Chapter 641: Embellishing the Story

Phoebe Huxley’s expression immediately darkened. ’I knew this little charmer wasn’t the quiet type,’ she thought. ’She’s probably already slept with a man.’

"Thanks for making the trip, Ellie. Here, eat up. Try some of these loaches—my Patrick caught them himself. Patrick is such a hard worker. As soon as he gets out of school, he’s out catching loaches and eels. We have more than we can eat, so we dry the rest. You can take some home with you later."

Phoebe Huxley used serving chopsticks to put some food on Ellie Ashton’s plate. Of course, this wasn’t Phoebe’s own idea—Tang Xiaonan had taught her. This small gesture gave Ellie a very good impression of the Thorne family. They washed their hands before meals, used serving chopsticks, and kept their home spotlessly clean. It was a far cry from some other rural households, which were a mess and had few manners.

"Thank you, Auntie. In that case, I won’t hold back! I love loaches." Ellie was being perfectly frank. She genuinely loved to eat them, but her grandparents were getting old, and she didn’t like going into the ditches herself. She had been bitten by a leech as a child and hadn’t dared to go in the water since.

"If you like them, take plenty! We have more than enough at home. I’ll have Patrick go catch more for you. There are tons of loaches in the countryside. Once they’re dried, I’ll have Patrick deliver them to you." Phoebe really liked Ellie’s lively and generous nature; it was a joy to watch. She wasn’t like those petty girls who just made you want to smack them.

Jim Thorne looked up, puzzled. He was dying to say that he was the one who had caught all these loaches. His second brother only came back once a week, and sometimes not even then. ’What loaches is he catching?’ he wondered.

Patrick Thorne shot him a warning glance. ’If this little brat dares to say a word, I’ll beat him to death,’ he thought. Tang Xiaonan placed a piece of braised pork in Jim Thorne’s bowl. "Third Brother, have some meat."

"Oh..."

Jim Thorne immediately forgot all about the loaches, his full attention now on the pork. Tang Xiaonan giggled to herself. ’Of my three older brothers, Third Brother is the easiest to placate, and also the most innocent.’

"You’re so capable, Patrick Thorne! I wouldn’t dare try to catch loaches. The sight of leeches terrifies me," Ellie said, praising him generously. Patrick Thorne accepted the compliment without a hint of modesty and added casually, "Catching loaches is easy. You can get a whole bucket in one night. I’ll go tomorrow and bring you some fresh ones."

"Oh, that’d be great! Fresh loach soup is so delicious and nutritious." Ellie’s mouth watered just thinking about it.

Phoebe Huxley watched them, beaming. She even added a reminder, "Catch a lot of eels, too. The loaches and eels are delicious right now, so plump and tasty."

After dinner, Patrick Thorne walked Ellie Ashton back to town, carrying a large bag of dried loaches and sweet potato slices for her. Ellie felt a little embarrassed. She had come empty-handed, yet she had eaten her fill and was now taking things home with her. ’I should bring them a gift next time,’ she resolved.

Phoebe Huxley, meanwhile, went over to Raina’s place to file a little report. Naturally, she embellished the story generously. The number of boyfriends Beatrice had dated was upgraded from the single digits to double digits. Phoebe also threw in the grave accusation of "illegal premarital cohabitation." She was racking her brain for ways to prevent Beatrice from marrying into the family, and as it turned out, she had accidentally hit on something true.

In the modern era, premarital cohabitation is extremely common. People are free to love and free to live together. But in the socially conservative 1970s and 80s, even married couples wouldn’t hold hands while walking down the street, preferring to maintain a certain distance between them. For an unmarried couple, it was even stricter. A simple kiss could be prosecuted as hooliganism, and living together was considered a heinous crime.

The moment Raina heard that Beatrice had slept with men, her face turned as black as the bottom of a pot. Byron Thorne’s reaction was the same. The old couple was utterly disgusted with Beatrice. Even more, they lamented the grand meal and the one-yuan red envelope they had given her. What a total loss!

"I don’t believe it. Someone must be spreading malicious rumors on purpose." Goldie Thorne still refused to believe it. Besides, he was feeling contrary now. The more his family opposed the match, the more he felt Beatrice was the right one for him. He was like a rebellious child, determined to do the exact opposite of what his elders wanted.