Chapter 186: Gift Giving

"Welcome." When Jiang Hai entered the supermarket, it was noon, and everyone was eating there. There were seven people in total: two salesmen and four security personnel. Besides handling security, the latter also helped move and replenish stock. Apart from the staff, there were only two outsiders—a middle-aged man in his forties, sitting in casual clothes, and the elderly man who had tricked Jiang Hai into buying a native chicken the last time.

When the girl in waitress attire, who was eating, saw Jiang Hai, she stood up and greeted him. Upon hearing her, the others in the room turned their heads.

"Oh, it's you, little brother. Have you finished eating the chicken?" The old man recognized Jiang Hai and smiled. Upon hearing his words, Jiang Hai rolled his eyes.

"No, I'm raising it to lay eggs," Jiang Hai replied, walking further into the supermarket.

"Raising it to lay eggs? Ah... you young people just don't understand and appreciate things. Only this type of small native chicken, one that has never laid eggs, can be stewed into a delicious dish. The meat is firm—just like a woman. It becomes worthless after giving birth. Ahem... Xiao Liu, I'm sorry." The old man, having casually followed up on Jiang Hai's comment, remembered the girl sitting next to him and immediately apologized, making the girl blush.

"Do you think I don't know that chicks are delicious? The problem is that I can't cook," Jiang Hai said.

"You can't cook, yet you still bought it?" The old man looked surprised.

"Isn't it because you tricked me?" Jiang Hai shot him a look of contempt, causing the old man to feel embarrassed. He chuckled and scratched his nose.

"Ahem, if you didn't know how to cook back then, you could have returned it..." The old man, though embarrassed, muttered with less confidence.

"Forget it. I've fenced off a piece of land for them in my manor. I feed them occasionally, and they find insects and other things to eat. They're doing fine. I eat the eggs they lay, and they taste great—far better than the ones sold here," Jiang Hai smiled. Although he didn't eat the chickens, he enjoyed the eggs they laid.

After all, the grass there had been sprinkled with his blood, and it was all improved varieties. The insects in the grass were also of improved varieties, which the chickens ate. The eggs they laid not only tasted like eggs but also had a hint of grass fragrance. They were quite refreshing and delicious. Even without checking, Jiang Hai knew they were packed with nutrition. Since he didn't buy a rooster, the eggs couldn't hatch into chicks, so he could eat them without concern.

"Hey, you're quite clever. Free-range eggs aren't much cheaper than chickens," the old man nodded in appreciation. Free-range eggs cost around one yuan each, and even if a chicken only laid one every two or three days, they could still produce over a hundred eggs a year. So, the investment in chickens would be worthwhile, and the old hens could still make great soup.

"What are you buying this time?" The old man, perhaps feeling a little guilty, stood up, smiling as he prepared to introduce Jiang Hai to the store.

"Dad, let me greet the guest!" The middle-aged man, seeing the old man standing up, quickly rushed over.

"Eat quickly, you still have school later. This kid is always causing trouble. I'll be fine. Eat when you're hungry. Don't stand up. Come, young man, let's go over here," the old man smiled at Jiang Hai and led the way.

Nodding at the middle-aged man, Jiang Hai followed the old man to the goods section. The old man, perhaps because he enjoyed talking, immediately asked, "What are you buying this time?"

"Isn't it the Chinese New Year? I went back to China a few days ago, but the express delivery hasn't arrived yet. This time, I need to bring some gifts for the workers at my manor," Jiang Hai explained as he scanned the shelves. "I thought you might have more things here, so I came to take a look."

The old man nodded in agreement. "It's not easy to go back to China. You have to bring something back, but you may not know that they don't really exchange gifts that often here. Even at Christmas, only relatives give gifts. What they want is something practical, not concerned with price or origin." Having lived in the United States for longer than Jiang Hai, the old man was well-versed in local customs.

In America, gift-giving was often more practical or inexpensive. There was no expectation of grand gestures, and if the wrong gift was given, it could actually offend someone. Additionally, Americans typically didn't return gifts, which could be uncomfortable for some Chinese people.

Jiang Hai wasn't too concerned about the details, though. He just hoped his workers would keep working hard, and anything beyond that didn't matter much.

"Gift-giving depends on who you're giving it to. Men, women, blacks, whites, South Americans, or Asians—all groups have preferences. If you're unsure, just send a red wine rack. It's a safe bet here," the old man continued as he observed Jiang Hai listening attentively.

Jiang Hai calculated that most of the workers at his manor were white—Robbins Garcia, Burke Dahler, Harriman Fels, Bell Lester, Edward Anderson, Tommy Charles, and Maren Rupert. Philemon Turner and Enol Ceci were black, while Andrew Christian was Latino. So, he would need different gifts for each.

"If it's a white person, it depends on their ancestry. If they're of British descent, give them black tea, and they'll love it. If they're from other countries, like Ireland or France, coffee and cheese are excellent choices. If it's a black person, coffee and oatmeal are great gifts. And of course, handicrafts from Huaxia will always be appreciated. If it's someone from Latin America, I suggest Lao Gan Ma. They love it! As for other foods, you can decide based on taste. Honestly, I've been here for over ten years, and I haven't seen many foreigners who like authentic Chinese food. They mostly prefer modified versions," the old man said, pointing out items on the shelves.

Jiang Hai had originally planned to bring some red sausages, barbecued pork, and other traditional Chinese treats, but the old man's advice made him pause.

Having lived in the United States for a while, Jiang Hai knew that while he still craved Chinese food, the ones available in local restaurants never quite tasted the same. The cuisine here, with its mix of Sichuan, Cantonese, and Jiangsu-Zhejiang styles, was heavily altered to suit American tastes. For example, they often used tomatoes for sourness instead of vinegar, and the dishes were sweeter and more sour than the originals.

Though Jiang Hai's favorite dish was sweet and sour pork, he wasn't used to the Chinese food in the U.S. He would rather eat steak and fried cod at home, even if it got monotonous.

"What about wine?" Jiang Hai asked, noticing a selection of Chinese wines in the store. While more expensive than in China, he still planned to buy some as gifts.

"They won't like our wine," the old man dismissed with a wave. "The Russians are the ones who enjoy our strong liquor the most. From your accent, you must be from the Northeast, so you'd know!"

Westerners, in general, preferred smoother wines, even if they were stronger. Chinese liquor, especially the sauce-smelling types, didn't appeal to most of them. The only exceptions were the Russians, who had a taste for strong spirits.

Jiang Hai had heard about this. Due to the proximity of Heilong Province to Russia, many Russians came to China to drink. In the past, a bottle of Chinese liquor was worth a few purebred Caucasians at the border, a trade that was risky but lucrative.