Chapter 24: The Widow Shreya
When Daniel woke up the next day, the sound of students reading aloud filled the air. He quietly left his thousand dollar on the table, said goodbye to the young girl, and went home.
Grace couldn't see him off because she was teaching, but the old man who had driven the donkey the day before had kindly escorted Daniel to the riverbank. The old man who was punting the bamboo raft was already waiting there. Seeing Daniel arrive, he excitedly stepped forward: "Young man, I had someone watch over all night yesterday. Your vehicle is perfectly fine! Don't worry."
Normally, such words might sound like self-aggrandizement, but Daniel felt a warmth in his heart. After saying goodbye, he rode his motorcycle for another two hours along mountain roads. By the time he got home, it was already midday, and the bumpy mountain road had nearly shattered Daniel's bones.
"Dan, you're back!"
When Daniel entered, Julie was talking to a woman with tears streaming down her face. Daniel recognized the woman. She was a recipient of the "Five Guarantees" (a government-provided social welfare program for the elderly, disabled, and orphans) in the village. After her husband died while working in the mines, she was cursed as a jinx and kicked out of the house by her mother-in-law. Her own family also refused to take her in. Later, she built a small house at the foot of the mountain and lived there with her daughter.
"Yeah, I'm exhausted from the journey! Aunt Shreya, what happened to you?"
Daniel seemed to vaguely recognize the woman's name: Shreya Singh, a name that didn't quite fit the image of a rural woman. The name, however, suited her well. In her teens, she was a renowned beauty in the surrounding villages, and even now, at thirty, she showed no signs of aging. Time hadn't left many marks on her; instead, it had added a touch of mature charm. Her large eyes had lost the innocence of her youth, replaced by a sense of bewilderment about life. Yet, one could still glimpse the beauty she must have possessed in her youth from her face.
"Don't even mention Dan. That village chief Edward Turner seized your Aunt Shreya's land. Yesterday, when your Aunt Shreya went to confront him, she was scolded by his wife. That guy deserves to be struck by lightning. He's living a good life himself, yet he still covets that little piece of land belonging to an orphan and a widow."
Julie's face was full of anger as she spoke.
"Oh, but Aunt Shreya's family doesn't own much land! It shouldn't matter much, right?"
Daniel remained unmoved and said...
Julie immediately jumped up: "How can you talk like that? Your Aunt Shreya's family depends on this little bit of land to make a living and also to support the children's education."
"Sister, don't blame the child!"
Shreya, who was sobbing, quickly got up and comforted her.
Only then did Daniel get a clear look at her. Her long, beautiful hair was simply tied in a braid at the back of her head. Although she was already thirty, her delicate face had few wrinkles, and she had fair skin unlike that of rural women. Perhaps due to her lifestyle, even though she was a married woman, she hadn't gained weight. Watching her breasts sway back and forth as she stood up, Daniel felt an urge to touch them.
"Aunt Shreya, let me take you home first!"
Daniel's mind raced. Her family's small, dilapidated land was definitely not something Edward would consider. Could there be something else going on?
"Girl, don't be too sad. Your older brother went to talk to Edward, and I guess he won't dare to make things too difficult for you! Go back and rest for a while, your health is the most important thing." As the saying goes, a widow's door is always a source of gossip, and Julie knew this well. Therefore, she still didn't want Shreya to stay in her house.
"Sis, if you're not going to come back, then forget it! Don't make my older brother worry!"
After saying something kindly, Shreya followed Daniel out of the courtyard.
"Come on up, Auntie!"
After lighting the motorcycle, Daniel spoke to Shreya, who was still somewhat reserved. Shreya hesitated for a moment before gently stepping onto the motorcycle. The motorcycle then drove onto the side road.
For the rest of the journey, Shreya sat back to keep her distance from Daniel and didn't say a word. Only after seeing her small house did she weakly say thank you. However, Daniel didn't leave, and said with a smile, "Auntie, won't you invite me in for a drink of water?"
"No way, it's just that my family is poor and I'm afraid you won't like it!"
Shreya quickly ushered Daniel into the courtyard and handed him a bowl of tea.
Daniel looked around and saw that the environment was similar to his second aunt's. The only difference was that Shreya had set up a row of melon trellises in the yard, which made the dilapidated little yard seem a bit more vibrant: "Auntie, tell me honestly why Edward wants to take your land. Logically speaking, his family's environment is not bad, so he shouldn't care about such things."
Shreya seemed to have her secret exposed, and after a moment of hesitation, she blushed and said, "A few nights ago, when my daughter and I were sleeping, we heard someone knocking on the door. I woke up groggily and found Edward standing there, reeking of alcohol. He tried to do something inappropriate as soon as he saw me, but I didn't let him! I slapped him, and then he was stunned. He said he was making my family miserable and then left. When he came to collect the land, he even said that I should come back to him whenever I thought things through."
