Upon seeing this, Gilberto's face darkened immediately. "Is everyone just obsessed with money now?" he grumbled. "Chasel coming back safe and sound is the best gift!"
Gilberto was clearly displeased. The others noticed his anger and fell silent. Especially his youngest sister, who realized his words were directed at her, and her expression turned sour. She shot Chasel a hostile glare. Trouble-maker! Why didn't he just stay in prison? Why come back and stir things up?
Chasel, however, seemed oblivious to his aunt's glare. He reached into his coat pocket. "Dad, I know you enjoy a smoke every day. I didn't bring anything fancy this time, just like Samir, I got you a pipe and some tobacco!" he said. "I planned to give it to you after dinner."
As he spoke, Chasel revealed a pipe and a simple plastic bag filled with dried tobacco leaves, unshredded.
Samir, who had been watching Chasel closely, breathed a sigh of relief. He had feared Chasel might bring something more valuable than his own gift, which would have been embarrassing. But it turned out to be just a cheap, homemade item. How humiliating!
The other relatives, including his aunt, wore expressions of disdain. Of all things, he chose to give a pipe and tobacco. Even if it was a cheap gift, it wouldn't matter. But to give it right after Samir had presented a limited edition luxury pipe and fine tobacco was a blatant self-embarrassment!
"If it were me, I'd rather say I didn't bring a gift than show up with that!" his aunt couldn't help but sneer. The other relatives, along with Samir, looked on as if watching a spectacle.
Only Monica and Nora's expressions changed slightly, their feelings mixed.
Unexpectedly, Gilberto's face lit up with joy when he saw the pipe and tobacco in Chasel's hands, as if he had received a priceless treasure. He took them eagerly, exclaiming, "Is this from our hometown, made by the Harris family?"
"Yes, the pipe was crafted by Uncle Harris himself, and the tobacco was dried by him too. I specifically asked him to save some whole leaves for you," Chasel replied with a smile. Seeing his father so happy made him happy too.
"Good boy, you really are my son. You know I only like smoking Harris's stuff!"
Gilberto burst into laughter, giving Chasel a hearty pat on the shoulder. Just before Gilberto's hand landed, Chasel almost instinctively reacted as if he were still on the battlefield. But he quickly realized he wasn't and allowed Gilberto's hand to land on his shoulder.
Samir's expression soured a bit. To him, it seemed like Gilberto wasn't genuinely fond of these cheap goods but was instead trying to save Chasel's face. This old man was disrespecting him. Well, once he married Nora, he planned to kick this old man to the curb. Let him live with his useless adopted son!
However, Samir kept his face neutral. At least until the wedding, he needed to maintain a good relationship with his future father-in-law.
He quickly composed himself and said with a smile, "Since you like the rural stuff, Uncle, I'll make sure to pay more attention in the future. I'll always ask for your preferences first before trying to show my respect!"
His performance was gracious and proper, making the relatives nod in approval, thinking he was a promising young man. Unlike Chasel, who was seen as a disgrace.
Samir's demeanor quickly dispelled the awkward atmosphere. Monica chimed in with a smile, "We all see Samir's respect and care! Let's eat!"
Nora gave Chasel a long look. You just knew Dad's preferences and took advantage of it, she thought
Soon, everyone started eating, raising their glasses.
"Dad, a toast to you!" Chasel poured Gilberto a drink and filled his own glass, downing it in one go, displaying a soldier's boldness.
"How uncouth," muttered some of the relatives, who thought Chasel lacked the elegance and poise that Samir displayed, eating and drinking with the grace of a noble gentleman.
After several rounds of drinks and dishes, Samir suddenly turned to Chasel and asked, "Now that you're back, have you found a job?"
Before Chasel could respond, his aunt sneered, "Someone who's just come back from... well, where would he find a job? I bet he couldn't find work out there and came back to live off his family..."
It's hard for someone with a record to find a decent job! She thought
"I mean, come on, big brother, sister-in-law, you can't spoil him like this. If you hadn't pampered him since he was young, he wouldn't have done such things," she said.
Gilberto's face darkened completely. "Can't you keep quiet while we're eating?"
"Fine, I won't say anything!" His youngest sister pouted. Gilberto had a wealthy son-in-law now, and she didn't want to really offend him, knowing they might rely on his family in the future.
Samir quickly chimed in, "I've been thinking, our company is preparing to go public, and we're in need of talent. If Chasel isn't working right now, he could consider trying out at our company. After all, we're family, and I can look after him."
These flattering words pleased everyone at the table, especially the relatives with kids about to enter the workforce. Their eyes lit up at the prospect of their children getting a foot in the door at Samir's soon-to-be public company.
Suddenly, the relatives looked at Samir with even more admiration and satisfaction. Even Gilberto's expression softened, and he nodded approvingly at Samir.
Turning to Chasel, Gilberto asked, "Chasel, are you working right now?"
Chasel, respectful of his foster father's inquiry, replied honestly, "Not at the moment."
"In that case, why not consider Samir's company?" Gilberto suggested. He understood that with Chasel's past, finding a respectable job would be tough. Working at Samir's company could be a good opportunity for Chasel to build a solid resume, making it easier to find better jobs in the future.
Chasel appreciated Gilberto's intentions but was wary of Samir's underlying motives. Before Chasel could respond, Samir spoke again, turning to Chasel, "Chasel, what's your educational background? Graduate or undergraduate?"
"Don't get me wrong, it's just that different positions have educational requirements. I'm just trying to understand so I can see what kind of job might be suitable." He added.
The relatives' expressions shifted to one of schadenfreude.
"He attended a prestigious university but chose to drop out," Nora interjected.
Seeing Chasel give Samir the cold shoulder, Nora assumed he was just being prideful, so she spoke up for him. Even though she disliked Chasel now, she hoped he could find a job and adapt to society after five years, so his parents wouldn't worry. Of course, she didn't mention the truth—Chasel wasn't the one who dropped out; he was expelled after being imprisoned due to his bad reputation.
"Oh, I see," Samir pondered for a moment before saying, "With a high school diploma, you could work as a security guard or a warehouse manager.
It's about $400 a month, with room and board included. The pay isn't high, but the job is easy. If you work hard, I'll promote you and give you a raise in a few months, so no one will have anything to say!"
Promotion and raise! Upon hearing this, Chasel's aunt and other relatives widened their eyes. Initially, they felt a bit smug about Chasel working as a security guard or warehouse manager. But the mention of promotion and raise quickly turned their envy on.
"You should really thank Samir."
"Yeah, if it were someone else, they wouldn't even offer you a job, let alone promise a promotion and raise!"
Gilberto didn't say much this time. Since Samir promised a promotion and raise, a warehouse manager position was better than a security guard. It had more potential.
Just as Samir was laying out everything clearly, Chasel raised his eyebrows and looked around at Samir and the relatives.
"Did I ever say I wanted to work at your company?"
His gaze was sharp and piercing.