Chapter 75: Stonecreek Village’s Submitted Data Might Be Fake?

Chapter 75: Chapter 75: Stonecreek Village’s Submitted Data Might Be Fake?

Just then, Auntie Landon brought over some food.

Old Man Landon hurriedly pushed the Osmanthus Cake toward Rian Sinclair and poured a bowl of wine for everyone present. "Boss, try this Osmanthus Cake. I specifically told my wife to bring out a low-proof osmanthus wine, so it’s perfectly fine for you ladies to have a little."

He smiled with an honest, simple charm. Auntie Landon brought out the rest of the snacks, smiling shyly. "Boss, try my cooking. In this whole village, our family’s Osmanthus Cake is the absolute best, and our osmanthus wine is the most fragrant!"

Rian didn’t refuse. She took a couple of bites of the Osmanthus Cake and a sip of the osmanthus wine. The floral aroma immediately burst on her tongue. "Your cooking is excellent, Auntie."

The couple exchanged a smile at her words. As if suddenly remembering something, Old Man Landon nudged his wife’s arm. "Wife, the Boss and her team are heading up to Stonecreek Village tomorrow. Isn’t your old man still living there? Didn’t you use to go up and visit him every year? Tell the three of them what the situation is like up there so they can be prepared."

Auntie Landon shook her head. "I haven’t been up there in six or seven years. My older brother infuriated me to death. He told me never to go up the mountain again, claiming I was trying to fight him for the family inheritance. Our family was dirt poor—he couldn’t even afford to get a wife! What damn inheritance was there to fight over? My dad always favored sons anyway, so he joined my brother in driving me away. I haven’t gone up since, and I don’t even know how my old man is doing up there."

She sighed, her eyes full of melancholy. Hearing this, Rian set down her wine.

She wondered, "So her father favored sons over daughters, and she hasn’t been back in six or seven years? What exactly is the situation up on that mountain right now?"

Old Man Landon looked surprised. "Wife, why didn’t you tell me this before? If you had, I would have marched straight up that mountain and beaten your brother to a pulp to vent your anger! What era are we living in that he’s still turning a father against his own daughter? And your dad is something else, too. You’re such a hardworking and capable girl, yet he only spoils that useless son of his. How foolish."

Indignant, Old Man Landon picked up his bowl of wine from the table and downed it in one gulp. His wife smiled, took the empty bowl, and refilled it. "I’ve been living a good life here for a long time now, haven’t I? Your parents dote on me, and Eggsy is well-behaved. We’ll just keep living our days like this. My dad has my brother to fulfill his filial duties. I don’t want to go up there and ask for trouble, or I’ll just end up suffering again."

Auntie Landon smiled shyly and looked at Rian. "Please don’t mind me, Boss. Hearing my husband mention the village just brought it all back to mind. I don’t know what you’re planning to do up on the mountain, though."

"The Boss is going to do charity work," Old Man Landon chimed in. "Don’t you remember Stonecreek Village being pretty poor? She wants to help the impoverished folks there, maybe sponsor some kids’ schooling or something like that."

Auntie Landon looked completely bewildered. "Is Stonecreek Village poor? I don’t think so. I remember when I left, everyone in the village had already built proper multi-story brick houses. They built them even earlier than we did. If anyone was poor, it was probably just my dad’s family.

"But Boss, if you’re going to help my brother’s family, please don’t. It’s not that I’m unfilial; it’s just that once you help them, they’ll latch onto you like leeches. I used to bring them food and clothes every year until they drove me away. That brother of mine is a despicable person."

After Auntie Landon angrily rattled off this long speech, Rian and Fiona Sinclair exchanged a glance.

Fiona’s voice rang out in the living room. "We came here because we saw the information submitted to the foundation. According to you, Auntie, the village isn’t actually poor? That means the forms were filled out with false information."

