"The money isn't the issue; it won't cost much anyway. However, I hope you can participate in the main proceedings this year." Hearing Jiang Hai's comment, Mayor Wallace smiled, shook his head, and replied to him.
"Huh, me? Participate?" Jiang Hai looked at him confusedly, wondering if the old man had misspoken.
Me participating? What would I participate in? Like last year, just carrying a fish tank for the release ceremony, or something else entirely?
"Winthrop has a considerable tax surplus this year, so I plan to make this festival much livelier. Unlike previous years, where it was just a parade and a market, I want to organize some real activities. But as an old man, I honestly don't know the specifics of how to organize them. So, I plan to hand this task over to Cindy-Clive. You are the wealthiest person in our town, and many residents work for you. You really should get involved, perhaps as an advisor. If you're not busy lately, just drop by the town office and offer some input." Mayor Wallace chuckled as he saw the confusion in Jiang Hai's eyes. It was clear he was genuinely delighted.
"Cindy-Clive, huh? You know, things between Cindy and me, well, they're a bit awkward..." Hearing this, Jiang Hai's initial reaction was actually one of indifference. Just as Mayor Wallace said, he really had nothing to do. Lounging around at home all day wasn't much different from sitting at the town hall chatting with people. He wouldn't have to handle the logistics or contacting people; his role would just be to offer suggestions or veto proposals—that's all. The job wasn't tiring or demanding; Jiang Hai could simply stop by whenever he was free in the morning. However, the person in charge made the situation uncomfortable.
"Oh, Jiang, this is America. Even if something *had* happened between you and Cindy—and you say nothing did—you are the advisor and she is the person in charge. I already spoke to her before I came, and she has absolutely no issue with it. What does a grown man like you have to be embarrassed about?" Seeing Jiang Hai look conflicted, Mayor Wallace waved his hand dismissively.
"Well, alright then..." Jiang Hai hesitated briefly, but since Cindy-Clive didn't mind, there was no reason for him to worry about it either. After confirming the arrangement with Jiang Hai, Mayor Wallace looked extremely pleased.
After finishing his drink, Mayor Wallace drove his small car back home. That afternoon, Jiang Hai informed Qi Jie and the others when they returned. They weren't concerned about him participating in the Sea God Festival; if anything, they were more annoyed seeing him lie around the house all day. Now that Jiang Hai had a legitimate task, they were quite pleased.
As for Cindy-Clive, according to Qi Jie, if something was going to happen, it would have happened already, and once that happened, they might not have to worry anymore. Moreover, Jiang Hai would still be coming home at night, and if he returned feeling exhausted, they could always give him a hard time then. All Jiang Hai could do in response was give an embarrassed laugh... Early the next morning, perhaps sensing Jiang Hai's impending departure, the rain that had lasted nearly twenty hours finally stopped the night before. After Jiang Hai toured the estate and finished breakfast, he stepped outside into a beautiful, sunny day.
Feeling as if he were taking a spring outing, Jiang Hai drove his War Shield toward the town.
Once on the road, Jiang Hai couldn't help but marvel that Winthrop truly wasn't short on cash anymore!
Although Massachusetts doesn't have a specific local tax, the town receives rebates from the state tax.
Leaving aside everyone else, just the taxes Jiang Hai paid meant that nearly twenty million dollars would be allocated to the Winthrop town government.
Naturally, the area where the taxes are generated receives the highest tax rebates; this is standard procedure.
Moreover, the current income of Winthrop residents, even excluding Jiang Hai's earnings, is quite considerable.
The annual income of the American middle class is determined by the total average income. Taking the middle class as an example, the state with the highest income nationwide is Maryland, with an average total household income of $72,483, a lower middle-class income of $48,322, and an upper middle-class income of $144,966. Following Maryland are Alaska, New Jersey, Hawaii, Washington D.C., Connecticut, and Massachusetts, which ranks seventh nationwide, primarily because the state's territory is genuinely quite small.
The average middle-class income in Massachusetts is $66,768. This refers to household income (man plus woman), though in the US, while being a housewife is considered an occupation, it typically provides no income. The lower threshold is $44,512, and the upper threshold is $133,536. Anyone whose annual income exceeds that figure is considered part of the high-income bracket.
