Chapter 111: The Test Results Came Out

The next morning, Jenny came as promised, and she brought her colleagues from the Fish and Wildlife Management Bureau along. Quite a few people arrived, along with two large pickup trucks with long beds, which seemed to be specifically for loading vegetables.

“Mr. Dexter, hope we didn’t startle you? Everyone really enjoyed the vegetables you gave us to take back yesterday,” Jenny said as she jumped out of the vehicle and looked at Liu Heming.

“The more people, the better. The weather isn’t hot yet, so it’s a good chance for everyone to pick the vegetables themselves. No need to be polite with me—just leave some tomatoes for Charming Girl, and feel free to pick as many of the rest as you like,” Liu Heming replied very generously.

“In that case, we won’t hold back. Let me introduce you—this is Alfred Evelyn, the head of our District 6 service office,” Jenny introduced an older man who had gotten out of the vehicle after her.

Alfred wasn’t very tall. He wore glasses and was dressed in outdoor sports clothing, giving him a very spirited appearance.

“Mr. Dexter, although this is the first time I’ve met you, I’ve heard your name many times,” Alfred said, stepping forward to shake hands while Liu Heming was still sizing him up.

“Hello, how is it that you’ve heard of me?” Liu Heming asked curiously.

“Because of them, of course. We often talk about them in the office,” Alfred said, looking at the Bear Kids who stood nearby like curious children.

“It seems they’re much more famous than I am. Everyone, go ahead and start picking—there will be plenty of time to chat, but it’s going to get hot soon,” Liu Heming joked.

“Where is Charming Girl? I’d like to see her too,” Alfred asked.

“Now I get it. It must be because Jenny and Bill praised them so much after they got back—that’s why they’re stealing my spotlight,” Liu Heming said, pretending to be upset.

“She’s over by the warehouse. Her leg injury just healed, so we don’t dare let her wander too far. Besides, there are occasional wolves around here.”

With so many people surrounding her, Charming Girl didn’t show any sign of fear. It was as if she thought, “Come if you want—my eyes are only on Alex.”

“It’s truly a miracle that Charming Girl recovered so quickly,” Alfred said after taking a careful look at her.

“You’re the experts—do you think it might be related to Charming Girl being pregnant with a foal? Could it be that her recovery ability became stronger because she’s carrying a foal?” Liu Heming asked.

“Maybe, but we haven’t done any research in that area yet,” Alfred nodded.

After watching Charming Girl for a while longer, Liu Heming had Bear Cub lead them over to the Vegetable Garden to pick vegetables. He hadn’t planned on making money from this anyway, and it would be a shame if they went bad.

Just as the Bear Kids were leading these people toward the Vegetable Garden, two more black SUVs drove up outside the ranch. Liu Heming was puzzled, but he thought they were probably here for Sasha.

His guess wasn’t far off. These people were here for Sasha, but they were also here for him. They were from the United States Department of Agriculture. The results for the Finger Sweet Potatoes he had sent for testing were out, and since he was applying for USDA certification, they took it seriously and sent people over personally.

The one leading the group was Sasha’s classmate, Janet Cook. To be honest, Liu Heming felt a bit nervous because the origin of these Finger Sweet Potatoes wasn’t exactly legitimate.

“Mr. Dexter, could you tell us how you obtained these sweet potatoes?” Janet asked after they exchanged introductions.

Liu Heming’s heart beat fast—this was exactly what he was afraid of. But he braced himself and said, “I just bought them randomly after I arrived here. At the time, I only thought they looked unique. I had no idea they would taste so good.”

“By the way, what were the test results like? Do my sweet potatoes meet your USDA standards? I’m planning to grow more of them next year.”

“Mr. Dexter, I should clarify—USDA certification is an ongoing process. We can’t make a judgment based solely on these sweet potatoes at this point,” Janet said with a smile.

“There are many criteria involved. For example, whether chemical fertilizer has been used in your ranch’s soil, and whether there are any harmful substances within a certain area of your ranch. All of these need to be evaluated.”

“To put it simply, the crops must be handled organically throughout the entire process—from planting, care, harvesting, to storage. Then, if the nutritional content of the crops meets the standards, we can grant USDA certification. If the entire process is 100% organic, we can award the USDA label.”

“Here is the test report for these sweet potatoes. According to our test results, their beneficial components are far higher than normal levels in ordinary sweet potatoes. Especially the content of trace elements and minerals, which is more than three times higher. And the starch content is much lower than the normal level in ordinary sweet potatoes.”

“We have never seen sweet potatoes like these before, and we can’t yet determine exactly which category they belong to. If you agree, we will publish a notice to collect information. If no one can identify them within a week, you will be able to name this type of sweet potato yourself.”

“Janet, this ranch belongs to Sasha’s family. They haven’t farmed here for many years. And after I took over, I originally planned to use chemical fertilizer, but considering the future, I chose to use organic fertilizer instead. So doesn’t that prove that I meet the USDA standards?” Liu Heming asked somewhat eagerly.

As for the notice to collect information, he wasn’t worried at all—it would be strange if anyone could recognize them. Right now, what he cared about most was the USDA certification. If the sweet potatoes were this good, they should just put the label on them. That way, his Finger Sweet Potatoes would become much more valuable.

“Mr. Dexter, don’t rush. Although these are established facts, we still need to collect some soil samples from here to take back for testing,” Janet said with a smile.

“But don’t worry—we will expedite the process. After all, this type of sweet potato is a new species discovered in recent years, and we take it very seriously.”

Liu Heming scratched his head sheepishly. He had been too impatient—it was all because he was short on money.

The people Janet brought quickly changed into work clothes—the kind that covered their whole bodies—and then they went out into Liu Heming’s ranch to collect samples from various areas.

Janet didn’t do the sampling herself. She probably hadn’t seen Sasha in a long time, so the two of them chatted together happily.