"It was definitely made up!" Auntie Landon replied. "They already had sturdy brick-and-mortar houses six or seven years ago. After all these years, could they possibly have gone backward?"

Old Man Landon handed his wife a cup of water. She took a sip and continued, "I was probably the last person to leave the village. No one else has come out since. Well, except recently when my husband went up the mountain to help Ox carry his wife down. Speaking of which, Old Man Landon and I have never been able to figure it out. Why wouldn’t their own neighbors lend a hand? Why did they have to come down and ask people from the foot of the mountain? The people in that village must be regressing in their ways."

Rian sipped her wine. Listening to Auntie Landon’s words, it seemed there was definitely something wrong with Stonecreek Village.

She wondered, "Is it a hub for trafficking female college students? A human trafficking ring?"

"Hold on a second, Boss. I need to bring some food up to Daisy," Auntie Landon said, slapping her thighs as she stood up. "She’s still upstairs recovering from childbirth. She needs to eat well, or she’ll suffer from long-term health issues." She hurriedly headed upstairs.

Rian watched her retreating back and asked Old Man Landon, "Is Ox here too?"

Old Man Landon shook his head. "Only his wife is here for her postpartum recovery. He went back to the village, saying there was some business he needed to attend to." He took a sip of wine and continued, "Do you want to go take a look at Ox’s wife, Boss? She’s a beautiful, fresh-faced girl. I have no idea where Ox managed to find a wife like her. She doesn’t look like a local."

Fiona refilled Old Man Landon’s wine bowl. "Not a local? Then where did she come from? Why would she marry into such a remote place? Isn’t her family worried?"

Old Man Landon hadn’t thought much of it before, but after Mr. Sinclair pointed it out, it did seem a bit strange. After pondering for a moment, he said, "How about this? When Ox comes over for dinner tonight, we can ask him."

Nodding firmly to himself, Old Man Landon hurriedly ran off to tell his wife about the matter.

In the living room.

Rian picked up a piece of Osmanthus Cake, popped it into her mouth, then picked up the wine from the table and took a sip.

"Miss," Fiona said, "after hearing Auntie Landon’s words, I’m afraid there really is something off about this village. However, the data they submitted into the system checked out as authentic. It wasn’t faked."

Rian leaned back against the sofa. If the data hadn’t been fabricated, then it was possible there really was a group of people in the village who fit the criteria and submitted the information.

She wondered, "What is their goal? To lure us here?"

"Let’s assess the situation first. We’ll go see Ox’s wife later," Rian said.

Fiona nodded. "I’ll go coordinate things on my end. Will you want to see Ox when the time comes, Miss? And are we still going to Stonecreek Village?"

"As for Ox, we’ll decide whether to see him after we’ve seen his wife. As for Stonecreek Village... we’re already here, so why wouldn’t we go?"

Rian turned and instructed Aiden Sinclair, "Go to the small supermarket nearby and buy some postpartum supplies. Pick up a few pieces of clothing too—just grab some one-size-fits-all dresses."

Aiden nodded in acknowledgment, immediately stood up, and headed out. Rian had noticed the small supermarket when they first entered the village; it was quite convenient. There was also a ready-to-wear clothing shop nearby. Though it was called a village, it looked more like a small town, just without the bustling crowds.

Aiden returned very quickly. The supermarket wasn’t far, and the clothing shop was right next to it, so it didn’t take much time at all. He set the purchased items aside.

Shortly after, Old Man Landon ran out from the kitchen area. Fiona smiled and said, "Uncle Landon, we bought some postpartum supplies and plan to bring them over to Ox’s wife. We came here to help Stonecreek Village, so naturally, we’ll lend a hand however we can, even before we head up there."

Old Man Landon looked at the bags on the table. "Oh my, you really spent too much. I’ll thank the Boss on behalf of Ox’s wife."

Rian waved her hand dismissively. "Supplies are limited here, so we couldn’t buy any health tonics or anything like that. Let’s go see Ox’s wife first."