Chapter 19: Visit Relatives
Chapter 19
Exiting the fancy steakhouse with a package of steak in his hand, Alex couldn't help but feel delighted. Having tasted such delicious and sumptuous food, he naturally wanted his family to enjoy it too. However, he didn't want to impose on Ethan, so he was glad that Ethan had offered the steaks voluntarily, saving Alex the trouble of asking.
Alex carefully stored the packets in the static storage ring to keep each food item fresh and at its best.
Soon, he hopped into his pickup and headed towards a residential complex. After a short drive, he arrived at a relatively large house.
"Excuse me!" Alex called out while standing in front of the house.
It didn't take long for a middle-aged woman to come out. As she emerged, her expression showed slight surprise, quickly followed by a hint of wariness.
"Sir, what's wrong? Is there any problem?" The woman tried to maintain her composure despite feeling a little nervous.
Alex felt a bit helpless. How could his aunt be so wary of her nephew?
"Auntie, it's me, don't you remember?" Alex tried to reassure her.
Hearing this, the middle-aged woman furrowed her brows, seemingly lost in thought for a while, but still couldn't figure out the answer.
"Who are you?" she asked, still unsure.
Seeing her reaction, Alex couldn't help but smile wryly. Even though he was in Russell's body, he still felt a sense of helplessness.
Nevertheless, he also felt a little relieved that the people around him didn't know much about Russell, reducing the risk of being exposed.
"Okay, Aunty, I'm Russell, your nephew!" Alex reaffirmed.
"Ahhh, Russell?" The middle-aged woman repeated the name, still showing a hint of uncertainty.
Upon witnessing this, Alex felt a tinge of sadness for Russell. Despite being away for so long, his family didn't remember him.
After a moment of silent recollection, the middle-aged woman seemed to connect some dots in her mind. "Are you Russell, Robert's son?"
Alex felt a wave of relief. "Yes, Aunt, it's me!"
"Oh, it turns out you're Russell. Come on in," Bibi said, now remembering, and invited Alex into her house without hesitation.
"Where have you been all these years? You haven't been home for ten years?" she inquired.
"I was busy with military service, Aunt, but now I'm retired," Alex explained.
As Alex spoke, the middle-aged woman couldn't help but glance at his hand.
The two of them conversed for a while before Alex bid his farewell.
"Here are some vegetables that I grew myself," Alex said, feeling a little embarrassed as these vegetables were grown by his father.
Yona, who saw Alex's action, was a little puzzled. "Ah, why bother bringing things when you visit your aunt and uncle's house!"
"It's okay, Auntie, just try them, these are fresh and naturally delicious greens!" Alex urged.
Seeing that Alex was insistent, his aunt reluctantly accepted the vegetables.
After bidding farewell, Alex continued on his journey.
His father had two brothers and two sisters. The aunt he just visited was Yona, the wife of Russell's first uncle, Rico Greenfield, who works in a bank and has earned a respectable managerial position through dedication and hard work.
The second brother of Russell's father is Rafael Greenfield, an entrepreneur who runs a small supermarket business, dealing with trading and distribution of consumer goods.
Russell's third sister is Ruby Greenfield, and the fourth sister is Rochelle Greenfield, both of whom are housewives.
Initially, Russell's grandfather was a farmer, and before his passing, he distributed the inheritance of the land among his children. Russell's uncle and aunt received one and a half hectares of land, while Russell's father received three hectares of land.
Although it may appear as favoritism, everyone understood that Russell's father took care of his grandparents, and it was he who worked on the farm while his four siblings moved to the town.
After their grandfather's passing, Russell's uncle and aunt showed no interest in taking care of the land. They were busy with their own lives and lacked expertise in farming. Consequently, all the land inherited from their grandfather was managed by Russell's father. Every month, he would provide them with money as rent for the land.
Alex understood why his aunt was initially hesitant. It seemed like she thought Russell was giving away things that rightfully belonged to her. Normally, the aunts and uncles would simply request vegetables for their use and wouldn't concern themselves with the "rent" money Russell's father provided.
However, Russell's father had consistently supplied vegetables and paid the "rent" money, creating a longstanding tradition within the extended family. Thus, it would be odd for Russell to suddenly show up with something that should rightfully be theirs.
His aunt's suspicions weren't entirely unwarranted, but she was unaware that the vegetables Alex brought were actually "grown by himself". With this realization in mind, Alex continued his journey, driving until he reached a nearby supermarket.
In a hurry, Alex entered the supermarket and approached the cashier to inquire about something.
"Excuse me, sir, is Rafael here?"
"Mr. Rafael?"
"Yes, is he available?"
"Sure, just a moment..."