Daniel thought about it and realized it made sense. Although Shreya had been married before, she was still considered a beauty in the area. Even in her thirties, she retained her charm, which could indeed make these old lechers restless. It would be strange if that old lecher Edward didn't have his eye on her. Looking at the shy expression on the beautiful woman's face, Daniel couldn't help but feel a stirring in his heart. He chuckled and walked up to her, grabbing her small hand: "Auntie, don't be afraid. With me here, I'll guarantee you won't be bullied."
"Hey, let go! People will gossip if they see this!"
Shreya hurriedly tried to pull her hand away, but found that she didn't have the strength at all.
"Auntie, don't worry! Even if we can't get the land back, I won't let you go hungry!"
Daniel thought that if no one saw it, it would be fine, but he couldn't rush things. After letting go of her hand, he got back on his bike: "I'll come back in the next couple of days. If I can't get the land back, I'll think of somewhere else."
After saying that, he left amidst the beautiful woman's unpredictable expression.
Daniel had another task today: to contact Boss Tony. He withdrew $5,000 from the bank and dialed his number. After a short while, Boss Tony's signature magnetic voice rang out: "Hey bro, I thought you'd forgotten about me since you got back. Is there some good thing you want to do for me?"
Hearing this tone, Daniel knew that he must have made a fortune from dealing in wild vegetables, and said with a smile, "How could that be? You're a big boss, I should be asking you for help. This time I wanted to ask you for a favor!"
"Tell me, I'll do what I can!" Tony is quite easygoing.
"Well, I'm thinking of going to South Korea for a trip in a few days! I don't like anything else but football, and you know the World Cup is about to start there, so I want to go and experience it live."
[A/N: In 2002 South Korea & Japan co-hosted World cup]
"Hehe. You sure know how to enjoy life, buddy. This isn't difficult! Travel agencies here are all offering this kind of service to make more money, and the competition is fierce. I reckon a round trip won't be expensive. Passports shouldn't be hard to get. Here's what I'll do: I'll wait for you in Maple Town. Come on over in a few days!"
"Thanks, brother. I'll be ready to come find you in the next couple of days!"
Daniel hadn't expected things to be so simple.
"Alright, I have something to do! Contact me when you arrive. Fatty will be here in a couple of days too! Let's get together then and see if there are any other ways to make money."
[A/N: Here Fatty is not his best friend but Tony's brother]
"Thanks, brother. We'll have a good drink together then."
Daniel chuckled and hung up the phone, immediately thinking about what he should do today. It seemed he had some free time now and nothing to do, especially since his aunt and the others were at school. After thinking for a while, Daniel decided to go to the county, though his motives weren't exactly pure.
The small county town wasn't too busy at this time, but it was still much better than a small town. There were already quite a few karaoke bars and similar establishments everywhere, as well as skating rinks.
[A/N: Karaoke bars, People cather, sing, drink and celebrate with friends]
Rural children generally stopped studying very early and spent a lot of time playing after leaving home. They wouldn't go out to find work until they felt they couldn't survive without money. Therefore, there were quite a few young people from various villages coming to the county town every day, their hair dyed and imitating gangsters, which was a significant sight in 2002.
After driving the bike to the dealership, the middle-aged owner from last time greeted Daniel with a smile: "How's it, young man? My bike is pretty good, isn't it! The license plate was issued a while ago, I was wondering why you hadn't come to hang it up yet."
"Brother, this is really nice! Could you please put the license plate on?" Daniel said with a smile after getting out of the Motorcycle. This middle-aged man did give off a good impression.
"Come in and sit for a while, I'll have someone install it for you."
The middle-aged man politely pulled Daniel into the house, set out the tea set, and then called to a young worker covered in grease, "Lilly, go and put on that new employee badge and bring over all the identification documents."
"Your brother's life is truly interesting!"
Daniel could tell at a glance that it was the Auroma tea from the South.
"Yes, I used to live in Maple Town. I didn't like drinking these bitter teas at first, but later I found myself addicted to them. Drinking a little every day is good for your health!"
The middle-aged man was overjoyed, as if he had found a kindred spirit.
Daniel took a small sip; it was authentic & Premium tea. He smiled and gave a thumbs up: "I guess you're the only place in our area where you can find this authentic stuff."
"Don't be so formal! My name is Logan Drake. I'm just a few years older than you!"
The middle-aged man was quite straightforward.
"Your motorcycle shop is doing great! I see you've replaced a whole batch of motorcycles; business must be booming!"
Daniel looked around and saw that many cars had been sold.
"A bunch of bastards bought it. This stuff looks like it's very profitable, but it's just enough to make a living."
Logan said with a smile.
"Fourth Brother, the sign is installed!"
The young man ran over, smiling, and picked up a cup of tea to drink. Daniel noticed carefully that the muscles exposed under his clothes were covered with tattoos and scars.
"Brother han, I have to go now! I'll come back another day to drink your fine tea."
Daniel thought about it and realized that these people were probably involved in some kind of triad business in Maple Town. After the crackdown, they quickly withdrew and came back to open a motorcycle shop to make a living.
"Alright, young man, whenever you come here, I'll have good tea waiting for you."
Logan laughed heartily a few times.
After exchanging phone numbers with him, Daniel checked the time and then approached his main target with a smile: the adult products store.
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Every Week 1/ch
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