I am aging gracefully in the world of famous books

Mr. Dashwood's condition has not improved, and he has been lingering in bed all spring. When the summer cicadas first sing, his life will finally come to an end.

"Eleanor, take care of your mother and sisters, ahem, and take care of yourself."

Elinor, the eldest daughter, knelt by Mr. Dashwood's bed, shook his hand and nodded with tears.

Mr. Dashwood coughed twice, with reluctance and relief in his eyes.

"I originally, originally planned to ask your brother to take good care of you. I always thought, ahem, you are brothers and sisters, and the three of you don't have much dowry, so he must care about family affection. But... Marianne is in a coma That day, I, I, ahem, I knew that I couldn't count on him..."

Pei Xiang tucked the quilt up for Mr. Dashwood, and assured him softly in his ear:

"Dad, don't worry, I have grown up and sensible, and I won't be as irritable as before. I will take good care of my mother and sisters. Dad, you can rest at ease and rest, and don't worry about those future things Yes. You see, the three of us sisters are smart, beautiful, versatile, and the future will definitely not be bad, don't worry."

Mr. Dashwood's eyes were a little sluggish at this time, but he still accurately captured Pei Xiang's figure, and the seriously ill man showed an extremely shallow and gentle smile:

"Yes, my Marianne has also grown up and is a sensible little girl, and Margaret, my little angel..."

At this moment, the door was pushed open vigorously, and John Dashwood came in hastily, and behind him were the priest and several other serious-looking gentlemen.

"Father, they say you..."

John's voice dropped suddenly, because Mr. Dashwood looked so weak on the hospital bed.

"They say you...are sick, father, I'm here, are you okay?"

Elinor wiped the tears from her cheeks, got up and gave up the seat beside the bed to her brother.

"John, my son, are you here?" Mr. Dashwood struggled slightly to turn his head, as if he wanted to see his eldest son clearly.

John Dashwood hurriedly moved closer: "Father, it's me, it's your little John. Father, Fanny and little Harry are still on the way, and they will be here soon. Father, don't you want to see little Harry again?"

"I can't wait any longer." Mr. Dashwood seemed to have a sense of life and death, his eyes became more cloudy and dim, "John, cherish everything you have now, be grateful and be kind."

"I will, father, I will, please rest assured."

"John, will you take care of your sisters when I'm gone?"

"Father, of course I would!"

Hearing this question, John Dashwood couldn't help raising his voice.

He immediately glanced sideways at the pastor and several other gentlemen in the room, and replied loudly:

"Father, I am a gentleman and of course I have a responsibility to take care of my family."

Mr. Dashwood's lips moved slightly, and after a long while, he said intermittently: "I believe your sincerity at this moment, John."

After saying this, Mr. Dashwood closed his eyes, and these kind eyes never opened again.

Mr. Dashwood died.

One year after inheriting the Nolan Manor, he hastily left his beloved relatives with nostalgia and reluctance for the world.

According to his will, he left all the property of £[-] in his own name to Mrs. Dashwood, plus the dowry of £[-] left by the old gentleman to Miss Dashwood, the mother and daughter have a total of £[-] the property of.

According to the interest calculation at that time, they can have an income of about five hundred pounds a year.

Is this much income?

Miss Elinor Dashwood, who had always been sensible, thought that a thousand pounds a year for a decent family would surely lead to a more comfortable and easy life.

Mrs. John Dashwood, who came later, believed that the mother and daughter did not have a carriage, did not hire servants to do their own work, and did not need to participate in social activities such as balls.An income of five hundred pounds a year is simply too great a fortune to spend.

So, after the funeral, Mrs. John Dashwood, who moved into Nolan Manor with her children and servants, persuaded her husband:

"How else do you want to take care of them? Dowries for your sisters? Oh, it's not necessary at all! Just think, when they marry, they take a fortune away from the Dashwoods forever, and we How cruel that poor little Harry will lose thousands of pounds in total loss!"

