Stan’s approval was like an official seal, stamped on Lin Yu’an’s choice.
Jack and David exchanged a glance, both seeing relief and excitent in each other’s eyes.
"So, it’s decided? Plot A?" Jack confird.
"That’s the one."
Lin Yu’an’s tone brooked no argunt.
He had his own considerations; the most important reason for choosing Plot A was its proximity to the river, offering more possibilities for his future developnt and survival.
Of course, no fisherman could resist the temptation of living by the river.
"I’ll contact the real estate agent imdiately and start the purchasing process!"
Jack imdiately took out his phone to handle the follow-up matters.
During the few days of awaiting the transaction, Lin Yu’an was not idle.
He made a request to Stan—hoping to gain a deeper understanding of the land that was about to belong to him.
And to learn about the new wilderness rules of the area.
Stan did not refuse. This silent old hunter seed to have taken a genuine interest in Lin Yu’an, and he agreed.
Early the next morning, they set off again.
This ti, their team was more streamlined, with only Stan and Lin Yu’an, each driving a snowmobile.
Director David gave Lin Yu’an a small action cara that could be mounted on his helt and instructed him to keep it on as much as possible.
The two rode one after the other, entering that vast snowy forest once more.
Today’s goal was no longer the macro-level site selection but micro-level resource exploration.
Under Stan’s guidance, Lin Yu’an learned about the composition of this forest.
"Look over there."
Stan pointed to a cluster of towering trees: "Those are white spruce, with hard wood, the best material for the main beams of log cabins."
"You’re lucky, there are quite a few big ones over a hundred years old on this land."
He then pointed to so birch trees with mottled bark: "And these. Their wood isn’t as sturdy as spruce, but it’s the best fuel."
"Here, there’s an abundance of snow hares, thunderbirds, and moose, all rich sources of protein. They’ll be your main target for winter at reserves."
"Of course, there are also wolves, bears, and lynxes here; it’s never a place to let your guard down."
Just as they were deep into the forest, Lin Yu’an’s snowmobile suddenly made a strange noise, followed by a power drop, sputtered a few tis, and then completely stalled.
The surroundings instantly returned to a pin-drop silence, with only the wailing sound of the cold wind through the treetops.
Stan, following behind, slowly stopped but didn’t imdiately move forward, just sat on his vehicle, watching Lin Yu’an from a dozen ters away.
Lin Yu’an wasn’t the least bit flustered. He calmly dismounted the snowmobile and opened the toolbox.
First, he checked the fuel line, ruling out any fuel issues.
Then, he listened intently, trying to recall the source of the strange noise, which was brief and dull, unlike an internal engine explosion.
His gaze finally settled on the transmission system.
He brushed away the thick snow with his gloves and quickly discovered the problem—a broken drive belt.
In such extrely cold weather, rubber and composite materials beco very brittle, and high-intensity operation can easily cause them to break.
"The belt’s broken."
Lin Yu’an shouted to Stan, his voice exceptionally clear in the open forest.
Stan still didn’t move, just nodded, as if saying, "I know, and then what?"
Lin Yu’an rummaged through the toolbox for a spare belt and special tools.
Replacing the drive belt requires skill, especially outdoors at over twenty degrees below zero, where tal tools are icy to the touch, greatly affecting finger dexterity.
He didn’t take off his gloves and, with steady precision, began dismantling the transmission system’s cover.
Every screw, every turn, appeared unhurried and thodical.
Stan just watched, watched this young man thodically remove the remnants of the old belt, clear away debris, and then carefully fit the new belt onto the transmission wheel.
About twenty minutes later, Lin Yu’an reassembled the cover and got to his feet, twisting the ignition key once more.
The snowmobile roared to life with a crisp sound, its power restored. Lin Yu’an mounted the vehicle again and glanced at Stan.
On Stan’s weathered face, there finally appeared a barely detectable expression, one that could be called a "smile."
"Not bad, I deliberately put the old belt on this snowmobile as your first lesson."
"In Alaska, the first thing you need to do before heading out is to check all your equipnt and be prepared with backup solutions."
He waved to Lin Yu’an indicating to follow, then turned his vehicle around to continue moving forward.
This small interlude added a few more points to Lin Yu’an’s standing in Stan’s mind.
In an open area near the riverbank, Stan suddenly raised his arm and clenched his fist.
This was a silent gesture, indicating "stop and remain quiet."
Lin Yu’an imdiately understood, gently bringing the snowmobile to a halt and turning off the engine as soon as possible.
The surroundings instantaneously returned to a pin-drop silence, with only the wailing sound of the cold wind through the treetops.
Stan pointed to a willow thicket not far ahead.
Following the direction of his finger, Lin Yu’an saw a breathtaking scene.
A giant female moose, accompanied by a half-grown calf, was laboriously trudging through waist-deep snow.
The adult moose was taller and more magnificent than a horse, with muscles bulging at the shoulders, full of primal strength.
