"Ethan, why do you spend so much time with Evie? Do you like her?" Isabella stared at her son and asked that question.
Ethan Sterling was stunned for a moment. The next second, he reacted as if stung. He cried out, "Mom, what are you talking about? Evie is the wife of my uncle, Alexander! How can you always forget that?"
"I didn't say she wasn't. But do you like her?" Isabella pressed on.
"How could I like my aunt?" Ethan rolled his eyes.
Evie complained about her husband's love. Then she turned to see Ethan and retorted, "How could he love me? He's never gotten along with me!"
"Yeah, how could I like her? Wait, where did you come from?" Ethan asked Evie in astonishment.
"You slandered me for making dumplings that look like steamed buns. You still say we get along!"
"That's what my mom said, not me!" Ethan shot back.
Evie felt embarrassed. She stammered, "You didn't say my dumplings were ugly, all crooked and misshapen!"
"They are!"
That evening, Evie went back to Sterling Manor.
Only Isabella and her son Ethan remained in Rose Garden Villa.
Isabella said to Ethan, "Ethan, go get the bamboo slips your father left you!"
"Mom, what are you going to do?" Ethan asked in surprise.
"Just get them!" Isabella insisted.
Ethan couldn't defy his mother. He got up and went upstairs to retrieve the bamboo slips his father had given him before.
It was a gift from his father for his fourteenth birthday.
On the bamboo slips were his father's family rules and expectations.
He had kept them safe.
Later, his father died unexpectedly. He cherished the gift even more. Sometimes, when he missed his father, he would take them out to look at them.
But he didn't know why his mother suddenly asked him to get them now.
Ethan brought the brocade box downstairs. Isabella asked him to take out the bamboo slips and read them word by word.
Ethan obeyed.
Isabella asked, "What is the seventh rule of the family rules?"
"Respect the elderly and love the young. Brothers and sisters should be respectful!"
"What is the eighteenth rule?"
"Benevolence, righteousness, courtesy, wisdom, and faith. Loyalty, filial piety, honesty, shame, and courage!"
Ethan replied.
"What is wrong with you?" Isabella asked, looking at her son.
"Mom, I don't understand what you mean!" Ethan looked at her blankly.
"What is wrong with you?" Isabella didn't answer his question. She asked again.
Ethan still didn't understand his mother's meaning. But if he didn't give her a satisfactory answer today, she wouldn't stop.
So Ethan lowered his head to think.
Today, he hadn't gone out. He had spent the whole day in Rose Garden Villa. He hadn't done anything out of the ordinary. He had just rolled out dumpling wrappers all afternoon!
Then, he thought of his mother's sudden words when he was quarreling with Evie. It made him understand why his mother asked him to get the bamboo slips his father gave him and asked him about those two family rules.
"Mom, you misunderstood me. Although I like Aunt Evie, it's not that kind of like between a man and a woman. It's just simple liking. Sometimes she's funny and amusing..." Ethan only got halfway through. He glanced at his mother staring at him. So he quickly changed his words and said, "Aunt Evie is Uncle's wife. She is Ethan's elder. Ethan cannot be disrespectful or fail to respect his elders. From now on, when Ethan meets his aunt, he must be polite, courteous, respectful, orderly, respect the old and love the young, abide by his duty, and follow the rules!"
"You finally know how to reflect on yourself." Isabella nodded in satisfaction. "Never do it again!"
"Thank you, Mom!" Ethan said and was about to stand up.
"I didn't tell you to get up!" Isabella stopped him with a shout.
"Oh!" Ethan had to kneel down again.
"Review your mistake properly with your father. Get up in half an hour!"
"Ah?" Ethan looked at his mother in amazement.
"If half an hour is not enough, one hour will be enough!"
"Half an hour is enough, half an hour is enough!" Ethan replied. "Mom, you go rest first. I'll talk to Dad from my heart!"
Isabella looked at her son and said nothing more. She just nodded and went upstairs.
Ethan knelt in front of his father's memorial tablet. He began to talk to his father in heaven. "Dad, your wife mistreated and wronged your son. Do you want to do justice? Dad, I miss you so much!"
At first, Ethan joked with his father in heaven like a child. But at the end, he murmured a word from his heart. It made him feel a little sad.
Evie was so full that night. She stayed in Sterling Manor for a while. After talking to Alexander on the phone, she decided to take a walk in the garden to digest.
She took a leisurely stroll. Then she saw Ethan sitting alone on a bench. He had his head down, not knowing what he was thinking.
He looked rather dejected.
"Ethan, what's wrong with you?" Evie walked over and asked.
Ethan raised his head to see Evie. It was like seeing a ghost. His mouth fell open in amazement.
"What the hell are you doing? Why do you look like you've seen a ghost?" Evie asked, patting him on the shoulder.
"I really did see a 'ghost'!" Ethan answered. "What are you doing here?"
He was in a bad mood. He came here to get some air. And he ran into Evie.
The one who had made him depressed all night.
"Of course, I came for a walk. Or did I come here to catch mice?"
"Disgusting. You dare to catch mice!" Ethan showed an expression of disgust.
"You're not afraid of mice, are you?" Evie said with a smile.
"I'm not afraid. But my uncle is a little afraid!"
"Alexander is afraid of mice?" Evie asked in surprise.
"No, no, I'm talking nonsense! Why are you walking in the evening?" Ethan asked angrily.
If his uncle found out he told Evie that he was afraid of mice, he probably wouldn't be able to get away with it.
"The dumplings my sister-in-law made were so delicious. I ate too much at night!" Evie said.
"Serves you right. Who told you to be greedy!" Ethan said with some gloating.
Evie gave Ethan a direct look. She didn't want to argue with this guy.
"Are you in a bad mood?" Evie asked.
"Who says I'm in a bad mood? I'm in a great mood. The sky is clear and cloudless!"
"That's the precursor to a typhoon!" Evie replied with a smile.
"Evie, do you have to make things hard for me?" Ethan stared at her.
"No, I care about you!" Evie looked at Ethan and responded.