I am aging gracefully in the world of famous books

Both William Grant and Norton Bleiman were well-bred teenagers. After asking Pei Xiang a few questions, they noticed the vocabulary notebook in Pei Xiang's hand.

The two immediately said that if the little French girl encounters any troubles in the process of learning English, they will try their best to help her.

"I'm practicing pronunciation and intonation," Pei Xiang said slowly, "Listen, I'm not speaking very fluently, I want to practice more."

"It's easy, we can chat with you, just listen and talk more." The blond Norton said immediately.

The dark-haired William Grant also nodded, and suggested with a smile:

"Norton and I will live in Millcote during this period, and we will come to this park to spend time almost every day. If you can come here often, we can talk more."

"I'll be here often, I'm staying in a hotel nearby."

So, from this day on, Pei Xiang has two more friends who study and play together.

In the evening, she and Mr. Rochester talked about their new friends.

"Are the children of Grant and the Bleiman family?" Rochester said clearly after hearing Pei Xiang's description, "These two families have indeed lived in Millcote recently."

"Then will they always live in this city in the future?"

"No, the ancestors of the Grant family were named Viscount Rio by the king. The manor and fief are close to Risna, and the ancestral property of the Bleiman family is not even in this county. They stayed in Millcote temporarily. They should be the Viscount Rio and Bolei. What Mr. Man means is that they have to leave here after they finish dealing with certain industrial issues."

"The Mansion of the Viscount Rio... When we were on the boat," Pei Xiang tilted his head and thought for a while, "I heard you and Albert talk about this title, and those waiters also talked about them."

Rochester raised his eyebrows. After getting along these days, he had clearly realized the cleverness and precociousness of the little girl, but he was still a little surprised to hear her say that.

"Yes, our ship stayed at the last port for a while because the Viscount Rio's mansion invited Dr. Philip over there. It is said that the eldest son of their family had some accidents, and an experienced doctor was required to give reasonable and reliable advice. treatment recommendations."

Pei Xiang asked: "Is the eldest son you mentioned, my new friend William Grant?"

Rochester snorted softly, leaned on the sofa and commented sharply:

"That's the child. An heir to the Viscount who lost the protection of his biological mother prematurely will naturally experience more unexpected twists and turns and troubles. However, Mrs. Boleman is a good friend of William Grant's biological mother. She is currently a guest at the Viscount's Mansion , can definitely play a role, whether it is positive or negative."

From Rochester's words, Pei Xiang roughly understood William Grant's situation.She thought about it for a while, and didn't rush to sympathize with her new friends, because some things—especially housework, were easy to reverse.

Pei Xiang glanced at Rochester with closed eyes and rested his mind, and said in his heart that although this guardian has always been cold and soft-hearted, sympathetic to the weak, but he also does not lack objective and calm insight.

Pei Xiang could feel that even though Rochester had some sympathy for William Grant who had lost his mother, he did not blindly believe in those rumors, arbitrarily believing that William Grant must have been scolded and framed by his stepmother.

"Do you like your new friend very much, Adele?" Rochester's tone was a little careless.

Pei Xiang flipped through the book and said:

"I don't know much, Mr. Rochester. I haven't known them for a short time, and I don't know them very well."

"You are such a prudent and wise Parisian girl!" Rochester joked in his usual mocking style.

Pei Xiang blinked, and decided to respond to the guardian's teasing with a nondescript short poem:

"How precious is the love of the girl's family, how can it be easily delivered? Even if he is a pharaoh or a sultan in the East, he cannot exchange huge wealth for true affection."

As soon as the cadenced and emotional voice sounded, Rochester immediately sighed, frowned, and chose to shut up and retreat.

——Selina Warren, that woman can really torture men, what kind of nonsense did she teach Adele?

In the afternoon of the next day, Pei Xiang and Sophie played ball throwing in the park, enjoying the simple joy of a seven-year-old child.

After playing for a while, she noticed that Xiao Douding, about four or five years old, was staring at her colorful ball, and seemed eager to join in the game.

So, Pei Xiang, who didn't want to take the children with her, ran a little farther holding her ball.

