Chapter 134

She smiled and said, "He gets along well no matter where he is, and with Charlie and Gabe following him, he won't do poorly anywhere. I don't work with him, so I'm not very clear on the details."

Family members naturally know Henry's character best.

Knowing Henry can thrive anywhere and won't go hungry, they weren't too worried about him.

But when Summer said this, her sister-in-law, Anna, curiously asked, "Summer, are you having a disagreement with Henry?"

When she heard Summer was returning to the city, she discussed this with Henry's brother, Logan.

Given Summer's nature and her feelings for Henry, even if she got a chance to return to the city, she wouldn't leave Henry in the countryside alone and return to the city by herself.

Now, Summer didn't even know how Henry was doing in the countryside, which made things even stranger.

Summer knew exactly what Anna's question meant.

It was ironic that the person who benefited most from her feelings for Henry, couldn't see or understand them, while everyone else did.

To avoid getting entangled in this matter again, Summer smiled and said, "He's dating someone in the countryside now and is very busy every day."

She shifted the focus to Henry, and as expected, Anna didn't ask further.

By then, it was getting late. Henry's father, Shaw, and his brother, Logan, said their goodbyes to Summer and left, taking Anna and the two children with them.

After they left, Summer continued washing the dishes.

When she had finished washing all the dishes, Henry's mom, Carman, came out of the house.

She carried a basin full of dishes, clearly intending to wash them.

Greeting neighbors was basic courtesy, and since Summer had just returned from the countryside, she naturally smiled and called out, "Good evening, Carman."

Carman responded with a smile, "Summer, you're back."

She put the basin down by the stone trough and added, "You've really grown into a beautiful young lady."

Hearing this, Summer couldn't help but engage in small talk for a few minutes.

But she didn't plan to stay long, not wanting to get drawn into talking more about Henry, so she picked up her basin and said, "Carman, I have to go handle my residency paperwork. I've finished washing the dishes, so I'll be going now."

Carman was about to ask about Henry but held back when she heard Summer's words.

Knowing Summer had important matters to attend to, she didn't want to delay her and said, "You go handle your important matters then."

Summer acknowledged with a sound and went back into the house with her basin.

Carman watched Summer enter the house, then turned her attention back to the dishes.

She washed the dishes and returned to her own house.

As she put away the dishes, she noticed Summer leaving the main house with a bookbag, heading out through the courtyard gate.

After Summer's figure disappeared, Carman turned back and wiped her hands with her apron, then went to the central room of the west wing and sat down to continue sewing a shoe sole.

About half an hour later, Anna returned.

Carrying a sack, she placed it on the table and pulled out some cardboard, saying to Carman, "This time I got mostly matchboxes."

In Henry's family, only his brother Logan had a steady job with a fixed salary.

His father, Shaw, worked by pedaling a tricycle to deliver goods, earning money through hard labor. Carman and Anna didn't have jobs and relied on taking home some handwork to earn a bit of pocket money.

Right now, the most consistent side job in the city was making paper boxes.

Medicine boxes, lock boxes, matchboxes, pastry boxes—there were all kinds of packaging boxes.

Carman wasn't in good health and couldn't make many boxes, so most of the work fell to Anna.

Even if Carman were in perfect health, this kind of side job didn't pay much.

When Anna brought back the boxes, Carman put away her sewing and joined Anna at the table to make the paper boxes. Unable to hold back her thoughts any longer, she said to Anna, "Summer was avoiding me just now, probably not wanting to talk about Henry."

Anna, while gluing a box, replied, "Henry started dating someone in the countryside? Probably broke her heart."

Carman, with a hint of anger, said, "That little rascal. When he was going to the countryside, I told him a thousand times to take good care of Summer, to treat her well. But once there, he started messing around. Summer is such a good girl; whoever marries her is lucky, and he just doesn't get it!"

Anna agreed, "Exactly! Summer has a good temper and nature. Whether it's cooking or housework, she's excellent. Where can you find a better wife? And she's an only child. Whoever marries her gets all her family's property."

Carman, though not fast with her hands, continued working steadily.

She added to Anna's words, "Before she went to the countryside, she looked quite ordinary, but now she's blossomed into such a beauty. When I saw her in the yard earlier, my goodness, I thought a fairy had descended. She's so pretty."

Anna nodded, "Isn't she? Like someone out of a painting."

Carman sighed and shook her head, "That little rascal Henry just doesn't appreciate it. Summer has been by his side since they were kids, and everyone can see how she feels about him, except him. He always says he sees her as a sister."

Anna thought for a moment and then said, "Mom, don't worry too much. Henry is still young and doesn't understand what makes a good woman. As he grows older, he'll realize that to marry and settle down, he needs a reliable and capable girl like Summer. He's still a kid, just messing around with these flings. Didn't he have a girlfriend before he went to the countryside too?"

Carman glanced at Anna, "He's just wasting time messing around. Summer won't wait for him forever. Even if she was just average, there would be plenty of people eager to marry her. Now that she's blossomed into a beauty, there will be even more."

Anna looked back at Carman, "Even if there are plenty of suitors, Summer still has to want to marry them. Summer's been devoted to Henry from childhood. We women can be stubborn, wanting to stick with the man we love for life. She's hurt because Henry doesn't see her worth. Once he comes to his senses and goes after her, she'll be happy again."

Carman thought about it and found some truth in Anna's words.

She said, "I hope that rascal behaves well and earns his place back in the city soon. Whatever he has in the countryside can't be serious. Once he returns to the city, it will be over. It's all just nonsense."