Transmigrated as the Villain Boss's Precious Darling-Chapter 110: Jim Thorne, the House Guardian

"It’s too much of an imposition. It won’t take me long to walk on my own." Clayton Xavier wasn’t keen on eating at someone else’s home.

These days, every household had limited food rations. People were considerate enough not to visit each other around mealtimes, and they did their best to avoid eating at others’ homes.

"It’s several miles from here. It’ll take you more than an hour to walk. Come on, we can spare the food."

Felix Thorne’s tone brooked no refusal, so Clayton Xavier had no choice but to follow obediently. He was grateful, though, and his opinion of the Thorne family was already starting to change. ’Everyone says the Thornes are brutish and unreasonable, but they seem fine to me.’

’Mindless hearsay is a terrifying thing. Maybe the Thorne family really is a bit brutish, but perhaps it’s just been exaggerated by malicious rumors?’

’It’s always best to see with your own eyes and hear with your own ears to know the truth!’

When Adrian Hawthorne got home, Jim Thorne was there, looking extremely impatient. He shot Adrian a sour look and said, "I’m heading home now. Take a good look—your mom’s all in one piece, not missing any arms or legs. My job here is done."

’Son of a bitch. Those damn hooligans must have shit for eyes. Why is every last one of them running to the Hawthorne place like a dog that’s sniffed out crap? The second they see that ugly hag Rosalind Green, they start yapping more excitedly than a mutt in heat. It forced me to pull out my ultimate deterrent—the pig-butchering knife.’

Only after he flashed the knife and dropped his father’s name did the hooligans back off. But they were still loitering near the Hawthorne house, just waiting for him to leave. Jim Thorne couldn’t afford to be careless. He didn’t give a damn about the ugly woman, Rosalind Green, but his sister would be furious if anything happened.

"Thanks."

Adrian Hawthorne was deeply grateful, and he found himself looking at Jim Thorne much more favorably.

"Thanks, my ass. If my little sister hadn’t told me to, I wouldn’t give a damn if your mother lived or died..."

Jim Thorne looked awkward, clearly unaccustomed to this polite exchange with Adrian Hawthorne. He much preferred a good old-fashioned brawl; all this courtesy felt damn uncomfortable.

"We have Jim to thank for today. Three or four hooligans showed up, and Jim single-handedly kept them at bay," Old Master Tate said, giving him a thumbs-up. After spending the day together, he had already gotten a good read on Jim Thorne’s character.

’He’s just one of those people who responds well to a bit of praise. His intentions are simple, and as long as you humor him, he’s actually quite easy to get along with. What’s more, Jim Thorne’s most admirable quality is that he keeps his promises. If he sets his mind to something, he’ll be sure to get it done, just like today.’

’People who keep their promises usually aren’t bad at heart.’ Old Master Tate’s opinion of Jim Thorne had improved considerably.

Jim Thorne looked even more awkward, but he was secretly loving the praise. He said with a swagger, "It was just a few punks. The second I pulled out my blade, they chickened out. If they ever come back, just drop my name. That’ll scare the living daylights out of ’em!"

A slight smile touched Adrian Hawthorne’s lips. He nodded. "Alright. We’ll drop your name."

Jim Thorne’s chin jutted out even higher, puffed up with pride. He waved a hand. "I’m heading home!"

Rosalind Green held out half a pound of pork and called, "Don’t forget the pork!"

"I don’t want it!"

Jim Thorne didn’t even turn his head as he swaggered down the mountain. ’They’re a pitiful bunch,’ he thought. ’Let them keep that little bit of pork.’

’I’m going back home to have some big, juicy pork buns.’

Rosalind Green stood there holding the pork, at a complete loss. She looked helplessly at her son, unsure of what to do.

"We’ll eat it tomorrow."

Adrian Hawthorne spoke, and only then did Rosalind Green feel at ease. She took the pork into the kitchen and soon brought out three dishes. One was steamed pork with preserved mustard greens. It had been re-steamed several times, leaving the preserved greens swollen and glistening with pork fat. The meat was tender without being greasy and went perfectly with rice. There were also bowls of stir-fried greens and stir-fried radishes, both cooked with lard. She had prepared them all specially for Jim Thorne.

"Hurry and eat. You must be hungry, right?"

Rosalind Green ladled out a large bowl of sweet potato rice and placed it in front of Adrian Hawthorne. It was mostly rice, with only a little sweet potato mixed in.