My Manor

"Jiang, are you going out?" After lunch, Darlene and Marian glanced at him curiously and asked. They had originally wanted Jiang Hai to help build a nest for the two capybaras today.

"Yes, I'm going to catch some fish for dinner. What's the matter?" Jiang Hai responded, intrigued by their question.

"Oh, nothing. We just want to build a nest for Huahua and Bubble. They want to live by the water, like you told us." Darlene and Marian explained. Capybaras are called that because they live by the water. Whether as cubs or adults, they can't stay out of the water for too long. The sun can burn their fur, and they can't tolerate it.

Yesterday, when Jiang Hai brought the two little ones back, Darlene and Marian had placed them by the bathtub in their room to sleep overnight. However, the capybaras needed their daily baths. They either had to go to Jiang Hai's place for one or find a suitable spot at the manor. So today, they were looking to build a proper nest for them near water.

"The swimming pool is a little far," Jiang Hai thought for a moment, recalling what Darlene had said. Indeed, the swimming pool was near the winery, which was quite a distance away. He wasn't worried about Darlene and Marian finding danger; they were excellent swimmers now. What worried him were the capybaras. If anything happened, they wouldn't be able to protect themselves.

"Let's empty a guest room and build a nest for them there. We can think about an outdoor setup later," Jiang Hai suggested with a smile.

The girls, relieved, agreed. Together, they gathered some wood and built a floating nest in the guest room. It had small stairs on one side, allowing the capybaras to move up and down, and a bathtub with a thin layer of water on the other side. This way, they wouldn't have to worry about them drowning or going thirsty.

If it had been before, Jiang Hai wouldn't have gone to such lengths. But after spending time in the United States, he had learned to make things like this. Cowboys and fishermen here were quite handy. Building a small pet nest wasn't difficult with some patience, and he was glad to do it for his animals.

By 4:30 PM, the nest was finished. Darlene and Marian were pleased with the result, but Jiang Hai didn't linger. He hopped on his four-wheeled motorcycle and headed for the dock of the manor.

After exchanging a few words with Edward Anderson, who was packing up, Jiang Hai set off in the boat.

At the junction of the coral reef area and the fish stocking area, Jiang Hai didn't call Dasha. Instead, he cast a fishing line, prepared to catch whatever he could. Time was tight, and he didn't have the luxury of being picky.

Lobsters and other seafood were starting to wear thin on his palate. He was craving fish.

As he sat in the boat, hand on the rod, Jiang Hai watched the sunset. The sea shimmered with red hues, and for a moment, he thought how beautiful the scene was. If someone had taken a photo right now, it would have made the perfect computer wallpaper. But this was just another typical evening for him.

In fact, everything at the manor could be a picture-perfect shot—the forest, the grasslands, the villa—if only your camera was good enough.

Jiang Hai had noticed that when Feng Yunchen and Ai Xiaoxi posted pictures of the manor online, many otakus, while obviously focused on the girls, couldn't help but be mesmerized by the stunning scenery behind them. Some even made those photos their mobile or desktop wallpapers.

Of course, those with partners were likely too scared to do the same, unless they wanted a fight or a breakup.

"Just like that, a day has passed so quickly. Tsk, tsk... there's no better life than this. What's the point of being busy all the time?" Jiang Hai mused, still gazing at the breathtaking view. He had chosen this place for the environment it offered, one that could support his growth. As his wealth and strength grew in tandem, he began to appreciate the serenity it provided.

Jiang Hai wasn't your average young man. Before turning 30, he had been full of ambition, driven by dreams. But now, he felt that those ambitions were slowly being worn down by the peacefulness of his land. To be honest, he thought if he had any ambition left, it would be exhausting.

He had become accustomed to the idle life. A bit of exhaustion was okay now and then, but the thought of constant work was unappealing. Then again, what could he possibly need? He fished, caught lobsters, walked his dog, rode his horse, and enjoyed the company of beautiful girls. If needed, he could drive to Boston or New York.

With this laid-back lifestyle, and earnings that far exceeded 99% of the world, what was the point of overworking? Sometimes, the best way to live was to simply enjoy life.

Star Master once said, "What's the difference between a person without dreams and a salted fish?" Well, Jiang Hai had become that salted fish.

"The sea development is almost done. As for the cattle and other things on land, we'll just follow the routine. Maybe it's time to fully enjoy life. But hey, I could still get some delicious food here... Mmm, I haven't had yellow eel in a while. Come to think of it, there are no yellow eels here. I'll have to go back to China to get some." Jiang Hai muttered while enjoying the sea breeze.

As he thought about his craving for yellow eel—a freshwater eel common in southern China but nearly nonexistent in Bingcheng—he suddenly remembered how much he liked it. He had only tried it once at a Sichuan restaurant in Bingcheng, but it was delicious. In Jiang Hai's hometown, though, yellow eel was too expensive to farm, so he had rarely eaten it.

Westerners didn't eat eels, especially yellow eels or white eels. They ate other types like lampreys, which had even caused royal deaths in Europe.

It was hard to find yellow eel here, but perhaps Zhang Lao could help.

While Jiang Hai pondered his meal options, the fishing rod suddenly tightened.

Reacting quickly, he reeled in the line. He could tell something had taken the bait. The fish was about half a meter long, and Jiang Hai grew more alert, starting to reel in the line. Fishing at sea was no easy task; fish were powerful, and the lines were thick for a reason. Jiang Hai, however, never had to worry about his equipment breaking—it was durable and strong.

Within moments, Jiang Hai had reeled the fish in, despite its struggle. The fish was no match for his superior strength.

After a few seconds, he had it on board. The silver-white fish, which had black spots resembling eyes on its tail, was an American Redfish, a type of eye-spotted croaker. It belonged to the Sciaenidae family, native to the Atlantic but now farmed in China.

Jiang Hai had the largest breeding population of these fish, but this one wasn't likely raised in his fishery. It was probably a wild one that had swum into the area.

Weighing about 4 kilograms and measuring nearly 70 centimeters, the fish was much larger than Jiang Hai had anticipated. He calculated that this would be enough for their dinner, so he put the fish in the storage tank and made his way home.

To be continued...