Older generations were usually simple and unpretentious, and Macey was no exception. Although Felicia had bought her many things, she just couldn’t bear to part with the old ones. In front of them was an old table and old plates. The dishes had no elaborate presentation. It was just home cooking-simple and not exquisite.
This was rather shabby to Arnold, who had always lived a life of luxury. He couldn’t even muster his appetite, and his disdain bubbled to the surface. He involuntarily frowned. Not bothering to hide her feelings, Felicia said coldly, “You can leave now. I won’t see you out.”
Macey was taken aback, not expecting Arnold to leave so soon. But then she thought about it and guessed the reason, so she chuckled softly without saying anything more. Arnold walked out.
As he exited the neat little house, he could hear the sounds of laughter coming from inside. His expression turned complex, even a bit irritable.
Tonight, he had done several things that surprised even himself.
First, he stopped Olivia from causing trouble for Felicia. Then, he inexplicably went to have dinner and even introduced himself as Felicia’s fiancé to Macey.
Arnold cursed under his breath. He absolutely would not admit that this was his own idea. It had to be the result of Matthew forcing him to make Felicia his. That was why he had acted so irrationally. There was no more next time. He wouldn’t meddle in Felicia’s business anymore.
With the annoying Arnold gone, Felicia enjoyed her meal and felt content. Macey asked about her recent situation, and Felicia simply replied that everything was fine.
Macey sighed. “You’re just trying to make me feel better!”
Felicia smiled. “Nana, you should be enjoying your life at your age. Don’t worry so much. By the way, did you take the medicine I sent for your leg?”
“I did! I’m all better now, don’t worry,” Macey replied.
The two of them were tidying up the table when a commotion erupted outside the house. Felicia lifted the curtains and saw villagers arriving, all of them bustling about. The villagers were coming to visit them while carrying a pile of goods.
When they saw Felicia, they all rushed over with beaming faces.
“Licia, it’s really you! Oh, we’ve missed you so much!”
“Licia, here’s a scarf I knitted for you! It’ll be cold soon, so you can wear it. The pattern is simple. I hope you don’t mind!”
“Licia, this basket of strawberries is for you. I picked the biggest ones this afternoon from the greenhouse!”
The villagers spoke all at once, almost overwhelming Felicia with their gifts and warmth.
Felicia smiled, accepting everything with gratitude and showering them with sweet compliments, making the laughter grow louder. After some pleasantries, she declined the invitations to visit their homes, and the neighbors finally left in small groups.
Looking at the mountain of gifts, Felicia joked, “Every time I come back, I’m treated like this. I’m going to get spoiled by all these presents!”
Macey replied, “That’s only right.
You’ve invested so much in the village over the years-building schools, repairing roads, and
improving agricultural product net
so
that every household has an income. They’re grateful, so it’s only natural.”
A few years ago, Alverton was a poor, backward place. It was so impoverished that no roads existed. The village was left with only the elderly and neglected children. Life was tough for them.
But Felicia remembered the
kindness the villagers had shown her in the past, and with her efforts she single-handedly revitalized the village. She invested heavily in` building wide roads and creating a large greenhouse.
With the income generated, the middle-aged couples who had to go to the city to work returned home, and the children no longer had to long for an infrequent reunion. They also had a school they could attend.