The villagers looked at each other, some lowering their heads. But my uncle Jackson still stuck out his neck. “Everything has to be accounted for properly, even between close relatives. The tasting money has to be paid!”
Yovie’s eyes turned red with anger. “Do you even know how many business deals Lora turned down during Double Eleven? Just one missed deal alone could have bought all the mangoes in this village!”
The girl was both angry and anxious and for a moment, no one dared to speak.
Seeing this, the village chief’s eyes darted around shrewdly. He cleared his throat and said,“Lora, we know how hard you’ve worked and everyone in the village remembers your kindness. But these mangoes were grown by all of us, working from dawn to dusk. All year round, we count on this harvest.”
He pointed to the villagers behind him. “Look at your uncle. His son is in college, waiting for tuition. Denna’s husband is still sick. We’re not like you. You can just start a live stream and make big money easily.”
Uncle Jackson chimed in from the side, “For you, 2,000 dollars is like a meal. For us, it’s half a year’s living expenses.”