Such good news brought tears to the eyes of many.
Several people had already started calling their children, families and friends while leaving the Prairie.
[Mom, what's the matter? Are you ill? Are you in any trouble? Is dad okay?]
These were the first things their children and loved ones said. The undisguised care made many cry.
"Son, come back home. You don't have to suffer out there anymore. We are now rich!"
"Daughter, you must quit that job in the city and return home fast. We are now rich!"
Of course some called their spouses working outside the village.
"Husband, I don't care! I don't care! The shares I bought have yielded fruits. Because of your work, the children and I only see you 1 week a month. Come home… There is no need to struggle any more."
"_" [Daughters/sons/spouses/grandparents/family/friends in the city]
What happened to their families/friends in the village all of a sudden?
Rich? They in Geldhan village can actually get rich?
IMPOSSIBLE!
It's like saying pigs will one day fly. How true can that be?
????
****
Happiness spread throughout the village like a wildfire.
"Oh, if I had believed in it more, I should have bundled up all my savings and put towards biting shares."
Several people sighed with regret, feeling envious of people like Hendo and the families of Gort's closest friends who bought multiple shares.
Look, even Uncle Rufung bought 7 Shares! That's 7,000 Gwins! He really took it out of the bank and gave it total belief and confidence in Gort.
Alas, they should have been bold and daring just like Rufung. In the end, no matter how worse their situation was with just 1 share, they still felt superior to those who didn't have any shares at all.
~Pouf!
Several people had blood in their eyes when staring at the Welland Family and a few bastard families that made them miss such profits.
"Old Poe, you and I will never end! I really want to beat you bastards up."
"That's right, I shouldn't have listened to your nonsense! Obviously, Gort is a genius. So how can he go wrong?"
"Old Jean, you're in cahoots with Old Poe too! Now I want to beat you all to death!"
They began chasing these families around the village in fury, while others laughed gloatingly.
What's this now? Weren't you all the ones mocking Gort and them earlier? How come you're now regretting it?
As for the Welland, Jean and several families that had feuds with the Fairbang Family, they now hid in their homes after escaping.
"I don't understand! How can this be happening?"
"Why? Why? Why must it be that darn Fairbang Family that produces talents generation after generation?"
"Are the Heavens blind? What's so special about the Fairbang Family lineage?"
Several people placed their hands on their heads, almost pulling out all their hair in frustration, helplessness and hate.
"Father-in-law, why don't we–"
"No!" Welland Poe hastily lashed out at the wife. He would rather drink his own blood than beg The Fairbangs for shares.
The feud between them has gone so long, he was sure that if doctors cut open his body, they would find hate corroding his insides.
Park Fairbang's father stole Grandpa Wellands beloved. That's right, Welland Poe's father lost a woman to Park Fairbangs father…. And that woman was Park Fairbang's Mother.
She was the most beautiful flower in the village at the time, but she chose Gort's grandfather.
—And now, what annoyed Poe the most was that like father, like son… Park Fairbang also stole the woman he, Welland Poe, had been eyeing for a long time too.
Yup!
Both men fought for Clare Rei at some point. Of course, Clare Rei felt Welland Poe was ridiculous since she hardly spoke to him or even showed any such intent.
Are you okay in the head? When did she become 'his' woman?... And what about their battle for top position in school, village chief title and so on?
Apparently, the Wellands and the Fairbangs had long had feuds before the woman-stealing incidents. Be it in olden times from one matter to another. From land dispute, crop distribution, ancient titles, ranks, and whatnot… The Wellands had many reasons to feuds for centuries.
And now, added to the mix of reasons, was Woman-stealer. So you see? This feud is one that seemed endless!
Almost all Wellands hated the Fairbangs to a core in each generation. The same holds true for now. Welland Poe's son, Welland Shin also hated Gort to death.
He felt Gort was always stealing his spotlight. Welland Shin took Gort as an imaginary enemy, always wanting to compare his success with Gort's. But no matter what he did, he always lost.
Welland Shin was very bright. One could say that without Gort's existence, he would have definitely been the number one star student in front of all teachers, even those in the county.
Welland Shin is already accepted in one high-end prestigious and elite school paid and sponsored by the Government. He was taken as a 'seed' candidate.
He thought it was something to brag about. But who knew that Gort had been turning the same proposal down for years now?
The last they heard, Welland Shin had gone abroad for some major school project, to stay a full year there before coming back.