My Manor

What happened that night was just a small episode in Jiang Hai's life. When he woke up the next day, he realized he needed to adapt to his new life.

Waking up early, Jiang Hai noticed that the two young girls were still asleep. He decided to use the time for a morning exercise before preparing breakfast for them.

However, upon returning, he found the two had already woken up, tidied the house, cooked, and even done the laundry. To his surprise, this included his own clothes, socks, and... unmentionables.

Seeing his freshly washed belongings hanging in the bathroom on the first floor made Jiang Hai feel a little awkward. Nevertheless, he accepted their kindness. Perhaps, in their eyes, they were guests intruding on his home and wanted to contribute by helping with housework.

After breakfast, Jiang Hai took the two girls and the eight other women to Winthrop. He gave the eight women their salaries a month in advance, allowing them to buy necessities and become more self-reliant. They gladly accepted his generosity. Upon learning that the two girls were now officially Jiang Hai's daughters, the women were surprised but also envious. Workers and daughters held entirely different positions in Jiang Hai's household.

They spent the day shopping in Winthrop, each woman buying at least three new outfits, which, combined with the set Jiang Hai had already provided, brought their total to four. These purchases included essential items like underwear, toothbrushes, toothpaste, and towels. The two girls, Darlene and Marian, were no exception.

For the first time in years, the women laughed freely and enjoyed themselves. That evening, Jiang Hai treated them to dinner at an Italian restaurant in Winthrop before returning to the manor. Compared to the others, Darlene and Marian received more—new clothes, pajamas, toiletries, and even two Samsung laptops.

Unlike Jiang Hai, who would have opted for high-performance laptops like Alienware or Thor, the girls prioritized aesthetics and portability, choosing Samsung for its sleek design.

The next day, Jiang Hai returned to work at sea. The older fishermen teased him for his new household dynamics, but he made it clear that the women were his employees and off-limits. The men laughed nervously, knowing their own wives had already expressed concerns about their late-night behavior in recent days. Jiang Hai found humor in their plight, thinking that marrying young might not be such a blessing after all.

Despite challenges at home, the fishing operation thrived. With Dasha's help in driving fish, their daily catches increased significantly. Over five days, they netted over $600,000 worth of fish, not including the portion Jiang Hai kept for himself.

Bonuses were distributed, with each worker receiving over $10,000. Grateful for their generous boss, they worked even harder. On the fourth day, Moses Adams delivered the adoption certificates for Darlene and Marian.

At 27 years old and single in the United States, Jiang Hai technically couldn't adopt two 14-year-old girls. However, as the saying goes, money talks. With $200,000 in fees, any bureaucratic hurdles quietly disappeared, and Darlene and Marian officially became Jiang Hai's daughters.

Jiang Hai then invited Cindy Clive to the manor for dinner and discussed enrolling the girls in school. Cindy was supportive but pointed out challenges. There was no school for the deaf and mute in Winthrop, and the nearest one in Boston required boarding, which the girls were unwilling to do.

The girls' educational background further complicated matters. Though they had basic literacy from the orphanage, their knowledge was equivalent to third or fourth grade, making it hard to integrate into middle school. Sending them to elementary school felt equally awkward.

The solution was to hire a tutor. Cindy volunteered to teach the girls on weekends, and Jiang Hai was deeply appreciative. However, the sisters were wary of Cindy, especially noticing how close she seemed to Jiang Hai.

With their schooling temporarily settled, Jiang Hai turned his focus back to fishing. To preserve the coral reefs, he restricted his catch to the sandy areas, leaving the reef fish untouched. Over time, he estimated the total value of his fishery to be $8 million, with $4.8 million worth of fish left in the reef. From the remaining $3.2 million, sustainable practices meant leaving 20% behind, leaving about $1.4 million worth of fish to catch.

By late January, Jiang Hai's fish sales had exceeded expectations. Occasionally, outsiders expressed interest in buying his fishery, but Jiang Hai humorously demanded $1.5 billion, deterring any serious offers.

One morning, Jiang Hai was awakened by the doorbell. It was Porter-Anneva, the fisherman who had sold him fry, accompanied by a white man who owned the seaweed and seaweed seeds Jiang Hai needed.

"Early risers, huh?" Jiang Hai greeted them, sipping his milk as he joined the group chatting near the parking lot.

"Business is business," Porter-Anneva replied with a wide grin. "You don't keep your customers waiting."

"Fair enough," Jiang Hai said, shrugging. "So, where are the seeds?"

"They're stored in Winthrop," the white man replied. "Whenever you're ready, we can fly them over for sowing."

And with that, preparations for the next phase of Jiang Hai's fishery began.