chapter 4 It’s really Mingqian Longjing Tea

Sophia Lynch looked at the beans floating in the casserole, a look of shock on her face. "Master Quinn, this... this coffee is it really Black Ivory Coffee? However... the taste is just too blend, and the color... it is too pale," Sophia questioned.
"Nonsense!" George Quinn retorted in distress, "Ultimately, you are still the daughter-in-law of the Jerome family, why can't you differentiate the blend of beans that produce Black Ivory Coffee? How can a cup of good coffee taste strong and bitter? Do you think that the blend of beans used is like that of the cheap and bitter Robusta beans? Gosh! I feel so frustrated! This premium Black Ivory Coffee drink is made from an extremely special blend of beans! I’ve only tasted the actual drink once!”
Victor Jerome also replied sheepishly, looking rather embarrassed, "Ahem! Sophia, how much of the coffee blend do you have left?"
"There's still about half of a can left," Sophia replied.
"Half of a small can?" Victor remembered that the size of the can was big enough to contain one kilogram of coffee blend, hence two cans should weigh approximately two kilograms. In the end, there was only a small amount of coffee blend left. Victor could not help but put on an expression of immense regret and pain. He exclaimed, "Go bring whatever is left! Bring it here and brew it for Master Quinn!”
"Of course, right away!" Sophia hurried frantically to get the remaining coffee blend, almost dropping the casserole in the process.
Seeing Sophia make a blunder of herself, the muscles on George's face also started to twitch frantically as he whispered fiercely, "You have better be mindful, these are super premium-grade Black Ivory Coffee! Each packet is worth thousands of dollars!"
"Yes, yes, for sure..." Sophia's face turned red in embarrassment as she lowered her head and headed to the kitchen.
Victor narrowed his brows and frowned while speaking to Abigail Jerome in a commanding tone, "Abigail, you go help make the drink too! Maxwell, come and chat with us these two old guys!"
Abigail glanced puzzledly at Maxwell in confusion but still headed to the kitchen. She was both surprised and puzzled as to the reason why Maxwell Clarkson would actually offer the special premium-grade Black Ivory Coffee to the guests. Maxwell would usually act like an extremely petty and calculative country bumpkin, why would he be this cordial when playing host this time?
Sophia was extremely depressed. When she saw Abigail, she could no longer hold back and started complaining, "How can a country bumpkin bear to take out and serve such a premium drink? Maybe the beans were just casually picked from some random wild beans from the mountains! Master Quinn is also too much, how can he distinguish between the different types of drinks so easily? Maybe it's just because the drinks taste rather similar that's all!”
Abigail nodded secretly in agreement after hearing her mother vent her frustrations. She felt that her mother's grievances were founded and made sense. As soon as Maxwell arrived, the Jerome Family had lost favor with Master Quinn. Maxwell was indeed extremely annoying! Abigail realized that she must divorce him as soon as possible!
During dinner, Victor and George had a long talk. Occasionally, Maxwell would be prompted by Victor to say a few words or to share an interesting story regarding his country life, which always made the two older men laugh. In those moments, Peter Jerome and his wife would roll their eyes when they heard these sharings. They could not understand the humor behind Maxwell's sharings about his rustic life.
Finally, after George left, Victor called the family to his side and commented, "Maxwell and Abigail, now that you two have already obtained your marriage certificate, it's time to pick an auspicious day next month and arrange for your wedding ceremony! After which, I can finally be completely relieved!"
"No, I refuse," Abigail blurted out without thinking.
Peter and his wife also exclaimed in unison, "Dad, no way!"
Victor narrowed his brows and was about to explode in anger.
Abigail quickly explained, "Grandpa, I haven't really been in love before! If we host the wedding ceremony this quickly, I... I have this regret for my entire life. Moreover, both Maxwell and I are not familiar with each other at all, and we would... we would need some time to get familiar with each other right?"
Peter and his wife immediately understood that this was their daughter's strategy to delay the marriage, and thus both of them nodded at the same time, "Dad, I think what Abigail said makes sense. You ought to give Abigail some time, right?"
Victor muttered as he turned to Maxwell, "Maxwell, what do you think?"
"I think so too! I've also never been in love before! If one doesn't know the taste of love, life would be incomplete!" Maxwell replied without hesitation. After saying that, he glanced at Abigail, who was taken back by surprise.
"I don't know what kind of girl Abigail really is yet," Maxwell thought to himself.
"No doubt she is indeed beautiful...
But if she really is the kind of woman who goes out and spends money to find excitement when she's bored and has nothing to do, wouldn’t that be a big loss for me," Maxwell continued pondering to himself.
Such an important event would impact his life in the long run, Maxwell wanted to make sure that such a grave matter was not taken lightly.
After hearing Maxwell's thoughts, Victor pondered for a while and replied, "If that's the case, let's postpone the wedding ceremony for now. It's indeed better for you and Abigail to get familiar with each other first! But truth be told, what is there to be familiar with? When I got married back in my time, we didn’t get to know each other until the wedding!”