The cashier called out briefly before asking Alex to wait.
Alex patiently complied with the request and waited for a little while.
Soon, a slightly chubby, middle-aged man appeared wearing reading glasses. Alex recognized him immediately and approached with a warm greeting.
"Hello, Uncle Rafael, are you busy?"
Squinting to get a better look, Rafael finally inquired, "Are you Russell?"
"Yes, Uncle, it's me!"
"Oh, you're back! It's good to see you here, and there are so many opportunities in our city now!"
"Hahahah, that's right!"
They chatted for a bit, catching up with each other, and Alex bid farewell after a while. He also gave the vegetables to his uncle, who, despite feeling a bit surprised, still graciously accepted them.
After that, Alex drove back in his pickup truck, heading in one direction. This time, he went to his Aunt Ruby's house. His aunt was very enthusiastic and recognized Alex at first glance, which made him slightly happy. Despite being just a housewife, she lived comfortably because her husband was a successful lawyer in the city.
They chatted for a bit before Alex finally said goodbye. He also gave some vegetables to his aunt as a gift, and she accepted them without thinking much of it.
After that, Alex drove back to another place. "Huhhhhh, so tired visiting relatives!" Alex said helplessly. Even with the memories of his predecessor, he found it a little difficult to communicate with these familiar yet foreign people. However, it was fortunate that the body's original owner hadn't been home for ten years, which made him free from any sense of trouble in the sudden change of nature.
While Alex was driving, he faintly heard a dog barking. But thinking that the sound was too far away, Alex paid no attention to it. As he was going quite fast, suddenly a yellow dot flashed in front of him.
"Buk!"
A dull impact sound was heard as Alex hastily stopped and assessed the situation. When he got out of his car, he was confronted with the sight of a domestic yellow dog lying in a pool of blood right in front of him. On his left side, he could hear the barking of a dozen dirty dogs of various breeds.
Despite the presence of the aggressive group of dogs, Alex remained unfazed. He decided to release a bit of his killing intent to scare them away. Surprisingly, the barking dog became still and let out a low growl of fear. In just a few moments, the entire group of dogs fled from the scene.
Now, Alex's focus returned to the injured yellow dog. At first, he was uncertain about what to do, but after a few moments of contemplation, he opened his clothes and carefully approached the wounded animal. With great care, he wrapped the injured dog in his clothes and gently picked him up to place him in his car.
Seeing the dog grimacing in pain, Alex couldn't bear it. He decided to give a quarter drop of the dew of life, which he had diluted with water, to the injured dog. The yellow dog seemed to relax a bit after receiving the treatment.
Feeling relieved that he could help, Alex took out his cell phone to search for the nearest animal hospital. After finding one, he followed the GPS directions to the vet.
Upon arrival, Alex wasted no time and asked the hospital to assist the injured dog. The veterinarians at the clinic quickly attended to the dog and rescued it from danger. Alex then spoke to the relevant doctor, who introduced themselves as a veterinarian from the clinic.
"Good afternoon, I am a veterinarian from this clinic. I heard you hit the dog on the road earlier. Are you okay?" the doctor asked, showing concern.
"Yeah, I'm fine, just a little shocked by what happened earlier. What about the dog?" Alex replied, showing his worry about the dog's condition.
"I have examined the dog, and thank God, its condition is not too bad. It has only suffered a few minor injuries and a little trauma. The dog will recover soon," the veterinarian reassured Alex.
"Oh, that's good news. I was really worried just now. Is there anything I should do to help it recover?" Alex was relieved to hear the positive prognosis.
"For now, it is necessary to keep its wounds clean and make sure it gets enough rest. If there are any changes or signs that worry you, please contact our clinic or the nearest veterinarian immediately," the doctor advised.
"Alright, I'll do that. Thank you for your care. How much will it cost me?" Alex inquired about the cost of the treatment.
With this, Alex completed the administrative activities for the veterinarian and paid for the services rendered. "Thank you very much for the help, doctor," he expressed his gratitude.
"No need to worry; it is my responsibility as a veterinarian to provide first aid to animals in need. We wish your dog a speedy recovery and a return to health as before. If you need further assistance or have any other questions, please don't hesitate to contact us," the veterinarian said kindly.
"I will do that. Thanks again, doctor," Alex replied gratefully.
"No problem, I hope you are fine too. Take care!" the veterinarian bid farewell.
"Goodbye, doctor. Thanks again," Alex responded warmly.
Alex then brought the newly treated dog into the pickup truck. As he looked at the pitiful dog, he decided to adopt it.
"Huh, it seems like fate for us to cross paths," Alex thought as he took the dog under his care.
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