be home in about 50 minutes. Are you and Arou still at our house?"

Su Jierui couldn't help but laugh and tentatively asked:

"I've already gone back to Fisherman's Wharf and locked the door for you. So, what about my parents' side..."

Grandpa Su smacked his lips:

"Let's tell your parents when they get back."

“With Grandpa helping you pay part of the money, they won’t have anything to say. After all, it’s such a big piece of land, and they didn’t throw away your winnings. Compared to those villas worth more than two million dollars, this kind of rural ranch is much more comfortable.”

Then, Old Master Su lowered his voice slightly, with a hint of teasing:
"Your dad's side is alright, especially your mom... her temper is exactly like your grandma's. Back in the day, they bought seafood at the docks and sold it to a nearby cannery. Your grandma was always making a fuss and she never stopped trying to drive down my prices..."

As soon as these words came out.

You can hear Su Jierui's grandmother in the background, clicking her tongue in dissatisfaction, saying things like, "They're bringing up all this old stuff; the cannery has been closed for over a decade."

Then Grandma took the phone and chatted with Su Jierui for a while.

They mainly asked about future development, and also inquired about the approximate price of a calf or lamb, seemingly already dreaming of ranch life...

(End of this chapter)