Chapter 1175: Chapter 1175: Warm Welcome
The small town’s permanent residents weren’t many, and Lucy Taylor had been here for nearly a month; now, she could warmly greet anyone she saw.
The alleyway was narrow, with housing on both sides. Most of the locals were related by blood to some degree, and doors were usually left open during the day.
Even during meal times, this was no exception.
Lucy Taylor happened to walk past someone’s house with Hannah arm in arm.
The family had set up a table for dinner, and two children, one with a toy drum and the other with a kite, were chasing each other.
Seeing Lucy Taylor, the lady of the house greeted her warmly, "Is that you, Lucy? Have you finished shooting for today?"
"We’ve finished, just going to pick up a friend."
The people in town all knew that a reality show crew had come to film. At first, they were somewhat unaccustomed, but the crew members were pretty amiable.
They had brought gifts for everyone the day they arrived, without showing any celebrity airs; as time passed, they became more like neighbors.
Occasionally, when George Quach filmed, locals would come to watch.
A short while ago, Granny Lee from the eastern part of the town appeared on camera; she was so excited that she couldn’t stop telling everyone about her TV appearance. It made several of her friends quite envious, and the next day they also came to enjoy the spectacle.
George Quach didn’t mind such behavior; on the contrary, he welcomed it, because it made the footage more natural, less contrived.
Hannah and Lucy Taylor stood together, initially in the shadows, so the lady hadn’t seen them clearly until they stepped out.
Standing under the light, with a soft, hazy glow, they almost looked surreal at first glance, but after a while, they appeared both stunning and familiar.
Thinking that Lucy Taylor was a celebrity, it wasn’t strange that her friend was also famous and looked familiar.
It’s just that she couldn’t remember the name at the moment.
The lady smiled and couldn’t help looking over a few times, "Lucy, your friend is quite beautiful, almost like a fairy."
Hannah’s eyes crinkled with a smile, and she responded warmly to the lady, "Thank you."
The aroma of food, the laughter and chatter of a family gathering, the children’s chasing, and even the solitary banyan tree in the yard all seemed to be imbued with a warm affection.
The woman wiped her hands on her apron and took a few steps closer to get a better look, and had a very good impression of Hannah, "You’re so good-natured and pretty. Do you have a boyfriend?"
There was no malice in the question; it was just customary chit-chat that slipped out naturally.
Hannah didn’t mind and nodded generously, "I do have one."
The woman laughed, "Such a lovely young lady; any man who marries you is truly blessed."
Hannah thought, Arnold Simmons is quite fortunate.
He had garnered the envy and jealousy of many.
After a bit of casual conversation, the woman invited them in for dinner, but Lucy Taylor declined, mentioning that since Hannah had just arrived with luggage, it wouldn’t be convenient.
The woman understood and only asked them to come by another time, assuring them her home was always welcoming.
Lucy Taylor said thanks before continuing on with Hannah.
George Quach and two assistants followed behind, courteously nodding and greeting the woman with some reserve.
The locals in the small town were indeed warm-hearted, especially at night when every household loved to hang lanterns at their doors.
From a distance, it looked particularly atmospheric, as if transported back to ancient times.
They hadn’t walked much farther when they ran into a few more people.
It was a group of elderly ladies, including Granny Lee who had appeared on camera before.
