Chapter 38 chapter Five

Fourteen months after this incident, on a snowy and foggy morning in January 1850, the Grünlichs were sitting in the dining room with their three-year-old daughter.The walls were paneled with buff wood, and the chairs in which they sat were bought for twenty-five marks each. Due to the heavy fog, the glass was all gray, and only the shadows of a few bare trees and shrubs outside could be seen vaguely.A fire was burning brightly in the tile fireplace, filling the room with a fragrant, mellow warmth.From an open door next to the fireplace, the green leaves of flowers and plants in the small study can be seen in the distance; living room.The door frame is surrounded by cotton rolls, and a small terrace next to the door is tightly hidden by the thick fog.In addition to these two passages, there is another door in the house that leads to the corridor.

A green tablecloth was spread on the snow-white brocade on the round table, and on the tablecloth were transparent gold-edged chinaware, which shone milky like mother-of-pearl.A tea stove creaked.Bread and brioche sat in an exquisitely crafted silver bread chest.The mouth of this bread box is very shallow, shaped like a large slightly curled leaf with jagged edges.Under one glass bell-top were piled little globs of butter with a textured texture, under the other various cheeses, white, yellow, marbled, green.Naturally, since Herr Grünlich always had something hot for breakfast, the host had a bottle of red wine in front of him.

Herr Grünlich had a fresh perm, and his face was particularly rosy at this early morning.He was neatly dressed and sat in the living room, wearing a black coat and light-colored trousers with large checks.He was chomping down on a piece of sautéed ribs in British fashion.Although Tony thought it was a way to show their nobility, she also felt very tired of it. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't make up her mind to replace the bread and eggs she was accustomed to with ribs. Tony was in pajamas: she was a big fan of pajamas.In her eyes, nothing is more noble and elegant than beautiful casual clothes. Because her parents controlled her hobby before she got married, she indulged in it even more now that she was married.She had three of these soft, baggy suits, and the tailoring of them showed more wit, wit, and ingenuity than a ball gown.Today she was wearing a dark red nightgown, a color that matched the shade of the tapestry above the wainscoting.The material of this large flowered dress is as soft as cotton, with fine glass beads of the same color embroidered all over the body, like raindrops splashing, and a red velvet ribbon is wrapped round and round from the collar to the hem.

Her thick golden-gray hair was also tied with a band of red velvet, and the front curls fell to her forehead.She is very aware that her body has reached the most mature stage, but her slightly pursed upper lip still retains the innocent and lively expression of her childhood.Her gray-blue eyes, the eyelids are a little red... She just wiped them with cold water.She has a pair of hands with obvious Buddenbrook family characteristics. Although they are a bit short, they are white and slender, and the delicate wrists are wrapped in soft cuffs.She is wielding the knife and fork and holding the cup with these hands, and her movements are flustered for whatever reason today.

Younger daughter Erika sat beside her on a high chair.She was fat and fat, with curly short light yellow hair, and she was wearing a ridiculously bloated light blue thick plush sweater.She hugged a large tea mug with both hands, buried her face in it, gulped down the milk, and let out a sigh of satisfaction from time to time. Mrs. Grünlich rang the bell, and Tinka, their maid, came in from the verandah, lifted the child from the high chair, and was about to carry her upstairs to the playroom. "I think you could take her out for half an hour," Tony said. "But not longer than half an hour, put on that thicker jacket, do you hear?... It's foggy outside."... Only she and her husband were left in the room.

"If you insist on doing this, you will be laughed at," she began after a moment of silence, apparently continuing an interrupted conversation... "What reason do you have for objecting? Tell me your reason instead." ! . . . this child is taking up my whole day now . . . " "You don't like children, Antonie." "Love kids...love kids...I can't keep babysitting! Housework takes over me! I wake up in the morning with twenty things to do on my mind, and I go to bed thinking there's more Not much to do..." "Don't we have two maids? Young as you..."

"There are two maids, that's right. Tinka has to do laundry, clean up, and serve people. The female cook is also very busy. You have to eat ribs early in the morning... Think about it carefully, Glenley Hi! Sooner or later a nanny will be hired, a governess..." "Our financial capacity does not allow us to hire a nanny for her at such a young age." "Our economic capacity! . . . God, I really don't understand what you're talking about! Are we beggars? Do we have to save the most necessary things? I married with a dowry of 80,000 marks. your……" "Hmph, your eighty thousand marks!"

"Of course! . . . You don't take the money seriously . . . you don't take it seriously. You proposed to me out of love. . . Do you still love me or not? Even if I make legitimate demands, you make things difficult for me. No babysitter for the children... Also, we don't even have the necessary carriage, and you don't even mention it …If our financial means do not allow us to buy a carriage, and to go to town to meet visitors in style, why do you insist on letting us live in the country? Why are you not happy when I go to town? … ...You are happiest, let us be buried here for the rest of our lives, so that I can't see a stranger's face. You are always so unreasonable!"

Mr. Grünlich poured himself a glass of wine and lifted the glass to get the cheese. He did not answer his wife's series of questions. "Do you still love me or not?" Tony repeated... "It's very rude of you to keep silent like this, I still remember when you were in the scenery hall of our home... At that time you put on a different look! . . . From the first day of our marriage you have been with me only in the evenings, and only to read the papers. At first you gave my request at least a little thought. But that was a long time ago, too. You Don't you love me anymore?"

"What about you? You're ruining me." "Me? . . . I've ruined you..." "That's right. Your lavishness and indolence will bankrupt me..." "Oh, don't you blame me for my good upbringing! I didn't lift a finger when I was with my natal family. Here I have to learn how to handle housework, but I also have the right to ask you not to refuse my simplest needs.My father is a rich man, he never dreamed that I would be short of servants..." "Then you wait until we have a share of the property before you hire a third maid." "Are you looking forward to my father's death?!...What are you busy with all day long? Don't we also have property?..."

Although Mr. Grünlich was chewing, he had to smile, an embarrassed, pained, silent smile.His smile puzzled Tony. "Grünlich," her voice became calmer... "Why are you laughing again and talking about economic power... Am I completely wrong about our property? Is it because the company's business is not good? You Yes or no……" At this moment, there was a knock at the door, and Mr. Kesselmeyer knocked twice hastily on the porch door and entered.