Ch. 631..640
Their Piggy Bank
Benjamin noted that there was a stretch of dirt road heading to the village, so he turned to talk to Ethen.
“Arrange for us to fly over from there, and then fly back home.”
“Yes Sir!”
Benjamin didn’t want to waste time driving. It was better for them to fly over to the village first for Mary to get used to it. After she looked around the village enough, they could all fly back home together.
Arissa mentally agreed with his idea. It would save a lot of time and stress going back and forth.
She explained the situation to Mary, who was endlessly grateful.
“Thank you so much! I’m sorry for troubling you guys.”
“Don’t say that, Grandaunt! You can’t be in any stressful situations right now, and taking a plane would get rid of that,” Arissa comforted her.
Mary nodded.
Arissa finally started helping Mary tidy up her things along with the help of the six kids.
The helicopter arrived right after she had finished helping Mary pack.
“Are you ready?” Benjamin asked Arissa.
She nodded. “All done!”
“Then let’s go.”
Benjamin called for the kids to follow Ethen out first.
Arissa was helping Mary onto the wheelchair and Benjamin walked over after seeing that. “Hold on to the wheelchair,” he said to Arissa.
She turned to look at him when he suddenly picked up the old woman to place her in the wheelchair gently, which shocked both Mary and Arissa.
Arissa giggled and gave Benjamin a big thumbs-up.
He simply glanced at her. “Give her a blanket or a shawl.”
“Oh, I’m not cold, don’t worry!” Mary said, almost tearing up at his kindness.
Benjamin may have been cold and sharp on the outside, but he was still warm and kind on the inside.
Arissa brought over a blanket for Mary.
“It’s better to keep this on, Grandaunt. It’s cold in the hospital, and it’ll be cold on the plane later as well.”
Mary looked at the two of them with a smile on her face. “Okay, I’ll keep it on!”
Arissa pushed the wheelchair out to meet the six kids, who were busy helping Mary with her luggage.
Even Tim was holding onto a backpack.
“Tim, please give me that backpack.”
Mary didn’t feel right letting a small child hold onto her things.
“All of you, hold onto those bags for Great-grandaunt!”
“Great-grandaunt, we’re fine! It’s not good to put too much pressure on your legs,” Zachary said with a smile.
“Great-grandaunt, I’ll carry it!” Tim said, keeping a firm grip on his backpack.
Benjamin looked over to see a rather heavy backpack in Tim’s embrace and gestured for Ethen to go help him with it.
Tim held on to it tightly, not wanting to let go.
“I can take it by myself, Mr. Frank!”
Ethen chuckled at the sight of Tim’s stubbornness.
“What kind of treasures could possibly be in there?”
Tim just glanced at him silently.
Arissa and Benjamin looked at Tim curiously as well.
Mary chuckled. “It’s his piggy bank! Our IDs are in there as well.”
“No wonder he didn’t let us take that just now!” Oliver said.
Tim pouted.
“It’s a glass jar! It’s fragile and you might break it!”
Arissa chuckled and continued teasing her son. “How much do you have in there now?”
Tim looked at her shyly, not daring to say anything.
“Daddy will take it for you,” Benjamin said, picking it up smoothly.
Tim looked at him anxiously, but Benjamin just jerked his chin forward. “Watch where you’re walking.”
Tim looked at him and mumbled, “I can take it myself!”
“It’s quite heavy. I can promise you that it won’t break with me holding it!” Benjamin said haughtily.
Tim just pressed his lips together at the sight of Benjamin not letting the bag go. All he could do was run off to take something else.
“We’ll hold on to these.”
Jasper wasn’t letting him take anything either.
Arissa saw Tim feeling a bit panicked and called out, “Tim, come over here and help push the wheelchair.”
“Okay!” Tim said as he scurried over to help Arissa push the wheelchair.
Arissa smiled gently and patted him on the head.
They got into the plane and flew over to Rutaceae Village.
Arissa was worried that Mary wouldn’t be used to it and kept watching over her and Tim.
“Grandaunt, are you feeling okay?”
“Yup!”
Mary pressed her lips together. She was feeling nervous since she had never been on a plane before, but she felt too shy to actually say it.
Chapter 632 His First Time On A Plane
Arissa held her hand gently.
“Don’t worry, Grandaunt. Planes are always like this at takeoff. It’ll be fine in just a second.”
Mary nodded.
Tim was better off, but he was also both worried and excited since it was the first time he was so high up in the air.
He sat next to Benjamin, who held his hand tightly.
“Don’t worry!”
Arissa turned around to caress Tim’s head and said, “Don’t worry, baby. Mommy’s here.”
Tim looked at her and nodded as he chewed on his lip.
Jesse looked at him and said with a smile, “Tim, it’s fun to be on a plane. Don’t worry too much. Later when we’re higher up in the sky, you should look down at the view!”
Tim nodded.
Jasper patted Jesse on the head as he said to Tim, “When we get high enough, you can see the clouds, too!”
“In fact, the plane will stabilize soon enough and it’ll feel like nothing. I’m actually a little bit dizzy now, too,” Oliver said, trying to calm Tim down.