At this time, Mr. John Dashwood seemed to be awakened by his wife, and he said with some chagrin:

"You're right, Fanny, and I can't bear to wrong our son. But I promised my father in public that I would take good care of my sisters."

"The way to take care of younger sisters is not necessarily to give them money." Mrs. John Dashwood's tone was a little excited.

"John, you are half-brothers and sisters, and the relationship is not close, ah, in fact, it is almost the same as strangers. Father, the old man asked you to take care of them before he died. It must not be for you to damage our son's interests. That would be It's so unreasonable."

"Then what do you mean by father?"

"To be honest, we are just ordinary relatives. They are also looking for a suitable house everywhere, and they are planning to move out of Nolan Manor. In the future, we will live apart, and the relationship will become even weaker. So, hey, let me tell you, you As an older brother, sending them some game and fruits and vegetables every year, and occasionally inviting them to the manor for a good meal, is the utmost generosity, and no one can fault it."

"Just some wild game?"

"Yes, just send some things. Well, in my opinion, your father must have been ill at the time, otherwise, how could he let you take care of them? Just because you are an adult brother?"

Having said that, Mrs. John Dashwood curled her lips with a dissatisfied expression.

"John, my poor husband, your father left all his property to the mother and daughter, and he didn't think of you, the eldest son, or our little Harry. I don't care about it, oh, because of my upbringing, of course. But How can he ask you for more generosity in turn? It's so unreasonable."

John Dashwood hesitated, and explained:

"Fanny, my father really didn't ask me to take care of Elinor and the others. He just asked me if I would like to? I was sad at the time, so I agreed immediately without thinking too much."

Hearing what John said, the wife's eyes widened immediately, and she said in disbelief, "Is that why you agreed?"

The newly appointed manor owner scratched his hair and lowered his voice:

"Fanny, the Reverend Peter and some distinguished gentlemen were there, and I couldn't resist. You know, well, anyway, Mrs. Dashwood was my stepmother, and she did take good care of me when I was a child. . . several years."

"That's true. In this case, when they move, let's send a carriage to help them carry the salute."

"That's a very good idea, Fanny."

After a brief conversation, John Dashwood and his wife quickly reached a consensus on how to treat their half-sister.

They have now become the new owners of Nolan Manor, while Mrs. Dashwood and her daughters have become guests under the fence.

Fortunately, John Dashwood and his wife treated Mrs. Dashwood very politely on the surface. They once expressed in public that they hoped that Mrs. Dashwood would regard Norland Manor as her home and live happily forever.After all, for Mrs. Dashwood, here is full of warm memories.

The generous and generous attitude of the couple naturally got a good evaluation from the neighbors.

Mrs. Dashwood was simple in temperament, and at first she completely believed in the hypocrisy of the stepson couple, and thought that John Dashwood, a young man, was very happy to take care of his sisters.

In addition, she couldn't find a suitable place in a hurry, so she readily agreed to John Dashwood's retention, and lived in Nolan Manor with peace of mind.

Of course, she didn't give up the idea of ​​moving out with her daughters, it was just not so urgent.

Meanwhile, Mrs. Dashwood took a fancy to several houses near Nolan Manor, but Elinor stopped them in time.Because those houses are too big, it is somewhat unaffordable for the four mothers and daughters who only have an annual income of [-] pounds.

"Mom, after we move out of Nolan Manor, we only need a cozy and small house. The rent, number of servants and maintenance costs of the big house will make us unable to make ends meet."

"I know, Elinor, I just don't want to wrong you sisters," Mrs. Dashwood sighed, "you're right, we really can't afford a big house, and we can't even buy you books, Paints and music, alas, my poor girls."

The 13-year-old Margaret suddenly asked: "Then my pony can no longer be raised, right?"

Elinor pursed her lips, avoiding the bright and innocent eyes of her little sister, and analyzed rationally and calmly as much as possible:

"Margaret, not only can you no longer have ponies, but we won't even have a carriage in the future, because we can't afford it. And the number of servants, mother, after we move out, the family can only employ two. To the three servants, we need to take care of many things by ourselves."

