We are a family

Chapter 3 We are a family

After the original owner of the body lost his parents, Ethan Jones, an orphan, was adopted by his father's sister, his aunt. It was thanks to the loving care of his aunt and uncle that Ethan Jones did not grow up corrupted by the United States.

The couple didn't seem to care at all about their nephew messing up Mirova's business. In their view, the pressure Mirova exerted was nothing but workplace intimidation! They saw it as an incompetent leader trying to keep his job by scapegoating his subordinates after botching everything! When even direct supervisors don't care about their employees, then they might as well leave that lousy company!

Therefore, when they learned that their nephew Ethan had been fired, they were happier than anyone else!

Uncle Thomas found his white wine, removed half of the cork, and then pulled it out with his teeth. At midday, he filled the glasses in front of Ethan, his wife, and himself.

Aunt Linda wasn't going to be left behind, so she brought out the steak, pasta, mashed potatoes, and cream of mushroom soup that she had already prepared.

Then I quickly cooked some fried chicken, French fries, and onion rings.

Then, using fresh lettuce, tomatoes, avocados, and other ingredients, I made a big pot of vegetable salad for everyone.

"This is truly a wonderful feast, thank you, Aunt Linda."

Although the dishes in front of me are rather monotonous for Chinese cuisine, they are already considered top-notch in Western cuisine.

"Oh, darling, you don't need to be so polite," Aunt Linda said with a smile, waving her hand.

"That's right, we're all family, no need to be so polite, and we're genuinely happy for you now." Uncle Thomas raised his glass, looked at his wife, and said, "Shall we toast to Ethan's release?"

"Cheers! Cheers!" Aunt Linda responded happily.

Ethan smiled and raised his glass, "Thank you."

Gallo Winery is America’s largest family-owned winery and one of the world’s largest wine producers.

The Riesling that Uncle Thomas brought out was a semi-dry wine. Upon tasting it, the refreshing taste, a blend of lily, peach, apricot, and lemon, made it feel like a beverage rather than alcohol.

If paired with spicy and greasy food...

Wow!

The life of eating fried chicken and drinking alcohol is just so great!

Ethan's eyes immediately lit up with a smile.

This situation pleased Aunt Linda and Uncle Thomas very much. After finishing one bottle, they opened another, until their cheeks were flushed. Only then did they start to care about Ethan's future.

"Ethan, we were actually prepared for your layoff, so when it actually happened, you must have had some ideas about your future, right?"

Aunt Linda propped her elbows on the table and asked with a smile, "You still don't want to study? To be honest, I think it's a waste of your talent not to study. If I remember correctly, you scored over 1200 points on your academic aptitude test before? That score could get you into a good university."

The academic aptitude test that Aunt Linda mentioned is actually the American SAT, the college entrance exam.

The original owner of the body had previously participated in the exam and scored 1213 out of a total of 1600 points.

Although it may not seem like much, in the year he took the test, the highest SAT score on the University of California's admission list was only 1280.

To be honest, applying to college isn't just about SAT scores; it also involves letters of recommendation, extracurricular honors, and a whole host of other things that demonstrate your excellence. But with a score of 1213, getting into college should be a breeze.

Unfortunately, they weren't willing.

And Ethan now...

A time traveler going to school?

Are you kidding me?!

It's not like he has no memory!

"I'm sorry, Aunt Linda, I've disappointed you. I may not be able to change my decision for the time being," Ethan said apologetically.

"If you don't want to go to school, then don't go!"

Before Aunt Linda could express her regret, Uncle Thomas spoke first.

"What's so good about studying? It's just capitalists using education as an excuse to plunder our wealth! After paying exorbitant tuition fees, you still have to learn everything yourself. Your social status won't improve instantly. Studying is inherently painful, and paying for it is double torture! So, Ethan, I support you. If you don't want to study, then come with me to look after the orchard. You know, our orchard earns forty or fifty thousand dollars a year! Much more than those white-collar workers make!"

Yes, Aunt Linda and Uncle Thomas were actually farmers.

They own nearly 100 acres of land planted with navel oranges.

Each year, the output is about 300 to 500 tons, all of which are sold to Asia by the exclusive sales company. The selling price per ton fluctuates between $290 and $310. After deducting all costs, it is actually quite easy to make 40,000 to 50,000 a year.

but……

Although farming is the natural talent of the Chinese people, Ethan is not planning to go into farming right now.