“My heart skipped a beat too!” Zachary said with a smile.
“That’s just how it is for takeoffs. This is okay because it’s a helicopter, but those big planes are even scarier!”
“Everyone’s first time on a plane is scary, Tim. It’ll get better,” Gavin comforted Tim.
Tim nodded in response.
Benjamin looked at the other kids with Ethen, Kingsley and Shaun around them.
“Were you guys scared too?”
Zachary simply glanced at him.
“Ethen, change our pilot next time,” Benjamin commanded in a low voice.
The six kids just stared at him.
“Yes, Sir!” Ethen noted down.
“Mr. Graham, if we change the pilot, he won’t have a job anymore. I wasn’t scared, I just wasn’t used to it,” Tim said quietly.
He didn’t want someone to lose his job because of him.
The rest of them looked at him with a smile.
“Tim, don’t worry, the pilot won’t lose his job if he doesn’t fly this helicopter. Mr. Graham will find him another job. All the pilots are bodyguards, and this one just happened to not be Mr. Graham’s favorite.”
“Oh!” Tim said awkwardly.
Benjamin looked down at him. “Are you feeling better?”
Tim glanced back up. “Yes!”
Arissa chuckled and patted him on the head. “Wow, you’re so caring!”
Tim’s face turned red while Mary chuckled as well.
“Of course he is! He’s always been caring. He just hadn’t known how to express it.”
Arissa smiled in response. “Grandaunt, you sure did a great job raising him!”
“That’s not true. Tim here is a good kid.”
Mary looked at Tim with a happy glint in her eye.
“Have some water, Grandaunt.” Arissa poured a glass of water for her.
“Thank you!” Mary took a sip.
“Are you feeling better?” Arissa asked. She had constantly been checking up on Mary to make sure that she was feeling alright.
“Yes, I’m feeling much better now,” Mary said a little awkwardly.
Arissa smiled and said gently, “This is how planes take off. I take them often but still get nervous, and sometimes I even get nauseous. I hope you’re not feeling dizzy or anything now.”
“Oh, of course not. I’m much better now, even though I did feel a bit lightheaded just now.”
Now that the plane was finally stable, Mary was much more relaxed and comfortable with telling Arissa how she actually felt.
“Planes are the same as boats and cars. It’s normal to feel a bit dizzy or sick on them,” Arissa said with a smile as she continued to keep a close eye on Mary.
She only relaxed when she was sure that Mary was completely okay.
“Shaun, come take a look at Grandaunt!” Benjamin called out.
Shaun came over to check up on Mary and massaged her temples gently.
“Don’t worry, please. I feel fine!” Mary consoled them.
“Mdm. Mary, if you’re feeling unwell, please let me know. I’m your doctor, so I’m supposed to help you. If you hold it back too much, it’ll just become worse,” Shaun reminded her gently.
“This isn’t anything serious. I’m just a bit dizzy, so you guys really don’t have to worry,” Mary said, touched by their concern.
“It’ll make us feel better if you let him do a quick check-up,” Arissa convinced her with a smile.
Chapter 633 Continue With Your Romance
“Mdm. Mary, smell this if you feel dizzy later.”
Shaun gave Mary an inhaler.
“Why didn’t you take this out earlier?”
Arissa widened her eyes as she stared at Shaun.
Shaun chuckled awkwardly in response.
“Mommy, Mr. Bailey’s airsick!”
Gavin snickered.
Shaun then cleared his throat in embarrassment before giving the boy a side-eye.
The others laughed, amused.
Shaun had been too preoccupied with himself earlier, so he had not paid attention to them.
Now that he was finally fine, he was generously offering them the precious item.
“Dr. Bailey, save it for your motion sickness. I’m feeling fine now,” Mary uttered, not feeling too unwell.
“It’s fine. You can use it. I’m fine,” Shaun insisted with a small smile.
Benjamin then shot him a glare. “Do you have more of that?”
Shaun was moved by his words, thinking that Benjamin was concerned about him. “I’ve only brought one.”
Immediately, Benjamin said in a low voice, “Get one for Arissa once we’re back.”
Shaun was taken aback by his response.
Meanwhile, Arissa looked at Benjamin, touched.
“Did you hear me?”
Benjamin arched a brow and shot Shaun another glare. The latter then nodded, despondent.
“I heard it. I thought you were worried about me.”
Kingsley barked out a laugh. “You’re overthinking it, Shaun.”
“You’re a doctor. Don’t you know how to take care of yourself?” Benjamin said, even harsher than Kingsley.
Upon hearing that, Ethen and the others giggled in secret.
Arissa pursed her lips and smiled before handing the item to Mary.
“Issa, keep it for yourself. I’m fine,” Mary rejected, pushing the item back to Arissa.
“Take it, Grandaunt. If I get nauseous, I’ll get it from you.”
Arissa was not getting affected by the motion sickness that day; she was feeling fantastic.
She then turned to Tim and asked, “Tim, do you want to use it?”
Tim shook his head.
He was only frightened when the helicopter took off earlier.
Arissa then ruffled his hair dotingly before taking some snacks for the siblings.
Meanwhile, Tim looked out of the window curiously.
