The Audacious Life of Arthur Grey

Chapter 1

Arthur Grey, you can just say so if you don’t want to go. You don’t have to be so disgusting.” Naomi Downey huffed and grumbled at her misfortune before turning to leave.

It was an outing day for the Downey family from San Francisco.

Earlier on, Grandpa Albert Downey had said that he was thirsty and had asked Arthur Grey to get him some water.

Arthur Grey was her husband. To put it more accurately, he was a son-in-law who had married into the Downey family.

Three years ago, the Downey family’s eldest princess—Naomi Downey—had held the wedding of the century in her marriage to Arthur Grey. The wedding had rocked the whole city of San Francisco.

The reason was that Arthur Grey was a matrilocal son-in-law and a piece of trash.

It was the Downey’s family’s old master, Simon Downey, who had set this marriage up. That meant that nobody else had any say in it.

Unfortunately, the very next day after the wedding, Simon Downey departed from this world. As such, Finn Taylor was plagued with yet another identity: A jinx.

Over the past three years, Arthur Grey had never been able to do a single thing right. In fact, he had constantly caused trouble for the Downey family. Even now, he had managed to screw up when he had simply been tasked with getting some water.

All they had done was give him 80 dollars to bring a few bottles of Evian bottled water over.

What he had come back with was a huge jug filled with water.

Didn’t he feel embarrassed letting his grandpa drink water from that bucket?

What could Arthur Grey ever do right? He would definitely be lambasted by his grandpa when they returned home later.

“Naomi, listen to me. Evian bottled water is the same as the water in this jug, but this is even cheaper!” Arthur Grey hurried forward to explain himself.

“Cheaper? Arthur Grey, you know that Grandpa is old. There will come a day when he will pass away. Everyone in the Downey family is trying to suck up to him to win his favor.”

“We’re the main branch of the Downey family, but unfortunately, I’m not a male. I also don’t have as high a status as the family’s second branch. Because I married you and embarrassed the Downey family, I can’t even compare to the third branch now.”

“Can’t you buck up a little and make me proud? How much can a bottle of Evian bottled water cost? Why did you have to buy a jug of water and embarrass our family?” Naomi Downey had lost all desire to talk to Arthur Grey.

Over the past three years, she had gained a clear understanding of him: He was here to drag her family down and to torture her.

“Oh, that piece of trash is back.” No sooner had Naomi Downey and Arthur Grey returned than Quentin Downey—Naomi Downey’s younger cousin from the family’s second branch—cut in to stir up trouble. “Naomi, I’m sorry for troubling that piece of trash for carrying such a huge jug of water over. Is that jug of water for your family to wash their hands or to wash their feet?”

Naomi Downey remained indifferent but drew a clear line between Arthur Grey and herself.

Arthur Grey was Arthur Grey. Naomi Downey was Naomi Downey.

They were scolding Arthur Grey, not Naomi Downey.

“No, this is the water I bought for Grandpa. It’s for drinking,” Arthur Grey replied earnestly.

It was met with a hearty chortle. “Drinking water? I say, do you guys drink water from such jugs at home? Look, I always get Grandpa mineral bottled water from Veen. I guess you’ve never heard of it before.”

“I got my friend to bring this back from abroad. A 750-milliliter bottle like this costs 21 dollars. I guess your jug of water didn’t even cost ten dollars.”

Arthur Grey shook his head. “You’re right. It cost me only seven dollars.”

Hahaha!

Yet another hearty chortle sounded.

Naomi Downey shook her head helplessly.?‘Is he truly a fool, or is he just pretending to be one? How could he answer so honestly even when faced with such a question?’

Albert Downey flipped the bottle of Veen bottled mineral water around and analyzed it. “I didn’t know that this water was so expensive, Quentin. No wonder it tastes so good. You’re so thoughtful.”

“It’s only right for us younger ones to do this, Grandpa. It’s good as long as you like it.”

“Grandpa, look at this.” As he said this, Quentin Downey took out a sandalwood box.

Just one glance at that wooden box made it obvious that it was no ordinary box, much less the box’s contents.

Everyone in the Downey family gathered around, wanting to see what precious things the sandalwood box held.

Quentin Downey opened it slowly, revealing the box’s contents.

It was a piece of jade—a piece of jade that had been carved into the word ‘longevity.’

Grandpa, this piece of jade’s name is ‘Abundant Life.’ As your grandson, I’m wishing you an abundant and long life!”

Albert Downey received the piece of jade with a wide smile plastered on his face.

Everyone in the Downey family praised Quentin Downey for being a filial grandson.

But when Naomi Downey and Arthur Grey heard Quentin Downey words, they glanced at each other in disbelief.

Naomi Downey reached into her own pocket, wanting to take something out. Yet, she was afraid to do so.

Arthur Grey could no longer hold it back. It didn’t matter how much Quentin Downey bullied him, but he wouldn’t stand still if he bullied his wife.

“Grandpa, Quentin Downey’s piece of jade is fake!” Arthur Grey’s words were like a bolt out of the blue.

In an instant, dozens of eyes from the Larson family turned their gazes to him.

“‘Abundant Life’ was crafted by the master craftsman, Javier Dumonte. It was sold for 111,000 at an auction in New York last week. It’s made from mutton fat jade and has a color that resembles mutton fat with a delicate and moist texture. But it has a crucial downside, which is that it contains a small amount of impurities.”

“These impurities are formed naturally and can’t be removed no matter what. However, your piece of jade is completely flawless, without any impurities. Quentin Downey, are you trying to curry favor with Grandpa using a fake piece of jade?”

With Arthur Grey’s words, everyone turned their gazes back to the piece of jade in Quentin Downey’s hands.

Indeed, this piece of jade was completely flawless, without any impurities. Just like Arthur Grey had said, it did have some minute differences from mutton fat jade.

“Arthur Grey, don’t malign others. You’re just a good-for-nothing son-in-law. What do you know about mutton fat jade? If you say that this piece of jade is fake, then it is.”

Quentin Downey felt a little guilty because of Arthur Grey’s words. It was true that this piece of jade was fake.

To be more accurate, this piece of jade was a good piece of jade as well. However, it wasn’t a piece of mutton fat jade, much less it being ‘Abundant Life.’

“Of course, this piece of jade is fake. Last week, I followed Naomi to New York. The one who bought the piece of jade for 111,000 dollars at the auction in New York was Naomi.”

“Naomi, take your piece of jade out so that Grandpa can have a look and compare them. That way, he’ll be able to tell whose is real and whose isn’t.”

At that moment, everyone’s eyes fell on Naomi Downey once again.

Because of that, Naomi Downey had no way of escaping.

She took a piece of jade out of her pocket; its shape was identical to Quentin Downey’s. “Grandpa, this is the real ‘Abundant Life.’ Arthur Grey and I personally bought it at the auction in New York to present it to you as a birthday present. We hope that you will live a long and abundant life.”

The two pieces of jade were handed to Albert Downey simultaneously.

In an instant, everyone in the Downey family seemed ready to explode.