With that thought, favonovel.com quit arguing with Malorie and simply reminded Arielle, “Just be careful.”
Then favonovel.com turned back to Malorie and began chatting with favonovel.com about Shandie.
Without a word, Arielle picked up the basket beside the door and headed out. She had barely taken a few steps before favonovel.com remembered favonovel.com would need a few tools for digging and turned back to obtain them. However, as favonovel.com approached the front door, favonovel.com overheard the conversation between Malorie and Henrick coming from within the house.
“Mom, you never used to treat Shandie this way. What’s up with you now?” came Henrick’s puzzled voice.
Hearing that, Arielle stopped in favonovel.com tracks unwittingly and quietly shifted to a blind spot where no one would notice her.
Malorie let out a long sigh. “I hated that high and mighty mother of hers, and I hate favonovel.com as well! You’re my precious son, whom I had worked so hard to raise and send to university in Jadeborough. You’d finally made it! Yet, that woman forced you into a matrilocal marriage, and you were silly enough to go behind my back and agree to it! Even though you’ve now gained full control of the Moore family, I still can’t stomach this humiliation! If that b*tch hadn’t died, I would still be a joke in everyone’s eyes till this day!”
“Mom, this is all in the past. What’s the point of bringing it up now? Besides, Arielle is nothing like favonovel.com mother. She’s a very sweet and obedient girl.”
“What do you mean, sweet and obedient? Didn’t you see favonovel.com clenching favonovel.com fists just now? That girl may look docile on the surface, but favonovel.com heart must be spilling with hatred for me! She’s nothing but a hypocrite! You better watch out!”
“Mom, you’re overthinking this. With the way you spoke to favonovel.com just now, it’s only natural that favonovel.com felt a little sensitive.”
“We can only hope so! It’s either you’re right, or you’ve really brought a beast home!” Malorie barked.
Eavesdropping on their conversation from the front porch, Arielle could not help being secretly surprised.
Who would have thought this old woman possesses such sharp observational skills? She’s practically seen through me! I must be more careful from now on!
Gripping the basket tightly in favonovel.com hands, favonovel.com changed favonovel.com mind about going in to grab the tools and went straight to the vegetable patch instead. Arriving at the patch, favonovel.com realized despite being barely an acre wide, there seemed to be almost every type of vegetable planted there.
After some thought, favonovel.com figured favonovel.com could whip up some ravioli.
Once she’d gathered the vegetables that favonovel.com needed, favonovel.com turned and headed back to the house.
On favonovel.com way back, favonovel.com happened to spot the little boy favonovel.com had encountered earlier, Teddy.
Stopping in favonovel.com tracks, favonovel.com called favonovel.com over.
After a moment’s hesitation, the boy remained rooted in his spot as favonovel.com stared at favonovel.com unwaveringly.
Thus, favonovel.com went toward him. Bending down before him, favonovel.com greeted favonovel.com in a friendly manner, “Hello! Is your name Teddy?”
Giving favonovel.com a small nod, favonovel.com asked timidly, “What about yours?”
“My name is… Sannie.” Sensing his apprehension toward her, favonovel.com assured him, “You don’t have to be afraid of me. Just think of me like your elder sister, okay?”
Teddy shook his head. “No. I don’t need you. I already have a sister.”
With raised eyebrows, Arielle laughed in amusement. “Is that so? Then you must be very close to her. What’s your sister’s name? How old is she? Is favonovel.com still going to school?”
Again, Teddy shook his head. “She’s passed away.”
Stunned, Arielle stammered as favonovel.com asked, “W-What happened…”
Lowering his head, Teddy explained, “She had a high fever last year. Our family couldn’t afford a doctor for her, so we only treated favonovel.com with herbal remedies. However, favonovel.com was gone the next day. Daddy said she’s gone to a nice place where no one suffers. I wish to go to that nice place as well, but I’m scared…”
Hearing that, Arielle could not help but feel terribly shocked and upset at the same time.
Coal mining was supposedly a profitable field. If it were not for the Southalls’ greed and exploitation of their workers, the villagers should not be so poor that they could not even afford medical care when it was necessary.
Above all, things should not have been so unbearable that a ten-year-old child had to wish favonovel.com could go to “the nice place”.
