Chapter 443: I Won’t Dare Again
Chapter 443: Chapter 443: I Won’t Dare Again
People back then were quite reserved with their feelings. Even if they truly missed someone, they wouldn’t come right out and say it.
So, Vera Xavier’s sudden embrace left Zachary Preston a little flustered. He smiled and chided her gently, "You little rascal! It’s good to have you back."
Vera Xavier giggled. She could hear the care and affection in Zachary Preston’s voice, and his eyes were brimming with it. ’It feels so good to have a family.’
She dragged over the bag she’d carried on her back and started pulling out a ton of stuff. There was something for Grandpa, something for Grandma, a gift for Zachary Preston, and a whole pile of tasty treats.
Her grandmother complained, pained by the expense. "You silly girl. How much money can you possibly make working out there? Why buy all this useless stuff? You should have saved it for your tuition."
Vera Xavier’s eyes darted playfully. "Grandma has a point," she said, "but I’m rich now!"
With that, she secretively pulled a bankbook from her bag and showed it to them. The number inside left them utterly stunned.
Grandma was the first to snap out of it. She grabbed Vera Xavier’s arm. "Vera, what have you been doing out there? Where did you get all this money?"
To Vera Xavier, the amount in the bankbook wasn’t much—just 500,000—but in that era, it was an absolute fortune.
Before coming home, she had carefully considered how much money to reveal. Too little wouldn’t solve the family’s problems, while too much would only make them anxious. After all, her grandparents and Zachary Preston were as honest as they come. So, 500,000 seemed like a figure they could accept.
She smiled at her grandmother. "Don’t you worry. I earned every penny of this legally. I had originally planned to go to the provincial capital to find a job, but on the way, I heard people talking about how big the jade gambling scene was in Yulara."
"So I remembered how the stone I casually bought for Mr. Nathan’s birthday turned out to be a Full House Red. I figured I’d try my luck, so I spent a couple of days wandering around The Jade Market. I bought a few of the cheapest stones, and one of them turned out to contain a piece of Glass-variety jade. This money is all from selling it!"
This was the story she had concocted after long and careful consideration. In this day and age, an eighteen-year-old girl earning half a million all by herself sounded like a fairy tale. Jade gambling was the only plausible explanation.
’Even though she’d actually earned far, far more than this!’
Her grandmother flew into a rage at her words. She reached out and twisted Vera’s ear. "You’ve got some nerve, young lady! Running off to Yulara by yourself is one thing, but to go jade gambling! Don’t you know that place is near the border? It’s dangerously chaotic over there!"
"OW! That hurts! Grandma, go easy on me!" Vera Xavier cried, begging for mercy. "I’ll never do it again!"
Her grandmother let go of her ear but continued to glare at her. "So you were planning to go again!"
Vera Xavier immediately scrambled behind Zachary Preston’s wheelchair, whining playfully, "Dad, Grandma’s being so mean! You have to save me!"
But Zachary Preston scolded her too. "Your grandmother is right. You deserved that! It’s too dangerous for a young woman to be running all over the place by herself!"
"But I came back safe and sound, didn’t I?" Vera Xavier mumbled. "So you don’t have to worry so much!"
"How could we not worry!" her grandmother retorted, glaring at her. "You’re still so young! Do you have any idea how dangerous it is out there?"