This year, the number of people filing taxes in Winthrop—excluding minors and some very old seniors, just those of legal age—totaled 6,217 people, with an average per capita income of $112,005.
It's safe to say that the income of Winthrop residents is quite impressive. They are no longer paying the lowest tax bracket; they are now in the third bracket, paying twenty-five percent. Naturally, the welfare benefits they receive are also superior.
Last year, Winthrop's total population income was $696,335,085—nearly seven hundred million dollars—primarily driven by tourism. Of course, agriculture, ranching, and fishing still account for a certain percentage, but that share has dropped from about sixty percent previously to fifteen percent now. The remaining eighty-five percent is generated by tourism.
The poisoning incident that occurred during the winter did not significantly impact Winthrop's tourism. Those who have visited are well aware of how wonderful the place is, so all the posts the agitators published back home seemed to have no effect other than making Winthrop even more popular.
It's similar to how everyone knows that vacationing in Hainan, China, is expensive—seafood is pricey, entertainment is costly, and it's easy to get ripped off—yet tourists still flock there continuously. Furthermore, Winthrop genuinely doesn't scam people.
Thanks to the tax rebates generated by the residents and Jiang Hai, the Winthrop town government, while perhaps not the wealthiest in the entire US, is certainly not short of money. They have excellent social welfare and hire people for cleaning services, among other things.
Jiang Hai has been here for three years, and he has watched Winthrop change every year, always for the better.
The sky was still blue, the land was still green, there were no skyscrapers or factories, the environment was better than three years ago, and people were earning more and more. Jiang Hai felt this was the definition of positive, sustainable development.
Last Christmas, the town government paid for everyone in town to go to the movies (in staggered groups, naturally), and they also distributed food, oil, and flour to every resident. As long as you were a taxpayer, you could present your tax receipt and receive a portion of food and several tickets to currently popular films, which was quite generous.
Besides these benefits, there were many public amenities being developed. For example, they were planning to build two parks: one marine park and one traditional land park. The location was right across from where the town meets Jiang Hai's massive estate.
Neither park would charge an entrance fee, but there would be charges for using certain recreational facilities inside.
However, these are still under construction and are estimated to be completed by the end of this year, effectively adding two new attractions to the town.
Secondly, another hospital has been built, and the original town elementary and middle schools both received funding to renovate classrooms and construct libraries, all while simultaneously improving the town's public transportation.
As mentioned before, the town previously had no public buses, only shuttles to tourist sites. But now, public transportation is available. The town features six bus routes, all utilizing electric vehicles for energy efficiency and environmental protection. One route is specifically a beachfront line, allowing passengers to alight at various stops to swim, collect shells, or catch crabs, or simply stay on board to enjoy the coastal view.
Other routes cover the seaside, the dock, the stable, the farm, the villa district, and so on—they cover everything.
In order to further enhance public amenities, Winthrop has begun expanding its roads. They are currently widening the main thoroughfare that runs from Winthrop to Boston, the very road that passes right in front of Jiang Hai's property.
As Jiang Hai drove out, he could see many people working on the road construction. The original four lanes were being converted into six, with added bicycle lanes and sidewalks, along with streetlights, trash cans, and pedestrian overpasses. These overpasses were equipped with escalators, allowing people to ride up and down without effort. Such elaborate overpasses are usually only seen in the downtown areas of a few major cities in China; Jiang Hai's hometown of Harbin certainly never had them. But now, Winthrop does.
It must be admitted that Mayor Wallace and his team are truly willing to spend money to develop Winthrop.
With good welfare, excellent infrastructure, and an even better environment, what reason is there not to attract people here?
Whatever you want to see, they have it. If you come to shop, they have it. If you come to see the scenery, they have it. If you come to eat, they have it. If you come to go out on the sea, they have it. Essentially, no matter what you come here for, Winthrop has it covered.
Winthrop is truly a place where you forget the passage of time once you arrive. There are no guides dragging you around to sights, no pushy shops that won't let you leave without a purchase, and no clutter of messy advertisements. Everything here is transparent and straightforward. You can do whatever you want to do. If you want a high degree of freedom, this is what it looks like!
To be honest, Jiang Hai was quite satisfied with the place. If he were an ordinary person, he would be very happy living here. (To be continued.)
Experts? Frauds!
Clearly, Jiang Hai wasn't the only one with that thought.
