The Charming Ex–Wife
Chapter 655 His Interest Was Piqued
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<b>“</b>All right, all right, just go ahead and down this drink and you’ll start feeling better almost immediately! Just hang tight here, okay? I’ve got a lunch simmering away at home, and it should be ready before you know it. I’ll rush back and bring it right over for you.”
The health center was conveniently situated very close to <b>ine’s </b>house. Given its proximity, the round trip to fetch a home–cooked meal from his own farm <b>took </b>barely ten minutes.
The egg spaghetti, served warm, was not only soft andforting to eat but were also particrly. beneficial for soothing the stomach.
Aware that ine had offered the best he could from his own resources, Josiah mulled over ways to show his appreciation once the chief had departed.
While the easiest and most straightforward gesture would have been to offer money, Josiah had used up all the cash he had on him during his travels to the vige. It became evident that this quaint, remote mountain vige <b>was </b>not equipped to handle electronic payments.
Having received his IV drip in the morning, Josiah found himself with no pressing engagements for the remainder of the day. Opting to remain at the consultation room under the guise of needing further recovery time, he inquired of Lysander, “Is there a bank nearby?”
Lysander pondered this for a moment before responding. “No, there isn’t one around here. The closest ATM is back in town. Do you need something from there?”
This distance was rather far. Realizing the impractical distance, Josiah resignedly admitted, “There’s no point then.”
After hepleted his IV drip, the afternoon had arrived. With no other obligations, Josiah decid
volunteer his time at the health center.
to
While he wasn’t qualified to assist in medical tasks, he was perfectly able to help the elderly gentleman make his way to the restroom. His height also made him ideal <b>for </b>supporting the IV bag.
Around the same time as the previous day, the young nurse approached them with an invitation for dinner from ine,
she fo
Lysander hadn’tpleted her shift the previous evening, and she felt quite guilty about asking the nurses to cover for her yet again today. Despite this, she didn’t want to cause any offense to ine and permitted. Josiah to go.
Having already made the trip the previous evening, Josiah was familiar with the route and made his way to the vige chief’s residence alone. Upon arrival, he saw ine’s wife busily preparing cured meat for their meal.
This specialty was hung high from the beams of their homes and was a prized delicacy in the vige. As she teetered on a stool trying to reach it, the stool wobbled dangerously under her.
Josiah entered just in time to see her precarious attempt and quickly stepped forward to assist, his pulse racing as he urged, “Mrs. Alvarez, please step aside and let me take care of <b>this</b><b>.</b>”
ine <b>and </b><b>Anita </b><b>were </b>around the same age as Susan, but they appeared much older, their faces etched with the hardships of rural life.
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Chapter 655 His Interest <b>Was </b>Piqued
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Respecting the elderly, Josiah was always concerned about their welfare. Before she could protest, he had already tiptoed to retrieve the hanging cured meat, presenting it to her with a gentle, “Here you go.”
“Mr. Guerra, I can’t possibly thank you enough. You are… truly a blessing,” gushed Anita, overwhelmed with gratitude.
Josiah regarded the gesture as a triviality, reassuring her, “It’s really nothing to worry about.”
As she sliced the meat, Anita expressed her gratitude, “Mr. Guerra, you and Dr. Thorne are truly kind souls, unlike those rich folks who merely pass through our vige.”
This remark piqued <b>Josiah’s </b>interest<b>, </b><b>and </b>he pricked up his ears, listening intently.
Initially reluctant to speak ill of others<b>, </b>Anita nevertheless continued, prompted by his evident curiosity. “Our vige was always known for its poverty. asionally, visitors woulde to take photographs <b>and </b>look around, but almost all of themined about the conditions and chose to drive back to the city to spend the night. You and Dr. Thorne are the first to truly appreciate this ce.”
Josiah reassured her, “Every ce holds its own charm. If the countryside were <b>just </b>like the city, what would be the appeal of urban areas?”
With a sigh, Anita replied, “It’s wonderful that you see it that
way.”
After a moment of thought, Josiah asked further, “If these visitors disdain the vige environment so much, why do they evene here? Were they also intending to provide medical assistance?”
“That’s not the case,” she responded, her tone turning bitter as she discussed the topic. “Our vige stretches across the surrounding mountains and appears vast due to our sparse poption. Just beyond the vige, along a narrow path, there are severalrge ponds used by the vigers to raise fish and grow lotus roots, which provide for us during the agricultural off–season.”
Upon hearing this, Josiah visualized the scene,menting, “A pond that supports both fish and lotus roots must indeed offer a splendid view.”
Anitamented, “Exactly, and that’s the issue. Many wealthy individuals who visit find the ce beautiful and want to develop it into a tourism spot.”
Josiah assessed the situation internally.
Despite its distance from urban centers, the scenic beauty and simplicity of the vige made it appealing for those seeking a respite from city life. However, theck of amenities posed significant challenges for visitors.
<i>If </i>there w
were a resort here, or even just a decent guesthouse, it could be an ideal retreat for those looking to enjoy some tranquility. For instance, Lysander
“My husband used to think that entertaining these visitors was beneficial for our vige. He would go out of his way to show them around the mountains and offer them our local fish and lotus roots, but nothing substantial <b>ever </b>came of it. Now, he’s grown old and has lost hope, resigning himself to the situation.”
If the vige chief had truly resigned himself, his reaction to Josiah’s involvement would not have been so fervent. As he aged, his main desire was to do something meaningful for the vigers before his tenure
ended.
Josiah pondered aloud, “Did they abandon their ns because they found the conditions here.
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“I’m not entirely sure, but my husband mentions it sometimes; he thinks it’s normal for tourists to be deterred by the remoteness of our location,” Anita exined understandingly. “People travel for pleasure, not to endure <b>a </b>difficult journey across mountains and hills, right?”N?vel(D)rama.Org''s content.
“That’s not entirely true,” Josiah considered, “The <b>main </b>issue might actually be theck of proper roads leading here. If we want to attract visitors, we need to improve the roads first,”
“True, but building roads is costly, and we simply don’t have the resources,” shemented.
Just then, ine added, puffing on his homemade tobo. “The real problem is that these businesspeople want to disce us, but they aren’t willing to invest in building new homes for us. Our ancestors made their living here by cultivating fish and lotus roots. Without an education, how would we survive if we had to leave?”
While ideas often sounded appealing in theory, their implementation was fraught with numerous challenges. Despite wishing to address each problem individually, the financial burden was simply far too
immense.
Josiah<b>, </b><b>with </b>his background in business, recognized that the high initial investment and considerable risks associated with building new homes for vigers, constructing roads, and developing the area for tourism were not prudent decisions.
This likely exined why most people merely took a cursory look around before departing.
After enjoying dinner at ine’s house, Josiah collected the aluminum lunch box prepared for Lysander and made his way back to the health clinic. The box was filled with steaming stir–fry spaghetti with cured
meat
However, the health center was particrly lively that evening.
Three nurses, along with Lysander, were actively engaged in a yful yet frantic chase around the yard, attempting to administer medicine and vinations to five spirited children who stubbornly resisted their efforts. The nurses managed to capture one child only tos