The Path of Power

Chapter Five: Returning Home

After getting off the plane, Ethan Cole went to the baggage claim area to collect his luggage. He didn't have much stuff; besides the backpack he was carrying, he only had an old, scuffed suitcase with a few clothes in it. This suitcase was a gift from his mother after he was accepted into university. Thinking about seeing his parents and sister soon, Ethan felt a surge of warmth in his heart, and suddenly a sense of urgency.

"Ethan, can you get me a box?" Zoe Carter called out.

Ethan took one look and saw that the girl had two large boxes: "Sure thing, you take my small suitcase, and I'll help you with these two big ones."

"Thank you!"

"It's my pleasure to serve such a beautiful lady. By the way, how are you going to manage all this back?" Ethan asked, lifting the heavy load.

"I called my dad; he will arrange for someone to pick me up."

As soon as I exited the airport terminal in Riverton City, a middle-aged man approached me: "Zoe."

"Uncle Mark!" Zoe skipped over.

Ethan sized up the middle-aged man. The man in front of him was about 5'9", with a square jaw, thick eyebrows, and a short buzz cut. He looked very capable.

"Uncle Mark, this is Ethan Cole, a friend I met on the plane. Ethan, this is Uncle Mark, he works with my family."

"Thank you for helping Zoe with her luggage, young man." Uncle Mark took the boxes from Ethan while observing him.

"It's nothing. It was just a chance meeting; helping each other out is only right." Ethan said politely, but his eyes met Uncle Mark's inadvertently. Ethan couldn't help but feel a chill. "Such sharp, watchful eyes."

"Zoe, we'll say goodbye here." Ethan stepped forward and took his old suitcase from Zoe.

"Uncle Mark, please take the luggage to the car first. I need to talk to Ethan for a moment."

"Alright, I'll wait for you in the car by the curb."

Uncle Mark, carrying Zoe Carter's luggage, nodded to Ethan and then walked toward the exit.

"Ethan, Uncle Mark is driving. Your home is pretty far out in Maple County, right? Let me give you a ride."

"No need, it's really convenient for me to take the Airport Shuttle." When Ethan saw Uncle Mark, and then remembered that Zoe's family came from Washington to Riverton City, he keenly sensed that Zoe's background was unusual, so he politely declined.

"So when are you reporting for your new career placement in Lincoln City, and how many days will you stay in Riverton?"

"I'll be reporting to the Oregon State capital on August 20th."

"Give me your phone."

"What?"

"Just take it out when I tell you to."

"Oh!" Ethan sighed and pulled out his old, battered basic cell phone. Zoe saw Ethan's broken phone and remembered that Ethan had told her his family was very poor. She felt a pang of sadness, took the phone from Ethan, quickly entered a phone number, and then her own phone rang in her purse.

"This is my number. I'll treat you to dinner this weekend; I'll call you then." Zoe smiled as she handed the phone back to Ethan.

Looking at Zoe's smiling face, Ethan was slightly stunned by her beauty, which was truly captivating and hard to resist. Zoe secretly felt pleased with Ethan's reaction.

"It's settled then. I'll call you this weekend, and I'll pick you up." The two walked to the door, where Uncle Mark was waiting by a black Audi. When he saw Zoe come out, he quickly opened the back door, and Zoe got into the car.

"Goodbye, Mr. Cole." Uncle Mark extended his hand.

"Goodbye, Uncle Mark." Ethan grasped Uncle Mark's hand. It was a rough and strong hand, with calluses on the thumb and forefinger, clearly a hand that had handled a gun.

Watching their car drive away, Ethan pondered. It seemed Zoe Carter's family background was quite extraordinary. Suddenly, he remembered seeing a former Senator and current Riverton Mayor frequently appearing on the Global News Network named Carter. Could Zoe be related to him? Oh well! Why was he being so suspicious? It was just a chance encounter, and besides, he was just a guy from a poor background; what was there to overthink? Ethan shook his head with a wry smile and carried his luggage toward the Airport Shuttle station.

The Airport Shuttle bus drove along the city's edge toward Maple County. Ethan gazed at the skyscrapers springing up like mushrooms after rain in the distance. The changes in Riverton were truly astounding. Now, high-rises were everywhere. Riverton's economy had developed rapidly, leading to its rapid growth and giving it the appearance of a major metropolitan area.

The new interstate connecting Riverton City and Lincoln City in Oregon State has just opened and passes through Maple County. Unlike before, when it took more than two hours to travel from Riverton to Maple County, now the bus stops at the Maple County bus station in less than an hour.

Maple County, located on the southwest fringe of Riverton City, is severely out of step with the city's rapid development. The county seat remains almost unchanged from when Ethan returned three years ago. No wonder the lives of the local people are still quite difficult.

Ethan boarded the local bus to Chestnut Grove. Chestnut Grove is the only part of the Riverton area with noticeable hills. Although they are called hills, they are an extension of the Oregon Coastal Range. There are nine hills in the area, none of which are more than 300 feet above sea level, known as the "Nine Peaks of Maple." The scenery is very beautiful. However, due to the local government's lack of efforts in tourism development, there are very few tourists here.

Ethan's home is nestled at the foot of Eagle Peak, the highest and most scenic of the nine peaks. Ethan got off the bus at the Eagle Peak stop, one stop before Chestnut Grove. The mountain was covered in lush trees and bamboo groves, and the air below was incredibly fresh. Ethan took a deep breath, enjoying the clean air of his hometown once again. He then hurried toward his home.

The road leading to my home used to be a dirt path, but now the village is probably in better shape than before, so they've built a gravel road.

"Isn't this young Ethan? You're back!"

