Chapter 210 The Beggar's Banquet was Beneath me
As Karen and her group were about to step into the Platan Heights Villa gate, they suddenly heard the familiar sound of an electric scooter from behind them.
They turned their heads.
Karen's brows immediately furrowed. It was Ryder.
How did this loser get here?
Even Matthew and Lawrence looked surprised.
Ever since the incident with Sarah's "intimate photos", they hadn't heard any news about Ryder.
So they couldn't help but speculate about what happened.
They thought Ryder must have buckled under the pressure of online public opinion, divorced Sarah, and left Houston in embarrassment.
But unexpectedly, he had appeared today.
And he was at the entrance of the Platan Heights villa community.
When Matthew saw Ryder, he stood up and sarcastically said, "Isn't that the legendary Ryder? Why are you here?"
Ryder seemed indifferent and wanted to ride his bike straight into the community.
"Don't you hear me talking to you?"
Matthew quickly walked up.
He grabbed the handlebar of Ryder's bike and said, "Do you know where this is? You can’t just enter."
Ryder glanced at Matthew and said, "I don't have time to mess with you today, let go, I'm busy."
"Busy?" Matthew sneered. "What could a lazy bastard like you be busy with? Looks like you saw that the Johnson family is hosting a housewarming banquet and wanted to sneak in and have a meal as a son-in-law of the Johnson family."
The guests in line burst into laughter:
"Hahaha. That’s Ryder, the legendary son-in-law of the Johnson family. He came to the banquet on an electric scooter; what a poor, useless man."
"Did you guys see the information online? He’s the husband of that infamous Sarah."
"Just look at him; he looks like a poor loser. And he wants to attend the housewarming banquet? If I have to sit at the same table with him, I might throw up."
"That fierce woman who just entered seems to be his mother-in-law. Hahaha. One’s a weakling and one’s a shrew, they seem like a good match."
The crowd was discussing them spiritedly, which made Karen unable to hold her temper any longer.
She became unhappy.
She walked straight toward Ryder, pointing at him and scolding, "This is all because of you. What the hell are you doing here, you loser? You’re not good enough to attend this banquet. Can't you stop embarrassing me? Get lost. Get as far away as possible. Just looking at you annoys me."
As Ryder faced these verbal attacks, he remained calm and calmly responded, "Who told you I was here to attend the housewarming banquet? To put it in other words, it’s a gathering of a bunch of beggars. Am I supposed to see them?"
That sentence caught everyone's attention, and they all stared at him in surprise.
Then Matthew finally reacted.
He couldn't help but burst into laughter, "I understand that you have a reputation to protect since you’re a young guy, you shouldn’t brag! Ho dare you say that the Johnson family's banquet is a gathering of beggars? Can you come up with something more impressive? If you can, I’d like to see it."
Ryder raised a corner of his mouth and replied, "I do have something more impressive, but unfortunately, you're not qualified to see it."
"You..."
Matthew was stunned, and he was livid.
As he was thinking about how to give Ryder a more profound lesson, they heard an old voice next to them. "I haven't seen you in years, do you still remember me?"
Matthew turned his head.
He saw an elderly lady dressed in simple clothes with dark skin smiling at him.
Standing next to the old lady was a young man in his twenties with a strong build and thick eyebrows, and big eyes.
The young man was wearing slightly outdated sportswear and sneakers, and he was carrying a huge yellow burlap bag on his shoulder.
Matthew instinctively frowned and took a step back.
With some disdain, he asked, "Who are you? Go pick junk elsewhere. Don't bring us bad luck."
The old lady's expression visibly froze, and there was a hint of disappointment in her eyes.
On the other hand, Ryder quickly stopped the car and stepped forward to hold the old lady's hand, excitedly saying, "Grandma. Long time no see. Are you still in good health?"
When Mrs. Johnson saw Ryder, she had a surprised smile on her face. "Ryder, you're here too. I'm in good health. It's been three years, but you seem even livelier than before. Your marriage to Sarah must be going well, right?"
Ryder nodded and smiled. "Thanks to your blessings, we're doing great."
Ryder deeply respected the old lady in front of him. In fact, her true identity was Laura, the biological sister of Mr. Johnson of the Johnson family. She was the younger sister-in-law of Grandma Johnson, the aunt of the three Johnson brothers.
Back then, Mr. Johnson and Laura became each other's only support after their parents passed away when they were young. They struggled together and made a living in Houston. After countless hardships, they started their own business in the construction materials industry. Later, they made some money, and the Johnson family began to thrive.
Grandma Johnson, who was greedy and cruel, tried to gradually strip Laura of her rights and influence in the Johnson family business. Then, unexpectedly, Mr. Johnson disappeared without a trace and had no contact with Laura ever since. Grandma Johnson kicked her out of the Johnson family and sent her back to their hometown in the countryside.
No one knew why Grandma Johnson was so resentful toward Laura, and no one dared to ask. As soon as you asked her about Laura, Grandma Johnson would fly in a rage. In short, among the three sons Mr. Johnson had left behind, only Ernest treated her with some respect. The other two were completely aligned with Grandma Johnson and had little contact with their aunt. It had been over ten years.
Three years ago, when Ryder married Sarah, Laura made a special trip to attend the wedding.
It was a simple ceremony with very few guests. Laura was the only person from the Johnson family who had come forward to express their blessings to Ryder and Sarah.
She was also the only one who took the time to have a heart-to-heart conversation with Ryder after the wedding. She emphasized that she could see his potential and believed he would have a bright future.
She thought Sarah marrying him was her good fortune, and so on.
Of course, at that time, Ryder took it as a consolation and was deeply touched.
In conclusion, she was the only relative in the Johnson family Ryder respected.
At that moment, Ernest walked over, greeting her with a smile. "Auntie Laura. Why didn't you tell us you were coming? I would have gone to the station to pick you up."
Laura waved her hand and said, "It's not necessary for you younger ones to trouble yourselves with such small matters. I’m in good health and I even brought my grandson Rex with me. We took the bus over."
Saying that, she turned to Rex beside her and said, "Hurry up. Put the bag down and show your uncles the gifts I brought."
Rex put down the yellow hemp bag and opened it.
Inside, there were many plastic bags containing dried mushrooms, dried green beans, dried beef slices, and so on.
Laura smiled and said, "I heard that the Johnson family bought the Platan Heights villa, which was your brother's dream. So, I brought some local specialties from our hometown to congratulate you all. Since your brothers are all here, you can all share and take some home to eat. I personally made them, and they’re all organic."
But as soon as she finished speaking, Matthew suddenly kicked the bag with force.
The yellow hemp bag was overturned.
The contents inside were scattered everywhere.
Matthew's face was gloomy, and he disdainfully said, "Who cares about that and your blessings? Go as far away as possible, you old hag."
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