Just like yesterday, Jay, who had stocked up on food, began preparing delicious meals as a reward for himself.
Armed with his excellent cooking skills, Jay prepared two main dishes for dinner.
The first was rib soup with potatoes and carrots, and fried rice noodles with sweet soy sauce.
With these two dishes, Jay felt like he was having a feast, and every cell in his body seemed to rejoice in the delicious, nutrient-rich food.
And now the next day, August 11th.
Jay woke up in the morning, feeling much more refreshed than the day before.
"It's a sunny day…" He opened the curtains to find the sun shining warmly.
Long story short, noon arrived, and Jay was sitting on his front porch, looking out.
If nothing goes wrong today, something unexpected will surely come his way.
Therefore, Jay, determined to finish everything.
At 1:40 PM, a new-looking automatic motorcycle pulled into the yard, and a well-groomed, middle-aged couple dismounted.
They both smiled when they saw Jay, who was coming to greet them.
"Uncle and auntie, please come in," Jay greeted them politely.
Although he wasn't entirely happy with them, that didn't change the fact that he still had to respect them; he did this for the sake of his deceased father and mother.
"Oh, you look much better, Jay," his aunt replied with a smile.
His uncle simply smiled politely back.
The three of them sat in Jay's living room. "What would you like to drink, uncle and auntie?" Jay asked politely.
"Just make two hot teas, Jay," his aunt replied.
"Okay, wait a moment, uncle and auntie." Jay then went to the kitchen to make two cups of tea.
(There's a tradition among the residents of Detos that when guests come to someone's home, they should serve at least a glass of tea as a courtesy and respect. However, if the host only serves plain water, it's a sign that the host is unhappy with the guest's arrival and wishes them to leave soon.)
Soon after, Jay arrived, carrying two cups of warm tea and politely placed them in front of his aunt and uncle.
Seeing this, his aunt asked.
"Is everything okay, Jay?" his aunt asked.
"Everything's fine, Auntie," Jay replied curtly.
"That's good, but I heard from your neighbors that you rarely go out, Jay. Is that true?" His uncle asked, seemingly concerned.
"Yes, Uncle. I've had a lot of moving writing work lately, so Jay hasn't been out of the house much," Jay replied again, simply.
"Oh, do you earn enough money from writing?" his aunt asked this time.
"Enough to feed Auntie," Jay replied again. He had no intention of telling his aunt and uncle that his writing career wasn't as smooth and rosy as he claimed.
Because Jay knew where this conversation was headed, and he didn't want to make it an excuse for his aunt and uncle.
"Oh, may I know how much you earn a month?" His uncle asked again.
"Around $3,000-$3,500, Uncle," Jay replied.
"That's less than the minimum wage, Jay," his aunt replied again.
"Yes, Auntie, but it's enough for Jay," Jay replied again, not wanting to dwell on the topic of his writing salary.
"Isn't it a shame about your college degree? If you want, Auntie has contacts who can get you a job at a company or factory?" his aunt replied.
("It's already started!!) Jay sighed inwardly.
"No need, Auntie. Jay is satisfied and content," Jay replied again with a smile.
"Look at your house, Jay. It's time for renovations," his uncle interrupted.
"Yes, Uncle is right. If Jay has the money, Jay will renovate it," Jay replied, agreeing with his uncle's suggestion.
"But with your current income, Jay, that seems very difficult. How about Auntie and Uncle lend you some money?" his aunt said again.
"No, Auntie, later. Jay doesn't want to go into debt," Jay replied firmly. The longer Jay felt, the more irritated he became. He began to sound firm in his words.
"Don't refuse. You can think about it first. Auntie and Uncle don't lack the money to renovate your house," Jay replied. The uncle again.
"No, Uncle," Jay replied, still stubborn.
"Fine, if you don't want to, but I want to tell you that your house in hometown seems neglected, so what do you want?" His aunt asked again, then asked about the house in the village.
(I already know this is what you guys want) Jay said again in his mind.
"Just leave it like that for now. When there's time and opportunity, Jay will come home to see it," Jay replied again.
"When can you come home? Don't wait until your house is damaged, Jay," his uncle said again.
"Yes, Jay, don't waste your parents' efforts. Let your cousin take care of it. It will definitely be better," his aunt also said.
(If I hand it over to my cousin, I'm afraid I won't be able to restore the house when I return!). He snorted in annoyance.) Jay said again in his heart, feeling dissatisfied, but on the outside, he remained calm.
"No, Auntie, I don't want to bother my cousin. And don't bring up my parents' house back home again. Leave it as it is, don't bring it up again." Jay spoke this time in a firm tone.
"Okay, since you don't want to, I can't force you, but there's one thing I need to tell you: your cousin is going to renovate his house in the village.
And I noticed that the side yard of your house is quite large and neglected, so what do you plan to do about it?" the uncle asked Jay, stating the main thing he wanted when he came to Jay's office.
"Uncle, don't make it complicated. It'll be a hassle for the village officials. It's better if you tell my older cousin that he can buy the neighbor's abandoned land and then build his own parking lot," Jay was no longer polite this time, answering in a firm tone and voice.
As for whether his uncle and aunt understood what he meant, Jay didn't care. He simply wanted to tell them that the land and house he inherited from his family, located right next to his uncle's, were his family's inheritance in his hometown and could not be disturbed by anything.
Seeing Jay's strong reaction, his uncle's face turned ugly, and anger flashed in his eyes.
"You!!! Why are you like that? Isn't it good to help your fellow brothers!?" His uncle shouted in dissatisfaction.
Jay who was being yelled at by his uncle wanted to explode and use his uncle again, but he still tried to hold back, because after all, he knew this was still within limits.
So, Jay then stood up from his seat and walked towards the cupboard in the living room.
Seeing what Jay did, his aunt and uncle initially wanted to get angry again and ask him what he was doing, disrespecting the elders who were talking.
But then Jay's next move silenced them both.
Because Jay simply picked up a photo frame containing his family and placed it on the living room table facing his aunt and uncle.
"Please talk to my mom and dad. If you get their approval, I will willingly agree to your proposal!!" This time, Jay spoke in a cold tone and an indifferent expression.
Seeing this, his aunt spoke in a restrained tone, "Okay, Jay, uncle and auntie are going home." She took the initiative to take her husband' s hand and leave Jay's house.
As for his uncle, he remained silent, his face cold, and he had no intention of speaking further. He obediently followed his wife out of Jay's house.
As for Jay, he sat quietly in his living room chair, only to feel relieved when he heard the sound of a motorcycle exiting the yard.
"Dad...Mom, I hope you understand my attitude!" He spoke to the photo of his family.