Chapter 655: Goldie Thorne Comes to His Senses

Tang Xiao’nan was quite curious how Goldie Thorne had figured things out on his own. Just a week ago, he was dead set on marrying Beatrice and no one else, but now he was acting as if nothing had happened.

In truth, although Goldie Thorne had been sulking and saying harsh things to Raina, he wasn’t a fool. His parents both disapproved of him marrying Beatrice. Even if he forced the marriage, life would be miserable afterward, and the whole family would be in turmoil.

So, he decided to investigate Beatrice’s situation himself. If it was true that she’d been with several other men, he would give up on her. He wasn’t exactly a broad-minded person and was very particular about that sort of thing.

Goldie Thorne wasn’t particularly capable in other areas, but his motley crew of friends was spread all over the township. He’d spent the week staying with them and had asked for their help in digging up dirt on Beatrice.

And what they dug up was quite something. Goldie Thorne was instantly disgusted. What his eldest sister-in-law had told him was an understatement. Beatrice’s affair with that "educated youth" had caused a huge scandal in the village. They had been on the verge of getting married and had even lived together. Rumor had it she’d even gotten pregnant. As for whether the baby was aborted or given away after birth, the stories varied.

But one thing was for certain: Beatrice was definitely not a virgin.

And his eldest sister-in-law hadn’t been wrong about her other behavior, either. The woman was indeed wild at the textile factory, dating more men than you could count on one hand. In any case, her reputation in the village was hardly better than Phoenix Golding’s. Naturally, Goldie Thorne had no desire to marry such a promiscuous woman.

Once he understood the situation, Goldie Thorne decisively nipped his feelings in the bud. In truth, they weren’t deep feelings to begin with—he’d only met her once. The only reason Goldie hadn’t come home sooner was a matter of pride. He had stormed out of the house in a huff; it would have been too humiliating to come back just two or three days later.

So, he toughed it out for a week before returning. But he didn’t want to go on any more blind dates. He’d figured it out now—he wanted to find love on his own.

This was a new era; arranged dates were old-fashioned. He was a youth of the new society and had to keep up with the times by dating freely. Even his own nephew, Howard Thorne, had found a girlfriend on his own. As an uncle, he couldn’t let himself be outdone by his nephew, could he?

Raina, who just a week ago had been threatening to dunk Goldie Thorne’s head in a toilet, was now all lovey-dovey with him again, back to being a loving mother to her filial son. She was even urging him to buy a house in the city.

"Look at you, you spendthrift! Over a thousand yuan could have bought a house in the city, but instead, you brought home that hunk of metal. Now I have to boil water and sweep the floor for visitors every day. We’re paying for this trouble!"

Raina got fired up every time she thought about the television. Now, the villagers just showed up on their own every night to watch it. She had to provide them with hot water, and after they left, she had to clean the courtyard. It was driving her crazy.

"I’m not the one who invited them over! Dad and you did! I’m not taking the blame for that!"

Goldie Thorne cried foul. He’d never told the villagers to come over and watch TV. It was his old man and his mother who told everyone they met, "Come on over to our place and watch TV! Our third son just bought it. There are lots of little people inside who can sing and dance..."

Blah, blah, blah, they went on, bragging up a storm. The villagers were naturally curious, and since the owners had personally invited them, they showed up faster than you could blink.

Raina’s face flushed with embarrassment. She grumbled in frustration, "How was I supposed to know they’d stick around and not leave? It’s not right to just kick them out. Goldie, why don’t you just sell the television?"

"Just leave it. It’s just a little bit of hot water, what’s the big deal?"

But Byron Thorne refused to sell it. He was getting addicted to watching TV himself and felt out of sorts if he missed a day. If they sold it, where would he go to watch?

Besides, he could shoot the breeze with a few of his old buddies while watching. It made the house feel lively, which was good for bringing in wealth. No, they definitely couldn’t sell it.