"Dad! We live in different times now, please don't be stuck in the old times and blindly trust outdated practices wholeheartedly!" Peter begged.
Hearing Victor's story, Maxwell could not help but let his thoughts wander. It seemed that he and Abigail had indeed only met physically when they were already in the bridal chambers!
Wait no! Maxwell did not know who she was even spending a romantic night together in the sheets within the bridal chamber after getting married!
Abigail seemed to have also recalled something and glanced at Maxwell, her gaze as cold as frost.
"Maxwell.." Victor continued, "Soon, I'll let Abigail arrange a suitable position for you to take on in the company."
Abigail became a little anxious when she heard this.
What a joke!
Commuting with a country bumpkin to work every day would drive anyone crazy!
However, before Abigail could think of the reason to refuse, Maxwell spoke first.
"Grandpa Victor, I appreciate your kindness, but I think it would be better if don't work for the Jerome Group."
Everyone was stunned at Maxwell's reply, and Peter could not help but sneer in detest, "Although the Jerome Family is relatively well-to-do, we don't support idle people. If you don't find a job, do you intend to be a freeloader?"
"What are you insinuating?" Victor's face grew dark upon hearing Peter's words.
"Dad..." Sophia replied, "Maxwell is a grown man, therefore he can't just stay at home all day idle, right? If he doesn't go to work, isn't he just freeloading?"
"I have my own way of making money, so I won't be short of money!" Maxwell replied calmly.
With his medical skills, Maxwell was confident that he could easily accumulate a decent amount of money. Why would he have to worry about going to work or finding another job?
Both Peter and his wife could not help but sneer at Maxwell. A country bumpkin who wants to make money in Delington? What could he possibly do? Hardlabour? Peter and his wife could not wait to see Maxwell get tortured physically. It would be best if he worked himself to death through physical labor and died there!
"Shameless!" Abigail muttered in a loud whisper while glancing at Maxwell with disdain.
This country bumpkin was of cause not short of money!
He already had a check for 100,000 dollars in his hand!
Abigail was sure that Maxwell had every intention of squandering this amount of money by having fun and enjoying services that pleased him.
Shameless! Absolutely shameless!
She, being the ever-dignified Abigail Jerome, actually received the marriage certificate that tied her to such a bastard. How sad and ironic!
Sensing that it was time to rest and turn in, Peter was about to arrange for Maxwell to sleep in the basement. However, Victor suddenly said to the servant: "Take the bedding that I have prepared for Maxwell and bring it to Abigail's room! Maxwell will be staying in Abigail's room tonight!”
"Dad?"
"Grandfather?"
Victor's face darkened, "What? Don't I have the final say in this household?"
"But... but..."Abigail's face turned pale white in shock, her upper lips were biting down tightly on her lower lips. All that was left for her to show her extreme reluctance was to actually explicitly write the word "unwilling" across her forehead on her face.
"Abigail, you know that Grandpa loves you the most since you were a child, and Grandpa will never harm you!" Victor continued with a solemn, stern expression, "Since you and Maxwell both said that you need to get to know each other better, Grandpa will give you the chance to get acquainted! This is an opportunity for both of you to talk more tonight and cultivate your relationship! Unless... you were all lying to me just now? In this case, I will prepare the invitations to your wedding ceremony tomorrow, and you will hold the wedding banquet next week! After which, you will live an honest life as a wedded couple and give birth to my great-grandson as soon as possible! "
"..."A speechless Abigail clenched her fists. Acknowledging that this was ultimately still the Jerome Family after all, even if both she and Maxwell were in the same room, he probably would not have the guts to do anything randomly, hence, so she nodded in agreement. She then proceeded to walk to the room without saying a word.
Maxwell also did not expect Victor to pull such a stunt, but he had the same consensus as Abigail. After all, this was the Jerome Family, what else could he attempt?
While Victor then went back to his room in satisfaction, Peter glared towards Maxwell's direction with a sullen face.
"Maxwell, you better listen up! The Jerome Family is not a family that you can choose to enter as and when you like!
I will never recognize this marriage!
It's impossible between you and my daughter," Maxwell proclaimed angrily.
"I'm warning you! You better not take advantage of my daughter, otherwise I will not spare you! Even if the old man protects you, it'll be useless! Do you understand," Peter declared.
Maxwell grinned at Peter and replied, "Father-in-law, I understand."
Hearing the phrase "Father-in-law" made Peter so angry that he almost had a cerebral hemorrhage and fainted there and then. The corners of his mouth were trembling as he continued criticizing Maxwell.
"You uneducated country bumpkin! Just take care of yourself," Sophia sneered as she stormed away angrily, pulling Peter along with her.
Maxwell shook his head as he approached Abigail's door. He knocked, but there was no response.
"She did not lock the door to prevent me from entering now, did she?"
Maxwell muttered under his breath. He tried to push the door and it opened.