His Excellency the Count of Grandet

While Grandet was rushing home, Charles and the others had already started to enjoy their portion of lunch.

Grandet allowed them to eat before he came back, not because he came back at an unstable time, but because he had arranged lunch and dinner before he went out-everything in Grandet's house was kept by him, and never Flour to eggs, butter to fruit, sugar cubes to wine; even firewood for cooking and candles for lighting are in his locked cabinet, so what's the problem?

In other words, Grandet controlled everything in the house with such precision that it was unnecessary to wait.

So one can imagine how he felt when he came in and found a large plate of roasted and delicious roe deer meat on the table.

Grandet's eyes immediately widened.His eyes swept over the three women in the family, who looked like they wanted to eat people.Where did the game come from?Where did the firewood come from?Where did the fat and spices come from?Old Cruchot reminded you well-when the good nephew from Paris comes, the family will be turned upside down?

Charles, with sharp eyes, noticed it when Grandet entered the door. "Hello, dear uncle." He put down the plate in his hand and smiled his signature, "I'm Charles, your nephew you've never met. I came all the way from Paris."

Madame Grandet's hands trembled a little.On the one hand, she liked this polite and beautiful nephew; on the other hand, she knew that her husband was on the verge of breaking out. "Yes, my lord! My nephew has been on a bumpy journey, and he still didn't forget to bring us some wild game he caught in the forest." She hurriedly pointed it out, trying to restore the atmosphere, "Nanon baked it with fine seasonings in Paris, you Why don't you come and try it?"

Grandet looked again at the plate of grilled meat with an attractive color.Wild game brought by my nephew?including seasoning?The firewood must have been bought fresh... The tense muscles on his face relaxed a little, and he was going to ask Nanon who paid for it later. "Is my brother okay?" He asked Charles, but there was no concern in his tone, it was completely perfunctory.

"Father is all right." Charles could see the change in Grandet's expression at a glance - although Grandet was completely indifferent outside, he didn't have so many worries at home; It was not in vain to stay at home. "But he's gone to the east, please let me bring you a good one."

Grandet approached the table and gave Charles a sharp look.His brother, he still doesn't know?I haven't contacted him for more than [-] years, and it's a fantasy to remember him.But in fact he didn't mind at all, and even more minded why Shire suddenly appeared here——

His brother is bankrupt?Can't tell.other purposes?This kid smiled so innocently that he couldn't see anything else!

Grandet began to feel that this matter seemed to exceed his imagination.He hated this kind of thing the most, because he was used to having everything in his hands.In addition, it must be said that his forte is to pretend to stutter and deceive others, so he can naturally tell whether others are sincere or false.Charles's expression of being neither humble nor overbearing, he only sees threats in his eyes——

The intention is completely unknown, is his nephew really only in his early twenties?

Eugenie glanced at her mother, then at Charles, and finally at Grandet. "And my cousin brought us all presents!"

This remark pulled Grandet out of countless conjectures. "Oh?" His tone rose slightly, but his eyes rolled quickly, and he quickly found the three extra boxes in the living room.

Unceremoniously, Grandet strode over and opened it to check. "Pure gold," he took out the contents, turned it to the light outside, and murmured, "it should have been made by John V... a real antique, a good thing." When he said that, he His tone has completely changed—at first it was manic anger, but now it is a kind of deep obsession, or abnormal fanaticism, which can be seen from the round eyes.

It was a gold thimble, the front of which was inlaid with fine rubies in an exquisite church window pattern, obviously suitable for devout believers.And lying in the second box is a beautifully crafted sewing box, the main body is also pure gold.This one is obviously a popular new item, because there are round pearls on the cover, which are imported from the East India; on the inside is a small mirror, reflecting the delicate carving work, which is full of brilliance.In the third box was a flat gold pocket watch with the name of Breguet, the famous Parisian watchmaker, engraved on the back.

Although Grandet did not know Bréguet, he knew gold—he had a sharp eye, and without other tools he could guarantee that the error of gold's valuation would not exceed twenty centimes; The gold used was worth three thousand five hundred francs.

Now he's completely out of temper.What is firewood?What is food?What does it matter if the nephew is throwing gold into the water like a waste?As long as you throw it into his pond, you will pay as much as you want!If his nephew came over a few more times, their family would be able to use this as an extra source of income!

After secretly relaxing, Grandet thought of an important question. "Have you already accepted it?" This you, of course, are Madame Grandet and Eugenie.

Mrs. Grandet looked at her husband's expression, and said cautiously: "These things are too expensive, and my nephew and young master are very kind, so I will make a decision when you come back..."

"Since Charles has his heart, we will naturally accept it." Grandet interrupted before she finished speaking, and even squeezed out an extremely rare smile, "Come on, Charles, treat this place as your own." You are welcome!" He raised the wine glass on the table as a welcome gesture.