However, the white and tender kid didn't feel the "dislike" of the young lady, and followed up with his short legs, with a happy and sweet smile on his face, as if he thought that Pei Xiang would get along with him again. He played the game of chasing me.

Seeing this, Pei Xiang stopped helplessly. She walked up to Xiao Douding, pinched her waist and asked, "Little guy, where is your adult? Why do you let yourself run around by yourself?"

"Sister, can I play with you?"

Pei Xiang looked at the little boy's clothes and judged that his family was very well off, so he couldn't help frowning.

——How could such a young master appear here alone?

"I can play with you, but you must answer my questions."

The little boy looked at Pei Xiang and the colored ball in her hand eagerly, without saying a word.

Pei Xiang thought he agreed, and immediately asked, "How did you come here?"

"Mary brought me here."

"Who is Mary? Where is she?"

"It's the babysitter. Mom said Mary was the one who took care of me. Sister, can I touch this little ball?"

Pei Xiang let the little boy touch the ball, then held the ball high again:

"You still have to keep answering my questions to keep playing ball."

"Ask, I'm smart." The little boy patted his chest.

"Do you know where Mary is? Why isn't she following you?"

"Mary's chatting. She's over there..."

Pei Xiang followed the little boy's short, chubby fingers and looked into the distance. There were verdant trees and flowers in full bloom. There were indeed three or two figures sitting or standing together.

"I'll take you to find Mary, you can't run so far alone, you know?"

"I'm not alone," the little boy grabbed Pei Xiang's hand and said obediently, "I like Miss Sister, let's play together. I have a small wooden bow that can shoot arrows swishingly, and there is a team of little soldiers , we can command them to fight. Really, miss... we go home together, and mother said that we can have a piece of fudge at night, and rainbow cupcakes. Mmmm, I like orange marmalade, how about you? You like it too, don't you? I can share it with you..."

The smile on Pei Xiang's face gradually disappeared, and she probably could understand a little bit of Rochester's feelings at this moment, this kind of nagging little devil was really tormenting.

"No, I don't want to play with you, and I'm not interested in your toys, and I don't want to eat cupcakes and orange marmalade. Now, tell me, which of the three women over there is Mary?"

The chubby pointed to the tallest woman and said, "The fattest one."

Pei Xiang led the little boy approaching slowly, and the chattering and joking maids didn't pay attention to the appearance of the two children, one big and one small, and it was only after Sophie ran over that they noticed the situation around them.

"Oh, young master, why don't you watch butterflies by the flower bed? Whose family is this little girl from?"

Sophie answered these questions in French, and the other party looked blank.

Pei Xiang lowered his head and asked the little boy beside him: "Is this your nanny Mary?"

The little boy nodded, but his attention was still on the toy in Pei Xiang's hand.

Mary, the nanny, didn't notice that the child she was taking care of had run away. She pointed at Sophie who didn't understand English, laughed for a while, and then turned her head to chat with the people around her.

Pei Xiang had a bad expression on his face.

At this time, the little boy next to her must be thirsty. He called the nanny Mary's name twice, but there was no answer.

So, the little boy left Pei Xiang's side to reach for the high water bottle, but he couldn't stand firmly, and he was about to fall to the ground.Pei Xiang pulled quickly to stabilize Xiaodouding's wobbly body.

At the same time, the kettle fell to the ground.

"God, I was shocked," the nanny Mary shouted impatiently, "little master, you are naughty again, I must tell my wife, I can't pamper you like this anymore, how can you lose your temper suddenly, And then knocking over the kettle on purpose? That's not what a well-bred child should do."

"I'm thirsty, Mary." Xiaodouding said softly.

"Why didn't you call me when you were thirsty? Young master, cheating is not what a good boy should do. You see, we adults are standing here, and we can see that you are naughty."

Pei Xiang glanced at the women beside Mary, knowing that these people would indeed testify against Mary.Because once the truth is told, it is tantamount to exposing the fact that they also did not work hard.

"I didn't lie," Xiaodouding argued aggrievedly, "I want to tell mom!"

Mary's eyes frightened for a moment, and then quickly calmed down, changing into a helpless and indulgent tone:

"Okay, young master, you are not naughty. Hey, I must talk to my wife. I just advised you to eat less sweets, and you started to lose your temper. You are really an ignorant child."

