Transmigrated as the Villain Boss's Precious Darling-Chapter 136: White Rabbit

For the first few years, life was still good for Adrian Hawthorne’s father. Even after his assets were confiscated, he received a hefty monthly salary. The exact amount is unclear, but it was certainly substantial.

At least, when Adrian Hawthorne was born, his family still lived in a Western-style house and could afford a nanny. They never lacked for milk, bread, coffee, or steak. His mother, Rosalind Green, had nothing to do all day but host card games at home, losing more often than she won. Yet his father, Ethan Hawthorne, never got angry. In fact, he felt his wife was being too frugal with her spending.

(The lives of capitalists didn’t become difficult right from the start. Before that decade, the standard of living for many wealthy people hadn’t declined. They could receive monthly salaries of several hundred yuan, with some even getting over a thousand. These wealthy young scions often hosted dance parties at home, living a life even more extravagant than people today.)

But the good times came to an end all too quickly. When he was two years old, a group of people wearing red armbands came to their home. His father’s collection of antiques, calligraphy, and paintings, along with his mother’s jewelry—it was all taken. A short while later, the family of three was sent down to a farm to raise pigs.

The problem was, his parents only knew how to eat pork; they had no idea how to raise pigs. A piglet that weighed thirty jin when they got it still hadn’t broken a hundred jin after half a year of their care. Furious, the farm subjected his parents to a harsh struggle session and, in the end, had them switch to growing fruit trees.

But his parents only knew how to eat fruit, too. After a year of them attempting to grow fruit trees, they were rejected once again. After being passed around, no farm was willing to take them. They were considered useless freeloaders—incapable of any work, yet picky about everything they ate. What else could you call them but useless?

They finally settled down at Millstone Peak. Around that time, his father caught wind of some rumors and grew restless. After making some inquiries, he pulled every string he could to get back to Tristone. He had to reclaim what was rightfully his; he wouldn’t rest until he did. 𝓯𝓻𝓮𝙚𝙬𝓮𝙗𝒏𝙤𝒗𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝒐𝓶

Adrian Hawthorne had no idea if his father had ever succeeded. There had been no word from him in four years. Perhaps he was no longer alive; after all, the world outside was in chaos.

"Mr. Hawthorne."

Tang Xiaonan called out his name. She could tell he was reminiscing, and from the faint air of sadness around him, she guessed the memories weren’t happy ones.

Adrian Hawthorne snapped out of his thoughts and smiled, picking up the money from the ground and stuffing it into his pocket. "Let’s go to the department store. We have to be quick."

Otherwise, he wouldn’t make it to Wraven in time, and traveling the mountain roads after dark was too dangerous.

"Do you want the White Rabbit candy for yourself?" Tang Xiaonan didn’t understand why Jim Thorne was so fixated on buying it.

"Didn’t you say last time that you wanted some? I’ll buy it for you. If other kids have them, you should too," Jim Thorne said as he pushed the cart.

Tang Xiaonan finally remembered what he was talking about. It was back during the New Year. The granddaughter of Accountant Golding, the second-richest man in the village, had been showing off a few pieces of White Rabbit candy. Accountant Golding’s daughter had married someone in Tristone and would often send back fancy things, like White Rabbit candy and malted milk powder, making the village children green with envy.

Tang Xiaonan had been there at the time. Accountant Golding’s granddaughter was a year older than her and had also been spoiled rotten. The two girls didn’t get along, and she had shared the candy with all the other kids, deliberately leaving Tang Xiaonan out. That had infuriated Tang Xiaonan, who ran home to tell on the girl to Jim Thorne. But children are forgetful, and she had forgotten all about it not long after. Jim Thorne, however, remembered.

A warm feeling spread through Tang Xiaonan’s heart. She took Jim Thorne’s hand and said earnestly, "White Rabbit candy is gross! Let’s not buy it. Let’s save the money for the fifteen-fen photos instead."

Adrian Hawthorne watched in surprise. ’This chubby girl has a real head for business,’ he thought. ’She knows how to start small and build up her capital. She’s got more of a knack for it than that oaf Jim Thorne.’