American Hunting: Starting with Solitary Life in the Wilderness

Chapter 357 The Nobles' Considerations
Her gaze immediately fell on Lin Yu'an, a scrutinizing and curious look that was unabashed.

“As for the gift he brought,” Elizabeth continued, her gaze sweeping over the valuable bottle of Howling Eagle in Raven’s hand, a meaningful smile appearing on her face.

Raven stuck out her tongue and immediately walked obediently toward the antique wine cabinet that looked incredibly valuable.

Elizabeth had already walked up to Lin Yu'an and extended her right hand to him.

“Good evening, young man. I am Elizabeth Montgomery.” Her voice carried an old-fashioned aristocratic elegance.

“I heard about what happened at sea. Thank you for protecting my most precious granddaughter when my son was behaving like an idiot.”

This opening line was extremely clever. It expressed gratitude, subtly complained about her son, and used the phrase "my most precious granddaughter" to subtly declare Raven's importance in her heart.

"You flatter me, Madam." Lin Yu'an bowed slightly, gently grasped her fingertips, and then let go, displaying impeccable manners.

"In that situation, protecting one's fellow sailors is what any sailor should do."

His answer was neither arrogant nor overly humble; he attributed his actions to the professional code of conduct of a sailor.

A barely perceptible hint of appreciation flashed in Elizabeth's sharp, hawk-like eyes.

She gestured for Lin Yu'an to sit on the sofa in the main seat, while she herself gracefully sat opposite him.

“Sailor…” she savored the word, a meaningful smile appearing on her face. “I heard from Raven that you’ve only been learning to sail for two days and you’re already a better sailor than many old men.”

Before Lin Yu'an could answer, Raven had already come over with two glasses of amber-colored whiskey. She handed one to Lin Yu'an, then naturally sat down on the single sofa next to him, instead of sitting anywhere else in the house.

“Grandma,” Raven spoke up to help Lin Yu’an out of the awkward situation, but her tone was full of pride, “Lin just… learns things faster.”

"Oh? Just faster?" Elizabeth glanced at her granddaughter, then at Lin Yu'an.

"So fast that my son, that arrogant Mike Montgomery, will personally admit that you are a born captain? This is the first time I can remember that."

She posed the question to Lin Yu'an again.

Lin Yu'an raised his glass, offered a distant toast to Elizabeth and Mike, and took a small sip. The rich peat and smoky flavors melted on his tongue; it was a top-quality Islay single malt whisky.

“Madam,” he put down his wine glass and calmly met Elizabeth’s gaze, “I believe that talent may determine the upper limit a person can reach, but focus determines how quickly they can reach that limit.”

"I'm just more focused on learning."

These words, once again attributing his remarkable performance to a commendable "quality" rather than an ethereal "talent," appear extremely humble yet powerful.

Elizabeth gave him a deep look, finally nodded in satisfaction, and stopped pressing him on the matter.

She had gotten the answer she wanted. The young man before her not only possessed extraordinary abilities, but also a clear mind and exceptional emotional intelligence to match them.

Calm, powerful, wealthy, and even knows how to use a perfectly chosen bottle of Screaming Eagle to showcase his connections to the Montgomery family.

When Elizabeth first learned about Lin Yu'an, she even thought that he might be the perfect knight that God had sent to her wild granddaughter.

Unfortunately……

Elizabeth raised her wine glass, using an elegant gesture to conceal the fleeting regret in her eyes.

The moment she decided to invite Lin Yu'an to the dinner party, she had already used her family's resources to obtain a background brief on him within just a few hours.

The briefing's contents dispelled all her unrealistic fantasies.

He is not only married, but his wife is the daughter of a Mormon family from Montana.

To have Raven get involved in such a relationship? That would be tantamount to sending the Montgomery family's century-old ship into uncharted waters. The risks far outweigh any potential rewards.

