Chapter 25: Not Far From Death

After a flurry of panic and chaos, Caleb, Brandon, and Logan managed to carry Lester Liew into the house.

With so many eyes watching, Clara couldn't very well insist on leaving Lester on the ground. Somewhat reluctantly, she gave up her own single bed and let him lie down.

She didn't mind, really. She had a straw mat and a thick quilt for tonight—no need to fight over that straw-stuffed bed board.

Old Walter Liew sent his grandson Ryder off to fetch the barefoot doctor from the village to check on Lester.

Adam and his three younger siblings had been hiding, listening to the commotion in the courtyard. Once things quieted down, they cautiously opened the door and stepped outside, looking to Clara first.

"It's over. The debt's settled. Go see your father—I'm going to unload the goods," Clara told them, before turning and heading toward the ox cart still parked by the bridge.

The cart driver had just witnessed an entire spectacle of debt and repayment. He glanced at Clara with a bit of apprehension now.

But he was a quiet sort by nature. Clara simply asked him to drive the cart up to the courtyard, and he did so obediently.

The cart was loaded to the brim, and the sight made several people's eyes burn with envy.

Martha and Kate couldn't help but sneak glances over. Martha let out a cold snort. "What are you looking at? Can't you see it's already getting dark? Go home and start cooking!"

Then she added abruptly, "Make dinner for Caleb's family too."

Kate didn't say anything, only nodded with a quiet "Okay."

But Doreen was surprised. "Didn't Caleb's family already split off? Why are we still cooking for them? It's not like grain falls from the sky into our bins."

Her muttering earned her a sharp glare from Martha—daggers, practically.

Kate didn't bother with her sister-in-law. She turned and walked toward the old house. Doreen, seeing that, had no choice but to hurry after her.

In the main house, it was crowded with people. Clara quickly tidied up the side room where the four kids had been sleeping and had the cart driver unload the goods there.

First came six sacks of grain, followed by three thick quilts, three thin quilts, three straw mats, two bolts of cotton-linen fabric, and a pile of second-hand clothes and shoes.

There were also several large clay jars with lids—filled with oil, salt, soy sauce, and vinegar—two wooden buckets, two large basins, and some miscellaneous household goods like sewing supplies and bowls.

Last but not least—two 2.5 kg slabs of pork.

The moment the meat appeared, every eye was glued to it.

Clara had barely turned to pay the cart driver when she heard the unmistakable sound of people gulping behind her.

"Adam!" she called toward the main house.

Adam, who had been hovering anxiously by Lester's bedside, ran out immediately. "Auntie?"

Clara lifted one slab of pork and handed it to him. "Take this to your eldest uncle's wife. Tell her this is for the straw she lent and for feeding you all these past days."

The old household hadn't officially split—technically, anything she gave still belonged to the three Liew brothers. But Clara wanted to give this gesture to Doreen, the eldest sister-in-law. She'd be happier that way.

How Doreen chose to distribute the meat after that? Clara didn't care.

Adam swallowed hard. That was a lot of meat. But he knew Clara had her reasons. He glanced nervously toward the house. "What about Dad?"

"I said he'll be fine. So he'll be fine. Go on, the doctor's on his way."

Just as she spoke, Ryder came charging back with the doctor.

As they approached, the doctor caught sight of the slab of pork in Adam's hands and visibly trembled. His eyes locked onto the meat like magnets, and in his distraction, he nearly tripped and fell flat on his face.

Clara reached out and grabbed his arm just in time.

"Go on," she signaled to Adam.

Seeing the doctor arrive, Adam finally felt reassured and carried the meat toward the old house.

"I'm coming too!" Ryder grinned at Clara to show his gratitude, then turned on his heel and raced after Adam, calling out as he went:

"Wait up, Adam! I'll come with you!"

"What for? I don't need you to come."

"Come on, let me go with you. That pork is heavy. I'll help carry it."

"I don't need your help."