Another woman chimed in, "Son, if you speak ill of Mary to your mother, you will be punished. Also, there will be no more delicious snacks at night. This is God's punishment for disobedient and misbehaved bad boys." child."

When the little boy heard that he was going to reduce his evening snacks, his eyes turned red immediately, and he leaned against Pei Xiang, looking extremely pitiful.

At this time, a hesitant voice came from not far away:

"Adele, why are you here?"

Pei Xiang turned his head and saw William and Norton approaching. Their eyes fell on the little boy, and they were a little complicated.

Pei Xiang's heart moved, and he looked down at the little boy.

Before she could see anything, the blunt Norton Bleiman exclaimed:

"Adele, why are you staying with Theodore, you knew each other before?"

Pei Xiang shook his head: "No, I didn't know his name before, do you know him?"

Norton was obviously relieved, and quickly explained:

"He is Theodore Grant, William's younger brother. Oh, his mother is the woman I told you about before. After William's French teacher left, she always stopped Sir Grant to find a new family for William. teacher."

When Pei Xiang learned of Xiao Douding's identity, he thought to himself that it was really a coincidence.

At this time, the nanny Mary, who had been indifferent to the little master Theodore just now, came over. She showed a humble and obedient smile to William, and greeted William graciously.

William Grant nodded lightly: "You took Theodore out for a walk? Are you alone?"

"Master Grant, Ryan also came with him, but Master Theo didn't like having Ryan follow him, so he didn't come into the park."

William glanced at the kettle on the ground, and ordered:

"It's getting late, you pack up your things, and then take Theodore out of the park. If you go back late, Mrs. Grant will definitely complain."

Mary quickly agreed, and turned around to tidy up the kettle and other odds and ends on the ground.

Pei Xiang noticed that William Grant had never spoken to his half-brother from the beginning to the end. At the same time, Xiao Douding, who was next to her, was always looking at her brother eagerly, but kept silent.

"William," Pei Xiang caught a glimpse of Mary leaving temporarily from the corner of his eye, and said directly in a child's tone, "I don't think that Mary is very good. Just now, Sophie and I were playing ball on the triangular lawn, and we met Theo Well, there's no one around him, Sophie said, well, it's dangerous for a child to be alone. Later we found Mary, but Mary kept chatting, didn't pay much attention to Theodore, and framed Theodore for being naughty and broke Kettle, pretty nasty."

The black-haired boy frowned. He looked at his younger brother's innocent and clear blue eyes, his heart softened, and hesitantly said:

"Then...I'll talk to Mrs. Grant about it when I go back, so that Mary won't bully Theodore."

This decision aroused the dissatisfaction of the blond Norton, who pouted.

"William, you are kind, but Mrs. Grant won't appreciate it. The more you speak ill of Mary, the more she trusts Mary. Your kindness will only arouse her suspicion."

Norton's words made William show a thoughtful expression.

At this time, Pei Xiang's attention was attracted by Theodore, because when Norton spoke, the child's strength suddenly increased.

After a while, William shook his head apologetically at Pei Xiang:

"Sorry, Adele, I may not be able to help Theodore anymore. My family's affairs... are a bit complicated. I hope you don't think I'm an indifferent and narrow-minded elder brother."

Pei Xiang also knew William's embarrassment, so he stopped dwelling on this issue.

After the nanny Mary finished packing, Pei Xiang touched Theodore's forehead and gave him the colorful ball in his hand.

"Theodore, this ball is for you. If your mother asks about the origin of the ball, tell her seriously, okay? Just like you introduced your toys to me, introduce this ball carefully. The origin of the ball. Theodore, promise me, tell your mother how you met me and how you like this ball. "

Theodore took the colored ball and showed a big and cute smile to Pei Xiang:

"I remember, Sister Adele, you are coming to my house as a guest, and I will give you my favorite toy."

Pei Xiang smiled and nodded, then waved to the impatience nanny Mary, and said in an arrogant tone:

"I'm Adele Valen, and I will visit the Viscount's Mansion in Rio with my guardian recently. Don't lose the gift I gave Theodore. If I find out that you are belittling me and my gift, I will let you The Viscountess punished you, you know?"

