Free Web NovelChapter 145: Chapter 145: Using Her as a Maid
The next morning, after breakfast, Cecelia Archer left Candy at home to play with the old master and accompanied Mrs. Vaughn to the Bell family’s estate.
The Bell Family had once been in the foreign trade business and had their moment in the sun. However, due to policy changes and a lack of effort from the younger generations, they were a far cry from their former glory.
But as the saying goes, a starved camel is still bigger than a horse. And with the Vaughn Family’s support, while they could no longer be counted among the top families in Veridia, they were still part of the upper class. Their residence was still quite luxurious.
As the car pulled into the courtyard, Mrs. Vaughn ordered Cecelia to carry all the gifts. The two had just reached the entrance to the main hall when a group of lavishly dressed men and women came out to greet them.
"Sis!"
"Auntie!" freēwēbnovel.com
"Auntie!"
"It’s been so long! You’re finally back!"
Hearing that Mrs. Vaughn was back, the entire Bell Family had gathered today—more than a dozen people, young and old—and they instantly swarmed around her.
There were hugs and greetings, and for a moment, the scene was incredibly lively.
Cecelia didn’t know who any of these people were or what to call them, so she waited outside the crowd, holding the gifts. Several minutes passed before everyone finally went inside.
"Quick, quick, let’s go inside and sit down to talk. We haven’t seen you in so many years, you have to stay for at least a few days this time."
"I wonder if your tastes have changed. I’ll have the chef make you lots of your favorite foods. How have you not gained any weight after all these years?"
Mrs. Vaughn basked in their flattery, taking a seat on the main sofa in the center of the living room. She paid no mind to Cecelia and began observing and complimenting her younger relatives one by one.
Cecelia stood there holding the gifts, her arms aching from the strain. She didn’t know how much time had passed before Mrs. Vaughn finally glanced her way.
"I brought a little something for each of you. I just didn’t know what you all like these days, so I just bought clothes. See if you like them."
Cecelia carried the items over and placed them on the coffee table. Mrs. Vaughn handed them out one by one, and the girls all happily went off to unwrap their gifts.
Still, no one paid any attention to Cecelia, and Mrs. Vaughn didn’t tell her to find a place to sit.
So Cecelia simply stood behind the sofa, watching their lively gathering.
After a while, once they had talked enough about the gifts, the topic of conversation changed.
"Is Lucky still around? I haven’t seen him in years, I miss him so much. Quick, bring him out for me to see."
"Of course. Lucky is our family’s treasure. He’s not young anymore, but he’s always been in pretty good health. Quick, bring him out for your Auntie to see."
Two cute and lively girls scurried upstairs and quickly came back down, carrying an old, decrepit-looking Shar-Pei.
Mrs. Vaughn reacted as if she’d seen the apple of her eye, holding the dog in her arms, kissing and petting it.
"He really is our family’s great treasure. I’m so relieved to see you’ve taken such good care of him all these years."
"No matter how carefully we look after him, he’s getting on in years. His body isn’t what it used to be, and we don’t know how much longer he’ll hold on. Sis, if you want to see him, you should get a good look now. He hasn’t been moving much at all this year, and the vet said he might... Oh, right. Today’s the day for his vaccinations. We already made an appointment with the pet hospital, so he needs to go out for that in a bit."
Mrs. Vaughn gave the dog another affectionate hug.
"Go on, then. Go soon and come back quickly; don’t let it get delayed. Which hospital is the appointment at?"
Someone mentioned the hospital’s name, and Mrs. Vaughn turned to look at Cecelia again.
"You’re just standing around with nothing to do anyway, so you take him. Tell her what Lucky needs, and take him for a bath before the shot. I want to sleep with Lucky tonight."
Since they had arrived, Mrs. Vaughn hadn’t given Cecelia a second thought. Everyone else assumed she was an assistant Mrs. Vaughn had brought with her, or perhaps a nanny from the Vaughn Family. One of them picked up the dog and handed it to Cecelia.
"Lucky always gets his baths at So-and-So Pet Center. Just give them his name when you get there. Don’t let him catch a cold. After his bath, make sure he’s completely dry, then let him play for a while to warm up his body before getting the shot. After the vaccination, observe him for a bit before you bring him back. Be extremely careful not to let him get sick."
Cecelia had never owned a pet before and had no idea it was this much trouble. Besides, she had never even heard of the places they were talking about.
But Mrs. Vaughn had already given the order, and it was true that she was bored just standing around like an idiot. Cecelia accepted the task.
Holding the dog, she returned to the car, and the driver took her to the pet center first.
Lucky was not cooperative at all. No amount of coaxing could convince him to get a bath. It took a long time for the staff to finally cajole him into the washroom, treating him like a spoiled little miss.
After the bath, they gave him a trim. Cecelia played with the rambunctious dog for a while before finally taking him to the pet hospital.
The vet gave the dog a thorough check-up from head to toe before administering the vaccine.
After the shot, Lucky seemed listless, so Cecelia stayed with him for another half hour of observation before heading back.
She had been running around for half the day and was terribly thirsty.
After returning Lucky to Mrs. Vaughn, Cecelia was just about to ask for a glass of water when Mrs. Vaughn ordered her to do something else.
"Go help in the kitchen. The cook knows I love lotus root starch balls and bought a few pounds of lotus root. Aren’t you good at grating the lotus root? Go help grate it. I want to eat it for lunch today."
’I’ve really had it.’
’The other night she was complaining that my skills were poor and what I made didn’t taste good, and now she wants me to make it again?’
’And she knows I scraped my hands raw grating the lotus root that day. Isn’t she doing this on purpose to mess with me?’
But when you’re under someone else’s roof, you have to bow your head. Cecelia could only go to the kitchen.
With so many people today, everyone had their favorite dishes, and the kitchen was a flurry of chaotic activity.
There was no space for her, and no one had time to pay her any mind. They just dumped the lotus roots into a basin for Cecelia and told her to go grate them in the empty space behind the kitchen.
There wasn’t even a stool. Cecelia squatted on the ground, grating until her hands were raw and sore. She then rinsed the grated lotus root clean and sent it back before she was finally free.
She asked someone in the kitchen for a cup of tea and was about to stand in the empty space to sneak a moment’s rest, but before she could finish her drink, Mrs. Vaughn called again.
"Where are you? You’re not done yet? It’s time to walk Lucky. Everyone’s busy, and since you have nothing to do, take him out for a walk. Put some tissues in your pocket and pick up his poop so it doesn’t get everywhere."
Cecelia sighed speechlessly, finished her water, and went back to the front hall.
Someone gave her a few instructions, and Cecelia took the dog to the back garden.
It was noon, and the autumn sun was still scorching hot, stinging her skin.
After about twenty minutes, Lucky seemed to have done his business. Cecelia picked up the poop, threw it in a trash can, and carried him back inside.
Just as she entered the main hall, she saw a maid bringing the dishes to the table, and the group, chatting and laughing, began moving to the dining table.
’This is so awkward. No one has paid any attention to me from the very beginning. There probably isn’t a place for me at the table, either. It’s a good thing I’m not hungry.’
Cecelia didn’t know where it was appropriate for her to stand and was planning to slip back out to the garden to hide, but Mrs. Vaughn quickly spotted her.
"Cecelia, are you done with the walk? Wash your hands and come over here to help."
’Help? A whole table of adults is eating. It’s not like they need me to feed them. What kind of help could they possibly need?’
Nevertheless, Cecelia obediently washed her hands and went to Mrs. Vaughn’s side. freewēbnoveℓ.com
"Serve everyone their food. Why do I have to tell you everything? You have no initiative at all."