"Oh my! Ethan is back, the one who went to the prestigious university! No, I heard he's a Ph.D. now; he's bound to have a bright future."

"Hey! Uncle Ray, I'm back."

"Yes, Mrs. Johnson, how are you doing?"

Along the way, Ethan kept encountering villagers who greeted him warmly, and Ethan happily responded.

Upon arriving home, Ethan's parents came out to greet him. His father, nearing sixty, had grown old and gray from the hardships of life, and his back was slightly hunched. His mother, five years younger than him, was also in her fifties, but in good health.

"Dad, Mom, I'm back." Ethan's eyes welled up with tears.

"Son, you're finally back! I've missed you so much!" The mother hugged Ethan tightly, tears streaming down her face.

"You're back. Come inside." The father took the suitcase from Ethan.

"Ethan, come inside quickly. Mom has prepared lots of delicious food for you today. Your sister will be back soon too." Her mother wiped away her tears and pulled Ethan into the house. As soon as she stepped inside, a fragrant aroma wafted over, and pork shanks were stewing on the stove. Ethan couldn't help but swallow.

"Ethan, wash your face first, go back to your room and rest for a while. Mom will finish dinner, and we'll eat when your sister comes back."

"Okay, Mom." Ethan walked into his small room. Everything was the same as before: new bedding and mats on the bed, and the simple desk by the window was spotless. When Ethan returned, he saw that many families in the village had built two-story houses, while they still lived in three single-story rooms. His parents had worked hard all their lives to raise him, and he was determined to make something of himself someday. Ethan made a silent vow in his heart.

"Dad, Mom, is big brother back? Where is he? Ethan!" Emily, the younger sister, rushed into Ethan's room as soon as she returned and immediately pounced on him when she saw him.

Ethan's younger sister, Emily, is 22 years old this year, four years younger than Ethan. The two siblings have had a very close relationship since childhood. Emily achieved excellent results in her high school entrance exam, but since Ethan was in college at the time and the family's financial situation was limited, she resolutely applied to a vocational school specializing in chemical engineering.

"Emily." Ethan excitedly hugged his younger sister.

"Come here, let me take a look." After a while, Ethan pushed Emily aside. "Look, our little Nat has grown into a beautiful young lady." Emily is 5'6", graceful and elegant, with features very similar to Ethan's; she is also a beauty.

"Emily, I heard you've got a boyfriend. Did you bring him along? Let me see him."

"No, it's not official yet. He... he's busy with work; he has to work overtime at the factory." Emily blushed and lowered her head.

"I think young Ben is a good person. He's honest and hardworking, a college graduate, and has only been working for three years, yet he's already the deputy head of the quality control department in the factory," the mother said with a smile as she walked in.

"Mom! Look at you." Emily said coquettishly, taking her mother's arm.

"Alright, alright, time to eat. We're finally having a family reunion dinner today." The mother looked at her two children with loving eyes.

The family of four sat down to eat. Ethan wolfed down the dishes his mother had made. He hadn't eaten them in three years, and his mother's cooking was the best he had ever tasted.

As Ethan's mother watched her son eat, she kept putting food on his plate.

"Mom, you're biased. You always put food on my brother's plate, but never on mine," Emily pouted, jealous.

"Alright, I'll put some on your plate too. Look at you, you little rascal. It's rare for your brother to come back, and you're so petty." Ethan's mother put a piece of her favorite stir-fried pork with mushrooms on Emily's plate and said with a smile.

"Ethan, you've graduated this time. Have you been assigned a job yet?" Mr. Cole asked Ethan, taking a sip of his drink.

"Dad, I've secured a position. After graduation, the school recommended me for a prestigious career placement with the Oregon State Party Committee. I'll be reporting for duty on the 20th," Ethan replied, putting down his chopsticks.

"Why were you placed in another state? You're a Ph.D. from a prestigious university; why couldn't you stay and work here in Riverton City?" Ethan's mother said hurriedly when she heard Ethan say that he was placed in Oregon State.

"Mom, my brother has been placed with the Oregon State Party Committee as a civil servant; he's going into politics, isn't that a great job?" Emily explained to her mother.

"Mom, I've been placed in Lincoln City, the capital. Lincoln City is very close to Maple County, and now that the highway is open, there are buses running every day, so it's very convenient to come and go," Ethan hurriedly told his mother.

"Ethan, after you start working, work hard, listen to your superiors, and never do anything illegal or dishonest." Mr. Cole didn't say much more, just gave some instructions. His son was grown up and would have to walk his own path from now on.

"Okay, Dad."

"Ethan, you're not young anymore; you're already twenty-six. I didn't pressure you when you were in school, but now that you're working, you should find someone soon. People around your age in the village are all married and have grown children."

"Mom, I just graduated." Ethan had a headache, wondering why his mother brought up this topic.

"Look, your dad has retired. We heard that the land in our county is going to be developed, so there's not much to do anymore. Your dad and I just want to hold our grandchild as soon as possible and help you take care of the child." Ethan's mother said, while stroking Emily's head. "I'm not worried about this girl. That young Ben is a good person. You just need to hurry up and make the most of him."

"Mom, what are you talking about? You were talking about my brother; why are you bringing me up? You're so eager for me to get married, and besides, I'm currently studying at an online university. I'll at least get my bachelor's degree before I get married." Emily, sucking on her chopsticks, said unhappily.

"Old woman, what are you saying? The children are all grown up. They can handle their own affairs. Let's not worry about them. Let's eat, let's eat," said Mr. Cole.

"That's right, we should handle our own problems," Emily quickly chimed in.

"You brat, even eating can't shut you up." Ethan's mother smiled and tapped Emily's head.

The family ate happily.