Chapter 330: Chapter 330: You Can’t Judge Good and Evil by Appearances
"Why are we keeping this quiet?!" Jim Thorne complained. He had been eager to go back and tell everyone.
Adrian Hawthorne patiently explained, "It’s just a physical resemblance; we don’t have any real proof. Phoenix Golding could easily deny it. It’s not impossible for two unrelated people to look alike. If we wait until we catch her and Storm Xavier in the act, then bring this up, no one will believe her even if she tries to flatly deny it."
"What’s the difference?" Jim Thorne muttered defiantly.
Tang Xiaonan gave him a light smack on the head, and Jim Thorne immediately fell silent, though he did shoot her a sideways glance. Adrian Hawthorne couldn’t be bothered to argue with him. He’d figured it out. ’Of the four Thorne siblings, it’s the youngest, Fatty Tang, who’s the most sensible. And she’s the one who calls the shots.’
"My third brother and I definitely won’t say anything. We’ll wait for your news," Tang Xiaonan promised.
Adrian Hawthorne smiled. ’I take back everything I ever said about Fatty Tang being stupid,’ he thought. ’This girl is a hundred times smarter than Jim Thorne. She gets it with just a hint—incredibly sharp.’
"Don’t forget the rabbit."
Adrian Hawthorne handed the plump rabbit to Jim Thorne and gave the siblings a flashlight. It was dark, and the mountain path was steep and slick. ’Jim Thorne is tough enough that it won’t matter,’ he thought, ’but Fatty Tang is as soft as a block of tofu. She can’t take a bad fall.’
After the two siblings left, Rosalind Green came out to clear the dishes. Adrian Hawthorne grabbed a book and headed over to Old Master Tate’s place to study. He had an hour-long lesson every day, no matter what.
"So what’s the connection between Ulysses Spann and Storm Xavier?"
The old master was extremely curious; he had wanted to ask earlier.
Adrian Hawthorne explained what Tang Xiaonan had discovered, along with the despicable things Phoenix Golding had done to the Thorne family. The old master shook his head again and again, his brow deeply furrowed. "The idea must have come from Phoenix Golding. Linden’s mother always does what she says. That mother-daughter pair... they’re truly vicious."
"Thankfully, Fatty Tang has prophetic dreams. She dreamed that Ms. Steiner gave birth to a boy with a long tail, all because of that medicine she was taking. Uncle Frederick took the medicine to the county hospital to get it tested, and it turns out it contains many highly toxic drugs. Taking too much can lead to birth defects. Several people in Rosillia Village have already had deformed babies after taking medicine from that so-called ’Immortal Aunt Liu.’ Phoenix Golding’s maternal grandmother is from Rosillia Village; there’s no way she didn’t know about this."
The more Adrian Hawthorne spoke, the angrier he became. To think he had once regarded Phoenix Golding as a respectable elder, Jacqueline Spann as a true friend, and Fatty Tang and her three siblings as his enemies. The reality was, his judgment of character was just terrible.
’The "respectable elder" turned out to be promiscuous, selfish, and venomous. The "true friend" was two-faced and a backstabber. The Thorne family, on the other hand... while they could be a bit overbearing, they were simple and straightforward. With them, good was good and bad was bad. A family like that was actually easier to get along with.’
’And Fatty Tang especially had been full of surprises. It was like she had matured and become clever overnight.’
Old Master Tate’s expression grew grim. "Stay away from that family from now on. I’m afraid Jacqueline Spann will expose the fact that I used to teach her English."
He was kicking himself now, blaming his own poor judgment. He’d actually thought Jacqueline Spann was a good kid. If she really brought the Work Team down on him, his peaceful days would be over.
"She’s probably not that stupid. After all, she was a student too. Besides, the college entrance exams have been reinstated now. Learning English isn’t some unforgivable sin anymore."
Adrian Hawthorne wasn’t so worried. If people were allowed to do business again, then learning a little English should be fine.
This eased the old master’s heart a little. He was truly traumatized by the purges. Once, during his "re-education" on a farm, he had unintentionally recited a poem in English. Someone reported him for singing the praises of "capitalism’s poisonous weeds," calling him "stubbornly unrepentant." He was subjected to struggle sessions for over half a year and had nearly died.
’Sigh. I just hope things can finally be peaceful from now on. It would be even better if my family could be reunited. I pray it’s not just wishful thinking.’
