Transmigrated as the Villain Boss's Precious Darling-Chapter 21: Fellow Villagers Who Kick Someone When They’re Down

’No wonder the great families of the past placed so much importance on etiquette. There was a proper way to do everything.’ He thought he should learn a thing or two from that; at the very least, it was more pleasant to watch.

At this moment, Felix Thorne hadn’t yet realized the importance of decorum. He just felt that his three sons weren’t as annoying as they used to be, so he was willing to go along with Tang Xiaonan.

In high spirits, Felix Thorne placed a tender piece of meat in Tang Xiaonan’s bowl. She chewed it contentedly. It took a lot of chewing to break down a single piece. ’The pain of having no teeth!’

’But there’s an upside to this. Chewing slowly is the best way to lose weight, and it looks more elegant. I’m going to be a proper lady in the future, just like the female lead in the story—eating gracefully and speaking softly. So much more likable.’

"So delicious."

Tang Xiaonan swallowed the piece of meat in satisfaction. It was incredible. She wouldn’t trade this authentic, home-raised pork for anything!

Phoebe Huxley put another piece in her bowl, her fierce-looking features softened by a loving expression. "Eat up. I’ve set aside a bowl of every dish for you to have tonight."

During the off-season, other families would have watery porridge for breakfast and dinner, with only the head of the household getting to eat solid rice. But the Thorne family had solid rice at every meal, 365 days a year.

During the busy farming season, it was pure rice. In the off-season, it was rice mixed with sweet potatoes. Today’s meal was sweet potato rice. The soft, sweet potatoes mixed in with the rice tasted wonderful. Tang Xiaonan specifically picked out the sweet potatoes to eat, as she wasn’t fond of the hard rice grains.

The rice they ate now was all brown rice; it really wasn’t as tasty as the sweet potatoes.

As Tang Xiaonan slowly chewed her meat, her heart skipped a beat. She suddenly remembered something.

Felix Thorne’s parents were still alive. They just didn’t live with their eldest son’s family because her grandparents didn’t get along with their eldest daughter-in-law, Phoebe Huxley. The elderly couple simply chose to live with their second son and his wife, along with their youngest, unmarried son.

In truth, there was no major conflict between them; it was mainly a difference in lifestyle.

Felix Thorne’s parents were incredibly frugal—pathologically so. They were only a smidgen better than a legendary miser who, on his deathbed, lamented the waste of a second lamp wick. Phoebe Huxley, on the other hand, was a spendthrift. These completely different philosophies on life caused the relationship between mother-in-law and daughter-in-law to deteriorate rapidly. In the end, it was the old patriarch, Byron Thorne, who made the final decision to have his eldest son’s family move out and live on their own.

Out of sight, out of mind. Things became much more peaceful after that. However, the relationship between Phoebe Huxley and her mother-in-law, Raina, remained poor. They didn’t even pretend to be amicable in front of outsiders and would sometimes bicker. Everyone in the village knew about it.

"The Thorne family has no sense of propriety. The elders don’t act their age, and that mother, Phoebe Huxley, even dares to curse at her own parents-in-law. She never sends them any good food and has cussed out every last one of her neighbors. What kind of good son could a mother like that possibly raise?" 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝒆𝔀𝒆𝙗𝓷𝒐𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝓶

When Jim Thorne got into trouble, some villagers with malicious intent said exactly this to the police. Although they were just kicking her while she was down, it was true that Phoebe Huxley had a terrible relationship with her mother-in-law.

But in reality, Phoebe Huxley just had a harsh face and a soft heart. Though she didn’t get along with her in-laws, she would still care for them with all her heart when they fell ill. Just like Felix Thorne, she reserved all her patience and gentleness for her daughter, Tang Xiaonan.

She spoke to others in a harsh, angry tone, and this, combined with her unkind-looking face, resulted in her poor reputation.

In the book, after Jim Thorne was executed, Phoebe Huxley found out what those people had told the police. Her spirit shattered instantly. She lived in deep self-blame, feeling that she had brought ruin upon her son. Before long, she was struck with a serious illness. With everything at home going wrong and following the death of Felix Thorne, she herself passed away just a few years later.