Chapter 570
Word spread like wildfire through the small village of Ridgehaven Town when people saw Samuel being carried out of Josephine’s house, half–dead and barely hanging on. With rumors about the two already making the rounds, it didn’t take long for all kinds of gossip to sweep through the village like dust in the wind.
Bright and early the next morning, the village chief hurried over to David’s place carrying two bottles of good liquor to offer his apologies in
person.
David was tall, and though years of hard work had tanned his skin to a bronze shade, he still looked rather thin and frail. Back in his youth, he was quite the looker.
When the village head arrived. David was smoking a cigarette.
Before the village chief showed up, Aubree and Bowen had already recounted everything that had happened at Josephine’s place.
As he listened to their account, David felt it was utterly absurd. He just couldn’t wrap his head around it. ‘Samuel was a university graduate from the provincial capital, someone who’d earned his place through real exams. How could he get such indecent thoughts in his head just because Josephone was picking up a package?
‘He’s supposed to be an educated man, yet he shamelessly did something so vile, he is worse than an animal, David thought.
He and the village chief were like brothers since they were kids. They had always been getting into trouble together. Back in school, neither of them was much of a scholar, but David was the more honest one, while the village chief hung out with the local troublemakers. Still, nothing ever came
between them.
They were just as close as they’d always been.
His daughter, Millie, and Samuel were childhood friends–they’d gone to the same school together ever since elementary school. The two kids had even promised each other they’d get married someday, and both families were more than happy to see them end up together.
Millie had not gotten accepted into college, and the villagers often gossiped that Samuel was useless. They criticized him for being unable to find a job, not being a college graduate, and having to return home to rely on his father. However, David understood the actual reason: Samuel came back solely to be with Millie.
When rumors about Samuel and Josephine first started circulating, none of their family members believed them. But when Millie went to confront him about it, it made a bit of a scene. David just thought Samuel was still young and not exactly settled down, and he probably got a little smitten by Josephine’s good looks and lost his head for a moment.
But now, after everything that had happened, David couldn’t just turn a blind eye anymore.
He fumed inwardly, ‘He actually barged into her house to do something like that? Is he even human?‘
Back then, he was furious at Samuel for not being able to control himself, but now, he was just as relieved as he was angry before.
It was a good thing Millie hadn’t married a jerk like Samuel yet. Otherwise, if she really ended up with him, her whole life would’ve been nothing but pain and regret.
“Let’s drop the whole job–hunting thing for Jason,” David said firmly. “He’s still young, and I will let him tag along with me in the orchard for now. If he’s interested and has a knack for it, maybe he can just take over the reins from me one day.”
The village chief’s heart sank as he realized David was putting distance between them.
“Are you really going to do this?” the village chief asked, his voice heavy.
David flicked his cigarette and let out a long sigh, “It’s not that I really want to do this, but I can’t go against my conscience.
“Back when you ran for village chief, I already did something I knew was wrong. These bottles shouldn’t be for me. Did you go and apologize to Josephine yourself?
“I’m a dad too. You care about your son, and I have to look out for my daughter.
“As for that business you brought up about the land behind the mountain, the land’s mine. If you want to do something with it, I’ll just turn a blind eye. But don’t expect me to get involved. That’s illegal, and I’m too old to be taking risks like that.”
The village chief’s face went from green to black with anger, and he spat, “Fine. Don’t say I didn’t warn you if I use your land and don’t give you a dime.”
He didn’t take the liquor with him, but he knew David was already letting him off easy by not making a scene about it.
As the village chief stepped out of David’s house, there was already a crowd gathered outside.
