"Clark?!"
Seeing Clark push open the door and enter, Martha was first stunned, then stood up and quickly walked over to hug him.
"It's great, Clark, I can see you again."
She said, tears streaming down her face, "You're finally back, Clark."
"I apologize to you, Mom, for everything. I shouldn't have run away from home without saying goodbye, and I shouldn't have made you worry all this time."
Clark apologized to his mother, "I always mess things up, and I always act on my own whims. But I never intended to, Mom, I didn't want to hurt you and Dad."
While holding his mother, Clark confessed to her, his eyes subtly shimmering with tears.
"We never blamed you, Clark."
Martha, with tears in her eyes and a smile, caressed Clark's face, "Your father and I only reflect, reflecting on whether we were too strict and blaming towards you before. If we had been more tolerant, then you wouldn't have tried to leave us."
"No, it's my fault, I'm the one who should reflect."
"Let's put reflection aside, what's important is that you, Clark, are back with us."
Jonathan walked over and excitedly patted Clark's back.
"Dad."
Clark turned to face his father, "Sorry, I always do things that disappoint you."
"No, Clark, you haven't."
Jonathan placed his hand on Clark's shoulder, "If you try to choose a path no one has planned for you, then even if it's full of thorns and you're covered in wounds, it can't be considered a failure. What's most important now is that my son has regained his own life."
Clark nodded, then looked at Eric, who had been standing silently beside them, and said with some hesitation, "Actually, I'm still not sure right now. As Kal, I can do whatever I want, like putting down a heavy burden. But I understand one thing: if things can't be solved, I can face them with my family. Eric taught me that lesson."
"Don't attribute all your sudden life epiphanies to me, Clark, I'm not your spiritual mentor."
Eric interrupted Clark, "What you should be worrying about now is how to clear your name as a bank robber and a notorious criminal."
"Notorious criminal?"
Hearing Eric's description, Martha looked at Clark in surprise, "Clark, how many banks did you rob in total?"
"I… I don't have an exact number, probably five."
Clark showed an embarrassed expression.
"And a box of priceless paintings."
Eric added from the side.
"Oh my goodness! Clark!"
Martha covered her mouth beside him; she had just realized that what her eldest son had done in Metropolis might not be so simple.
"Sorry, Mom. I'll notify the police and tell them where the money I robbed is. The real problem is, I can't keep running away."
Clark said with a wry smile, "As for the remaining money, I'll do my best to repay it."
Jonathan comforted Clark, "You shouldn't blame yourself too much, that wasn't something the real you would have done."
"I know, but I hurt a lot of people, and I have to make amends."
Clark knew that was what he had done while wearing the red kryptonite ring and choosing to exile himself, but he didn't intend to escape responsibility.
"We have to pay back this money."
Jonathan sighed, "Although this was an unintentional mistake made by Clark, it did cause trouble for others and society. This is a responsibility we cannot shirk; we must repay the money even if we have to sell the farm."
"Selling the farm, I don't think that's necessary."
Eric stepped forward, "Although I don't think there's a big problem with stealing the money from those bank capitalists. But perhaps I can help. My current manuscript fees are quite substantial, so we won't have to sell the farm. Clark also has the potential to inherit the farm in the future, becoming the fourth-generation farm heir."
Eric continued to explain his large sum of money to his parents under the guise of manuscript fees.
"Fourth-generation farm heir?"
Clark looked at Eric with a puzzled expression.
"Yes, the fourth-generation heir. If you inherit the farm, Clark, you'll be the fourth generation, and Dad is the third generation."
Eric said casually.
"I think…"
Clark took him seriously and said with hesitation, "I need to consider whether to inherit the farm in the future. Although I couldn't become a sports star or a TV star, I've gradually developed an interest in being a reporter. I'm currently Chloe's special correspondent for The Torch, and maybe I'll become a real reporter in the future. At least I don't dislike this profession right now."
Eric, standing beside him, was slightly surprised to hear Clark's future ambition of becoming a reporter.
He hadn't expected his elder brother to have the idea of becoming a reporter so early!
Was he about to meet his soulmate, his sister-in-law, Louise Lane?
Pinching his chin with one hand, Eric fell into deep thought.
