ginseng is a perennial herbaceous plant. There's no need for a lengthy introduction; you can easily look it up in any encyclopedia.
Generally speaking, there are two types: the ginseng we are familiar with and American ginseng.
The former mainly grows in Northeast China, Korea, and the Far East region of Soviet Russia, while the latter grows in the United States and Canada.
In terms of medicinal efficacy, the Asian variety is naturally better, but the American variety is cheaper. Most importantly, American ginseng is almost always wild, as few people there cultivate it.
In Traditional Chinese Medicine, ginseng is a medicinal herb, but in Western medicine, it's just a root. The American public generally doesn't believe in its properties.
Thus, there are basically three types of ginseng on the market: Eastern ginseng, primarily Changbai Mountain ginseng from Jilin Province; Goryeo ginseng; and American ginseng, also known as 'Huaqi' ginseng. This name comes from the late Qing Dynasty and the previous era, when commoners distinguished foreigners by their flags. Since the American flag was colorful and fancy, and coupled with the presence of Citibank (Huaqi Bank), it became known as 'Huaqi' ginseng.
Although Heilongjiang Province isn't part of the Changbai Mountains, the Greater and Lesser Khingan Mountains also produce plenty of ginseng with good medicinal efficacy. In recent years, wild ginseng has practically vanished, but farmed varieties are becoming more common.
Cultivated ginseng is categorized into several types. The one with the poorest efficacy is 'Garden ginseng.' These are grown to be white and plump, much like how radishes are farmed. Their nutritional value isn't much better than a radish either. Selling for two or three yuan per gram, they are quite thick and are the most common type seen on the market, especially in gift boxes. These are typically grown for three to six years.
A slightly better variety is 'Biantiao ginseng,' which undergoes two transplantations. They are first raised in a garden until they are hardy enough to survive in the wild, then moved to mountain fields. Their advantage is that their nutrition is finally better than a radish, but the downside is their somewhat wild growth patterns. Generally, this type needs to be grown for six to eight years.
The market price is roughly a hundred yuan per plant, though there's no fixed price; it depends on the integrity of the merchant.
The final and best cultivated type is 'Shizhu ginseng,' commonly known as 'Under-forest ginseng.' For this type, wild ginseng seeds or seedlings are selected and planted directly under large trees on mountains to simulate wild conditions.
At most, they are weeded, but they are never fertilized or treated with pesticides. There is very strict control over the soil and climate.
They grow very slowly because many things in nature compete with them for nutrients. It basically takes fifteen years for them to take shape. They can only be brought to market after fifteen to twenty years, and because of this long duration, the price is naturally extremely high.
Once mature, this type of ginseng weighs at most thirty grams, whereas Garden ginseng can reach three hundred grams. That's the difference.
However, the price is not just ten times that of Garden ginseng; it can be twenty or thirty times higher, depending primarily on its medicinal efficacy.
Jiang Hai was looking at Under-forest ginseng, as he was only interested in the best. Unfortunately, much like the red pine trees,
The seedlings for Under-forest ginseng are mostly cultivated. Seeds are available, but there's no guarantee they'll survive after purchase. Therefore, most people buy seedlings. While buying seeds might be unreliable for others, Jiang Hai didn't mind.
So, after a walk around, he bought many ginseng seeds, which are the small red berries the plant produces.
Of course, these seeds didn't come from true wild ginseng but from cultivated ones. Even so, they weren't cheap. After his tour, Jiang Hai had bought a hundred jin of pine nuts, received fifty pine cones from Fu Yuan's classmate, and purchased three hundred ginseng seeds. It was a truly fruitful harvest!
That evening, Fu Yuan's classmate had intended to treat them to a meal of Forest frogs, but Jiang Hai and the others left. Since the drive back would take three hours, they didn't stay to eat. However, the classmate gave them quite a few Forest frogs to take with them. These are also known as Hashima or 'Hasima.' They were used as tribute during the Ming and Qing Dynasties. Their scientific name is the Northeast forest frog, and they taste quite good.
They are ranked alongside bear paw, Hazel grouse, and Lion's mane mushroom as one of the Four Mountain Delicacies. When Jiang Hai was young, his father often bought them. They weren't expensive back then, just a few yuan per jin. Jiang Hai would play with them for days, and any he accidentally killed, he would clean and fry. They are delicious when prepared well, but even simply deep-fried, they taste great, much like fried birds. Most people from his father's generation probably played with or caught birds when they were young.
After all, sparrows weren't protected animals back then; they were one of the 'Four Pests,' and the state actually encouraged people to eat them.
But compared to birds, Hashima tastes even better. Later, they became increasingly scarce and were even listed as protected animals for a while. However, they were delisted after a few years because they are so easy to farm.
You can raise them in just about any pond. A single pair of frogs can produce hundreds of offspring. They grow into frogs in two months and can be marketed a few months later. They are truly easy to raise; in two years, you can have as many as you want.
Jiang Hai hadn't eaten them in a while, so he planned to experiment with the ones he brought back.
Once everything was finished, Jiang Hai and his group of three drove back to Ice City.
That night, Jiang Hai ate deep-fried Hashima prepared by Qi Ya. Despite being a young girl, Qi Ya was very professional; she wasn't afraid to handle any ingredient. While other girls might fear snakes, mice, or frogs, Qi Ya had no such qualms. While they were still alive, she took scissors and, with Zheng Xiue's help, snipped off their heads, gutted them, and removed the internal organs. Occasionally, when she found a female, she would save the oil and roe, though they were rare.
It's like selling Crabs; there are inevitably more males than females. Hashima oil and roe are much more expensive than the frogs themselves.
Qi Ya fried them three times until they were exceptionally crispy. When Jiang Hai ate them that night, he didn't even have to spit out the bones. He just dipped them in five-spice salt and ate them whole. They were crunchy, savory, and delicious, without any muddy aftertaste. To be honest, while frogs are called 'field chickens,' they taste much better than chicken. He finished the batch from Fu Yuan's classmate in no time.
Moreover, they seemed to have a tonic effect, as Jiang Hai felt quite vigorous that night.
And so, another quiet day passed. In the following days, Jiang Hai's life in Ice City was much like his life at the manor.
After waking up every morning, he didn't want to appear idle in front of his Mother-in-law. So, after breakfast, he would either stay in his room for a while or go out to hang out with friends.
However, since it wasn't school season, everyone had jobs and responsibilities, so they only had free time in the evenings.
