I am aging gracefully in the world of famous books

With Theodore helping to cover, Pei Xiang was very satisfied with his trip to Weymouth.

She is radiant and energetic every day, and the good looks brought by the food make her beauty dazzling, which also makes Mrs. Grant and others believe that sunny beaches and sea bathing are good for people's health.

Everyone has decided that whenever there is a vacation in the future, they will choose seaside cities for vacation as much as possible.

"Although I can't compare with young people, I also hope to have rose petal-like lip color and moist and clear eyes."

Regarding Mrs. Campbell's envious emotion, Colonel Campbell replied wittily:

"Honey, you should carry a mirror with you. If that's the case, I'm ashamed to be too modest. In my eyes, you are always as bright and moving as when we first met."

Mrs. Campbell gave her husband an affectionate look:

"Sir Colonel, don't tease me with the glib jokes you learned when you were stationed in France. Our Catherine is going to be married soon, and you'll have to pretend to be a deep, serious father-in-law, and frighten our future son-in-law with a straight face. , so that he dare not treat Catherine badly."

Colonel Campbell laughed, then turned to his prospective son-in-law, Mr. Dixon, who was standing not far away, and said:

"Young man, do you hear me? Quickly put on an air of trepidation, so as not to worry Mrs. Campbell, who loves to worry."

The good-natured Mr. Dixon is very willing to cooperate with the funny and kind Campbells, but he is stepped on by the shy Catherine Campbell.

Afterwards, the young fiancée made excuses and hurried away from the friends who were watching the excitement. Mr. Dixon saw this and immediately ran after her.

The people who were left behind let out good-natured laughter, and the Campbells were even more pleased. They were very satisfied that their daughter could find such a husband.

However, after laughing, the couple began to worry about another girl in the family.

"I can't bear to see Jane lose her decent life of leisure and become a teacher who has to support herself. Maybe we can put this off indefinitely, my dear, and we will be able to take care of her as long as we live. .”

"That's what I mean too. She is only in her early twenties, which is the best time of her life. There is really no need to bear the burden of life."

Colonel Campbell nodded. Although he could not distribute the property left to his own daughter to Jane Fairfax, he still had the ability to give her a comfortable life.

Mrs. Campbell sighed:

"We will go to Ireland later, why don't we take Jane with us. When we get there, maybe Jane will meet a good relationship. If she marries well, she can get rid of the fate of poverty."

Speaking of Jane Fairfax's marriage, Colonel Campbell's eyes lit up:

"Honey, there are several young people around us on this trip..."

"No chance. To be honest, although I prefer Jane in my heart, I have to admit that the conditions of other girls are better."

Colonel Campbell made a serious comparison in his heart, and then heaved a sigh.

While Colonel Campbell and his wife were talking about Jane Fairfax, Pei Xiang was chatting with this elegant girl with black hair and gray eyes.

“Jane, is the person who just left Mr. Churchill?”

"Yes, I met him at the rock pile and had a brief conversation with him. Mr. Churchill seemed to be in a hurry and was in a hurry."

Pei Xiang nodded clearly, pretending to believe Miss Fairfax's explanation, and chatted a few words in a casual manner:

"Maybe he received a letter from home, or he wanted to visit some friends temporarily. By the way, I heard from Mr. Frank Churchill that his aunt, Mrs. Churchill, had a very tough temper. Perhaps, he was summoned by his aunt and had to hurry up." Return to the residence."

Jane Fairfax smiled instead of answering, with a cautious and restrained attitude, unable to see whether she agreed with Pei Xiang's guess.

Pei Xiang seemed to be interested in talking, she straightened the ribbon of her hat blown by the sea breeze, and said in a relaxed tone:

"I met Mrs Churchill in London, a shrewd and proud lady who spoke with pride and affection of the Churchill family's Enscombe estate in Yorkshire. I listened to her Yes, she must choose a mistress with a generous dowry for that manor, so that she can feel at ease after her death."

These words made Jane Fairfax pale. She looked sideways at the sea, avoiding Pei Xiang from discovering her true emotions, and at the same time replied briefly:

"It is only right that Mrs. Churchill has such an idea."

"Mr. Frank Churchill must also be very considerate of that lady. After all, he grew up with his uncle and aunt and was favored by them. If he can inherit the benefactor's property, why not satisfy his benefactor's wish? Of course, if fate God loves a joke, and it would really embarrass Mr Frank Churchill to meet a woman he loves who doesn't meet Mrs Churchill's standards."

"It's really difficult," Jane Fairfax said softly, restraining her ups and downs, "but...maybe, Mrs. Churchill is reasonable enough to be willing to fulfill a pair of lovers."