As the car slowly drove into the town, the signs of people gradually increased. Over ninety-five percent of them had a smile on their faces; indeed, they were genuinely happy.
The locals earned good money and had easy work—what reason did they have to be unhappy? And the tourists were also having a great time here.
Those on package tours coming to buy gold wouldn't come to Winthrop; they'd definitely go to New York instead.
The people playing in Winthrop were mostly leisure travelers. To accommodate these tourists, Mayor Wallis specifically asked the town's businesses to put up Chinese signs below their original ones. All road signs also had Chinese translations, including bus stops with Chinese station descriptions. Moreover, if someone got tired of Winthrop, they could just take a bus directly to Boston.
Of Winthrop's six bus routes, one was specifically for the airport and Boston line. It took an hour to reach the airport and an hour to get to Boston—truly convenient. As Jiang Hai drove in, he saw groups of three to five tourists either strolling along the streets, fishing in the designated fishing area by the distant river, or shopping further away, getting along quite harmoniously with the local residents.
Jiang Hai felt quite gratified by this; after all, no one wanted trouble in their own backyard.
Before long, Jiang Hai's car arrived outside the Town Government. After parking, he walked inside.
Although Winthrop made him feel comfortable, he hadn't forgotten his purpose for coming here.
After entering the Town Government, Jiang Hai walked straight toward the security desk.
Even those who didn't personally know Jiang Hai among the Town Government staff were aware of him. Today's security guards naturally recognized him. Seeing Jiang Hai approach, they immediately stood up, smiles on their faces.
"Hey, Mr. Jiang, can I help you?" the guard asked him with a smile.
"I'm here to see Cindy Clive to discuss this year's Sea God Festival. Is she in?" Hearing the guard's question, Jiang Hai smiled and nodded politely. If people were polite to him, he'd be polite in return.
"Yes, yes, she is. Miss Cindy and the others are currently discussing this year's Sea God Festival. Go inside, turn left, and the first meeting room is it." Upon hearing Jiang Hai's words, the guard promptly replied.
After thanking him, Jiang Hai walked further into the Town Government.
Since Winthrop had become prosperous, the Town Government had benefited too. At the very least, although the government building was still the same structure, the interior renovation was much better than before. Newly replaced windows, layout, and a bright European-style decor, new ceiling panels, installed lights, and wooden flooring—everything made it look quite respectable to Jiang Hai.
Entering the Town Government's office area, many government workers smiled and nodded when they saw Jiang Hai, and he would smile back in acknowledgment. At the very least, the atmosphere upon Jiang Hai's entry into Winthrop was quite pleasant.
After entering the main hall, Jiang Hai quickly found the meeting room. However, before he could knock, a somewhat stiff and arrogant voice in English erupted from inside.
"The Sea God Festival must include a ritual for our motherland's sea goddess, Mazu. Your Poseidon or whatever here is nonsense. We'll get some Taoist priests to perform rites on stage, then find some Buddhist monks to chant scriptures. Don't you have a lot of tattooed people here? Have them take off their shirts and kneel in worship. Then, there's the Flowing Banquet—free for all to eat. That Jiang Hai is also a Winthrop resident, right? He should contribute his beef and seafood. Only then will it show sincerity..."
Hearing that overbearing voice inside, Jiang Hai couldn't help but frown. What the hell was this?
Mazu? Taoist priests? Buddhist monks? Are they even from the same system? And asking me to provide a Flowing Banquet? This guy must be sick!
Thinking this, Jiang Hai didn't hesitate. Without knocking, he pushed the door open. Upon entering, he saw the situation inside the room. There were thirteen people seated: eleven foreigners and two with black hair and black eyes, though it was unclear if they were Chinese or from other Asian countries. When Jiang Hai pushed the door open, ten of the eleven foreigners immediately stood up, smiling at him. The one who didn't stand was Cindy Clive; meeting Jiang Hai still made her somewhat awkward. As for the two Asians, their brows were furrowed.
"If you're a tourist, go find the staff outside. This is not a place for you to enter," the person who had been speaking earlier looked at Jiang Hai with an air of superiority, waved his hand dismissively, and said nonchalantly.
"Hah, there's no place in Winthrop I can't enter. And if anyone should leave, it's you two." Hearing this, Jiang Hai wasn't angry but laughed instead. He calmly walked to the table and directly pulled out a chair to sit down.
