My Manor

"Huh!" "Bang!" As Jiang Hai stepped out of the outdoor goods store, a huge bag appeared in his hand. He threw it into the cargo box of the F650 next to him.

The bag was enormous, almost as big as Jiang Hai himself. It contained many items.

In addition to the mountain lion fur coat, there were other clothes, along with a variety of other things.

This time, Jiang Hai had fully explored the American outdoor goods store.

There were fishing rods, including both hand rods and sea rods, a set of diving suits, simple scuba gear, and more.

His big bag also contained 200 arrows, a foldable bow, and two cold steel guns. In the United States, the regulation of guns isn't particularly strict, but knives and bows and arrows are heavily regulated.

If you buy such knives and bows and arrows, you must not show them on the street, or the police will come after you.

That's why Jiang Hai had carefully packed everything together. While in the store, he immediately noticed a bow.

The bow was made of silver-white metal and looked very beautiful. It was a recurve bow, not the popular compound bow. Compound bows, also called pulley bows, are very popular due to their adjustable strength and lightness. They are favored by bow enthusiasts, but Jiang Hai preferred the recurve bow. Similar to a traditional longbow, it has a simple shape but is incredibly beautiful. The recurve bow is lightweight, easy to use, and requires minimal maintenance, which is why Jiang Hai ultimately chose it.

When testing it out, Jiang Hai's strength played a huge role.

Legend has it that, in ancient times, Huang Zhong could draw a two-stone bow. In modern terms, one stone in the Han Dynasty weighed about 60 kilograms, meaning two stones would be approximately 120 kilograms. Jiang Hai was able to pull the 120-kilogram bow, though it was difficult.

It was the limit of human strength. Drawing such a heavy bow repeatedly wasn't easy. Nonetheless, Jiang Hai set it to 120 kilograms, knowing that if he upgraded in the future, it would be sufficient. Meanwhile, the clerk was so astonished he didn't know what to say.

Ordinary people typically draw a bow with about 60 pounds of force, which is about 26 or 27 kilograms. Jiang Hai was pulling 120 kilograms, which likely broke some world records. The clerk wanted to curse but dared not, since the customer was a bit too terrifying.

Initially, the clerk thought Jiang Hai was just a wealthy foreigner, but now it seemed he was no ordinary person. All of this cost Jiang Hai $20,000, with the bow alone priced at $7,000. Although the bow didn't appear as complex as a compound bow, it was made of high-quality carbon fiber.

The materials were top-notch. As for the two guns, they were made of cold steel and were extremely hard. They weren't sharpened yet, but even so, the heads could easily penetrate a one-centimeter thick wooden board.

Once sharpened, they would certainly be deadly.

Though Jiang Hai was purchasing bows and knives, he had no immediate use for them. Much like his guns, these items were decorative. But what man doesn't enjoy these things?

"Maybe I'll use them in the future. Who knows?" Jiang Hai thought as he looked at his new acquisitions.

After packing everything, he put on a deerskin coat. Although the style was a bit rustic, it offered good warmth. Originally, after buying the large bag of goods, Jiang Hai planned to head home.

But upon thinking it over, he realized he should go to the supermarket since he was already in town.

After the snow, some of the food in the manor was running low. Of course, fish and beef were always plentiful, but they needed to supplement other food items with vegetables and fruits.

Currently, Jiang Hai knew that the most common vegetables in the manor were potatoes and cabbage, with most other types in short supply.

As for fruits, they had only oranges; everything else was nearly gone. Since he was in town, Jiang Hai felt it would be a shame not to buy some.

He got into his car and drove to the largest supermarket in town. It wasn't perfect, but it had over 90% of the items he needed.

After parking the car, Jiang Hai entered the supermarket, but immediately noticed something odd. The atmosphere was different. Lights and decorations filled the place, and there were obviously more people than usual.

Balloons were everywhere, and some people were dressed in turkey and corn costumes, running around. This scene caught Jiang Hai off guard. What was going on?

"It's not Christmas yet. What's all this about?" Jiang Hai muttered under his breath as he pushed a cart through the supermarket.

Perhaps hearing his comment, an old man who was also pushing a cart came over to him.

"Young man, you've just arrived in the United States, haven't you?" The old man smiled at him.

"Well, I've been here for a few months," Jiang Hai replied politely, a bit taken aback.

"Then you don't know Thanksgiving is coming soon?" the old man said, surprised.

"Thanksgiving?" Jiang Hai was momentarily confused. He vaguely remembered the holiday from before but didn't know much about it. Thanksgiving in the United States is not just a regular holiday. It's the second largest holiday after Christmas and is uniquely American.

The holiday has two versions: one is the "white version," which claims that the Puritans, fleeing religious persecution, arrived in America on the Mayflower. They were starving and the local Native Americans helped them survive. In celebration, the Puritans invited the Indians to give thanks to God for their harvest. However, this version is heavily romanticized and misleading.

The "Indian version" tells a different story. According to the Indians, the passengers of the Mayflower were not Puritans, but exiled criminals who brought plague and death. By 1637, most Native Americans had been killed. That year, Thanksgiving was first officially announced—not to thank the Indians, but to celebrate the massacre of the indigenous people.

This made Thanksgiving the most hypocritical holiday. Despite its dark history, it's still the second largest holiday in the United States, with schools across the country closed for the day.

Jiang Hai just nodded, although he thought little of the holiday. It was the first one he had experienced since his arrival. He had celebrated Halloween, but not knowingly. It was a children's holiday, and since his home was too far from town, no kids ever came to "Trick or Treat."

Had he not gone shopping today, he might not have realized Thanksgiving was near. Honestly, with all the Western cultural influences, Jiang Hai only knew about three holidays—Christmas, New Year, and Valentine's Day (which, unfortunately, he was currently suffering through).

Aside from those, he had only vague memories of Father's Day, Mother's Day, Arbor Day, and Labor Day. The United States actually has many more holidays, such as Easter, Flag Day, Independence Day, and Memorial Day.

The old man, seemingly with little else to do, continued chatting with Jiang Hai about Thanksgiving and American customs. He spoke about the politeness of looking someone in the eye and bowing slightly when shaking hands, calling ahead before visiting someone's home, and other such practices.

He went on about the food preferences in America: not liking steamed or stewed dishes, avoiding excessive salt, and preferring foods that are sweet or sour. He also shared preferences for colors like white for purity, yellow for harmony, and blue and red for good luck.

The old man also warned Jiang Hai about the proper etiquette when giving gifts, especially to women, and advised against using certain terms to describe black people, favoring "African Americans" over "Negro."

And finally, the old man listed things Americans tend to dislike—like giving gifts that advertise one's business.