Chapter 10

Marcus's heart sank. Indeed, he was thinking about getting revenge later. But Josh's words killed that idea instantly. After he had made Oliver slap himself, both Oliver and Josh showed up with knives. If he really went after his family later on, those knives would certainly not just be for show. Looking at them now, they seemed crazy enough to actually kill others. The Tates might be as poor as church mice, but unlike them, Marcus' family had something to lose. No way he was risking his life over this! With that thought in mind, Marcus forced a friendly smile and said, "Come on, guys, what's all this about? We're all neighbors here. Who said anything about revenge? Look, what happened this afternoon was wrong of me. Oliver, I'll apologize to you, okay?" Seeing Marcus back down, Oliver lowered his knife. But Josh gave a cold laugh. "Everyone in this village thinks they can push us around. But from now on, you guys should watch yourselves, especially you and your family. We've got nothing to lose. "Anyone who messes with us better think twice. If you don't like it, try us. We're ready to die! And you two, what're you staring at? Do you have something to say? Come test your luck then!" Josh was talking to Marcus's sons, who tried to look tough and show they were not scared. But faced with Josh's fierce words and that gleaming knife, they quickly looked away. "Dad, let's go!" Josh knew when to quit. He pulled Oliver toward the door. The five Kains stood there, faces ashen. Dissatisfied, one of his sons muttered, "Dad, are we just letting them walk away? I'll call some guys to go after them!" "Shut up!" Marcus turned his head and snapped, "Didn't you see how crazy they were? Do you want to have a knife fight with them? They're not afraid to die, but what about you? Just go hang yourself if you want to die too then!" His son was just talking big, so he felt awkward getting scolded by Marcus that way. Marcus was furious but didn't want to risk his life. After thinking it through, he got an idea. A nasty smile crossed his face. "How dare you come to my house acting tough? Just wait. I'll make sure your family starves." Walking home, Josh asked, "Why had you come?" Though Oliver was acting tough before, he was now back to his old gentle self now that they were away from the Kains. He smiled sheepishly and said, "I was just worried about you, so I followed along." "Never thought I'd see my dad turn into such a warrior! It nearly scared Marcus to death." Josh laughed. Oliver was a little embarrassed. He then thought of something and turned serious. He said, "I thought you were just returning money. Why did you bring a knife? That's no way to reason with people. If I hadn't come, who knows what might've happened! Were you trying to get us all killed?" "I came prepared because I knew they were bullies. They're all bark, no bite," Josh said confidently. "You're full of it." Oliver remembered something else and asked, "Wait, you said you paid him back? I didn't give you any money. Where did it come from?" "It's from selling sandwiches. Like I told you, I went to town to do business." As he spoke, Josh pulled money from his pocket. "Look, I made over 120 dollars today with a profit of 50 to 60 dollars." Oliver froze in his tracks as he stared at the cash. He rubbed his eyes. Turning the bills over and over, he finally made sure they were real. "What kind of sandwich brings in that kind of money?" Having barely left the village his whole life, Oliver couldn't understand how it was possible to make this much in a day. He wondered if his son had turned to robbery. "If you don't believe me, come with me tomorrow and see for yourself. Why would I lie about this?" Oliver was silent for a moment. He then said, "Fine. I'm coming with you tomorrow." He had to see what his son was really up to. It would be alright if it was honest business. But if Josh had gone into some shady business, he would drag him home no matter what! Back home, Ava's face turned white with terror when she learned what they had done. She pummeled them both while crying. They had told her they were going to talk things out, but they brought knives there instead! If something had happened, she would have died of grief. When she heard about how Josh had made money in one trip to town, she was even more shocked than Oliver. She insisted on going to town with Josh tomorrow too. She had to see what kind of sandwiches could sell for that much. How could he make so much money from sandwiches that cost a dollar each? Of course, Josh did not turn them down. He was thrilled they wanted to come, as it saved him from having to explain everything. The next morning, Josh took his parents to town. Seeing him carrying two huge bags of flour, Ava's stomach knotted. Back in those days, even flour was precious, especially the fine white flour Josh was using for his buns. If they didn't sell, they would lose big! Josh just smiled. "If we can't sell it in one day, we'll sell it in two. Don't worry, we won't lose money." His confidence made Ava hold her tongue, even though she wanted to say more. At the distillery, the butcher brothers, Zack Walker and Brian Walker, had already set up their meat stand. They greeted Josh warmly. Gary was not there, though. He probably had to nurse his injuries for a few days. "Mr. Zack, give me 30 pounds of pork—the fatty kind," Josh called out. "Coming right up!" Ava's heart nearly stopped. 30 pounds of meat? She probably hadn't eaten that much in her entire life. At 1 dollar and 50 cents per pound, that would be 45 dollars in total. It was more than she and Oliver made in a month! "Josh, maybe we should buy less…" Oliver said worriedly. "It's fine." Josh waved it off. He started mixing his seasonings skillfully. Seeing him so determined, his parents kept quiet. The Walker brothers came over offering to help. Oliver and Ava couldn't let others do the work, so they politely declined. They then started kneading dough. Seeing he couldn't help, Zack wasn't upset. He smiled and said, "Josh is really something else. He's a smart kid and educated too. He's going places! You two are blessed!" It was the first time in ages anyone had praised their son. Though Oliver and Ava said nothing, their hearts swelled with pride. No matter how well Josh's business was doing, at least coming to town had brought some good news to Ava and Oliver. Soon the factory workers came off shift, and they headed straight for their usual lunch boxes. Finding that stand closed, they drifted over to Josh's stand and found him chopping meat.