Chapter 130 Funan Rosewood


    Maria rolled down the car window and greeted her, "Hi, Tami. Yes, it''s me!"


    She then drove into the vi when the gate opened. Tami followed her in. As soon as her car


    stopped, Tami opened the door for her and said with a smile, "I''m so d you''vee, Maria. Mr.


    and Mrs. Xi have been talking about you the whole afternoon."


    Maria got out of the car and walked to the trunk. She opened it while saying, "I dropped by the


    supermarket and bought some ingredients. I''m going to cook for Grandpa and Grandma tonight."


    "You are still as filial as before. I''m sure that they will be very happy," Tami said with a smile. She


    then helped Maria carry the bags inside.


    An old woman appeared at the front door. Her white hair was set into a bun at the top of her head,


    adorned with an emerald hairpin. With the long loose ck dress with dark patterns she was


    wearing and a silk shawl on her shoulders, she was giving off an unusual temperament. She was


    Charlotte, James'' grandmother


    When she saw Maria and Tami walking towards the door, she amiably smiled. "Maria, I know that


    you are here."


    With several big and small bags in her hands, Maria walked up to her. "Grandma, I''m so sorry that


    I''m a bitte." The truth was, she felt sorry because she hadn''t visited the two elders during the Mid-


    Autumn Festival in the past years. "It doesn''t matter. You are here now, and I''m so d to see you


    again." Charlotte smiled and kept repeating herst sentence to herself.


    Maria carried all of the bags in her left hand and held Charlotte''s arm with the right. "Where is


    Grandpa?"


    "Oh, he''s in the study," Charlotte answered, smiling from ear to ear. Knowing that Maria was here,


    Augustine had deliberately put on airs.


    Before Maria and Charlotte entered the living room together, Maria put down all the bags aside and


    went to change into a pair of slippers.


    Charlotte just stood at the side and watched her. When she took off her high heels, Charlotte


    nodded with satisfaction andmented, "Maria, you have gotten so much prettier."


    Maria smiled at her, put on the slippers, and held her arm again. "Grandma, you are still the same.


    I''ve missed you so much."


    Before Charlotte could say anything, a stern old voice was heard from inside. "Humph! Don''t be


    fooled by her. She doesn''t miss you at all." Maria hadn''te to visit them for several years.


    Charlotte and Maria exchanged nces and smiled at each other. Maria stuck out her tongue,


    winked at Charlotte, and whispered, "Grandma, I''ll just go inside to greet him."


    Charlotte nodded, thinking inwardly, ''I didn''t know that this old man could also lose his patience


    sometimes.''


    Maria entered the living room with something in her hand. A thin old man was sitting on the sofa,


    looking out of the window with his legs crossed. Obviously, he deliberately looked away. Augustine


    was also like James. They were both difficult to deal with.


    Maria plucked up the courage to walk up to him and tried to break the ice. "Grandpa, I''m here to see


    you and Grandma."


    Augustine snorted coldly, still keeping an aloof expression on his face. "Well, you are super busy.


    Howe you suddenly remember to visit us? It''s unbelievable!"


    Before she could be embarrassed by Augustine, Maria hurriedly handed over the thing in her hands


    to him. "Grandpa, I''m so sorry. I''ve brought you a walking stick made from Funan rosewood."


    ''Funan rosewood?'' Augustine repeated in his mind. It was only then that he turned his head and


    looked at Maria. When he saw the walking stick in her hand, his eyes lit up. He couldn''t help but


    confirm, "Is that really made from Funan rosewood?"


    Seeing the sudden change in his expression, Maria breathed a sigh of relief. She crouched down in


    front of him, took off the wrapper, and showed him the walking stick. "Yes, Grandpa. I brought a


    string of Buddhist beads for Grandma and a walking stick for you."


    Charlotte, who followed Maria in, suddenly said in a trembling voice, "ording to the ''Annotation


    of Ancient and Modern: Grass and Trees'' of Cui Bao in Jin Dynasty, the purple sandalwood which


    comes from Funan, is also known as rosewood. This is a rare one. Good girl, thank you."