Mrs. Dashwood leaned on the sofa, clutching her forehead, with tears in her eyes:

"If I were alone, I could get used to any kind of life. But, but as long as I think of the three of you...and your future marriage, I feel extremely worried. What if, what if you have How terrible it would be if you met the sweetheart you were in love with but had to separate because of property issues."

Pei Xiang embraced Mrs. Dashwood's shoulders, and persuaded with a smile:

"Mother, the future will not be particularly difficult. Just think about it. We have an income of five hundred pounds a year. To be honest, many families in England are not as rich as we are. Moreover, although happiness is related to the amount of wealth, it does not have an absolute relationship." The most important thing is feelings. Mom, those incompetent men who dislike me for having a small dowry are not worthy of my love. "

Mrs. Dashwood wiped her tears and said with some excitement:

"Oh, Marianne, you are right. The most important thing is feelings. It is unreasonable to separate two young people who really love each other just because of external things such as property, family status and material conditions. of."

Elinor did not comment on Mrs. Dashwood's sentimental attitude, but looked at Pei Xiang suspiciously, and asked tentatively:

"Marian, don't tell me that when you choose your future marriage, you only value feelings and ignore other external conditions?"

Margaret chuckled and said, "Second sister said before that she only falls in love once in her life, and only loves one person. She must find someone she really likes, even if it's a poor boy."

Pei Xiang patted the little sister's forehead lightly. This was the original body's view of feelings. He said it once or twice, but Margaret never expected to keep it in his heart.

Elinor frowned with some disapproval: "Marian, isn't your idea too absolute?"

Mrs. Dashwood was also somewhat displeased, for she was the late Mr. Dashwood's second wife.

"It's normal for me to have this idea now, because I haven't even had the first love yet. As for how it will develop in the future, will I like the second person or the third person... Oh, I also I can’t tell. Anyway, I really want to pick a beautiful young man that I really like, and I can’t be reluctant or dissatisfied in terms of appearance and figure.”

At this moment, Elinor's brows were almost twisted into a knot.

——How can you only look at a man's face and figure when you get married?

She immediately opened her mouth to correct her sister's unreliable idea, and asked Margaret not to listen to the second sister's nonsense.

Margaret sighed like a grown-up, and patted her chest to promise that when she grows up, she will never be like the second sister, because she prefers those who can climb trees and catch fish, and their faces are not fun. Son.

Pei Xiang chuckled, and quickly changed the subject to divert Elinor's attention:

"I heard from Fanny that her brother Edward Ferrars is coming to visit Nolan Park, and he will be here before dinner tonight. Mother, Elinor, have you seen that Edward Ferrars before?"

Mrs. Dashwood shook her head, and muttered: "I haven't seen the young man yet, but it's enough for me to like him as long as he's different from his sister."

Pei Xiang and Elinor looked at each other, and they both realized that they should move out of Nolan Manor as soon as possible.

With the increase of time spent together and the bumps in daily life, the relationship between Mrs. Dashwood and Mrs. John Dashwood, the step-in-law and daughter-in-law, became more and more rigid. discord between.

However, it is not so easy to move away as soon as possible.

Mrs. Dashwood has a deep affection for Norland Manor, and there are many common memories between her and Mr. Dashwood.Therefore, she didn't want to stay away from Nolan Manor and this piece of land. She just planned to rent a suitable house nearby and lead her daughters to live a comfortable and peaceful life.

However, the nearby properties that could be rented out were rejected by Elinor one by one just now.

Pei Xiang lowered her eyes and thought, the work she is about to finish recently will bring a lot of money, plus the deposit in the account, it is enough to improve the financial situation of the mother and daughter.

——Some things can finally be put on the agenda.

During dinner, Pei Xiang met one of the male protagonists in "Sense and Sensibility"-Edward Ferrars.

This Mr. Ferrars was the younger brother of Mrs. John Dashwood, the eldest son of a late rich man.