"Mr. Jiang, you're here. Let me introduce you." Perhaps sensing the tense, confrontational atmosphere in the air, one of the staff members stepped in with a smile to mediate.
"These two are Chinese folk customs experts specially invited by our Town Government. After all, Winthrop is now a tourist city, so we invited them to consider the sentiments of Chinese tourists." Looking at Jiang Hai, the staff member emphasized the duo's identity. Hearing this, Jiang Hai raised an eyebrow. Chinese experts?
"Are you Chinese?" Jiang Hai lightly tapped the tabletop with his fingers, looking at the two with a half-smile. Of course, he asked this question in Mandarin, precisely to confirm where they were from.
"Hey, of course we are! We're both genuine, red-blooded Chinese." Upon hearing Jiang Hai's words, the one who hadn't spoken earlier chuckled and replied to Jiang Hai in a thick Beijing accent. However, something about his speech felt off to Jiang Hai. He had been to the capital and knew how locals there spoke. Although it sounded somewhat similar at first glance, Jiang Hai was quite sure that even in Beijing, very few people spoke like that nowadays. After all, it wasn't the Qing dynasty anymore, right?
Moreover, the more these two spoke, the more something felt wrong, giving Jiang Hai a strange sense of unease.
"If you're Chinese, then you can leave. Students should go back to being students, and tourists should honestly be tourists. Just listen to the nonsense you were spouting earlier." Looking at the two, Jiang Hai didn't hold back and directly told them off.
"Hey, you little punk, how dare you talk to me like that! I'm an expert they invited!" Hearing Jiang Hai so rudely tell them to get lost, the two couldn't take it anymore. One slammed the table, stood up, and pointed at Jiang Hai with displeasure.
"Expert my ass! Get lost! Just listen to the bullshit you were spouting—Taoist priests, Mazu, Buddhist monks, Flowing Banquet... If I were you, I'd bang my head against a wall and die. Shameless!" Hearing this guy still talking back, full of 'punk' and 'grandpa,' Jiang Hai wasn't having any of it. Who's the 'grandpa' here? In Winthrop, there's only one 'grandpa,' and that's Jiang Hai!
"You two, please leave." Seeing Jiang Hai's anger, the Winthrop staff naturally sided with him. The staff member who had spoken to Jiang Hai earlier stood up and said seriously to the duo.
Seeing the Town Government staff all siding with Jiang Hai, the two panicked a bit. After all, the security guards were right outside, and they were armed. Causing trouble here would be disadvantageous for them. Exchanging a glance, they also stood up.
"Aish... Fine! You punk, just you wait!" Looking at Jiang Hai, the one who had spoken earlier said this, then walked straight out of the room, slamming the door shut with a heavy bang that made the whole room shake.
"Where did you find these two idiots?" Watching their departing figures, Jiang Hai frowned and said with dissatisfaction.
"Uh, from the Foreign Language Institute. My younger brother is a student there. He said he knew some Asian classmates and introduced them." Hearing Jiang Hai's question, one staff member nodded apologetically at Jiang Hai and said quietly.
"What are their names?" Hearing they were introduced by a relative, Jiang Hai couldn't say much, just casually asked.
"The one who gave the suggestions earlier is called Park In-mung, and the one who spoke to you just now is called Lee Myung-yoon." Hearing Jiang Hai's words, Cindy Clive, who hadn't spoken until now, addressed him.
"Shit, you've been scammed. Those two are Koreans. They might have studied in the capital, learned some Beijing accent from who knows where, and completely fooled you." Among Asians, especially Chinese, Japanese, and Koreans, if they dress the same, wear the same clothes, and suppress their inherent ethnic characteristics, it's really hard to tell them apart. Even within China, it's like that, let alone for these foreigners. But just hearing the names, you can tell—the naming conventions among these three countries are quite different.
"Uh, South Koreans?" Hearing Jiang Hai's words, the staff members were stunned, completely bewildered.
"Who knows? Let's not talk about it anymore; I might say something wrong. Now, let's discuss what you've agreed upon. Everything that guy just said, delete it all. Chinese tourists don't come here to see that stuff." Glancing at the people present, Jiang Hai waved his hand decisively. Seriously, not to mention the Messy (messy) stuff earlier, just the 'Flowing Banquet' alone was something he could never agree to! (To be continued.)