    "It''s my pleasure, Grandma." Maria took another paper bag and took out the string of Buddha


    beads. She then handed it to Charlotte.


    Augustine looked at the walking stick, smelled its fragrance, and said stubbornly, "Humph! If she is


    really a good girl, she shouldn''t have ignored us for so many years.


    With a guilty look on her face, Maria was about to exin to them. But Charlotte waved at her and


    said, "Don''t mind him. This old man is just being naughty right these days."


    As Augustine got older, he had also be more childish. The famous business tycoon in the past


    was now a naughty old man.


    Maria smiled knowingly and said, "Now that I''m back in H City, I wille to visit you more often


    when I''m free. Grandpa, I hope it won''t irritate you."


    "Of course, it will! Don''t disturb our peaceful world," Augustine snapped without even raising his


    head. His eyes were fixed on the walking stick.


    To pacify him, Maria finally said, "Okay, Grandpa. I won''te here if there''s nothing special. But if


    something happens, I''ll immediatelye to you."


    Upon hearing her words, Augustine red at her and said, "You are deliberately pissing me off,


    aren''t you?"


    Maria pretended to be innocent. "But Grandpa, it was you who doesn''t want me toe here."


    Augustine got more pissed off that his eyes widened, short of breath. Charlotte couldn''t help


    chuckling.


    After having a short chat with the two elders, Maria went to the kitchen to cook dinner. Tami came to


    help her.


    Maria was pouring oil into the pot when she suddenly remembered that she forgot the eggs in the


    fridge. She leaned back a little and yelled at the door, "Tami, bring me two eggs, please. Thanks!"


    "Okay!" Tami yelled back. After a short while, Maria heard some footsteps behind her. She was


    about to say something when she realized that the footsteps didn''t sound like Tami''s.


    She turned around. Indeed, it wasn''t Tami but James.


    He was wearing a white shirt, a ck waistcoat, and a pair of trousers. He had also changed into a


    pair of slippers. As soon as their eyes met, he handed her the two eggs in his hand.


    Maria''s heart skipped a beat when she caught sight of James. But she tried to calm herself down


    and looked at the eggs. She didn''t take them. She turned around, continued stirring the vegetables


    in the wok, and ordered, "Mr. Xi, please beat the eggs in a bowl."


    There was a trace of alienation in her voice.


    James knew how to cook, but it had been a long while since thest time he cooked.


    He didn''t refuse. Instead, he put the eggs on the table, walked to the sink, and washed his hands.


    He then went to the cab and took out a bowl.


    James was not that skilled, but he managed to beat the eggs evenly.


    When he finished beating the eggs, Maria took the bowl from him and poured it into the wok. She


    then continued to cook in silence.


    James didn''t leave. He stood beside her and watched her every move.


    With his presence, Maria felt that the kitchen became a bit crowded. He was so imposing that she


    couldn''t just ignore him. Every time she went back and forth to get something, she would


    identally bump into him. But instead of apologizing, she red at him and said coldly, "If you


    have nothing else to do here, don''t stand in my way.


    James was rendered speechless.


    He didn''t think he was standing in her way. He came in to help her, and he didn''t expect that she


    would be so ungrateful.


    James turned around and decisively left the kitchen.


    Maria breathed a sigh of relief. Finally, the pressure behind her disappeared. She could focus on


    her cooking again.


    In the living room, Augustine red at James who was now wearing a long face. "Didn''t I tell you to


    help her? What are you doing here?"


    James nced at him coldly and answered, "She doesn''t need it."


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    "Humph! You must be too dumb to do anything there. Perhaps you''re only causing trouble so she


    has driven you away."


    James couldn''t find the right words to retort. Why did he feel that everyone in the house despised


    him?


    Fortunately, Charlotte and Tami were not in the living room. He only had to deal with Augustine.


    Augustine looked in the direction of the kitchen and murmured, "Try to have another baby. It would


    be better if you can have two babies by the end of next year."


    ''Grandpa, we haven''t seen each other for only a few days. When have you started to suffer from


    amnesia?'' James retorted inwardly. He then reminded Augustine lightly, "We have divorced."