Marriages within large families are never just a matter between two individuals; they involve the merger and reorganization of the assets, bloodlines, and future of two families. Any uncontrollable element in any link can have far-reaching consequences.

With this in mind, Elizabeth's heart was completely tipped in her favor.

The way she looked at Lin Yu'an, while still admiring, had lost the scrutinizing quality of a mother-in-law looking at her son-in-law.

Instead, there is a purer kind of affection: the elders' love for an outstanding young person.

Elizabeth made her final decision in her heart, "Letting Raven sail with him, go on adventures together, and have some fun might not be a bad idea."

"This will make Raven happy and show her what a truly outstanding man looks like."

"But marriage... unless he can completely sever all ties with his previous world in an incredibly clean way."

"Before this, he could only be considered at best a... highly charismatic dangerous commodity that requires long-term observation."

Thinking of who was behind all this, she couldn't help but grumble inwardly: "In the end, it's all that girl Kayla's fault for giving false intelligence, making me go through all this trouble..."

She picked up her glass, intending to steer the conversation in a safer direction with a lighthearted topic.

A voice, brimming with jubilation and a sense of self-satisfaction, suddenly came from the direction of the porch.

"Mom, Raven, look what I'm holding!"

Kayla rushed in like a gust of wind, carrying a huge, long object!

She was clearly dressed up carefully, wearing a fashionable short skirt and a bright smile that said, "I am the savior."

Completely unaware of the subtle atmosphere in the living room, and even less aware that her mother had, in just a few minutes, completed the shift in her mindset from "choosing a grandson-in-law" to "keeping her distance."

Kayla's mind is now completely occupied with her "ultimate assist" plan!
She walked straight to Raven, who was still in shock, and lifted the huge object high.

"Ta-da!" she shouted dramatically, "Happy birthday, Raven!"

"Birthday?" Lin Yu'an's face showed surprise without any warning.

He looked at Raven, completely unaware that it was her birthday and hadn't revealed a single detail during the day.

Raven was completely stunned. She stared at the enormous gift in front of her, which was wrapped up tightly and clearly outlined as a surfboard.

He glanced at the smug Kayla, then turned his incredulous gaze to Lin Yu'an.

"Lin...this..." Her voice was trembling.

"Don't look at it, open it and take a look!" Kayla urged excitedly, determined to see this assist through to the end.

"This is a birthday present that Lin specially prepared for you! He said he didn't want his coach to have any regrets!"

Lin Yu'an was both amused and exasperated by the sudden turn of events.

He originally just wanted to give a low-key gift for his departure, but Kayla, being a gossip, turned it into a very meaningful birthday present in front of the whole family.

Now, even if he wanted to explain, it would seem superfluous and inappropriate.

With everyone's encouraging gaze, Raven took a deep breath and carefully tore open the outer foam packaging with her fingers.

As the packaging was peeled away layer by layer, the old, legendary, and weathered short plank was finally revealed to everyone.

When Raven saw the signature on the signboard, which was a little blurry but still clearly legible—Eddie Aikau—her breath caught in her throat for a moment!
Time seemed to be paused at this moment.

Reaching out, my fingertips traced the signature as if touching a rare treasure, then over the deep and shallow scratches on the board.

She could imagine that the legendary surfer from decades ago was dancing on the giant waves of Hawaii, standing on this very board.

This board has a soul.

Overwhelmed by immense emotion and surprise, she was instantly engulfed by a surging tide.

All the desires she had forcibly suppressed during the day in the shop with "carefree" and "rational" attitudes were completely shattered by this sudden surprise.

Looking up at Lin Yu'an, her eyes, clear as sapphires and sparkling with confidence, were for the first time veiled with a layer of glistening mist.

He opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but found that his throat was blocked by something, and he couldn't say a word.

Raven wasn't the type of girl to be moved by expensive gifts, and her family wouldn't be surprised by $50,000. But what Lin Yu'an gave was different. It wasn't $50,000, nor was it a luxury item meant to be flaunted.

