Chapter 541: Vernon Spann Leaves the Village
A groggy Amanda Chapman took a while to come to her senses. "What for? To buy popsicles?"
"Cousin, something terrible has happened."
Tang Xiaonan’s chubby little face was serious, and her solemn expression made Amanda Chapman wake up completely. Her heart sank, and her own face grew serious as she asked in a grave tone, "What happened? Did you lose another tooth?"
"No, my teeth are fine. I just had a dream about Mark Xavier."
Tang Xiaonan felt a little exasperated. ’To a real kid, even losing a tooth is a huge deal. I still can’t keep up with Amanda Chapman’s way of thinking.’
The moment Amanda Chapman heard it wasn’t about a lost tooth, she relaxed. She broke off a tender young thistle from the side of the road, peeled it, and started eating the stalk inside. "What about Mark Xavier?" she asked casually.
(I wonder if you’ve ever eaten this plant. When we were kids, we called them ’thorny sprouts.’ The stem has thorns, but the tender stalk at the top is very refreshing and quenches your thirst after you peel it. I can’t say it was delicious, but it’s a sweet childhood memory.)
"He drowned himself in the pond. He even left a letter written in blood, telling his family to send his sister to school, or else he would come back to haunt them."
Amanda Chapman was so scared she shot bolt upright. Even though the cicadas were buzzing incessantly and the sun was hot enough to peel your skin, she felt a chill run through her, from head to toe. The thistle in her mouth suddenly tasted like nothing, and her teeth began to chatter uncontrollably.
"D-d-dead? I-i-is it r-r-real... or f-f-fake...?"
"It’s real. I just saw it in my dream. He was cold as ice, his face was whiter than a sheet, and his eyes were wide open, like this," Tang Xiaonan said with exaggeration. Amanda Chapman glanced around nervously and subconsciously shifted into a patch of sunlight.
"D-don’t say any more... It’s... it’s too scary..."
Tang Xiaonan laughed to herself and said comfortingly, "Don’t be scared, Cousin. Mark Xavier is still alive and well right now, but we have to figure out a way to save him, or he really will die."
Amanda Chapman blinked and immediately snapped out of it. ’That’s right, he’s not even dead yet, so what the hell am I afraid of?’ Back to her old self, Amanda Chapman yanked up another thorny sprout and began munching on it with relish. "So, we’re going to save him now? Do you know when he’s going to jump into the pond?"
Tang Xiaonan shook her head. "I don’t know for sure, but it’s definitely going to be during this summer vacation. I was thinking we could have our cousin keep an eye on him."
Amanda Chapman nodded. "That’s a good idea. Come on, let’s go to Xavier Village."
She peeled another thorny sprout, stuffed it in Tang Xiaonan’s mouth, and started pulling her toward Xavier Village, muttering under her breath, "That idiot’s brain must be full of maggots. Jumping in a pond for no good reason... no wonder he seemed off the other day. What an idiot!"
"Brain full of maggots" was one of Raina’s favorite sayings, and Amanda Chapman had now learned to imitate it perfectly. Tang Xiaonan had no interest in the thorny sprout; she chewed it a few times and spat it out. Together with Amanda Chapman, she pressed on toward Xavier Village under the scorching sun.
However, they ran into Jacqueline Spann and her father halfway there. The two of them were talking under a tree at a fork in the road and hadn’t noticed the girls. Tang Xiaonan and Amanda Chapman ducked behind a tree, wanting to hear what the father and daughter were saying. They were sure it was nothing good.
"Dad, once you get to Auntie’s place, write me a letter. Please, come get me soon," Jacqueline Spann said, her voice choked with sobs.
She had been hoping her parents would divorce, and now they finally had. But the outcome left her in even greater despair: she had been left with Phoenix Golding. Jacqueline Spann knew perfectly well that Phoenix Golding meant her no good. Her mother would force her into years of hard labor, and once she’d squeezed every last drop of use out of her, she’d marry her off to someone in the mountains to collect a bride price. If she couldn’t get away from Phoenix Golding, that would be her certain fate.
A haggard and frail Vernon Spann was heartbroken, blaming himself for his powerlessness. He patted Jacqueline Spann’s head and also said in a choked voice, "Dad will come get you as soon as I can, but... will your aunt really take me in?"