Chapter 16 Chapter Sixteen

Beatrice Assube looked at her nephew at the dinner table and thought: How well-bred this kid is.He must have experienced countless difficulties in the past few years, but he has coped well.He is neither clumsy nor slick, and he faces today's situation with the indifferent attitude of the first meeting.This is a very mature quality.Surprisingly, he was only a twenty-one-year-old boy. She thought, this child has a very dignified temperament, he keeps his usual silence, but he is not dull at all. Simon was brought up by her, and she was of course quite satisfied with the results of her hard work; but the child in front of her was struggling to grow up by herself, but it seemed to be better. "The whole life is decided before the age of seven", this sentence may have some truth.

Maybe his own quality is very good, he doesn't need external guidance, he just grows according to his innate nature, and the result is this quiet face that shows neither emotion nor anger. But having said that, this face is actually more like a mask, and generally speaking, it is still a crying mask, which is in sharp contrast to Simon's talking and laughing face.Such a contrast is just like the half-laughing, half-crying mask pictures often seen in theaters. Simon seemed particularly happy this evening.Thinking of this, Bicui felt a little unbearable in her heart.He also acted well and she loves him even more unconditionally today.There is no doubt that Simon gave up his original rights willingly, and this willingness seems to come naturally from his nature, which Bitui did not think of.She was ashamed that she had previously underestimated the generosity of this nephew.She did not expect that Simon, who had always been selfish and possessive, could have such a magnanimity.

They have a lively discussion about naming Sugar's newborn pony.Nansi thinks the name "Little Puppet" is very cute, but Eileen thinks it is too rustic. Eileen seemed to deliberately not dress up when she went to pick up Bert this morning, and she seemed to dress herself up on purpose tonight. Beati hasn't seen Ailian look so good-looking for a long time—she belongs to the type who doesn't like showing off. "Bo Lai loves honey so much," Ailian said. "I guess Aunt Beatrice must have dragged you around the racetrack before you had time to take a breath, right? Bolai?" Nance asked.

She also used the alias "Borley", only the priest still called him Bert. "I love it all," Bolai replied, "and I also met an old friend today." "Really? Who is it?" "'Ruiqin'." "Of course, of course. Poor old Ruiqin, she may be 20 years old this year?" Nancy said sympathetically. "It can't be said to be poor," Simon said: "She was very helpful to our source of food and clothing. We should let her share our profits." "She's already got her profit from the grass," said Elaine. "She's a glutton."

"If you're as prolific as Ruiqin, you should be gluttonous," Simon said. Simon drank a lot more than usual, but he didn't seem to be affected much. Beicui felt that the pastor looked at him with pity from time to time. Bo Lai at the other end of the table also paid attention to Simon, but he showed no mercy at all.The word "compassion" does not exist in Bolai's dictionary. He neither pity himself nor easily pity others.However, he doesn't feel pity for Simon now, not because of his usual behavior, but because Simon is already his enemy now. While observing Simon's demeanor, Bolai suddenly felt that Simon was very similar to someone he had just met recently.As well-born, as good-looking, and as unreliable as Simon—who is it? He was annoyed that he couldn't remember who that person was. remember.Is it Lodin? Nope.Was it someone I met on the boat back? Probably not.The lawyers who handled the case? Nope.So who could it be? "Don't you think, Bert?"

It was the priest who was asking him.He must have taken good care of Bert when he was a child. Apart from Simon, he was most afraid of facing the pastor.Apart from your twin brother who grew up with you, the person who knows you best is probably your teacher.There were things George knew about Bert that even his mother probably didn't know. Just now Nan Si kissed his cheeks and said, "Oh, you have grown up a lot and matured a lot." "Bert is very mature," the pastor responded to his wife, and shook his hand. George looked at him thoughtfully, but also looked at him like a teacher who hasn't seen a student for a long time, and there was nothing unusual about it.Braden liked the pastor right away, but he was still wary of him, not because of his knowledge of Bert, but because of his pair of eyes that seemed to see everything.Bolai was very fortunate that he had a thorough understanding of Bert's education. The pastor was Lodin's brother-in-law, so he also knew the lessons his brother-in-law taught Bert and Simon.