Jiang Hai didn't like going out at night, so he was quite bored during the day. Fortunately, he could handle the solitude. He spent his time happily playing games on his computer or phone. Recently, he had become obsessed with a game called Onmyoji. It was hard to understand why a game with a Japanese theme was made by a Chinese company rather than being imported, but it was well-made. Jiang Hai was quite addicted and had spent some money on it, though he hadn't pulled anything particularly amazing.
Still, he wasn't completely unlucky, as he had characters like Ibaraki Doji, Shuten Doji, Ubume, and Ichimoku Ren. Others like Ryomen, which everyone has, could be ignored. This lineup, along with common supports like Yamausagi and Ebisu, was decent. He wasn't exactly 'European' in luck, but he wasn't 'African' either. It made sense; his nationality was Huaxia, but his home was in America, so he was neither one nor the other! As for the nights, those belonged to Qi Li and Du Ning.
Of course, he still saw the other girls. Although Jiang Hai didn't spread his favors equally under Qi Li's suppression, he still found time for them occasionally. To this, Qi Li simply turned a blind eye.
In this manner, half a month passed imperceptibly, and it was soon mid-May.
The issues with Qi Yuanlong's family were basically resolved. Qi Zhengtao was in prison. Qi Yuanlong had used all his connections to try for a suspended sentence so he could find a way out, but unfortunately, Jiang Hai and Qi Li gave him no such opportunity.
Qi Zhengtao was sentenced to ten years for attempted murder-for-hire, among other charges that had nothing to do with Jiang Hai.
Zhao Chen also went in, receiving a fifteen-year sentence. After all, he had too much dirt on him. But as Jiang Hai had said, since he went in voluntarily, Jiang Hai wouldn't finish him off. He would get out around the same time as Qi Zhengtao in fifteen years, though whether Qi Zhengtao would actually make it out was anyone's guess.
After the dust settled, Qi Li reached out to Qi Yuanlong through Lü Si. After explaining the situation, he accepted a 0.5% stake in the Qi Corporation. He knew this was Qi Li providing for his retirement, and he no longer had the heart to pursue anything else.
With that, the Qi family matters officially came to an end.
His Mother-in-law's heart condition was also largely resolved, provided she continued to eat Jiang Hai's beef and fish. With everything in Ice City settled, Qi Li had no choice but to leave. (To be continued.)
Separating Again
"Hoo, hoo, hoo... woo, ha... ha..." Following a series of ragged breaths, Qi Li's body trembled before she collapsed weakly onto Jiang Hai's chest, her expression serene. Seeing her state, Jiang Hai couldn't help but pat her rear.
"Alright, hurry up and sleep!" Glancing at the clock, it was already past three in the morning, Jiang Hai urged her.
But Qi Li shook her head, sat back up, and slowly started moving again while looking at Jiang Hai.
"No way. I'm leaving tomorrow, and God knows when I'll see you next. I'm not sleeping tonight, and neither are you." Qi Li said, grinning at Jiang Hai. Hearing her words, Jiang Hai shook his head helplessly.
"But your body won't be able to handle it," Jiang Hai said, feeling a bit helpless in response to Qi Li's declaration.
"You'll find a way, won't you?" Qi Li replied with a playful chuckle, then started moving again. Du Ning, who was next to them, had long since fallen asleep. Seeing Qi Li's frantic energy, Jiang Hai gave a wry smile. Why go to such lengths? It was as if she were preparing for war. If she wanted, she could visit anytime; he had a private plane now. She could even come once a week for the weekend. However, Qi Li shook her head and rejected the suggestion. She was consciously pushing Jiang Hai further because she was terrified—terrified that if she truly could visit once a month, or even once a week, as Jiang Hai suggested, she wouldn't be able to bear leaving.
The Qi Corporation could not function without her yet. She needed to stand her ground until the very end. Once a suitable successor was found, everything would fall into place. After that, she could manage the company remotely via phone and ensure its survival, but first, she needed to find a trustworthy person who could execute her orders with 120% dedication.
Therefore, until that time came, she had to indulge in this frenzy. Jiang Hai had no way to resist; he could only surrender. So be it!
Neither Jiang Hai nor Qi Li slept that night. The sounds that made blood rush continued for the entire duration of the night.
Early the next morning, Qi Li and Du Ning departed. Jiang Hai drove them to the airport. His private plane would take them to the Imperial Capital and then return. Jiang Hai and the others were leaving tomorrow. Today, Jiang Hai would send the old madam back to the Qi family's ancestral home. As for Qi Jie and Qi Ya, they found an excuse, claiming they needed to return to the US, so they would leave with Jiang Hai's group.
Another uneventful day passed. After Qi Ya repeatedly warned Zheng Xiu'e not to mess things up again, Jiang Hai's group of five boarded his plane, heading for Boston, USA. However, as soon as the plane took off and everyone unbuckled their seatbelts, Qi Jie and Qi Ya pounced on Jiang Hai and dragged him into the back room.
Are you kidding? Watching Jiang Hai and Qi Li spend every day together had left them thoroughly pent up. Now that they were in a private space, what was there to hesitate about? How could they not seize this opportunity to make up for lost time?
Although Azalea and Wallis-Shelley had also been feeling deprived these past few days, they were fine for now. That was because after Jiang Hai dropped off Qi Jie, Qi Ya, his mother-in-law, and Zheng Xiu'e at the Qi family manor yesterday, he had returned to his own villa to stay.
That night naturally belonged to Azalea and Wallis-Shelley. Although they didn't stay up all night, they didn't go to bed until past two in the morning, so they weren't feeling especially desperate right now.
Therefore, they wouldn't disturb Qi Jie and Qi Ya now. Consequently, Jiang Hai didn't get much successful rest on the plane.
For three consecutive days, Jiang Hai probably only managed about five hours of sleep. He hardly dozed off until they landed. And after returning home, things became even livelier. Quite a few people had missed Jiang Hai, considering he had been gone for nearly a month this time, leaving at the end of April and returning at the end of May.
The scent of summer was drawing closer in the city. Some fashionable girls were already starting to show off the results of their winter efforts—regardless of their size, they had at least kept their skin quite pale by covering up.
The temperature in Winthrop was already quite high at this time. In Ice City, people were already wearing short sleeves and skirts during this period.
