Marshall was quite efficient. Since everything was settled, the group gathered, trying to set a date of
departure.
Now nearly ten people were about to leave, and it caused an uproar in the village. Many people rushed
to Katherine’s house, asking her what those people would do after they left for the city with her. Not to
mention the men in the village, but the women were also trying to find a new way to fend for
themselves, because everyone knew they had no future sitting around in such an obscure village.
However, it was impossible for Katherine to take the whole village away with her, so she could only
pacify the rest villagers, telling them that if the first group of people was able to accommodate
themselves to the city life, she would help more villagers find jobs in the city and see the world.
The village head also came, expressing his gratitude to Katherine for Marshall building a road in the
village and helping the rural laborers earn a living. It was because of her that their lives took a favorable
turn. Katherine, nonetheless, felt a little guilty because in fact, she didn’t help. The credit didn’t belong
to her at all.
Before long, word got out, and Reuben naturally got wind of it, so he came to Katherine again.
He was still wearing the clothes he had worn last time, but he made himself tidy this time. However,
one could tell at a glance that he was living a hard life.
When Reuben arrived, the villagers were still at Katherine’s. He approached the crowd with a smile.
"Well well, everyone is here. What are you guys talking about?"
The boisterous crowd fell into dull silence the moment they saw Reuben.
Reuben, nevertheless, kept smiling as if he didn’t notice anything unusual with these people and went
on, "I heard that Katherine is going to leave. You just arrived like, a few days ago, and you should stay
longer. It’s not like you come back that often."
No one replied to him.
Standing in the courtyard, Katherine stared at Reuben, poker-faced.
Meanwhile, Marshall was talking about the route with the men in the house, and telling them that there
would be people picking them up when they arrived. Therefore, he didn’t take notice of what was
happening in the courtyard.
Reuben’s gaze swept across the faces of the villagers. He chuckled and walked up to Katherine.
"Yesterday, I wanted to visit your grandpa’s grave, but I failed to find it. Katherine, take me with you.
I’ve missed your grandfather, and I haven’t visited his grave for years. I think he must have been
missing me as well."
One could hardly feel any emotion in Reuben’s tone, and Katherine also failed to detect a note of guilt
or regret in it.
Katherine replied, her face grim, "What makes you think you have the right to visit my grandpa’s grave?
My grandpa doesn’t want to see you. He burned all the things you and your wife left and said, he would
just think of you two as dead. You were dead, and have nothing to do with us anymore."
Reuben clicked his tongue. "You’re such an ungrateful child. I know you hate me, and that’s between
the two of us, but your grandpa is my father, and you can’t just stop me from visiting his grave. Your
grandpa would get mad at you, and he is still waiting to see me. Katherine, stop holding a grudge
against your father. This is not the time to do that."
Katherine scowled at Reuben. She didn’t remember anything about him, but anger welled up within her
when she thought of what kind of people her parents were and how they had treated her before. In her
opinion, when people reached their fifties, they should become stabler and have much higher self-
esteem. Even if they were living a tough life, they should at least have a sense of shame.
However, this rule didn’t apply to Reuben, who had a lack of self-worth. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have
assumed such an air of nonchalance at this point.
Katherine pressed her lips together and replied in a low voice, "It’s awfully convenient you
remembering that my grandpa and I have been waiting for you now. Where have you been all these
years?"
Reuben heaved a sigh. "Katherine, the truth is harder than you think. We didn’t want to leave back
then, but we owed so much money. Life was already very hard on me, but your grandpa didn’t offer us
any help at that time. He even took us as the burden of the family. It was he who forced me to run away
with your mom."
Katherine snorted in disgust. How dare Reuben blame her grandpa for "not offering them any help"?
She and her grandpa could hardly feed themselves, let alone help him pay back the money. How dare
this ungrateful creature complain about it now?
Katherine raised her arm slowly and pointed outward. "Get the fuck out of here."
Katherine had cursed before but never so seriously like now. Even when she was having a fight with
Mrs. Grant, she hadn’t said anything so mean to her before. But Reuben was now treading on her
bottom line, and admittedly, this man, who had given her life but never raised her, was a real trash.
Reuben froze, his face darkening all of a sudden. No one knew whether he was playing friendly at first
or not, but now that Katherine cursed at him, he finally showed his true color. After all, it was shameful
for Reuben to be sworn at by his own daughter in public, even though he was a shameless person
most of the time.
Reuben roared with a scowl, "You bastard, how dare you talk to me like that?"
The villagers around were already angry at what Reuben said just now, but it was inappropriate for
them to tell Reuben off in the presence of Katherine. Now that Reuben swore at Katherine, they
swarmed about him with indignation. "Who are you to raise your voice here? Do as she says. Get out
of here. Bah, if there’s one bastard here, that must be you."
"Exactly! How dare you come here? Were I you, I’d kill myself because I’d be too shameful to live."
"Reuben, just go and don’t come back again. We don’t welcome you here," said an old man slowly with
a helpless look on his face. "You’ve been gone for so many years, and you shouldn’t have come back."
Finally, Marshall, who was in the room, heard a commotion in the courtyard and saw through the
window, rushing out.
Katherine straightened herself up and exuded strength, despite her tiny figure. She said with a stern
face, her tone indifferent, "Let me tell you something, Reuben Jordan. I will never recognize you as my
father in my life, nor will I recognize your ex-wife. I don’t care what you guys have in mind for me, but
don’t you ever think of getting a cent from me."
Reuben gritted his teeth and pointed his finger at Katherine. "You bastard, I should have strangled you
back then. You stone-hearted creature, you’ll pay for this!"
Marshall stepped forward, gripped Reuben’s finger and gave it a gentle twist, which let out a little crack
sound. The next second, a squeal of pain split the air. "Help! Someone’s gonna kill me ! Help!
Someone’s gonna kill me…"
Everyone in the courtyard stared at Reuben with perfect nonchalance, giving him the cold shoulder.
Marshall said with a grim face, "I let you off before because you’re Katherine’s father, but that doesn’t
mean you can do whatever you want. Now listen, stay away from Katherine. If you dare to come at her
like this again, you’d leave with ten broken fingers."
Reuben held his finger with a grimace and glared at Marshall. He was seething with anger but he didn’t
dare to vent it at all.
Reuben had already learned that Marshall was going to build a road in the village. It was such a long
road, and it would definitely cost him a fortune to do it well. Besides, Reuben had asked about
Marshall’s family background before, finding that he came from money. Therefore, he didn’t dare to fall
out with Marshall because the rich could basically do anything they wanted.
Reuben glanced around at the people in the courtyard with resentment, turned around and
left.
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