Lodin's sister, Nancy, was a rare beauty.He had shown him several photos of her wearing all kinds of clothes, but her natural beauty did not need clothes to set off.Lodin once said: "Any man would like to marry her. Just looking at her is comfortable enough." But she chose the priest in the end. He thought what luck the priest had had to marry such a beauty as Nance. "Are you teaching the children of the Du family this afternoon? The beauty P asked Ailian. "Yes, Tony from the Du family." Ailian replied. "He reminds me of my childhood!" "Tony? What did Jiao say?"

"Perhaps you don't remember. When we were kids we had what we called boy regiments. Each regiment had a troupe of tricksters, and each troupe had a clown. Those clowns were just like Tony." "Isn't it?" Bitui agreed excitedly after hearing this: "When I saw him this afternoon, I vaguely remembered something, but I didn't know what it was for a while. That's the thing. Those clowns are also like him, wearing clothes The bull's head is not right with the horse's mouth." "Perhaps you're wondering how I'm willing to teach him this afternoon," said Elaine. "After teaching Sheila Basler, teaching Tony is like a vacation. The boy will ride well in the future."

"As long as you can ride a horse well in the future, you can do anything, right?" the priest said jokingly. "Miss Basler isn't making any progress?" asked Simon. "She's definitely not going anywhere. She's rolling her head around in the saddle like a piece of ice and I'm really sorry for the horse she's riding. Luckily her horse 'Strawberry Worker' has a solid frame and doesn't feel anything. .” After moving from the dining room to the living room, the topic diverged.Bolai suddenly felt so tired that he couldn't bear it any longer.He hoped no one ever asked him questions that he had to parry.The twins said good night and went upstairs.Beicui picked up the coffee pot next to the stove and poured the coffee. When she realized that the coffee was not hot enough, she made a face at Nansi.

"Lina, I suppose?" said Nancy sympathetically. "Yeah. I'm afraid I can't wait to have a date with Arthur. Well, I can't wait ten minutes." Simon didn't make a sound, as if all the efforts he had made just now were useless at all. Only Eileen continued to bring the joy of the table to the living room.In the silence, the thin rain sounded outside the window. "Aunt Bitui, you have predicted the weather today," Ailian continued to explain to everyone: "Aunt Bitui said this morning that if the sun rises early in the morning, it will always rain in the evening."