Although Boston wasn't as hot as Ice City, it wasn't cold either. The daily high temperature was around 22 degrees Celsius, sometimes reaching a high of 24 degrees, or sometimes a cooler 21 or 20 degrees. At night, the temperature difference wasn't significant, staying around 13 degrees Celsius. Therefore, the standard attire in Boston now was a short-sleeved shirt and long pants, perhaps adding a light jacket if one was sensitive to the cold. Although Winthrop was considered part of the greater Boston area, it was near the sea.
When the breeze blew, it could still feel a bit chilly, but that was outdoors; inside the house, it was very warm.
Before Jiang Hai returned, Aphra and the others who stayed behind dressed quite conservatively. But on the second day after Jiang Hai's return, they all changed. Of course, under the direction of Ai Xiaoxi and Feng Yunchen, they switched back to the outfits they usually wore at home when Jiang Hai was around, mainly during winter and summer.
This attire included a thin, nearly transparent camisole, or one of Jiang Hai's shirts (though he rarely wore button-ups), deliberately fastened only with the middle button, leaving everything above and below clearly visible. The basketball jerseys Jiang Hai had bought for playing were also their favorites, especially among the more petite girls. They loved wearing them, and they didn't mind that the armholes exposed a good portion of their breasts. Their goal, essentially, was to be seen by Jiang Hai.
This only covered the tops; the bottoms completely disappeared. When sitting on the sofa, they invariably adopted an M-shape leg position, giving Jiang Hai a clear view. Or, if they saw Jiang Hai sitting there watching TV, they would casually drape their legs over his lap, or over places that could not be described. Failing that, they would have Jiang Hai rest his head on their laps. These girls were exceptionally skilled at these little games.
The only exceptions were Darlene, Marian, and Talaga. These three girls were strictly controlled by Jiang Hai; they had to wear pajamas, even when hot, and they had to be the opaque kind. The 'disappearing bottoms' look was completely out of the question. The three girls were quite speechless about this rule.
After several days of this ruckus at home, Jiang Hai couldn't take it anymore and voluntarily retreated to a lounge chair outside.
These girls fully understood that Jiang Hai was extremely possessive. It was fine to wear revealing outfits and flirt with him at home, but in front of outsiders, they had to be completely covered up. Nothing could be exposed except for their arms, calves, neck, and face, or Jiang Hai would get jealous. They were only sexy for Jiang Hai alone.
This was also why Jiang Hai didn't stop them—they knew when to push and when to retreat, which was a very good quality.
Of course, after Jiang Hai returned, he couldn't spend all day fooling around with his girls at home. He had his own work to do, such as inspecting the pastures and the fishing ground and checking the accounts during the day.
It should also be mentioned that Dulles Gerald had finalized the contract. Annually, Jiang Hai would provide Basileon Martin with 40% of the wine produced by his manor. They would not enter the European and Middle Eastern markets, and the price would be raised by 21%. This had also been discussed with Paula Walton. Wine prices in the US were also increasing, though not by a terrifying 21%, only by 15%. A bottle that originally sold for $800 was now selling for $920, and each supermarket had a purchase limit.
Paula Walton had no objection to this, as the wine hadn't been selling particularly well initially, so selling less at a higher price didn't seem to matter. However, she would later realize that this decision cost her a significant amount of potential revenue.
For now, though, it seemed harmless. After Jiang Hai returned, the first batch of wine had already been shipped to Europe.
How Basileon Martin managed the sales over there was none of Jiang Hai's concern, but if he sold it at an exceptionally high price, Jiang Hai would raise his price again next year. He wasn't stupid; Jiang Hai could still find out the retail price.
The only area requiring attention was the wine business; the other industries were genuinely trouble-free. The cowboys were simply grazing the cattle. Every week, representatives from Walmart and Sea Merchant Supermarkets would come to select the mature cattle, transport them to the slaughterhouse, and after slaughtering, the meat would be placed on ice—not frozen, but kept chilled—and sent directly to Boston Airport. Zheng Jin would then ship this beef to major US cities, while local trucks would handle transportation to other second-tier cities.
There were also dedicated flights to Europe, but these only went to a few major cities: London, Paris, Rome, Berlin, and so on—essentially the capitals of various countries, excluding even Moscow.
The fishing ground required much more frequent flights because fish was different from beef. They basically flew once every day. Unlike the beef, which flew nationwide, the fish flights were staggered: Monday to the Southern US, Tuesday to the Central US, Wednesday to the Northern US, and Thursday to Europe and international destinations (China and Japan), before the cycle repeated. However, Europe, China, and Japan only received one flight per week on Thursday, as the demand wasn't exceptionally high, and naturally, the allocated supply wasn't particularly large either.
Now that these operations were running smoothly, it didn't matter whether Jiang Hai supervised them or not, as long as he kept an eye on the accounts.
So, after pretending to be busy for a few days, Jiang Hai returned to his preferred state of relaxation. But then again, he genuinely enjoyed relaxing. (To be continued.)
Wanting to Celebrate Children's Day?
When a person is bored and life is monotonous, time passes exceptionally quickly. There's a term for this, called 'drifting by.'
Back in school, you'd feel like time moved so slowly. A forty-minute class felt almost like an entire year.
But after entering society, you find that time moves so fast. Before you've even done anything, a day has drifted by. This is especially true for busy people and people who are bored out of their minds every day—cough, like Jiang Hai!
Jiang Hai was indeed very idle. He didn't have much to do; he controlled the core capabilities of his estate, and that was enough. The rest of his time was spent enjoying life. Aside from sowing the seeds of life with his girls every day, he had no serious business to attend to. As the temperature rose, he would brew a pot of tea every day, sit under a large tree, play with his phone, feel the breeze, drink tea, and wait for lunch and dinner. Thus, the day would pass.
The thing time fears most is 'drifting.' Just like that, in a flash, Jiang Hai had unknowingly been back in Winthrop for half a month.
It was already mid-June. On a Saturday, Jiang Hai was lying on his lounge chair as usual.
Summer temperatures rise quickly, but Jiang Hai remained very calm because it was quite cool within his estate.
"Jiang, eat some watermelon!" Just then, a flurry of footsteps sounded, and Jiang Hai saw Daliana, Marian, and Talaga running over from a distance, carrying a tray of neatly sliced watermelon.
"Slow down, slow down! Aren't you afraid of falling? My watermelon!" Seeing the three girls running over, Jiang Hai sat up, shook his head at them, and said with a look of mock heartbreak.
