Just as everyone was whispering and eager to know who the last donor was, the village head finally cleared his throat and said, "This person might surprise you all because when he made the donation, he insisted on doing it anonymously."
As soon as these words were spoken, the hall fell silent, and you could hear a pin drop. Everyone looked at the village head in disbelief. After a brief silence, the crowd erupted into discussions.
"Who could it be? Donating such a large sum and staying anonymous, is he really from our village?"
"Exactly! Donating fifty thousand at once, this person must be quite wealthy!"
"He's truly practicing anonymous generosity! But I'm so curious about who he is."
In my mind, I thought they wouldn't know, considering I donated to the old village chief without seeking recognition. However, at that moment, the village head unexpectedly spoke again, "Everyone, please calm down. Even though this person wanted to remain anonymous, I believe we should reveal his identity because he has contributed a lot to our village. You all need to know who he is."
The first to speak was Aunt San, "Village head, is this person really from our village?"
The village head nodded, "Not only is he from our village, but he's also someone you are very familiar with."
I thought to myself, "Oh no, is the village head going to expose my name?"
To avoid becoming the center of attention, I turned to leave. However, just as I reached the door of the hall, the village head shouted from the stage, "Alex Phoenix, where are you going? Come back quickly."
With the village head's call, everyone turned to look at me with puzzled expressions.
I replied, "Village head, let's not reveal the anonymous donor's name."
"No, we must. I want everyone to know that it was you who made the donation."
As soon as the village head said this, the entire hall fell silent again. Everyone stared at me in disbelief. Some were surprised, some were skeptical, and others couldn't fathom the situation.
At that moment, a villager stood up and asked the village head, "Is the anonymous donor Alex Phoenix?"
The village head nodded emphatically, saying, "Yes, it is Alex Phoenix. Surprised, aren't you?"
In an instant, the hall erupted into chaos. People started discussing how I, supposedly bankrupt, managed to donate fifty thousand. Some speculated that I must have become wealthy again.
I feared this situation, as having money would attract these people like parasites. I was annoyed by the whole thing.
The village head shouted again, "Alex Phoenix, come up and say a few words!"
Reluctantly, I took the microphone and stood in place, saying, "There's a misunderstanding, everyone. I haven't become wealthy; I'm still in the same situation as before. This fifty thousand is..."
Before I could finish my sentence, a villager named Chen Si interrupted, "Boss, why don't you tell us the truth? The beautiful lady from the development company, who came yesterday, claimed to be an old friend of yours. She visited your home as a friend, and your mom gave her a bag of oranges. Isn't that normal?"
Hearing this, I was dumbfounded. Was this something Anlan said? How did I not know? And when did she say it?
After Chen Si's words, the discussions resumed. Some said they had misunderstood me, while others suggested that I must be hiding my newfound wealth.
I was frustrated, realizing that explaining myself was futile. I decided to return the microphone to the village head and swiftly left the scene.
Back home, my mother was feeding the chickens in the yard. When she saw me, she asked, "Alex, did you make a donation for the old village chief?"
I nodded and replied, "Yes, I did. Mom, I have urgent matters in the city, so I need to leave today."
"Stay for one more night; it's quite late now. Is there transportation?"
"Yes, Mom. I'll come back to visit you soon. It won't take long." As I spoke, I started packing to leave.
When I was ready to leave, unexpectedly, a few relatives came to the door, each holding something.
Aunt San, the first to speak, said, "Alex, you've made progress now. As your aunt, I'm happy for you. We don't have much at home, but here are some fresh eggs for you."
Following her, Uncle San handed me a pack of cigarettes, saying, "Alex, Uncle drank a bit too much yesterday and might have said some unpleasant things. Don't take it to heart. This is a small compensation."
Before I could respond, Uncle and Aunt, also joined in, presenting a bag of homemade bean flour, mentioning that it was worth quite a bit outside the village.
Feeling helpless with their compliments and gifts, I decided not to accept anything, as taking them would change the dynamics. I smiled and said, "Aunt San, Uncle San, Uncle, Aunt, I appreciate your kindness. I understand your intentions. Please take care of my mom while I'm away."
All four assured me that they would take good care of her, as we were all family.
I couldn't help feeling embarrassed. They had said yesterday that my father's departure had split the family, but today, they were saying we were still one family. Isn't this awkward?
Of course, if they felt awkward, it wasn't my problem.
After some polite exchanges, I decided to leave. Aunt San rode her motorcycle to escort me to the town's bus station.
On the way back, I called my mother and told her not to accept any more gifts from Aunt San and the others. My mother said she understood and wasn't foolish.
Finally, after much effort, I caught the last bus to the county seat. By the time I reached my city residence, it was already 10:30 in the evening. I was exhausted from the day's events.
However, as soon as I opened the door, I saw a pair of men's shoes at the entrance. I froze. When I looked up, the bedroom door was slightly ajar, and I could hear laughter from inside – my wife and another man. Instantly, anger surged within me.
Damn it! So, in these two days I was away, my wife blatantly brought her lover home.
I couldn't bear it any longer. Today, I would expose and deal with both of them on the spot!
I rushed to the kitchen, grabbed a kitchen knife, and stormed into the bedroom.