Mary is probably really used to bullying.She didn't take Pei Xiang seriously before, but now seeing Pei Xiang squinting at her arrogantly and contemptuously, her attitude softened instead.When she heard Pei Xiang say that she would be a guest at the Viscount's Mansion in Rio, her attitude immediately became more respectful.

After Theodore Grant reluctantly left with the ball in his arms, Pei Xiang talked about other interesting topics with William and Norton, talking and laughing through the afternoon.

Before the sun set, the three said goodbye and agreed on a time to meet the next day.

On their way back to the mansion, William and Norton encountered Mrs Bleiman's carriage.After she greeted the two teenagers to get into the car, she carefully asked them why they kept running to the park recently.

"William, if you want to read a book under the shade, the garden at home is good. Why go to such a place where people come and go? Is it possible that Norton has some lazy and slippery idea, dragging you to cover Woolen cloth?"

As she spoke, Mrs. Boleman glared at her son with a bit of resentment.

Norton Bleiman snorted twice in dissatisfaction, but he had long been used to his mother's partiality, so he poked William on the shoulder and asked him to explain himself.

William leaned slightly in front of Norton, and said softly to Mrs. Bleiman, who had always cared for him:

"It's my idea to come here to study in the park, Aunt Charlotte. I, I don't like staying in the garden at home very much. I often meet Mrs. Grant. It's not as clean as it is outside. Moreover, Norton and I recently met a French The little girl is very smart, so we chatted with her for a while and often asked some questions about French pronunciation."

"Little girl, how old is it?" Mrs. Boleman frowned.

"Adele is seven years old," replied Norton, smiling.

Mrs. Bleiman looked at her son and William puzzledly:

"Can you discuss issues with a seven-year-old girl? This is too strange. Besides, there are elders in the family who can speak French, so why bother to look far away?"

William's eyes dimmed, and Norton quickly answered for his good brother:

"You're all very busy. Don't mention Mrs. Grant, even Mom, don't you have a lot of parties to attend? William doesn't have a French teacher at the moment, so it's inconvenient to learn by himself."

When the question of the governess was mentioned, Mrs. Bleiman, who had always loved William Grant, immediately showed a sneer. She couldn't help complaining:

"Since Mr. Wilson left, your French lessons have been suspended, and there has been no news of the new tutor. Oh, in my opinion, this is Mrs. Grant's intention. William, when you have almost forgotten the knowledge, she will come back Asking you hypocritically, if you can't answer or give the wrong answer, she can go to Lord Grant to tell the truth."

William persuaded softly: "Aunt Charlotte, you should know that stepmother...actually can't intervene in my schoolwork, don't always think that I will be bullied. She treats me...actually okay."

Mrs. Charlotte Bleman raised her eyebrows contemptuously:

"How much noble sentiment can such a vanity woman who climbed to a high branch relying on her youth and beauty have? Have you forgotten the dirty seafood before? Although her personal maid took all the responsibilities, we all know that The illnesses you suffered are inseparable from her."

Mentioning the seafood allergy incident a few days ago, William Grant pursed his lips and did not refute again.

The black-haired boy is the eldest son of Viscount Antonio Grant of Rio and the legitimate heir of the Grant family.After the new Mrs. Grant married in, things were fine at first, but since she gave birth to her own son, things gradually became complicated.

Mrs. Grant knew that her child had no possibility of inheriting the title, and even in the future, she would be inferior to her elder brother and rely on others, so she was not very happy.

Later, someone gave her an idea, which was to ask her to provoke the relationship between Viscount Rio and his eldest son.As long as Viscount Rio doesn't like his eldest son, then he will naturally hand over the rich inheritance beyond the limited inheritance to his younger son.

In addition, if Viscount Rio can live longer, maybe he can use the resources of the Grant family to arrange a worry-free and bright future for his youngest son.

In Mrs. Grant's view, both the title of Viscount Rio and the ancestral property are inherited by the eldest son William Grant, while the other practical benefits belong to the younger son Theodore Grant. Isn't this a good way to "have the best of both worlds"?

Of course, some other people do not agree with this "best of both worlds". From the perspective of William Grant, the current Mrs. Grant has become more and more restless after having her own son.

