Chapter 378 I Will Bring You to Bloomstead
“Why are you staring at me like that?” Veronica was not used to Matthew’s burning gaze. A smile appeared on his handsome face then. Keeping his eyes straight ahead, he suddenly said, “You are pretty, Roni.”
You are pretty, Roni? Veronica had her hands on the steering wheel when the corners of her mouth violently twitched. She couldn’t help but throw him a glance. “Can you please behave like a normal human being?” she grumbled, somewhat nauseated by his sudden compliment.
Was this even still the indifferent, high-and-mighty Matthew from the time they first met? It was like he was a different person altogether!
“Hmm? Do you want to see the abnormal side of me?” The man looked back at her, his thin lips pulled up into a wicked smile. She could tell at a glance what he meant by that.
She quickly shifted her gaze in front as she drove cautiously. “My parents are still at home waiting for us to have lunch together.” “Sure. Let’s not make Dad and Mom wait for long then. We have plenty of time in the future—”
“Hey!” she exclaimed. “They are my dad and mom!” “Yes, and that makes them my dad and Mmm too.”
“We haven’t even planned the wedding. Stop with your nonsense, Matthew.” “It is bound to happen sooner or later anyway,” he smilingly said. She could see the joy on his face.
She somehow couldn’t find a word to say in return. There was nothing wrong with what he said. After they got the ointment, they headed back to her house.
While they were on the journey home, Veronica stuffed the ointment in his direction and instructed him, “Put some of that on your blisters.”
“There’s no need.” Ointment for just a few blisters? Matthew was too unbothered to do something so pretentious.
“Matthew Kings, is there something wrong with your brain?! Why did we go to town to get you that ointment if you weren’t going to use it?”
“I wanted to spend some time alone with you,” he admitted. All that couples who had only confirmed their relationship wanted was to have some time to themselves. Even time spent sitting around and idly talking could feel wonderful.
Veronica felt her heart break as she listened to his words. Out of nowhere, she started to pity him.
They soon arrived home and by the time that they did, the food had already been served on the table. The rest of them were waiting for Matthew and Veronica to come back before they started eating.
With everyone at the dining table, the ambience was harmonious and peaceful even though it was a little cramped. After lunch, Hendrey didn’t bring up wanting to go home when he realized that Matthew and his friends were going to stay.
Now that they had nothing to do, they sat together for a poker game of Five Card Draw. But considering that Crayson and Tony were here, they only played a quick game to pass the time.
Veronica quickly huddled over to join the game when she saw them playing. Caleb only played for a while before he got bored of it, and so he informed them that he was going out for a smoke. He then took a stroll around and about the village.
It was probably fate that he came across a person harvesting cabbages with a machete at a vegetable farm as he was walking on the rural ridge. Seeing that, he decided to walk over to fully experience the life of a farmer.
After all, life in Bloomstead was fast-paced. On top of that, there was nowhere in that urbanized city that was remotely rural. It was when he was near that person that Caleb realized it was Abby who was hacking off at the cabbages.
She had changed out of her aqua coat from this morning, and was now wearing a black-and-red plaid smock. She probably wanted to prevent her clothes from getting dirty in the fields.
He stood aside as an unexplainable wave of sadness hit him, but he did not say anything to her. Abby was placing the head of cabbage she had just harvested in the basket behind her when she noticed him standing behind her.
She was surprised at first, but she swiftly smiled and politely bowed. However, instead of signing at him, she continued with harvesting the vegetable.
“You…” Caleb abruptly spoke. “Do you want to continue your studies?” Abby’s hands seemed to stop for a while before she stood up straight and turned to look at him. After she put down her machete, she signed to him. I am a mute. My mother said that it is a waste of money for me to go to school. It is not like studying will do me any good.
“I heard that you went to high school before. How were your grades?” he asked. Hearing this, she lowered her head and pursed her lips. A myriad of emotions seemed to flash across the dejected look on her face.
She then raised her hands again. I went to high school after I got first place in town, but my family had no money and my school teachers also thought there was no future for me even if I were to make it to university because I am mute. They didn’t insist on having me study.
Even though universities nowadays accepted mutes, it was true that there wasn’t much they could do even if they were to graduate from universities.
Of course, there were mutes who stood out from their peers, but they had to work a hundred times harder than normal people in order to get a good job and have a bright future.
“Do you want to study?” Caleb felt sympathetic for everything Abby had had to experience.
She was a young lady who wasn’t even of age and yet, she had to put up with the pain and manage the house chores even when her hands were covered in chilblains.
She should be spending the most beautiful years of her life studying without worrying about anything else.
Her question made her ponder, and her beautiful eyes suddenly dimmed as she fell into her thoughts.
She then answered by shaking her head. Turning around, she picked up the knife again and continued to harvest the cabbages
For some reason, Abby suddenly put down the machete again and looked back at Caleb. “My mother has found me a partner. I will be getting married after Christmas. What is the use for me to study again?”
In remote rural areas, girls who did not go to school would often be arranged to get married early.
Abby was no exception to this.
“You are getting married?” Caleb exclaimed in shock after hearing that.
How can she get married when she isn’t even 18 years old? Is she going to give birth and continue to live a life like the one she is now?
Abby didn’t ‘talk’ anymore, and only continued to cut the cabbages off their roots.
“Do you want to get married?” he took a step forward and asked.
He only saw how she stopped cutting for a second there before she resumed with her chore.
Abby had probably learned to accept her fate because she knew she couldn’t resist it.
Struggling was but a futile attempt.
“I know a charitable organization that can allow you to continue studying.”
She froze again when he said that. She proceeded to put down her machete and put all the cabbages she had harvested into the basket without answering him.
“No one can stop nor interfere as long as you want to go to school. Not even your stepmother and biological father. Nothing everyone else says matters!” Caleb stubbornly added.
He had always thought he was not a kind person, but he really couldn’t stand it when he came across such a young high school dropout who was abused at home, and was being forced to marry early.
Now that her basket was full of cabbages, Abby carried the basket in one hand, the machete in the other, and left without looking back.
Seeing this, he persistently followed her and even stood in front of her.
The young lady paused briefly to look up at the handsome man in front of her. She only blinked her eyes and didn’t ‘say’ anything before she went around him.
Caleb was surprised when he realized that her red eyes were blurry from tears. She was so pitiful but at the same time, stubborn enough to not want others to see her pitiful side.
He stretched out his hand and blocked her from walking. “I am a policeman. I have the right to help you.”
In order to prove his identity, he deliberately took out his police badge and showed it to her.
He then continued, “I will arrange for you to resume your studies in Bloomstead High. No one will bully you there. Your stepmother and father can’t interfere in any of your affairs.”
After hearing his words, Abby frowned and put down the basket and machete before he angrily glared at him. I don’t need your intervention in my business. Who do you think you are? You might be able to help me for now, but you can’t help me for the rest of my life!
It was either because he had angered her or because she had her guard up against him, but the words that she signed to him were nothing short of dejecting.