Benjamin glanced at the other children.
Like Tim, Jasper, Oliver, and Jesse were also looking out of the window in curiosity.
“Do you want to see outside?” Benjamin asked.
The boys nodded shyly.
Benjamin unfastened his seatbelt before doing the same for them. Then, he led the brothers to the window.
“Look down, Tim! It’s so pretty!” Jasper cried out to Tim.
Tim was also by the window, looking at the scenery outside.
Everything on the ground seemed tiny, but the entire land looked like a color palette, and it was picturesque.
As Arissa looked at the father and the sons, her lips curled.
“Why aren’t the two of you joining them?” she asked Gavin and Zachary.
Zachary coolly replied, “I’ve already seen it. The window is small, so I’ll let them enjoy the view instead.”
Gavin nodded in agreement. “I’ve also seen the scenery countless times now.”
However, Arissa was curious, and she wanted to peek out of the window as well. Hence, she went to them and looked out.
“Why didn’t you look out the other time?” Benjamin asked as he gazed at her.
Arissa turned to take a glimpse at him before turning back to admire the pleasant scenery outside.
When she sensed the man coming close to her, her heart raced.
“It was already dark last time. Everything looks the same outside.”
At that, Benjamin lifted a brow and uttered, “It’s daytime today, so you can enjoy the view longer.”
After a while of staring out of the window, Arissa turned to Mary. “Grandaunt, do you want to take a look as well?”
“Ah…”
Mary wanted to say yes, but she was afraid of troubling the others.
“Mdm. Mary, I’ll bring you to the other window. Let the others have that window.”
Kingsley swiftly stepped forward and pushed the elderly woman to the other side before casting a smile at Benjamin and Arissa.
At the same time, he teased, “Continue with your lovey-dovey moment.”
Shaun, Ethen, and the bodyguards were watching over the six children, so the two of them had nothing to do.
After a moment of feeling awkward, Arissa inched closer to the children instead.
Soon, both Gavin and Zachary could not hold themselves back anymore and joined Tim and the others in watching the view outside.
Chapter 634 Are You Carrying The Basket
“This place is pretty! Are those fields? They’re divided into smaller sections!”
Oliver was staring outside with wide eyes.
The others were equally stunned by the sight as well.
Meanwhile, Tim was dumbfounded as he thought, Isn’t that our village?
“Those are rice fields… I think we’re at Rutaceae Village!”
Benjamin chimed in, “Yes, it’s Rutaceae Village.”
“We’re here so soon?” Tim and Mary gasped in surprise.
It felt as if they had just boarded the helicopter not long ago.
“Helicopters are quick, but you don’t feel the speed. Even if you look down, it feels slow,” Benjamin explained.
Arissa chuckled. “We’re about to land the helicopter, so sit back onto your seats, sweethearts.”
The six children quickly ran back to their seats.
Kingsley pushed Mary back to her spot and secured the wheelchair as well.
“Sit tight too,” Benjamin said to Arissa as he pulled her closer.
Arissa froze when she noticed the others looking at her.
“Okay,” she mumbled, promptly sitting down.
Benjamin and the others then took their seats as well.
Ethen then reminded the others to fasten their seatbelts and get ready for the landing.
“We’re ready!” Arissa told him after checking over Mary and the children.
Ethen then checked them over again before informing the pilot to descend.
The helicopter was going to land by the road in front of Arissa’s small house.
When Gavin and the others took in the familiar environment, they cheered in delight.
“Mommy, your house!”
“Yes, it is!” Arissa smiled.
Similarly, Tim turned thrilled when he saw Rutaceae Village. “I’ve seen this place last time!”
The last time he was talking about was probably when Arissa had brought Zachary and the others over.
Nevertheless, Arissa curiously asked, “When have you seen this place before? Don’t you live in the village? You should have seen this a long time ago.”
Tim peeked at her and replied, “I saw them playing here when I was at the hill the last time.”
Arissa gasped.
She recalled someone watching her the other time, but the person had been too far for her to catch a clear look at. As it turned out, it was Tim.
“Were you carrying a basket back then?”
Realizing that he had let it slip, Tim immediately bit down on his lower lip and fell silent.
“It must be him. He was working like the other kids in the village,” Mary said instead.
Tim panicked. He did not want Arissa to find out about that.
“Great-grandaunt, I’ll take you home later.”
“Sure.” Mary wondered about the messy state her house would surely be in.
Arissa turned to look at them for a while. A beat later, her phone made a sound, but she was too preoccupied with the helicopter descending to look at it.
“There will be a little bump when the helicopter reaches the ground. Don’t be scared,” Benjamin said to Tim and Mary.
Both nodded, albeit a little embarrassed. Neither had been out and about in the world—it was their first time in a helicopter. Therefore, they felt a little self-conscious about their lack of knowledge in many things.
Nevertheless, Arissa patted Tim’s head and held Mary’s hand.
After a while of adjusting, the helicopter slowly landed.
The passengers only felt a slight shake before the helicopter came to a complete stop.
It felt as if they were in a car instead.
Tim and Mary thought it would have been something dramatic, so they heaved a sigh of relief in response.
“We are here!” Arissa announced.
