Red Dead Redemption: The Great Philanthropist of the West

“I remember you, sir. You were a friend of the guy who fought with big Tommy this morning. You’re a good man, and I heard you’re the new owner of Smithfield Tavern. I wonder what brings you here? I don’t recall ever borrowing money from you, and we don’t seem to have any connection.”

As Towns spoke, Edith opened the door, and Towns and his son Archie walked over.

“Don’t worry, Mr. Downs. I’ll just say a few words and leave. As I just said, I’m not here to cause trouble. I heard that you’ve established a new Hanover charity, and I thought I might be able to help.”

Henry thought it wouldn't be bad to use Towns' charity organization's name to establish a foothold in Valentine, at least to gain some fame. It would also help Paul's intelligence department lay the groundwork. Incidentally, he could use this as a pretext to get involved in Towns' affairs.

Regardless of Towns' inner thoughts, what he is doing is indeed a good deed. This deserves recognition, but his approach is baffling and unacceptable.

“Really? That’s wonderful, sir. Thank you for your generosity. I think the orphans of Saint Denis will be very grateful to you, sir.”

Towns was very excited. It was rare for a big boss to take the initiative to generously donate money. You know, he had been begging and pleading in the small town of Valentine for half a year, but he hadn't raised much money. Nobody was willing to pay attention to him, especially when they heard that he was raising money to build an orphanage in a big city like Saint Denis.

"No, Mr. Downs, I think you've misunderstood. I'm not going to donate money to you to build any St. Denis orphanage. You can't even manage your own home properly, and you want to worry about orphans in other big cities in other states that have nothing to do with you. Has your brain been eaten away by worms?"

It's like you're still eating potatoes and wild vegetables, not knowing where your next meal will come from, yet instead of working to improve your life, you're constantly thinking about whether the subordinates of the wealthy Cornwall are eating well and sleeping soundly. Are you out of your mind?

“I can donate money to charities, and I can even build a shelter in Valentine to provide a place for orphans, veterans and other destitute people. But I need your management rights over this charity. You can oversee how the money is used, but you have no right to misappropriate it. And you absolutely cannot use that money to build some damn St. Denis orphanage.”

Henry couldn't hold back any longer and unleashed a torrent of abuse on Towns. He simply couldn't understand his thought process.

When Downs heard the first half of Henry's statement, his expression darkened; a flush appeared on his already pale and haggard face. He disagreed with Henry's assessment. He wanted to refute him but didn't know how to express it. He simply wanted to prove that they weren't living in a barbaric land, but in a loving country where everyone should care for and help each other, and that Saint Denis was the most civilized place in this land.

However, upon hearing that Henry was still willing to donate to charity, he softened his stance. Disagreements didn't matter; as long as good deeds were done, he was happy to participate. He didn't care about management rights either; if someone was willing to take over and continue the charity work, he was willing too. He already sensed his end was near; he didn't have many days left to live.

“Okay, oh... okay, sir, as long as you’re willing to spend money to help those orphans and beggars, it’s up to you.”

Towns, not daring to offend Henry, answered meekly.

"Furthermore, I heard that you have borrowed a lot of money from loan sharks. Is that true? What are you thinking? Have you thought about your wife and children? How will they live after you die?"

Hearing Henry mention herself and Archie, Mrs. Downs' face was filled with worry. Looking at Downs and listening to his explanation, she felt increasingly uneasy as Downs borrowed more and more money over the past few months. Recently, gang members had even started coming to their door to collect debts. They had run out of cash. Apart from spending some money on medical treatment at the beginning, after realizing that there was no cure, Downs had invested all his cash in his charitable work.

He wanted to do good deeds, and she supported him, but this method made her uneasy. Her narrow-minded thinking couldn't refute Downs's argument that debts are forgiven upon death. Naturally, she couldn't persuade him and could only believe her husband was right. Women of that era, especially peasant women from humble backgrounds without jobs, had little voice.

"Sir, I have considered their needs. I left them this ranch and plenty of livestock, enough for their daily lives. I checked the laws of our state, and I even consulted the Smith & McKay law firm in town."

Attorney Smith stated: 'In a marriage, if a debt is the personal debt of one spouse, the other spouse is generally not liable for its repayment. For example, if one spouse borrows or incurs debt without the other's consent during the marriage, the other spouse is usually not responsible for repayment.'

Once I die, this debt will naturally be gone.

Speaking of this, Downs was a little unconvinced, his face flushing again. He hadn't abandoned them; he had planned everything. It was one thing for his wife to be ignorant of such matters, but for a cultured man like Henry to ask such a question was beyond belief.

Henry was amused by his statement. He wondered how someone so naive had managed to run the ranch for so long.

"Mr. Downs, I must say, your thinking is truly naive. Who do you think you borrowed money from at exorbitant interest rates? Are they gangsters, street thugs, or ruthless cowboy criminals? Do you think they are the great philanthropists of the West who will wipe out your debts for you?"

Laws, laws are for restraining good people. Maybe you think that people who lend money at exorbitant interest rates are all selfless and altruistic, only seeking to give without expecting anything in return.

"I...I..." Downs' pale face flushed red again, and he began to cough violently, stammering and unable to utter a complete sentence. He didn't know how to refute Henry's accusations. Perhaps deep down he agreed with Henry, but he hadn't cared about that before.

Edith looked at Towns with a worried expression, seemingly concerned about her and her son's future, as well as Towns' health. However, she didn't dare get too close to him. Since Towns fell ill, she had learned that the disease was contagious and that contact with saliva or blood was harmful.

Seeing this, Henry pulled Li Yi back several meters, but he still didn't intend to let Towns go, and continued:

Do you want to know what will happen to your wife and children if these debts aren't paid off after you die?

Let me tell you, your wife will be taken to the city to solicit customers, forced to drink hot coffee, while your son Archie will be sold to a mine to work day and night underground until he dies from overwork. Perhaps he won't even need to work overtime; he'll be oppressed to death by other miners. Is this the outcome you want? Pushing your wife and son into the abyss for your so-called charitable cause.

Think it over carefully. Once you've made up your mind, come find me in Valentine. I should still be in Valentine for the next few days, but it's hard to say how long it will take.

After saying that, he ignored them and left with Li Yi.