My Manor

"Hey, you guys are down, come and sit down, it's time for dinner," Jiang Hai called out. Hearing his voice, he looked up the stairs and saw Feng Yunchen and Ai Xiaoxi walking down slowly.

The two girls, having rested for a short while, looked noticeably more energetic. Their previously pale faces now had a healthy glow. Upon hearing Jiang Hai's words, they exchanged a glance and quickly made their way to the dining table.

As they sat down, Darlene and Marian entered with the food.

Since this wasn't a formal gathering, Jiang Hai hadn't asked Mrs. Philemon for help, opting to make the food himself instead.

Despite preparing it himself, the meal was impressive. He had made six dishes in total.

Fried steak and lobster were a must. The fried steak was a signature dish, and although lobster wasn't as popular here as in some places, it still stood out as one of the finest things to offer.

In addition, there were fried fish strips, a large plate of boiled crabs and shrimp, sea cucumbers with green onions, and a large plate of vegetable salad. This was the dinner spread for the evening. While there was more meat than vegetables, the other meats—aside from the beef—were low in fat and were raised by Jiang Hai, which naturally made them taste better.

"Hi, hello, let us help too. We came in a hurry this time. We have a gift for you," Feng Yunchen greeted as she motioned for Ai Xiaoxi to assist. They had both picked out two new, modestly sexy outfits specifically for a photoshoot.

Though not expensive—only two or three hundred RMB each—they were thoughtful gifts.

"Thank you," Darlene said as she took the clothes from Feng Yunchen. She was briefly taken aback but recovered quickly, and Marian nodded in gratitude.

"You're welcome. Ai Xiaoxi, let's go help," Feng Yunchen said with a smile as she stood up. However, as she headed toward the kitchen, she noticed Ai Xiaoxi was still lingering. Feng Yunchen felt a twinge of frustration—had Ai Xiaoxi forgotten she was here to help? It seemed there was no real sense of urgency.

"Chen, Sister Chen, this... this is lobster!" Ai Xiaoxi stammered, still standing in awe.

Feng Yunchen frowned, irritated. "Have you never seen lobster before?" she thought. Lobsters weren't that rare in their line of work, but before she could speak, her gaze fell upon the lobster before them, and her eyes widened in disbelief.

"This... is this a lobster? Oh, it's so big..." Feng Yunchen said, staring at the lobster, which measured about 80 centimeters from head to tail, not including the claws. Both her and Ai Xiaoxi unconsciously swallowed.

In China, even a two-foot-long lobster could cost thousands of yuan, whether it was an Australian or Boston lobster.

Lobsters were often associated with the wealthy, as people who didn't have much money usually couldn't afford them. The larger the lobster, the more expensive it was, which made sense.

This particular lobster, if sold in China, could easily cost 50,000 or 60,000 yuan. It might even be kept as a rare delicacy in seafood restaurants.

Jiang Hai's lobster was 87.2 centimeters long, weighing 14.8 kilograms. At the market price of 100 yuan per kilogram, a lobster of that size could be worth tens of thousands. To put it simply, it was an extravagant treasure.

Looking at it, even Feng Yunchen was taken aback. This lobster was practically worth the price of a first-class round-trip ticket or even half a car.

"This lobster comes from our fishery. Jiang Hai had Uncle Anderson bring it over today. There aren't many of this size around here, so they're carefully selected. It's even bigger than the last time Jiang Hai's friend came," Darlene explained, smiling at the two girls' astonished faces. She had reservations about accepting their gifts but didn't mind explaining.

"Do you often eat lobsters like this here?" Ai Xiaoxi asked, still in disbelief, pointing at the lobster.

"Of course," Darlene replied casually. "Jiang went through a phase where he ate lobsters almost every day, always around this size. Some are bigger, some are smaller, but he doesn't like the small ones." Marian added with a playful tone. Both Ai Xiaoxi and Feng Yunchen exchanged glances, thinking it was excessive.

"Well, let's just eat them properly then. We'll help serve the food," Ai Xiaoxi said with an awkward smile. The two of them entered the kitchen, immediately greeted by the scent of the steak Jiang Hai was frying.

"You're here! Just bring the dishes up, the steak only needs a little more time to finish," Jiang Hai called out, a little surprised to see them. But remembering the custom in China, where guests—especially women—often helped the host, he gestured to the ready-made dishes on the table: the salad, fried fish strips, boiled crabs and shrimp, and the prepared sea cucumbers with scallions.

Ai Xiaoxi and Feng Yunchen swallowed, unable to hide their amazement.

"There's no need to go to so much trouble. This is just home-cooked food, really nothing fancy," Ai Xiaoxi muttered, feeling a bit awkward. Aside from the lobster, this meal would be considered quite expensive back in China.

"What do you mean by 'nothing fancy'? These dishes are all from my manor, and we usually eat like this. You're a bit early; next year, I'll have homemade red wine here, and it'll taste even better," Jiang Hai replied casually, waving his hand. To him, it was just another meal.

"Okay, let's get it out," Feng Yunchen said, gesturing to Ai Xiaoxi. The two of them took two plates and headed out. After setting them down, they returned for two more plates. Meanwhile, Darlene and Marian had gone upstairs to put away the clothes. At their age, especially the precocious Darlene and Marian, they had some thoughts about the slightly sexy outfits, but Jiang Hai had insisted they weren't allowed to buy or wear them. They were a bit helpless in the matter. As for Cindy Clive, she was still wearing simple clothes.

"Come, eat!" Jiang Hai finally said, emerging from the kitchen with a basket of bread and a basket of fried steak.

Darlene and Marian had also set the table with knives, forks, and dishes for the five of them.

The five of them sat down, ready to eat. But Ai Xiaoxi and Feng Yunchen hesitated with their knives and forks, unsure of where to start. The spread before them was quite impressive.

"Let's try the shrimp first!" After some indecision, they agreed on the shrimp. Though the Arctic shrimp were regular-sized, they were raised by Jiang Hai and were significantly larger than average. Jiang Hai's Arctic shrimp, though not highly valued in China, had grown impressively thanks to the seaweed he provided, which was boosted by his spiritual energy.

Feng Yunchen, peeling one of the shrimp, was puzzled. She had eaten Arctic shrimp before, but these didn't quite look the same.

But as soon as she took a bite, her eyes narrowed in delight.

The firm, sweet meat of the shrimp hit her taste buds instantly, and she was taken by surprise.

On the other side, Ai Xiaoxi had eaten a crab. While Jiang Hai had king crabs, they weren't ready for harvest yet, so he had served swimming crabs instead. Despite being a common species, these swimming crabs were large, weighing almost a kilogram each. In China, such crabs would cost 100 yuan per kilogram during the off-season, making this quite the treat.