Chapter 11 smart lady

"Okay," Hillary said, placing the saucepan heavily on the dining table, and then sat down, "before your mouths are filled with food, before the phone rings, and before the goats bark again..." "Before Anne Caulff comes back for the cheese," Gigi put in. "What?" Helen asked. "Before we start talking about Anne Caulff's cheese," Sherry went on firmly, "I have something to say." "You'd better hurry up," said Marianne, ladling the mutton onto her plate. Marianne handed the ladle to Helen.Helen dipped the spoon into the mutton soup, and then realized that Hillary was talking to her: "Aren't you going to say something about me?"

"Just to talk about you." Hillary replied. "Isn't it my birthday again?" said Helen, "I just had my birthday." "I knew you'd feel that way," Hillary said, "like it's only been a month since your birthday, but that short month is really a short year. Your birthday is three weeks away Yes, of course we will feel like three days are short.” "Oh, no," sighed Helen, "I'm almost 45 years old." "It should be 46." Marianne hurriedly corrected her mother, and she was always right. "Impossible," said Helen.

"Well, just consider it 21 years old." Hillary comforted her, "We don't care how old you are. But what birthday gift do you want this time?" Helen put down the ladle and leaned back in the chair.Jiji picked up the spoon and filled the soup for her mother before serving it for herself. "I don't know." Helen said, "I can't think of what I want." "Okay." Hillary said, "This way it's easy." "Time," said Helen, "this should be the gift I want—time." "I see." Hillary pondered, "How does Madam plan to spend her time? Should she go to the Algarve for a week, or go to Spydo to rest for half a month?"

Helen shook her head: "That's not what I'm talking about. What I want is ordinary time, that is, a few more hours a day." "That's the hard part," said Marianne. "It's hopeless." Gigi also said. "Don't say it will never be possible." Shirui said, "As long as there is hope, there will be...what's the matter?" "There's going to be a big family discussion," Marianne continued. "There will be a solution." Shirui corrected her, "It's like this for everything. Well, this gift is prepared by Jiji. What do you want the rest of us to give you?"

But Helen was no longer interested. She was thinking about what Gigi had just mentioned about her grandfather, and it was time to tell him some history of the Liddy family. Shirley and Helen went out to herd the sheep into the fold, while Gigi and Marianne stayed in the kitchen to wash the dishes.When the dishes were almost finished, Jiji pretended to be casual and asked, "What clothes do boys wear to the club these days?" Marianne gave him a straight look: "Club? Where are you going?" "No, I'm just asking casually." "Are you going to the club tomorrow? Do you have a girlfriend?"

"of course not." "But you're going to the club, aren't you? Are you serious? Does mother know?" Nothing could fool Marianne, nothing escaped her.Besides, Gigi suddenly felt that it was a good thing to have a buddy. "I haven't told her yet," Gigi said. "You don't tell her yet, okay? I probably won't go at all." "You've got to tell Mama. You can't just leave the ball alone." "Why? She doesn't need me anymore. She and Phil have worked very well together over the years." "It's different now. You're in a band, and you get half of what they play."

"Maz, I don't have to interfere. Besides, if you're worried about the ball, why don't you go to the accompaniment yourself?" "Because my level is not as good as yours, that's why." "Your level is not bad, exactly the same level as when I started accompaniment." This is a fact.He and Helen have been trying to convince her to join the band.She has won almost as many awards as Gigi, not to mention, she is only a primary school student, and she is still dancing.Gigi believes that she will continue to dance when she reaches middle school, and Marianne has never cared what others think.

"Come on," he asked, "tell me, what do boys wear to the club?" Marian shrugged: "I don't know, even if I know, I won't tell you." Before Gigi had time to threaten Marianne, Hillary appeared at the door panting.Marianne looked at the clock, grabbed the script and ran out. Gigi finished washing the dishes by himself. Seeing that his violin was still on the high-back bench, he tried hard to restrain the urge to play the violin.After tidying up the kitchen, he put his wet clothes in the dryer and went upstairs, still wondering what to wear. At least he can wear new running shoes.The shoes weren't a fashionable brand name—Sirry wasn't allowed to buy products made in factories that employed child labor—but they were cool enough.The problem of what shoes to wear is solved, but Gigi still doesn't know what to wear.He knew nothing about fashion, and Helen bought all the clothes for him.Should he call Jamie and ask?Wouldn't that look too silly?Maybe, but it's better than looking like a fool when the time comes.When he went downstairs to make a phone call, Helen had just come back from milking the goat and stopped him.

"Are you free?" she asked Gigi. This sentence is usually a signal to ask for help.Gigi wanted to find an excuse, but was a step too late.However, he guessed wrong, this time his mother didn't want to ask him for help. "I want to talk to you about my grandfather."