Many fruits were grown on Jiang Hai's estate. He loved eating fruit, and with the addition of greenhouses, fresh fruit was available year-round. There were all kinds of berries—blueberries, strawberries, cranberries—as well as those large Rainier cherries, watermelons, persimmons, Apples, oranges, peaches, plums, kiwis, pomegranates, and so on. In January, he ate persimmons—the kind of frozen persimmons found in China. In February, he could eat kiwis. March should have been for pineapples, but unfortunately, they didn't grow well here, though he could buy them ready-made. In April, he could buy mangoes and mangosteens. May brought strawberries and lychees. June was for cherries, July for peaches and plums, August for watermelon, September for Grapes, October for pears, November for Apples, and December for tangerines and oranges. Throughout the four seasons, Jiang Hai never lacked for things to eat.
Of course, those were just the peak seasons; there were always early-ripening and late-ripening varieties.
For instance, with watermelons, many were already ripe by June, though naturally, more would be ripe by August.
Jiang Hai only planted one mu of watermelons, about three hundred vines, but they grew quite large. In Jiang Hai's territory, there was no such thing as a lack of nutrients, so every vine could produce a cluster of watermelons. Moreover, they grew exceptionally large and sweet. Last year, many had literally burst from being too sweet. This wasn't due to any injections; it was purely an explosion of nutrients. The flesh of Jiang Hai's watermelons near the rind was even sweeter than the center of watermelons sold elsewhere in the US.
If such watermelons were sold, one could imagine they would inevitably be a massive hit.
However, Jiang Hai didn't care much for this business. Currently, the most expensive watermelon in the world is the Densuke black watermelon from Asahikawa, Japan.
The larger ones available in supermarkets sell for around three hundred dollars, which is already an undisputed kingly price in the watermelon world. But how much did Jiang Hai sell a pound of beef for? Right? So he didn't care about this small change. Furthermore, although his watermelons tasted great, their appearance was quite average.
One mu could produce about a thousand melons, averaging four to six pounds each. They might not even have enough for themselves, let alone for sale.
"Don't worry, I've grown up now." Hearing Jiang Hai's words, Daliana, who was holding the watermelon, couldn't help but roll her eyes at him. She placed the watermelon on the small table where Jiang Hai kept his teacup, then took a piece for herself. She spat the seeds directly into the grass in the distance and tossed the rind there too. This stuff was full of nutrients; the free-range chickens and other animals at Jiang Hai's house loved eating them, so throwing them there wasn't a waste.
"Alright, alright." Hearing Daliana's words, Jiang Hai also smiled and shook his head. He remembered when he first adopted these twins; they were only fourteen, but they were so thin and small they looked like they were eleven or twelve. Their bodies were almost completely undeveloped. Because they couldn't speak, they were extremely wary of everyone, looking quite timid.
But now, after three years of being raised by him, the situation of the two girls was completely different. Their voices were cured, and with rich nutrition and abundant spiritual energy, their innate deficiencies had been forcefully corrected.
Both girls were now about 1.72 meters tall, quite slender and beautiful with fair skin. Their long blonde hair hung behind them, making them look very capable. Their bodies had lean muscle lines, and they even had abdominal lines. Their legs were straight and appeared somewhat firm, yet they were still quite thin. Qi Jie and Azalina were experts in health and training.
They had done a lot of research on how to shape a woman's perfect physique. Based on their figures, Daliana and Marian could probably go to Victoria's Secret with just a bit of training. As for their looks—perhaps because Jiang Hai wished for them to look this way—they didn't look like traditional Americans. Their skin was very delicate, with big eyes, small noses, and thin lips. If one had to say, they looked a bit like the actress Jessica Alba, only with blonde hair and even fairer skin.
Even Selena Gomez had told Jiang Hai more than once whether he wanted the twins to make a debut. She was certain that if these twins debuted, they would inevitably cause a storm.
However, the twins only liked staying by Jiang Hai's side. They wouldn't go anywhere else.
Although Jiang Hai vaguely felt that the sisters' feelings for him weren't just gratitude, but also a 'daughter's' affection for a 'father,' he didn't say anything. He treated it as them being young; once they grew up, they would discover his true nature as a scumbag. Well, calling himself a scumbag—there was really no one else like him.
Jiang Hai sat up and took a piece of watermelon. No matter how many times he ate his watermelon, he still felt it was delicious.
The four of them finished half a watermelon in no time. Jiang Hai pulled out a tissue to wipe his hands and was about to lie back down, but before he could, the three girls gathered around him.
"Jiang, take us out to play tomorrow!" Leaning beside Jiang Hai, Marian blinked her big eyes and asked him.
"Go out to play? Go by yourselves." Hearing her, Jiang Hai looked at them with some confusion. What was this about?
"No, you have to take us out. Tomorrow is Children's Day; parents have to take us out to play." Hearing Jiang Hai's words, Daliana said with a giggle. Although they had never actually treated Jiang Hai as their father, legally, Jiang Hai was their guardian, and the same went for Talaga.
"Don't give me that nonsense. Children's Day is June 1st; it's long passed. Besides, America doesn't have Children's Day. Do you think this is my first day in the US?" Jiang Hai rolled his eyes and said calmly.
Indeed, it wasn't like Jiang Hai hadn't celebrated Children's Day before. June 1st Children's Day is an international convention, but no one in America celebrates it on June 1st. Er, to be precise, except for China, basically none of the world's major powers celebrate on June 1st.
This was originally a very sad holiday. The origin of this holiday was in June 1942, when Germany invaded Czechoslovakia and massacred a village called Lidice. All men over sixteen and infants were killed; only the women and ninety children survived and were sent to concentration camps. After the victory, to commemorate this village and the children who died worldwide during World War II, the Women's International Democratic Federation decided in November 1949 that June 1st of each year would be International Children's Day.
Therefore, almost none of the world's major powers celebrate June 1st because it is a very sad day. That's just how it was. So celebrating June 1st abroad would be like going out to set off firecrackers and being all cheerful on September 18th in China or on certain special commemorative days in Nanjing when the whole nation is in mourning—wouldn't you be asking for a beating?
So abroad, no one celebrates June 1st. When Jiang Hai first arrived, he was indeed a bit confused, but now he understood.
