My Manor

There are many people in Jiang Hai who can drive boats—Edward Anderson, Tommy Charles, Andrew Christian, and Enol Ceci are all capable of operating Jiang Hai's fishing boat. As for smaller boats, it's even easier. Even Philemon Turner, who is somewhat of a novice, can drive one. But when it comes to the best drivers, it's Maren Rupert and Bell Lester.

However, today, both of them have other plans. They want to take a helicopter ride together and enjoy a turn in the sky. After all, the helicopter was bought for them. With it, they can not only patrol the ocean but also keep an eye on the ranch. Although things are relatively quiet in Jiang Hai's territory, at least it won't compete for resources with his manor. Moreover, he's not planning on fishing for anything today, so there's no need for too many people.

So, he called on Edward Anderson to help drive the boat today. Jiang Hai brought Darlene, Marian, and their three pets—Xiaobai, Xiaohuang, and Banya—along for the ride. Of course, the most important companion was Fuyuan. They treated it as an outing.

They didn't take the large boat but rather an open one, which was more than sufficient for their fishing plans.

As the boat left the dock, it picked up speed and headed toward the outer edge of the coral reef.

Fuyuan was quite flamboyant today. He wore a flashy outfit, not thick enough for the weather, and a large pair of sunglasses.

The weather in Boston had been pleasant lately, with temperatures reaching seven or eight degrees during the day, and staying above three degrees at night. It wasn't bad, but it was still winter. Dressing like that was reckless.

He didn't mind when the boat was moving slowly, continuing to take selfies, but as the boat accelerated, he quickly retreated to the cabin. Thankfully, Jiang Hai had prepared extra clothes, or he would have frozen.

"If you weren't trying so hard to show off, you wouldn't be so cold," Jiang Hai teased, smiling at Fuyuan, who had wrapped himself in a thick down jacket.

"You don't get it. This is called... A-choo... Beauty defeats the cold," Fuyuan said, rolling his eyes at Jiang Hai with a smug look.

"The problem is, you're not beautiful." Jiang Hai shot him a contemptuous look. If Fuyuan was attractive, maybe the phrase would make sense, but as it stood, he didn't even know what he was talking about.

Hearing Jiang Hai's words, Fuyuan pouted but didn't argue. He sat inside the cabin, teasing Xiaohuang and Xiaobai. Since the space was too small, the two dogs had nowhere to hide and could only endure his antics. They couldn't bite him, as they knew he was their owner's friend, so they just did their best to avoid him. Still, they couldn't avoid getting hit once or twice.

In the cabin, Fuyuan and the dogs were in a playful chase, and the place was filled with chaos, but Jiang Hai didn't mind. It had been a long time since things had felt so lively around here, and watching the three of them play made the atmosphere much more vibrant.

Although Fuyuan's arrival had temporarily halted his treasure hunt, it was all worth it.

"Boss, we're here!" After about three hours of sailing, it was nearing lunchtime. Edward stopped the boat and walked to the cabin. He glanced at Fuyuan, who was exhausted from playing, and the messy cabin. He spoke to Jiang Hai, signaling that they had arrived at the fishing spot, which was no longer within the scope of Jiang Hai's fishing grounds.

Jiang Hai's fishing grounds were now divided into two parts: the coral reef area and the sandy section. The fish in the sandy part had mostly been caught. While a few remained, the numbers were low, and it wasn't a prime fishing spot anymore.

The coral reef wasn't great for fishing either, due to the many reefs that could easily snag the line. Sea fishing was different from river fishing; it was too easy to get stuck. Jiang Hai remembered the lead blocks he had discarded—the fish he killed were more than the ones he caught. While his skill level had improved, he was still learning the ropes, and with Fuyuan around, who was even more inexperienced, Jiang Hai felt that the thirty or so lead blocks he brought might not be enough.

So, they didn't fish in the coral reef but rather near the extension of the sandy land, at the junction of his fishing grounds and the high seas. It was a safe area with plenty of fish.

"Great, give me the fishing rod, and let me show off my skills," Fuyuan said excitedly, waking up from his drowsiness as they arrived at the spot. Hearing him, Jiang Hai pulled out a box from under the seat, revealing several sea fishing rods.

