Chapter 7 Not Just a Filthy Walnut
Chapter 7 Not Just a Filthy Walnut
“A kind of potion, Basilisk Venom, extremely rare, the ability to extend life expectancy.” Please check at N/ôvel(D)rama.Org.
Calvin was rapturous. He didn’t expect that the Book of the Malandra to be incredibly functional. It
could cure people and appraise treasures.
This thing called Basilisk Venom could extend his life? Then he couldn’t waste it like that.
He hastily licked the transparent juice on his hand. It tasted bitter like bitter almonds. Once he took it in,
he felt it was flowing throughout his body, which felt very comfortable.
Seeing that Calvin wouldn’t even waste the walnut that he took from garbage, Vincent despised him
even more, “You only deserve to eat garbage. Take a look at my gift...”
He took a wooden box from his wife, Betty Houston. Even the box alone was very pretty.
“Look at what Vincent’s got for Mrs. Houston! He must have put a lot of efforts in it. The box alone was
very pricey. It’s completely hand-painted. Gorgeous and not cheesy. Mrs. Houston is gonna love it.”
“Don’t put it like that. He’s not the only young man who put efforts in their gifts. You can’t say so many
nice things about him just because he’s your son-in-law.”
“Stop it. Why are you arguing about this? As long as Mrs. Houston is happy, we’re happy. And no one
can be worse than that loser over there.”
“Yeah.”
Carrie put her hands on her chest and she seemed like she didn’t feel quite well. Lewis held her arms
and walked her to another place to comfort her.
Vincent opened the wooden box proudly, “I’m going to feed your sight on.”
Inside the box was a piece of jade carved with complex patterns. It looked very expensive.
“How does it look like? I went to a temple and got this jade amulet on my trip to Oakshire. A great
wizard gave his blessings to this gift.”
Calvin was standing next to him, having some hard feelings. He didn’t know that Vincent also went to
Oakshire. Did he and Rita meet up...
Vincent had been having an eye on Rita and he wanted to steal her away. But Rita never crossed the
line so Calvin had to pretend he didn’t know anything about this.
Carrie saw the amulet and was acting even weirder.
“Isn’t that the jade amulet that we saw before? It’s worth three hundred thousand dollars.”
Hearing that, Vincent got cockier. He was busy wondering how to mention the price and brag about it.
Everyone in the living room started gasping, “Three hundred thousand dollars! When did that guy get
so rich?”
Vincent said with confidence, “Uncle, merely three hundred thousand is getting rich to you? My
company made three million dollars last year. Three hundred thousand is nothing compared to that.
The most important thing is to make grandma happy.”
Vincent was enjoying the spotlight and then he turned around to waved at Calvin, “Calvin, can you see
it clearly from that distance? If you don’t come over, you’ll never be able to see this again your entire
life. We’re all juniors and shouldn’t be so petty when it comes to our elders. Even though I’m far richer
than you, you shouldn’t just dig up a walnut from a trashcan and give it to grandma as a gift.”
All the relatives exclaimed about the huge gap between these two sons-in-law.
Calvin stared at the jade amulet and felt something was wrong.
Noticing that Calvin was staring at it, Vincent put it on his hand.
“Admire it as much as you want. Don’t blame us for shaming you. Nobody would do such things like
you. The elder ones deserve our love and respect. Grandma is 88 years old now and it’s a sign that
tells us all of us are blessed with fortune and health...”
Vincent was practically spitting in Calvin’s face. Just as Calvin was wondering why he was suddenly so
hyped up; he saw several people coming from behind.
It was Isabel Houston, their grandmother. She was carefully held by a servant.
“It’s Vincent, right? I heard what you said back there. Aren’t you a sweetheart?”
Calvin was calling Vincent a phony in his mind. He could never be that hypocritical.
Vincent acted surprised and went forward to hold her arm, “Grandma, why are you here? The dinner
won’t be started so soon.”
“Haha, I got bored back there and wanted to talk with you kids. What are you talking about?”
Vincent hurriedly took the amulet from Calvin and got on his knees.
“Grandma, I prepared this for you. I hope you’ll like it.”
Mrs. Houston gently touched the amulet and said, “I’ve never seen anything like this. But I can tell from
the carving that it is very precious. It’s very thoughtful of you.”
Vincent acted to be humble and said, “Grandma, we all take your birthday very seriously. Why don’t
you guys present your gifts to grandma to make her happy?”
Vincent was like the leader of the juniors in the Houston family now.
Everyone brought out their gifts and Rita brought her grandma a golden peach, which was not too big
but was worth more than ten thousand dollars.
Mrs. Houston took a look around and was very pleased, “You’re all great kids. I appreciate it.”
Vincent raised his eyebrows and grinned wickedly, “Grandma, no matter how much it takes, we’re
happy as long as you’re happy. But someone else doesn’t agree.”
Rita was stunned and knew things just went wrong. Vincent was such a jackass.
Mrs. Houston’s eyes were blazed with anger, “Who?”
Vincent turned around and looked at Calvin, “Calvin, why don’t you bring it here yourself?’
Calvin took the box and walked toward them slowly.
He wasn’t scared that he would be scorned by Mrs. Houston. He was afraid that he would spill the juice
of the Basilisk Venom.
“You are...” Mrs. Houston took a look at him and didn’t recognize who he was.
“Hahaha, he’s a nobody in our family. Mrs. Houston even knows who the florist is and doesn’t know her
grandson-in-law.”
“He doesn’t deserve to be the son-in-law of the Houston family. Even I feel ashamed because of him.”
“Carrie had been bragging in front of us for all her life until she has this so-called son-in-law. This is
karma.”
Calvin indeed felt embarrassed. But what could he do?
“Mrs. Houston, I’m Calvin Whitney. I’m...Rita’s husband.”
Rita looked away. She was disgusted when he referred himself as his husband.
If it weren’t for...She would never agree to marry him.
“Oh, it’s you,” Mrs. Houston looked at him grimly, “and what did you get for me?”
“Well...” Calvin didn’t know how to explain this. If he said it is a kind of rare potion, no one would
believe him. Instead, they would mock him relentlessly.
Vincent seemed very content about Calvin’s silence, “What? You’re too embarrassed to say it? I’ll say it
for you. Grandma, he wants to give you this filthy rotten walnut, hahaha.”
“What!” Mrs. Houston smacked on her chair, “It’s my 88th birthday and you’re giving me a freaking
walnut? Are you trying to make me mad?”
Seeing her angry like that, Calvin wanted to explain and he said without thinking twice, “Mrs. Houston,
that’s not the case. It’s the Basilisk Venom.”
Everyone was shocked and then burst into laughter.
“Hahaha, this is hilarious. That is the funniest joke I have ever head.”
“He’s good at making things up. What did he say about that walnut? He seems desperate to make her
feel better.”
“Basilisk Venom. Never heard of it. Mrs. Houston, do you believe that?”
Mrs. Houston was overwhelmed by wrath. She had never been humiliated like this before.
Vincent was basically laughing with tears. He said, “Grandma, don’t be mad at him. He’s trash so of
course he gives you trash as a gift. It’s only logical.”
Lewis, Carrie and Rita were all feeling so awkward that they wanted to leave the room.
After they finished laughing, Calvin gently closed the box and was a different man now.
He had been tolerant enough. But he was only rewarded with injustice.
So he was done putting up with them.
Calvin looked at Vincent and said coldly, “Even if my gift is trash, it’s way better than the deadly amulet
you gave her.”
Calvin’s voice wasn’t loud but firm.
The Houstons were shocked. What was he saying? A deadly amulet?
Vincent pointed his finger at Calvin and yelled, “Nonsense!”