Chapter 1615 - 1580: Buying Gold Jewelry

The last time they came to Green County Town, the couple was still in debt. Now, their little savings account has over 3 million, though 20% of it belongs to Uncle Shui’s family; 80% is still quite a sum. So Marcus Quinn thought of buying gold jewelry for Rose.

Marcus Quinn, a rough man with a military background, lost his mother early, and his father had a new family. The father and son weren’t close, essentially having no parental or elder guidance by their side. He was not aware of wedding formalities or how to buy things for a girl.

He initially wanted to buy jade for Rose, but a small county like Green County naturally didn’t have anything good. So he entrusted Chester Walker to buy high-quality jadeite, which would take some time. Hence, this trip to the county was not only to handle various matters but also to take Rose to buy diamonds or gold jewelry first.

They left early and had breakfast upon arriving in town, selecting a well-known local beef noodle shop and ate two bowls of strong chewy noodles.

The noodles, crafted by manual effort, could be thin or thick, not the kind produced in factories, yielding an excellent texture. It was the first time Rose had tasted such noodles, and despite eating a large bowl, she wasn’t quite satisfied. Although the stewed beef wasn’t as tasty as Marcus Quinn’s, the noodles were incredibly chewy, and the soup was richly seasoned, explaining why the place was bustling even early in the morning.

"These noodles are so good; they taste ten times better than the store-bought ones." Rose drank half a bowl of noodle soup, gazing at Marcus Quinn with eager eyes.

Marcus Quinn, a man stern on the outside but soft at heart, would consent to anything as soon as she looked at him with those pitiful large eyes.

"I can make these too, but their soup is too complexly flavored to be healthy in excess. Mine might be a bit bland." Marcus Quinn’s face remained expressionless, slightly rigid, especially with the scar between his eyebrows making him appear fiercer when not smiling, causing an empty space around their table as no one dared to sit near them.

"I want to eat yours; it must taste better than theirs." Rose sweetly praised.

The man’s cheeks flushed slightly, responding lightly while the inner Marcus Quinn grinned widely.

After finishing the meal, Marcus Quinn went about his tasks. The bus stop from Green County to the Holiday Village had added a stop right at the resort’s entrance. This time, Marcus Quinn came to Green County to thank the mayor and discuss the follow-up construction issues with the resort’s lake.

The previous two construction teams had laid the foundations by the lake, setting up wooden promenades and bridges along the lake. Now the promenade was finished, but the bridge had yet to be built. Marcus Quinn thought, since they were building the bridge anyway, they might as well extend it and construct a bridge reaching the Holiday Village, connecting the lake to the resort.

This trip was to discuss these matters with higher-ups.

Marcus Quinn took Rose to the location, where the mayor warmly received them. As for the party secretary, it was said he was out studying for two months and hadn’t returned, so Marcus hadn’t met him. Finding the mayor easy to communicate with, Marcus stayed in contact with him.

Since seeing Dean Mo and Minister Li from Imperial City, who both regarded Marcus Quinn highly, Green County Mayor Forrest Zamora naturally treated Marcus as a VIP. After Minister Li returned to Imperial City, Suton’s mayor even patted Forrest Zamora’s shoulder in praise, showing much appreciation. Forrest Zamora was hopeful for his career, excitedly staying awake for three nights, attributing his fortune to Anfield Village, and eagerly hoping Marcus would seek him out for any issue.

"No problem at all; the waterfront development was authorized by the higher-ups, so all costs go through the treasury directly. I’ll report it above, construct a few more bridges, build a few more roads to the Holiday Village, which counts as developing a characteristic scenic area. I originally planned to combine your resort with the neighboring scenic area. The city has a favorable view of our county’s tourism industry, so this year, we’ll heavily invest in tourism development, starting with the scenic area next to Anfield Village." Forrest Zamora said with a beaming smile.

"Then, many thanks to Mayor Zhao." Marcus Quinn responded without reservation. The gold thread fish was already considered handed over to the state, so the financial appropriation was for research; he didn’t need to pay separately.

Forrest Zamora tried to keep Marcus for a meal, but Marcus politely refused.

Having finalized the road, bridge beautification, and other matters for the Holiday Village, Marcus was in high spirits as he took Rose shopping. Food procurement had been entirely handed over to Auntie Shui, while daily purchases of poultry, eggs, beef, and such were made with villagers or from neighboring villages. So the two came to Green County solely for shopping.

"Buying gold?" Rose stood in the gold shop, staring wide-eyed at a dazzling display of gold; she had never worn gold jewelry before.

She usually dressed simply, with many valuable accessories left by her mother, and her father often bought her jewelry, but they were all of the gemstone variety. Buying gold was a first, and imagining herself wearing bright gold made Rose pause, but seeing the tall, robust Marcus standing firmly at the shop doorway somewhat stunned her.

"Gold is expensive." Rose murmured, gently tugging at Marcus’s arm.

"We can afford it." Marcus replied firmly, with a straightforward taste believing that Rose would look good in anything. Even though she might not like wearing gold, it could be nice to have a set at home, and once they earned more, they could buy gemstone jewelry in the city.

"Sir, Miss, are you choosing wedding jewelry?" The sales clerk scanned them with eyes like X-rays, noting Rose’s beautiful charm and the muscular man holding hands with her, undoubtedly a sweet couple, and eagerly began introducing styles to them.

"Yes." Marcus nodded in a deep voice.

Wedding jewelry? Rose was taken aback, her cheeks reddening as she recalled sharing a bed with Marcus last night. No wonder Marcus took her to buy jewelry first thing this morning.

"Let’s get an animal pendant." Rose sweetly tugged on the man’s arm, her voice soft. She was only comfortable wearing an animal pendant.

"Alright." Marcus nodded, seeing she had no real interest in gold. He thought it necessary to find time to visit Imperial City or Suton, as wedding jewels were indispensable, and Rose’s everyday clothing was sparse and plain. He never asked, but could guess her previous life was likely luxurious, and Green County really couldn’t provide anything Rose liked even if they had money.

Rose’s zodiac sign was a pig, so she picked a chubby, cute piglet pendant.

She put on the piglet pendant immediately after buying it; with her fair skin and the golden piglet accentuating her delicate butterfly clavicles, she looked adorable. Marcus’s gaze deepened slightly.

Having purchased the little pig, Marcus took Rose to a phone shop to replace her phone with a new one, bought a digital camera, and got her various other items before heading back to the Holiday Village.