Preparing for the Sea God Festival
These people in the town government are not kept for nothing; after all, in the U.S., it's basically an employment system, and there's no such thing as an 'iron rice bowl,' even for government employees.
Therefore, for government personnel, a complaint is a big deal, and it's quite possible they could actually lose their jobs, not just be transferred to another location. Because of this, American government offices are somewhat more efficient than those in China. Of course, because they don't earn too much, their attitude is merely 'peaceful,' without any standard'smiling service,' but their work efficiency is quite fast.
After hearing Jiang Hai's words, someone very close to him quickly placed the revised regulations into Jiang Hai's hand.
Jiang Hai glanced at it; there were basically no issues. The parade, market, ceremony, etc., were similar to previous years. The offering was still a blue dragon, which had been prepared five days prior. This year's glass tank was prettier than previous years. The parade length was increased, and the market was expanded. Besides the trading area, there were also places for eating and entertainment. Perhaps to cater to tourists, a new beach area was specifically opened next to the original market beach, where tents and lounge chairs could be rented, and people could swim in the sea, along with jet skis and surfing.
Seeing this, Jiang Hai crossed out'swimming in the sea' and'surfing' and handed the document back to the person in front of him.
"No need to go into the sea?" The person asked, somewhat puzzled, seeing what Jiang Hai had crossed out.
"Into the sea? In this weather? Heh, unless we're crazy. Jet skis will also need cold protection. Everything else is fine." He rolled his eyes at him. Are they crazy? It's only early April. Going into the sea in early April, how addicted would one have to be?
Hearing Jiang Hai's words, the person here also paused, then smiled awkwardly. They had only thought about their own advantages but hadn't considered whether these tourists could withstand the current sea temperature if they went in. Although the sea doesn't freeze and the surface temperature is always above zero, it's basically around seven or eight degrees Celsius. Most people genuinely can't handle swimming in such cold water unless they've done winter swimming before.
"Don't we need to include some Chinese-distinctive things? You know, Chinese tourists will also come to participate," Cindy Clive couldn't help but ask him after hearing Jiang Hai's words.
"No need. If they really want to see old Daoists and monks, they don't need to come to America for that. What they come to see are American-feature celebrations. So, just follow our standards and make it grand. Also, it's best to arrange police during the parade. I donate so much money to them every year, not for them to stay in the police station. They can come out to maintain order. Also, the food stalls need to be properly registered. You know more about this than I do." Hearing Cindy Clive's words, Jiang Hai directly shook his head. Are Chinese tourists coming to America to watch shamans? There are plenty of those things in China; do they need to come to America to see them? What they want to see are things with American flair, not things that are common in China. Of course, there will be some people overflowing with national pride who would be happy to see old Daoists and the like come to fool these Americans, but if it's sent back to China, besides becoming a laughing stock, there seems to be no other benefit.
And most importantly, it's easy to make that deceptive old Daoist famous. What if he returns to China and scams people again? Who would bear that responsibility?
So Jiang Hai directly dismissed this idea. For tourists, good food, good drink, and good fun are enough. Chinese characteristics are not needed here in Winthrop.
Hearing Jiang Hai say so, these staff members also nodded. Indeed, adding some Chinese elements to the Sea God Festival also made them somewhat at a loss. Now that Jiang Hai said there was no need to consider nationality and just treat them as ordinary tourists, it became much simpler. From this, one could also see Jiang Hai's influence in Winthrop.
As soon as he finished speaking, it was basically settled. The ten staff members there had already started dividing tasks with their tablet computers. These few people would be responsible for finding people to clean the beach, and these few would be responsible for processing licenses for those who wanted to set up stalls. In the United States, you have to pay taxes for everything you do, and naturally, setting up a roadside stall also requires paying taxes.
So in the U.S., don't be surprised by the number of roadside stalls; eighty percent of them have licenses, just like regular restaurants. Of course, the taxes might be less, but they all pay taxes. Police and such can't drive away those with licenses. In the U.S., you rarely see scenes like in China, where when urban management officers appear on the street, it's like a mass exodus. Of course, the remaining twenty percent will also flee.
Some others went to contact the police station to set up routes and so on. Only Cindy Clive remained seated, responsible for overseeing the overall situation.
