Chapter 72

As the cherry blossoms danced in the wind, Misaki opened the old diary and read the words of promise written there.

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Xiaoming stood at the classroom door, took a deep breath, and firmly gripped the secret letter from his mother.

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The Chris family officially moved into the Kemi Star. Perhaps this was not bad. Li Han casually put the invitation aside. After taking a shower and changing clothes, he came to the living room. The sofa held the freshly washed clothes, which he was organizing. Dudu and Bao Bao were learning to fold clothes with their mother and older sister. Dudu was doing quite well, neatly folding the clothes, while Bao Bao was a bit worse, with the small clothes bunched up like little cakes. His little face was scrunched up, secretly glancing at his sister Dudu and pouting. Li Han found this amusing and laughed heartily. This made little Bao Bao pout even more, feeling indignant. "Folding clothes is so hard."

"Grandma, look, Uncle is laughing at Bao Bao." Bao Bao tugged at Grandma's sleeve, pointing at Uncle to complain. Grandma gave Li Han an exasperated look. "Go away, Bao Bao, we won't get angry with Uncle. Uncle was even worse than Bao Bao when he was little."

Bao Bao said, "Oh," and made a funny face at Li Han, then continued folding the small clothes, which still looked like little cakes. But Bao Bao was quite pleased with himself, thinking, "Uncle can't do it either." Li Han smiled and encouraged Dudu, noting that his daughter was learning quickly and folding the clothes neatly. Dudu, pleased with the praise, looked up with a happy smile and said, "Yes, Dudu will help Dad fold clothes."

"Good girl, Dudu can help Dad fold clothes when she grows up. Come, Dad will help you pack them." Li Han said with a smile.

After folding the small clothes and packing them into the leather box, Li Han thought about the leather boxes they had bought a few days ago in the small town of Bordon. The handmade leather boxes were reasonably priced and quite nice. Dudu and Bao Bao each had a leather box and a small leather backpack. The older sister and mother bought several leather wallets, which were much cheaper than in China, and planned to give them as gifts. They were practical and face-saving. Dudu didn't let Dad carry the big box; she carried it herself, opened it, and neatly folded the clothes into the box. The box also contained many small trinkets, such as cute animal figures, bone and wood decorations, and leather accessories, which came with the boxes. Li Han took some out for Dudu, as they didn't need to bring these back to China.

The family busily packed their luggage, preparing to fly back the next day. Dad and Brother-in-law went to brush the horses, feeling a bit reluctant, as they had developed a bond with the horses over the past few days. Dudu packed her clothes and pulled Li Han, wanting to help fold his clothes. Li Han was delighted and kissed Dudu, making her giggle. Just then, Brother-in-law, who had finished brushing the horses, came back, and Bao Bao ran over to hug Dad. "Dad, Dad, Bao Bao will help you fold clothes."

"Really? Our Bao Bao is so good. Bao Bao is still little, so let's wait until you grow up to help Dad fold clothes." "No, no, Dudu sister helps Uncle fold clothes, Bao Bao wants to help Dad fold clothes too." Brother-in-law was helpless, as the little one was very persistent. "Okay, okay, Bao Bao will help Dad fold clothes."

Brother-in-law glanced at Li Han, shaking his head with a mix of amusement and exasperation, and was pulled upstairs by Bao Bao to fold clothes. Li Han and Dudu also returned to the room to organize the clothes. Dudu was doing quite well, folding T-shirts and other small clothes neatly. However, the larger clothes were harder to fold, so Li Han helped. Dudu was reluctant. "Dudu can fold them well." "Dad knows, Dudu is the best."

Li Han folded the clothes and put them in the box. They had been in the country for a few days and didn't need to bring many clothes back for summer.

The family spent the evening packing their luggage and souvenirs. Li Han initially thought about having the diamonds made into jewelry to give to his mother, sister, and Bao Bao, but then decided to bring them back in the storage space to save on procedures and taxes. The next morning, they arrived in the small town of Bordon and took a flight to Seattle. There was a direct flight to Anxi from Seattle, which was scheduled for the morning of the third day. They had a day to explore Seattle, a beautiful city with pleasant scenery, both inside and outside the city, adorned with tranquil harbors, rivers, and green trees, and colorful streets. The surrounding green mountains also concealed dozens of lakes of various sizes. The trees were lush, the grass was green, and even the rain and wind carried a fresh, green hue.

As they walked around, the older sister remarked, "This place is really nice, very quiet and beautiful. Although it's not as lively as our country, it's great for a vacation." "There are many beaches in the U.S. with little pollution, and many of them are quite nice, attracting many vacationers."

After a tour, they visited the Space Needle, which was quite tall. Seeing that it was still early, Li Han first took the family to the nearby Pacific Science Center to experience the IMAX cinema with its huge screen, explosive sound effects, and original music, providing an unparalleled visual and auditory experience. The two little ones were particularly excited, with Dudu even asking Li Han to keep a dinosaur, which made Li Han break into a cold sweat. This thing eats too much, so after much persuasion, he promised Dudu to ride a mechanical horse, and she stopped insisting on keeping a dinosaur.

