Winthrop has become incredibly popular lately—truly popular.
Since August, the town has welcomed its first wave of tourists. As of today, September 23rd, more than 3,000 Chinese tourists have visited. In less than two months, over 3,000 people! And that's just the visitors from China.
In addition, around 1,000 local American tourists have also come through. This boom has brought immense joy to the residents of Winthrop.
Now, with the arrival of two major Chinese holidays, the town is experiencing yet another peak. Some companies in China have granted leave from September 26th through October 7th—nearly half a month off. Naturally, going abroad has become an attractive option.
After all, traveling within China during the holidays usually means seeing more people than sights.
While some international destinations are also crowded, Winthrop remains a hidden gem.
Before Jiang Hai left, Mrs. Turner informed him that all the villas in town had been booked. Local hotels were operating at 90% capacity. It was a scene Mayor Wallis had never dared to dream of. Jiang Hai was thrilled—after all, this also meant profit for him.
While many people use the holidays to travel, others take the opportunity to return home and spend time with family.
Just this morning, as Jiang Hai was leaving Winthrop, he happened to see a tourist bus pulling out of town. When the passengers spotted his car, many of them waved and greeted him.
Though Jiang Hai didn't recognize them, they certainly knew him.
He was the pride of Winthrop—a wealthy man who had made his fortune raising cattle, driving a car worth over 20 million RMB, owning an even more expensive yacht, and even having a plane. The lobsters, abalones, and sea cucumbers he farmed were beloved by tourists—not only large, but incredibly flavorful. After tasting Jiang Hai's seafood, many found the seafood back in China dull and lacking in comparison. The quality was simply on another level.
Seeing their enthusiastic waves, Jiang Hai smiled and waved back before stepping on the accelerator and heading toward New York.
His flight was scheduled for 1 PM, so he had left early. First, to avoid being late, and second, to shop for gifts for Feng Yunchen, Ai Xiaoxi, and the others. As for Qi Li… Jiang Hai figured he should get her something too.
After arriving in New York, he headed straight for Fifth Avenue. Not knowing many places, he decided to visit the largest jewelry store in the area: Tiffany & Co.
Globally, the three most well-known jewelry brands are France's Cartier, Italy's Bulgari, and the U.S.-based Tiffany. Not to be confused—this Tiffany is an American brand.
Because it's local, there are often price and tax advantages. Jiang Hai wasn't a jewelry expert, but he knew that buying domestic brands in their home countries was usually cheaper.
Just like cars—while Japanese brands may be more fuel-efficient, American brands like Ford and Chevrolet often enjoy better pricing within the U.S. due to local protection policies.
Inside Tiffany, the clichéd "bloody drama" of being looked down on didn't happen. Jiang Hai browsed quietly and selected three necklaces.
One was dazzling, featuring tourmaline and diamond inlays. The second was sleek and luxurious, with platinum and diamonds. The third was also platinum, but much thicker, embedded with many small diamonds.
Jiang Hai wasn't great at picking jewelry, so he simply chose pieces with similar prices. Each necklace cost around $100,000. He picked one for each: Qi Li, Ai Xiaoxi, and Feng Yunchen. After having them gift-wrapped, he placed them in his backpack and marked them carefully so he wouldn't mix them up.
With everything done, he headed to the airport. As a Black Card member of American Express and a top-tier first-class passenger, he had access to expedited boarding and customs.
Soon enough, he passed through customs and boarded the plane. After stowing his backpack, Jiang Hai reclined his spacious seat and casually began browsing the in-flight movies.
Just as he was selecting one, a surprised voice interrupted him.
"Hey! Are you Jiang Hai? Heading back to China?"
Jiang Hai turned and saw a young, slightly chubby Chinese man standing beside him, looking excited.
"You are...?" Jiang Hai asked, surprised the man knew his name.
"Oh, you don't know me. I'm Hao Fei. I just finished my trip to Winthrop and I'm heading home now," the man said with a big smile.
Jiang Hai nodded. A tourist, clearly. It made sense he knew who Jiang Hai was—Winthrop's story always circled back to him. The town's rapid development wouldn't have happened without Jiang Hai's investment and efforts. In a way, he had rebuilt it.
"So, what did you think of Winthrop?" Jiang Hai asked, smiling.
"Not just good—it was amazing!" Hao Fei said enthusiastically. "My family's pretty well-off. My dad owns a company, so I've traveled a lot. I've seen beautiful places all over the world. But honestly, Winthrop is the best travel destination I've ever visited. The seafood is cheap and delicious, the people are warm, the accommodations are great, the air is fresh, the environment is beautiful—everything's perfect! I brought 100,000 yuan to splurge on this trip, but I only spent around 30,000. So, I upgraded to first-class for the flight home!"
Jiang Hai chuckled. Tourists like Hao Fei were exactly what Winthrop loved—well-off, excited, and generous.
"Honestly, I really didn't want to leave. It's not even about the scenery anymore—it's your lobsters! When are you going to start exporting them to China? You're killing me here!" Hao Fei groaned dramatically, eyeing Jiang Hai as if he were a lobster himself.
Jiang Hai laughed. "I've got lobsters, sure. But selling them back home isn't so easy. Besides lobsters, I also raise groupers, salmon, yellow croaker, and even Yangtze River knife fish—but most of them won't be ready until next year."
Even if he could export, supply would be extremely limited—likely only enough for Qi Li's four restaurants. These were premium ingredients. He wasn't going to sell them easily—only to the highest bidder.
"My god… you're raising all those too?" Hao Fei wiped imaginary drool from his mouth. "You're evil! Just yesterday, before I left, I had one of your manor's lobsters. Now I'm starving again. Stewardess! When's the food coming?"
A flight attendant approached and explained that the plane hadn't taken off yet—they'd be served after takeoff. Deflated, Hao Fei slumped back in his seat.
"Alright," Jiang Hai said with a laugh, "since you're such a fan, next time you visit, come to my manor. You'll be my guest for a day—eat all you want."
"Really?!" Hao Fei lit up like a lightbulb, looking at Jiang Hai with hopeful eyes.
"More real than pearls. Just make sure I'm home when you visit," Jiang Hai said, smiling.
Hao Fei nodded eagerly. Judging by his physique, it was obvious he was a foodie—and his obsession with good food ran deep. Knowing that all those delicacies were just out of reach was a torment.
"When will you be back in Winthrop?" Hao Fei asked, eyes full of anticipation.
"I'm heading back to China now," Jiang Hai replied. "I'll be gone until mid-October. Then again for Chinese New Year. But by March next year, the fish will be ready. I should be home then. March or April would be a good time to come back."
Winthrop's winters were beautiful but bitterly cold—like Harbin. Not many tourists came in winter, despite its charm. Most preferred the warmth and vibrancy of spring.