Chapter 5

"Mom, I bought this smartphone for you in town," Lucy said. "There's also one for Dad. You guys don't have to use your old phones anymore." "And here are some clothes and shoes for you two," she added and urged them. "Try them on!" "A smartphone? Aren't they expensive?" Gordon asked, quickly setting aside his tools and wiping his hands. Very few people had smartphones in the village. They would watch short videos on their phones, and sometimes he would sneak a look. He'd heard that someone's son bought them for them as a Christmas present. Now, Gordon also had one himself. Thrilled, he took the packaging and unwrapped it. "How do I use this?" he asked, clearly at a loss. "Wait, I'll go ask Jonathan! He knows how to use it!" With that, he immediately dashed out with his new phone. "I'm right here! Why don't you let me teach you?" Lucy called out to her father, though he had already run off with a wide grin. "Your dad is going to show off to Jonathan." Their neighbor, Jonathan Shaw, had gotten a smartphone during Christmas and had been showing it off ever since. Many old folks in the village envied him. Lucy sighed, glancing at the new clothes and shoes she had bought for her father. "But he still hasn't tried on the clothes and shoes!" "He'll try them on when he gets back," Sharon said. "Lucy, feed the chickens while I go try these on!" Touching the clothes, she exclaimed, "This fabric feels so comfortable!" While Sharon went inside to try on her clothes and shoes, Gordon had gone off to show off his new smartphone. Lucy had no choice but to feed the chicks. "Grow up quickly so we can roast you and trade you for gold!" She snickered, staring at the fluffy little chicks as if they were gold. Buying so many things for her parents had caused quite a stir in the village, and Tatiana was no exception. She had just returned from her eldest son's place when she heard from the other villagers that her granddaughter had splurged on a lot of things. She hurried home and ran into Sharon, who was dressed in new clothes and shoes. "Lucy, these clothes are really nice. These shoes are amazing too!" Sharon exclaimed. "I've never worn shoes this comfortable!" She always wore cheap canvas shoes she bought from the marketplace. Seeing how delighted her mother was, Lucy felt satisfied. She would make more money in the future and make sure her parents live a comfortable life. Tatiana scoffed loudly, trying to draw their attention. "How can you work wearing this?" "I bought these for my mom. She can wear whatever she likes!" Lucy fired back, clearly displeased. Since she was young, her grandmother never liked her mother and often insulted her. A pang of jealousy shot through Tatiana. She could tell that Sharon's clothes weren't cheap, yet Lucy had bought an entire set for her. The worst part was that Lucy hadn't bought anything for her! "I heard you bought your mom a smartphone," Tatiana began. "But she never went to school and barely knows how to read. Why don't you give it to your cousin, who's in high school this year?" "What does that have to do with my mom? If he wants one, get Uncle Oscar to buy one for him! No one else is allowed to take what I bought for my mom," Lucy retorted with a sneer. She used to not have the confidence to go against her grandmother. But not anymore. "I'm doing this for your good!" Tatiana hollered. "You'll get married in a few years, and there will be no one left to manage this household!" "In a few years?" Lucy shot back. "Does my opinion not matter at all?" "He's your cousin! What's wrong with buying him something?" Seeing that Lucy was about to get into a heated argument with Tatiana, Sharon quickly intervened. She didn't want Tatiana to run her mouth and ruin Lucy's reputation. "I bought it anyway, so I have the right to decide who I want to give it to!" Lucy said firmly, ending the conversation. Just then, her phone rang. It was the delivery. She hurried to the door to grab the large package. "Look at you, wasting more money again! You've just come back, yet you've already splurged so much!" Tatiana shrieked. She was annoyed at the fact that Lucy bought things for everyone in the family except for her. She was still wearing patched clothes and worn-out shoes. "Mom, those clothes are for Gran and Grandad," Lucy said as she carried the computer upstairs to her room. "Oh, alright! I'll take them to your grandparents right now. They'll be over the moon!" Sharon's parents lived in the neighboring village, just a ten-minute bike ride away. Tatiana stood frozen in the empty yard, finally realizing that everyone had gifts but not her. "Grandma, I was worried that you'd scold me for wasting money, so I didn't buy anything for you," Lucy explained. "You're so frugal, after all." Tatiana's face turned red with anger. She wasn't worried about wasting money—she just didn't want to use her own. Lucy was just using this as an excuse. How could she claim to be worried about wasting money when she'd already bought so many things for her maternal grandparents? Knowing that her granddaughter had deliberately not bought her anything, Tatiana became angrier. … "Jonathan, can you help me turn on this new smartphone?" Gordon had gone to his neighbor with his new phone. "Wow, you got a new phone," Jonathan exclaimed, noticing the luxurious iPhone in Gordon's hands. It had to cost at least 2,000 dollars. Jonathan's son had only bought him a 1,000-dollar off-brand smartphone on Christmas. "Well, my daughter bought it for me. I didn't want it, but she insisted. She even cried when I refused to accept it! So, I had no choice but to take it. That girl just doesn't listen—she always splurges!" Gordon said, his wide grin belying his reprimand. Jonathan's expression darkened. Seeing how smug Gordon was, he grew irritated and forced a smile. "I don't know how to use this new model either. You should find someone else to teach you." He didn't believe that Lucy, who had just graduated, could earn that much money. Maybe she bought it on a loan. "Really? Then I'll just ask my daughter to teach me!" Gordon beamed. Infuriated, Jonathan stormed back home. He had been thrilled when his son bought him a new phone and had shown it off around the village. But before long, Gordon's daughter had bought him an even better one. He was seething with anger. While Gordon continued showing off his new phone, Sharon grabbed the things Lucy bought for her parents and zoomed on her bike to their place. The moment she arrived, she beamed and said, "Mom, Lucy bought you these clothes from town! Try them on and see if they fit!"