Classic Novel
Chapter 35 Gifts
Chapter 35 Gifts
Chapter 35 Gifts
The two women were Tammy's sisters-in-law, Flora and Hellen. Flora was Bernart's wife, and Hellen was the wife of Louis's second uncle. The three of them - Tammy, Flora, and Hellen - had been engaged in secret fighting for many years.
Tammy looked sullen and wondered why Blanche had come.
Then, Tammy gave her son a reproachful glance, thinking that she had to go and clean up the mess herself. She went to Old Mrs. Herbart's side with a smile.
"Mom, you've been talking for a long time. Have a sip of water to moisten your throat."
Old Mrs. Herbart pushed aside the water glass and smiled nicely at Blanche.
"I'm not thirsty. Don't be nervous, everyone! I'm already an old person who doesn't judge by appearance anymore. Louis' wife has beautiful eyes. I like them."
"Thank you, Grandma," Blanche responded.
Blanche was puzzled by this sudden change in Old Mrs. Herbart's attitude. She had thought that Old Mrs. Herbart would judge her negatively because of Old Mrs. Herbart's initial stern expression. However, to her surprise, she actually gain Old Mrs. Herbart's liking, which was really a good thing for Blanche.
The elderly woman introduced the people around her to Blanche.
"Blanche, they are your eldest uncle Bernart and his wife Flora. These two are your second uncle and aunt. This is Henry, Bernart's son. This is Eric, Hellen's son. Oh, this is Henry's fiancée, Vivian. I also like this girl. It won't be long before she becomes your cousin-in-law."
Blanche nodded, politely greeting each person in turn.
However, except for Eric and Vivian, everyone else gave a perfunctory response.
It was clear that no one respected Louis's ugly wife.
Blanche thought to herself, "Henry? So he is Henry?" She tried to suppress her excitement and pretended to give Henry a calm glance.
He was an impressive man with a straight nose and a mysterious gaze that suggested he was not easy to approach. His face was cold, which made him seem like a hidden wolf.
She signed inwardly. She couldn't believe that Louis, Doris's second grandson, was the first to get married, and, Henry, Doris's eldest grandson, only had a fiancée.
Blanche remembered she had not given her gift yet, so she quickly presented a box of biscuits.
"Grandmother, happy birthday! This is a gift for you. It's Miller's...."
Before Blanche could finish her sentence, Flora interrupted, "What do you mean? Today is Old Mrs. Herbart's birthday party, and you bring cheap biscuits?" Then, she looked at the label on the box and added, "This girl looks so poor. I don't know how my nephew, who is known as the best man, fell for her."
Flora poked Tammy's sore point with her words, and Tammy was frustrated. After all, it was not that Louis had fallen for Blanche. They had just been tricked by the Kents.
If Louis had a choice, he would never marry such an ugly woman. But Tammy was well aware that Flora just wanted to embarrass Tammy and Louis by saying those words.
There followed a moment of awkward tension.
Louis stepped forward to present his gift. "This is a Victorian Period silver goblet. Grandma, I wish you a long life and longevity."
Everyone was shocked because the goblet was a valuable antique of great significance. Louis was really generous. Without a doubt, he presented the most expensive gift of the banquet.
Blanche turned to steal a glance at Louis, grateful that he had eased the tension for her.
Old Mrs. Herbart accepted both gifts without being affected by Flora's words.
"You're so thoughtful, my children. You actually each prepared a gift for me. Thank you so much! Blanche, did Mr. Miller himself bake these biscuits? They even have the famous twelve zodiac patterns?"
Old Mrs. Herbart opened the box of biscuits and found that they were surprisingly unique, with a soft and crispy texture and an exquisite animal pattern on each one, making them look particularly interesting.
Blanche nodded. "Yes, Grandma. I know the owner of Miller's, and I asked him to bake this box of biscuits for your birthday." Nôvel(D)rama.Org's content.
Getting that box of biscuits was not easy. Blanche had a hard time convincing Mr. Miller to bake them after learning about Old Mrs. Herbart's birthday party. She had to negotiate hard, and finally, Mr. Miller agreed to make her a box of biscuits with twelve zodiac patterns.
Flora's face darkened, and she didn't believe it. "Miller's has closed down long ago. How could you get biscuits from there? Who do you think you are? We all know Mr. Miller has a bad temper. Even if you offer a high price, he won't bake biscuits for you. You got these biscuits from some roadside vendor, didn't you?"