They watched a hemispherical laser show, which was truly spectacular. They toured the high-tech area, the tropical butterfly house, the planetarium, and the dinosaur museum. Dudu's eyes were wide open during the dinosaur museum visit, and if Li Han didn't hold her back, she might have tried to climb and ride one. They spent the afternoon at the Pacific Science Center and couldn't visit Olympic Park. "Let's rest and go for dinner. I've booked a table, and we can enjoy the night view."

The Space Needle is not as tall as it used to be, with the surrounding buildings getting taller. The night view is best enjoyed by first-time visitors to Seattle, and locals usually only come for the Christmas and New Year's fireworks. The tickets were quite expensive, but the two little ones, Dudu and Bao Bao, were very happy, as they didn't have to pay. They carried a large crab, which Li Han had exchanged for an energy crystal, weighing about 30 pounds. The chef, seeing such a large king crab for the first time, offered to cook it for free, much to Li Han's surprise. "Oh, my God, this is a giant! Sir, I am truly honored."

The seafood was excellent, and they had a bottle of good red wine. American red wine is reasonably priced, with a bottle over $100 being quite good. Li Han chose an $80 bottle, which tasted great. The king crab was indeed delicious, and the family ate until their bellies were full. After resting for a while and having a cup of coffee, they went up to the observation deck at around 8 PM to enjoy the night view, which was quite beautiful. Dudu and Bao Bao were very happy, and the family thought it was very pretty. After a day of sightseeing, they returned to the hotel, feeling quite tired, but the two little ones were still energetic, running around. On the floor were a few mechanical dinosaurs and insects, which Li Han didn't know where they came from, perhaps souvenirs bought by the older sister or brother-in-law. The two little ones were very happy playing with them.

"Originally, we wanted to visit Pike Place Market, but there wasn't enough time." Li Han was quite regretful. Having lived in the U.S. for many years, he hadn't visited many places. The next morning, they took a flight, arriving in Anxi after more than ten hours. It had been over a year since they last returned home, and it felt a bit unfamiliar. It was Dudu's first time back, and she looked around with a puzzled expression, timidly looking at her grandmother, grandfather, and the Li family, who had returned from the U.S. Many old colleagues came over to ask about their trip, whether it was fun, and so on.

Many people asked about Li Han's affairs, mostly about whether he was married and the size of his farm. Dudu was a bit nervous, tightly holding onto Dad, with her little mouth puffed up. Many grandmothers pinched Dudu's cheeks. The neighbors were familiar uncles, aunts, and other relatives who had watched her grow up. There was no choice but to smile and answer their questions. After a while, they gave out many souvenirs, and everyone left satisfied, marveling at the idea of visiting Li Han's farm.

Li Han rubbed his cheeks, which were stiff from smiling. Dudu, mimicking her father, rubbed her little cheeks. "Hehe, is Dudu tired? Go to sleep. Bao Bao, take Dudu to bed." Grandma handed Dudu a warm towel to wipe her face, and Bao Bao nodded, looking sleepy.

Li Han wiped his face and took a nap to adjust to the time difference. Sleeping in his own bed felt a bit unfamiliar. In the evening, the family went out to shop for some daily necessities and vegetables, as they hadn't been home for over a month. On the way to the supermarket, they met many familiar people, and the supermarket was quite crowded on the weekend.

Dudu was very curious, seeing so many people. The little one had never seen so many people buying vegetables before, blinking her eyes and tugging at Li Han. "Dad, can Dudu sell vegetables here?" Li Han chuckled, not knowing how to explain it to Dudu. Fortunately, Bao Bao ran over, pulling Dudu to look at ice cream, diverting her attention.

After returning home and having dinner, they went to bed early. The next day, Li Han planned to take Dudu to the ancestral home to pay respects. It was rare to come back, and one should not forget their ancestors. Although education in the U.S. was good, the sense of family was weaker. Family ties have a certain warmth and connection, which is better than being too cold.

That night, Dudu slept with Dad. She was very happy, climbing into bed, changing her diaper, and sucking on a pacifier, wearing a small nightgown and lying on the bed, looking at Dad, who was working on the computer.

Li Han was chatting with Fat about the pet shop. Hearing that Li Han had returned to China, Fat insisted on getting together. "The day after tomorrow, I'll go back to the ancestral home to pay respects."

"That's fine. The day after tomorrow, we'll have a good reunion. It's been a long time since we last met," Fat said. After chatting for a while, Li Han turned off the computer and looked at Dudu, who was staring at him with wide eyes. He smiled and pinched her little nose. "Time to sleep, little one."

"Hehe, Dad, tell the duck story." "Sure, let's tell the duck bedtime story," Li Han said with a smile.

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