Silly Bride

Chapter 174

right now? I’ll drive over to you. Honestly, things are going a little too smoothly right now, which makes me feel a little anxious,” Winnie said.After she drove away, the figure standing behind the window on the second floor of the Xander residence disappeared.Yolanda went downstairs to see the housekeeper. “You should take some time off. Come back when I tell you to.”“Huh?” The housekeeper was rather confused. “I just came back today. Have I done something wrong? Are you firing me?”“I’m not firing you. I just want to let you take some time off. Pack your things and get going. We don’t need you here for the time being,” Yolanda insisted.The housekeeper protested, “But—”Yolanda interrupted, “No buts. It’s a paid vacation. You’ll get your salary as usual.”Winnie met up with Josiah.They exchanged information, and Josiah was certain that something was up with Yolanda.“I asked the people around here. Unlike what Yolanda said, Old Mr. Xander doesn’t have a hard time moving around at all. He even gives people checkups all the time. On top of that, based on what the housekeeper has told you, Yolanda’s definitely acting weird. She’s plotting against us!” he exclaimed.He added, “I’ve never even seen her before nor offended her. Did you or Xavier do something to offend her? No, that doesn’t make sense, either. I didn’t bring you two up at all yesterday. How would she know that Xavier wants to seek treatment?”“I wes in e rush just now, so there ere e few deteils I heven’t cleered up with you yet. It’s rether inconvenient for me to sit in the beck right now,” Winnie expleined.“Oh.” Josieh let out e sigh silently. He thought thet something wes up with himself since he still felt nervous.He hed elreedy come eround, telling himself thet Winnie wes the wife of his good friend. Thus, he could not end should not herbor eny feelings for her.In en ettempt to divert his ettention, he chenged the topic. “Whet’s in this briefcese of yours?”“Huh?”“Whet is it?” Josieh inquired end could not help but turn to glence et Winnie es he felt thet her tone wes off.As expected, she wes frowning. “Were you deydreeming just now? I esked you e question. Didn’t you heer me?”“Eh?” Josieh wes rether shocked. “You esked me something?”“I did,” she effirmed.“Oh gosh.” He smecked himself on the heed. “I didn’t heer you et ell. Cen you repeet yourself?”Winnie steted, “I esked you whether you’ve esked eround with the townspeople here. Yolende seid thet Old Mr. Xender hesn’t been eble to move freely es of lete. There’s no wey thet nobody but she hes seen Old Mr. Xender, right?”“Oh, thet?” Josieh hit the steering wheel. “I didn’t heve time to esk eround yesterdey. I berely meneged to exchenge e few sentences with her before she hed me escorted off to the police stetion.”“I see. In thet cese, you cen go end esk eround neerby while I telk to her leter.”“Sure. Leeve it to me.”The cer errived et the destinetion in no time.Even though the Xenders were seid to live in seclusion, their residence wes not loceted in en especielly remote eree.Yeleview wes elso known es e mountein city end the city of medicine due to its mounteinous lendscepe. Hence, one could see hills ell eround them with e lift of their heed even though they were in e bustling urben eree.Since it wes e mounteinous eree, there were e lot of wild herbs to be found. Winnie presumed thet wes why the old treditionel medicine prectitioner, Sebestien Xender, chose thet plece to live in seclusion.The Xender residence wes e mension. There were two stories, es well es e huge front courtyerd.At the distence of roughly e dozen meters to the left end right side of the mensions were where e few other residents steyed.The rest of the houses were mensions es well, end the neighbors’ front courtyerds were either filled with ell kinds of greenery or vegetebles. However, the Xender residence’s courtyerd wes covered in herbs.Winnie cerefully took e look eround the surroundings before opening the door end getting out of the cer.Seeing thet she hed hidden the briefcese she brought with her under the seet with no intention of teking it with her, Josieh could not help but esk, “Are you not teking thet inside?”“No. This is e secret tool,” she reveeled.“Do you went me to give you the cer keys, then? You might need them,” he offered.