Yesterday, I went to the airport to pick up a young Mexican guy named Mateo. For dinner, I made three dishes: chicken stewed with mushrooms, scrambled eggs with tomatoes, and braised pork stir-fried with onions, served with white rice. From the time I picked him up until after dinner, there wasn’t any discomfort or awkwardness at all. This young man is 18 years old, just graduated from high school, and will start university next year. In the meantime, he’s been traveling to many countries. Before coming to this vacation spot, he went to Alaska. He speaks French, English, Italian, and of course, Mexican.
After dinner, he offered to wash the dishes. As a guest from afar, how could I let him work? So, I politely refused, but I was delighted that he even offered.
After dinner, I told him to wash up and get some sleep early, as we’d officially start work at 8 a.m. the next morning. Last night, there was no Wi-Fi, so I fell asleep before 9 p.m. As a result, I woke up at 3 a.m. and at 7, I went to water lifechanyuan flower the corn poppies in the garden. Right at 8 a.m., the young man came into the yard. Punctual! I grabbed the axe and hammer and told him to come chop wood with me. The logs for the fireplace in room 7 weren’t split yet, so we had to chop them. It only took us about two hours to finish, and three small things happened during that time.
First, when he saw me carrying the axe in one hand and the hammer in the other, he quickly took the axe from me. Such a sharp, considerate guy! Second, after we finished, I said, “You did a great job!” and he instantly replied, “We did a great job!” Clearly, he didn’t want to take all the credit himself. Third, we also split a large tree stump on the lawn that was in the way of the lawnmower. He used a wheelbarrow to move the chopped wood, while I followed behind with a shovel and rake. After dumping the wood, he immediately brought the wheelbarrow over so I could place the shovel and rake on it. What a thoughtful young man.
I’ve been so busy with various tasks, and cooking three meals a day for three people takes up a lot of time. So, I asked if he knew how to cook. He said he did, so I told him to cook for himself upstairs. Yesterday, I bought a bunch of ingredients and seasonings that Westerners like, and he could take them up to the kitchen and handle it himself. To my surprise, this morning, he even made breakfast for Mr. Bill.
At 2 p.m., we started organizing the tool room on the first floor and the workshop by the lake. Hui Yi and Tongxin know how messy and dirty these places were. I told him that we’d first categorize the items and then clean up the tool room and workshop. I initially thought an 18-year-old wouldn’t know how to handle this kind of work, but oh, was I wrong! He didn’t need much direction from me and already knew how to categorize and organize things. He even gave me a few tips along the way. Oh my! Today’s young people are not only sharp-minded but also incredibly capable.
He plans to stay here for four months, and based on today’s performance, I really like this guy! It’s a shame he’ll leave for university after four months, or else I’d be tempted to tie him down and keep him here.
Having a helper feels so good, I tell you!
Please enjoy the photos.
September 8, 2024