She then unfastened her seatbelt and did the same for Mary.
Ethen and the bodyguards went to open the door.
At the same time, Benjamin, Kingsley, and Shaun unfastened the children’s seatbelts as well.
Once they were done, Benjamin said, “Head down first.”
“Okay!” Kingsley said as he gestured to Benjamin before helping the children down from the helicopter.
Benjamin and Arissa then wheeled the elderly woman to the exit. One of the bodyguards then carried Mary down while another brought the wheelchair down.
Arissa and Benjamin were last to leave the helicopter.
“This place is simply breathtaking!”
It was Kingsley and Shaun’s first time there, and they were astonished by the scenic place.
“Mrs. Graham, how did you think of buying a house here?” Kingsley asked as he studied the wooden architecture that blended perfectly into the scenery.
“By chance.”
Arissa smiled for she never thought that she would be fated to be there.
Tim had grown up here.
Chapter 635 Deducting A Month Of Bonus
The six children were all excited.
Gavin dragged Tim around the place to look at everything with wide, curious eyes. Among the children, he was the one who had seen the least of villages.
“This place is beautiful!”
“Agreed! It’s even prettier than the last time we were here!”
Looking at the children’s merry expressions, Arissa smiled. “Not only is this place pretty, but the air here is fresh too.”
“The place is especially pretty when there is mist in the morning. There’s also a lake right in front that looks different depending on the season. It’s a beautiful place. Do you all want to take a look at it?” Mary asked as she looked at Kingsley and the others.
“We don’t have much time today. Let’s go there another time.”
Kingsley could not simply agree to that, for there was a great chance that Benjamin would just leave him behind.
Meanwhile, the children had run into the courtyard.
“Grandaunt, let me take you in,” Arissa said to the elderly woman.
A brief glimpse at the courtyard told her that Bradley’s car was not around—it seemed like he was out. Hence, she called him.
After all, they were quite far from the village, and it would be tiring to walk there.
Once Bradley found out that they had arrived, he let out a happy cry and quickly drove back.
“Give me a few minutes, Boss!”
“Sure!” Arissa giggled.
Benjamin then turned to look at her with furrowed brows.
A beat later, the man shot a glare at Ethen. “You didn’t prepare a car for us?”
That was Ethen’s mistake, so he bowed in apology.
“Mr. Graham, the cars are at Northstream. I didn’t make arrangements because I thought it’ll be fine with Bradley here.”
Benjamin’s frown deepened. “I’ll be deducting a month’s bonus for that.”
When Arissa heard him berating the innocent Ethen, she interrupted, “Bradley is here. There’s no need for him to make any transportation arrangements. There’s no need for this much trouble. Bradley will be back in a while. I don’t think Mr. Frank has done anything wrong. You don’t need to deduct a month of his bonus, do you?”
Promptly, Benjamin turned to glare at her with a gloomy look on his face. He could not believe that she was defending Ethen.
“I’ll deduct yours then!”
His words rendered her speechless for a while.
I barely worked. If that’s what he wants, then I’ll just let him do that.
“Deduct it then.”
With that said, she turned away from Benjamin.
On the other hand, Mary felt bad when she overheard their conversation.
“I’ve troubled all of you.”
“It’s fine. He always says that. Don’t take it to heart, Grandaunt.”
Right then Arissa stole a glance at Benjamin, but to her surprise, she ended up meeting his eyes. In the next second, she quickly averted her gaze.
“It isn’t too far if we walk back either—it’s only around a kilometer,” Mary lifted her head and said to Arissa, hoping to return home as soon as possible.
“Bradley is on his way back now. We just need to wait a few more minutes for him. We’ll take more than just a few minutes if we walk back now,” Arissa explained to Mary.
Just as she finished speaking, Bradley, who was speeding the entire way, arrived.
When he saw the group of people, he quickly stopped his car.
“Boss, why are you all here?”
“Grandaunt wanted to come home, so we brought her back before going to Dellmoor,” Arissa informed him.
She then opened the car door, about to help Mary into the car.
Noticing that, Ethen rapidly stepped forward to help her out.
Similarly, Bradley speedily got down from the car to help her out as well.
After Benjamin pulled the wheelchair away from them, a bodyguard took it and kept it in the trunk.
After helping Mary settle into her seat, Arissa entered the car as well. Then, Tim ran over and nimbly climb into the car.
Gavin and the others followed closely behind.
“Mommy, wait for us!”
Something flashed past Benjamin’s eyes at that before he turned around to get into the front passenger seat instead.
Frankly, he was feeling traumatized after getting abandoned by them twice.
“What about us?”
Kingsley then gestured at Shaun, Ethen, and himself.
“Stay here. If you want to come along, feel free to run there,” Benjamin flatly told them.
Both Kingsley and Shaun turned speechless at that.
“Boss, are we all in our seats?” Bradley asked after checking on the children and the adults.
“Yes, let’s go.”
Benjamin then sat on the driver’s seat and nodded at Benjamin. “Mr. Graham.”
If he had to be honest, having Benjamin in the front passenger seat was stressing him out.
“Drive,” Benjamin said in a quiet tone, but Bradley found himself obeying it immediately.
