SHT Chapter 41

After Leo finished speaking, the living room fell silent. Two grown men, puffing away at their cigarettes, their faces filled with gloom.

Life is unpredictable.

Often, a small choice can determine the course of a person's life.

"Poor Jamie..."

Leo sighed again as he spoke of Jamie.

"We all watched him grow up. This child was smart and sensible from a young age, never needing anyone to tell him to do his homework. From childhood to adulthood, his awards filled an entire wall. He was also polite, always greeting us with a smile. But because… Sigh... What a tragedy."

Leo shook his head in regret. He knew about Jamie's situation. He was always the "model child" in the eyes of parents.

But after the incident at home, the once lively and cheerful boy became withdrawn and silent. The sparkle in his eyes had faded.

When they met him on the street, he would avoid them, no longer the friendly boy he used to be.

Max's fatal mistake had left Jamie and Rin to suffer the consequences. This made Leo sigh with pity.

"Do they have any relatives or something?" After a long silence, Edward asked with a furrowed brow.

"We didn't know about Max's gambling at first. He had borrowed money from friends and relatives without our knowledge. Now that he's gone, the money is still unpaid. Who would be willing to help his family in this situation when their money is now impossible to recover?"

Leo shook his head.

"Only Sofia has a conscience, she often comes to take care of the old lady."

From Leo's words, Edward learned more about the situation. Sofia is Max's sister, which makes her Jamie's aunt.

Only she frequently visits Rin, who is in poor health, among their relatives and friends. No one else has come.

Right and wrong are clear at a glance. The warmth and coldness of human relationships are real and stark.

"Teacher, did Jamie get into trouble at school? Please be kind to him, I beg you."

Leo thought that Edward's home visit was because Jamie had gotten into trouble at school, so he pleaded with him.

Edward smiled and shook his head: "No, he's been a good boy at school. Is his grandmother the only one at home now?"

"I saw Sofia's head come in this afternoon, she should still be there." Leo said.

"Okay, I won't bother you then, I'll go see her at home."

With that, Edward got up and walked out. As he walked, his heart felt heavy.

Such a good child, to be reduced to this state, it's a sin. He couldn't imagine the psychological torment Jamie had endured over the past year.

Turning right at the second intersection, as soon as he turned the corner, Edward knew that even if Leo hadn't told him the exact location, if he happened to walk to this intersection, he would be able to tell at a glance which building was Jamie's home.

On the outer wall, the front door, the exterior wall of the small building. Everywhere was covered with red paint scribbles.

He came to the door and saw that it was wide open, leading directly to the small building's hall.

There was no attempt to hide anything, because the valuable items in the house had already been taken away.

A woman in her thirties, wearing a magenta down jacket, was sweeping the floor in the house. She noticed someone at the door, looked up, frowned, and asked,

"Who are you looking for?"

Edward knew that this young woman must be Jamie's aunt, Sofia.

"Hello, I'm Jamie's homeroom teacher, I'm here for a home visit."

He stood at the door, not going in, but smiling first. He could understand that Sofia and the others were like startled birds, wary of any strangers who came to their door.

Sofia was stunned when she heard Edward's words, then quickly put down the broom in her hand and hurried to greet him.

"Hello, teacher, please come in and sit down."

She brought out a long bench from the room, blew on it, then wiped it with her hand, and apologetically asked Edward to sit down.

Edward smiled and sat down, looking around. In the hall, there was an old eight-legged table. On the east wall, there were awards posted all over.

Other than that, there was nothing else. It formed a stark contrast to Leo's hall.

Sofia poured Edward a glass of plain water, handed it to him, and then sat down on another stool.

She asked nervously and worriedly: "Teacher, did Jamie cause any trouble at school?"

Edward held the disposable paper cup with both hands and shook his head with a smile.

"I'm his new homeroom teacher, my name is Edward. Jamie is a good kid at school, he just doesn't like to talk much. I'm here today mainly to do a routine home visit and to establish contact with the student's parents."

Sofia was relieved to hear this. As long as he didn't get into trouble at school. As Jamie's aunt, she naturally understood his personality. If it had been before, she wouldn't have been worried at all.

Could Jamie be involved in the trouble? It's simply impossible.

But since the incident at home, she, as his aunt, has naturally noticed the change in Jamie's personality.

"I'm Jamie's aunt, my name is Sofia. Edward sir, if Jamie has any problems at school, please contact me directly."

She had already married and was no longer living in Sakura Village.

But whenever she had free time, she would come to take care of her mother, Rin. Her father had passed away from cancer more than ten years ago.

Her mother already had high blood pressure and diabetes, and after the shock, her mental state had also become problematic.

This was also one of the reasons why she came here often. Sofia didn't know that Edward had already inquired about the situation at Leo's house, so she told him about the situation at home again.

Edward didn't stop her and patiently listened again. At the same time, from her words, Edward also got more information.

Old lady Rin was only 67 years old this year. At this time, 67 years old is not considered old.

But under the double blow of illness and mental distress, the old woman's health was not optimistic.

If it weren't for Sofia's husband being a reasonable man and not stopping her from taking money to help the old woman see a doctor, the old woman would probably have already passed away.

Edward also learned from her that Jamie's tuition fees were actually earned by him working part-time.

This surprised him.

"Uncle Taro's family in the village opened a restaurant by the provincial road in front. There are many truck drivers who come and go who will eat there."Uncle Taro is a good man. After hearing Jamie's family had problems, he felt sorry for Jamie and wanted to sponsor him to go to school. Jamie is also a good child. He didn't take Uncle Taro's money for nothing, but worked odd jobs at the restaurant."

"Sweeping the floor, mopping the floor, serving dishes, washing dishes, he did everything without complaint. Where has he ever suffered like this since he was a child?"

Thinking of the hardships Jamie had endured, Sofia's eyes turned red and she burst into tears.

Edward remained silent, his heart deeply moved. In his mind, the hands full of cracks suddenly appeared. Jamie is only 17 years old after the New Year.