Free Web NovelChapter 497: There’s Always Someone To Ruin Such Bliss
"Mummy, are we going to Great-grandmother’s after breakfast?" Leah asked Wendy as she sat on her chair and held on tightly to the spoon in her hand.
Her eyes glistened with life as she looked adorably up at Wendy.
Wendy handed Leah a piece of her favorite chocolate bun and responded warmly, "That’s right. Didn’t you also prepare a gift for your great-grandmother? Remember to bring it along." freewёbn૦νeɭ.com
"Okay," Leah responded heartily as she nodded.
After finishing her breakfast, Wendy stepped into the kitchen.
Grandmother loved eating lotus cake, and Wendy had not made some in quite a while.
She had prepared the ingredients needed for the lotus cake and estimated that if she started immediately, she should be done within an hour or so.
She hoped that Grandmother would be pleased to be greeted with lotus cake.
Michael had noticed Wendy busy in the kitchen.
With a wide grin, he crept over and hugged her from behind.
Leaning his chin on her head, he lovingly said, "Thank you for the hard work, my darling wife."
"This is for Grandmother. Are you in the position to appreciate me for my efforts?"
Wendy laughed. "Grandmother treats me just as well as you do, so this is from me to her."
"Yes, that’s true," Michael replied as he was reminded of the past. "In the past, whenever we had any differences, Grandmother usually stood on your side.
"If not for her, we would have long divorced. No, we probably would not have even gotten married."
"Back then, you only had eyes for your darling Yvonne Taylor, and she spared no effort at making things difficult for me." As Wendy reminisced, she could not help but pinch hard on Michael’s waist as punishment.
Michael played his part in the act and screamed dramatically, "Have mercy on me, my dear wife!"
"Are you going to have more lovers in the future?" Wendy interrogated.
"No more, there will be no one else," Michael sighed gently. Although the matter with Yvonne was something in the distant past, he still tried to explain. "Wendy, there really was nothing between Yvonne and me.
"In the first place, I only had in mind my bro who had passed on, so I wanted to help care for Yvonne.
"I mean, I had known that she liked me, and at that time, I had thought that I would never fall in love with anyone else. So, marrying her would not have meant much, and it would have made it convenient for me to take care of her for the rest of her life.
"I didn’t expect to meet you and have all my initial plans thrown into chaos.
"The only reason I doted on Yvonne was first, because of that said brotherhood.
"And second, because I had believed that you drugged me.
"It was all because of this misunderstanding that I had hated you.
"That’s why I would purposely dote on her in front of you just to upset you.
"Who knew that the one who would be hurt in the end would be me."
Michael grew more helpless as he spoke.
Sighing, he said, "Life is truly unpredictable."
Although Michael did not like Yvonne romantically, they had still been friends.
If not for Yvonne crossing the line time and again, things would not have turned out the way they did.
If only she had recognized reality for how it was. And had been contented with being a sister-like person in Michael’s life, he would have doted on her like a warm elder brother.
Unfortunately, there were no do-overs to straighten out these regrets in life.
At the thought of the past, Michael and Wendy were filled with mixed emotions.
"Well now, let’s not talk about these things," Wendy initiated the change of topic.
"Run along and see what Jake and Leah are doing. I’m almost done over here."
"Got it," Michael replied as he gave Wendy a light peck on her cheek. Taking a deep breath, he brushed aside the emotions that arose earlier and stepped out of the kitchen with a brilliant smile.
Wendy was soon ready with the lotus cake.
After packaging the lotus cake, she put on some light makeup, changed her clothes, and headed towards the mansion with Michael and the twins.
...
While on the road, Grandmother had called.
Michael’s hands were on the steering wheel when Wendy’s phone rang.
"Grandmother," Wendy knew that Grandmother had called to hurry them. Laughing, she continued, "We’re on the road right now, and we’ll arrive in about ten minutes."
"That’s good. I was afraid that all of you slept in today!" It was not difficult to make out the gleeful anticipation in Grandmother’s voice over the receiver.
The elderly tended to recall the past a lot and missed their grandchildren more.
Since Michael had often been busy, he seldom found time to visit.
Wendy had been gone for a long while too.
Since two days ago, Grandmother had got the staff to clean the house thoroughly.
The entire mansion had been tidied both inside and out.
All were awaiting the arrival of Michael and Wendy’s family.
"Great-grandmother, we’re almost there!" Leah’s lively voice could be heard over the speaker. "Great-grandmother, my brother and I even prepared a gift for you!"
"Leah and Jake prepared a gift for me?" Grandmother’s enthusiasm grew over the receiver as resounding gales of laughter could be heard. "What is it?"
"You’ll see in a while," Leah responded cheekily.
"What a mystery! Well then, I’ll be waiting for you!" Grandmother responded. "Do observe the road safety rules, though, and don’t speed!"
"Okay, Grandmother, don’t worry," Wendy sang.
With that, the call ended, and they arrived at the mansion shortly after.
Once the car had stopped, Wendy noticed Grandmother leaning against her walking stick and waiting at the door to welcome them.
Wendy hurried out of the car and went to support Grandmother. With concern in her voice, she asked, "Why did you come all the way out here to the door to welcome us, Grandmother? It would be fine to just wait for us in the house."
