Summit Farmer

Jumping over the fire basin, bathing, changing clothes...

Following all sorts of customs after being released from prison, after a flurry of activities, everyone finally sat in the room and chatted about what had happened.

It was then that Peter truly understood the situation at home.

At a glance, there was hardly any decent furniture in the house, let alone a television.

Looking again at the state of his parents' and younger sister's clothing, though clean, it was apparent their clothes were very worn, some even patched.

"I'll go and return the carriage," Raven said and walked out.

"The carriage isn't ours?" It was then that Peter realized the family had even borrowed a carriage to pick him up.

"It's from Greyson Smith's family in the village. His daughter reportedly made a fortune in the provincial capital and regularly sends money back," Liza casually mentioned.

"Are we having a tough time financially?" Considering they couldn't even afford the bus fare to pick him up, Peter realized that they were probably on the brink of starvation.

"It's bearable, don't worry. Now that you're out, you need to rest properly. Leave the household matters to us." Seeing her son, Liza broke into a smile.

At that moment, the neighbors started arriving at Peter's house.

The villagers all lived close by and knew about everything, big or small. Everyone knew that the Brown family had gone into town to pick up Peter today, and they had all come.

"Peter, you must learn well and avoid getting into fights and causing trouble in the future," an old man sighed as he looked at Peter.

"Peter, do help out at home. Look at Kate. She's at risk of dropping out of school. Sigh.." Mr. Thomas, who used to teach Peter in elementary school, shook his head and sighed.

"Kate, aren't you going to school anymore?" Peter looked at his sister.

Looking at her brother, Kate hesitated and said, "We don't have the money to send me to university."

Only then did Peter remember that his sister had been accepted to a university.

"Kate, why would a girl need to read so many books? A while ago, your aunt mentioned a potential marriage. What is your and mom's stance on it? After all, Mr. Quinton needs to know. He did say the dowry will be 30,000 dollars."

"Yeah, if this marriage goes through, it could cover more than half of your family's debts."

Upon hearing this, Peter immediately became anxious and loudly asked, "Kate, what is going on?"

Liza sighed but said nothing.

One of their neighbors Mrs. Collins said, "Peter, you might not know this, but after your dad's surgery, his recovery cost a lot of money. When your grandfather passed, that was another significant expense. Your family has borrowed money from almost every household in the village. You didn't know before, but now that you're out, everyone is counting on you."

"Mrs. Collins, rest assured, we will repay all of you!" Liza quickly responded when she saw her son.

"Mom, why didn't you tell me anything?" Peter Brown was somewhat angry.

"Peter, Mom said that you've been in prison for three years and don't know what's happening outside. Let's tell you about the household matters slowly."

Seeing more and more villagers arriving, Peter knew they were here to collect their debts. But since they were all fellow villagers, it wasn't easy for them to demand repayment directly. They were even considering selling Kate to pay off the debts!

Thinking of this, Peter turned to everyone and said, "Everyone, rest assured since I'm back. Even if it means working, I will pay back the money. You can count on me."

"Peter, with your words, we're at ease. Hey, it's not easy for everyone!" Mr. Jensen praised Peter's statement.

After sitting and chatting for a while, everyone dispersed gradually.

At this point, Peter's father Raven, returned. Peter noticed his father looked rather troubled.

"Dad, what happened?"

"Huh, we agreed that I work one day for them in return for borrowing their carriage. Now they've changed their tune, saying the horses are famished and I have to work another day."

Seeing their situation, and hearing his father's complaints, Peter finally understood the family's financial difficulties.

"Mom and Dad, since I'm back, the family's problems are mine. Please don't hide anything from me anymore."

As Liza sighed, she said, "Since you already know, let's explain the details. The Owen family did pay for your father's surgery. However, they did not contribute to the recovery. In order to nurse your father back to health, and to carry out your grandfather's funeral, we borrowed nearly forty thousand dollars from families in the village. Your sister has kept track of this money in the account book every time we borrowed. We need to pay it back."

Peter's facial expression changed upon hearing this. The Owen family had assured that they would take care of the surgery as well as the subsequent nutritional and recovery expenses after he took the blame. How had things turned out like this?

Raven squatted on the ground, holding his head, and said, "Your mother has suffered because of me. She's busy all the time, taking care of me and putting your sister through school. Kate did well in her exams and made it to a university in the capital. But we can't afford to send her to university!"

"Don't worry, I will pay back the money!" Peter felt heartbroken seeing the helpless expressions on his parents' faces.

Looking at his sister, Peter said, "Kate, there should be half a month before university starts, right?"

"Hmm," Kate replied softly, obviously upset.

"Kate, you can rest assured, we still have to go to the university. I'll figure out a way to make the money for your education, no matter what!"

"Peter, we cannot resort to committing crimes!" Liza was alarmed, gazing at Peter and speaking seriously, as if she was scared he might do something drastic again.

"Peter, we can take our time repaying the debts. It'll all be repaid eventually. If Kate can't continue her studies, then so be it. She will marry eventually." Raven also worried that Peter might do something drastic in order to get the money.

"Dad, rest assured, I definitely won't do anything bad. Isn't it just tens of thousands? I will figure out a way to earn it back!"

At this moment, Kate's eyes lit up. She looked at her brother and asked, "Peter, can I really go to university?"

Gazing at his sister's eager eyes, Peter was filled with a twinge of heartache. He said, "Don't worry, I got everything under control!"

"That's fantastic!" Kate's eyes sparkled.

Liza and Raven looked at each other, as worry filled their eyes.

Everyone chatted late into the evening, asking about Peter's situation in prison. Peter gave a general introduction about his experience, mostly focusing on the positive aspects.

Laying in bed at night, smelling the quilt that had obviously been sunned specially for his arrival, Peter couldn't fall asleep. His mind was filled with thoughts of making money.

The family was currently short on money. Similarly, his cultivation required purchase of various medicinal herbs and materials, which also needed money.

But, where was he going to get the money?