Yunding Ranch

Chapter 23
It was already eleven o'clock at night when we returned to the Beech Ranch.At this time, New York has just kicked off the prelude to the carnival, but everything is quiet in this small town. You can clearly hear the sound of the stream flowing and the breeze blowing in your ears. The world is so quiet that you are the only one left.

At Lily's insistence, Ronald personally sent them back, and after confirming that Cole and Lu Li were fine, he left.

After watching Cole return to the small wooden house next to him, Lu Li was the only one left in the main house.He drank a lot of beer tonight. Although he was not drunk, his footsteps were still a little erratic. He really hadn't relaxed, enjoyed, and partyed for a long time.The pictures in my mind are still vivid, the blazing bonfire, the fragrant roast pig, the twirling skirt, the girl with bright eyes and white teeth, the singing and dancing cowboy... It seems that the laughter is still echoing in the air, and the lingering sound is lingering.

Looking around the unfamiliar hall, it was only the second time he came here, but Lu Li already had a familiar feeling of coming home. Those unfamiliar decorations were telling the traces of Liz's life in detail, kind and peaceful, Lu Li could picture himself sitting on the porch quietly watching the sunrise and sunset in his mind.

Follow the steps to the second floor, there is a room at the left and right ends of the corridor, the master bedroom is on the left, two rooms are in the middle, and the guest bathroom is at the end on the right.

Open the door of the master bedroom, the inside is empty, only a bed frame and an octagonal cabinet, different from the hall downstairs, all traces of life seem to have been erased, as if no one has ever lived here, through From the huge glass window in the bedroom, the bright moonlight and twinkling stars can be clearly seen, and you can also vaguely see the pasture slowly melting into the night in the tranquility. The coldness and loneliness in the room set off the cruelty of Yin and Yang more clearly.

After closing the bedroom door again, Lu Li returned to the middle of the corridor, opened a room at will, and planned to spend the night here tonight.

There is a single bed in the room with a sky blue checkered sheet; there is a "Godfather" movie poster and a "Back to the Future" poster on the wall; the bookcase next to the door is full of books, up and down. The four shelves are full; there is a large desk by the window directly opposite, and some gadgets are scattered on it, as if there were still people living here last night.

Lu Li suddenly realized that this was Dylan's room.Liz had carefully preserved everything in the house, and the thin layer of dust must have accumulated only recently.

This made Lu Li stop in place, quietly surveying the space, the small Statue of Liberty keychain on the table caught Lu Li's attention, he walked forward involuntarily, picked it up and examined it carefully After a while, he knew that this was the key chain he gave Liz—as expected, the one hanging on the pen holder next to it was a big red Chinese knot. Lu Li used the key chain and Chinese knot together as Liz's key chain. The discharge gift from the hospital was given to her, and it was nicknamed: Blessings from China and New York.

Looking at the two gifts in her hands, Liz not only didn't stuff them in any corner, but also carefully preserved them and kept them in Dylan's room.The last piece of the memory puzzle came together.

Suddenly Lu Li thought of his mother who was still at home, the mother who always looked at him with a silent smile, the mother who supported the burden of the whole family on her shoulders without complaining, the mother who encouraged him to chase his dreams and give it a go. The mother who shielded herself from the wind and rain with her generous wings.

Liz had never talked about Dylan in front of Lu Li, but every detail of the room in front of her spoke of a memory that never left or disappeared.

Lu Li once read a passage, which said that a person will experience three deaths in his life.

The first time was when he died, from a physiological point of view, he died; the second time was when he was buried, people came to his funeral, remembering his life, from a sociological point of view, he died the third time is when the last person who remembers him forgets him, and emotionally speaking, he is truly dead.

In Liz's story, did Dylan never leave?However, now that Liz has left, will Dylan also leave?

The strong wind outside the window blew the branches and made a rustling sound, and the tranquility of the night spread, as if telling the story of the beech pasture.

Lu Li exited the room, carefully closed the door again, and then came to the room next to the guest bathroom, which was obviously the guest bedroom.

The layout of the whole room is very similar to that of the next door, but it is much simpler and more generous. The white sheets are neat and clean. There is a lamp on the desk at the end of the bed, and there are two notebooks on it. There is a pot of flowers on the cabinet at the door. , The withered buds have not completely withered, and it looks like it was placed yesterday or the day before yesterday-it should be prepared by Cole to welcome his arrival.