Chapter 636 A Look Of Distressed
“Yes, sir!” Bradley loudly replied before starting the engine and driving toward the village.
At that, Ethen quickly told the bodyguards to follow the car, and they actually ran after the car.
Soon, the only ones left were Shaun and Kingsley, who shared a look with each other.
“Are we going too?”
Kingsley gave Shaun a side-eye, who then frowned and laughed at the same time.
“Let’s go.”
As he ran after the car, he told himself it was just a scenic jog.
Hence, Kingsley had no choice but to follow him.
The scenery around them was beautiful, so the two men who rarely exercised did not think that it was too tough of a trip as they jogged after the car to Mary’s place.
The moment they laid eyes on Mary’s house, they froze.
It was a truly dilapidated house.
Even Arissa stiffened when she saw the state of Mary’s place.
Other than the main house, which was constructed with concrete and still looked firm, the rest of the buildings were huts.
Arissa had grown up in the countryside as a child, but even then, she had only seen houses like Mary’s when she was very young.
Later in her childhood, most families began building concrete houses. Even the impoverished ones who could not afford concrete houses would build brick houses instead of huts that would be easily blown away by a strong gust of wind.
“Issa, this is where we live.”
Even Mary was feeling embarrassed by the sight of her house.
Her voice snapped Arissa back to her senses, and she said, “Grandaunt, let me step out of the car first.”
She then helped the children down from the car.
Gavin, Zachary, Oliver, Jasper, and Jesse were stunned by the house as well.
Jesse then asked, “Is this house safe to live in?”
Why does it look like it’s going to collapse at any time?
Indeed, it was not a safe place to stay in, but it served its purpose as a shelter from the rain and the sun.
“This is the old house,” was all Arissa could say to her daughter.
Then, she walked over to help Mary down from the car.
Benjamin, too, came out of the car to help her out.
Mary gave them smiles as she nodded at them. “I’ll go inside. It’s a small place, and there’s nowhere to sit inside, so please wait for me outside for a while.”
“It’s fine. We’ll just take a look,” Arissa said to her, returning the smile.
She then turned to Tim and said, “Tim, go in with Grandaunt.”
“Okay!”
The boy ran over and entered the house with Mary.
After they entered, Mary brought him to the main room and prayed.
She was praying to her husband, James, and telling him that they were going to Dellmoor soon.
Arissa watched them from the doorway, and she noted that the living room seemed rather tidy.
Meanwhile, Benjamin was studying her from the side. When he saw the look of distress on her face, he sighed inwardly.
Fortunately, Gavin and the others were sensible children who showed no signs of disdain.
They, too, felt upset when they thought about how Tim had grown up in an environment like that. At the same time, they made promises in their minds that they would treat Tim even better than before.
After Mary prayed with Tim, she went to her room to pack her things. Arissa quickly went over to assist her.
When she noticed that there were two beds in the bedroom, her heart broke even more. “Tim, do you share a room with your great-grandaunt?”
Tim nodded.
Mary sighed. “There isn’t any extra room in the house, so he has to squeeze in one room with me.”
“It’s fine. He’s still young, and both of you can take care of each other if you share a room!” Arissa consoled Mary, afraid that the elderly woman would feel immensely apologetic to them.
Mary only smiled at her before she quickly began packing the things she needed to bring along.
“Grandaunt, what else do you need?” Arissa asked.
“Nothing.”
Mary then went over to a cabinet and took out James’ photo from a secret compartment.
She had returned to take that photo with her.
After a glance at the photo, Arissa remarked, “He looks handsome.”
Mary chuckled until tears welled up in her eyes. “What’s handsome about him? He’s just an old man.”
At that moment, Tim came over to glance at the photo as well. Instantly, a longing look appeared on his face.
Arissa patted his head.
Gavin and the others then came over to look at James’ photo as well. “He’s so handsome!”
Mary chortled.
After that, Arissa helped her keep the photo properly between the clothes.
While she did that, Mary tidied up the place while Tim helped out.
Arissa watched as Tim busied away. Letting him do the work was, in a way, letting him bid farewell to his home.
Chapter 637 A New House For Mary
Everyone could see how reluctant Mary and Tim were to part with the house.
Regardless of how shabby it was, it was their home.
Mary walked around the other rooms as well, and she would reach out to straighten anything that seemed to have fallen out of its place. Tim kept close by her the entire time.
Arissa and the rest helped tidied up the spots that were too messy.
At the end of it all, Mary stood in the courtyard and let her eyes drift across the place—the last look at her home.
When Benjamin noticed their eyes reddening, he said, “Grandaunt, you can always come back here for a visit whenever you miss it. Once you’re feeling better, you can come back here to stay for a period of time every year.”
Touched by his words, Mary whispered, “Okay.”
When Kingsley and Shaun took in their surroundings, as well as Mary and Tim’s reluctance to leave, a bitter smile emerged on their lips.
Anyone would feel nostalgia and the reluctance to part with places they lived in.
It was especially so for those who rarely left home; they would feel a stronger yearning for their homes.
Arissa then used her phone to take a few photos of the place and saved them in the gallery. If Mary and Tim missed their home, they would then be able to see it with the photos.