"Bicui is always right." The pastor gave Bitui a smile of approval. "But the sound of rain sounds really uncomfortable." Bitui said with regret. Nansi waited until the time was almost up, she got up and said: "Everyone has been busy all day, we have to leave. Bo, I know you have to deal with a lot of things. When you can take a breath, come and sit with us okay?" Simon helped her fetch the headscarf, and they all went to the front door to see off the guests.Nansi took off her evening shoes on the doorstep and put on her boots which lay behind the door.Then she took the priest's arm and walked away with him under a small umbrella. "Nansi is Nansi, no matter how you look at it, it's comfortable." Simon said, seeming a little drunk. "Nansi is really good." Bicui responded casually, walked back to the living room, and inspected it aimlessly. "I think Nance is right," she said. "Everyone is tired and it's time to rest." "Did we really want to rest so early?" Elaine asked disapprovingly. "You still have to teach Miss Basler at 9:30 tomorrow morning." Simon reminded her: "I saw it in the account book." "What do you see in the ledger that I taught horseback riding?" "See if you have filed your taxes truthfully." "Come on. Go to bed early." Ailian said, yawning big: "I'm so happy today." She turned to Bo Lai and said good night. She seemed shy for a moment, and shook Bo Lai's hand , Said: "Good night, Bo Lai. I wish you a good sleep. "After finishing speaking, I went upstairs. Bolai turned to Beatrice, but she said to him, "I'll see you when I go upstairs." So he turned to Simon again. "Good night, Simon." Simon's clear blue eyes met him. "Good night—Pert." He seemed to be gritting his teeth as he called Bert's name. "Are you going upstairs now?" Beacui was heard asking Simon when Bo came to go upstairs. "not yet." "Could you please check that the lights are all off and the doors are locked?" "I will. Good night, my dear Aunt Beatrice." Bolai went up to the second floor, turned around suddenly, and saw Bitui putting her arms around Simon's shoulders. He suddenly felt an inexplicable jealousy—what was going on? Soon, Bitui followed him Go into the children's room where he lives. She looked at the bed and said dissatisfied: "The girl promised to put a hot water bottle on the bed, but she forgot right now." "It's okay," Bolai replied, "Even if she lets it go, I'll take it out again. I don't need that thing." "You think we're all too spoiled?" she said. "not bad." "are you tired? " "Yes." "Will you get up early tomorrow morning at 8:30?" "Eight-thirty is late enough and luxurious enough for me." "Those years of hard life--you can handle it--Bolai?" "certainly." "I think you're very nice, too," she said, kissing him lightly. "I wish you hadn't been away so long, and we're all so happy to have you back. Good night, my boy." She said Turning to leave, she said to him again: "Don't ring the bell, and no one will answer it. But if you want to have some snacks or read something in the evening, just call me. I still live in the The original room is the one on the front right." "Good night." She stood outside his room door for a while, still holding the doorknob lightly in her hand.Then she went away and knocked on Eileen's door.In the past one or two years, Ailian has become her good partner in consultations.For many years, she had to face many things alone and make her own decisions. Now that Eileen has grown up, it is really a great help to her.When she needs it, Aileen's reason can always be used as a reference. "Hello, Beetui," Eileen greeted her through the gap in the comb where she brushed her hair.Now she is gradually following Simon's example, omitting the title of "aunt" and calling her by her first name. Beati sat heavily on a sofa and said, "Okay." "It's not bad, isn't it?" said Eileen. "Simon's been pretty decent. Poor Simon." "Yes. Poor Simon." "Perhaps Boll--I mean Bert--will give him a piece of the estate. What do you think? Simon's been helping out with the stables for so many years, anyway. If you show up at a moment like this, then take everything away." , Nothing is left to others, and it is unreasonable." "Probably not. I don't know." "You sound tired." "Aren't we all tired?" "You know what, Beatrice? I must admit it's hard to bring the two of them together." "Both of them? Do you mean Simon and Bert?" "No. Bert and Beau." There was silence for a while, only the patter of rain outside the window and the slight sound of Ailian's hairbrush. "You mean—you don't think he's Bert?" Aileen's hairbrush stopped, and she looked up at Beetui, her eyes widened in surprise. "Of course it is. Who else could he be?" She put down her hairbrush and started tying her hair up with a blue ribbon before continuing: "I just feel like I've never been with him before. Strange isn't it? Can't believe we've been together for 12 years . But I like Bert now, how about you?" "I like him quite a bit too." Bitui replied.In fact, she felt the same way—she didn't seem to have been with him before, but she couldn't tell either—if it wasn't Bert, who was he? "Didn't Bert laugh a lot before?" "Not often. He's a serious boy." "Seeing Bo come to smile, I want to cry instead." "My God." "You say your 'oh my god', but I'm sure you know what I mean." Beatrice believed she knew. "Did he tell you why he hasn't written a letter for so many years?" "No. We don't have much opportunity to speak for ourselves." "I thought you'd ask him when you were alone with him at the racetrack this afternoon." "No. His