Gold Rush Starts in the Bering Sea

Chapter 84: Return Trip, Alaska

Time flies, and in the blink of an eye, it was time for Lillian and Ellie to go back.

Jason's luggage was simple, consisting of a backpack and a small suitcase containing his few changes of clothes.

Lillian and Ellie had much more, a total of four suitcases. No one knew what was inside, but Jason almost couldn't lift them all.

"I'm leaving now, Chef Xing and Chef Li."

"See you next time! Come back to the mine and we'll cook you something delicious."

"It's a deal then, I'm going to eat lots and lots of delicious food next time!" She swallowed hard, probably thinking of something delicious.

Seeing Ellie reluctant to leave, turning back every few steps with her eyes lingering on the kitchen, Jason chuckled and said, "Ellie, hurry up, we need to get going!"

"Here it comes~" Ellie pouted, looking unhappy.

Once they were in the car, Lillian poked Ellie's forehead with her finger, annoyed. "Still thinking about food? Look how fat you've gotten! If you keep eating, no one will like you anymore."

"If I poke it again, I'll look even uglier, and no one will like me anymore," Ellie said, dodging her finger while looking out the back window toward the mine.

Jason, slumped in the passenger seat, glanced at Ellie in the rearview mirror and said gloatingly, "Ellie, you'd better study hard when you get back."

"Jason, I hate you, humph!" Ellie huffed angrily.

Upon arriving at the airport, Jason struggled to stuff his suitcase into the plane, rubbing his back in frustration. "Wait, what did you guys stuff in here? This is so heavy!"

Jason was met with a disdainful look from Ellie, who said nothing but seemed to have said everything.

From a small airport to Bendigo, then from Bendigo to Sini, and finally by plane to the United States.

Then I transferred planes in the US and headed straight home.

Two days later, the three of them finally returned home.

The moment Jason opened the door, he wished he could just lie down on the sofa and take a good nap.

I'm so tired, so incredibly tired.

Although I managed to catch up on sleep on the plane, I still felt unsatisfied, my head was foggy, and even my hair started to get oily.

Jason carried the suitcases into the room and collapsed onto the sofa, as did Ellie.

Lillian looked at the two people standing side by side with a helpless expression. After a quick cleaning, she turned on the electricity and gas, and the room was back to its previous state.

Fortunately, it was still winter in Alaska, and the meat stored in the ice cellar outside hadn't spoiled, so Lillian simply made a fried meat dish.

"Hurry up, wash your hands and eat first, then wash up and catch up on some sleep later."

Inside, the temperature rose, and Jason took off his cotton coat and ate in short sleeves.

After eating in a daze, I took a shower in the bathroom, returned to my little apartment, and went straight to sleep.

At this time, Alaska was still frozen. When the wind blew, the unfrozen ice shards moved with the wind and made a rustling sound as they rubbed against the snow.

On the frozen surface of the Bering Sea, a group of gold prospectors are working under the lamplight beneath the broken ice.

Some people have gold panning boats, while others pan for gold on the ice. Both methods result in some people getting rich, so it's hard to say which is better or worse.

The tavern was no longer as bustling as it was during the gold rush season; people sat in twos and threes chatting idly.

"I heard Albert and his family are back?"

"I think so, all their lights are on."

One of the people who encountered Jason and his two companions said, "No, only three people came back. Ellie must have returned just before school started."

"Looks like that kid Albert has struck it rich. I heard he already owns a mine in Australia."

"It's not Albert's; I heard it belongs to his second son, Jason."

"Who? That street hustler?"

"Yes, it should be his. Don't you remember there was a cameraman filming back then? The crew talked about it, and I heard..."

"I'm going to make fun of Albert when he gets back."

······

Bar owner Gary quietly wiped the glasses, occasionally chiming in with a word.

Having spent so many years in the Bering Sea, I've seen far too many gold prospectors, but I'm still amazed that Jason could achieve such great success in such a short time.

