Free Web NovelChapter 444: Chapter 444: The Family Yields to One Another
Only then did Tang Xiaonan fall into a deep sleep. It was hard to sleep well on the train, even in a sleeper car. Besides, being away from home just wasn’t the same; she was always on edge and didn’t dare to sleep too soundly, waking at the slightest noise. Now, in Felix Thorne’s arms, she could finally rest peacefully.
Felix Thorne looked lovingly at the daughter in his arms, his ferocious expression melting like soft toffee. He held her with both hands, perfectly still, afraid of waking Tang Xiaonan. He shot a fierce glare at Jim Thorne and his uncle before carrying his daughter home.
Only after Felix Thorne was far in the distance did the uncle and nephew finally relax. Wiping their brows, they found their foreheads were covered in sweat.
"Uncle, I’ll sleep with you tonight!" Jim Thorne whispered.
Goldie Thorne snorted irritably, neither agreeing nor disagreeing. In any case, the carefree Jim Thorne took it as a yes and cheered up again. Meanwhile, Raina and Phoebe Huxley were calculating how to distribute the fabric. The family was large; if everyone got an outfit, there certainly wouldn’t be enough fabric. But deciding who should get one was another problem.
"Lana and I don’t need any," Frederick Thorne said with a smile.
Lana Steiner also smiled and nodded. Although she really liked the floral fabric, it was fine if she didn’t get anything. She had just recently made a dress with a small floral print, though its pattern wasn’t as bright as this new fabric.
"Amanda and I don’t need any either," Phoebe Thorne also chimed in.
She stroked her daughter’s hand and, lowering her head, gave her a meaningful look. Although Amanda Chapman really wanted a floral dress, she knew her place and wasn’t too upset. The most important thing in life was to be content. Though young, Amanda Chapman already understood many of life’s philosophies and was more sensible than some adults.
"Tang Xiaonan doesn’t need one either; she has so many new dresses already. Let’s make a floral dress for Amanda. The blue fabric can be used to make pants for Mom and Dad, and for Felix. The rest of the floral fabric can go to Phoebe and our sisters-in-law," Phoebe Huxley said, having already worked it all out in her head.
The blue fabric was for her parents-in-law and husband, and the floral fabric was for her sisters-in-law and for Phoebe Thorne and her daughter. She herself didn’t need any. Her old clothes from previous years could be patched up and worn again. She didn’t go out much anyway, so mended clothes were good enough.
"What’s an old woman like me need new clothes for? The eldest shouldn’t get any either. Give it to Howard and Patrick. They need to look presentable for school," Raina refused flatly. She spent all day doing chores at home and would have no chance to wear new pants. It would be a waste of good fabric. It was better to give it to her two eldest grandsons.
There were many well-off families in town. Their family was considered wealthy on Millstone Peak, but they were nothing special in town. Naturally, anything good the family had should go to the grandsons first. An old woman like her didn’t need it, and Felix Thorne needed it even less. Who was a pig butcher going to show off new clothes to?
The pigs wouldn’t understand, either.
Lana Steiner and Phoebe Thorne also refused, saying they didn’t need new clothes either.
"Sister-in-law, you should make a dress for yourself. The pattern on this fabric is beautiful. You’d definitely look pretty in it," Lana Steiner urged.
Phoebe Huxley didn’t have a single decent outfit. Even when she went to banquets, she just wore a light blue shirt and dark pants. Ever since Lana Steiner married into the Thorne family, she had never seen Phoebe Huxley wear a dress. The way she dressed, she didn’t even look like a woman.
"I don’t wear dresses. I’m working every day, and it’s not convenient to work in a dress." Phoebe Huxley shook her head emphatically. In her forty-some years of life, she had never worn a dress.
Perhaps she had worn them as a child, but she stopped once she got a little older. As the eldest daughter in her family, she had to start looking after her younger brother at the age of six or seven, and she also had to take on all the household chores. She was busy from morning to night and simply had no time for dresses.
Besides, Phoebe Huxley had known since she was young that she wasn’t pretty. She had a masculine face for a woman, and a stocky build. Other girls had willow-thin waists and swayed when they walked, like Phoenix Golding. They were the ones who looked pretty.