"If you want me to say, she is wishful thinking."

Mrs. Charlotte Bleman sneered and said in a low voice:

"Who wants to let the family's wealth and power shrink? As long as Mr. Grant is not completely confused, he will not give those profitable private properties to his youngest son. The correct and sensible way is to pass on all the properties in full The eldest son. This is a tradition established by many noble families, and that woman actually tried to break certain rules."

William Grant frowned. Although he didn't echo Mrs. Bleiman's remarks, he didn't object either.

He received the orthodox heir education since he was a child, and he attached great importance to the glory of the family.

Therefore, even though he himself doesn't value certain private properties very much, and thinks that he has the ability to make the Grant family more prosperous in the future, he will inevitably have resistance to anyone and anything that wants to weaken the family.

The carriage rattled forward and soon arrived at its destination.Mrs. Bleiman walked out of the carriage with the two teenagers, and the three of them naturally terminated some of the conversation.

And inside the mansion, the nanny Mary was receiving Mrs. Grant's cold gaze.

"Theodore, my baby, tell me again, how did you get this colorful ball?"

"Mom, I walked a long way and saw Sister Adele throwing a ball. I wanted to play too, but Sister Adele was very upset. She asked me why I was alone? Later, um, later She asked where Mary was? I thought that after seeing Mary, Sister Adele would be able to play ball with me, so I led her to find Mary."

"Master Theo, please don't lie, you obviously haven't left my sight." Mary quickly interrupted Theodo's childish narration.

"I'm not lying." Theodore pouted unhappily.

Mrs. Grant smiled mockingly: "Mary, are you accusing my son of lying?"

"No, ma'am, I was wrong, but listen to me, Lord Theo did not leave my sight, indeed! The maids at Sir George Lean's house and the kitchen shop at Lord Ingram's house both It can be proved, ma'am, that we have been watching over Lord Theo with care."

At this point, Mary wept bitterly, as if she had been greatly wronged.

"Master Theo, please help Mary. You are only five years old this year. You are a cute little angel. Don't lie just because I won't let you eat more candy. Ma'am, ma'am, I am really wronged of."

Mrs. Grant's expression was a little shaken.

She glanced down at Theodore, who had indeed made a loud noise about how many candy cakes there were.Moreover, the "so far, so far" he said may not be far, it is just "far" in the eyes of a five-year-old child.

——Perhaps...for the tall Mary, it was just a little distance away.

Theodore looked up at his mother, then at Mary, who was crying badly, and felt that they were not as smart and lovely as sister Adele today.

He suddenly remembered the words of the more annoying golden-haired Norton, and suddenly, a gleam appeared in a pair of clear blue eyes.

The innate keen intuition told Theodore that he might be able to drive away people he didn't like in another way.

——Golden Retriever said that if William doesn't like people, his mother likes them.So, if it's someone William likes, won't mom hate it?

"Mom, why doesn't Mary ever smile at me? I see her smile at William so beautifully, and I want her to smile at me too."

Mrs. Grant has always been sensitive about William Grant, and judges others by herself. She always feels that the other party does not have much kindness towards her son.Therefore, when she heard Theodore's question, her expression became more serious.

"Theodore, did you see Mary smiling at William? Isn't it normal? All the servants in the house should respect your brother."

Theodore frowned and thought for a while, then asked:

"Is that so? But I don't like Mary talking to brother William all the time, for a long time each time. I want to play with my brother, but they have to talk a lot when they meet. I'm not happy. Brother William still Praise Mary, criticize me, Mom, I don't like that."

Following Theodore's narration, Mrs. Grant's face never wavered again. She gently stroked her son's hair, and then rang the bell.

"Mrs. Powell, please fire Mary. My son doesn't need a nanny with too much heart."

"Yes, ma'am. I'll look for a responsible nanny for Lord Theo soon." Mrs. Powell, the housekeeper, replied hastily.

Mrs. Grant nodded slightly, completely ignoring Mary's plea and grievance.

——This time I was really wronged.

The five-year-old Theodore Grant looked left and right, sure that the person who bullied him was finally "defeated" by him, and immediately smiled and bent his beautiful and lovely eyebrows.

——It turns out that it can still be like this.