“Tim, ask Mr. Seth to come here,” Mary said to Tim.
“Okay!”
Arissa then watched as Tim ran out of the house.
No one knew what Mary was about to do.
“Give me another moment. I need to tell my family about our departure,” Mary explained to them.
Arissa nodded and brought the kettle over. “Grandaunt, have some water.”
“Thank you.”
As Mary looked around her house, she sighed and commented, “I wonder when I’ll be back again. Someone has got to clean up the place and pay respect to James.”
Hearing her words made a wave of sorrow wash over Arissa. She knew that traditions like those were important to those who grew up in the village.
That was a sign of respect to the deceased.
“Grandaunt, we can come back for a visit during the holidays,” Arissa said to Mary. It was impossible to return every month, but it was not difficult to return during the holidays.
“Okay.”
Mary nodded.
Benjamin then turned to Ethen and instructed, “We’ll build a house here.”
Benjamin had a deep crease on his forehead since the moment he took in the barely-livable conditions.
Ethen glanced at his employer. “Mr. Graham, it’s best if we tell Mdm. Mary about it.”
Benjamin’s frown deepened in confusion.
“She might not like it if things change,” Ethen reminded.
At that, Benjamin pursed his lips before telling Mary about the matter.
“Grandaunt, I’m thinking of demolishing this old house to build a new one.”
After all, the house looked like it was going to collapse the moment they left.
If Mary and Tim were to return to find nothing but ruins, they would be even more upset.
“What? Oh, you don’t have to. That will cost a lot. There’s no need for you to do that!”
There was no way Mary would accept that without hesitation.
Constructing a house would cost at least tens of thousands.
The better ones would be hundreds of thousands.
Mary knew the cost estimation of the construction work, so she did not dare to even imagine getting a new house.
“Grandaunt, we have to build a new house. You and Tim aren’t living here anymore, so the place will degrade even quicker. It might have collapsed by the time we come back. That’s dangerous!” Arissa tried to convince the elderly woman otherwise. “It’s just a kind act from him. Please accept it. Once the house is constructed, it’ll be even more convenient for us to take care of you.”
Mary felt too shy to accept it. She did not know how much the treatment for her illness was, and they even wanted to build a new house for her.
“Grandaunt, this guy is rich, and it’s not a lot to build a new house. There’s no point in him keeping all the money he earned without spending it. It’s just a new house. Once it is built, we can come back here with you for a short holiday. I haven’t taken a look at the lake you were talking about too!” Kingsley chimed in to try to persuade Mary.
Mary smiled. “Just because he’s rich doesn’t mean he should be wasting his money.”
“He’s not wasting his money. Who wouldn’t want to have a better place to stay and better food to eat once they get more money? Moreover, who wouldn’t want the kids to have a better education? Why else would we work so hard for?” Kingsley continued, his words rational and compelling.
Shaun then teased, “Why didn’t I know you’re such a deep thinker?”
Arissa chuckled.
Chapter 638 Take Good Care Of Tim
“Grandaunt, just accept my dad’s suggestion. Otherwise, if we come back to a collapsed house, you’ll be upset!”
Even Gavin was convincing Mary to accept Benjamin’s offer. In response, Mary ruffled his hair and said, “I don’t wish to waste money on that.”
“Grandaunt, it’s just a small house,” Arissa insisted.
Mary was touched by their words.
“Save the money for Tim’s education. There’s no need to build any new house. I’m fine with living in this one.”
“Grandaunt!” Arissa whined to the elderly woman.
Mary did not know whether to laugh or to frown at that.
Benjamin turned to Arissa and announced, “I’ve made up my mind. I’m going to build this house.”
“You don’t need to waste money on that. Even if you build a new house, we won’t be able to live in it. We’ll only end up letting that disloyal son of mine get the house. What’s the point of that?”
Mary no longer had any hope for her son, Raphael.
Arissa looked down for a moment, wondering if she should break the news to Mary right there and then.
“It’s fine. At the very least, you’ll be able to sleep tight when you come back here, so building the new house is worth the money. Tim will have to worry about your safety if you come back alone to stay in the old house.”
Mary hesitated at their persistence, and she gave the old house another glance.
Truth be told, she was reluctant to part with it.
“What about this, Grandaunt? We’ll renovate the old house to make it sturdier. Will that be all right with you?”
Benjamin decided to take another approach when he noticed Mary’s reluctance.
Thinking that he would really just renovate the old house and thus would not spend much, Mary finally nodded.
“Okay then. Just renovate it a little.”
Her agreement made the others breathe a sigh of relief.
Benjamin then instructed Ethen, “Assign someone on this. Build walls according to the old house’s style, and change the roof to glazed tiles. Keep the kitchen where it is. In other words, try to keep things the same way they look now. You can come up with a design draft first, and show it to me.”
“Of course, Mr. Graham.” Ethen then noted that down into his list.
Mary’s eyes reddened as she listened to Benjamin’s instructions.
Right then, Tim returned with a man named Seth, who used to live in the same house as James.
Mary then gave him instructions for certain things at home and asked him to take care of the fields at home.
