Chapter 368: Chapter 368: Not Only a Scumbag, but Also a Tyrant
Verna Golding’s face was pale with rage, her lips drained of all color. The dense smattering of freckles across her face seemed all the more glaring. Storm Xavier shot her a disgusted look. ’Ugly people are always causing the most trouble.’ He felt like he would puke if he had to look at the ugly hag for another second.
"Books, books, all you know how to do is bury your nose in them! For a family like ours, what damn good is all that reading? It’s just a waste of money! With all that energy, you could be out earning work points. Keep him cooped up at home, and he’ll turn into a useless bum!"
Storm Xavier then turned his disgusted gaze on Clayton Xavier. ’He’s already as tall as I am, and he doesn’t eat any less. A growing boy will eat you out of house and home. Phoenix Golding was right. This kid should be out earning work points, not reading some worthless books. What good is reading to the son of a landlord? None at all!’
The color drained from Clayton Xavier’s face, which had first flushed red. He hated how useless he was, unable to earn money to support his family. He had to watch his mother toil away, gathering medicinal herbs in the mountains. He saw her back growing more stooped and her hair turning whiter by the day, yet he couldn’t do a single thing to help. ’Storm Xavier wasn’t wrong,’ he thought. ’I really am a bad son.’
"Don’t listen to his nonsense! Clayton, your only task right now is to study. Mom doesn’t need you to earn work points!"
Verna Golding could feel her son’s heartache, which made her feel even worse. ’My son is my life,’ she thought. ’I could just kill Storm Xavier, and that bitch Phoenix Golding too!’
"You shut your mouth! My son doesn’t need you to support him! Go have your fun elsewhere! This family is none of your business, so what more do you want? Get out! Get the hell out!"
Verna Golding’s hoarse screams attracted a number of villagers. When they saw the normally good-tempered Verna in such a rage, they knew instantly that Storm Xavier must have done something despicable again.
Then they saw the smashed eggs all over the ground, and it all clicked. They looked at Storm Xavier with contempt. The man was a worthless bum, yet he still tried to throw his weight around at home like he was some kind of lord. It was only because Verna Golding had no brothers to back her up; otherwise, a son of a bitch like Storm Xavier would have been beaten into submission long ago!
Listening to the argument made Tang Xiaonan furious. ’Storm Xavier isn’t just a scumbag, he’s a domineering one at that—even worse than Brian Chapman. Why hasn’t a man like him dropped dead already? And what a waste of those dozen or so eggs. Verna Golding must have been saving them up for a long time.’
"This is making me furious! Is there no one in the Xavier family who can keep him in line? He’s infuriating!"
"Who’s going to meddle in the affairs of a landlord’s family? Still, why hasn’t Clayton Xavier’s grandmother made an appearance? Storm Xavier is terrified of Old Mrs. Xavier." Armstrong Huxley found it strange. ’With all this commotion,’ he thought, ’the old lady should have heard it by now.’
Speak of the devil. Armstrong Huxley had barely finished speaking when a hoarse, elderly woman’s voice cut through the air. "On your knees!"
Tang Xiaonan instantly perked up. ’The big boss is finally making her entrance!’ She had actually seen the legendary Old Mrs. Xavier once before. Curiosity spurred her to take a few steps forward, and she peeked from behind the crowd. She saw a very thin old woman in an old-fashioned, crossover-front blouse, her back held ramrod straight. Her salt-and-pepper hair was tied in a small, tight bun. Her face was sallow with illness, and she looked utterly haggard. ’No wonder she didn’t show up sooner.’
Storm Xavier was indeed afraid of Old Mrs. Xavier. He fell silent the moment she appeared and obediently knelt on the ground.
"What were you planning to do with those eggs? You haven’t contributed a single thing to this household, so what right do you have to enjoy its benefits? What business is it of yours if Clayton studies at home? If you don’t like it, then get out!"
After just a few words of scolding, Old Mrs. Xavier was seized by a violent coughing fit and couldn’t seem to stop. Clayton Xavier patted her on the back, his face etched with worry. Old Mrs. Xavier had been gravely ill recently but refused to go to the hospital. Instead, she had been prescribing and brewing her own remedies, but they weren’t having much effect. ’A shot of penicillin would be much better,’ Clayton thought.