"Tsk, who said we're celebrating June 1st? We're talking about the second Sunday in June." Hearing Jiang Hai's words, Talaga also patted Jiang Hai's leg and said somewhat reproachfully. Talaga was already on summer break. After a year of study, her results could only be described as passable. After all, she had only had one year of formal schooling. Out of over two hundred tenth-grade students in the school, she ranked over 140th. This was even with her turning in a blank paper for History. It was actually quite good. The history of Native Americans and Americans—hehe, it was already giving Jiang Hai face that she hadn't set the classroom on fire.
"The second Sunday?" Hearing her, Jiang Hai was stunned for a moment, then rolled his eyes and thought about it. It seemed there was such a holiday, and the origin of this holiday was quite famous in America... (To be continued.)
Children's Day in the United States
Speaking of Children's Day in the United States, there is a story behind it.
Although the whole world, except for China, does not celebrate Children's Day on June 1st, every country has its own Children's Day.
For example, in Japan, May 5th is Boys' Day and March 3rd is Girls' Day. If you watch anime, you often see parents setting up dolls for girls at home on that day. South Korea's Children's Day is also May 5th, Canada's is August 15th, Thailand's is the second Saturday of January, Turkey's is April 23rd, Germany's is September 20th, Singapore's is October 1st, the UK's is July 14th, Spain's is January 5th, India's is November 14th, Sweden's is November 23rd, Mexico's is April 30th, Peru's is April 28th, and Hungary's is the last Sunday of May, and so on.
Because every country has a Children's Day, but the United States did not—well, it's not exactly that it didn't have one, but because state laws differ, Children's Day in each state wasn't on the same day. In 2000, a four-year-old girl wrote a letter to the president at the time, Clinton, who was embroiled in the Lewinsky scandal, saying she hoped there could be a national Children's Day.
Clinton then designated October 8th as the National Children's Day of the United States. However, after George W. Bush took office, he overturned this. But Bush also felt that children should have a holiday, so he changed it to June—June 3rd became the National Children's Day. Later, however, Americans felt that setting a specific date for a holiday was too restrictive and undemocratic.
If you look at American holidays, none of them have a fixed date. Christmas and New Year's Day don't count, as those must have fixed dates. Aside from those holidays brought over from Europe, the uniquely American ones, like Thanksgiving and such, don't have a set date. Thanksgiving, Labor Day, and so on—none of them have a fixed date.
They are basically on a certain Sunday of a certain month, or some other time, so they are different every year, which is very flexible.
Children's Day is the same; currently, Children's Day in the United States is the second Sunday of June. However, Jiang Hai had never really paid attention to it.
Because no one had ever asked him to take them to celebrate Children's Day before. Besides, do they even count as children?
"Do you guys count as children?" Looking at the three girls in front of him, Jiang Hai raised an eyebrow and asked with some doubt.
"Why wouldn't we? We're not eighteen yet." Hearing Jiang Hai's words, Daliana puffed out her already developing chest and looked at Jiang Hai seriously. Hearing her words, Jiang Hai couldn't help but give a bitter smile.
"Seventeen is still a child?" Looking at these three young women beside him, Jiang Hai shook his head and asked them.
"Of course, we are still maidens. Otherwise, why don't you help us break... that? Once it's broken, we won't celebrate it anymore..." Hearing Jiang Hai's words, Marian sat giggling on Jiang Hai's lap, and as she spoke, she began to lift the hem of her shirt.
"Alright, alright, alright, I give in. If you want to go out and play, just say so. Tell me, where do you want to go tomorrow?" Seeing her like this, Jiang Hai waved his hand dismissively. Just kidding, he had held out for over a thousand chapters; there was no need to lose his integrity now. Looking at the three girls, Jiang Hai spoke to them.
"Tch... fine. We've already decided. We want to go to the amusement park tomorrow, we want to go to the cinema, we want to go diving, we want to ride jet skis, we want to..." Hearing Jiang Hai flatly reject their 'proposal,' the three girls couldn't help but pout, but they recovered in the next second and started telling Jiang Hai about the places they wanted to go tomorrow.
"Stop, stop, stop, you're dreaming. There isn't that much time. We can go jet skiing and diving anytime, that doesn't matter. So tomorrow, let's just go to the amusement park and see a movie!" Hearing the three of them, Jiang Hai thought for a moment and said.
Although the coral reefs in Jiang Hai's fishery weren't as beautiful as the Great Barrier Reef in Australia.
In recent years, as Jiang Hai had intentionally helped the coral reefs expand and had also brought back colorful coral from the south several times, his reefs were no longer bare and gray like they were a few years ago; they now had some colorful patches.
Purple, red, yellow, pink, blue—all sorts of colors were there. If you went down to look when the weather was good, it was quite nice. Usually, when Jiang Hai went into the sea to catch seafood, he also liked to play around there.
Qi Jie and the others had all gone diving, but because Jiang Hai was concerned for their safety, he hadn't let these girls dive yet.
So they had only seen the photos Qi Jie and the others had taken. Originally, Jiang Hai just thought they were still small, but looking at them now, they had grown up without him even realizing it. It was about time he let them go diving, though of course, he would have to accompany them.
"Deal!" Hearing Jiang Hai agree, the three girls also laughed, and then they quickly ran back to the villa, leaving Jiang Hai to continue lying there playing games. However, having just been teased by Marian, he felt a slight surge of impulse... He sat up, glanced around, and happened to see Galina carrying a bucket of fresh milk toward the villa. Seeing this, Jiang Hai couldn't help but smile. He got up from the lounge chair and quickly walked over to her side.
"Let's go!" Walking up to Galina's side, Jiang Hai took her hand and led her toward the shadows behind the house.
"Hey, I still have the milk." Seeing Jiang Hai pulling her away, Galina said with some panic.
"It's fine, I'll give you something fresh to drink." Hearing Galina's words, Jiang Hai said with a smile from the front. Hearing what he said, Galina's face couldn't help but turn red. They were an old couple now; how could she not understand what Jiang Hai meant? She rolled her eyes at him but didn't stop him. After placing the milk bucket on a level spot, she was pulled into the corner by Jiang Hai.
Before long, from the corner, there came the sound of splashing water, followed by heavy breathing. From the shadow cast by the sun, one could see one person lifting one leg onto another person's shoulder while the other leg remained on the ground, forming a split. As for what they were doing, no one knew... Early the next morning, Jiang Hai set off with Daliana, Marian, and Talaga, heading for Boston.
Since it was now mid-June, the temperature outside was rising rapidly. At the hottest part of the day, it even reached twenty-six or twenty-seven degrees. Naturally, including Jiang Hai, the other girls had all changed into summer clothes.