"Ahem, it's about time. I'll treat everyone to lunch. We can work again in the afternoon." Looking at everyone in front of him, Jiang Hai checked the time. It was almost ten when he left, half an hour to get here, half an hour for those people to study the procedures, and he had been sitting here for another half an hour. Unconsciously, it was already 11:30 AM. So Jiang Hai cleared his throat and said to the people in front of him. Hearing Jiang Hai's words, everyone stopped their work.
"Wow, it's already 11:30. Let's go eat. But Mr. Jiang, we can't let you treat us, haha. Actually, our cafeteria is quite good, you can try it." Stopping her work, a person sitting next to Jiang Hai glanced at her watch and laughed, saying to Jiang Hai.
In the U.S., these so-called 'civil servants' are rarely treated to meals by others. Basically, ninety percent are Dutch treat, because anti-corruption is taken very seriously in the U.S. Treating these civil servants to a meal is truly no small matter.
"Let's eat in our cafeteria. Our cafeteria here is quite good." Hearing Jiang Hai being rejected, Cindy Clive, fearing Jiang Hai might lose face, thought for a moment and then said to Jiang Hai.
"Alright!" But clearly, they were overthinking it. Jiang Hai just felt a bit bored sitting there, so going to eat was fine.
After deciding where to eat, Jiang Hai and the others went to the town government's cafeteria.
Uh, calling it a cafeteria always feels a bit 'low,' although the meaning is the same, in the U.S. it's called a restaurant.
Americans pay great attention to the taste of restaurant food, so whether it's universities, high schools, or even some government agencies, their restaurants are quite good. At least they won't be like some high-rise cafeterias in China... For example, when Jiang Hai was in college, he put 200 yuan on his card in his freshman year and still had 30 yuan left when he graduated in his senior year, which he directly gave to a junior. The food in that cafeteria was truly hard to understand.
While it wasn't to the extent of a fly counting as extra meat, it was at least at the level where the auntie's hand would shake, and you'd get nothing you asked for.
High schools, universities, or government restaurants in the U.S. are basically buffet-style, free of charge, and the food is very good. For example, the Winthrop town government restaurant, when Jiang Hai went there, he couldn't help but nod. At that moment, he truly saw a lot of food: meat patties, sausages, stew, pork hocks, vegetable salad, fruit, drinks, coffee, and so on. For main courses, there was bread, pasta, oatmeal, a total of over a dozen items. The selection was quite good, the environment was also good, and there were several TVs playing sports events or TV shows.
"What do you want to eat, help yourself!" Watching Jiang Hai finish surveying the restaurant, Cindy Clive smiled, then nudged Jiang Hai with her elbow and led him to the serving area.
Bread, salad, and such were self-serve; you took them yourself. Meat dishes had to be served by the chef, but you could order any amount you wanted. For example, if you only wanted to eat meat patties today, you could take ten if you wanted, but the premise was that you had to eat them all. If you wasted food, it would be deducted from your salary.
Although Jiang Hai wasn't a town government employee, very few people in Winthrop didn't know him. These people naturally turned a blind eye and let Jiang Hai join them for the meal; Americans aren't that particular.
Jiang Hai looked at the food and took four pieces of bread, then asked for four meat patties. These patties were made from ground beef; the taste was alright, but the texture was far from good. Beef like this sells for one dollar a pound in the U.S., and of course, the cafeteria probably gets it even cheaper, otherwise, it wouldn't be possible for these people to eat freely, right?
Besides the meat patties and bread, Jiang Hai also took some vegetable salad and sat down at a table. On the table, there was ketchup, salad dressing, black pepper sauce, and the like. Using the plastic cutlery provided by the restaurant, Jiang Hai made two burgers out of the ingredients in front of him and happily began to eat. Watching Jiang Hai eat, Cindy Clive, who had only taken some pork hock and vegetable salad, couldn't help but smile. If she didn't know Jiang Hai and someone told her that the person in front of her was a billionaire, she probably wouldn't believe it herself. This Jiang Hai truly was a bit… baffling!
"What's wrong?" After quickly devouring one burger, Jiang Hai licked the ketchup off his hands and looked at Cindy Clive in front of him, asking with some confusion.