Pei Xiang chuckled softly: "Is it unreasonable that she doesn't want to be fulfilled? She is choosing a qualified heir. If the heir promises well and gives Mrs. Churchill a false good impression, she will succeed in the future." What can Mrs. Churchill do if she loses her property and is unwilling to keep her original promise? Can’t she come back from the dead and do it all over again?”

"Adele, your assumption is a bit scary, as if you are accusing Mr. Frank Churchill of being ungrateful."

"Jane, I'm not being fair when you say that. I'm sure Mr. Frank Churchill, being a popular gentleman, would not have done what I'm assuming, and I'm just going along with the subject of our small talk. I am just joking.

"Also, I remember that the list of heirs to the property of the Churchills has not yet been finalized. Besides the adopted son Frank Churchill, there are others, so I am not targeting our friend."

Jane Fairfax forced a smile, expressing that she had made a fuss just now.

Pei Xiang bent his lips and said with a smile that he didn't mind, but then added a few words:

"Marriage is concluded because of love, which should be blessed. If Mr. Churchill really encountered such a predicament, he could give up inheriting the manor. In that case, his uncle and aunt can't force him, can they?"

"Yes, but how can a man decently look after a family if he has not enough means?"

"This is indeed a difficult problem. It can be seen that there are too few lucky things in this world. If you want to get something, you have to sacrifice something else."

This was followed by a silence.

Pei Xiang consciously said everything he wanted to say, so he talked with Jane Fairfax about the weather changes by the seaside, and then politely said goodbye and left.

Bypassing the jagged rocks, Pei Xiang saw Theodore Grant standing under the blue sea and blue sky at a glance.

"Adele," the handsome young man strode up to Pei Xiang and showed her the large conch and fossils he found, "Let's take these little seaside things back to London and put them in the little room we share. In the study. I remember there was a little brown box for these souvenirs."

"Theodore, if you're willing to get rid of the little things you collected as a child, you'll have lots of little boxes for new collections."

Theodore carefully recalled the items in each box, and quickly shook his head:

"No, that's all I like, and I can't lose any of them."

Pei Xiang said helplessly: "Even those two boxes of graffiti can't be thrown away? I remember... there are several sets of children's literacy cards in it, right? Those are already old, don't you want to keep them for future generations? Does Mr. or Miss Grant use it?"

Theodore thought to himself, of course he couldn't lose it, it was the proof that he and Adele grew up together, and if he couldn't marry her in the future, he had to keep it in mind.

——No, how could I have such a foolish idea?

——Sister Adele taught me that there are very few things I can’t do in this world, it’s just that I don’t work hard enough, and I’m sure I can.

——After that, prepare new flashcards for Mr. and Miss Grant.

Pei Xiang didn't know the little thoughts of the people around her. While admiring the seaside fossils that Theodore found, she guessed what happened here a long, long time ago.

With the sound of the waves and the gentle sea breeze, Theodore watched the road under Pei Xiang's feet in case she stepped on the air or tripped.

Finally, when he reached the flat stone road, Theodore spoke.

"Adele, were you reminding Miss Fairfax just now?"

"Hey, what did you find?" Pei Xiang looked up.

"Frank Churchill."

"I'm a little surprised, Theodore, they did it very covertly, and almost deceived everyone, but you noticed it."

Theodore said softly:

"I've noticed that Sister Adele has been paying attention to Miss Fairfax recently, so I naturally paid more attention to it. A few times when I got up early to exercise, I happened to catch Mr. Churchill walking and talking with Miss Fairfax, and there was made some guesswork."

Pei Xiang raised his eyebrows: "Didn't you say before that you lack sensitivity to the subtle changes in the relationship between men and women? You said that you are not as good at observing words and feelings as Norton."

Theodore smiled frankly and sincerely: "But it's about Sister Adele, how can I not care about it?"

"You can really talk, Theodore," Pei Xiang sighed, "I feel that kind of unique attention from you, which is very heartwarming."

Theodore pursed his lips, his eyes were filled with anticipation and apprehension.

Pei Xiang said comfortingly: "Sure enough, it's time for you to enter the political arena, otherwise this talent will be wasted."

"... I will not disappoint Adele."

"Well, if you go to win votes or try to persuade someone to support you, it will definitely get twice the result with half the effort."

Theodore turned his head, quietly and depressedly kicked away a small stone, then changed the subject:

"By the way, Adele, will you continue to remind Miss Fairfax?"

Pei Xiang shook his head, his tone was flat:

"She is very aware of the obstacles she will face. If she still chooses a difficult path, outsiders have no right to interfere. I deliberately said a few more words about Mrs. Churchill's attitude because of Mr. Rochester's relationship, who gave her surname Fair What about Fax? But that's all."