The mansion was a villa and considerably large.
To walk from the hall out to the gate would have cost Grandmother quite some effort.
Wendy studied Grandmother’s silver hair. Although Grandmother was all smiles, it was clear that fatigue had etched deep lines in her face.
"I finally see the day that you have all returned!" Grandmother gripped on to Wendy’s hand tightly as though worried that she would leave immediately. She continued, "Now, all of you are ordered to stay the night tonight since tomorrow is a Sunday and the kids don’t need to be in school."
"Sure," Wendy readily agreed.
Their schedule had indeed been cleared for the weekend.
If Michael had to be busy, she could leave him to his work.
Wendy and the children could spend more time with Grandmother.
"Hello, Great-grandmother... " Jake and Leah looked up, and both greeted Grandmother cheerily.
"Hello," Grandmother gently touched both Jake and Leah’s faces; the smile on her face had not diminished.
"Great-grandmother, we have something for you," Leah raised a large and intricate box before Grandmother.
With pleasure, Grandmother received the box and asked, "What is it?"
"Great-grandmother, let us know if you like it. We folded them ourselves!" Leah declared proudly.
Grandmother opened the box and was greeted with a glass bottle.
In the glass bottle were paper cranes.
Paper cranes of various colors and sizes beautifully filled the bottle to the brim.
"You folded all these yourselves?" Grandmother exclaimed with eyes widened, "How did you know how to fold them?"
With pride, Leah nodded before she straightened herself and explained, "Our teacher taught us how to fold these and would always tell me that I did well with crafts. Next time, I’ll fold something else for Grandmother after I learn how to! Shall I?"
"Of course, I’d love to have them!" Grandmother’s spirits had been lifted as she held on to the glass bottle.
...
Someone like Grandmother had definitely seen the world.
Yet to her, simple paper cranes folded by her great-grandchildren were invaluable things she appreciated most.
"Come on now, let’s head in," Grandmother said with one hand clutching the glass bottle and another holding on to her cane.
A maid had noticed how Grandmother seemed to be struggling to walk with the glass bottle in her hand, so she stepped forward and suggested, "Let me help you hold this."
Immediately, Grandmother shook her head, "No need for that, I can manage."
Smiling, the maid stepped away.
As they entered the hall, Grandmother had remained reluctant to put the glass bottle down. She kept hugging it and was studying it with a warm expression on her face.
Wendy had not expected Grandmother to like her gift so much.
Placing her handmade lotus cake on the table, she said, "Grandmother, would you like to have some lotus cake?"
At the sound of it, Grandmother’s eyes glimmered in glee.
"You made lotus cake?" she asked.
Gingerly, she placed the glass bottle in the hands of the maid who was nearby and instructed, "Put this straight into my room. Be extra careful not to break it."
"Yes, ma’am," responded the maid who had retrieved the glass bottle as she smiled weakly.
Seeing Grandmother’s enthusiasm, Wendy opened the packed lotus cake and handed a piece to Grandmother.
At the familiar sight of the lotus cake, Grandmother wolfed down the piece handed to her. freēwebnovel.com
"Take it easy and chew carefully," Wendy reminded in worry as she turned to get a glass of water for Grandmother. Michael had beat her to it and handed the glass to Wendy.
"Your lotus cakes are still the best; no one else makes it like this," Grandmother commented with great satisfaction as she took out two pieces for both Jake and Leah.
"Since you like it, I’ll make more for you next time," Wendy laughed.
"You promised! When you have time today or tomorrow, you had better make more!
This is too little!" The way Grandmother gobbled up the lotus cake made her look almost child-like.
It must be true that as people age, they become more like children.
Wendy nodded lovingly.
Grandmother had long instructed the kitchen to prepare a feast for lunch.
One of the maids informed her, "Madam, the food is ready. Would you like to have it now or later?"
"If it’s ready, then we’ll eat now." Grandmother looked at Michael and Wendy and said, "Come, let’s go have lunch."
Wendy hurried to help Grandmother up as they headed towards the dining area.
All the food prepared had been their favorites, and the very sight of them warmed Wendy’s heart.
After so many years, Grandmother had remembered what she loved to eat.
At the table, Grandmother handed out dish by dish for Wendy and Michael’s family to have more of.
Seeing that they had come back to the mansion, Grandmother was filled with joy to watch them eat.
The twins were mature enough to add to the portion on Grandmother’s plate as well.
Leah sweetly spoke, "Great-grandmother, have more."
"Okay, have more too, Leah," Grandmother’s face was wrinkled into a perpetual smile.
"Wendy, do you have plans to leave again?" Grandmother still ventured to ask.
She did not really want to ask this question as she was afraid that she would hear an undesirable answer.
"No, I’ll be staying in Lake City for good, and I’ll come by more often with the kids," Wendy replied.
That was precisely the answer Grandmother had wanted to hear.
Satisfied, she nodded.
The air around the table was filled with harmony and warmth.
After lunch, Wendy and the others strolled to the garden at the back to enjoy the sun and talk to Grandmother.
Time spent with her grandchildren and their children had been like experiencing heaven on earth for Grandmother.
Since they arrived, Grandmother had not stopped smiling.
However, there’s always someone to ruin such bliss.