By the way, what profession would he pursue in the future?
A reporter like Clark?
A doctor?
Or a cowboy on the farm?
He began to deeply ponder his future career plans.
Martha and Jonathan, standing nearby, exchanged glances upon hearing Clark talk about his future life plans, and a smile appeared on both their faces.
With two days left until Christmas, a joyful atmosphere enveloped the small town.
The town's shops were adorned with colorful lights.
Evergreen trees decorated with candles and ribbons, topped with a small star, formed the most dazzling merchandise in the shops. And as Christmas Day approached, the shops would display various special offers as a means of attracting customers.
The cheerful and bright Christmas song, "Jingle Bells," echoed through the streets and alleys.
This most familiar Christmas song was reportedly originally made for Thanksgiving.
As a Chinese person in his previous life, Eric wasn't particularly fond of Western Christmas, and even now as an American, his interest in Christmas was only moderate.
He still preferred Thanksgiving; at least it didn't require such elaborate preparations.
Wearing a gray trench coat and a blue scarf around his neck, Eric walked along the town street.
Following him, carrying large and small bags in her hands and panting, was Ms. Aikins.
The beautiful teacher, with her woolen trench coat, wavy long hair, and fiery red lips, now served as Eric's personal bag-carrying tool.
"Honestly, I don't know why I agreed to come out with you."
Ms. Aikins quickly walked two steps forward to catch up with Eric, "As a teacher, my primary responsibility to students is education and guidance, and incidentally, for them to experience a little care from their teacher, but I don't believe I have an obligation to be your free labor."
"Is that so? You've already become my exclusive woman, shouldn't doing this sort of thing be expected?"
"Exclusive woman?"
Ms. Aikins took a step closer to Eric, "That statement of yours is very suggestive. If I'm your exclusive woman, why haven't our spiritual and physical relationship progressed further?"
Ms. Aikins's voice was filled with a fatally seductive tone.
"No, you might have misunderstood. When I said 'exclusive woman,' I meant you are my specialized female tool for research and physical labor."
He generally had no interest in shopping for necessary items before Christmas.
But since it was a task assigned by his mother, he couldn't refuse.
So he could only go on a shopping spree in the streets. While shopping, he thought of a useful tool, so he called Ms. Aikins, asked her to help him buy things, and incidentally act as a bag-carrying tool.
"You—"
Hearing Eric's "steel straight man" and "unromantic" remarks, Ms. Aikins was about to flare up in shame and anger.
But she quickly suppressed her exploding emotions and leaned in to hug Eric's arm.
She intentionally and unintentionally rubbed her upper body against Eric's arm.
"Perhaps you're right, but I suspect one thing: if you're a teenage boy, how can you be so indifferent? I know and have seen the way Clark looks at me. I'm his object of enlightenment. Don't you think it's a bit stimulating if we…?"
"But don't misunderstand."
Ms. Aikins smiled slightly at Eric, licked her lips, "The stimulation I'm talking about is you carving more tattoos on me with your red eyes! The slight burning sensation on my skin, the feeling of pain and pleasure, I admit I'm a little addicted."
"Then you should control the hormones you constantly emit. What progress has there been with you cooperating with Hamilton to research the hormonal secretions you exhale?"
Ms. Aikins could exhale a pink mist that made people infatuated, a gas containing hormonal secretions that could make adult males lose their reason and be absolutely obedient to her.
Eric, finding this thing to be of great research value, handed Ms. Aikins over to Hamilton, asking her to cooperate with his research.
"You mean that eccentric miner? I don't know what abilities he has. He rarely communicates with me on weekdays. I really suspect he prefers talking to those rocks and experimental materials more than talking to me."
Ms. Aikins shrugged, holding Eric's arm even tighter, "Can I ask you, are you trying to be a grand behind-the-scenes schemer, using some kind of Transmitter to send this enchanting stuff all over America, trying to control everyone this way?"
"Hmm."
Eric nodded feigning seriousness.
"That sounds like a good idea. If I did that, would you support me?"
"Of course, I'm usually fascinated by such crazy things, and I'm also your exclusive woman. If I don't support you, who will? Your parents or Clark? No, they're different from you, I can smell it!"
Ms. Aikins seemed to become more excited.
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