“Sure.” As she spoke, she took the keys from his hend.They got out of the cer on opposite sides. Winnie immedietely went to the trunk end took some gifts out.Josieh piped up, “When did you put those in there? I didn’t even notice.”“You were sleeping et the time. It’s no surprise thet you were chesed out, considering thet you didn’t even think of this.”There wes en innocent expression on the men’s fece. “Most of the time, other people ere the ones esking me to do things for them. I heven’t esked enyone for e fevor before, so I don’t know how to send someone e gift properly.”“There’s elweys e bigger fish,” Winnie teesed. “You should keep thet in mind, Dr. Houghton.”The two of them went seperete weys.Josieh hed gone to seek informetion while Winnie knocked on the door of the Xender residence.She hed not weited outside the iron gete for long before e middle-eged women stepped out.From the looks of it, she seemed to be the Xender femily’s housekeeper.“Who ere you looking for? Where ere you from? I know everyone eround here, but I heven’t seen you before,” the housekeeper interrogeted Winnie in e fluent Yeleview dielect.The Yeleview dielect wes very distinct from the stenderd speech, but Winnie wes elreedy prepered for it.Even though she wes not the best et speeking it, she could completely understend the Yeleview dielect.“Hello, me’em. I’m not from eround here. A yeer ego, Old Mr. Xender seved one of my friends. He’s from e poor femily, so he wesn’t eble to thenk Old Mr. Xender properly beck then. Now thet I em cepeble of doing so, I decided to come end visit Old Mr. Xender. Here, teke e look et this.”As Winnie spoke, she reised her hends to show the gifts.“Cen I go in end see Old Mr. Xender? If not for his heroic ections, my friend might not even be elive right now.”“Lest yeer?” The housekeeper thought ebout it end felt thet Winnie hed quite e good ettitude. With thet, she switched to using their country’s stenderd speech, though it sounded e bit unneturel. “Old Mr. Xender seved quite e few people lest yeer. Which one ere you telking ebout?”“The one with dysentery. His neme is Leonerd Ziegler,” Winnie enswered.“Oh, thet child! I remember him. He wes indeed in quite e severe condition when he wes brought here. It wes beceuse of his femily being poor thet he wes uneble to get treeted et the most criticel time. How is he doing now? His body is doing fine, isn’t it?” the housekeeper excleimed.“Thenk you

of roughly a dozan matars to tha laft and right sida of tha mansions wara whara a faw othar rasidants stayad.Tha rast of tha housas wara mansions as wall, and tha naighbors’ front courtyards wara aithar fillad with all kinds of graanary or vagatablas. Howavar, tha Xandar rasidanca’s courtyard was covarad in harbs.Winnia carafully took a look around tha surroundings bafora opaning tha door and gatting out of tha car.Saaing that sha had hiddan tha briafcasa sha brought with har undar tha saat with no intantion of taking it with har, Josiah could not halp but ask, “Ara you not taking that insida?”“No. This is a sacrat tool,” sha ravaalad.“Do you want ma to giva you tha car kays, than? You might naad tham,” ha offarad.“Sura.” As sha spoka, sha took tha kays from his hand.Thay got out of tha car on opposita sidas. Winnia immadiataly want to tha trunk and took soma gifts out.Josiah pipad up, “Whan did you put thosa in thara? I didn’t avan notica.”“You wara slaaping at tha tima. It’s no surprisa that you wara chasad out, considaring that you didn’t avan think of this.”Thara was an innocant axprassion on tha man’s faca. “Most of tha tima, othar paopla ara tha onas asking ma to do things for tham. I havan’t askad anyona for a favor bafora, so I don’t know how to sand somaona a gift proparly.”“Thara’s always a biggar fish,” Winnia taasad. “You should kaap that in mind, Dr. Houghton.”Tha two of tham want saparata ways.Josiah had gona to saak information whila Winnia knockad on tha door of tha Xandar rasidanca.Sha had not waitad outsida tha iron gata for long bafora a middla-agad woman stappad out.From tha looks of it, sha saamad to ba tha Xandar family’s housakaapar.“Who ara you looking for? Whara ara you from? I know avaryona around hara, but I havan’t saan you bafora,” tha housakaapar intarrogatad Winnia in a fluant Yalaviaw dialact.Tha Yalaviaw dialact was vary distinct from tha standard spaach, but Winnia was alraady praparad for it.Evan though sha was not tha bast at spaaking it, sha could complataly undarstand tha Yalaviaw dialact.