Ever since she was given some tips by Selena Gomez last time, Talaga had developed an interest in makeup and fashion coordination. She would usually look at fashion magazines and talk on the phone with Selena Gomez.
Now Daliana and Marian's outfits were all styled according to Talaga's coordination.
Since they were going out to play at an amusement park today, dressing casually was the most important thing. Because the three girls weren't short, they could say goodbye to high heels; they all wore sneakers, showing off their long legs, but their clothes were different.
Talaga wore a slightly tight small shirt, as if she had intentionally worn a size too small, perfectly presenting those two indescribable things that weren't small to begin with. The stomach area was also a bit short, revealing her athletic mermaid line. On her lower body, she wore hot pants; according to her, these pants were cool to wear.
Daliana wore a particularly loose T-shirt, which, when pulled to the side, revealed half a shoulder. She had a rope tied around her waist as a belt, which not only didn't look bulky but also showcased her thin waist and long legs. On her lower body, she wore a pair of jeans, which also showed off her long legs.
Marian's outfit should have been the most normal, yet it was also the most unusual. She was wearing a school uniform, but that uniform... was somewhat like the kind Japanese girls wear: sneakers, white knee-high socks, a white female school uniform with a standing collar on top, and a short skirt that ended about three inches above the knee. When Jiang Hai saw her in this outfit, as an 'experienced driver' like himself, he found it a bit hard to handle. Needless to say, she must have gotten these clothes from Feng Yunchen and Ai Xiaoxi.
But she liked wearing it, and since the clothes weren't revealing, Jiang Hai couldn't say much. He just made her put on safety shorts before he felt at ease. Then the group of four drove Jiang Hai's war shield toward Boston.
Their goal this time was Six Flags New England in Boston. Don't think that just because this is America, every city has a Disney. In fact, there are only six Disneys in the world, and even in the US, its home country, there are only two.
One is in California and the other is in Orlando, Florida. Besides those, there is one in Tokyo, Japan, one in Paris, France, and one each in Hong Kong and Magic City (Shanghai), China. There are only these six in total; there are no other Disneys.
In America, the real chain amusement parks are like Happy Valley in China; there are over fifty of them across the US. And although this amusement park's prestige is a bit lower than Disney's, its own strength is quite good.
It claims to have the best roller coasters in the world, and the number of roller coasters in each park is quite high, making it very popular among the Young Man. This was where Jiang Hai and the others were going this time. After driving for a while, Jiang Hai arrived outside the amusement park.
To be honest, the outside of the amusement park at this time could truly be described as a sea of people.
This also proved to Jiang Hai that whether it's Chinese children or American children, none of them don't like holidays. (To be continued.)
Outing
When Jiang Hai and the others arrived at the amusement park, Jiang Hai couldn't help but click his tongue. Why? Because there were too many people!
Outside the amusement park at that moment, it was a scene of clanging gongs, booming firecrackers, waving red flags, and a sea of people!
Alright, the first three weren't there. Americans don't use gongs or firecrackers, and naturally there are no red flags, but there was indeed a sea of people. Countless parents brought their children to play here.
Moreover, the most important thing is that America does not have a family planning policy, so American families generally have at least two children, and sometimes three or four. Americans also frequently divorce, and often two families remarry, so there are even more children. Jiang Hai could only chuckle at this.
At the entrance of this amusement park, there were more children than adults, and a significantly large number of them.
"Uh, should we still go in?" Looking at the crowd, Jiang Hai couldn't help but ask somewhat awkwardly. To be honest, Jiang Hai really dislikes crowds. When he goes out, he never goes during holidays or festivals because it gets too crowded.
Anyway, he doesn't have a job, so he can go whenever he wants. Seeing so many people, he didn't want to get out of the car, but Darlena and the others wouldn't care about that.
"I've already booked the tickets, let's go!" Hearing Jiang Hai's words, Marian shook her phone, which showed four adult tickets had been booked. In places like this, the ticket price includes all the entertainment facilities inside.
Unlike the amusement park in Ice City, where you have to buy a separate package, it really is a bit behind the times.
"Either you take us to play, or you take us to a hotel room, you choose!" Hearing Jiang Hai's words, Darlena said with a mischievous smile. Upon hearing her, Jiang Hai couldn't help but roll his eyes. What kind of things were these young girls thinking about?
"Alright, alright, I'll go find a parking spot," Jiang Hai said helplessly, raising his hands at the three eager girls.
Jiang Hai then drove around the area and finally found a parking space quite a distance away. After parking the car, he went to the amusement park with the three girls. At the ticket office at the entrance, Marian showed the SMS and exchanged it for four tickets.
Jiang Hai should have mentioned it before, but in most places in the United States, mobile payments are not allowed.
The same was true here, but you could buy tickets online with a bank card first and then exchange them.
America is actually pretty decent; if you look at France, to protect physical bookstores, French books are not allowed to be discounted online. Whatever the bookstore sells for, the online price must be the same. In America, Amazon and the like can at least offer some discounts.
Holding the tickets, the group of four queued up and entered the amusement park. Even from the outside, Jiang Hai hadn't wanted to go in, feeling it would be too crowded, and once inside, his feeling grew even stronger.
In the entire amusement park, there were many people queuing in front of all the facilities, differing in gender and age. Children's choices also varied. Some younger children preferred carousels, while those who liked adventure would go for various roller coasters, haunted houses, and go-karts. Jiang Hai took a look and saw that this amusement park was quite similar to those in China.
At most, the appearance was made to look a bit grander, with each attraction having a theme and some scenes even featuring performances, though the timing was quite packed.
As soon as they entered the amusement park, the three girls were like wild horses unleashed, starting to plan together what to play, how to play, and when to play. As for Jiang Hai, his opinion was no longer important. He was dragged from one place to another by the three girls, constantly queuing and playing. Fortunately, Jiang Hai was strong now, so there was nothing to fear.
Watching performances, playing on rides—to be honest, Jiang Hai had a pretty fulfilling day, though the pace was a bit too fast. Basically, he had just finished queuing for a roller coaster, and before he could even catch his breath, he was immediately dragged to another place to watch a performance. Before the performance was even over, he was pulled to another place to visit a haunted house.
At noon, they just grabbed some burgers and other snacks at the amusement park.
After eating, they continued to play. It had to be admitted, these three girls really had boundless energy.
