Life at the Top

Chapter 76

The village was not big, so it took less than five minutes before Jasper arrived at the village chief’s house.

In truth, the house just had a larger garden in front. Jasper had not even reached the door yet when he heard the sharp voice of a woman with a strong accent shouting.

“We’re more than neighbors, Charlie, we’re family. I’ve helped you when your family needed it. It’s just a small issue and you’re suddenly here to fight me over it? Aren’t you afraid of making a fool of yourself?”

“If I have to say anything, then it’s always the poor who have so many problems. What do you even need the land for? Can you even build a house? If you’re just going to waste it and leave it bare, then you might as well just give it to us.”

“Exactly. I just don’t understand why you think you’re in the right here. You don’t want to give us that plot of land? Fine, then pay back that 10,000 dollars we lent you!”

“Isn’t your son living in town? So you have money to buy your son a house but not to pay us back?”

A man’s roar suddenly rang out amidst the accusations that flew around the room.

“I admit that I borrowed money from you and I promise you I’ll pay it back, but that has nothing to do with the plot of land. The land was given to me by our ancestors. I cannot give it to you!”

“Ha!” The sharp voice of the woman from earlier sounded again. “Then pay us back! I’ve never seen someone as shameless as you, buying a house in town even when you’re broke. Don’t you feel shameful for pretending to be some big shot?”

“Exactly! Cut the bullsh*t. Either you hand over the land and we’ll give you more time to pay us back, or you pay us back right now!”

“Everyone knows how broke your family is. You don’t even have any skills at all. I should’ve known that you’re just a useless piece of trash.”

“Enough about him, isn’t his son a useless good-for-nothing too? I heard long ago that they bought the house for their son because his girlfriend wanted a house before she was willing to marry him.”

“What a joke. They’re already so broke and they still want to taint another family’s daughter? What did you get in return for borrowing money and buying the house, then? All you have now is debt. What a great father you are.”

“Don’t you see how foolish this father and son is? Who knows, maybe that girl has even scammed the house away.”

“Exactly. You’re already 50, yet you can’t even pull out ten dollars? Don’t you even have a sense of shame? What kind of family would be so blind to marry their daughter to you?”

Bang!

The garden’s door was kicked open, and the sound of it interrupted everyone’s debate.

Jasper’s expression was cold as he stared at the seven to eight others in the room.

Excluding the village chief and his wife, the other five were members of his so-called aunt’s family.

Meanwhile, his father was fending off everyone alone.

Jasper’s appearance had given them a shock, but his aunt quickly spoke in a dark tone, “Huh, and here I thought someone important had come in. Turns out it’s just the useless child of a useless old man.”

The village chief frowned and glared at Jasper before turning to Charlie. “Your son is too impolite, Charlie. Kicking the door down, what does he take me for?” © 2024 Nôv/el/Dram/a.Org.

Charlie frowned as he looked at Jasper. “Why are you here?”

Jasper and Charlie’s relationship was very similar to others in the country, where the fathers would be more solemn and unnecessarily strict.

The sons would be more willing to spend time with their mothers, and their impressions of their dads were mostly filled with fear.

In his last life, up until the very end, Jasper’s relationship with Charlie was rather distant.

However, Jasper had never once disregarded Charlie’s love for him.

His father just did not know how to best express his feelings.

When Penelope was aggressive and humiliated him from time to time, Charlie, as hot-blooded as he was, would choose to remain silent so that Jasper would not be placed in a difficult position.

Just like that, a machismo village man endured his daughter-in-law’s insults.

Having lived two lives, Jasper found himself overwhelmed with emotions as he took in his father’s aging features.

“Mom said something happened at home, so I came back,” Jasper replied.

“This has nothing to do with you. Don’t poke your nose into others’ businesses.” Charlie glared at Sally who had followed after in reprimand for telling Jasper about this.