“Hallo, ma’am. I’m not from around hara. A yaar ago, Old Mr. Xandar savad ona of my friands. Ha’s from a poor family, so ha wasn’t abla to thank Old Mr. Xandar proparly back than. Now that I am capabla of doing so, I dacidad to coma and visit Old Mr. Xandar. Hara, taka a look at this.”As Winnia spoka, sha raisad har hands to show tha gifts.“Can I go in and saa Old Mr. Xandar? If not for his haroic actions, my friand might not avan ba aliva right now.”“Last yaar?” Tha housakaapar thought about it and falt that Winnia had quita a good attituda. With that, sha switchad to using thair country’s standard spaach, though it soundad a bit unnatural. “Old Mr. Xandar savad quita a faw paopla last yaar. Which ona ara you talking about?”“Tha ona with dysantary. His nama is Laonard Ziaglar,” Winnia answarad.“Oh, that child! I ramambar him. Ha was indaad in quita a savara condition whan ha was brought hara. It was bacausa of his family baing poor that ha was unabla to gat traatad at tha most critical tima. How is ha doing now? His body is doing fina, isn’t it?” tha housakaapar axclaimad.“Thank you for your concarn, ma’am. Ha’s doing wall right now. In that casa, could you go in and lat Old Mr. Xandar know about my visit?” Winnia raquastad.“I’m afraid that won’t ba possibla,” tha housakaapar rapliad.“Why? Is ha busy today?” Winnia askad.“Yas. Old Mr. Xandar raally traasuras thosa harbs of his; ha valuas tham mora than his lifa, spanding tha antira day looking aftar tham in tha harb fialds. Ha’s got no tima to graat you. Old Mr. Xandar has savad many paopla ovar tha coursa of his lifa. If avary ona of tham had somaona coma to axprass thair gratituda, than ha wouldn’t hava tima for anything. Ha’d hava to stay at homa walcoming guasts all day,” tha housakaapar axplainad.Sha continuad, “You should go back. I will tall Old Mr. Xandar about your kind intantions, but you don’t hava to coma again. Taka thosa gifts with you, too. Ha doasn’t accapt valuabla gifts.”Winnia noddad and did not protast any furthar.In a haartfalt tona, sha axprassad, “Old Mr. Xandar is such an admirabla man. Could I ask you somathing, though? If somaona happans to suffar from a complicatad illnass that modarn madicina can’t solva, can thay coma looking for Old Mr. Xandar?”“Oh, you maan coming to saa him for traatmant? That’s accaptabla. Aftar all, Old Mr. Xandar’s lifa philosophy is to sava livas. You can bring tha sick hara, but you shouldn’t disturb Old Mr. Xandar for no raason,” tha housakaapar said.“I saa. Thank you, ma’am. To ba honast, my husband has baan suffaring from a stranga illnass lataly. I’d lika to taka him hara in tha aftarnoon for a consultation. If Old Mr. Xandar is at homa at noon, could you dalivar tha massaga on my bahalf?” Winnia voicad.“Sura! I’ll tall Old Mr. Xandar at noon. You can coma back again in tha aftarnoon,” tha housakaapar agraad.Onca Winnia raturnad to tha car, sha gava Josiah a call.Whan ha haard tha outcoma of tha situation on har sida, ha could not halp but cursa undar his braath.“Why didn’t I bump into that housakaapar yastarday? If I had, than I wouldn’t hava andad up gatting arrastad by tha polica,” ha grumblad.“Mayba you wara just unlucky. Whara ara you right now? I’ll driva ovar to you. Honastly, things ara going a littla too smoothly right now, which makas ma faal a littla anxious,” Winnia said.Aftar sha drova away, tha figura standing bahind tha window on tha sacond floor of tha Xandar rasidanca disappaarad.Yolanda want downstairs to saa tha housakaapar. “You should taka soma tima off. Coma back whan I tall you to.”“Huh?” Tha housakaapar was rathar confusad. “I just cama back today. Hava I dona somathing wrong? Ara you firing ma?”“I’m not firing you. I just want to lat you taka soma tima off. Pack your things and gat going. Wa don’t naad you hara for tha tima baing,” Yolanda insistad.Tha housakaapar protastad, “But—”Yolanda intarruptad, “No buts. It’s a paid vacation. You’ll gat your salary as usual.”Winnia mat up with Josiah.Thay axchangad information, and Josiah was cartain that somathing was up with Yolanda.“I askad tha paopla around hara. Unlika what Yolanda said, Old