Chapter 48: Temporary Stay
Since this village didn’t have any official resort plans, there wasn’t a dedicated hotel or
inn here..
Fortunately, the people here, both in terms of personality and character, were quite nice.
A widow and her daughter, who lived together as a small family, were willing to
accommodate Martina and let her stay with them.
Of course, Martina didn’t stay for free; instead, she gave them $1000 directly.
The main reason she chose this family was not their living conditions, but rather the fact that they were a mother and daughter duo, which provided a sense of safety.
Although Martina was hiding from Benjamin, she also had to ensure her own safety. She couldn’t walk into a dangerous situation. If something were to happen, it would be too late for regrets.
For this family without a man to support them, $1000 would cover their expenses for a long time.
So, they willingly let Martina stay with them.
On the first day of her stay, Martina felt a little uneasy because she couldn’t be certainl if Benjamin would actually do as she had speculated.
Even if Benjamin did decide to investigate, he would most likely go to other places
rather than this area.
But considering Benjamin’s unpredictable nature, what if he suddenly showed up with people? Martina would be at a loss.
So, she didn’t feel particularly secure in her accommodation and would occasionally
look towards the shore.
She was staying with a family whose daughter was around six or seven years old, just starting first grade.
Although the village was somewhat backward, they still had basic facilities like a
school.
However, due to the inconvenience of transportation in this area, it was relatively more underdeveloped compared to the outside world.
The little girl was named Candy, which means “sweet”. She got this name because she used to have a sweet smile when she was a baby.
Whenever Candy saw Martina constantly glancing towards the shore, she, being a curious kid, asked, “Martina, why are you always looking at the shore? Is there someone you’re waiting for?”
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Martina was amused by Candy’s questions. Candy had her hands propping up her chin and lying on the bed, looking incredibly adorable.
Martina gently rubbed Candy’s little head and, at the same time, gave her the remaining snacks from her bag to eat, and said, “Well, it’s not like that. Why would you think that?”
Candy blinked her eyes, appearing innocent and endearing. It seemed like she was lost. in some kind of memory, to the point where she couldn’t even eat the snacks in her hands.
“Because when my dad was still alive, every time he went out to sea for fishing, my
mom would look towards the shore like you,” Candy explained. “I know my mom was waiting for my dad to come back, but later on, my dad never returned.”
According to the people in the village, Candy’s dad was accidentally swept away by a
wave during one fishing trip.
Natural disasters and accidents like these were unavoidable, and unfortunately, her dad
was truly gone.
That’s how they became a family of two in the end.
Candy, being young, didn’t understand the hidden dangers behind those two seemingly
casual sentences.
Martina’s hand instinctively pressed against Candy’s forehead once again. “It’s okay, it’s
all in the past now.”
face.
Candy, still unaware of the gravity of the situation, quickly regained her smile on her
“Oh, I think I have to go. Even though snacks are delicious, I have to study hard and strive for improvement every day,” Candy declared. “It’s my mom’s greatest wish, and I can’t
let her down!”
After saying that, she immediately hopped off the bed and grabbed a small stool by the bedside to start doing her homework.
Because it was a first-grade assignment, these tasks were actually quite easy. However, possibly due to Candy’s limited skills, she had been gazing at the second question for an extended period, unable to start writing.
Her little face twisted into an expression of confusion, clearly struggling with the task. Martina was amused by Candy’s adorable appearance. She leaned over to take a look and realized it was a very simple question.
Patiently, she explained to Candy, “Actually, this question is very simple. Shall I explain it to you?”
Listening to Martina’s gentle and confident voice explaining the question, Candy suddenly felt enlightened. “Wow! So this question is actually so simple. Thank you so muc I got it!”
Candy had decent intelligence and quickly grasped the concept of applying similar methods to other questions. She swiftly completed the exercises in her textbook.
Martina remained silent and sat aside, taking out her phone to check her friends’
updates on social media.
Unconsciously, she opened the blacklist and saw that Benjamin was still there. She hesitated for a moment, but ultimately decided not to remove him.
Being a kid, Candy couldn’t resist the urge to go out and play with kids of her age right. after finishing her homework.
After a while, she unexpectedly rushed back in, her little legs moving swiftly, and grabbed Martina’s hand, looking mysterious, asking, “Martina, can you come out with me for
a moment?”
Martina tilted her head with curiosity, her inquisitive gaze focused on Candy’s face. “Why do I need to go outside? Is there something going on?” Martina asked.
Slightly blushed with embarrassment, Candy honestly explained the situation.
It turned out that when Candy was playing with the other kids earlier, she casually mentioned Martina who lived with her and was very smart.
According to Candy, Martina could easily help her understand any difficult problems just by saying a few words, even better than their teacher.
As a result, the other kids became curious and insisted on meeting this supposedly smart and beautiful lady in person.
Seeing Candy’s innocent eyes, Martina couldn’t say no. She agreed to accompany her
outside.
She thought it would be just a few kids shouting, but to her surprise, even the Chief was standing there.
Martina’s eyebrows furrowed involuntarily, sensing that something was not right, but unable to pinpoint what exactly was wrong.
Without a choice, Martina inquired proactively, “Why is Mr. Huckleberry here too? Is there something going on?”
The Chief appeared somewhat hesitant, similar to Candy earlier, but eventually explained his purpose truthfully, “I heard that you have a good educational background. I was wondering if you could help teach the children in our village during your stay here?”
The teachers in this village indeed had mediocre qualifications and could only manage
to get by.
If these children could have a better teacher to guide them, perhaps more of them would have the opportunity to succeed. The Chief was asking this for all the children