whole attention was on the horse then." "Why do you think he stopped caring about us when he left home?" "Maybe he just wants to put everything in the past behind him. It's not surprising to say that maybe it's like he's going to run away. He just wants to get out of Recht's business." "Yeah, I thought so too. But he's always been such a caring guy, I mean Bert. And he's always been so fond of us. He might not want to come back, but he should let us know if he All right." This is exactly what Bicui herself couldn't figure out, so she didn't know how to answer Ailian. "It must be hard for him to come back after going away," said Elaine, combing her hair. "His face looks so ugly tonight, as if he was dead. It doesn't look like a person returning home with this color." Show, don't you think? If you cut his face off the back of his neck and hung it on the wall, it would be the same as hanging it on his head, don't you think?" Beati knew Eileen too well to agree with her apt metaphor. "Do you think he will run away after a while, after the novelty wears off?" "No, no, I'm sure not." "Then you think he's going to stay?" "Of course I think so." Now, standing by the window, looking out at the rolling meadow under the damp starlight, Bo Lai had the same question in his mind.So far, everything has worked flawlessly, more than Lodin imagined, but what's next? What's he going to do next? When is Simon going to pick him out? He found out, how can he live this kind of life that is always worrying and suspicious? That's right, this is the life he made up his mind to live at the beginning.But he didn't really think seriously about what he should do after the first round.Deep down in his heart, he didn't think he would succeed.Now he's halfway there, but he feels like he's climbed to the top of a high spiked wall and doesn't know how to get down. He turned from the window and turned on the light.His Pinlick landlady once said of herself, "I'm as tired as if I'd been run over a cloth gin." Now he knew how apt that description was, and he was feeling right now. so it is.He was so shriveled that he didn't even have the strength to raise his hands to change his clothes. He ripped off his new clothes—the very clothes that made him feel so guilty in London—and hung them reluctantly on the wall.Then he took off his underclothes and got into the old faded pajamas.Seeing that the window was still open, he thought that if the rain splashed in, they wouldn't mind it or not, but he was too tired, so he didn't care. He lay on the bed for a long time, listening to the silence around him, and observing the whole room.At this time, Burt's ghost should come in, making this room full of coldness.He waited for the ghostly shadow to come in, but nothing happened.The room is still the same warm and serene.The images of the characters on the wallpaper that accompanied the child's growth looked so lifelike, so friendly, and he turned his head to look at the group of portraits by the bed, trying to find General Hervor, whom Eileen liked, and still Thinking: I don't know if she is also in love with someone in her heart at the moment. His eyes returned to the headboard of the bed, and he suddenly remembered that the bed was Eric.Lodin had slept, and he was amazed by the coincidence again.One day he must tell Lodin about it, and he must find it very amusing, too. I don't know if this vase of flowers was planted by Beicui or Ailian, use this vase of flowers to welcome him - go home.Recht, he called out to himself.He looked around the room again.This is Recht, here I come.Alas! Rechter. The name "Lechter" seemed to have a hypnotic effect, like a gently rocking shaker.He reached over and turned the lamp out.The sound of the rain seemed to grow louder in the darkness. This morning he had put on the suit in the dark little room in Pinky, which he remembered with its battered ceiling and the gray chimney outside the window; In the room, the scent of the grass outside entered his nostrils with the damp air. Just when he was drowsy, a very certain feeling suddenly floated in his heart, a feeling he had never felt before-but this feeling made him very happy. This unusual feeling made him wake up a lot.He agrees all of a sudden, and then disagrees all of a sudden.When Bitui raised his hand, why did he feel different from the usual handshake? Why did he suddenly feel warm and happy? What kind of woman is she? A woman in love? Of course, because she's a woman.But it wasn't just that that made things so special, it was because the kindness and warmth she showed him was so natural. No one has ever held his hand so naturally, and he has never had such a comfortable feeling.Informal—and, no, not possessive. Some people had been possessive of him in the past, and he didn't like it. So, informal and -- what? A sense of belonging.Yes, it's a sense of belonging.Her hand took his because she felt they belonged together.This is how a woman feels about being part of her family.Is it because he has never "belonged" to any circle, so when Bitui held his hand, he felt this special feeling of happiness? When she was thinking, the way she squinted at people, her courage, how she first came to find him in the small room he rented, how she kissed him before things were even settled, when he arrived today Here, how she had handled Simon's absence gently. She is a lovely woman.Beatrice Ashby.he loves her. Just as he was about to fall asleep, something woke him up suddenly. He knew now who Simon reminded him of. It's Tippo.