“I wouldn’t dare to plant anything in your fields if Raphael were to come back and kick up a fuss. However, I can still do the prayers, but I think it’s best for me to leave the fields as they are.”
Seth knew about Raphael, so he did not dare to take over the management of the fields.
“He won’t be able to kick up a fuss. Just be at ease and use the fields. If anything happens, go to the head of the village,” Benjamin told him before turning to Ethen to make arrangements for that.
Hearing that, Seth glanced at them and asked Mary, “Who are they?”
“Oh, this is Tim’s father, and this is Tim’s mother. They’re about to take me to a different place to treat my illness.”
Seth beamed. It was obvious that Arissa and Benjamin were not from an impoverished family, so he was happy for Mary and Tim.
“You don’t need to worry about the things here. I’ll be watching over the place for you.”
“Okay, thank you!” Mary said earnestly.
“You don’t need to thank me. James took care of my family when he was around. Just be at ease and go for your treatment. Do call us and tell us that you’re doing fine too,” Seth merrily said.
“Sure!” Mary replied with a nod. She then turned to Arissa and the others and said, “Let’s go.”
After Arissa greeted Seth, she brought Mary up into the car.
“Bye, Mr. Seth!” Tim said to Seth.
Seth hugged the boy for a while. “Take good care of your grandma.”
“Okay!” Tim nodded fervently.
“Bye, Mr. Seth!”
The other children waved and bid him farewell as well.
When Seth realized that they all looked the same, he was stunned.
“You’ve all got the same face!”
The children giggled.
“Yes, we’re sextuplets!” Jasper replied.
Seth patted his head and chuckled. “You have to take care of Tim. Don’t bully him.”
“Don’t worry, Mr. Seth. We’ll take care of Tim and Great-grandaunt,” Gavin replied solemnly.
That made Seth smile in relief.
“We’ll have to trouble you to take care of this place,” Benjamin said to the man who was nice to his son.
“It’s no trouble. I should be the one thanking you for taking Mary to go for treatments.”
Benjamin nodded. He then gave Ethen a look.
Chapter 639 We Need Some Coffee
Ethen quickly took out a monetary gift for Seth, who then rejected it.
“No, what’s this for? You don’t need to give me this! It’s not as if her treatment is free!”
“Just take it. It’s for the flowers for James and whatnot.”
Ethen forced him to take it, and Seth reluctantly took it.
Kingsley and Shaun found themselves finding the place a pleasant one as they looked at the honest elderly man.
“Mr. Seth, we’ll be leaving now. Don’t worry. I’ll take good care of them. I’ll treat you to a meal when we’re back here again.”
Arissa enthusiastically said to Seth. The sweet smile on her face made Seth smile in return.
“Okay, I’ll be waiting for you!” Seth answered.
After one last nod at Seth, Benjamin got into the car.
Bradley bid the elderly man farewell before entering the car.
Kingsley and the rest did the same.
Seth watched them leave. When he saw the others running after the car, he cried out, “Do you not have a car?”
“It’s fine! We’re only running to the house over there. The helicopter is there!” Ethen told him.
Seth smiled and nodded. It was only after they were out of his line of sight did he finally went back home and lock the door.
Once they reached Arissa’s house, Benjamin asked Arissa, “Do you want to go in and take a look at the place?”
Arissa glimpsed at the house and shook her head. “Let’s go back to Dellmoor. I’ll come back here next time.”
“Mommy, are we really not going to go in?” Jasper asked, tilting his head to stare at her.
The other children turned to look at her as well.
Tim, too, was looking at the pretty house, hoping to have a look inside.
“Great-grandaunt needs to go for her treatment. We’ll come back here during the holidays.”
“Bring them in for a tour. I’m not in a rush,” Mary interrupted when she saw the eager look on the children’s faces.
Arissa smiled at that before turning to Benjamin.
“Then, you should show them around,” he said.
“Boss, I’ve already cleaned up the place yesterday. Let’s sit around for a little while,” Bradley told her.
The smile on Arissa’s face widened, and she nodded. “Let’s head in.”
By then, Kingsley and the others arrived, panting.
“Mrs. Graham, we need a drink!”
Arissa looked at them in amusement and replied, “That I do have. Head in.”
She then asked Bradley to enter and make drinks for them.
The six children were thrilled, and they immediately ran into the house.
“Mommy, hurry up!”
Arissa grinned and wheeled Mary in while Kingsley and the others entered the house as quickly as the children did.
“Come in,” Arissa said to the other men who had yet to enter.
“Okay,” Benjamin answered, giving her a brief glance.
Once they entered, Kingsley and Shaun started observing the design of the house. They were greeted by the vibrant sight of nature, and they could not stop singing praises about the beauty of the place.
“Mrs. Graham, this is a nice place to spend the holidays at. We should come here for team building next time,” Shaun remarked with a chuckle.
“Sure! I’ll hand you the keys when you come,” Arissa generously replied.
“There are dozens of them coming for team building. Are you sure there’s enough space here for all of them?”
Benjamin, on the other hand, disagreed. He did not like strangers living in the house.
An amused laugh escaped Shaun. “Can’t I live here by myself?”
