CHAPTER 94: CHAPTER 94: VICTORIA IS FORCED TO PLAY MAHJONG

Victoria Sinclair left the study, walked through the corridor, pressing the power button on her phone as she went.

The phone beeped a few times.

Opening the messages, there were two missed calls from Eugene Vaughn.

She held the phone tightly, feeling dejected and heavy-hearted, took a deep breath, and stepped out.

As she passed by the side hall, her grandmother waved at her from the large round table, "Victoria, come over here."

Victoria Sinclair smiled slightly, her lips pressed together, and walked over.

Her grandmother asked, "Have you had dinner?"

Victoria nodded, "I have, Grandma."

"Come sit down."

Several women gathered around the big round table, busy making beautifully crafted pastries.

Victoria felt especially reserved, sitting by her grandmother’s side.

The space next to the round table was filled with many red baskets containing wedding cakes, wedding candies, cigarettes and alcohol, lotus seeds, red dates, dried longan, abalone, sea cucumbers, and other dry goods.

There were also oranges, pomegranates, lotus roots, ginger, red strings, and cypress leaves.

Looking at the beautifully crafted pastries filling the table, Victoria curiously asked, "Grandma, what are these?"

"These are sweet pastries, symbolizing sweet and happy times." Her grandmother smiled widely, feeling quite good, "Tomorrow, The Rhodes Family will send over many gifts; we need to prepare these return gifts."

Mrs. Vaughn also pointed to the things next to them, "You should take note that if you and Eugene have a daughter, before she gets married, you should prepare these according to this standard. Red string and cypress are used to ward off evil, ginger symbolizes fertility and prosperity, pomegranates symbolize many children and blessings, lotus roots symbolize a perfect match, and red dates, peanuts, and lotus seeds symbolize auspiciousness and happiness..."

Victoria listened to her grandmother’s introduction, sincerely attentive.

Her grandmother’s eyes crinkled with a smile, "Did you remember everything?"

"I remembered, Grandma." Victoria took out her phone, "Can I take a photo?"

"Of course, recording it with a photo will make sure you don’t forget."

Victoria nodded with a light smile and stood up to take photos.

A relative making the pastries sighed, "Young people nowadays like everything to be simple; the younger generation has discarded all the traditions passed down by their ancestors."

"Yes, some young people even like to get married while traveling and don’t even hold wedding banquets."

Mrs. Vaughn was displeased, "The traditional ceremonies passed down by our ancestors can’t just be discarded like that."

After taking the photos, Victoria sat back down beside her grandmother, "Grandma, I remember it all, I won’t forget or discard it."

Mrs. Vaughn genuinely liked Victoria and lovingly taught her, "Traditional culture must be passed down; it’s not superstition, it’s the most sincere and beautiful wish and expectation from elders for the soon-to-be-married couple."

Victoria nodded obediently.

"Come, let Grandma teach you how to make sweet pastries."

Victoria stood up, "Okay, I’ll go wash my hands."

She washed her hands clean and came back to learn making pastries from her grandmother, forgetting about Eugene’s two missed calls.

Before long, the pastries were ready.

Auntie Rose moved the pastries into the kitchen to steam, and Victoria followed to help.

Auntie Rose opened the steaming hot electric steamer, placed the pastries on a plate, and reminded, "Be careful not to burn yourself."

"Okay." Victoria responded, carefully placing the pastries.

Suddenly, she heard Eugene’s slightly rushed voice by her ear, "I’ve been looking for you for a long time, why are you hiding in the kitchen?"

Victoria was startled, quickly turned around, not knowing when Eugene had quietly come up behind her.

In that moment of turning, she accidentally touched the edge of the steamer tray with the back of her hand.

"Hiss!" Victoria sharply inhaled, quickly retracted her hand, and looked at the back of her hand.

Eugene’s eyes darkened, he stepped forward quickly, grabbing her burnt hand, and the fair skin of her hand immediately had a shallow red mark.

Auntie Rose panicked, "What happened? You got burned?"

"It’s nothing." Victoria tugged her hand hard,

Eugene forcefully pulled her to the sink, turned on the cold water, and rinsed her hand.

Auntie Rose went out, "I’ll go get some burn ointment."

"No need, Auntie Rose, it’s really nothing."

Auntie Rose ignored her calls and left the kitchen.

Victoria raised her eyes, looking at Eugene beside her.

The man looked serious, silently holding her wrist under the running water.

The cool water suppressed the burning pain; she was indifferent, "It’s just a small burn."

Eugene’s deep gaze was fixed on the back of her hand, particularly tense, "It’s all red."

The man was very close, holding her hand without letting go, making the atmosphere particularly intimate. Victoria changed the subject, "Did you need something from me?"

Eugene lifted his eyelids, "Why didn’t you answer my calls?"

"My phone was off."

"I just searched here, and you weren’t in the kitchen."

"Yeah, I went to the study."

"What did you do in the study?"

"Dad wanted to see me."

"What did he want with you?"

Victoria was silent for a few seconds, then looked into his deep, passionate eyes, speaking earnestly, "Eugene, since I’ve decided to get a divorce, I won’t change my mind. You should go apologize to Dad and go back to work at Vaughn Group. Don’t go against Dad for a pointless cause; it’s not beneficial for you."

Eugene was silent for a few seconds, seemingly uneasy knowing she was aware of this matter, bitterly smiled, "You have your resolve, and I have mine."

"The outcome won’t change, so why insist?" Victoria didn’t understand his actions.

Auntie Rose hurried in, "The burn ointment is here."

"Thanks." Eugene took the burn ointment, turned off the faucet, and gently dried her hand with a paper towel.

Then he squeezed a little burn ointment on the red mark on the back of her hand, gently rubbing with his thumb.

Eugene’s movements were very gentle.

Victoria watched his focused handsome face, her heart soft and warm.

Eugene returned the burn ointment to Auntie Rose, washed his hands, and held her hand, leading her outside.

Victoria wanted to stay and help, but he wouldn’t allow it and was quite firm.

As they reached the living room, they were called over by her grandmother again, "Victoria, come and make a pair of feet."

Victoria was puzzled.

Eugene spoke for her, "Grandma, Victoria doesn’t know how."

"It’s not difficult, you’ll learn quickly." Mrs. Vaughn came over, taking Victoria from Eugene, dragging her into another room.

Victoria was bewildered, "Grandma, what are we doing?"

"We’re missing one for mahjong."

"What?" Victoria didn’t understand, nervously looking back.

Seeing Eugene following her over, her heart felt a bit more at ease.

Once inside the spacious entertainment room, Victoria realized what was meant by missing one.

It turned out to be for playing mahjong.

At the table, Mrs. Miller and her second aunt were already seated. Grandma dragged her to a chair, pressing her down to sit.

"Grandma, I’ve never played mahjong, I really don’t know how."

Mrs. Miller, not keen on playing against Victoria, smiled at Eugene, "Come on, Eugene."

Mrs. Vaughn was particular, "We’re all women here, we won’t play with a man."

Victoria sat there, unsure whether to get up or stay, feeling very embarrassed, "I really don’t know, Grandma."

"You’re so clever, you’ll learn quickly." Mrs. Vaughn pressed the start button for the automatic mahjong machine, "Playing mahjong is mystical; beginners always have good luck."

Victoria nervously looked back at Eugene.

Eugene dragged a chair over, practically sitting against Victoria’s arm, legs apart, one hand on her chair back, the other helping her with the tiles, speaking particularly gently, "It’s okay, I’ll teach you."