Chapter 306

“A benefactor is coming! A benefactor is coming! Our Melver Mountain Village is so lucky! Good fortune is coming!” Tiffany watched in surprise as the village chief, a man in his sixties, babbled excitedly.

What kind of benefactor could elicit so much excitement?

The children surrounded him, curiously asking, “Grandpa, what is a benefactor?”

The village chief stopped and said happily, “This lady before you, who gave us food, clothes, and funded the school’s construction, is a benefactor. And this benefactor coming soon will build factories, roads, and bridges for us. He will also promote tourism. In the future, we won’t have to climb suspended stairs or worry about selling our cotton every year. Every family will have enough food and clothing. From then on, your parents won’t have to leave the village to work; they can have jobs and income here. This person is a great benefactor!”

As the village chief spoke, tears welled in his eyes. No words could express his gratitude. The villagers had assumed Melver Mountain Village would languish for generations. The arrival of this huge surprise was completely unexpected. It was no exaggeration to hail this benefactor as their savior!

Tiffany felt very happy for the village chief. Building roads, bridges, and factories meant all villagers would have future jobs. Promoting tourism would bring fame, population growth, and improved education and medical resources. However, these were massive projects requiring huge budgets. A benefactor who could invest such an astronomical sum must come from an extraordinary background. At any rate, it was good news.

“That’s great news,” Tiffany said.

“Miss Kelley, we should be grateful to you. If it weren’t for your help, we wouldn’t have had this opportunity,” the village chief said, wiping his eyes and smiling, revealing a row of white teeth. For some reason, he believed Tiffany brought them this good luck.

“It wasn’t me. No need to thank me…” Tiffany demurred repeatedly. Suddenly, the old man bowed deeply. Tiffany was shocked. “Please get up! I didn’t do anything, honestly.” Previously, when she arranged for the charity staff to distribute supplies, the village chief had brought the entire village to bow in gratitude. She knew they were grateful, but the building of roads and bridges had nothing to do with her.

Chapter 300

Tiffany only managed to get the old man to straighten up with difficulty. He then hurried away to arrange accommodation for the mystery benefactor. Oddly enough, the benefactor was to stay in the farmhouse adjacent to Tiffany’s lodging. The villagers busied themselves repairing and cleaning houses—doing everything they could to show their warm hospitality.

Zoe puzzled over the benefactor’s identity. “Tiffany, who do you think this fellow is?”

“Hmm…” Tiffany thought for a moment. That devilishly handsome face suddenly appeared in her mind. She quickly shook her head. “No idea.”

By the time Tiffany’s group arrived at the village, it was afternoon. After distributing supplies, everyone sat down to a sumptuous meal of farm cooking. Night fell. Occasionally, dogs barked. Unlike cities, mountain villages lacked entertainment. After sunset, villagers usually chatted or slept.

Tiffany and Zoe were staying with the village chief, who had a lovable granddaughter named Grelle. As she was about the same age as Zoe, the two girls hit it off immediately.

“I can’t sleep anyway. Why don’t we play Slap Jack?” Zoe whipped out a deck of cards with a sly smile. Tiffany couldn’t bear to dampen her spirits, so she joined in. The three girls sat cross-legged on the bed and played with gusto.

At that moment, exclamations were heard outside. Soon, the distant droning of helicopters grew louder. Judging by the sound, dozens were flying toward Melver Mountain.

Grelle was lively. Hearing the commotion, she jumped off the bed. “Tiffany, Zoe, you two carry on. I’ll go take a look and maybe help Grandpa entertain the guests!”

“Sure, go ahead.” Without her vivacious friend, Zoe wasn’t in the mood to play anymore. She sprawled on the bed glumly after waving goodbye listlessly. To cheer her up, Tiffany offered to play a two-person game. “Come on. Let’s play the two-person version.”

Zoe sprang back to life, her eyes shining. “Okay! What’s the stake?”

“Let’s decide after the game. I can’t think of anything now.”

“Okay!” The two girls continued the card game. The commotion outside grew louder. People carrying lanterns hurried past their bedroom window.

Chapter 300 (continued)

Everyone in the village was excited; they believed the mystery benefactor had arrived. Out of curiosity, Zoe wanted to go out and take a look, but Grelle returned at that point. For some reason, the young girl’s face was very red on her return, though perfectly normal when she left.

“What… what’s wrong with you? Do you have a fever?” Zoe reached out to feel Grelle’s forehead. Grelle jumped onto the bed and buried her face in the blanket. She giggled foolishly and only raised her head after a long while. Her eyes sparkled with joy.

“Oh! The visitor is so handsome! Tiffany, Zoe, you should see him. I don’t even know how to describe him. In short, he’s really super handsome!”

Grelle, having studied in the city, had a cheerful personality and spoke without the inhibition of a typical bashful girl. Tiffany smiled silently, but Zoe teased Grelle. “Oh, I see. Someone is in love. Perhaps it is love at first sight. That’s why you ran back with a red face, isn’t it?”

Grelle was so embarrassed she didn’t dare raise her head. “Gosh! You are so mean, Zoe. I didn’t…”

Zoe burst into laughter. Afterward, she lost interest in the card game and grilled Grelle relentlessly. Tiffany yawned and went outside for fresh air.

Big lamps had been set up, illuminating almost the whole village. Tiffany peeped at the farmhouse next door and saw the villagers had left. The place was crawling with well-trained bodyguards. Everything in the farmhouse had been renovated; in the afternoon, it was a regular farmhouse; by nighttime, it had transformed into a vacation house. It seemed this benefactor knew how to enjoy himself and was accustomed to a good life.

Tiffany was about to turn back when she saw a man emerging from the farmhouse to throw something away before returning hurriedly. That figure looked like… John Ross? Was she mistaken? If John Ross was here, wouldn’t that mean the esteemed guest staying in that farmhouse was Richard Hampton?