Chapter 1690 - 1610: The First Batch of Guests

Atan had been waiting for him for almost half an hour. The daylight hours were very short now, and night fell in the blink of an eye. She was dazing under a street lamp while waiting for him. From afar, she saw Marcus Quinn’s tall and robust figure emerging from the night, each step unusually steady.

Marcus Quinn was holding a package in his hands; the small robot weighed at least 70 to 80 pounds. When he also embraced Atan, it wasn’t difficult at all. Seeing the night deepening, with a profound gaze, he lowered his head and kissed her small face, raspily saying, "It’s cold outside, don’t wait for me out here in the future."

"Okay." Seeing him carrying the package, and Irving Spencer returning as well, Atan quickly pushed him away and said with a smile, "Hurry inside for dinner."

Marcus Quinn placed the small robot in the yard, assembled it, and started it, then left it be before following Irving Spencer inside for dinner.

At dinner, Master Shui mentioned today’s visit to the neighboring village. The villages nearby all knew that the holiday village was collecting chickens, ducks, geese, and other poultry, taking unlimited quantities, and even pork and beef were collected, attracting many people to inquire about the prices.

With the year-end approaching, many households in the village had fattened their poultry, wanting to sell at a good price. Master Shui’s offered price was 10% higher than the market rate, and today he collected over 30 chickens, ducks, and geese, along with 500 native chicken eggs. Some also asked about pork prices, saying they would raise it for another month before slaughtering.

"Master Shui, in the future, we’ll take however many are available." Marcus Quinn nodded and said. In fact, the quantity of farm-raised poultry from neighboring villages was limited; even if they were all collected, it would not be enough.

"Dad, you still have a better edge. I ran around with Marcus Quinn all day today and found nothing much. The slaughterhouses mostly have farm-raised stock, which Marcus Quinn said wasn’t good enough." Irving Spencer said.

"Then I’ll ask around other villages tomorrow." Master Shui said cheerfully, "Collecting farm products in the village is naturally more professional than in the county town."

"For poultry, the village and county collections are similar, but for beef and lamb, sourcing from Inner Mongolia is ideal." Atan said, biting her chopsticks, her big, dark eyes blinking, "Even better ingredients must be imported."

Marcus Quinn nodded and said, "I’ll handle the sourcing."

The discussion was concluded there. After dinner, Marcus Quinn went to the canteen and, with Aunt Shui, slaughtered the chickens, ducks, and geese collected today, turning them into smoked meats.

Atan, seeing he hadn’t returned for a while, went to the canteen and found Marcus Quinn pickling the chicken and duck meat, fish, and black pork collected today, filling several large bowls.

Atan approached and saw sweat on the man’s forehead, so she took out a handkerchief and wiped it for him.

Marcus Quinn had nearly finished pickling, and seeing her arrive, he looked at her with deep eyes and laughed quietly, "Wait for me a moment, then we can go back."

The man washed his hands meticulously several times, ensuring no taste of pepper or other seasonings remained, then dried his hands, said a word to Aunt Shui, and led Atan back.

From the holiday village’s canteen to the courtyard was about a 3 to 5-minute walk. They walked extremely slowly, with Marcus Quinn holding her entirely in his arms to keep her warm, moving slowly back.

The man’s body felt like a small furnace all year round, and Atan didn’t feel cold at all. She raised her small face and said sweetly, "Marcus Quinn, I feel like I’m dreaming."

Marcus Quinn’s lips curved into a gentle arc, his firm jaw tightening slightly, and he laughed deeply, "Sometimes I feel the same way."

It felt like dreaming, and a beautiful dream at that; otherwise, how could he have married such a sweet and lovely girl like Atan? He originally thought he would be single all his life.

Before meeting her, Marcus Quinn had naturally felt no connection to the opposite sex, no feelings.

Atan giggled, realizing he was a silly one. The two were destined to have nothing to do with romantic entanglements; better to be pragmatic.

Atan chatted away about the ongoing renovations of Fragrance Garden. Marcus Quinn listened quietly without interrupting her. Once they entered the courtyard and inner garden, he silently closed the courtyard gates and carried her into the inner room.

Atan was caught off guard when he lifted her up, feeling the man’s impressive strength, lifting her as if she were a small rabbit. She flushed and said, "Let go."

The man carried her inside, immediately engaging in a passionate kiss. Having been apart all day, and newly married, he couldn’t help but cling to her. When alone, he no longer restrained himself.

Atan, blushing, found herself pinned to the bed, leading to another bout of sweet, honey-like intimacy.

Starting the next day, the holiday village began welcoming guests for accommodation, all drawn by Constantine Stewart’s social media posts. Learning of the 2-hour journey from the airport to the holiday village, all these guests decided to drive themselves. Men and women brought drivers and arrived in luxury cars, generally in groups of seven or eight to enjoy the South River.