"I’ll kill that little bastard sooner or later!"

Bowman Golding cursed and grumbled, seething with anger. The injuries on his body ached even more.

Besides, he had always suspected he’d been pushed into the ditch that night. Although he was drunk and woozy, his mind had been clear enough. He knew there was no way he would have just wandered into it himself. He vaguely remembered someone giving him a shove, but it had been pitch-black. He hadn’t seen a thing, and the memory was hazy.

"Stop trying to provoke that little punk. After work, go up the mountain and clear some land. That way, we won’t have to buy tofu for the wedding banquet next spring. Every penny counts. We still have to buy a sewing machine!" Sherman Golding sighed, his face a mask of misery. 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝐰𝚎𝕓𝐧𝚘𝘃𝗲𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝕞

While other families celebrated weddings with joy, he spent his days sighing. The girl Bowman Golding was seeing had made an outrageous demand: she insisted he buy a sewing machine, refusing to marry him otherwise. A sewing machine cost one hundred and fifty yuan, and you needed a ration coupon for it. For Sherman Golding, getting his hands on either the money or the coupon felt like an impossible task.

Sherman Golding was so stressed about this sewing machine that he’d lost his appetite and couldn’t sleep well. He wished a sewing machine would just fall from the sky so he could finally welcome his daughter-in-law into the family.

"Other families are even providing all ’three big items’—a bicycle, a sewing machine, and a watch. Cicely is only asking for the sewing machine."

Bowman Golding was displeased. If his father wasn’t even willing to buy a sewing machine, how the hell was he supposed to get married? Girls these days had high standards. Even if you didn’t have all ’three big items,’ a sewing machine was the bare minimum. His dad was just too useless.

"She hasn’t even married into the family and you’re already taking her side? ’A son with a wife forgets his own mother.’ You heartless boy! If she really cared about you, why didn’t she make sure you got home after you’d been drinking? And look what happened—you fell into a ditch." Mandy York slapped her eldest son, her heart already filled with dissatisfaction for her future daughter-in-law.

That family had no sense at all. Her son was drunk; they should have either let him stay the night or had someone escort him home. Instead, they let him walk home alone in the dark. It was a good thing his fall wasn’t serious. Otherwise, even if it meant her son didn’t get married, she would have made that family pay.

"Cicely was going to have her brother walk me home, but I told her not to. It’s not safe late at night," Bowman Golding said, defending his future wife.

Mandy York felt even more displeased. She said tartly, "So you were worried about *their* safety at night, but who’s here to worry about you after you fell into a ditch?"

’Hmph, she hasn’t even married him yet and she already has my son wrapped around her little finger. Just wait until she’s part of the family, then I’ll deal with her!’

Bowman Golding flared up again, saying angrily, "I vaguely remember someone shoving me. It’s a shame I didn’t see who it was."

"Who pushed you? Which bastard did this? I won’t let them get away with it!"

Mandy York continued to curse, feeling even more sorry for her son. Sherman Golding, however, didn’t take it seriously. He figured his eldest son must have been drunk and seeing things. Who would go out of their way to harm someone by a deserted ditch late at night?

Unless he ran into a ghost.

The family walked away, their voices gradually fading. Tang Xiaonan looked up at Jim Thorne and asked abruptly, "Third Brother, you pushed him, didn’t you?"

Jim Thorne leaped up as if he’d been stung by a bee and vehemently denied it. "No, I didn’t push him! Whoever pushed him is a son of a bitch!"

He had such a solemn, righteous expression that Tang Xiaonan was half-convinced. ’Maybe Bowman Golding really did remember it wrong?’

’Her third brother would never curse himself to be a son of a bitch.’

Jim Thorne was secretly pleased. He hadn’t been the one to push him, after all. The one who did the pushing was Adrian Hawthorne. Jim had only added a kick.

Adrian Hawthorne, who was currently riding his bike, suddenly let out a series of sneezes. He rubbed his nose suspiciously and continued on his way. He had to go to Mr. Wood’s place first. The old man had said last time that he had something to discuss with him and told him to stop by.