"Nothing…" Looking at his silly appearance, Cindy Clive sighed. If time could go back to when she first met him, perhaps she wouldn't have taken him to stroll around Boston. If there hadn't been that interlude, maybe… their ending would have been different. But the problem now was that time wouldn't flow backward, and things could only be this way! (To be continued.)
Bridget
"Welcome home." Jiang Hai's car pulled into the courtyard, and as he approached the entrance to his villa, the main door swung open automatically. Simultaneously, the voice of the cleaning system echoed in his ear.
"Huh? Someone's back?" Stepping inside, Jiang Hai noticed a pair of shoes covered in quite a bit of mud sitting on the shoe rack by the door, and he asked, confused.
"Yes, Miss Bridget Nelson has returned and is currently bathing." The system replied mechanically. Hearing this, Jiang Hai felt puzzled. It was only around three in the afternoon; they should all be busy at this time. What was going on?
"Is she upstairs?" Jiang Hai asked the cleaning system, still confused.
"Yes, she is in her room on the second floor," the system answered seriously.
Jiang Hai changed into his slippers and slowly walked upstairs. As he reached the door of her room, he realized Bridget Nelson had finished bathing. The young woman was standing in front of a mirror, using a hairdryer to dry her hair. Perhaps to air herself out, she was only wearing a slightly loose sweatshirt. However, the sweatshirt failed to conceal her perfect figure: those long, straight, snow-white legs, her slender waist, and a disproportionately large pair of unmentionables. Seeing this, Jiang Hai couldn't help but feel a slight hardening, a gesture of respect.
"Hmm? You're back. Why are you sneaking around? You startled me," Bridget Nelson said with a slight reproach, having noticed Jiang Hai, perhaps due to the loudness of his swallowing.
Hearing her words, Jiang Hai gave a slightly embarrassed laugh and walked in from the doorway.
"Didn't you go to the town council meeting? Why are you back already?" Bridget wasn't bothered by his presence as he entered. When she first arrived, she was extremely timid, barely speaking to Jiang Hai. The first time she was with him, Dina Taylor had to push her in, and she behaved like a puppet the entire time, not knowing how to move, simply doing whatever Jiang Hai instructed. Normally, she had very little presence in the villa.
However, the young woman from back then had completely transformed. When they first came, Afula was the oldest at twenty-one; now she was twenty-four. Dina Taylor and Hilda Leonard were both twenty and were now twenty-three.
Becky Hall, Sheila Rodney, and Auxilia Clive were all nineteen and were now twenty-two.
And the youngest, Bridget and Janice Joy, were barely eighteen when they arrived, and now they were twenty-one.
When they first arrived, they were dirty, skinny, and small. Their hair was matted, they had scars, and their clothes were ragged. Due to long-term malnutrition, their faces were gaunt and distorted by thinness. To be honest, Jiang Hai admitted he was being a bit of a bleeding heart when he brought them to the ranch, because back then, he felt no desire for them at all.
They were dirty, smelly, and emaciated—truthfully, if you threw them on a movie set to play female ghosts or zombies, they wouldn't need any makeup.
But after three years of living here, nourished by Jiang Hai's spiritual energy and the abundant food on the ranch, Jiang Hai had witnessed their transformation firsthand. When they first came, they were merely considered pretty, maybe scoring around seventy out of a hundred. Now, they could easily score at least eighty-five out of a hundred—it was a qualitative leap.
Because the women on Jiang Hai's ranch rarely wore makeup, yet thanks to the nourishment of the spiritual energy, coupled with the diligent efforts of the man Jiang Hai, their skin was exceptionally good. It remained in peak condition: fair, delicate, moist, firm, and radiant. Their hair was beautiful, and their faces always carried a slight smile, a sign of contentment with their lives.
With fulfilling inner lives and satisfying daily routines, combined with the spiritual energy of Jiang Hai's place, these women could each score above eighty-five without makeup. If they applied even a light layer of makeup, it would be enough to make them the center of attention. However, they had no intention of seeking the spotlight; they planned to stay with Jiang Hai for the rest of their lives.
Seeing Jiang Hai enter, Bridget reached out, pulled him onto the bed, and then sat down beside him.
"I just went to give them a general direction; I'm not actually part of the town council. After lunch, I hung around for a bit and came back. Why did you come back by yourself today?" Jiang Hai asked, smiling at Bridget beside him.