They played until past four in the afternoon, and only after watching the last performance did they gradually quiet down.
"Phew, I'm so tired, let's go back..." Sitting on a park bench, Jiang Hai looked at the three girls in front of him, who still seemed to want more, and said helplessly. Hearing Jiang Hai's words, the three girls all shook their heads at the same time.
"How can we go back! Didn't we say we were going to watch a movie?" Hearing Jiang Hai's words, the three girls said seriously, but then Jiang Hai took out his phone, looked through it, and then looked at them with some difficulty.
"Watching a movie is fine, but it seems there's nothing to watch..." Jiang Hai said helplessly as he handed his phone to the three girls in front of him. Hearing Jiang Hai's words, the three girls also started to examine it.
To be honest, this year was a big year for Hollywood movies, with many big productions like 'Fast & Furious 8', 'Logan', 'Kong: Skull Island', 'Justice League', 'Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales', 'War for the Planet of the Apes', 'Avatar 2', 'Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2', 'Transformers: The Last Knight', 'Pacific Rim 2', and so on. There were many good films, but at this particular time, there were no movies... In about ten days, the summer blockbusters would be out, with 'Despicable Me 2', 'Transformers 5', and others. But this current period was the most awkward time. Currently, in the cinema, Jiang Hai had only seen three movies: 'Terminator 6', 'Toy Story 4', and'Star Wars 8'. Out of these, 'Terminator' and'Star Wars' could be skipped.
Because he had only seen the first three 'Terminator' movies, and none of the'Star Wars' films. 'Toy Story'... that's for little kids, isn't it? And most importantly, wasn't the third one supposed to be the end of the series? Woody and the others were given away, so what else was there to show? So, at this point, Jiang Hai really had no interest in watching movies.
"Come on, let's watch this!" Seeing that Jiang Hai didn't seem very keen to go, Darlena and Marian sat down on either side of him, constantly shaking his arms, drawing the attention of many people nearby. In fact, throughout the day, many people had been looking at these three girls, given their looks and figures.
If it weren't for the fact that today was mostly families, even with Jiang Hai there, someone would probably have come to chat them up. Of course, even if someone did, Jiang Hai wouldn't care, because those guys couldn't take them away.
"The Lego Batman Movie??? What the hell is this?" Taking the phone from Darlena's hand, Jiang Hai looked at the page showing four tickets purchased for the last row, and besides letting out a miserable cry, he had no other option. What the hell was this, what the hell!
But since the tickets were already bought, Jiang Hai had nothing more to say. After leaving the amusement park with the three girls, Jiang Hai first took them to eat. Perhaps influenced by Jiang Hai, the three girls also quite liked teppanyaki.
The meal was naturally very enjoyable and cost Jiang Hai a good amount of money, but for Jiang Hai, none of that mattered.
After dinner, it was already very dark outside. The four then went to a nearby cinema, exchanged their tickets, bought drinks and popcorn, and walked into the theater.
It turned out that even though it was Children's Day, very few people would take their children to watch The Lego Batman Movie at night.
The entire theater had about a hundred seats, but all in all, only about a dozen people were seated? And that included Jiang Hai and his group. Because there were so few people, no one sat according to their assigned seats; some sat on the east side, some on the west, not close together. Jiang Hai and the three girls sat in the middle of the last row.
As the music started, the movie began, but to Jiang Hai, this movie was really childish—the dialogue was childish, and the animation was also childish. How many adults would enjoy an animated film made with Lego bricks? Even if it was Batman, whose style is relatively dark among all superheroes, not many people would like to watch it.
However, Jiang Hai soon realized that these people were not actually there to watch the movie. A young couple, a row behind Jiang Hai and his group, had already intertwined five minutes after the opening. The woman sat on the man's lap, and they kissed continuously, their hands exploring each other's bodies. Jiang Hai felt that this might be much more interesting than the cartoon, so he sat there watching their progress. But unknowingly, three small hands also reached towards an indescribable part of Jiang Hai. Unfortunately, Jiang Hai's hands were faster than theirs, and with three slaps, he hit their backs. The three little ones pouted, looking at Jiang Hai helplessly.
"Look, they're all like this, it's not good if we're not," Tallulah leaned over and whispered to Jiang Hai.
"Not good my ass, they're a couple, I'm your dad. All of you sit properly and watch, or go home." He glared at her. For Jiang Hai, this was the bottom line, and it wasn't so easily broken!
Hearing Jiang Hai's resolute words, the three girls sighed. What a pity to encounter such an insensitive guy! (To be continued.)
Planting ginseng
"Why did those three little ones look so huffily when I came back? Did you do something to them?" Feng Yunchen asked Jiang Hai curiously while lying on his large bed, busy with some indescribable activities.
"How could I? Those three little ones are probably just a bit tired!" Jiang Hai replied with a hint of embarrassment upon hearing Feng Yunchen's words.
He couldn't exactly say that the three little ones had tried to seduce him and got angry because he didn't agree; that would be too messy... "Really?" Hearing Jiang Hai's words, Ai Xiaoxi couldn't help but lean over with a giggle, lightly biting Jiang Hai's chest before blinking and asking him. For Ai Xiaoxi, living here with Jiang Hai was truly satisfying.
Here, she didn't need to worry about work or money. She enjoyed life every day with a calm heart, and she loved this kind of lifestyle. As for vanity, that was easily handled; she just needed to post photos on her social media showing herself sunbathing, diving, playing on Jiang Hai's yacht, riding horses, or shopping. Seeing all those likes made her feel perfectly content. The only downside was perhaps being a bit too far from home.
But it didn't matter, as she could go back every year. Otherwise, if she had gone to struggle in Beijing, Shanghai, or Guangzhou after graduation, she wouldn't earn even a fraction of what she spent now in a year, and she'd still only be able to go home once or twice. Now, accompanying Jiang Hai here, everything was wonderful.
The only thing she found hard to accept at first was that there were quite a few women around Jiang Hai, but she had gradually let it go. If there were many, then so be it; she just treated them like roommates. Anyway, Jiang Hai was very powerful in that department, so there was no issue of being neglected.
Moreover, Jiang Hai truly liked her, and that was what mattered most.
"Of course it's true." Jiang Hai smiled in response to Ai Xiaoxi. He couldn't really say otherwise, could he?
