After circling around the barren land, Li Du realized that it was quite large. It was about half the size of a small farm, more than 20 hectares.
He asked, "How much is the rent?"
"Twenty thousand dollars a year."
Li Du exclaimed, "Wow, not even two thousand dollars a month? Does that mean we can rent one hectare of land for less than a hundred dollars a month? Is this Alaska? "
The purchase of Alaska by the United States was considered a big deal. The Russian government had sold the land, which was 1.7 million square kilometers, to Uncle Sam for only seven million dollars.
Hans said, "This is the state government's newly developed land. It can't be used to grow crops or build factories. So if the rent is not cheap enough, who would want to rent it?"
Li Du asked, "Is it okay for us to store the trash?"
"Clean up the trash after the lease expires," Hans said. "Also, don't pollute the land. I don't think there will be a problem with that, right?"
Li Du said, "Of course!"
He immediately decided to rent the land. The rent was low, and it was close to Hoffman's Old Goods Market. It would be convenient for them to dispose of the trash and old goods.
However, the Amish settlement was right next to them. Li Du had heard of this place when he was in school. It was very famous in Flagstaff.
To be precise, the Amish were not an ethnic group, but a religious sect that originated from the European Reformation in the 16th century.
They adhered to ancient clothing and traditional ways of life. They did not use cars, appliances, or fertilizers for farming.
Although they had lived in North America for hundreds of years, they had always adhered to their religious beliefs and values, which had not been changed by the rapid development of mainstream American society.
Li Du was very curious about them. Many Americans and foreign tourists were also curious about them. However, the Amish were not willing to be visited, nor were they willing to be disturbed by outsiders, so it was difficult for outsiders to get close to them.
As they rode their motorcycles out of the small forest, a middle-aged man got out of a carriage parked by the roadside and waved at them.
Hans drove over and asked, "Hi sir, how can I help you?"
The man was a white man in his forties. He was wearing a white short-sleeved shirt and black trousers. He had straw sandals on his feet and a black hood on his head. He looked a little out of place.
Li Du knew that this was how the Amish dressed, but this was the first time he had seen them up close, so he looked at them curiously.
When he first heard about these people, someone had told him that no matter where you went, you would be able to recognize the Amish at a glance because of their unique clothing.
Whether it was the men's top hats or the women's dresses and coats, they were all black.
Men usually wore black suits with white shirts, and women usually wore black home skirts. Only during festivals or weddings would women add a pure white shawl to change into some simple colors.
Li Du looked at this man and felt that he had walked out of Europe from the Middle Ages. Not only his clothes, but also his temperament, which was very simple and down-to-earth.
After they stopped the car, the middle-aged man took off his hat and said, "Hello, my name is Tomasson. I would like to ask, do you intend to rent the jungle clearing?"
"Jungle clearing? Are you talking about the wasteland behind us? "asked Hans.
Tomasson smiled and said, "Yes."
Hans said, "Yes, that's what we plan to do. What can I do for you?"
Tomasson waved his hand and said, "No, no, I'm just curious because we will be neighbors. My house is just next to this."
He pointed to a wooden house in front of them. The house was hidden behind the trees and grass, and it was a row of small wooden houses.
Hans said, "Nice to meet you, Tomasson. I'm Hans, Hans Fox. This is my brother, Li Du. You can call him Li."
"Hello, Hans. Hello, Li." The middle-aged man smiled and bowed.
He placed his hat in front of his chest and nodded. Li Du had only seen this kind of greeting on television about medieval life.
Hans said, "I understand what you mean, Tomasson. The purpose of renting this land is to accommodate some of the second-hand goods that we bought. We won't build a holiday manor here, we won't hold parties, we won't bring tourists here, and we won't disturb your lives. "
Tomasson laughed and said a little embarrassedly, "Seems like you've guessed my intention. Then I'm relieved. But I still want to ask, you won't bring electricity here, right?"
Hans shook his head and said, "Of course, how could the government allow us to do that?"
After getting the reply, Tomasson left in high spirits.
Li Du said in disbelief, "They don't want to make life more comfortable and simple?"
Hans said, "Obviously, they don't want to do that."
After that, they drove on the road. Hans took the side roads, and they saw more Amish people.
Instead of using cars, they went out in horse-drawn carriages. The farmers didn't use tractors or any new machinery. They used horse plows to plow the land.
It was an eye-opener for Li Du. In his mind, the towns and villages in the United States were colorful and prosperous places. However, the Amish's community was very simple: black and white.
"How many Amish are there here?" he asked excitedly.
Hans said, "Not many. About six to seven thousand people in about a thousand households? The largest is in Pennsylvania. I heard there are about 350,000 to 60,000 of them. "
"What else do you know about them? I'm quite curious. "
Hans laughed and said, "That's a lot. What do you want to know? They were one of the early settlers in America. They saw themselves as a clean stream in this chaotic world. They stood aloof from worldly affairs, and they were frugal and virtuous.
"They were the strictest of the Puritans. They pursued peace of mind and rejected modern life. They spoke High Germanic and insisted on educating their descendants themselves."
"…"
Listening to Hans's eloquent introduction, Li Du was surprised. "You really know these people well. Are you a know-it-all?"
Hans laughed and said, "I know them because I wanted to join the Amish. There was a period of time when I wanted to find the meaning of life and the true meaning of life."
"Then why didn't you join them?"
"Because I couldn't drink, go to bars, pick up girls, or play video games. I felt that the meaning of life was tobacco, alcohol, and women!"
Li Du could only give him the middle finger. However, based on his understanding, Hans had been a hipster when he was young. Later, something happened that triggered him and changed him.
The motorcycle drove through the Amish village and went straight to the city.
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