Chapter 42: Fortune Makes Fools of People

Neither of them spoke at first, the silence stretching awkwardly between them. After a long pause, Natalie finally broke the stillness, her voice soft and tentative. "How have you been these past few years?"

Ethan chuckled, the sound low and self-deprecating. "Me? I've always been around, surviving. I guess you could say I got lucky — stumbled upon something that changed my fate."

Natalie hesitated before asking, "Do you… really not have a girlfriend?" As soon as the words left her lips, her face flushed crimson, and her heart pounded in her chest.

Ethan shook his head, giving a wry smile. "No. Didn't I tell you? For years, I was just scraping by, making a few thousand yuan a month. How could any girl be interested in someone like me?"

Natalie looked down, biting her lip. "Ethan… I'm really sorry. I—"

He waved a hand, cutting her off gently. "Forget it. The past is the past. We can't change what happened. I understand."

A tense silence followed, broken only when Natalie tried to lighten the mood. "I think Suzie seemed to have a pretty good impression of you today." Her tone was light, but a hint of jealousy slipped through.

Ethan snorted, shaking his head. "Her? Forget it. Didn't you see how she squeezed an extra ten percent out of me? She's sharp, that one."

"Believe what you want," Natalie huffed, crossing her arms. "But trust me, a woman's intuition is rarely wrong."

Ethan scratched the back of his head, chuckling dryly.

Just then, Natalie's mother, Martha, peeked out of the house, her face lighting up when she saw Ethan. "Oh, Ethan! Why did you bring gifts? Come in, sit down!"

Over the years, the old couple had worried endlessly about Natalie's unhappy marriage. Seeing Ethan — once their daughter's first love, now successful and still concerned about her — filled them with quiet hope.

Ethan stepped inside, pulling out two bottles of fine wine and a pack of expensive cigarettes. "Uncle Donald, these are for you."

Donald waved his hands frantically. "No, no, Ethan. This wine alone is worth over two thousand yuan. And these cigarettes… I can't accept such expensive gifts."

"Look at you!" Martha scolded her husband, taking the gifts with a wide grin. "It's Ethan! What do you mean you can't accept it? We're family!" She placed one bottle on the table. "Tonight, we're opening this. I want to taste what two-thousand-yuan wine is like."

Ethan laughed and then knelt to face a little girl peeking curiously from behind Natalie. His eyes softened as he gently patted her head. "And who's this little one?"

The girl giggled shyly. "I'm Missy Su."

Ethan's heart jolted. Missy Su? The name was unmistakably meaningful. He glanced at Natalie, his mind swirling with memories of their childhood — the times she'd followed him everywhere, catching loaches and picking bird nests, or how she'd stood up for him when others bullied him.

Natalie cleared her throat. "I gave her my surname. Her father and his family… weren't happy about having a daughter."

Ethan clenched his fists, but his face remained calm. He reached into his bag, pulling out a large bag of candy and handing it to Missy. "Here you go. This candy is delicious."

"Thank you, Uncle!" The girl's smile was bright and innocent, her crescent moon eyes crinkling with joy.

Ethan stood slowly, pulling out a thick stack of cash — one hundred thousand yuan — and handing it to Martha. "Aunt Martha, this is just a little something for you and Uncle."

Martha gasped, waving her hands. "So much money?! I can't accept this!"

"Aunt Martha," Ethan said, smiling, "you just said we're family, right? If you don't take it, I'll leave and skip dinner."

Natalie nudged her mother. "Mom, just take it. Ethan's practically a landlord now — he can afford it."

With a laugh, Martha reluctantly accepted the money, beaming at Ethan. "Alright, alright. Come, sit down! Let's eat!"

That evening, they shared a meal filled with laughter and warmth, a rare moment of peace and happiness in Mistwood Village.

The next morning, Ethan barely had time to breathe before Don arrived, bringing a crew of designers, road builders, bridge builders, and house constructors. After listening to Ethan's plans and surveying the land, they accepted half of the construction funds and promised to start work the very next day.

In the afternoon, Ethan was meditating when his phone buzzed. He glanced at the screen and sighed. It was Suzie.

"Hello?"

"Ethan! I'm almost in town. Come pick me up, will you? I've got way too much stuff to carry." She didn't wait for him to answer, hanging up immediately.

Ethan shook his head, calling Blackie to hop in the car. When he reached town, Suzie was unloading a van, her arms full of bags. Ethan got out to help, glancing at the sheer number of items. "Why so much stuff?"

Suzie grinned. "If I'm going to develop Mistwood Village, I need to be prepared! As the saying goes — before the three armies move, the grain goes first."

Just as they were about to leave, Suzie suddenly shouted, "Wait!"

Ethan slammed the brakes. "What? Did you forget something?"

Ignoring him, Suzie ran to a nearby garbage bin. Moments later, she returned cradling a tiny kitten. The little creature was soft and fluffy, barely weaned, and curled contentedly in her arms.

"Found it behind the bin," she explained, stroking its fur. "Poor thing."

As soon as she climbed back into the car, the kitten squirmed free and leaped into Ethan's lap, purring loudly as it nuzzled against him.

Suzie stared. "Seriously? I rescued you, and you pick him?" She sighed dramatically. "Figures."

Ethan chuckled, scratching the kitten's ears. "Guess even animals can tell I'm the better choice."

Suzie huffed, folding her arms. "Hmph. Let's see if you're still smug when the village turns into a construction site."

Ethan just smiled, the little kitten curled up in his lap. As the car rumbled down the dusty road, he glanced out at the village, already imagining the changes to come.

Fortune, after all, makes fools of people.