What he gave her was the purest "faith" and "totem" about surfing from the depths of her heart.

Lin Yu'an understood the awe in her eyes during the day, and also understood the insincerity in her words, "Eddie's spirit is in the sea."

This man not only possesses superhuman wisdom and strength, but also a gentleness that allows him to see into people's hearts.

The next second, Raven did something that caught everyone off guard, including herself.

She rushed forward two steps and, before Lin Yu'an could react, hugged him tightly once again, even more tightly than she had on the boat yesterday!
This hug was more than just gratitude for surviving a disaster.

It is filled with more complex and intense emotions—the feeling of dreams being understood, the thrill of having one's heart seen through, and an unspeakable signal of surrender.

"Thank you..." Her voice, thick with nasal tone, came from Lin Yu'an's chest, "Thank you..."

She didn't even know how to express her feelings at that moment; she could only use this word to describe the man who had so easily broken down all her defenses.

Lin Yu'an was jolted back half a step by the sudden hug. He could clearly feel the happiness of the girl in his arms, who was as radiant and passionate as the sun.

He raised his hand somewhat stiffly, hesitated for a moment, and then gently placed it on her back, patting her reassuringly.

"Happy birthday, Raven." He could only whisper this belated blessing in her ear.

Meanwhile, Kayla, basking in the satisfaction of her perfectly orchestrated plan, almost wanted to whistle loudly at the sight of this scene! See? I knew this would happen!
But she soon felt a chilling gaze from behind, like a Siberian cold front.

She turned her head stiffly, meeting the cold gaze of her mother, Elizabeth, who seemed to be smiling, but whose eyes were filled with resentment.

"Uh...Mom?" Kayla's smile froze on her face.

She couldn't understand why her perfectly planned "assistance of the century" seemed to have... backfired.
Just as the joyful atmosphere reached its peak, the roar of a marine diesel engine suddenly came from the private dock outside the villa, breaking the tranquility of the living room.

“Oh, damn it,” Elizabeth’s anger instantly found a new outlet.

She glanced out the window and said irritably, "That guy who can't do anything but fishing has finally decided to come back."

With a series of footsteps, a tall, thin man appeared, dressed in professional fishing gear, his hair disheveled by the sea breeze, but his spirits unusually high.

He walked in excitedly, carrying a cooler. He was Mike's father, Raven's grandfather, an Irish gentleman with a passion for fishing—Sean O'Connell.

“Elizabeth! My dear!” he shouted as he entered the room, completely unaware of the guests in the living room.

“You won’t believe what I encountered today! A swordfish weighing at least 300 pounds! Just five nautical miles offshore! I fought it for three hours, and it was so close…”

“Shut up, Sean,” Elizabeth interrupted him coldly. “Where’s your fish?”

Sean's excitement vanished instantly. He glanced at the empty box and said guiltily, "Uh... it broke free. But next time, next time I'll definitely bring it back!"

“Hmph, your next time will be more frequent than a hurricane in Florida,” Elizabeth said sarcastically, but there was no real blame in her eyes.

Sean seemed to have gotten used to his wife's scolding before noticing Lin Yu'an in the living room.

His eyes lit up immediately, and he extended his hand enthusiastically: "Oh! Are you Raven's boyfriend? I'm Sean O'Connell, Raven's grandfather. Welcome to our home!"

He glanced at Raven's slightly red eyes and the expensive surfboard in her hand, then looked at Lin Yu'an and immediately gave her a "I understand" look.

He patted Lin Yu'an on the shoulder forcefully: "Good lad! You've got guts! Finally, a man has come to appreciate the charm of my Raven!"

Before Lin Yu'an and Ruiwen could explain, she had already grabbed Lin Yu'an's arm as if they were old friends.

"Come on, stop chatting with these women, it's boring! I'll take you to see my armory! I guarantee it's much more interesting than Mike's sailboat!"