Stan continued to explain, speaking softly: "You need to know, in Alaska, what gives you the biggest headaches often aren’t bears or wolves but these creatures, especially a mother moose with her young."
"They are the most emotional animals in this forest, even more unpredictable than the crankiest grizzly bear."
He taught Lin Yu’an how to judge the moose’s emotions by observing the position of its ears and the movent of its lips.
"When her ears stand naturally like this, it ans she is relaxed."
"But if her ears suddenly tilt back and press against her head, and her lips start constantly smacking, that’s the final warning."
"You must retreat imdiately, without hesitation. Otherwise, she will attack."
This lesson from a local person is more profound than any knowledge found in books.
They quietly waited for nearly ten minutes until the moose and her calf leisurely disappeared deeper into the forest.
Over the past few days, Stan took him around to many nearby places, giving Lin Yu’an a general understanding of the surrounding environnt.
On the fourth day, the real estate agent video-called Lin Yu’an.
Lin Yu’an opened his phone, and a lady in a suit appeared on the screen. She was the real estate agent hired by the show, Susan Miller.
"Good news, Lin! Things went much more smoothly than I expected!"
Susan smiled as she explained the current progress of the process to Lin Yu’an.
"Lin, we’ve submitted an all-cash ’Letter of Intent to Purchase’ to the seller, and it has been accepted. A legally binding ’Purchase Agreent’ has now been ford."
"Afterwards, we’ve deposited a ’Good Faith Deposit,’ which is 5% of the total price, into the escrow account of a third-party title company."
"Currently, the title company has begun the most crucial title investigation to ensure there are no legal defects on this piece of land."
"At the sa ti, we will hire a licensed surveyor to precisely asure the land boundaries."
"Once all the investigations and asurents are complete, Miss Aliya can remotely sign the docunts in Montana and wire the final paynt to the escrow account."
"Finally, once the deed is registered with the governnt, this land will officially belong to you!"
Susan explained everything clearly and thoroughly, turning what is a complex legal process into sothing easy to understand.
After hanging up the call, Lin Yu’an looked out at the snow-covered forest and valleys outside the window, a wave of unprecedented anticipation rising in his heart!
That evening, Lin Yu’an video-called Aliya again.
He described in detail the piece of land he had selected, the river and forest there, and that beautiful moose.
"It’s perfect, Aliya. I can feel it, that it’s our place."
Aliya, holding her daughter An’an, listened quietly, with a twinkle in her eyes.
"I trust your feeling, dear. Wherever you choose is the best place."
On the screen, little An’an waved her chubby little fists, making coos and babbles, as if she was cheering for her father’s decision, too.
After hanging up the call, he noticed that the sky outside seed a bit different and walked out of the cabin, looking up at the night sky.
At that very mont!
A faint green band of light, like the hem of the Muse’s skirt, silently appeared on the northern horizon.
Imdiately, that band of light began to dance, transform, and expand into a vast array of shimring, intertwined pinks and greens.
In a magnificence that defies description, it enveloped the entire sky!
It’s the Aurora Borealis!
Lin Yu’an was utterly stunned by the sight before him, gazing at the beautiful and awe-inspiring natural scene.
The cabin door swung open, and Stan ca out too.
He didn’t look at Lin Yu’an, just like him, he gazed up at the dancing sky.
"The elders say this is a torch dance perford by the souls of departed ancestors in the Celestial Kingdom."
"They are welcoming new family mbers."
Stan’s voice was exceptionally deep in the silent night.
Lin Yu’an didn’t speak, just silently felt this land’s most gentle welco ceremony.
The location scouting mission was now complete, leaving only the waiting for the related procedures to be finished.
The night before leaving, Jack prepared a sumptuous dinner in the rented cabin and invited Stan.
Surprisingly, Stan not only ca but also brought a gift.
A bag of moose jerky and a small bottle of birch wine that he brewed himself.
This was undoubtedly the highest form of respect for soone as reserved as Stan.
Lin Yu’an raised his glass: "Thank you, Stan. To our survival and future."
Stan also raised his glass and gently clinked it with his: "To this land."
The atmosphere during dinner was more harmonious than ever before.
The next day, Lin Yu’an and his companions set off back to Fairbanks.
At the start of the Dalton Highway, they bid farewell to Stan once again.
"See you in the spring, Stan," Lin Yu’an reached out his hand.
This ti, Stan didn’t hesitate and shook his hand firmly, saying in a deep voice, "Kid, when you co back, bring your best energy. There’s endless work to be done on this land."
Lin Yu’an nodded heavily.
On the plane back to Montana, Lin Yu’an looked at the endless snowy mountains outside the window, his heart filled with anticipation.
In his mind, he had already drawn a clear blueprint. In the spring, he would return here with Aliya and the children.
To build a ho on this vast and primitive land that belongs to him!
————
(Up by three rivers! Achieved 14,000 words today, seeking a monthly ticket~)
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