“南南, why are you up so early? Put that down, let Mom handle it.”

“Mom, I couldn’t sleep, so I got up early… It’s fine, Mom, you just take a break and try your son’s cooking in a bit—fried eggs, cucumber salad with dried shrimp, plus a bowl of millet porridge for each of us. Isn’t that a nutritious and hearty breakfast?”

Nathaniel Johnson chuckled, then suddenly looked up at Paige Walker and said, “Mom, I want to go back to Grandpa and Grandma’s place today, to visit them.”

Paige Walker was taken aback, then smiled and said, “Sure, you’ve graduated now, it’s time you went back to visit your grandparents… Alright, I’ll give you some money later so you can buy some gifts for them. And while you’re at it, go see your uncle and aunt too.”

Nathaniel Johnson nodded in agreement, but his eyes flickered a bit.

During breakfast, Nathaniel Johnson seized the opportunity and said with a smile, “Mom, give me your stock account and trading card, okay? Before I leave, I want to check out the stock market and buy those two stocks I’ve been eyeing… Mom, don’t worry, I’ll definitely make money, I promise!”

Nathaniel Johnson raised his hand as if swearing an oath, really looking like a child.

Paige Walker laughed, “You kid… Alright, I’ll give them to you in a bit.”

After breakfast, Noah Johnson left the house, preoccupied with his own thoughts. Paige Walker also left for work; she had two classes to teach this morning, giving extra lessons to students about to enter their senior year. Before leaving, she repeatedly reminded Nathaniel Johnson to be careful on his way back to their hometown.

Nathaniel Johnson’s hometown was in another prefecture-level city in Binhai Province, the neighboring city to Haidu—Qing’an City. The Zhou family lived in a small mountain village under Taishan Town, on the outskirts of Qing’an City. Nathaniel Johnson’s grandparents had two sons and a daughter: the eldest daughter Nicole Johnson, the eldest son Noah Johnson, and the younger son Henry Johnson. Except for Noah Johnson, who got into college and left farming, Nathaniel Johnson’s aunt and uncle both stayed in their hometown as farmers.

Although Noah Johnson hadn’t found much success in officialdom, in the ten or so villages around Taishan Town, he was considered a well-known figure. To these simple farmers, a deputy director of a prefecture-level city’s public security bureau was already a very high-ranking official.

Nathaniel Johnson really did go to Taishan Town in Qing’an City. But before heading home, he went to the stock market, unhesitatingly sold all the stocks in Paige Walker’s account, and then bought 50 lots (5,000 shares) of Haiminyuan at 3.87 yuan per share, investing all the funds in Paige Walker’s account.

After that, he immediately left the stock market, hurried to the long-distance bus station, and boarded a bus to Qing’an City.

……

In the morning, the phone in Noah Johnson’s office suddenly rang. Noah Johnson, feeling uneasy, picked up the phone. As soon as he said “Hello,” he heard a familiar and warm hometown accent on the other end, “Big brother, it’s Henry Clark. Dad and Mom haven’t been feeling well lately, they’ve been on IV drips these past couple of days, and they keep talking about you all… I think you and sister-in-law should come back and stay for a few days.”

Noah Johnson was known for his filial piety. If his parents had been able to adapt to city life, he would have brought them to live in Haidu long ago. He was already feeling a bit anxious, and upon hearing that his parents were sick, he was shocked, “Henry Clark, what’s going on? When I went back last month, weren’t Dad and Mom just fine? How did they suddenly get sick? What illness?”

“Big brother, you and sister-in-law should just come back for a visit… Their illness… it’s not too serious, but they keep talking about you. Why don’t you come and stay for a couple of days, okay? Anyway, sister-in-law’s school is on break…” Henry Johnson’s words were somewhat evasive, which made Noah Johnson even more uneasy.

“Did Nannan go back today? Has he arrived?”

“He’s here, just arrived… He’s at the village clinic with Grandpa, keeping him company while he gets an IV.”

Chapter 011: The “Lure the Tiger from the Mountain” Strategy

Half an hour later, using his parents’ illness as an excuse, Noah Johnson hurriedly asked Director William Thompson for a few days off, then took the car and his wife Paige Walker, and rushed anxiously to Taishan Town, Qing’an City. By a little after two in the afternoon, they had arrived at the small village where their old home was. When they got home and saw that his parents just had a mild cold and fever and were otherwise fine, Noah Johnson finally breathed a sigh of relief and relaxed.

The Zhou family’s old house had just been renovated—a quiet little courtyard, clean and tidy, with three brand-new red-and-white brick-tile rooms bathed in the brilliant, blazing summer sunlight.

Nathaniel Johnson’s grandfather Ethan Johnson was half-reclining on a rattan chair that his eldest son had bought years ago, while his mother The Bolton Family lay on the bed inside watching TV. Henry Johnson and his wife Megan White were also sitting on small stools to the side, keeping Ethan Johnson and Noah Johnson company and chatting about family matters.

“Henry Clark, look at you, talking nonsense on the phone and scaring me. I thought Dad and Mom were seriously ill, so I took leave and rushed back in a panic… Jumping at shadows, really making a fuss!” Noah Johnson glared at his younger brother in annoyance.

In the Zhou family, Noah Johnson was absolutely the pillar of the family. Not only because he was the eldest son, but also because he held an official position and the family was relatively well-off. He contributed a lot to the renovation of the old house, to Henry Johnson’s marriage and new house, and even gave 5,000 yuan to his sister Nicole Johnson’s family when they built a two-story house on their homestead. So, Henry Johnson had always been somewhat in awe of his elder brother.