"Alright, but if it gets too heavy, just say the word."

Adam quickened his pace.

Ryder sped up to match him.

Clara stood halfway up the slope, watching them, amused.

Then she turned and stepped back into the main house, her expression sobering.

The room was small to begin with. With the doctor inside, there were ten people total—it felt like you couldn't even turn around.

Old Walter Liew promptly shooed Ben and the twins out. "Go back to the old house—nothing you kids can do here."

Ben didn't hesitate to grab Chad and Deb's hands and head out. He'd just seen Adam take that big slab of pork over—there was definitely meat for dinner tonight.

As for the good-for-nothing father lying on the bed? Ben wouldn't even bother roasting pork with him.

"Doctor, how is he?" Clara asked as she entered the room. Everyone instinctively stepped aside to make way for her.

The man on the bed, motionless until now, started to tremble slightly as she approached.

Clara noticed and glanced at him, letting out a small, ambiguous chuckle. That faint mocking sound made Lester lose control of his fear and open his eyes.

The doctor had just been about to lift his eyelids to check—he nearly jumped out of his skin when Lester suddenly opened them.

Realizing what had happened, the doctor let out a sigh of relief and patted his chest. "If he's awake, then that's good. Looks like it's all superficial injuries—nothing serious. Just apply some ointment and let him rest for a few days."

Old Walter and the others immediately began asking Lester how he felt, if anything hurt.

Lester was sucking in cold breaths, unable to speak. His face was covered in bruises, and even the slightest movement was agony. Everything hurt.

The doctor found it a bit odd—normally people didn't just punch the face. What had Lester done to get his mug turned into a pig's head?

But it wasn't his business. He wisely kept quiet and told the Liews to send someone with him to fetch medicine.

He had anti-inflammatory and pain-relief herbs at home—collected from the mountains himself. Much cheaper than what the town pharmacy charged.

Old Walter sent Caleb to get the medicine, then told Martha and Logan to go home first. He took a washbasin of water from Clara and asked Brandon to help wipe Lester down.

Clara stepped outside, listening closely to the conversation within.

Lester, still groaning and sucking in air, asked weakly, "Big Bro… will my handsome face ever recover?"

Old Walter had just wrung out a cloth to wipe his son down. Upon hearing that, he nearly smacked him across the face.

"You're worried about your face at a time like this?! Can you eat your face? Can you drink it?!"

Lester knew he was in the wrong. Plus, it hurt too much to argue anyway. So he kept quiet.

Still, he insisted Brandon lift the washbasin so he could see himself.

When he caught sight of the pig-faced reflection in the water, he finally lost it and let out a blood-curdling scream. "AAAHHH!!!"

Clara's voice drifted in coldly: "Lester, you're hurting my ears."

The room went silent.

Truth was, Lester hadn't actually passed out earlier. After so many years, faking unconsciousness was his go-to tactic to avoid getting beaten.

So he'd heard everything—Clara and Billy's exchange, and what she said out back to Old Walter and Martha.

Knowing his own father had just sold him to Clara, this wicked woman, Lester felt his world crumbling. He almost really fainted.

Thinking back to Clara's words to Billy Lin—how she didn't care if Lester lived or died—he felt more certain than ever: he was going to die at her hands.

So when Old Walter was about to leave the room earlier, Lester mustered all his strength to grab his father's hand, tears brimming in his eyes.

"Dad, I… I want to get a divorce."

Old Walter spun around in shock. He couldn't believe Lester would be so ungrateful. She'd just paid off your debt, and now you want a divorce?

His eyes turned red with rage as he snarled word by word: "Lester, if I ever hear you say 'divorce' again, I swear I'll beat you to death myself—and then kill myself—just so our ancestors don't blame me for raising such a disgrace of a son!"

Lester dazedly wiped the spittle from his face. The sting made cold sweat pour down his back.

It was over. He really wasn't far from death now.

(End of Chapter)