"James, you're back from work," Aunt Mary greeted warmly, "Come and sit."
"Yes, Aunt Mary, hello," James responded simply, feeling indifferent towards her. In his previous life, after the great catastrophe, society fell into chaos, and they had lost contact with Uncle John's family.
"James is back," Uncle Eric chimed in with a smile. If James hadn't experienced the apocalypse, he might have thought of Eric as a good relative.
James looked at Eric's chubby face, remembering how he had caused his parents' deaths in his previous life, and felt a surge of disgust. He wanted to punch him right then and there. But since Eric hadn't committed any atrocities yet, James couldn't act out. He could only nod and say, "Yes, Uncle Eric."
James greeted each relative before sitting down. Tonight's meal was exceptionally lavish, and James found his mouth watering. Putting aside his thoughts, he focused on eating.
"This kid, still eating so messily at his age," Carol joked, half scolding.
"James, you really are lucky. No matter how much you eat, you never gain weight. Unlike me, who gains weight even by drinking water," said Aunt Susan, Eric's wife, in a falsely lamenting tone. Her face, heavily powdered, seemed almost on the verge of shedding its layers. "I'm trying to lose weight, so I can only eat some vegetables and drink water."
"Heh, in a few days, you'll lose weight whether you want to or not," James thought, sneering inwardly. He despised Aunt Susan as much as Eric. The couple was a perfect match in terms of their malice and deceit.
After dinner, Uncle Noah cleared his throat and said, "Eric, you know about James wanting to buy a house. We've been trying to gather the down payment, and you still owe us that ten thousand dollars."
Everyone fell silent, knowing the main topic of the evening had arrived.
Uncle Eric's smile faltered slightly but quickly recovered. "Oh, yes, Noah. I remember. We've had some financial strains recently, but I can assure you, we'll sort it out soon."
James smirked inwardly, knowing exactly what Eric's next move would be. "Eric," James began, his tone polite but firm, "Buying a house is a big step for me, and your timely repayment would help immensely."
Noah coughed and added, "We know it might be difficult, but any amount you can manage would be a great help."
At this point, Uncle Richard, the eldest brother, cleared his throat and said, "Noah, we've heard about James wanting to buy a house. It's a big step, and he has our support." He took out a bank card and handed it over, looking slightly embarrassed. "Mary and I discussed it, and while we don't have much spare cash after helping our son with his wedding last year, there's two thousand dollars here. Use it towards the house."
James was genuinely surprised. He hadn't expected his eldest uncle to lend him money, given their strained relationship in the previous life. He thought to himself, "Borrowing two thousand dollars from a relative isn't easy. When the apocalypse comes, I'll remember this and help them if they need it."
As the room grew quiet, all eyes turned to Eric, waiting for his response.
Uncle Richard handed over two thousand dollars, and all eyes then turned to Eric. Eric continued to smile, but he remained silent. At this point, Susan, Eric's wife, dramatically sighed, "Noah, we're really struggling right now. Our son, John, is at an age where he needs financial support, so we're really strapped for cash."
Noah's expression changed, surprised by Eric's change of heart since he had agreed to repay the money just yesterday afternoon.
"Noah, if I had the money, I'd definitely pay you back," Eric sighed, pretending to be helpless.
Seeing this, the other relatives' expressions shifted slightly. James was almost amused by how ridiculous the situation was. He decided to speak up, "Uncle Eric, the new BMW downstairs is yours, right?"
Eric hadn't expected James to bring up the new BMW so directly. His expression soured, but he quickly plastered a smile back on. "Yes, James. But my son needs a good car to support his business. If it weren't for the car purchase, I'd definitely have the money to pay Noah back."
"Oh? From John's social media, it looks like you got the BMW just last night. My dad called you around noon yesterday," James said, his tone cold.
The other relatives' faces changed at James's words. Uncle Richard frowned and asked, "Eric, did you really get the car last night?"
Eric and Susan's expressions tightened. Susan shot a venomous look at James before forcing a smile. "Yes, Eric wanted to pick an auspicious day, which is why we waited until yesterday evening. But the money was paid last week. Everyone knows that once you pay, the dealership has all the power. Eric argued for hours, but they refused to refund."
Susan's quick thinking produced a plausible excuse, almost convincing.
James inwardly laughed. "Choosing an auspicious day usually means going early in the morning, not in the evening. But I won't waste time arguing about this."
Susan, feeling triumphant at James's silence, smirked.
"Still think you can outsmart me?" James thought, noting his cousin Lucy's visible discomfort.
Next, Aunt Mary and Uncle Henry hesitated but eventually handed over one thousand dollars. James appreciated their gesture.
After Richard and Aunt Mary had contributed, Uncle David, who had been silent, glanced at his wife, Sandra, seeking her opinion. Sandra's stern look made it clear that she was against it. Uncle David's face fell.
Before coming over, Sandra had made it clear they had no money to spare. Uncle David glanced at her once more, silently pleading, but she cut in decisively, "Noah, Evelyn, you know our situation. Tom just got married last year, and we're financially tight."
Noah and Evelyn's expressions darkened, but Evelyn still offered a comforting smile, "We understand. Weddings do cost a lot these days."
Uncle David, feeling awkward, forced a smile. James noticed and chose not to comment. Though Uncle David's family was relatively well-off, he had always been intimidated by his wife, and Aunt Sandra had a long-standing reputation for being stingy. James had anticipated their refusal, but he made a mental note: after the apocalypse, he wouldn't feel obligated to help them.
Finally, it was Uncle Tom's turn. Uncle Tom handed a card to Evelyn, saying, "There's fifty thousand in here. You can use it for now."
"Tom, you…" Evelyn was taken aback and quickly added, "You need money for your surgery this year, don't you?"
"I have a herniated disc; no surgery needed," Uncle Tom waved it off. "Don't listen to what A-Feng says. I know my own body."
Uncle Tom had a painful herniated disc but chose to lend fifty thousand dollars to help James's family instead of seeking medical treatment. Many older generations prioritize family over their own well-being, and James appreciated his gesture.
After the relatives had left, James went to the kitchen, took a bottle of mineral water, and quietly went to the bathroom. He poured out the water, then mixed half of the remaining quarter of the well water with some white wine, placing the mixture in the bathroom to give to Uncle Tom later.
James had previously discovered that the well water had healed a scar on his hand, leading him to believe it might be beneficial for treating wounds. He hoped that the well water combined with medicinal alcohol could potentially cure Uncle Tom's back injury.
In the end, Uncle Richard's family lent twenty thousand, Aunt Mary's family lent ten thousand, and Uncle Tom's family lent fifty thousand. Uncle David's family didn't lend any money, and Uncle Eric not only didn't lend any but also failed to return the owed money.
James's parents had managed to borrow eighty thousand in total, falling short of the targeted two hundred thousand. The primary issue was that Eric hadn't repaid the ten thousand he owed, leaving his parents disappointed.
At this point, James smiled slightly and glanced at Eric, thinking, *"Let's see how I can trap you."*
Then James revealed his carefully thought-out plan: "Dad, how about we sell the commercial property in the university town?"
The moment these words were spoken, all the relatives were taken aback. Before James's father could respond, Uncle Tom and Uncle David spoke in unison, "James, the property in the university town is appreciating every day. How can we sell it?"
James's parents also immediately shook their heads and said, "The commercial property cannot be sold."
But at this moment, Eric's eyes lit up. He immediately said, "James, what? You're considering selling that property? If you want to sell it, I'll buy it."
The relatives were surprised to see Eric so eager. Just a moment ago, he had been lamenting his lack of money, yet now he seemed ready to buy the property.