Reincarnated as a Fisherman and a Dad Chapter 167
After Brandon gave the shrimp to his friends and close neighbors, he returned home with 10 kilograms of shrimp.
"Ma, I brought shrimp." He was naturally happy, as his life was improving. He didn't expect that 2001 would be the year his life would change. Hopefully, nothing bad would happen this year to anyone.
"You're back. What did you bring?" Carmine glanced at her son.
"Brandon, that looks heavy." An adult woman greeted Brandon, but her eyes were on the plastic bag he carried. She was clearly more interested in its contents than in greeting him properly.
"Nancy, you're here?" Brandon didn't expect his older sister to show up. His brows furrowed slightly.
'She's probably here to ask for money again,' he thought.
"Yeah, Papa invited us to eat here. Gary is also here," Nancy grinned. At least tonight, she didn't have to bother cooking for her kids, which she considered a small win.
"Uncle, give us money! We've been waiting for you!"
Three children approached Brandon, though they didn't get too close. They were uncomfortable with his crossed eyes and found him ugly. However, their uncle was generous and often gave them money, which was enough reason for them to approach him.
So whenever they saw him, they never bothered greeting him properly. They just went straight to asking for money.
"Here, 5 pesos each." Brandon didn't think much of it. He was generous to the younger generation because he had once been a child who never experienced receiving gifts from others. He didn't want them to feel the same emptiness he once felt. So whenever his nieces and nephews asked for money, he gave it to them, even if they lacked manners.
"You're such a good guy to your nephews and nieces. How about me? Why don't you give me some money? I'm thinking of buying a nice dress this week." Nancy stared intently at his wallet.
"... Don't act close to me. I still haven't forgotten that you entered my room last month." He frowned.
"But I didn't find any money, though?"
"Your intention was bad."
Nancy shrugged and went to the back of the house to pass the time, waiting for dinner. The children followed her, as they had already gotten what they wanted from Brandon.
"Ma, let's put these shrimp in the freezer so they can last longer."
"This is too much! Where did you get this? Did you buy it? Brandon, shrimp is expensive." Carmine looked at the plastic bag and couldn't believe how much shrimp there was.
"We harvested it from a shrimp farm. Karlos took me there. He knew someone from the farm, and they let us catch some," he explained casually.
"I knew it, Karlos is not that simple. So is it true that he's the child of a rich family? Yesterday, people saw a group of bodyguards visiting Karlos's house." Carmine lowered her voice.
"I don't know if he's from a rich family. And how did you even hear about the bodyguards? Our house isn't that close to theirs."
"Of course I know. I'm the best in this neighborhood when it comes to hearing gossip."
"..." Brandon didn't know what to say.
"Anyway, we should add water if we're going to freeze these shrimp. They lose quality if we freeze them without water." Carmine found a container big enough to hold the shrimp and added water to it.
"Where's Papa?" Brandon changed the topic.
"He's in the kitchen. He's preparing our dinner."
"He's cooking alone?" His brows furrowed.
"You wouldn't expect your siblings to help him. You know them." Carmine placed the container in the freezer. It was a brand-new refrigerator that Brandon had bought for his parents. Nancy and Gary had actually wanted to take it, but Gomez didn't allow them.
"Why did you even invite them?" Brandon couldn't help but ask.
"I don't know. Your father wants to talk to them about something." Carmine didn't explain further. She let her husband handle it.
"I'll go to my room first."
Brandon's room now had multiple locks after what his siblings tried to do last time. He used a key to open the door, then another to unlock his cabinet. Inside was his money and a box containing the ginseng.
He used yet another key to open the box and sighed in relief when he confirmed that the ginseng was still there.
After that, he locked the box and the cabinet again. He changed his clothes and left the room. Of course, he locked it behind him. He wasn't taking any chances.
He went to the kitchen to help his father.
"Pa, let me help you." He rolled up his sleeves.
"I'm fine. Why don't you go to the back of the house and talk to your brother-in-law and sister-in-law? They're looking for you."
"And what? Are they going to ask for money again?" His tone carried annoyance.
'It seems like their whole families are present tonight.' Brandon sighed.
Usually, only Nancy and Gary visited to ask for money. Once in a while, they brought their children, but the in-laws rarely came unless they needed something.
"They might hear you," his father warned.
"So what?"
"Anyway, the dish is nearly done. You don't have to help me."
"I'll prepare the plates and utensils then." It was better to help his father than to deal with his siblings and their partners.
A few minutes later, the food was ready. The seven people returned inside the house.
Gary and his wife had one son, while Nancy and her husband had two children, a son and a daughter.
Brandon looked at his siblings. They hadn't changed at all. They were still materialistic and greedy.
"I heard from Nancy that you brought a lot of shrimp. How about giving us some?" Gary grinned and put his arm over Brandon's shoulder, suddenly acting friendly.
"Alright, I'll give you 2 kilograms each." Brandon didn't really care. He knew his parents couldn't eat all the shrimp anyway. It was better to share some with his siblings.
"Nice, that's what I expect from you." Gary laughed lightly.
Dinner started, lively and noisy.
Gomez looked at his children. They had all grown up and started families, except for Brandon. He regretted not taking Brandon to the hospital when he was younger. Maybe his crossed eyes could have been treated, and he might have had a family of his own by now.
"I've been thinking about something. All of you are adults now." His voice turned serious.
"Pa, don't tell me you're going to talk about inheritance. Is that why you invited all of us here?" Gary joked.
"That's right," Gomez answered calmly.
"..."
Suddenly, everything went quiet.
"Your mother and I have been discussing this lately. We're getting old and can't do much anymore. We don't have jobs. Gary, Nancy, how about you take care of us when we grow older? You don't have to worry, we'll handle our own food and expenses. You just need to assist us in our daily lives."
[Thank you for reading this novel.]