Just then, Mike, who had finished dealing with matters on the ship, walked in from outside. Seeing the scene before him, he shook his head helplessly.

"Dad, don't take our guest to see your treasures. He has to go out to sea tomorrow."

“Nonsense!” Sean ignored his son. “This young man looks like he knows his stuff! He’s definitely interested in my collection! Come on, Lin, ignore them!”

Lin Yu'an looked at this overly enthusiastic "fisherman" grandpa and couldn't refuse.

He could only smile apologetically at everyone, and was half-pulled, half-dragged towards a room deep inside the villa.

Only Elizabeth, Mike, Raven, and Kayla remained in the living room.

Elizabeth's smile vanished. She picked up her wine glass, swirled it gently, and glanced at her son, daughter, and granddaughter in turn.

“Alright,” she began slowly, her voice calm but filled with the authority of a patriarch, “now, let’s talk about this Captain Lin.”

She looked at Raven, her gaze becoming complex and sharp: "He's excellent, very excellent, even better than I expected. But, Raven, you need to understand, he's already married."

"Moreover, his marriage involves a complex Mormon family from Montana."

“So,” she paused, then said, word by word, “I hope you will know your limits.”

Raven lowered her eyes, looking at the surfboard in her hands, without saying a word.

Mike sighed and echoed, "Yes, Raven. He's a very good young man, but unfortunately... we're not on the same path as him."

Only Kayla, that troublemaker, muttered under her breath, "That's so cool! Mom, do you mean... Lin can have many wives?"

Elizabeth cast a cold glance at her, and Kayla immediately shut her mouth and sat up straight, like a duck with its neck being choked.

The atmosphere in the living room suddenly became somewhat heavy.

Finally, Raven broke the silence. She looked up, her carefree smile back on her face, as if the conversation had never happened.

She changed the subject: "Grandma, let's not talk about that. I'm starving! What are we having for dinner tonight? Do you have my favorite steak?"

Elizabeth looked at her granddaughter and knew she didn't want to talk about it anymore. She also knew that some things couldn't be persuaded otherwise.

“Of course,” Elizabeth said no more, her elegant smile returning to her face.

“I had the kitchen prepare top-quality steaks from Rock River Farms. I ordered them last month, and they were just air-freighted in the day before yesterday. I guarantee their freshness.”

On the other side of the villa, Lin Yu'an initially thought that Sean's "armory" meant literally.

Unexpectedly, it turned out to be an "arsenal" that could drive any fishing enthusiast crazy.

It was a huge room with hundreds of top-quality fishing rods of all kinds hanging on the walls.

From lightweight lure rods for nearshore use to heavy-duty trolling rods for deep-sea use, it has everything – it's practically a mini fishing tackle museum!
"See this?" Sean patiently explained, picking up an extremely exquisite pole.

"EverGreen's Poseidon, specially designed for squid fishing, has a rod tip more sensitive than a hair! And this, Zenaq's Expedition, can be disassembled into three pieces and packed into a suitcase to take anywhere..."

Looking at this "fishing expert" who knew everything like the back of his hand, Lin Yu'an thought the time was about right and asked casually, "Mr. Sean, with so much top-notch equipment, you must have caught many big fish, right? I wonder if you have any trophies I can show you?"

Sean's excited expression froze for a moment.

But he quickly regained his composure, waved his hand nonchalantly, and spoke in a tone full of "masterful flair".

"Oh, those...those big ones, after I caught them, I took a picture and then released them back into the sea."

"For me, what matters is the process of fighting them, not the result. What we pursue is the 'joy of fishing,' you understand?"

Lin Yu'an looked at his feigned nonchalance and then glanced at the brand-new equipment on the wall, still with the protective film on. She understood.

He seemed to sense the helplessness and bitterness unique to this enthusiastic old man, a true "air force veteran."

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

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(End of this chapter)