Since they had fought side by side, the relationship between Jiang Hai and Qi Li was no longer what it once had been. When they first met, there were no warm feelings between them—in fact, for Jiang Hai, there had mostly been resentment. Their relationship had never started off on a harmonious note.
Jiang Hai was a big man from the three northeastern provinces, a region known for its pronounced male chauvinism. His wife had left him alone at home for an entire year. Any man in his position would feel restless, if not downright miserable, especially being constantly belittled by those around him.
So, after Jiang Hai became more capable, he truly hardened his attitude, even turning a bit villainous.
Of course, if Qi Li hadn't been so bossy toward him, he might never have developed such a strong grudge against her.
But after Qi Li finally gave in and came to the manor to talk with him, the tension between them had eased considerably.
Moreover, the last time they fought together, their relationship improved a little more.
Jiang Hai didn't know what Qi Li was thinking now, but in his heart, he had completely let go of his hatred for her. He wasn't in love with her either—if anything, their relationship was like that of childhood friends: familiar yet slightly awkward.
When Jiang Hai saw the incoming call from Qi Li, Bernice's eyes flickered briefly, but she said nothing, simply turning back to feed Baimao. Jiang Hai stood up, walked aside, and answered the phone.
"Hello, Qi Li. What's up?" he asked.
"Hello, Jiang Hai. Nothing urgent. The hotel and other businesses are running smoothly. It's just... my mother called earlier and asked if we're going back to celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival," Qi Li said after a brief hesitation.
Jiang Hai couldn't help but feel a little awkward at her words. The timing didn't seem quite right.
"I might not have time during the Mid-Autumn Festival, but I should be back in Bingcheng by November 11," Jiang Hai replied after some thought. Since Ai Xiaoxi had called him first, he felt it was best to be upfront.
So, he really couldn't make it back for the Mid-Autumn Festival, but November 11 was doable.
"November 11? Okay, that works. What will you be doing in Bingcheng then?" Qi Li asked, her disappointment at his festival absence softened by hope.
"Huang Yunfei is getting married that day. I'll go back for that," Jiang Hai answered.
"Oh, in that case, see you then! I'll make sure to clear some time," Qi Li said quickly, happy that he was coming back. Jiang Hai smiled in response.
After exchanging a few pleasantries, Jiang Hai hung up.
He thought for a moment before putting away his phone. Since he was visiting both Ai Xiaoxi's and Qi Li's families this time, he needed to prepare gifts. If he were only visiting Ai Xiaoxi, he could just buy the usual items after returning home. But now, going to Qi Li's, he had to bring something from the manor.
This wasn't because he looked down on Ai Xiaoxi's family but because of practicality and custom. When visiting Ai Xiaoxi's family, it was customary to bring well-known wines like Wuliangye or Moutai, health supplements, and cigarettes. Ai Xiaoxi's family wasn't particularly wealthy, and Jiang Hai, coming from an ordinary background himself, knew that these were considered appropriate gifts from a "son-in-law" visiting for the first time.
Even if Jiang Hai brought his own premium beef or fish, they wouldn't appreciate their value.
During the festival, he would treat them to a meal, joking that the gifts were from the son-in-law. Most ordinary people in China wouldn't understand the real worth of high-quality beef—they'd simply say, "Your beef tastes authentic."
It was far more presentable and meaningful to bring good cigarettes and fine liquor than beef. When relatives come over, placing top-grade Moutai and Wuliangye on the table is a sign of respect and generosity.
But he couldn't bring these same gifts to Qi Li's family. They were far wealthier and didn't lack such luxuries. For them, gifts needed to be a token of genuine thought, so premium beef and similar items were more appropriate.
"What are you up to?" Bernice asked, looking up from feeding Baimao as she noticed Jiang Hai packing.
"I'm going to pack. There's one more place I need to visit this time," Jiang Hai replied.
Bernice smiled slightly but said nothing, continuing to feed Baimao. Her eyes flickered subtly, betraying her calm exterior. Jiang Hai, however, was oblivious—he rarely paid attention to such things.
Back at the manor, he casually packed some underwear and jackets. After flying, he always liked to have a fresh set of clothes. Jiang Hai's style hadn't changed: sportswear and outdoor clothes were his preference. He disliked suits, finding them stuffy and pretentious.
No matter what others said, he simply didn't want to wear them—and no one could force him. If he appeared disheveled, so be it; that was just his personality.
Those familiar with high-end circles would recognize his watch and glasses as more convincing indicators of status than a suit. Of course, to those unfamiliar, that wouldn't matter.
After packing, Jiang Hai went down to the warehouse and thought about the gifts he wanted to send: a lobster, over ten pounds of premium beef, some dried sea cucumbers, and abalone. These were too cumbersome to bring from the U.S., so he arranged to ship them ahead to Bingcheng. Fuyuan or Xu Wei could collect them for him there, and he'd just carry the essentials on the plane to Ai Xiaoxi's.
The U.S. security check was notorious for being strict, but it depended on who was being inspected.
Once the packages were ready, the courier company picked them up. Despite having started earlier than China's express delivery services, U.S. and European couriers were surprisingly slow—often taking more than ten days for domestic shipments, compared to under four days in China.
The poor ratings for courier services in the U.S. made sense. Even the slowest courier in China could deliver within four days outside holidays; some even offered next-day delivery, unimaginable in the States.
The main reason was wages. In the U.S., couriers are paid per order, but many Americans disliked the physical labor and exhausting nature of these jobs. They avoided roles like food delivery, express courier, cleaning, or security, even though these paid reasonably well. In China, many people took these jobs despite the hard work, but in the U.S., over 95% of white people and more than 80% of black people refused such work.
There were many vacant jobs but complaints of unemployment every day—a spoiled contradiction.
Cross-border delivery from the U.S. to China generally took twelve or thirteen days, even without prohibited items. Jiang Hai paid extra to expedite the shipment; otherwise, it would have taken half a month.
After sending the packages, Jiang Hai lay down on the white jade bed, basking in the sunlight.
About an hour later, the dragon scales on his skin began to grow—a wonderful sensation Jiang Hai had grown addicted to.
Unnoticed, Bernice returned from outside. Seeing Jiang Hai's relaxed state, she shook her head.
Jiang Hai's personality was set in stone; it was unlikely to change for the rest of his life.
Fortunately, Bernice's nagging was more a form of casual conversation—Jiang Hai ignored it just as she expected. She didn't believe a few words of nagging could make him better. In fact, she thought he was pretty good just the way he was.
In this way, a few more leisurely days passed.
Before he knew it, it was already September 24.
The Mid-Autumn Festival fell on the 27th, but the Chinese courts would start their holiday on the 26th.
That meant Jiang Hai had to leave before the 25th to avoid any complications.
Though Ai Xiaoxi had booked her high-speed rail ticket after hearing Jiang Hai's plans, he still had to allow plenty of time.
On the morning of the 23rd, Jiang Hai handed over the manor to Edward Anderson and Robbins Garcia.
Then he said goodbye to Darlene, Marian, Xiaoya, Bernice, and Aphra, got in his shield, and headed for New York—since only New York had a direct flight to the imperial capital; Boston did not.
As he left the town, Jiang Hai noticed something strange: more and more Chinese tourists seemed to be visiting Winthrop lately!