The Bering Sea is never short of gold prospectors, and there's never a shortage of topics related to gold panning.

When something is known to more than three people, it's like announcing it to the world. Although it's across the Pacific Ocean, Jason's situation still reached the Bering Sea.

Of course, Jason was unaware of these circumstances.

Jason slept until the next morning, had a simple breakfast, and then, urged by his mother Lillian, drove the two of them straight to the supermarket.

After all, it had been so long since I'd been back, and even though Alaska was covered in ice and snow, I still couldn't hold on to some of the food.

Driving to the supermarket, Lillian bought items one by one according to her list, while Ellie also rummaged through the snack aisle for her favorite snacks.

As for Jason, he was struggling to push the cart.

"Hi, Lillian, when did you guys get back?"

"I just got home yesterday. I'm just doing some grocery shopping."

"This is your Jason. I heard you bought a mine in Australia. I thought your family wasn't coming back."

"Ellie, school is starting soon, isn't it?"

Lillian chatted with people she knew, while Jason remained silent, as he didn't know them well and didn't know what to say.

The weather in Alaska is already bad, let alone this season, so Lillian's shopping spree left Jason somewhat speechless.

A bunch of canned fast food, a big bag of potatoes, some bacon and milk, plus plenty of eggs and oats, and two bags of flour. As for vegetables, it's probably just tomatoes.

Jason drove home, moved his belongings into the storage room, and considered his mission accomplished.

"Mom, I'm going out for a bit. Remember to call me if anything happens."

"Okay, remember to come back for dinner later."

"knew"

After changing his clothes, he smiled at Ellie, who was sitting on the sofa longing to go out as well, and went straight out.

Although he hadn't been away for long, Jason still felt a strong urge to return home. He wrapped himself in his clothes and strolled around the streets.

When we arrived at the Bering Sea, it was completely covered by thick ice and snow, and there were hardly any people to be seen on the beach.

Snowmobiles have now become a major mode of transportation, especially essential for gold panning under the ice.

On the shore, some large gold-dredging boats were simply covered with tarpaulins without any protection, and were just stored there quietly.

Of course, some of the important equipment mentioned above must have been stored in advance.

After strolling along the beach for a while, Jason tightened his clothes and headed towards the street.

It was a stark contrast between the two extremes: Australia was hot, while here it was bitterly cold, and a sudden gust of wind almost blew snot out of Jason's nose.

"Ding Lang Lang"

Pushing open the bar door, warmth instantly enveloped Jason, who let out a heavy sigh of relief.

"Isn't this our big mine owner Jason? What would you like to order?" Old Gary couldn't help but tease Jason as he walked in.

"A glass of hot milk and a hot dog," Jason ordered his usual order while sitting at the bar counter.

Looking around the empty little bar, Jason asked curiously, "You just opened, why are there no customers?"

"Everyone's busy panning for gold, and you know it's the off-season, there aren't many people here to begin with," Old Gary said, pouring Jason a beer. Seeing Jason's puzzled expression, he added, "Don't worry, it's on me."

"Old Gary, I don't really like drinking," Jason said, but he still reached out and took it.

"Consider this a celebration for you," old Gary poured himself a glass, clinked glasses with Jason, and joked, "Everyone knows you're a mine owner now."

Jason was taken aback. "The news spread that fast?"

"What else did you think?" Old Gary shook his head with a laugh. "You've really become a legend in the Bering Sea now. I reckon there will be even more people coming here to pan for gold next year."

Jason chuckled. "Then you'll earn even more during your gold rush next year."

"Hahaha, let's drink! I'll go get you a hot dog." He said, downing the glass in one gulp.

They were all fast food items, and the food was served very quickly. It was simply heated up and delivered to Jason in no time.

While eating hot dogs and drinking milk, I chatted with old Gary about the interesting things that had happened recently.

Suddenly, old Gary asked mysteriously, "Jason, do you remember Corey?"