"I'm sorry, Uncle Thomas, but when I feel lost about the future, I always embrace the land."

Thomas's uncle pursed his lips in a tactful refusal.

He wanted to say something, but after thinking it over, he gave up.

"Alright, I respect your choice."

"Your temperament is very similar to your mother's in heaven. I think if she and your father were here right now, they would support your decision. I mean it."

"I understand," Ethan nodded with a smile.

"Then can you tell us about your future plans?" Since her husband had given in, Aunt Linda didn't press the issue. She asked curiously, "Of course, but you don't have to tell us if it involves your personal privacy."

"Oh..." Ethan pondered for a few seconds before saying, "I'd like to share this with you, but I only have a tiny bit of an idea right now; I haven't turned it into a complete plan, so..."

"Then we'll talk when you've thought it through," Uncle Thomas said decisively. "Anytime, anywhere, whenever you need us, whether it's to confide in us or to ask for money, hmm?"

"Yeah~" Ethan thanked him earnestly, "I know, we are a family."

"Snapped!"

Uncle Thomas snapped his fingers happily.

With the conversation over, the three of them enjoyed their lunch.

After they had eaten and drunk their fill, Ethan took the initiative to clean up the mess, allowing Aunt Linda and Uncle Thomas, who had been busy all morning, to get some rest.

After cleaning the restaurant and kitchen, Ethan finally stepped back onto the creaking floorboards and returned to his room on the second floor.

He filled the bathtub with water and, wanting to wash away his fatigue, immediately soaked in it.

In fact, Ethan could just answer Uncle Thomas's question.

Over the past two months, while adapting to his surroundings, he has also been looking for opportunities to make money in this era.

In his previous life, he was a migrant worker making a living in the financial industry.

Therefore, going back to his old profession and buying stocks was his instinct.

Through his search, he also discovered two stocks that were suitable for him to buy now.

One is McDonald's, which went public in 1970, and the other is Walmart, which went public in 1972.

The prices of these two stocks are currently quite low. Ethan calculates that if one were to buy $100,000 worth of each and hold them until 2023, these two stocks would at least yield a return of over a thousand times.

To be honest, this discovery made Ethan very excited.

After all, no one can deny the possibility of becoming rich overnight.

But when he actually took action, he discovered two hidden problems.

The first problem is an objective factor: the stock trading model of this era is very insecure.

Just like the stock trading scenes in Hollywood movies, stock trading in this era was conducted offline.

Buyers need to inform their stockbrokerage firm of the stocks they are interested in, along with their target price and quantity. The brokerage firm will then forward the client's order to traders at the exchange, who will then negotiate on-site with other traders willing to sell their shares to finalize the transaction.

Due to the lack of information, this trading model is very prone to securities fraud and price fraud.

When Michael Milken, the king of junk bonds, went bankrupt in the 1990s, his former employer was found to have similar problems.

The second issue is the subjective factor. If he really does that, by the time he becomes a billionaire, he will also be old.

If becoming rich after time travel is possible, it can only be achieved by getting old.

That kind of price is unacceptable to him.

Keep in mind, this is America in the 1970s!

In an era before computers became widespread, before the internet was born, and before mobile internet was even a thing of the past...

Gold is everywhere!

In Lei Jun's words, right now is the opportune moment of the times!

A pig stood on it—

That! Can! Fly!

In this era, as a time traveler, how does he accumulate wealth over time?

Wouldn't that be a disgrace to millions of our compatriots?

As for what he said, that he's a finance professional who doesn't understand technology?

Well this...

Soaking in warm water, a somewhat tired Ethan quickly fell asleep.

When he woke up again, the cold made him shiver.

I quickly got up, wiped them clean, and found that my soaked fingers were like ridges in a field, crooked and ugly.

But as for the face...

Yeah, awesome! As handsome as Tom Cruise!

After getting dressed, I returned to my bedroom, where the clock on the wall was bathed in the crimson light of the setting sun.

"It's five o'clock? I slept in the bathtub for three hours?"

Ethan sighed as he dried his hair.

Just as he was pondering what he would think about before falling asleep, suddenly, the roar of a car engine entered his ears from afar.

After it disappeared, a sweet and charming voice suddenly appeared.

"Dad~? Linda~? I'm back~"

(End of this chapter)