Lu Li put his luggage down, took out his toiletries, went to the bathroom, and started getting ready for bed.

Standing in front of the mirror and brushing his teeth, he was slightly tired in the projection, and he did feel a little tired after the long journey and the non-stop carnival.But besides being tired, there is more relaxation, an unprecedented relaxation, it seems that the whole person is completely relaxed, that kind of comfort and casualness sweeps away the fatigue of the body, and refreshes the spirit.

Lu Li couldn't help but think of that question again, how should he choose in the future?City or country, which side is the right one to choose?Degas's paintings, beech wood pastures, future career plans, life choices and persistence, dreams and freedom... Trivial topics are scattered, but no definite answer can be found.

Lu Li had to admit that in just one afternoon, he fell in love with this town and the life here.Of course, Lu Li knew that life on the ranch was not that simple, and managing the ranch was definitely not as easy as he imagined. He only saw the positive side of the ranch now, just like the state he experienced after 48 hours of sleepless carnival after arriving in New York. Tourists It is completely different from the life that the residents see.

But Lu Li could feel that here, life is so fulfilling yet so leisurely. This is a world completely different from New York.

There is endless farm work every day, which may even be more arduous than many white-collar jobs, and the income is far less than that of the elites on Wall Street; but here you can feel the true meaning of life, not living for money , not to live for the sake of living, but to live for oneself sincerely, to feel the ups and downs brought by life carefully.

There are business issues to consider every day. Investing in a business is far more complicated than working for others. Just look at Liz’s struggling business. If you are not careful, let alone one Degas, even two Degas will But here is a lot of time to really enjoy life, enjoy the happiness brought by the labor of hands to the fullest, and enjoy the freedom of the sky and the sea.

Throughout the afternoon, he didn't take out his mobile phone, nor did he confirm the network, but he had a very happy time.

Sunshine, oxygen, grasslands, forests, the wide field of vision makes the mood far away; riding horses, herding sheep, brewing wine, barbecue, the joy of harvesting with hands makes every minute and every second real; singing, dancing , beer, sports, and the running of mobilizing muscles makes people lazy and casual.

Picking chrysanthemums under the eastern fence, leisurely seeing Nanshan.The life dreamed in the ancient poems is gradually becoming a reality.

And Liz, Liz with a warm smile.

After getting acquainted with Lily tonight, Liz's image became fuller and richer. The old lady she had been with for a month was kind and wise, nagging and warm.She left her life's painstaking efforts to him, she left to him the homeland where she entrusted her nostalgia for her son, and she left her memories of sadness, happiness, loss, and hope on this land forever. gave him.

Like the room next door, this ranch is the proof of Liz's existence and the painstaking effort of Liz's life.The reason why Liz left the ranch to Lu Li was not only because of missing her son, but also because of her trust in Lu Li. She believed that Lu Li would make this a gift and pass it on in Lu Li's hands.

If the ranch is gone, Liz is really gone, and Dylan is gone forever.

Lu Li knew that he could completely auction off the ranch, just like the Degas painting, and then bring Liz's gift back to China to create a different life; or he could follow his professional footsteps in journalism and become a freelance reporter , Running for the cause of journalism.But, he doesn't want to.

He wants to stay, because of Liz, because of the ranch, and more because of himself, he wants to stay here "see the cattle and sheep when the wind is blowing", he wants to stay here "to steal half a day's leisure", he wants to To stay here, "Ride your horse and live your life recklessly."More importantly, he wants to re-establish the Beech Ranch, he wants his parents to retire here, and he wants to build his own future and his own life.

When an idea popped up, it was like a spark that started a prairie fire, and it couldn't stop anymore, which really shocked Lu Li.He didn't know if it was impulsive, or a whim, because he didn't know anything about running a ranch, because he just came here for an afternoon, because even after Degas was shot, he was far from To the extent that the mountain is empty... Choosing the pasture not only means choosing the unfamiliar, choosing the challenge, but also choosing the unknown.

However, the idea spread uncontrollably.Lu Li clenched his fist and made a choice.

He decided to inherit the Beech Ranch!

(End of this chapter)