Chapter 446 Landon
When I finally dragged my tired legs to an open area, it hit me why Brad had asked me that question and why this path felt so familiar.
This was the valley where Brad had volunteered, the place where a mudslide had been triggered by relentless heavy rain, and where Jenny had saved Brad.
For a moment, I couldn't quite pin down my feelings—love and hate all tangled up in a way I couldn't describe.
Love, because Brad's life had been spared by that brutal mudslide;
Hate, because this was where Brad and Jenny's complicated story began.
I turned to Brad, surprised, and saw a hint of warmth in his eyes. Pointing to a few newly built houses, he said, "The last incident got a lot of kind-hearted people involved. They pushed the whole community to raise funds for a new, safer school for the kids. Construction's already started and should be done before this year's rainy season. These houses are just temporary; once the new school's up, we'll move there."
"That's awesome, no more worrying about mudslides. But what caused the mudslide, and can it be fixed? The country's huge, and there are lots of places prone to mudslides. Moving people is just a quick fix; we need to tackle the root cause."
Brad glanced around to make sure no one was watching, then lifted my head and planted a heavy kiss on my lips. "Baby, you've grown up and know everything. You're right, solving the problem is key. But it's a long process. The quickest way to save lives is to move people out of high-risk areas."
As we were talking, a teenage boy came running over, shouting excitedly, "Brad!"
The boy's loud voice startled me.
He stopped abruptly next to Brad, wearing a clean but faded blue tracksuit, grinning from ear to ear.
"Landon Wells?" Brad called out, surprised and happy. He looked Landon up and down, "Are you okay?"
Landon pounded his chest with his right fist, making a thumping sound, "I'm fine, all better now. Feeling strong as ever! Brad, come to my house for lunch, my grandpa keeps talking about you."
We had enough food for lunch, and while Landon's invitation was sincere, Brad wouldn't go. He wouldn't impose on others unless absolutely necessary.
Brad politely declined Landon's invitation, urging him to study hard and saying he had a talent for drawing and should keep at it.
Further ahead was the small village from back then, where many people knew Brad.
Luckily, there weren't many people outside as we passed through the village, so we got through smoothly. Otherwise, given the villagers' admiration and respect for Brad, they would've insisted we stay for a meal.
About two miles past the village, the color of the mountains on both sides started to change, from gray-black to ochre. Several exposed rock points looked very similar to the samples we had collected a few days ago.
Seeing what he was looking for, Elliot immediately perked up, took out his tools, and got to work. Brad helped Elliot collect samples at intervals and marked them. In less than two hours, they had filled the backpack they brought.Even though our backpack was full, we hadn't actually covered much ground. Looking ahead, the same type of mountain stretched out as far as we could see. This meant there was probably a rich mineral vein here.
Elliot and I were both pumped. If the results were what we hoped for, all our hard work would totally pay off.
All the effort we put in during this period hadn't been wasted, and I felt a noticeable spring in my step.
At the spot where we collected the last sample, the mountains on both sides had completely turned ochre, even the branches of the trees growing in the crevices had a reddish tint. Looking further ahead, the continuous mountains were all the same color.
Honestly, we were all blown away. Declan was even moved to tears. Elliot had mentioned before that if the reserves were sufficient, large-scale mining could be possible.
If that happened, Declan's dream of bringing back the young people to work would come true. The kids would have their parents to send them to school, and the elderly would have their children to care for them when they were sick. No wonder Declan was so emotional.
On the surface, the mineral reserves seemed impressive. Elliot took out his camera and snapped photos from various angles, marking several prominent spots for reference when the geology alumni came for a field survey.
Whether the mineral reserves here were sufficient for mining would depend on the results of the professional survey. Not knowing the outcome, we didn't tell Declan too much to avoid disappointing him if things didn't work out.
With such a significant discovery, everyone was in high spirits. We chatted and laughed on the way back, our steps much lighter.
We got back just in time for dinner. I was starving and started eating as soon as I picked up my bowl, almost choking several times, which made Brad keep patting my back. Elliot glanced over and teased us for showing off our affection.
Brad glared at him, then forked some food for me, telling me to eat slowly and that I had lost weight and needed to be well-nourished when we got back, making Elliot roll his eyes.
Halfway through the meal, Elliot mentioned the plan to leave the next morning.
Declan and his wife, being straightforward people, were reluctant to see us go when they heard we were leaving the next morning.
They were old and had no children, enjoying the lively atmosphere. They were quite sad about our departure, repeatedly asking us to visit often when we had time, and promising to make me delicious food.
That night, I still stayed in the small room from the previous night, but this time with Brad in the bed.
The small bed was barely wide enough for me alone, and with Brad, we were tightly pressed together.
After making love, Brad had grown fond of the feeling. Now, with us so close, he quickly lost control, his body tensing up.
Declan's wife was still busy in the kitchen preparing breakfast for the next day, just a door away, and we could hear her clearly.
Brad acted as if no one was outside, turned off the light, and pressed his hot body against mine, capturing my lips in the dark. His large hand slipped into my clothes, gently caressing my waist before gliding upward to my chest.
"Stop it, Brad, stop it. Declan's wife is still awake; she'll hear us." I gasped, using the last bit of my rationality to grab Brad's mischievous hand, trying my best to stop him.
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