He is just 23 years old this year, has received a college education, and has a gentle and polite manner. Although he is not a handsome and handsome person, he is also very gentlemanly.

"Mr. Ferrars, what do you plan to do when you leave school?"

Before Edward could answer Pei Xiang's question, Fanny answered immediately:

"Our mother, that is, Mrs. Ferrars, has high hopes for Edward. She hopes that Edward will become a famous gentleman and be able to rise to the top. Well, it is best to make achievements in politics."

Edward was not unhappy because his sister robbed him of his conversation.He seemed to be born with an open mind and a shy personality, so he just smiled kindly and continued:

"But I don't have much interest in becoming a celebrity. Of course, I also lack a talent. It's hard for me to imagine standing in a park and standing in front of many strangers. I just have to fantasize about that scene, I feel uncomfortable."

Fanny complained dissatisfiedly to Edward: "You haven't even tried it, how do you know that you don't have that ability?"

Elinor smiled and said: "Some people like to be quiet, and they are indeed not naturally suitable for celebrity careers such as speeches. They don't like to persuade others, and they don't want to be followed by many people. They only like to specialize in the knowledge they are interested in."

Edward Ferrars smiled and nodded at Elinor, and said frankly:

"Yes, I'm probably that kind of person. If possible, I would prefer to be a pastor and help every believer as much as I can..."

Fanny contemplated Edward's words unceremoniously:

"You know your mother won't approve. Our family expects you not to be an obscure priest. If you ask me, if you don't like politics, go to law school, or go to the army, whatever, there will always be accomplished."

Edward Ferrars bowed his head helplessly and stopped talking to Fanny.

After a while John Dashwood related an amusing incident of hunting last winter, and Edward Ferrars echoed it.

Pei Xiang could hear that this gentleman was not very keen on hunting and other outdoor activities, but he was not disgusted either, and the opinions he occasionally expressed were fair and objective, and quite intelligent.

After dinner, the women of the Dashwood family had a good impression of this Edward Ferrars.

That night, Edward Fellers stayed at Nolan Manor, and for some time afterwards, he also stayed at his sister and brother-in-law's house as a guest.

Pei Xiang has been working in the studio because he wants to complete the latest work, and rarely appears at gatherings.When she was finally busy with the things at hand and had some free time, she discovered an unexpected thing.

In just a few days, the interaction between Elinor and Edward became more frequent.

Whenever Elinor talked about a certain book or a certain point of view, Edward would look at her intently with admiration in his eyes.

——In the original book, the love between Elinor and Edward was also during this time.

—Afterwards, Fanny, aware of this unbroken ambiguity, sneered at the Dashwood mother and daughter.It is probably some words that her younger brother has a bright future and is placed with high hopes, while Elinor's background and dowry are not worthy of Edward, and I hope some young ladies will not be wishful thinking.

——At the same time, it was precisely because of Fanny’s words that Mrs. Dashwood completely gave up the idea of ​​living near Norland Manor, and quickly accepted a kind invitation from a distant relative, and brought her daughters from Sussex County Moved to Devon.

Today, Edward and Elinor have only known each other for a few days, and the budding of feelings between the two has not yet emerged, and everything is still early.

Pei Xiang decided to give Elinor a vaccination first.

To be honest, Pei Xiang didn't intend to interfere too much with Elinor's future emotional development.Because she has always believed that emotional matters are very personal and very ego.What the bystanders think is good or bad, pros and cons may not necessarily be what the parties really like or dislike.She has always believed in one truth, that is, honey and arsenic are always different from person to person.

However, her reluctance to interfere with Elinor's emotional development does not mean that she wants to watch Elinor be deceived and watch her fall in love with Edward Ferrars without knowing anything.

At least, before it all began, she had to let Elinor know that this Edward Ferrars was secretly engaged to another girl.

——Even if the marriage contract is in jeopardy, an engagement is an engagement.

——In the original book, Elinor learned of this fact only after she fell in love with Edward Ferrars deeply, so she never let go of this relationship.

——So, what if this sensible girl knew the truth in advance?