Free Web NovelChapter 440: Chapter 440: Diverting Attention
"Mom, why are you scolding Little Nan? It’s these two who are a bad influence on her!"
Phoebe Huxley couldn’t bear to see her daughter get scolded, so she turned her fire on the uncle and nephew, who were trying their best to be invisible off to the side. Her glare could have bored holes through Jim Thorne in particular.
Jim Thorne trembled and quickly presented two bolts of fabric, saying appeasingly, "These are for you!"
Phoebe Huxley, who had already raised her hand to strike, froze. Her attention was captured by the two bolts of fabric, especially the brightly colored floral one. She immediately forgot her intention to hit him and snatched the floral fabric. After feeling its texture, a look of even greater delight spread across her face. ’This fabric is sturdy and beautiful. It’ll make a gorgeous dress for Little Nan.’
"Where did this fabric come from?"
"From Capria." Jim Thorne breathed a sigh of relief. ’That Hawthorne fellow sure knows how to handle things. He knew my mom can’t resist a little freebie.’
Phoebe Thorne, heavily pregnant, walked over, followed by Lana Steiner and Raina. The women of the family gathered around to examine the two bolts of fabric, forgetting all about the uncle and nephew once again.
Lana Steiner had a small baby bump, and her figure was fuller than before. She looked healthy and full of life. Phoebe Thorne was also doing well and was due to give birth in another month.
"This is Dacron," Lana Steiner said softly. "There are ten or so feet here. The blue fabric is enough for three pairs of pants, and the floral one would make pretty dresses for Little Nan and Amanda." Her sewing skills were excellent; she could also knit sweaters and crochet hats, shoes, and sofa covers. She was very skilled with her hands.
"This fabric is sturdy. Pants made from this would surely last for several years. The co-op sells it for seventy cents a foot, and you need fabric coupons," Raina remarked, her eye on the blue material. She planned to make a new pair of pants for her husband; he’d been wearing his current ones for six or seven years.
"You don’t need coupons or money for this stuff, hehe," Jim Thorne said quickly.
Hearing that it was free, even Byron Thorne perked up. "Did you just find it somewhere?"
"No, an uncle gave them to me. He gave me lots of dresses, too!"
Tang Xiaonan chimed in, pulling several new dresses and a pair of new shoes from her little bag. Phoebe Huxley and the other women were dazzled; they had never seen such beautiful children’s clothes before.
"You can’t buy dresses like these in Vessaria. They only have them in big cities like Capria. Little Nan, which uncle gave these to you?" Lana Steiner asked, a little worried. These dresses couldn’t have been cheap. ’You don’t get something for nothing,’ she thought. ’Especially a young girl. She can’t be so easily impressed, or she’ll be tricked by some small favor.’
"Crazy Uncle! He’s a relative of Mr. Hawthorne. He’s super nice, and he even bought me a Coke. I brought a can back with me."
Tang Xiaonan fished the can of Coke out of her bag. Felix Thorne and the others had no idea what this fancy item was; they’d never even heard of it.
"What’s this thing for? The bright red color is pretty festive."
Raina studied it for a long while but couldn’t figure out its purpose. Frederick Thorne chuckled and said, "It’s a soda that foreigners drink. I tried it once. The taste is a little strange."
"It tastes great! And that ’Crazy’ fellow was really nice to Little Nan. He even wanted to make her his goddaughter, but I didn’t agree to it." As soon as Jim Thorne relaxed, he completely forgot what Adrian Hawthorne had told him and blurted out that the man wanted to adopt Little Nan.
The atmosphere instantly froze. Jim Thorne shivered, filled with immense regret. ’I should just slap myself a few times,’ he thought. ’I’m really asking for a beating now!’
"What does this Feng guy want? Is he a human trafficker?" Felix Thorne demanded in a stern voice.
The others also stared at the uncle and nephew, their gazes as bright and piercing as searchlights. The pair started getting nervous again, their calves trembling.
"Daddy, Crazy Uncle isn’t a bad person! He’s really nice," Tang Xiaonan quickly tried to reassure him.
