Eleanor was someone who acted fast. He stepped on the gas pedal, and the brand-new electric car moved like a silent flash of lightning, carrying Celine straight toward the village where their old home was.
To make sure everyone noticed, Eleanor slowed down the car once they entered the village.
The car looked smooth and modern, very different from the old motorcycles and small scooters that people in the village usually used. Right away, the car caught everyone's attention.
It was a quiet time in the village. Many people were sitting at their doors chatting or resting under the trees in the shade.
As the car slowly drove in and stopped right in front of Celine's family house, every head turned to look. Curious, surprised, and jealous looks all focused on them.
"Wow, is that Eleanor's new car? That's really something."
"Look at the brand. It must have cost a lot."
"Wait, did Eleanor really buy a car? When did he get rich enough for that?"
The villagers started talking all at once, their voices buzzing like bees.
The car door opened, and Eleanor stepped out first from the driver's seat.
He had put on a new jacket for the day. His hair was neatly combed. As he got out, he gently pulled at the corner of his jacket and had a proud look on his face.
Then the door on the other side opened.
Celine stepped out slowly while even more eyes turned to watch her.
She wore a plain T-shirt and jeans. She wasn't wearing any makeup, but she stood tall and confident.
As the villagers looked at her, everyone had the same thought. Celine looked even more beautiful than before.
At that moment, she lifted her hand to fix the hair near her ear.
The afternoon sun shone down right then and lit up her left wrist. On it, she wore a gold bracelet.
It wasn't a small or light one. It was thick. It was big.
The pure gold color was bright and shiny. In the sunlight, it looked almost too bright to look at. It clearly showed its weight and how valuable it was.
People around them took a sharp breath in.
Just a moment ago they were still talking about the car, but now all of their attention was on that bracelet.
The shine, the design, everything about it looked real.
"Oh my, is that really made of gold?"
"Old Shenan's girl… where did she get the money to buy such a big thing?"
After a short silence, the place became even noisier.
Several gossip-loving aunties, who were always quick to poke into other people's business, couldn't help but crowd around.
"Hey! Celine's back!" a chubby aunt said with a cheerful smile, but her eyes were glued to Celine's wrist. "That bracelet… it's so shiny! Looks heavy too. How many grams do you think it is?"
"Yeah, yeah," a tall, thin woman added, "That must've cost a lot, right? Who gave it to you? Your brother?"
Their questions came quickly, with everyone talking at once, staring without any shame, full of curiosity and guesses. They surrounded Celine in seconds.
Celine looked a bit shy in front of this sudden attention. A light blush appeared on her fair cheeks.
She raised her right hand and gently covered the gold bracelet on her left wrist, as if trying to hide it.
But she didn't say anything. She just smiled a little, looking bashful, her eyes curving into crescent moons.
She stayed silent, letting the crowd wonder about the bracelet's value and where it came from. Their curiosity grew even stronger.
Her quiet and shy actions made the bracelet seem even more valuable and mysterious.
This whole scene was clearly seen by Uncle Yu, who was squatting under an old locust tree across the way.
He had been chatting with someone under the tree, but his eyes had never left that new car.
When he saw the shiny gold bracelet on Celine's wrist, and how she looked shy about it, Uncle Yu's eyes suddenly widened.
That gold light almost felt like it burned his eyes.
He jumped up from the ground right away. He didn't even say goodbye to the people next to him. He turned around and walked quickly toward the old family house, his steps full of urgency and panic.
This was big news.
Huge news.
He had to tell his dad right away.
Watching Uncle Yu hurry off like that, acting like he couldn't wait a second longer, he looked just like a fish that had caught the smell of bait.
Celine slowly put her hand down and quietly shared a glance with Eleanor, who was standing next to her.
They didn't need to speak. They both understood.
The fish had taken the bait.
Now it was time to throw out something even sweeter and more tempting.