Theodore has soft brows and tender blue eyes. He especially likes Pei Xiang's character.

—that's the way it is, if I've been nice to Sister Adele, more than anyone else, she'll never push me away.

After that day, Pei Xiang found that after being depressed for a few days, Jane Fairfax soon became radiant again, occasionally revealing a sweet smile.She realized that the girl was secretly engaged to Frank Churchill.

The relaxing holiday time always flies by, and in a blink of an eye, the servants start to pack their bags, and the masters visit each other and say goodbye to friends.

Pei Xiang and his party are preparing to leave Weymouth.

The Campbells plan to go to Ireland with their daughter and son-in-law, Grant and others will return to London, and Pei Xiang and Jane Fairfax will return to Highbury together.

Not to mention the exhaustion of the journey, but to say that Pei Xiang and his wife were warmly welcomed by their relatives and friends as soon as they arrived in Highbury.She noticed, through the welcome crowd, Emma Woodhouse's tangled and expectant expression, and was delighted.

This heroine is very real, she is a girl who grew up in happiness, and she will always be happy in the future.Miss Woodhouse's biggest trouble so far is probably the criticism and persuasion of her old friend George Knightley from time to time and Pei Xiang, a good boy from other people's family.

Sometimes Pei Xiang likes to tease Emma Woodhouse, so Miss Woodhouse thinks that Mr. Rochester's adopted daughter is really nice and friendly, and then thinks why this person doesn't stay in London to enjoy a more lively and fashionable life, Was it depressing her to have to go back to Highbury?

With Pei Xiang as a comparison, Miss Emma Woodhouse sometimes felt that even the conservative and indifferent Miss Jane Fairfax became a little cute.

She even swore to herself that if Mrs. and Miss Bates did not read each of Miss Fairfax's letters forty times, she would declare that Emma Woodhouse and Jane Fell Fax has always had a friendship.

Pei Xiang had her own bedroom and study room in Rochester's house. After dinner, she played with the children for a while, and then washed and rested.

Early the next morning, Pei Xiang went out for a walk and met George Knightley, the owner of Donwall Manor.

When Pei Xiang met this gentleman, he was still a 26-year-old youth. Ten years later, this responsible man is still single, with good hair and figure.

Knightley and Pei Xiang walked together. After they chatted for a while about the weather in London and Weymouth, the center of the topic naturally turned to Miss Emma Woodhouse.

"I'm sorry that you can't spend some time with Emma, ​​Adele. Since her tutor, Miss Taylor, became Mrs. Weston, she has no women around her who can guide and teach her, which is obviously not conducive Emma grew up."

"I remember that Emma got along well with that Miss Harriet Smith. It is said that she even drew a portrait of him."

"I don't approve of Emma getting too close to Miss Smith," said Mr. Knightley bluntly. "The girl's docile disposition and her imperfect education made her obey Emma's orders. She Not only will it not allow Emma to make progress, but it will also encourage Emma's vanity in some aspects."

"Mr. Knightley, have you ever told Mrs. Weston what you think? She may be able to change things."

"I said it, but Mrs. Weston obviously thinks that Emma needs company more than growth and progress. She thinks Miss Smith is very good. In Highbury, there are too few girls of Emma's age and status. , so the presence of Miss Harriet Smith will bring Emma a lot of joy."

Pei Xiang smiled, she teased Knightley:

"You care about Emma so much, and you always help her behind the scenes, but every time you meet, you like to bicker. Mr. Knightley, do you want to wait any longer?"

Knightley knew that Pei Xiang had seen his affection for Emma, ​​so he smiled helplessly:

"So far, Emma has never liked anyone, and she has been clamoring that she does not want to marry. What else can I do except wait patiently?"

"Then, I wish you good luck, Mr. Knightley." Pei Xiang gave a wild flower in the forest to a friend beside him.

The two walked on the winding path for a while. At the fork in the road, Pei Xiang was going to go back the same way, and Knightley was going to have breakfast at Woodhouse's house, so the two separated.

Life in Highbury is warm and simple, and people always talk about those topics, which will inevitably become boring after a long time.So when Mr Weston's son, Frank Churchill, showed up at Highbury, it got a lot of attention.

Everyone believed that this clever young man finally persuaded his uncle and aunt to allow him to return to his hometown to visit his biological father and to send blessings for his biological father's remarriage.

But Pei Xiang knew very well that Frank Churchill came for Miss Jane Fairfax.

This had nothing to do with Pei Xiang originally, because she was busy communicating with Theodore, Charles and others, discussing countermeasures, and communicating ideas.

