Seeing Bowman Golding’s wretched state, Tang Xiaonan managed to keep a straight face, but Amanda Chapman and Jim Thorne burst out laughing, making no effort to hide their gloating. That girl, Amanda, even pointed at Bowman Golding, doubling over with laughter.

"What’re you laughing at? Laugh again and I’ll beat the hell out of you!" Bowman Golding cursed, a mix of shame and anger. The movement pulled at the wounds on his face, making him grimace in pain.

Jim Thorne sneered and retorted mockingly, "My mouth is on my own face. I’ll laugh if I want to and cry if I want to. In fact, I’m about to start crying right now. What are you gonna do about it?"

With that, Jim Thorne slapped his thigh, beat his chest, and stomped his feet, wailing dramatically. "Oh, Bo! What a tragic death! I told you not to drink, but you just wouldn’t listen! Now you’ve fallen into a ditch and died! Well, maybe it’s for the best. In your next life, you can be reborn as a human. Just don’t be an animal again!"

Tang Xiaonan’s mouth twitched. ’This talent for indirect insults is way more impressive than Phoebe Huxley’s. The student has truly surpassed the master!’ 𝘧𝓇ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝘣𝓃ℴ𝓋𝑒𝑙.𝑐𝘰𝑚

The faces of Bowman Golding’s family turned ashen. Even with their low intelligence, they could understand Jim Thorne’s obvious indirect insults. He might as well have pointed at their noses and called them animals. ’That little bastard is completely lawless!’

But Jim Thorne wasn’t about to quit. He continued his performance, wailing without tears, "Oh, Bo! At least you didn’t fall into a cesspit! If you’d fallen in a cesspit, you’d be rotting with maggots after you died... In your next life, don’t be an animal. Be a good person!"

Being called an animal over and over, and told he’d be rotting with maggots, was too much for Bowman Golding to bear. "You little bastard! How dare you be so arrogant in front of me! I’m gonna beat you to death today!"

"I was cursing an animal, why are you answering? That’s hilarious. I’ve seen people eager to claim they’re someone’s grandpa, but I’ve never seen anyone so eager to claim they’re an animal." Jim Thorne’s face was full of scorn. This young man had not only inherited the ferocity of his father, Felix Thorne, but also the sharp-tongued cursing of his mother, Phoebe Huxley. His wit was so sharp that ten Bowman Goldings couldn’t win a verbal battle against him.

Mandy York couldn’t stand it any longer and jumped in to defend her son. "You little bastard, you know perfectly well my Bowman fell in a ditch! You’re doing this mock funeral on purpose! I’ll skin you alive!"

Jim Thorne put on a look of surprise. "Bowman Golding, you fell in a ditch? Oh my, when did that happen? Don’t tell me you’re just like my family’s Bo, drank too much rotgut, and ran into a ditch to sleep it off? Tsk, tsk, tsk... look at this sorry state you’re in. I thought you fell while trying to climb over a widow’s wall!"

HA HA HA HA HA...

The other passing villagers roared with laughter. None of them wanted to get involved in someone else’s business; it was just kids bickering. Only fools like Bowman Golding and his mother would argue with a child. If you lose the argument, you lose face. If you win, you lose even more face. That whole family was full of idiots, and the villagers were happy to watch the show.

"What is this ’Bo’ from your family? And you still say you’re not cursing my son, you little bastard!"

Mandy York was so furious she forgot about her own recently healed scars. She was about to teach Jim Thorne a lesson when Sherman Golding grabbed her. "It’s time for work! What’s the point of fighting with a child!"

"Are you dead? Didn’t you hear that little bastard calling your son an animal? I swear I’m going to skin him alive!" Mandy York struggled angrily, but this time Sherman Golding was firm and refused to let go.

Jim Thorne scoffed. "Did I say Bowman Golding was an animal? Is your son the only one in the world with ’Bo’ in his name? I was crying for my dog, who drank some rotgut, fell in a ditch, and died! What the hell does that have to do with your family?"

Tang Xiaonan was speechless. ’Since when do we have a dog?’

"Bullshit! Where would your family get a dog? You think you can fool me!" Mandy York shrieked, jumping up and down. Her own sister lived right next door to the Thorne family; she knew better than anyone whether they had a dog or not. ’That little bastard is telling a bald-faced lie, treating me like I’m an idiot!’