"Ugh, don't even mention it. I had terrible luck today. I was supposed to be doing drainage work, and there was a snake in the ditch. It scared me so badly that I sat right down in the muddy water and ruined my clothes," Bridget said helplessly. Since she was naturally timid, she was easily frightened. Hearing this, Jiang Hai looked at her with surprise.
"You didn't get hurt, did you?" Hearing her account, Jiang Hai checked her wrists and ankles.
"No, it was a non-venomous coastal garter snake. I screamed, which brought Chou-chou over, and it ate the snake right away." Seeing Jiang Hai staring at her, Bridget's face flushed slightly, and she smiled. She was clearly happy that Jiang Hai was so concerned about her, even knowing that his concern wasn't directed solely at her.
"That's good. Should we perhaps do a round of snake culling?" Relieved that she was fine, Jiang Hai simultaneously considered whether there were too many snakes on the ranch and if he should organize a cull.
"No need," Bridget said with a smile. "I heard Dulles Gerard and Robbins Garcia say that the snakes on our ranch are mostly non-venomous and harmless to humans. More importantly, they help eliminate rats—they're much more effective than cats."
"Alright then... uh..." Hearing Bridget, Jiang Hai acknowledged that snakes do eat rats and are quite effective; not only in the US but also in many places in China, snakes are used for rodent control. After that topic ended, Jiang Hai couldn't immediately find anything else to talk about, and Bridget simply continued looking at him.
"Well, you should rest now. You had a scare, so take a nap if you're tired." After a moment's thought, Jiang Hai prepared to leave. He hated when the atmosphere suddenly became awkward. He smiled at Bridget and spoke.
"Then... aren't you going to sleep with me?" Hearing Jiang Hai was about to leave, Bridget—though still timid—had been his woman for over a year and had been intimate with him hundreds of times, so she wasn't overly shy. She gently stretched out her hand, tugged his pinky finger, and asked hesitantly. Seeing the hopeful look in her eyes, Jiang Hai smiled. This was the situation he feared the least!
Without another word, he dropped down, pulling Bridget with him onto the bed. Her loose outer garment was quickly removed, and Jiang Hai's clothes followed suit.
"This is only the second time I've been with you alone," Bridget said with a smile as they lay naked together. Hearing her, Jiang Hai's face flushed slightly; this fact was indeed a bit difficult to address.
Bridget didn't mind, however, and immediately leaned in to kiss Jiang Hai. After their lips parted, her tongue trailed downward—neck, chest, lower abdomen, all the way to a certain unmentionable place. While she was diligently working, Jiang Hai flipped her over. Looking at the butterfly-shaped unmentionable area before him, Jiang Hai nodded with emotion. He wasn't sure if it was due to their innate physical talents, but most likely it was the effect of the spiritual energy. Although the women on Jiang Hai's ranch enjoyed themselves with him daily, those unmentionable parts of theirs were always like something out of foreign educational films stored on a computer.
They remained consistently pink, tender, and translucent, never darkening or suffering from pigmentation. Furthermore, since they kept the area completely shaved, it looked truly alluring.
Staring at the sight before him, Jiang Hai couldn't resist leaning in for a kiss, but Bridget instantly pulled away.
"No, that place is dirty..." Bridget whispered, reacting to Jiang Hai's action.
"It's mine to use, what's dirty about it? Didn't you just take a shower?" Jiang Hai was dumbfounded by her words.
"It just is... dirty. I'll take care of you, but if you want to look, just use your fingers..." Bridget insisted stubbornly and seriously. Hearing her, Jiang Hai did use his fingers, but soon, he didn't want to use them anymore. He flipped Bridget over, and sometimes, that is how the battle begins... Before he knew it, over an hour had passed, and Jiang Hai went downstairs. As soon as he arrived, he noticed that everyone else had returned and were looking at him with knowing, half-smiles. But Jiang Hai's skin was not exactly thin; he immediately dashed into the kitchen, teasing Qi Ya as he hugged her while she cooked.
"Remember to save some food for Bridget later," Ai Xiaoxi said with a smile, looking at Jiang Hai's carefree manner. Compared to Qi Jie and Qi Ya, Ai Xiaoxi and Feng Yunchen were closer to the other women on Jiang Hai's ranch. Seeing the current situation, Ai Xiaoxi knew that Bridget likely wouldn't be coming down for dinner. (To be continued.)