Influenced by Edward and the others, Jiang Hai didn't care much about the brand of fishing rods. Choosing a fishing rod was more about the material than the brand. Of course, a well-known brand could signal quality in some respects, but pure luxury wasn't necessary for an outsider like Jiang Hai.

Jiang Hai's special fishing rod was a 4.5-meter carbon fiber rod, which cost $300. It wasn't cheap, but it wasn't prohibitively expensive either. With other equipment, the total cost was under $400—excluding the most important item, the fishing license.

As Jiang Hai prepared his rod, Fuyuan, already impatient, grabbed a carbon rod and walked out of the cabin. Even Edward came out, knowing that if they relied on the fish they caught for lunch, they'd probably starve.

Once they were all ready, Edward took out the pre-prepared bait: sandworms. Unlike fishing enthusiasts, these fishermen weren't as concerned with using artificial baits; they believed live bait was far more effective. Jiang Hai agreed.

Although this wasn't the first time Jiang Hai had seen sandworms, they still made him shudder—they were just too disgusting.

Fuyuan, however, was much more composed. After attaching the bait to the large hook, he threw it with all his strength. Almost falling off the boat, he managed to cast the bait as far as possible, then, following Jiang Hai's advice, slowly reeled in the line to keep it straight. Sea fishing was different from river fishing.

After Fuyuan threw out two lead blocks, he finally cast the bait correctly.

Jiang Hai and Edward, already finished with their baiting, waited as Fuyuan proudly looked at his fishing line. It seemed like he was quite pleased with his technique, much like Jiang Hai had been in the past.

"Hey, Jiang, how about a bet?" Fuyuan asked, raising an eyebrow.

"A bet? What kind of bet?" Jiang Hai replied, intrigued but surprised.

"Let's bet on who catches a fish first. The loser buys lunch!" Fuyuan said, a competitive spark in his eyes.

"Not a chance. You're just trying to get me to do something ridiculous," Jiang Hai said, glancing at Darlene and Marian, who were nearby. He didn't want to set a bad example for the two girls, so he gave Fuyuan a playful middle finger. Had this guy gotten bored back in China?

"No, no, you see, I finally came all this way, so I have to experience the full thing. Otherwise, I'll be made fun of when I get back," Fuyuan stammered awkwardly. In reality, if Jiang Hai had taken him to see those "fallen women," he would've been game, but going alone made him wary. He was in a foreign land, and if something went wrong, his reputation would be ruined.

"I'm not interested in this nonsense. You just want to bet on something ridiculous," Jiang Hai said, dismissing the idea.

Fuyuan, looking disappointed, grumbled, "Then what should we bet on? Bet on food? You're better than me in this department! Bet on wine? You can't drink more than me. Bet on money? It's not like playing mahjong, where a few bucks will ruin the mood. What should we bet on...?"

Just as Fuyuan was struggling to come up with a bet, his fishing line suddenly tensed, followed by a powerful pull from beneath the water.

"I haven't even decided what to bet on yet... Forget it, I won't bet anymore. Mine's hooked first!" Fuyuan cried, excitedly trying to reel in the line.

As the fight continued, Jiang Hai was impressed by how well Fuyuan was handling the struggle. Fuyuan's luck was clearly better than his own.

"Jiang, pass me my phone. I'm going to catch it, but don't forget to take a picture!" Fuyuan shouted as he reeled in the fish, eager to show off.

"After such a long battle, this fish must be huge!" Jiang Hai commented, watching Fuyuan wrestle with the fish.

"Of course. Don't you see who's reeling it in? With my strength, this fish has to be at least half a meter long..." Fuyuan said with pride.

"Half a meter? Alright, let's see..." Jiang Hai raised an eyebrow, amused. A few minutes later, after a somewhat disappointing struggle, Fuyuan finally pulled the fish up beside the boat. When the fish broke the surface, Jiang Hai burst out laughing. On Fuyuan's line was a tiny fish, barely ten centimeters long, struggling weakly.

"What's going on? Why is it so small?" Fuyuan asked, clearly confused and somewhat disgusted.