"You are too polite." Charles replied politely.He observed the change of expression on his uncle's face that could be compared to the face-changing face in Sichuan opera, with a smile still on the corner of his mouth.

To be honest, Grandet didn't look very good when he smiled.You must know that he is short and fat, his eyes are full of cold and emotionless light on weekdays, his lips have no ups and downs at all, and he has a large sarcoma on his nose.It's scary when you don't smile, but it's actually even scarier when you smile—it's like a python that's about to swallow you in the next second showing its fangs, and it's even more creepy.

But Charles was unflappable.In the whole city of Saumur, the only one he needed to spend his energy on lowering his vigilance was Grandet.Sending gold was undoubtedly the right and only choice, and it didn't waste his time preparing presents—at least his stingy uncle wouldn't drive him out of the house in a short time.He never thought that he could completely hide such a shrewd guy, but this level of paralysis was enough for him...

In view of the thousands of francs, the lunch was safe and sound.After eating, Grandet went out again, but still did not tell him where he was going.Charles was thinking about the news that Antoine could get from the square and the pier, but this intention had to be hidden, and he didn't show it. Instead, he honestly sat with the women of the Grandet family all afternoon——

Watching them do their needlework, describing why the Chartres coffee pot makes better coffee, and his accurate marksmanship at fifty paces (true, his self-defense included shooting, Although the bullets and guns in this era are too weak), book a theater box, listen to a good opera as a pastime...

Such things are all gossip.But for the three women who had never seen the world, each was speechless.

Madame Grandet and Nanon felt that the Parisians were indeed an existence beyond the comprehension of the Saumurs; the Parisians were as idle as the clouds in the sky, with nothing to do all day long and spending money like water.

But for Eugenie, who is beautiful in the eyes of beholders, whatever Charles says is pleasant to hear, and what Charles says is what he yearns for.Grandet took only the pocket watch (it made no difference, since if he knew anything, it would have come to him sooner or later), so she had cherished the sewing box that Charles had given her. In the only locked drawer in her room.

Charles could sense her reaction, but he couldn't respond.Since he doesn't like it, there is no need to give the other party a wrong impression.Anyway, he expects to stay in Saumur for three to five days. Maintaining a normal social distance is enough, and nothing major will happen.

On the dinner table, the most appetizing thing is still roe deer meat.After all, there are not many people in the Grandet family, so it is impossible to eat a roe deer in one meal.As a matter of fact, the wild game Shire caught was not only roe deer, but also two bamboo chickens.He made it up before he came, there was too little food in Grandet's house; and he was still growing, so he didn't want to go to the next stop of Châtelero hungry, so he had to rely on himself.

After collecting the gold, Grandet tried his best to ignore the small plate of candies, egg bowls and fruits that were left on the dining table, but in the end he couldn't help but stare at his wife and maid several times.But considering his future income, he finally resisted the urge to speak harshly.However, after everyone rested, he rushed into his wife's room aggressively.

"Any excuse," he said, "go to Madame de Grassin, and the sooner the better!"

Madame Grandet thought that her husband was here to inquire about the crime—because she helped Eugenie to cook for Charlé on her own initiative—and was so frightened that she shivered under the quilt.Listening to it now, isn't that the case at all?

But anyway, it's better than getting angry and yelling. "I see, sir." Madame Grandet immediately agreed.Then Grandet spun out again like a whirlwind, and got into the secret room where only he had the key in the whole family.

At the same time, Eugenie, who had already changed into her pajamas and climbed into bed, couldn't help getting up again, and took out the sewing box to look at it.When she saw it, she thought, my cousin is so nice and handsome; it's a pity that my cousin only stays in Saumur for a few days, and I don't know when he will come next time; so what if she misses him?Chase to Paris, okay?

If Grandet knew that, within half a day, his precious daughter had been so fascinated by Charles that she was already thinking of sneaking to Paris in the future, she would definitely throw Charles on the street first, and then throw her away. The oak door slammed shut right in front of Charles' nose.But he doesn't know yet, so he is still calculating forage and wood, and he hopes that the Grashan faction will get some more useful information quickly.But regardless of whether his brother is bankrupt or not, he will not spit out even a centimetre!

Finally, there was Charles, who had already changed into his silk pajamas and was resting on the bed in the guest room with his eyes closed.

It is naturally inappropriate to be a competitor with someone like Grandet, and it is also difficult to cooperate.But the latter one is not impossible - as long as Grandet benefits, and the relationship is limited to money; the best thing is that Grandet himself does not know what he is doing can help him...

Charles hooked his lips inwardly.Coincidentally, when doing business, he doesn't like to talk about human relations either!