If Edison was the one to bring it up, she wouldn't take any of the blame, right?
The two chatted as they made their way to the edge of the pond.
The village pond was quite large and completely surrounded by a massive crowd.
The men helping out were all wearing waterproof waders, while the spectators had brought their own buckets.
Every family was guaranteed a share of the fish, so they just needed to bring something to carry it home in.
By the time Claire arrived, they were already casting the nets.
Pearce was organizing the effort, with several strong young men acting as the main muscle.
Take Edison, for example. He might wear sharp tailored suits in the corporate world, but back home, he was more than happy to strip down and get his hands dirty.
Right now, he was dressed in simple clothes, wading into the pond to haul the heavy nets.
"This is the first time I've ever seen this side of him," Jenny told Claire with a bright smile.
"What do you think? Refreshing, right?" Claire chuckled.
Jenny laughed too. "It's just really fun."
In the boardroom, he was a ruthless predator in a suit, radiating lethal intensity.
In the muddy pond, he was a rugged, blue-collar worker, yet still overflowing with undeniable masculine charm.
If Edison ever decided to go to Hollywood, he would absolutely dominate the rugged romance genre.
"Edison still has a bit of refinement to him. Look at Dewitt," Claire pointed out.
Dewitt was the absolute epitome of a rugged alpha.
He was wearing what looked like Pearce's old work shirts. Being young and fiercely fit, he didn't even bother with the waterproof gear, just wearing a pair of trousers rolled high up his muscular thighs.
"Pfft—a guy like Dewitt must be incredibly popular around the village, right?"
"Patti told him to come home specifically for a blind date. I wonder if any girls showed up today just for him."
Jenny had completely assimilated into the village's gossip culture.
She was dying to know if a wild, untamed man like Dewitt would actually obey his family's matchmaking arrangements.
Claire was pretty curious herself.
She scanned the crowd and indeed noticed a few girls sneaking glances at Dewitt.
She even faintly caught snippets of someone evaluating him.
"Yolanda, what do you think of Dewitt?"
The two girls happened to be standing just a few feet away from Claire and Jenny.
The girl named Yolanda lowered her
head shyly. "Mable, I think ther
bit intimidating.
And his tent
seems... a little wicked."
Mable looked a bit disappointed. "I can't believe you're not into him. think a guy like him is perfect. Just having him sit in the living room would guarantee no one ever dared to mess with you."
"Think about it. With your dad's passive personality, look at how much grief our aunt had to swallow over the years."
"Find a guy who looks dangerous. After that, who would ever dare encroach on your property? Who would dare steal from your garden?"
"Nobody would even look twice at the cherries on the tree by your front door!"
That actually made a lot of sense.
Yolanda was slightly swayed. "He wouldn't hit women like my uncle does, would he?"
"Definitely not. I heard the men in The James Village are raised incredibly well." "Because the Clan Leader is a woman, they have immense respect for women."
"There has never been a single case of domestic abuse in The James Village." "Yolanda, you have to seize this opportunity."
"If it weren't for the fact that he's
going back abroad to make mone right probably er the wedding you
ever hav
"I'll tell you this much-if I wasn't already married, I would have absolutely thrown myself at him!"
The older cousin sounded practically feral, her eyes practically glued to the bulging muscles on Dewitt's arms.
You couldn't find a second man like that anywhere in the countryside.
What was so great about those weak, bookish guys anyway?
A real man should be exactly like Dewitt!
Claire was speechless. *Sister, I can literally hear you gulping.*
Could they be any less subtle?
Yolanda hesitated, a new concern forming. "But if he goes away to work, who will
back me up?"