Chapter 332: Chapter 332: Cautious Phoenix Golding
Raina’s expression went blank. She thought for a long time, unsure how to answer her granddaughter’s question. If eating a rabbit gives you a harelip, then by that logic, wouldn’t eating a chicken give you a pointy beak?
But the old-timers never said you couldn’t eat chicken, only that you couldn’t eat rabbit. Raina grew even more conflicted. Her head was starting to hurt from thinking so hard. ’How am I supposed to explain this to my granddaughter?’
A wave of childlike mischief washed over Tang Xiao’nan, and she continued, "Will eating pork give me pig ears? Will eating duck make me go QUACK QUACK? Will eating..."
"Knock it off! Keep talking nonsense and I’ll spank you!"
Raina was both amused and exasperated. She gave Tang Xiao’nan a light pat on the back. ’What a little rascal,’ she thought. ’Who knows what goes on in that head of hers.’
Tang Xiao’nan couldn’t help but bury her face in Phoebe Huxley’s arms and giggle. ’Grandma’s hilarious!’ At first, Raina tried to keep a straight face, but then she broke into a laugh herself. Phoebe Thorne said with a smile, "The doctor already said all that stuff is just superstition—eating rabbit gives you a harelip, eating beef gives you psoriasis, eating mutton gives you epilepsy. You can eat any kind of meat."
Raina grumbled sullenly, "Even so, we should still be careful."
Still, she no longer insisted that they couldn’t eat the rabbit. She was, after all, willing to listen to a doctor.
Tang Xiao’nan played on Phoebe Huxley’s lap for a bit before going to find Felix Thorne. She snuggled into his arms, listening to the men gossip. Goldie Thorne brought up Phoenix Golding.
"That damn bitch and Storm Xavier are being really careful. They don’t even talk when they see each other, acting like total strangers. And I haven’t seen Phoenix Golding go out at night. So where the hell is she meeting her lover?!"
Goldie Thorne was about to die of frustration. He’d been on stakeout for half a month but still hadn’t caught Phoenix Golding in the act. On the surface, the damn woman seemed to be behaving herself perfectly.
Shane Thorne frowned slightly and asked in a low voice, "Has Phoenix Golding done anything suspicious these past few days?"
"Not really. Well, wait... There is one thing, but I’m not sure if it’s suspicious." Goldie Thorne seemed hesitant. "Phoenix Golding is always sleeping in her room during the day. She even skips her classes and can sleep through two whole periods in a row."
"She sleeps every day?" Shane Thorne asked.
"Pretty much every day. I’ve gone to check, and she really is sleeping. Storm Xavier couldn’t possibly sneak into the school to have a rendezvous with her, could he?"
Shane Thorne sneered. "I wouldn’t be so sure. Here’s what you do: next time Phoenix Golding is sleeping, go check if Storm Xavier is in the village. If he isn’t, have someone knock on her front door while you watch the back window to see if anyone tries to escape."
Goldie Thorne’s eyes lit up, and he nodded vigorously. "I get it! Uncle Shane, you’re brilliant! You even thought of the back window. When it comes to this kind of thing, you’re the real expert!"
Shane Thorne looked pleased with himself. He took a dignified sip of his wine, then picked up a peanut and began to chew it thoughtfully. But as he chewed, his expression soured. ’What the hell is this brat saying? What does he mean I’m an expert when it comes to ’this kind of thing’? That’s a load of crap!’
Still fuming, Shane Thorne shot Goldie Thorne an irritated glare, but Goldie was completely oblivious. He just kept eating and drinking happily, without a care in the world.
Tang Xiao’nan was nestled in Felix Thorne’s arms, lost in thought, as food was periodically popped into her mouth—dried loach, peanuts, pork liver... For every bite Felix Thorne took himself, he had to feed one to his daughter. Before she knew it, Tang Xiao’nan was stuffed again. She finally had to clamp her mouth shut to escape her father’s loving assault of food.
"Phoenix Golding is always going into town to run errands after work. She’s busier than the principal," Goldie Thorne added, mentioning another oddity.
Shane Thorne quickly asked, "The town government office?"
"The school district office. I followed her into town a couple of days ago. Her car was parked in front of the school district building, and she was in there for a long time before she came out."
Shane Thorne grew thoughtful. He instructed, "Next time she goes to the school district office, follow her and see who she meets with."