"By the way, Jiang, those ginseng seeds and pine nuts you brought back have already sprouted." At that moment, Afra, who was deeply favored by Jiang Hai, wisely changed the subject to save him from further embarrassment. Upon hearing this news, Jiang Hai's eyebrows shot up.
"That's great news!" Jiang Hai said with a smile. It was indeed good news, but now was not the time to discuss such things. He scooped up Afra beside him, intending to give her a proper 'reward'.
After a quiet night, Jiang Hai went to the place where he had planted the pine nuts and ginseng seeds early the next morning.
pine nuts and ginseng seeds are actually not very easy to plant. In China, there are specialized seedling bases for cultivation. Most people find it troublesome to grow them, so few people buy seeds to plant directly.
However, this problem didn't exist for Jiang Hai. On the second day after returning to Winthrop, he had started preparing to plant these two things. He placed the pine cones under the sun to dry until they burst, as only then could the pine nuts be sown. But they couldn't be thrown directly into the forest or pasture yet; if the seeds didn't absorb enough nutrients, they wouldn't sprout. So, after drying them, they needed to be planted in a greenhouse first and then transplanted once they sprouted.
The same went for the ginseng seeds; they needed to be raised into small seedlings first, much like rice seedlings, before they could be transplanted.
Facts proved once again that Jiang Hai's spiritual energy was truly useful and powerful. He had only intended to give it a try, but to his surprise, they had all sprouted. Looking at the small sprouts before him, Jiang Hai knew it was time to transplant them.
Although his care might not have been meticulous, with Jiang Hai's spiritual energy present, there would naturally be no problems.
He first took the seedlings and a shovel to plant the pine trees. He didn't plant them near the existing forest but rather in the open space in front of his door. Pine trees have needles all year round and are ornamental trees in addition to producing pine nuts. Planting them here was Jiang Hai's idea; they would serve an ornamental purpose and prevent others from seeing into his home at a glance. Ever since Jiang Hai's manor became popular, more and more people had been appearing around his house.
Some were individuals trying to uncover Jiang Hai's secrets, while others were from various factions or officials. They all wanted to know why and how Jiang Hai's cattle could produce beef like that without being fed concentrated feed. Jiang Hai had no way to drive them away because these people hadn't entered his property; the roads outside were public. Jiang Hai had no right to expel them, but that didn't stop him from planting trees to block their view.
And being able to harvest pine nuts every year was naturally a wonderful thing.
Carrying a small shovel, Jiang Hai dug a hole every five meters and dropped in the sprouted seeds. Then he watered them with water mixed with his spiritual energy, and the planting was done. Once everything was settled, Jiang Hai returned home.
After picking up the ginseng seeds again, he headed into his forest.
He wasn't sure if it was because of the spiritual energy or because several terrifying creatures lived inside.
When Jiang Hai first arrived at this manor, he used to come to this forest to play quite often.
It was because the forest back then was very nice, especially in summer. When the weather was good, sunlight would filter through the treetops onto the ground in dappled patterns, creating a very special atmosphere. Not only did Jiang Hai like it, but Ai Xiaoxi and Feng Yunchen had also come here to take photos before; they loved this place.
But perhaps due to Jiang Hai's spiritual energy, these trees were now growing larger and denser. The redwoods, oaks, and red maples were all growing massive. Before, they might have only been a dozen meters tall, but now they looked to be at least twenty meters or more, and they were incredibly lush. The dappled sunlight that once felt like a fairy tale was gone; now, entering the forest was basically entering darkness. You could hardly see any sunlight as the leaves had blocked it out completely.
Of course, it was still brighter during the day than at night, but any stranger walking into this forest would inevitably find it terrifying. Don't forget, Jiang Hai was also raising three pets here: a Mountain Lion, a green anaconda, and a crocodile. He didn't know how big they had grown, but since he was here to plant ginseng today, he could check on them along the way.
The best way to grow ginseng is under large trees. Firstly, it's hidden, so not many wild animals will see it. Secondly, the trees block the sunlight; ginseng is not a sun-loving plant. Otherwise, its flowers would be the valuable part instead of its roots.
Jiang Hai's forest naturally suited the growth conditions for ginseng perfectly. After injecting a trace of spiritual energy into the small ginseng seedlings, Jiang Hai planted them scattered throughout the forest.
Once the ginseng was all planted, Jiang Hai looked up and walked deeper into the forest.
Walking along, Jiang Hai truly found the forest to be full of life. While wild turkeys weren't exactly everywhere, there were quite a lot of them. There were flocks of wild birds, and the wild hazel grouse that Jiang Hai had almost caught all of a while ago were now abundant again. Besides hazel grouse and wild turkeys, there were naturally plenty of pheasants, wild ducks, and the like.
In addition to wild birds, there were many mammals. Small mice ran on the ground, but these weren't the kind of mice found in homes; they were white-footed mice, which are very common in North America. They only live in fields and don't enter human living environments, so in rural areas far from cities, almost no one bothers with them. Besides mice and small animals like squirrels, there were also predators like Coyotes and foxes, but these were small and posed no threat to Jiang Hai's cattle or his staff.
Of course, there were also plenty of wild rabbits, traces of wild boars passing through, and some snakes and lizards. In short, although Jiang Hai didn't have any rare species here, the ecological structure and food chain were very complete. After walking into the forest for about ten minutes, the grass in front of him slowly parted, and the Mountain Lion, which was a size larger than last year, appeared before Jiang Hai. Seeing it was him, it approached with a squinting gaze and rubbed its large head against Jiang Hai's leg. Jiang Hai also enjoyed rubbing this big cat's head.
After playing with it for a while, Jiang Hai went with it to find the other two big guys. To be honest, when he saw the giant snake and the crocodile, Jiang Hai felt a bit of regret for injecting them with spiritual energy. These two had grown incredibly large, clearly breaking their species' limits. If they were ever discovered by others, Jiang Hai would be in trouble.
But he only thought that for a moment. Since he had decided to take in these two little ones back then, he wouldn't regret it, even if they had grown into giants. Besides, Jiang Hai already had an ancestral North American lion-like creature; he didn't care if he ended up with a Titanoboa and a Deinosuchus too, right?
After bonding with the three animals and instructing them to protect the ginseng seeds on the periphery, Jiang Hai left the small woods and returned to the sunlight.
He had to admit, compared to the cold gloom of the woods, he still preferred staying under the sun. The sun felt warm and comfortable on his body. Looking at his manor before him, Jiang Hai smiled. This was the place he wanted to protect!