My Manor

"Boss, you should go out for a walk first. It's too noisy here," Edward said to Jiang Hai with an embarrassed expression, covering his ears. Jiang Hai, on the opposite side, was even more embarrassed...

He had hurried in just now, but he didn't notice that he had bumped into a man who was carrying something, knocking the items everywhere. Although it wasn't important and no one was hurt, it was still a bit of a nuisance for Jiang Hai, who was unaware of the situation, to be here. Jiang Hai didn't distrust Edward, but he seemed to have nowhere to go.

"But I don't know where to go." Scratching his head, Jiang Hai said helplessly to Edward. He had only been out for more than 40 minutes, and more than half of that was spent following a group of little kids. After the walk, Jiang Hai really didn't know where to go. Hearing Jiang Hai's words, Edward fell silent because he didn't know what to suggest nearby.

He usually stayed at home or in the small town of Winthrop, and wasn't familiar with the area.

"Across from this port is Little Italy. You know, there are a lot of delicious foods in Italy. After passing through Little Italy, it's not far to the city center and Huaxia City. There are a lot of street vendors there. According to your Chinese, it seems to be called a snack street or something." Dalton Green, who was counting materials here, might have overheard Jiang Hai and Edward. Hearing Dalton mention the snack street nearby, Jiang Hai couldn't help swallowing his saliva and looking at his phone. Although it was just past 10 in the morning and not quite mealtime yet, it would be nice to go and have a look. Following the principle of not interfering with experts, Jiang Hai smiled and left the area.

He couldn't help much here, and that was the most important thing. What's more, compared to the noise here, he was more accustomed to eating delicious food. After leaving the shipyard, Jiang Hai followed Dalton Green's directions and walked to the opposite side of the port.

Soon after leaving the port, he saw a neighborhood with a special charm. According to directions from passers-by, he learned that this was Little Italy. Once he entered the area, Jiang Hai noticed it had a distinctly bourgeois vibe.

Although he had nothing to do with the bourgeois lifestyle—being a very pure Northeasterner with an extremely rough personality—he always believed in drinking large mouthfuls of wine, eating hearty chunks of meat, and having the habit of being stingy with food. There was no market for finer tastes like afternoon coffee in a café, sipping while enjoying the sun and typing on a computer. In fact, Jiang Hai didn't particularly want to drink coffee.

However, this was a nearby tourist attraction, so it didn't hurt to take a look. Upon entering, he noticed that the store decor wasn't to his liking. He glanced at the menu. It was similar to the Italian restaurants in Winthrop, but the portions were smaller, and the plating was much more delicate.

As for the price, it wasn't much different—still reasonable, considering that this was Boston, the center of a metropolitan area, not Winthrop, a rural place near a metropolitan area. Walking along, he had to admit that the streets of Boston were quite tricky. As the earliest established city, Boston expanded outward but kept the city center in place. Because of the developed waterfront, this area was considered the city center, akin to what the Chinese call a "second-ring road." Moreover, Jiang Hai's sense of direction wasn't great, and as he walked, he suddenly realized that he seemed to be lost...

Of course, he could still find his way back, but getting to Huaxia City would be a bit troublesome.

"Forget it, I'll take a break, have a drink, and then ask someone for directions." After wandering around for a bit and realizing he couldn't find his destination, Jiang Hai sighed and turned to a coffee shop he spotted nearby.

Although he didn't drink coffee, coffee shops weren't all about coffee.

It was early winter in Boston, so despite there being many outdoor chairs, most people were still unwilling to sit outside, preferring to crowd into the small coffee shop. Jiang Hai took a look inside and wisely chose not to squeeze in. Instead, he found a seat outside and sat down.

"Sir, is there anything I can help you with?" As soon as he sat down, a waiter noticed him and quickly brought him the menu. Jiang Hai glanced at it. Since he was planning to eat in Huaxia City later, he mainly wanted water, and the rest didn't matter. His eyes then shifted to the juice options.

"Well, a glass of watermelon juice," he said, pointing to the item on the menu.

"Uh, sir, the watermelon juice is iced." The waiter seemed confused, surprised that someone would want something cold in the middle of winter.

"I know it's cold. Just bring it, please." Jiang Hai clapped his hands and smiled awkwardly. Like many men from the north, he didn't like hot drinks, such as coffee. Even in freezing temperatures, they preferred cold beverages.

"Okay!" The waiter, seeing the customer as always right, chuckled and went inside.

Not long after, he returned with the watermelon juice and placed it in front of Jiang Hai. Jiang Hai took a sip and had to admit that it was indeed very cold, giving him a headache... but it felt good!

"Teacher, teacher, look, isn't that the guy who followed us just now?" A sharp-eyed black child tugged at the sleeve of their teacher, speaking with excitement.

"Huh? Where? Let me see... Hey, it really is that uncle. Didn't he go into the shipyard just now? Why is he here again?" The white girl beside him exclaimed.

Hearing the children's words, the female teacher turned around from the bar and saw Jiang Hai.

"Huh? Watermelon juice?" When she turned around and saw Jiang Hai drinking the watermelon juice and wincing from the cold, she was momentarily stunned. Then she looked at the watermelon juice in front of her and frowned even more deeply. She had already been a little upset, and now seeing Jiang Hai, she felt even more uncomfortable. Originally, according to the plan, she was supposed to return to Winthrop with the children instead of staying here. If it weren't for the driver having something to do and leaving her behind, she wouldn't have had to spend so much money on food. Of course, it wasn't the money that bothered her, but the situation itself. Now, seeing Jiang Hai sitting there, it was no wonder her mood soured.

"Louis, Susan, you take care of the kids. I'll go out and take a look." American women, with their fiery tempers, couldn't hold back. Seeing Jiang Hai sipping on watermelon juice outside, she was furious. After saying something to the children, she grabbed her windbreaker and marched out.

"Sir, if you have anything to say, just say it. If you keep following me like this, I'll call the police." The teacher exited the dessert shop, and Jiang Hai heard her voice. He didn't pay much attention to it, since he didn't know who was speaking. But the woman had a clear purpose. She walked straight to him and addressed him.

"Hmm? Ahem... Hello," Jiang Hai replied, shifting his gaze from the watermelon juice to the angry female teacher. He almost choked on his drink. From what she said, it seemed she had misunderstood him again...

"I'm not a bad guy, ma'am. If you don't want to explain why you've been following me and these little friends, perhaps you'd rather explain it to the police." The woman stared at Jiang Hai and said seriously.

"Ahem, I really didn't follow you. Let me explain... I came here to buy a boat today, and my people are assembling it at the Ocean Temple Shipyard. If you don't believe me, you can go take a look. I don't understand these things, so I decided to take a walk around. Originally, I did follow you on the destroyer at the start, but I had no bad intentions. It was just the first time I saw a destroyer, and you talked about it so well, I wanted to listen. But after coming out, you misunderstood me. This time, I was headed to the snack street in Huaxia City, but I got lost after walking around twice. So I came here for a drink and planned to ask the waiter for directions when you came out..." Jiang Hai, noticing the girl's still angry expression, waved his hands helplessly and explained.

Hearing Jiang Hai's explanation and seeing his panicked expression, the girl's brows relaxed slightly, though she still looked a little skeptical.