My Manor

"Because there are indeed quite a few of you, and I have to leave two rooms for the winemaker, you'll have to squeeze together for now," Jiang Hai said, returning to his manor with the girls around him. After parking the car, he led them into the residential area. Of course, their arrival attracted the attention of the people in the manor. After all, this was a group of young and beautiful women, so it would be strange if the men didn't look. The fishermen and Philemon were fine—they had families. If they stared too much, they'd be punished when they returned. Robbins, Burke-Daler, and Edward Anderson were older, so they merely looked. However, Bell and Harriman stared openly.

Even when the girls got out of the car, these two took the initiative to help them with toiletries that Jiang Hai had bought for them. This action startled the girls. They were still quite wary of others and didn't want Harriman and Bell touching their things. They preferred to take them themselves.

Harriman and Bell were hurt by this. Now, the only person these girls could initially trust was probably Jiang Hai.

Although Jiang Hai remained calm on the surface, he was actually very happy inside.

After sending Harriman and Bell away, who had wanted to show their courtesy, Jiang Hai led the girls to the back of the villa area.

Jiang Hai arranged for them to stay in four small villas in the residential area. There were a total of sixteen small villas in the area, divided into three rows. The first row housed Jiang Hai's large villa, and on the left of that villa, there were five small villas in a row. The right side reached the cowshed directly. Each small villa had space in between to ensure privacy.

In the second row, there were five villas, and the third row had six villas.

Now, ten of these villas were already occupied. Robbins, Burke-Daler, Philemon-Turner, Harriman-Fiers, and Bell-Lester each lived in one of the villas in the first row, as they were the first to be selected.

The fishermen recruited by Jiang Hai, mainly Edward Anderson, lived in the second row.

Jiang Hai arranged for two of the new girls to live in the third row. He didn't need so many people—if they were regular workers, they'd be tasked with taking care of the grapes, growing vegetables, doing odd jobs, etc. Four people weren't necessary; three would be enough. But he pitied these girls.

"Don't squeeze, don't squeeze, thank you, thank you!" After hearing Jiang Hai's arrangement, Afra and the others, who were standing behind Jiang Hai and were a little hesitant, immediately gestured in appreciation. These villas all had more than two rooms, and having a separate room, or even just sharing one, was excellent. They had been eyeing Jiang Hai's small villas earlier.

To be honest, Jiang Hai's small villas, though a little remote, were not worse than the suburban villas where the rich in the Boston area lived. Even if they weren't as luxurious as those of the wealthy, they could easily compete with the homes of ordinary white-collar workers.

When Jiang Hai decorated these small villas, he ensured everything needed was bought.

Lights, beds, wardrobes, floor heating, electrical appliances—everything was available. Though not as grand as Jiang Hai's main villa, they were definitely luxurious and comfortable, as he had turned on the floor heating in advance.

So when the girls entered the villas, the temperature was already at a comfortable 26°C, which they found perfect.

"You don't need to be too polite. After all, you need to work hard here. If you need anything in the future, you can always come to my main villa to find me. If you encounter any danger, there's a phone at home. If it's inconvenient, just press the button. Be mindful of the locked doors. Although the people in my manor should be good, it's always wise to be on guard against others." Jiang Hai smiled as he spoke, looking at the girls in front of him. He continued, "By the way, can you cook? Don't starve yourselves later."

He thought about their situation. Their identities were a bit special, so eating at other people's homes might not always be suitable. He didn't have a professional cook, and if they couldn't cook, it would be troublesome.

"No, we all know how to cook," Afra replied first. After all, they had lived in welfare homes where, except for the youngest children, everyone helped with work. Cooking was a common task for them, so they knew their way around the kitchen. Although their skills were basic, they wouldn't starve.

Relieved, Jiang Hai then took them to his home.

Here, he introduced the pets—mainly Xiaobai and Xiaohuang—so the girls would understand that these dogs wouldn't harm them. The girls were initially scared, especially Darlene and Marianne, who had dealt with vicious stray dogs before. However, Xiaobai and Xiaohuang were calm and obedient. The dogs sniffed them briefly before moving on, which helped the girls relax.

Next, Jiang Hai took them to the warehouse.

When he opened the cold storage, the girls were stunned. There were large amounts of meat hanging in the storage. This was the meat that Robbins and his friends had requested because their consumption was enormous, especially after the five fishermen joined. Each time a cow was slaughtered, Robbins and his friends would give Jiang Hai the best cuts, and the rest was stored in this cold storage. It was convenient for anyone who needed it.

Jiang Hai had three cold storage units: one for frozen meat, one for fish, shrimp, and crabs, and one for vegetables. Of course, he also had a small warehouse in his villa for his own personal favorites.

As the girls marveled at the storage, Jiang Hai opened all three units, which widened their eyes.

"As long as you don't waste anything, you can eat whatever you want. You can take some every day or take more back. There's also a refrigerator in your villa, though the frozen items won't taste as good." Seeing their reactions, Jiang Hai smiled. Their expressions showed their appreciation.

The girls, feeling reassured, went to the cold storage. Since they were from the Boston area, seafood wasn't rare, but they preferred meat. Vegetables, though expensive, weren't as commonly eaten in the US. They mostly took beef and some vegetables for seasoning.

Jiang Hai watched them take the food back to their rooms.

"In the next couple of months, it will still be winter, so you should take care of your health. You're too thin right now. I want to hire laborers, not models. Once March comes and the weather warms up, we'll get to work," Jiang Hai said.

When Jiang Hai left, the girls breathed a sigh of relief, then smiled in happiness. Though they had imagined what Jiang Hai's place might be like, they never expected it to be so good. They had warm, comfortable villas to stay in, plenty of food—beef, fish, shrimp, vegetables—and even TV and private spaces. They got a weekly salary and didn't have to worry about anything. Compared to where they had lived before, this place felt like heaven.

Once Jiang Hai left, the girls got busy checking their rooms, examining everything from the bricks to the water meter, gas meter, and electricity meter. Then they started cooking. Although the food wasn't gourmet, it was the best they had ever tasted. For the first time in years, they ate until they were full, then lay down on the big bed. Many of them fell asleep as soon as their heads hit the pillows, even though the sun hadn't fully set.

Afra Arnold, however, didn't fall asleep. She lay on the bed, blinking at the white ceiling, her heart full of Jiang Hai. This man had rescued her from a dark world. In her heart, 90% of her feelings for him were gratitude, and 10% were something more... special.

At that moment, Jiang Hai had no idea. After settling the girls, he returned to his villa.

Looking at the two little guys in front of him, who had still not found a way out, Jiang Hai couldn't help but click his tongue.

"I hope the people from the welfare home who come later can persuade them!" (To be continued.)