Benjamin scoffed.
Arissa watched them interact with smiling eyes before filling a glass of water for Mary.
After that, she walked over to Bradley’s spot and helped him out with the coffee brewing.
Meanwhile, Zachary and the others towed Tim upstairs. Once again, the wooden house turned into a lively place.
As Kingsley lounged on the couch, he sighed loudly. “This is so comfortable. I don’t even want to go back anymore.”
Shaun teased. “You can stay here to watch over the place. I’m sure Mrs. Graham won’t have anything to say about that.”
Mary laughed. “You can spend a few days here before going back!”
Kingsley quickly shook his head. “No, it’s boring to stay here by myself. It’ll be more convenient for me to head back with the rest of you.”
Meanwhile, Benjamin’s gaze was on the kitchen. When he saw Arissa standing with Bradley and merrily chatting away, he knitted his brows.
“Ethen, go and help them out.”
With that, Ethen promptly went over.
“Ms. York, please take a break and let us do this instead.”
Chapter 640 Not Willing To Let You Work
Arissa’s eyes flitted toward him, and she chuckled. “We’re done. Take a seat over there. I’m sure you’re tired after the run earlier.”
Touched, Ethen whispered, “Mr. Graham can’t bear to see you slave away, so please let me do this instead. Otherwise, he’s going to deduct all my bonuses!”
“What a tyrant!” Arissa softly chided.
After putting the cups onto the tray, she then asked Ethen to bring the tray to the others.
“Bradley, were you at the village to find out more news when we arrived earlier?”
Bradley blinked in shock at her sudden question.
“Boss, I’ve just reached when you came. I haven’t even asked anything from anyone yet. I reached this place last night, and as the villagers all went to bed earlier, I met no one. So, I ended up coming back here to clean up the place instead.”
The truth was that Bradley had already found out quite a bit about the matter. However, he was afraid of breaking Arissa’s heart, and that was why he told her nothing yet.
Bradley recalled that the boy was among the children when he left earlier, and the thought of that was already making his heart ache.
If Arissa were to find out that Tim had been living such a difficult life, her heart might just break.
Arissa mulled over Bradley’s words and nodded.
“Then, I’ll have to trouble you to stay here a few days longer to find out more.”
Arissa could sense that the boy was hiding something from her.
“Oh, by the way, ask the kids what they’re doing up in the mountains with the baskets.”
“Sure,” Bradley replied, hoping to appease Arissa for now.
However, Arissa narrowed her eyes and gave him a once-over. “You have found out about something but you are keeping it from me, right?”
“How can I possibly do that?” Bradley hastily answered.
Arissa blinked.
Right then, Benjamin called out to her.
“Arissa!”
When Arissa turned toward the source of the sound, she saw Benjamin standing by the doorway.
He said, “I’m going up to check on the kids. It has been a while since they’ve gone upstairs.”
“Okay,” Arissa told him as she hurried to his side to look for the children.
As it turned out, the children were in the children’s room.
Some were on the bed, and some were on the couch. Some were also on the floor, and they were all chatting with Tim. It was a lovely sight.
Arissa stood quietly by the doorway, not wanting to interrupt their sweet moment.
Tim was the first to notice her.
“Ms. York…”
Instantly, the others turned to look at her as well. “Mommy!”
Arissa gave them a smile and entered the room.
“Do you find this place cozy?”
Zachary and the rest giggled.
“Mommy, this place really is cozy!” Oliver commented as he lay sprawled on the chair, his eyes bright with joy.
“This is a pretty place!”
Gavin, too, liked the house.
A glint flashed past Arissa’s eyes. “Why don’t you stay here with Mr. Hinton for a few days before going back?”
“Is Mr. Hinton not going to head back with us?” Jesse curiously asked.
“He’ll be staying here for a few days,” Arissa told her daughter as she patted her head.
“What’s Mr. Hinton doing here?” the girl asked, her curiosity growing even more intense.
At that, the other children looked at her with inquisitive eyes.
“Yeah, Mommy. Why is Mr. Hinton staying here?”
Arissa blinked. “The roof is a little chipped off, so he’ll be getting someone to fix it. Sweethearts, are you going to stay here or go back with me?”
“I’m going back with Ms. York!” Tim anxiously cried out. He wanted to stay with Mary.
Arissa beamed and dotingly pinched his cheek.
“Okay, we’ll go back while the others stay.”
“Mommy, do you not want us anymore now that you have Tim?”
Jasper deliberately huffed as he snapped his head to the side.
Arissa snorted and turned to him. “You’re the ones who wanted to stay. How can you blame me for this?”
“I didn’t say I wanted to stay!” Jasper frowned.
Gavin chuckled. He then walked over to tug Arissa’s hand. “Mommy, I want to go back with you too.”
Zachary did not want to stay. If not for the fact that they had just found Tim, then perhaps he might have actually stayed.
“I’m going back with Mommy too. Are the rest of you coming back?”
Zachary asked Oliver, Jasper, and Jesse.
“I’m going with Mommy!”
Jesse hugged Arissa tightly.
Oliver then looked at Jasper and said, “I’m going back with Mommy. Are you?”