She has to read many current affairs newspapers, policy documents, and data reports every day. At the same time, she also needs to deal with the industrial investment and personal connections under the name of "Dr. Peter", and she must pay attention to information confidentiality and identity concealment.

After a lot of work, she was evaluated by Rochester as "the Prime Minister is not as good as Miss Adele Duran".

Jane Rochester, who has become a mother, is very supportive of Pei Xiang's own business.

Although she didn't quite know what Pei Xiang was doing, nor did she understand the dense data in her study.But she knows that this child who has been extremely smart since he was a child enjoys this kind of busyness very much. He is using his intelligence to create value, and he has not wasted his talent and time.In this way, Jane felt relieved and at ease.

Of course, no matter how obsessed you are with your money-making career, you still have to attend the necessary social activities that belong to a lady.

So, when Pei Xiang occasionally relaxes and goes out to relax, he suddenly finds that Frank Churchill especially likes to lean in front of her.

After a few times, the Weston and his wife looked at her expectantly. Obviously, they misunderstood Frank Churchill and thought that the eldest son was pursuing Pei Xiang.

In the living room of the Hartfield House, Pei Xiang took a sip of tea and listened absently to Frank Churchill telling Mrs. Elton how he and Pei Xiang met.

From London to Highbury and then to Weymouth, at first glance, it seems that they are really destined.

—So, am I replacing Emma Woodhouse as a shield for this secret love affair?

Pei Xiang turned his head and glanced at Jane Fairfax, who was sitting not far away. The other party was still dignified and elegant, and nothing unusual could be seen, and he didn't even look at Frank Churchill, as if he had nothing to do with him calm detachment.

——I would have been fooled by her composure if I hadn't noticed that the girl ate several mouthfuls of the nut cake she never liked.

Pei Xiang put down his teacup and looked up at Frank Churchill.

"Mr. Churchill, don't emphasize our fate with Mrs. Elton. It's not worth mentioning at all."

Mrs. Elton immediately laughed exaggeratedly twice, looked back and forth between Pei Xiang and Frank Churchill with an inquiring and gossipy look, and shouted:

"Oh, Miss Duran, if such a coincidence is not special, I really can't think of any other coincidence that is worth mentioning at a party. Oh, you are not shy, are you?"

Churchill showed a slightly shy smile, and he said indulgently:

"Since Miss Duran won't let me speak any more, I can only obey."

Then Mrs. Elton's eyes became more meaningful.

Pei Xiang smiled slightly, and said slowly:

"It's really not worth mentioning, because not only I have such a coincidence with Mr. Churchill, but Miss Fairfax and Mr. Churchill also have such a coincidence. Besides, speaking of fate, the two of them have a deeper relationship."

Emma asked curiously: "Is there any deeper fate?"

Under Frank Churchill's hidden nervous eyes, Pei Xiang said softly:

"Both of them were born in Highbury, but they didn't grow up here for various reasons, and they both returned to their hometown after they became adults. Isn't this more predestined?"

Harriet Smith beside Emma immediately exclaimed:

"That's true. Moreover, the two people who were forced to leave their hometowns both live in London and often meet. It's a coincidence that the two became friends outside of their hometowns."

"What a coincidence?"

Mr. Woodhouse, who was sitting in front of the fireplace, interrupted suddenly, and asked loudly with his ears closed:

"Emma, ​​Miss Smith, my dear children, what are you talking about? How did I hear the words 'leaving home'? Who wants to leave Highbury, oh, that's terrible, why in life should There's so much separation, it's just scary."

Emma hurriedly comforted the nervous Mr. Woodhouse, and said loudly:

"Dad, no one wants to leave, we all miss you. Harriet just said that Mr. Churchill and Miss Fairfax left Highbury when they were young. They were supposed to be strangers, but they became friends in London , and one after the other returned to Highbury almost at the same time, what a coincidence."

Because of Emma's explanation, Mr. Woodhouse, who was slender and full of emotions, was no longer nervous. He breathed a sigh of relief and began to talk about the risks of traveling.

At the same time, after the question and answer of the Woodhouse father and daughter, everyone in the living room noticed this wonderful fate.

The guests joined in the discussion, and from time to time pressed questions about the encounters between Frank Churchill and Jane Fairfax outside their hometown, and everyone was full of curiosity and enthusiasm.

So, amidst the stiff smiles of Mr. Churchill and Miss Fairfax, Pei Xiang ate a small plate of fruit in a good mood, and guided the topic appropriately with a smile.

——You have to settle your own affairs, you use me as a stuntman, did you give me an appearance fee?